The Greetery {Rustic Christmas}

Hello and welcome!  I’m thrilled to be sharing quite a few projects here and on The Greetery blog that all started from 2 leftover scraps! If you saw my Thanksgiving Day post, you may have read that I had two die cut pieces left over from that project.  I simply could NOT throw those away, so that was the spark that ignited the flame for today’s projects! Which, by the way, the Thanksgiving Day post was all because of Betsy and her giving us the fabulous tip to try woodgrain cardstock with some of the new embossing folders! Betsy is just the best at fueling our creative spark, isn’t she?

So, with that being said, let’s get started because we have quite a bit to cover and for me to share! I’ve decided I’m just going to share in the order that inspiration struck and how the design process evolved and hopefully that will cover everything. To begin, I had those two pieces leftover; the center of the Shortbread Shapes: Snowflake Die and the center portion of the Capsule Basics Die. Both of these pieces were cut from a beautiful Cherry Wood Veneer cardstock (Cardstock Warehouse) so they were “special” scraps! Ha ha!

 I went ahead and embossed the star-shaped center portion using the Shortbread Shapes: Snowflake Embossing Folder and then added some vintage photo distress ink over the raised edges to give it additional dimension and depth. I also die cut the base piece from China White cardstock from Cardstock Warehouse and ran it through the embossing folder as well and followed the same steps for adding ink. Once that was done, I adhered the wood piece using liquid glue. One of the things I have found that works well for gluing the embossed pieces, is to find the “flat” portions that didn’t get embossed and add the glue there. This will help with the adhesion to whatever you’re gluing it to.

I mentioned in my Christmas Gallerie release post that I had cut, colored, and assembled a whole garden of botanicals that were just waiting to be used. I chose two of the Paperwhite clusters to use for both cards. I toyed around with just using the cluster over the wood panel, but it felt empty, so I went to my stash and looked through some of my older foliage dies and settled on the Magnolia Wreath. I cut it twice from Forest cardstock and blended some Handsome Hunter ink (SU!) to the tips.

 I added some white acrylic paint splatter and then glued the two wreaths together. I adhered it t to the center of the wood/star portion of the card along with the Paperwhite cluster. For the sentiment, I heat embossed one of the greetings included in the Capsule Quick Tags Stamp Set and cut the ends and added a few gems.

I layered that on top of a Little Linked Label that was heat embossed, cut using the coordinating Little Linked Labels Die and then embossed with the Little Linked Labels Embossing Folder. I absolutely love the rustic feeling of this card and I just about stopped there, but the other lone “leftover” piece was calling my name.

I placed the second leftover scrap  in the Rosemal Reflections Embossing Folder  to give it the beautiful embossed pattern and added a touch of vintage photo distress ink over the top. I cut an A2 [panel of Forest cardstock and embossed that, also! I glued the wood grain portion over the top using the same gluing technique as the other card. I decided to simply add the Paperwhite cluster in the middle with the same sentiment/label combo as the other card, but the sentiment is from the Simple Holiday Mini Sentiments Stamp Set.

Both cards have a gold bow cut from the smaller size included in the Regency Bow No. 2 along with some “hardware” cut from the Hang It Up Die. One of the things I love most about the Christmas Gallerie Collection is all of the basics that can be used all year long! I added some Rock Candy Glitter to both cards for some holiday sparkle and shine!

Now, I had played around with adding one of the buildings from the Market Place Collection of dies to one or both of these two cards, but as you can see, I went in another direction., I decided at this point I wanted to make a coordinating Arch Box Large Die with one of the buildings and I chose the Market Place No. 2 Die. I kept the colors the same as the cards but added in the Stormy Sea color for window frames, etc.

I die cut all of the pieces with the base being cut from Colorplan China White from Cardstock Warehouse. I wanted the windows to show through the box, so I cut that from one of the two base pieces before I got started assembling everything. I used liquid glue to add all of the window frames, shutters, etc. I landed on using the Tannenbaum’s name for the shop which then took me in the Christmas tree direction.

