Stampin’ Up! recently released their 2015 Holiday catalog, and the minute I saw this stamp set and coordinating dies, I knew I had to have it. Not only was I excited about the possibility of using the dies to create all sorts of layered scenes, but I was also excited that the dies were sized such that they could be used on tags as well as cards. I also liked how the sentiments in the stamp set were curved to follow the lines of the dies.

My favorite part about this set is the horse-drawn sleigh die, and the first thing that came to mind when I saw it was the song “Over The River And Through The Woods”. I think these song lyrics and a horse-drawn sleigh scene were meant to go together on a card, so I could hardly wait to make that happen. If you look at the stamp set, however, you will notice that these song lyrics are not one of the sentiment options offered. Does that mean the game is over? Hardly. I’m going to show you how I made the card I pictured in my mind a reality by creating the song lyrics on the computer.

The key to success, I’ve found, is choosing the right card stock. The weight of the card stock is important because it’s going to be going through your printer. You want a card stock that is lightweight and flexible enough to be accepted by the printer. The color of the card stock is also important because you need to be able to see through it when holding it up to the light. So, I’ve found that using white, cream, or a light pastel color are the best options.

The first step is to prepare your card front or project to the extent that you can, so that you can see exactly where you want your sentiment to go.

Since the focal point of my card was the scene layers, I needed to cut them out and place them on the card panel, so I could determine what space was left for the sentiment. Once you have a general sense of where your sentiment is going to go, it’s time to head to the computer. As a side note, in order to get the trees on the lefthand side of the paper for the top layer, I just turned the paper over after I cut it.

The second step is to select a font and font size, and type out a sample of your sentiment.   It’s important to take the time to select a font that matches the style of the project you are working on. Having your project planned out and somewhat prepared helps you determine what font size to use, as you have a general idea of how large or small a space you have to work with. For my card, I knew I wanted to use a larger font size to help take up some of that white space at the top of the card.

Once you have your font style and size selected, it’s time to type out a sample of your sentiment. I use Microsoft Office Word, and I always align the wording in the center of the paper. I type all drafts in black ink, as it shows up the best underneath card stock when held up to light. Once I am satisfied with my sample, then I’ll change the color, if needed. It takes a lot of time and trial and error to get everything just the way you want it, so be patient. I print each draft that I type, and place the card stock over the draft and hold it up to the light to check for size and placement.

When you are satisfied with your typed sample, and have the card stock panel placed just where you want it, use scotch tape to tape the card stock panel to the copy paper and mark all four corners of the card stock with a pencil. The pencil marks will help with paper placement, should you need to make multiple copies of the sentiment. I have made my marks with a marker in this sample for better visualization.

You are now ready to print a trial onto the card stock. All you need to do is turn the copy paper over, and place it in the paper tray making sure that the card stock panel is at the top of the tray.

After the sample was printed, I placed my scene layers back on the card stock panel to get a sense of what the card front was going to look like.

Perfect! If you’re satisfied with everything, you can remove the scotch tape from the card stock panel only; leave the scotch tape on the copy paper. If you only need one copy printed, you can now finish your card. If you need to print more copies, just place another card stock panel where your pencil marks are; use the same pieces of tape on the copy paper to hold the card stock down; and print. Continue these same three steps to print the remainder of copies needed.

Once all of your printing is done, set the copy paper aside, and finish your card.

Since “Over The River And Through The Woods” is a Thanksgiving song, I wanted to use a fall color scheme. I also wanted the card to have a down home, country feel, so my embellishments included a button and some lace. Here’s a close up of the embellishment:

This is the first time I’ve tried using a short piece of lace underneath an embellishment like the banners, and I know I’ll be doing this a lot more. I love how such a small piece of lace can add so much charm.

Once I was done with this card, I ended up cutting more scene layers out of other patterned paper, and I made three more versions of this card.

I’m so happy with how these cards turned out; they ended up looking exactly like what I had pictured in my mind. That doesn’t always happen! The best part was that I was able to increase the versatility of this stamp and die set by creating a sentiment on the computer. It’s always fun to get more bang for your buck!

As for the copy paper I used, I documented all of the specific details and measurements I used to create this card, and I’ve saved it in a file. That way, I can come back to this paper at any point in the future and have all of the information I need to recreate the same card.

Well, that wraps it up for me today. I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and, as always, remember:

“May the waves kiss your feet, / the sand be your seat, / and your friends out-number the stars.”

-C-