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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Butterfly Birthday Card

This cheerful birthday card was designed with a butterfly shape from the group of images that were included with my Silhouette SD and the Grenouille font.

I tried two versions - one with a sentiment and one with blank space for stamping.  I altered the butterfly shape to have just the wings cut into the card front and created a separate body.

The letters were modified to make them cut like a stencil so the centers would not be lost.

 I used a double cut and the tiny letters cut cleanly except for the tail of the "y."  Fortunately, it was easy to trim the tiny piece that was "stuck."

The wings are gently lifted so they "fly" above the card.

It takes some time to alter the cuts and set up the file but when you are finished the design can be used over and over for a quick card.  The card base is Core'dinations white gemstone cardstock, the green and orange glitter cardstock is from DCWV and the top layer is solid cardstock from CTMH.

The layer of glitter cardstock used as a mat adds sparkle quickly and easily.

No adhesive was used on the antennae of the butterfly to add a little more dimension.  I found that I needed to do two double cuts to make a clean cut of the butterfly body in the heavy glitter cardstock.  I checked before unloading the mat after the first cut and realized that a second cut was needed.  Since I hadn't unloaded the mat I simple pressed "Cut Again" to make the cuts in exactly the same place on the mat.

This card can be mailed easily and should "fluff up" when it is removed from the envelope.

I couldn't resist adding gems in three corners but you could leave these off or use dots punched from glitter cardstock for the corners to make the card more "mailing-friendly."

Be sure to stop by tomorrow for directions on creating the file with the Silhouette Studio software.

Happy Patriot's Day (in Maine & Massachusetts) and Happy (?) Income Tax Day.  If you are getting (or have already received) a refund will you be spending any of it on crafty purchases? 

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Sparkle and Shine

Happy Wednesday!  I have lots more to share on the discussion of various die cutting machine choices but today I need a bit of a break!  Christmas is less than four weeks away and there is crafting to be done.

I made this card last year the "old fashioned way" using the Cricut and just pushing the buttons to cut all of the pieces (no software involved).  This is one of my favorite word art images on the 'Tis the Season cartridge.  The cuts were all made at 3 1/2 inches.  I used the incredibly sparkly "Dazzle" cardstock from DCWV for the jingle bells. 

The sparkle is hard to capture in a photo but in real life in is truly "dazzling."

The "glitter" is actually a manufacturing process that creates a smooth  surface that cuts beautifully.  This is my hands down favorite choice for cutting intricate designs with an amazing sparkle.  I often use the Dazzle cardstock for the very delicate cuts I design and cut with the Cameo.

Lettering Delights Cut It sale

For those of you who use machines that will cut files in SVG or other formats, Lettering Delights has a sale on Cut It sets that will end tomorrow (Thursday, November 29th).  These files come in a number of formats (ai, dxf, eps, gsd, pdf and svg) and can be used on most cutting machines but not the Cricut.  They are normally priced at 5 or 6 dollars for the set and they are $2 during this sale.  To make matters even better, if you order totals $20 or more, you can save an additional 40% by using the code HoDown.

A lot of the Lettering Delights files are "cutesy,"  like the "Stashing through the Snow" set above but there are also more refined sets like these Forget-Me-Nots.  (And a little bit of cutesy can be fun, especially when there are mustaches involved)!  Click HERE to check out the sale.

November Giveaway

I'll be adding some sample pieces of the Dazzle cardstock to the November giveaway box.

Here are the updated contents of the box that one lucky reader will win at the end of the month.
in the box so far...

1.  2 sheets of the sticky paper I used for the glittered ornament card
2.  A new set of the same Inkadinkado Autumn Leaves stamps I used on the card
3.  An 18 inch piece of the brown leaf ribbon - enough for a few cards.
4.  A small bag of plastic gems like the ones I used on the crystal glass.
5.  Two pieces of the blue holographic paper I used for the fish on the wreath.
6.  A small piece of the white and silver mesh I used for the nets.
7.  The "gift subscription postcard" that you can use to make your own upcycled project.
8.  A few samples of different pieces of patterned Dazzle Cardstock.

All comments on posts in the month of November will be eligible for a random draw at the end of the month.  One lucky reader will receive the small priority mail box full of bits and pieces.

You can leave a comment on every post to increase your chances but please just leave one per post and make sure that you give me enough information so I can contact you if your comment is drawn.

I hope you have a great Wednesday!  I'll be crafting and getting ready for some upcoming family visits.

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Wynken, Blynken & Nod Wreath

The Concord Museum has a wonderful collection, including Ralph Waldo Emerson's study, Henry David Thoreau's desk from his Walden cabin and the Paul Revere lantern from 1775 ("one if by land and two if by sea...").  You can find the museum website HERE.  If you live in this area and have never been to the museum it is well worth a visit and from now until the end of the year you will also be able to see the Family Trees exhibit.

Family Trees is a special event that has been held at the museum for the past seventeen years.  Volunteers decorate trees with a children's book as the inspiration.  Some of the trees are decorated by the author or illustrator of the book.  This event is a fundraiser for the educational initiatives at the museum.  You can read more about the Family Trees event HERE.