I really wanted to add the miniature bottle-brush trees to the outside, which I definitely could have just glued them directly to the building, but instead I decided to attach the entire box to a small base. I cut it using the Capsule Basics Die and then added the Capsule Filigree Borders using liquid glue. I adhered the Market Place box to this using hot glue and then placed the trees next to the building using additional hot glue.

The building was decorated with elements included in the Market Place Holiday Festoons, some snow flock (thanks Betsy), and some gems on each of the bows on the windows. I had so much fun creating this box and my mind has been racing with additional ideas for other boxes/cards! I have been so inspired by all of your creations you have been sharing on social media; well done, friends!

My youngest son wandered down as I was creating this box and asked what I was doing. I showed him what I was up to and he asked if we could put a votive down inside. I told him yes and that is definitely an idea that people have used before. When I took the pictures, the sun was streaming through the window on the detail shot to it actually looks like a votive is down inside, but there’s not! I thought that was funny after he asked me about putting a light inside!

Now, onto the tags! I had so much fun using all of the architectural details on the box, I thought it might be fun to make a pair of tags to complement the other projects. I used the darling door that was released as part of the Fireside Holiday Collection last year. I never used this particular die so I was thrilled to pull it out and use it for this array of projects. I also pulled in the A2 Arches Die to create the different layers and such.

I cut both doors using the Single Arch Door Small Die; one from Kraft and one from Stormy Sea. I cut a larger mat using the A2 Arches from the China White cardstock and added a glow with some yellow ink so it was placed where the openings would line up.

I used liquid glue for the frame and then foam squares for the additional layers. Hardware from the Hang it Up Die, wreaths, and sentiments that were used on the cards. I wanted to keep everything cohesive so It was fun to just use things here and there until I was happy! Of course, I just HAD to add a few trees to one of the tags! I had SO much fun creating this collection of projects! Thanks for fluttering by!

Warm and Cocoa-zy!

It always feels good to get a project checked off my to-do list; especially since it's been there since last Christmas! ha ha! I bought some flannel and heat-resistant thread so I could sew up some holiday rice warmers last year and I never got around to it before Christmas was over, and then I planned on using the plaid flannel (not the tartan one) for Valentine's Day or just winter gifts and that never happened either! I even bought 10 pounds of rice that's been sitting in my pantry all year! Wow! So, now that I've confessed, let's get started!

I'm sharing the details of the rice warmers HERE, but I really thought I had a tutorial from a few years ago, but I don't. I shared some quick steps because this is such a quick and easy, beginner friendly project!

This particular gift consists of the rice warmer, a canister of hot cocoa, a package of Pepperidge Farms cookies, and then a little house box filled with some Ghirardelli chocolates and mini candy canes to be used as add-ins for the cocoa, if desired. I just couldn't resist using the Cocoa Cozy Stamp Set because it was the perfect choice to complement this gift.

There was a particular tag die I was searching for and just couldn't locate it so I threw my hands up in surrender and frustration and just cut some plain tag bases using Pure Poppy cardstock and then cut the tag shape at the top using an old SU! paper punch. Once that was done, I cut out all of the main sentiments using the Cocoa Cozy Die and then stamped them using Frayed Burlap distress oxide ink. I like how it looks like creamy hot cocoa!

I stamped the tags with the accent sentiment using Fresh Snow pigment ink and then added the die cut sentiment using foam squares. The greenery and berries were cut from white cardstock using the Into the Blooms: Swag Die because it's basically living on my desk! ha ha! I colored them with dye inks and blender brushes (my green brush snapped in half because I've clearly been hauling out too much holly....ha ha!)

I spritzed everything with Hickory Smoke distress spritz and allowed them to dry. The cute peppermint is from the In-Stitches: Gingerbread Builder Die and I kicked myself when I realized this great die has been hiding in plain sight and I'd forgotten about it. I only remembered it when I was decorating the Christmas tree in my kitchen and saw THIS little cutie! I've been missing out on using such a great Christmas accent die, but now I fear, I will be using it ALL THE TIME!

As you can see, I made 8 tags in total. Each one is slightly different because I was just grabbing different greenery and such and different pearl for the centers of the peppermints. I was almost done and was cleaning up my supplies and realized the snowflakes from the sentiment set would be perfect so I stamped a trio of snowflakes on each tag and then frosted the corners with a small blender brush and white ink. I threaded each tag with green baker's twine.

