Happy Chinese New Year

Another year has passed, another new year draws closer....
Wait a minute, didn't we just have a new year?  Oh, right, this is Chinese new year, which is based on a different (lunar) calendar.

I love Chinese new year because, being single, I am the recipient of the lucky red envelopes that are (hopefully) filled with money.  And I say this every year - it's a good reason to stay unmarried!

There are lots of superstitions - or should that be traditions - surrounding Chinese new year. Things like cleaning the house beforehand to welcome good luck into the household, paying all debts (and no lending of money on the day) and having a new year feast that honours our ancestors.  Come to think of it, it's probably a good thing to have Chinese new year every day...

So here are some cards to celebrate the new year. The cards highlight the cute prosperity boy stamp from Hero Arts that I just had to get as soon as I saw it. It is perfect for a happy, prosperous new year.

Supplies:

Cardstock: Vanilla from Stampin' Up! 
Flocked paper: Doodlebug Design

Patterned paper: Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Prosperity Smile by Hero Arts; happy new year (inside card) from Paddy's Market

Ink: Stampin' Up! and Tombow

Longevity birthday card

My aunt asked me to make a card for a friend whose birthday is coming up.  The brief: Asian-inspired, maybe red (friend is female) and maybe ‘long life’ stamped on it.  Well, as luck would have it, I have a set of Hero Arts stamps bought several years ago with Chinese characters for longevity, prosperity and double happiness, and they’re worth their weight in gold considering the number of times I’ve used them for wedding cards and the like.

For this card, I pieced together some paper from Cosmo Cricket’s ‘circa 1934’ line and topped it with a Martha Stewart doily that is sponged with red ink.  The sponging on the paper underneath also gives an interesting effect, like a stencil, so I’ve replicated it inside the card.

Supplies:

Cardstock: Stampin’ Up!, Paddy’s market
Patterned paper: Cosmo Cricket, Stampin’ Up!
Stamps: Hero Arts, Stampin’ Up!
Ink: Stampin' Up!
Doily: Martha Stewart