Over the years I have decorated quite a few trees.  The photo above is from last year when I decorated a tree with my neighbor.  The book was called Dear Mermaid and you can read about that tree HERE.

This year I did something different - a wreath for one of the passageways.  I thought it would be easier to do a wreath but I found it a bit challenging to include everything I wanted to include in such a small space.  I had to edit my ideas to focus on the highlights of the story and skip some of the minor details.

The book I did this year was the poem Wynken, Blynken, & and Nod, written by Eugene Field and beautifully illustrated by Johanna Westerman.  The wonderful shades of blue throughout the book appealed to me and the poem is an old favorite.  The poem was published on March 9, 1889 and was originally titled Dutch Lullaby. 

The moon is quite prominent in the book illustrations and I knew that I needed to make a similar three dimensional moon.  Of course, the most important item was the wooden shoe to turn into the boat.

It took some searching but I found a small pair of wooden shoes in a local antique shop.  I'll have to think of something to do with the extra shoe!  My husband drilled a few extra holes for the rope and the mast and I set about transforming the shoe into a boat.

I made the mast from a small flag stick and added a skewer as a crosspiece (I think this is called the spar?).  Then I sewed a small sail and stitched the loops at the top.  The small red striped flag is actually going the wrong direction in this photo - it should be headed to the front showing the direction of the wind as it fills the sail (I learned this from my friend at the museum - can you tell I am not a sailor!).

I didn't have a lot of room inside the wooden shoe boat so I made the three children from pegs.  Here they are part way through the painting process.Their hair is doll hair that I found in one of many boxes of craft items that I have been saving.  I "dyed" some of it with spray inks.  I added red dots and blue stripes with ProMarkers afer the white paint on the boys had dried.  I also added some Frosted Lace Stickles to the little girl's dress.

I drew the fish shape using a photo as a guide and cut out lots of fish in two sizes going in opposite directions.  I used the Silhouette software and Cameo machine to do this.  The blue holographic paper helps to catch the light.

The mesh I used to make the nets was in the holiday section at Costco - I had to buy two giant rolls so I'll be thinking up some other crafty projects to use it up!  The open weave looks a lot like the book illustration and I liked the strips of silver woven through the mesh.

The fish were arranged in "schools" and I used Scor-Tape to attached the securely to the mesh.

 

Here is the wreath "in progress."  I dyed some shimmery light blue fabric with Adirondack spray ink to make it a shade similar to the blues in the book.  I wove it in and out around the bottom of the wreath to represent the sea.

After I had the wreath in place in the museum, I added some small gems positioned to catch the light and sparkle.

I used a piece of gold sequin waste mesh to create a sort of "bridge" for the boat to sail across.  The sequin waste is wired to the two sides of the wreath and the shoe sole has two pieces of two inch wide Scor-Tape to hold it on the mesh.  The gold circles make an interesting reflection on the side of the shoe in this photo.

If a visitor is following the normal sequence of rooms, this is the first view of the wreath.

From the opposite direction you can see through to the period room beyond.

I cut a styrofoam ball in half and dyed some old white pantyhose with distress stains and white metallic mixative alcohol ink to create the craters.  Then I sprayed the moon with perfect pearls to give it a shimmery shine.

I cut the face from vinyl and applied it to the moon, adding some gems for the eyes.  You can see one of the additional iridescent cubes just to the right of the moon - these are meant for flower bouquets but I added anything I could to get a lot of sparkle on the wreath.   At the last minute I found the tiny seed lights.  They are LED and run on a battery pack with a timer so they will light up the wreath six hours a day during the exhibit.  I'll have to check the batteries every so often.

It was very difficult to take a straight on photo since the passageway is only a few feet wide.  This is the final wreath.  The lighting from above makes odd shadows but this was the best I could do.

I'll explain how I created the moon face and the fish in a future post.

Here are a few more photos of the wreath.  The star garland at the top is made using the DCWV Dazzle cardstock.  No glittered objects are permitted in the museum but this paper has a great sparkle with no risk of glitter shedding on the floor.

Do you ever decorate with a very specific theme or are your decorations more "generic."  It's fun to try to make a tree or wreath represent a book and it would be a great project to do with children.  Some of the trees at the museum are done by school groups.

Don't forget about the Creative Memories "Stuff Your Stockings" sale - you can read all of the details in yesterday's post HERE.

I'll be adding some of the blue holographic paper and some of the sparkly mesh to the box that one lucky reader will win at the end of the month.  (sorry the photo is not updated yet).

in the box so far...

1.  2 sheets of the sticky paper I used for the glittered ornament card
2.  A new set of the same Inkadinkado Autumn Leaves stamps I used on the card
3.  An 18 inch piece of the brown leaf ribbon - enough for a few cards.
4.  A small bag of plastic gems.
5.  A piece of blue holographic paper.
6.  A small piece of the white and silver mesh I used for the nets.

All comments on posts in the month of November will be eligible for a random draw at the end of the month.  One lucky reader will receive the small priority mail box full of bits and pieces.

You can leave a comment on every post to increase your chances but please just leave one per post and make sure that you give me enough information so I can contact you if your comment is drawn.

I hope your Thanksgiving preparations are well in hand - I still have lots to do but it will all be done in time (fingers crossed!).  Have a great day!


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