Here it is all packaged up!

I had a lot of fun putting this project together and I'm so pleased I got everything sewn and used from last year! 

Thanks for fluttering by!

 

Handmade Holiday Hostess Gift

Happy Monday! Thanks for your sweet comments on yesterday's post! I'm sharing a post over on my other blog that you can read HERE. I'm mostly posting this here for people who use the link to my blog on Instagram....I don't have my other blog posted! Thanks for fluttering by!

 

Project Inspiration {Merry Christmas to You and Yours}

Hello and welcome! It's my turn for the Project Inspiration feature for Papertrey Ink and today I'll be sharing step-by-step photos and directions on how I created this card. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do when Christmas crafting is over because I love making Christmas cards SO much!

I love the vintage style of this card and I hope you do, too!

Step 1: Cut a panel of Pale Peony cardstcok and hot foil it using the Fanciful Snowflakes Hot Foil Plate using Blush Glimmer Foil. Trim it down to measure 4 by 5 1/4 inches and add some Pale Peony ink to the corners using a blender brush.

Step 2: Cut the ribbons and bow using the Wrap-it Ribbons Die from Pure Poppy ink. Add Scarlet Jewel ink to the center portions of the bow and the edges of the ribbons using a blender brush. Attach to the base using foam squares and liquid glue.

Step 3: Cut and color the foliage and berries using the Into the Blooms: Swag Die from white cardstock and blender brushes. Spritz with Frayed Burlap Distress Spray and add some white acrylic paint splatter. Attach to the background using foam squares.

Step 4: Stamp the sentiment in black using the Vintage Holiday Flair Stamp Set and a stamp positioning tool; I used a mini MISTI. Leave the stamp in the MISTI while you color the letters using a red alcohol marker. Place it BACK into the MISIT and stamp it again using Versamark ink and then heat emboss it with gold powder. Cut the banner using the Vintage Holiday Flair Die from white cardstock and stamp it with Pale Peony and Scarlet Jewel ink with black ink for the sentiment. Attach to the background using foam squares.

Step 5: Add a trio of sparkling clear sequins and attach to an A2 panel of Pure Poppy cardstock. Adhere it to a white card base using liquid glue.

Step 6: Add glitter to the foliage, berries and bow using a 2-Way Glue Pen and glitter of your choice. I used Rock Candy Glitter for this card.

Some extra tips and tricks: Use foam strips for the ribbons so you can tuck the greenery in seamlessly. 

The reason why I colored the letters before I embossed them is because alcohol markers have a tendency to ruin embossing, so this is a great way to get the coloring done AND the embossing powder is a little bit thicker than the original stamping so it hides any little mistakes! (wink)

This particular card was supposed to look like a gift/present, but if you go back to step 3, I think it would look great to add other layers and use a stamped image (nutcracker, bell, tree, etc.) for the focal point rather than a sentiment.

I always use a large sequin next to a small one and then add a medium size to create a visual triangle across the card.

I chose to keep the Merry Christmas sentiment the same color as the background for a more seamless look.

I try and add glitter (especially for a winter or Christmas card) so it looks like fallen snow.

Once I was finished with this card, I couldn't help thinking it really could have used some candy canes! So....I might recreate it with some different layers like I mentioned earlier and a candy cane or two! 

Thanks for fluttering by!

 

A Thrill of Hope

I'm back today with a pair of cards that are *almost* identical. I had the two "gift/present" die cuts already put together that never got used last year, so I decided to take some time to put them to good use! 

I cut the base and lid of the gifts using a pad of holiday pattern paper using the Perfect Present Die. The bow portion is cut from Antique Gold cardstock from the Cardstock Warehouse. I used liquid glue and foam squares to attach everything. I think I was planning on making a pair of tags last year, but I can't remember for sure.

