Christmas Card Variations - Mix and Match

 

Christmas cards already?  My husband just shook his head when I showed him these cards - he doesn't understand that Christmas comes very early in the crafting world!  I had an idea that I wanted to try and you could use this technique for any kind of card - I just happened to decide that I wanted some snowflakes...

The Cricut Artbooking cartridge is the third in a series of absolutely full and fabulous cartridges that are available through Close To My Heart.  Each cartridge has used all of the available key positions (14 for each button) and there are 700 items that can be cut with this cartridge.  The section at the front of the book that shows the images takes up 28 pages - so many choices!  

This cartridge has a focus on mini books and scrapbook pages but there are many ways to expand on the use of the images.  I decided to try using one of the overlay images to make some cards (and of course they had to be sparkly!).  I started with the overlay image on page 52.  The overlay is meant for a summer sun page but it can easily be switched up for other purposes.  I cut the design at 4 inches (Real Dial Size) to fit a standard A2 card.  It is important to note that you will need to use Real Dial Size often with this cartridge if you are cutting something that you want to use for a different project than the project shown on the page in the book.

I cut the ray design in three colors of glitter cardstock (Core'dinations Core Couture).  Then, while one frame was still on the mat, I rearranged all of the cut out rays, alternating colors to create three card toppers.  (I did not use any software to alter the size of the image to fill the card front but you could do this with the Cricut Craftroom or the Gypsy).

I adhered the overlay to a white card and then added the individual rays.  If you have them set up on the mat it goes a little more quickly but the shapes are easy to distinguish so it is not strictly necessary to do this.

I find it easiest to place the frame on the card and then scribble in the empty spots with a glue pen.  The photo above shows the card with the dark blue background so you can see the glue more clearly.

The cut pieces are easy to arrange and you can just pick up the stack and fit them into the proper openings - it's sort of like doing a jigsaw puzzle.  This method saves times since you don't have to flip over each individual piece and add glue to the back.

In keeping with my wintry colors, I looked through the cartridge book for some snowflakes and found several pretty choices on page 76.

I cut a few samples and decided that the best size for the cards was 2 1/2 inches (Real Dial Size).  If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that I love snowflakes and I think these are very pretty.  If you were using the Gypsy or the Craftroom to cut your images, you might want to hide the small inner cuts on the bottom right snowflake - they are tiny and a bit tricky to poke out but they do give a nice effect.

The "Happy Holidays" sentiment from this set (B1412 Perfect Fit-Holidays Holiday) is just the right size to fit at the bottom of the card.  There are several of these sets available for different holidays and they coordinate with Perfect Fit Frame stamp sets (Perfect Fit - Frames and Perfect Fit - Frames 2) that have perfectly sized openings in the centers - just pop in the circle you want to use.

I didn't have embossing powder in the right shade of blue but I discovered that the Tim Holtz "Broken China" Distress Ink was a "close enough" match so I stamped the sentiment and then used clear embossing powder to give it some dimension and shine.

I chose this snowflake for the first card but I wanted to pop it up and didn't want the adhesive to show.  It turns out that a 3/4 inch circle (punched out but you could cut it with the Cricut) is a perfect fit to fill in the central area of the 2 1/2 inch snowflake.

The contrast of the light blue and white is subtle but pretty.

A large pop dot can now stick to the snowflake without showing...

I added a clear gem to the center and some more gems in two sizes to the left of the sentiment.  Card number 1 - finished!

For the second card, I centered the white overlay on the dark blue card base and added the two contrasting blues as shown above.  I chose a blue snowflake for this card...just to be different.  A clear gem in the center of the snowflake adds some more sparkle but the sides looked too plain.

I pulled out some silver "peel off" sticker borders that a friend sent to me a long time ago and they added just a nice bit of sparkle on each side.

I chose not to add a sentiment to the front on this card.  I'll add a white liner and stamp the message inside the card.

For the third card, I turned the overlay to place the circle at the top right.  For this snowflake I used a bright blue gem in the center.

I wanted to add a sentiment on the front but it looked odd to have the white area showing so I cut a piece of the dark blue cardstock at 4 by 5/8 inches and placed it at the bottom of the card.

