Paper Tole and Oh Christmas Tree Cards

Hello Robin's Nest fans.  Welcome to my last post as a design team member for The Robin's Nest.  On the one hand, it saddens me to leave, but on the other hand, I plan to continue sharing projects with you on my blog using their wonderful papers, embellishments, and of course, dew drops.  In addition, the new design team is going to be simply fabulous, so whatever you do, don't go away.

Well, Christmas is almost here, and the excitement in my heart has already begun.   I can't seem to get rid of that little kid in me that has always loved the enchantment of the holidays, not to mention the good eats!  I also love to make Christmas cards, right up to the last moment.  So, in keeping with my "last minute" traditions, I want to share (one last time) a couple of Christmas cards I made using the beautiful Russian Winter paper collection from The Robin's Nest, and pair it with some products from our monthy sponsor, Ecstasy Crafts.

Supplies used:

The Robin's Nest:  Brick Classic Glitter card stock, Brown Classic Glitter card stock, Gold Classic Glitter cardstock, White Snow Glitter card stock, Kiwi Glitter Sorbet cardstock, Boy Polka Dot Stamp cardstock, Brilliant Blue MiniDew Drops, Fushia Mini Dew Drops, Limoncello Yellow Mini Dew Drops
Snowflake doily die cut (Gina's Designs)
Ecstasy Crafts 3D Reddy Cards die cuts, Starform Christmas Tree sticker
Pumice Stone distress stain and ink pad (Tim Holtz)
Olive Pastel chalk ink pad (Colorbox)
Perfect Pearls Mist:  Heirloom Gold
Copic Markers: B97, E79, G94, R29, R59, V09, Y35
Rubber Stamp (Stampabilities)
Dies: Labels 8, Decorative Labels 8 (Spellbinders); Tattered Banners (Tim Holtz)
Corner rounder punch (Marvy)


Directions:


My first card is a paper tole style card using the 3D Reddy Cards die cuts from Ecstasy Crafts.

Trim White Snow Glitter card stock to 9" x 6-1/4", fold in half to make  4-1/2" x 6-1/4" card.

Color entire paper with Pumice Stone distress ink.

Allow to dry, then spritz with Heirloom Gold Perfect Pearls mist.  Below is a close-up of the paper, showing some of the iridescence of the Heirloom Gold mist.  Round card corners.

The next step is to follow the directions for making one of the paper tole images on the 3D Reddy Cards Sheet, shown below.  These are all die cut images and numbered to make it especially easy and so very special for the recipient.  Layer each numbered piece, in sequence, using foam dots.

Die cut papers and layer, as shown below, using the Spellbinders dies.

Below is a close-up of the dimension achieved using these 3D Reddy Cards die cuts.

My next card is also very easy to make using the Starform Christmas Tree stickers, also from Ecstasy Crafts.  These stickers look so fragile and delicate, but in reality, are very sturdy and easy to use.

I first trimmed Boy Polka Dot Stamp cardstock to 5-1/2" x 8-1/2, folded in half to make 5-1/2" x 4-1/4" card.  Round corners.

Adhere a tree sticker to a scrap of Kiwi Glitter Sorbet cardstock.

Next, color cardstock between sticker openings with Copic Markers.  The glitter in the cardstock will resist some of the color and give this nice gradation of greens to your tree image.

Fussy cut around the sticker.  Do not attempt to cut around the candles, but instead, gently lift them off of the paper and snip beneath them, as shown below.  This will make it much easier for you.

Continue fussy cutting around the tree.  Center a doily from one of our previous sponsors, Gina's Designs, and adhere tree image to that with foam dots.  Add all three colors of dew drops (as listed in supplies) to the tree and around the doily edges.  (See finished photo above).

Computer generate "Oh Christmas Tree" on a scrap of Kiwi Glitter Sorbet cardstock, between the glitter, and die cut with tattered banner.  Adhere to top of card with foam tape.   (See finished photo above).

To finish off the inside, and carry on the theme, stamp sentiment with Olive Pastel chalk ink pad, and add one of the smaller stickers from the sticker sheet to the top right corner.

And there you have it.  Two more beautiful Christmas cards that were a snap to make with the fabulous Robin's Nest papers and the Ecstasy Crafts products.  So check out the 20% off sale on the Russian Winter collection this month, and be sure to pay a visit to Ecstasy Crafts for more fun products.

It has been a real honor and pleasure to be on the Robin's Nest design team, and I hope you will continue to visit me often at my blog for more projects using their wonderful products.  The new design team is about to be announced, so stay tuned for more fabulous inspiration from them.

Merry Christmas to everyone, and a most wonderful, Happy New Year!

Barbara

Altered Pages December Challenge

Hi everyone!  Guess what time it is?  It's challenge time again at Altered Pages.  December's challenge theme is "Colors of the Season", and you can interpret that any way you choose.  Whether you like the traditional reds and greens, the blues of winter, or something else altogether, it is up to you.  We want to see your art work, so take a moment to visit the Altered Pages challenge page to read all about it.  