For both backgrounds, I used a retired stencil from The Greetery. This particular stencil has really precise and delicate pieces, so I used Pixie Spray on the back of the stencil. It can leave sticky residue, but it's easily removed with a quick swipe of an Adhesive Eraser. I definitely needed the eraser for both backgrounds, but it's worth it for the precise lines that are achieved when  using the purple spray on the back of intricate stencils. I trimmed both panels to measure 4 by 5 1/4 inches and rounded the corners on one of the panels.

I layered the stenciled panels onto A2 top-folding card bases using foam squares. I also added the gifts that were ready to go using additional foam squares.

The greenery and foliage is cut mainly using the Into the Blooms: Swag Die but I did pull in a few other pieces I had already made that were laying in my "leftover" pile.

I arranged everything around the gifts using foam squares and liquid glue until I was satisfied with the placement. The sentiment, which is from the Just Sentiments: Heaven and Nature Sing mini stamp set, is heat embossed in gold on Stormy Sea cardstock and then cut using one of the dies included in the Hold That Thought Die.

Now, if the gifts weren't already assembled, I would have threaded the cord for the little tag around the bow, but since they were already glued down, I simply arranged it over the bow as best as I could.

I added glitter and a trio of sparkling clear sequins to finish off the two cards. This was a really fun project to work on and I was thrilled to use those two neglected die cuts. Thanks for fluttering by!

 

Have a Holly {JOLLY} Christmas

 Hello and welcome, friends! I hope you're having a wonderful week! I've been having the best time creating and crafting, getting in the Christmas spirit! I love this time of year and wish I could savor it a bit longer; it seems to go by in a flash!

My card for today is based on a store-bought Christmas card I had saved in my Christmas inspiration folder. The reason why I am particularly drawn to the card is because of its colors, clean design, and I knew it would be loads of fun to put together!  It became a scavenger hunt as I shopped my stash to find just the right elements to bring it to life!

To begin, I used two different alphabet die sets for the letters; Kelly Alpha Uppercase and Heather Uppercase for the pink L. These appear to be discontinued, but they are the ones that worked the best to recreate the look of the inspiration piece. I cut the J from More Mustard (SU!) cardstock, the O and the Y from Forest cardstock from Cardstock Warehouse, the pink L is Lovely Lady from PTI, and the other L is Pure Poppy, also from PTI. I cut all of them twice with the exception of the green ones because that cardstock is incredibly heavy, so it didn't need any reinforcement. I wanted sturdy pieces and the double-thickness did the trick!

Once the letters were all cut, I got to work on each of the tiny elements and details that are included. The holly and berries are from the Curio: Attic Ornaments Die as well as the little bows on the ornament and the tiny gift, and the red "sparkle". I cut the leaves from New Leaf and Pure Poppy cardstock, both from PTI. I didn't have a gift die that was small enough, so I simply cut a tiny box from the same New Leaf cardstock and added the red bow using liquid glue.

The little sparkles and dots are from assorted die sets: the sparkles (besides red) and the dots are from the Build--a-Christmas Tree Die as well as the ornament and ornament topper. The tree and star are from the Winter Globes: Believe Die.  The bow at the top was an add-on (the inspiration piece did not have bow, but a flower that I couldn't replicate) and was cut using the Wrap-it Ribbons Die from Lovely Lady cardstock.

Once I had all of the letters and details ready to go, it was time to assemble the card. I tried the Press n-Seal technique, which has never failed me before, but it didn't work with this card so I just did everything with as much precision as possible using tweezers to help. I cut an oval from vellum using the Love to Layer: Ovals Die and placed everything using tiny bits of foam tape and liquid glue. Once it was all done, I gave it a spritz of Shimmer Spray-Sparkle. I also gave the bows, ornament, star and holly berry a tiny gem for added sparkle.

Once I had everything glued and in place, I realized it was off-center! Eeek! I decided to balance it out by adding a trio of sparkling clear sequins. I really didn't want to do that, but it was the only way to fix it without ruining the entire thing! The original card was very white and CAS, but I chose to bring my own style to the project and layered it on a piece of floral holiday paper. I simply turned the oval over and strategically added foam squares where they were directly underneath and attached it to the floral paper and card base. 

I love how it this card came out and now I can get it out of my head! ha ha! Thanks for fluttering by!