The "merry & bright" sentiment is on page 56 of the book.  I set the machine for "fit to length" at 3 1/2 inches.  It can be a bit confusing to see the calculated size pop up - it said "cutting at 7 1/2 inches" for the 3 1/2 inches fit to length.  This is because the sizing is based on the design of the project - in other words a 7 1/2 inch album size instead of the 10 inch album the cut was designed for.

The dark blue strip gives the sentiment a place to rest and helps it to stand out on the card.  It is hard to show the brightness of the glitter in a still photo but it really sparkles in person.

I cut the word art from the DCWV "Glitzy Glitter" stack.  This super shiny glitter cardstock is thin and cuts easily, even for very intricate cuts.

Here is one more look at each of the three snowflakes...

I can think of so many ways to use these!

This same procedure can be used on many of the overlay designs to create interesting multi-colored patterns that won't add a lot of thickness to your card.  This is a great way to use up all of the pieces so nothing goes to waste.  I think I may try a set in Autumn colors next!

The Artbooking cartridge and the stamps I used are available from a CTMH consultant.  My friend Joy Tracey of Obsessed with Scrapbooking is a consultant and she would be happy to help you with an order.  I am hosting an online Gathering on her CTMH website HERE.  If you decided to shop for the cartridge or other items, please click on the link on the home page of the site to join "Diane's Gathering."  If you don't see it listed, please try back a little later today.

There are some great specials this month, including the Stamp of the Month for just $5  and a special National Stamping Month triple set for just $10 when you spend $50 or more.  Joy has all of the details and lots of projects on her blog.  This cartridge could keep you busy for months!

Thanks to all of you who left comments or sent notes of support for our family in Jamestown, Colorado.  It will take a long time to rebuild and we are hoping that the insurance and emergency funds will be sufficient for everyone to get back to normal.  I haven't had a chance to answer all of you yet but I will and I wanted to let you know that your words have been comforting and very much appreciated.

It's "Talk Like a Pirate" Day - aarrrgh!  Happy Birthday to our nephew Jason who always has a reason to celebrate this day!

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First Day of Winter

Happy First Day of Winter!  Our temperature today is predicted to be around 52 degrees - not your typical Boston-in-December by far!  In honor of the season, I thought I'd post some links to snowflake projects today.  If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know that I love snowflakes and often use them for projects.  I tend to favor cartridges that have snowflakes and also have designed lots of snowflakes from Cricut shapes.  More recently, I have been drawing my own snowflakes using the Silhouette Studio software.  Here are a few images of past projects - you should be able to click the photos and go directly to the original posts.

These projects were all made with the images on a single key on the "A Child's Year" cartridge (except for the sentiment which is from another key).  This cartridge is still a favorite of mine - it is so full of great images and was very well planned to make good use of the available space on a cartridge.

This snowflake card is another favorite.  If you click this image, you should be taken to the post with some tips on designing snowflakes.  This one is made from a fleur-de-lis element from the Cupcake Wrappers cartridge.

This is a snowflake (more like a snowball!) that I designed in the Silhouette Studio software and cut with my Silhouette SD.  Designs like this are easy to make with some of the extra tools that are available in this software.

This is another, simpler, Silhouette Studio design.  The paper on the card front was printed with the Imagine and is from the Heirloom cartridge.

This amazing snowflake is from the Cheerful Seasons cartridge.  If you click the image to see more about the cut you will need to scroll down to the second half of the post.

Here is a full page size snowflake made up from some frames and other elements from Reminisce Accents.  There is an explanation of how I made it at THIS POST.

Elaborate lace shapes are great for making lace snowflakes - this one uses more Reminisce Accents shapes.  Working with shapes on a cartridge can save you time in creating but it is also fun to draw your own images using other software.

These are some of the first snowflakes I ever created in Design Studio - back in 2008 using the Fabulous Finds cartridge.  Technically, they aren't snowflakes since they have eight points - but they looked better with eight pieces when I put them together.

If you are one of the people who has everything done ahead of time - good for you!  Maybe you can  take the time to try some of these snowflake ideas.  There are more - just search for "snowflakes" with the search box at the top left of the page.  (There may be a few links for files that are old and broken - please let me know if you find one that doesn't work...)


I have a large collection of new files that I have designed that need to be test cut - maybe in January I'll get a chance to do that!  

