Majors and Minors - using it all up

I'm getting a head start on next Christmas while I'm still in the mood.  If you're a card-maker like me you know all about having a pile of scraps to deal with.  It's almost never that a single card idea uses up all the paper you've chosen.  The idea you have in your head becomes the Major. The challenge becomes how you adapt that idea to use up the scraps, creating the Minor. 

Here is a sample of one of my Majors and Minors.  It's a reoccurring theme for me.  There is a rendition of "T'was the Night Before Christmas" on my all time favorite Christmas album by Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians that I hear in my head all season long.  Inevitably it results in the sugar plumb card. 

The larger one - the Major - was my original design idea, 5x7.  The background paper is from Pink Paislee's snow day collection.  I had been hanging onto a pack of felt snowflakes from American Crafts for forever and decided it was time to use them up.  I added glitter brads and stamped images along with punched out rings to create the 'visions of sugar plumbs that danced in their wee, little heads.'  The header image is from Unity Stamps - an image by Webster's Pages.  I may color it, but have plenty of time to decide.  Everything is embossed with clear powder to make the edges shine and the stamped images glossy.  It adds to the 'sugar' feel I was trying to create.  Some images are popped up with foam to add dimension. 

Since I used up all the glitter brads on the Major, I substituted crystal bling on the Minor.  The ribbon is American Crafts, again, and has the same color scheme as the background paper.  I reversed the paper for the Minor just to mix things up.  I think I'll get out my glitter glue and glitter up some of those dots in the background, just to keep the 'sugar' idea prevalent in both.  

Happy Christmas, Everyone! - AMK

Coolest of Cats Card Class - Mini

In response to Andrea who lamented not having any of the products from the previous card class, I created this card with an eye for easy substitution.  It's a mini class, which is my way of saying the construction of the thing is pretty straight-forward. 

Hey - how about this?  If you send me a pic of your version of this card, I'll post it here for everyone to see.   amking1964@gmail.com will get it to me.  It will be fun to see your interpretation of it. 

First - here is a picture of the supplies I used: 

Background paper - Reminisce, Midnight Stripe (I bet the designer has a cat named Midnight)
Cat Stamps - These are two images from a company called Prickly Pear.  I picked up these little guys at the One of a Kind Rubber Stamp and Scrapbook show in Madison last year.  The Saturday before Thanksgiving, folks.  Mark your calendars.
Circles Stamp - that's Tim Holtz, he's got an embossing folder that matches it if you really dig it.  
Embossing Powder - ZING by American Crafts - Orange, this stuff is glittered. (Andrea's favorite medium)
Staz-On - Jet Black
Sentiment - sorry - the manufacturer is not labeled on this one, it's really easy to use your printer though, (wink, wink!)
Orange Brads - these two here are swirl brads in two colors of orange.  They came in a glass tube that was prone to rolling off the table and breaking on the floor, hence I don't have the original packaging to tell you who made them. 

The finished card is #10, that's 4x9.25.  It will fit nicely into a #10 business envelope.  Take your supplies and work your magic and make them look like what you see below.  Note that I stamped two sets of circles, embossed them and then cut them out.  Stamp everything on the scraps from your cream colored card stock. 

When you're all done putting it together, it should look something like this.   That's it.  Like I said, a mini card class. 

Let me know what you think and send me your versions!   Enjoy - AMK