We made more progress in decorating and wrapping yesterday - today I want to do some cooking to get some dishes ready ahead of time for our family get together on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas).  The freezer is a big help when you are getting ready for a crowd!

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'Tis the Snowflakes

Last week I showed  you the beautiful snowflake cuts on the Creative Memories, 'Tis the Season cartridge.  I promised to share some ideas for ways to use these intricate cuts.

The snowflakes fill up the extra spaces on the Sleigh Ride Font keypad.  Some are very delicate and detailed while others are relatively simple.

The snowflakes have blackout shadow cuts that help to show off the patterns and you can use these in combination for cards and scrapbook pages.  They also work as ornaments for gifts or on the tree.  I like ornaments to be more three dimensional, so today I thought I'd show you a method to make some beautiful dimensional snowflakes to decorate for the holidays.

Start by cutting three identical copies of one of the snowflakes.  When choosing the snowflakes to use, look for images that can easily be folded along a center axis.

The image can be complicated or relatively simple.  The 3D version will be easier to make if there is a center to the snowflake that can work as a fold line.

The snowflake patterns should be symmetrical so they will match up when glued together.  In working with these images I found that some of them are not perfectly symmetrical.  For instance, the snowflake pattern above has little fingers that run along the points.  These do not match when the snowflake is folded along a center line so this snowflake is less desirable for making a 3D version.

To start out, stack the snowflakes and score or fold along the central line.  Then apply some glue on one half of the back of the first snowflake.  I use the Precision Point Adhesive pen from Creative Memories for this sort of job.

While the adhesive is still wet, carefully line up a second snowflake on the sticky area.  This pattern is close to symmetrical but there are minor variations.  When you work with a wet adhesive, you have a bit of time to get things aligned and stable before the snowflakes are attached permanently.

Next repeat the process to connect another snowflake to the group.  You should have two sections that are glued together and two single layers that are still open.

Before you connect the third section, you need to add something to use as a hanger for the ornament.  I have some very old silver cord that I use for lots of our tree ornaments.  Clear nylon thread or light fishing line would also work well.

 Cut a length of cord about 11 or 12 inches long and tie the ends in a sturdy knot.

Next, add a piece of Scor-Tape or another aggressive adhesive to the center inside the flake.  This extra adhesive will help to secure the hanger.

 Place the knotted cord in the Scor-Tape and add liquid adhesive to the back of the third snowflake cut.

The three snowflakes combine to make a nice dimensional snowflake.  To save time and make the flakes more festive, I used the glitter "Core Couture" cardstock from Core'dinations.  You could also cut the images from plain white cardstock and then use Versamark ink and sparkly embossing power to heat emboss the entire surface with a glittery effect.

 Here is the view from the top.  I prefer this three point design to the images that simply slide together (like some of the flakes on the winter seasonal cartridges). 

The side pieces do not match up exactly but they are close enough on this snowflake.

It wouldn't take very long to make dozens of these.  The glittered cardstock catches the light and would look great on a tree that has tiny white lights.

The curves on this flake can be tricky to cut.  The blade seems to run into trouble with so many twists and turns and one small bump in the paper surface can throw off the cutting.  If there is an error just try again - save the partial cut - it make work well on another project.

These samples were cut at three inches.  You may be able to cut the simpler snowflakes at a tiny size.  Assemble many more snowflakes if you want to make a blizzard!  The 'Tis the Season cartridge can only be purchased from an independent Creative Memories consultant.  If you are interested in buying the cartridge and do not already have a Creative Memories consultant, I'd be happy to help you.  You can order any of the exclusive Creative Memories cartridges on my personal website, click HERE to go to the page.  The order will be shipped to you directly from Creative Memories.

A note to Subscribers - My neighbor mentioned that she didn't receive the usual email on Sunday.  I think there may have been an issue with the release of emails because of the change back from daylight savings time.  If you missed yesterday's post, just click on the blog name at the top of the email to go to the web page and scroll down.  It is also possible that yesterday's post will show up in the email with this one.  Sorry for any confusion.

Today is my day to post on the Creative Charms blog - I made two cards with items from the November Kit of the Month.  Please stop over to the blog to see all of the great projects the Design Team has been creating.   I'll post the details about these cards tomorrow.

After our crazy pre-Halloween snow they say we may hit 60 degrees today!  I hope you have a great day.

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