So, today, I hope to give you a bit of inspiration with a fun Christmas card that I made using the Hello December collection by Glitz Design.  This paper is a bit too primary for me, but I am going to tell you how I "vintaged" it up a bit.  

First, I covered the numbers background from the WhatNots die cuts with Old Paper distress stain.  Then I distressed and inked the edges with more Old Paper distress stain.  This color has a greenish undertone, which is perfect for the "Colors of the Season" I am going for.  However, I added some Gathered Twigs distress ink to the edges to darken them a bit more.

Next, I inked the wreath die cut with Gathered Twigs distress ink and lightly dabbed some embossing ink all over.  I sprinkled on a bit of Winter Wonderland embossing powder and heat set it.  I've had this EP for at least a decade, but any glittery white EP will work to make snow.  

Layer the wreath onto a circle of brown paper and adhere both to card front.

Fussy cut ivy bells garland collage image (AP-1050-Christmas Ivy)  and adhere to center top of wreath with pop dots.  Add green paper rosette and bottle cap with giant rhinestones, a couple of white paper flowers inked with Old Paper distress stain, and bead garland around wreath, as shown.


Remove cut out "happy holidays"portion from the red tag die cut, ink edges with Gathered Twigs distress ink, and adhere a small piece of the yellow striped paper that you inked with the Old Paper distress stain behind the words in the tag.  Adhere tag to bottom of wreath.

 

For the inside:  Fold Merry Christmas banner die cut in half and adhere to card inside, as shown.  You now have an easy pop-up element.  

Trim yellow stripe paper to 4" x 6", fold in half with right sides together.  Adhere inside card, matching center folds.  This will allow you a place to write a note to the recipient.  It also finishes off the inside.  

I wanted to add a touch of glitter here and there, so I went to my new go-to tool, Wink of Stella pens, adding red, green and clear to the ivy bells collage image, and clear to the rosette and tag.  I hope you can see it in the photos. It adds so much to the piece.  

Supplies used:

Hello December collection (Glitz Design) (6x6 paper pad, WhatNots, Giant Rhinestones)
AP-1050-Christmas Ivy collage sheet
Wink of Stella pens (Red, Green, Clear)
5"x7" kraft pre-folded card
Gathered Twig distress ink
Old Paper distress stain
Clear embossing ink
Winter Wonderland embossing powder  
Christmas Bead garland
Mini rosette die

So, what are your colors of the season?  Come on and play along with us.  Make some art and share it with us.  Altered Pages always has a wonderful prize giveaway to the winner, and everyone wins with a free collage sheet, just for entering.    

Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to check out the rest of the design team's interpretation of the Colors of the Season by clicking here.  

Have a wonderful week!

Barbara

Christmas Gift Card Envelopes with Altered Pages

Hello everyone!  Barbara here with my first post for December.  And what cold weather we are having this year. How about you?  Hope everyone is staying toasty warm this winter.  And to help you out with that, I have some fun gift card envelopes for you to make at home for your special friends or relatives that are hard to buy for.  And Altered Pages has all the supplies you need to make these wonderful gift presentations.

Supplies Used:

Joyeax Noel paper pad (6" x 6")

Joyeau Noel Giant Rhinestones
AP-1155-Holiday Postcards collage sheet (Santa)
AP-2090 - Ivory Angels collage sheet (Angel)

Coin Envelopes (2-1/4" x 3-1/2")
Bottle Caps
Dylusions White Linen ink spray
Snowflake stencil
Wink of Stella pens (Clear, white)

Gathered Twigs distress ink
Decorative punches (pine branch, chain)

Cover coin envelopes with print papers from the Joyeax Noel paper pad.   To do this easily, I simply opened up the envelope and glued the right side of the envelope to the wrong side of my print paper.  (NOTE:  Ensure that your paper is going in the correct direction, if necessary).  

Cut out around the envelope and score fold lines.

Add a scrap of paper to the top flap on the reverse, then reattach side and bottom flaps with more glue.

Ink edges with gathered twigs distress ink.

Red gift card envelope:  Lay snowflake stencil over envelope, spritz with Dylusions white linen spray.  Remove stencil and let dry.  

Punch scalloped circle doily from print paper.  Fussy cut Santa and adhere Santa with foam dots over doily.  Add a bit of white Wink of Stella to Santa's hat and beard.

Green Angel gift card envelope:  Color ribbon with watered-down Peeled Paint distress ink, tie around envelope.  Make rumpled ribbon rose from another piece of green dyed ribbon and adhere over knot.  Fussy cut Angel, adhere to envelope with foam dots.  Add a few sprigs of green print paper punched with pine branch punch and some clear Wink of Stella to the angel.

 

Brown print gift card envelope:  Punch chain from brown print paper and wrap around envelope.  Flatten a bottle cap and color edges with gold Krylon pen.  Adhere giant rhinestone to center of cap.  Adhere bottle cap and a few sprigs of green print paper punched with pine branch punch.

 I hope you have enjoyed this quick and easy project for your last-minute gift giving.  It makes giving a gift card so much more personal when presented in a handmade gift card envelope.  And if you still need something to give your craft friends, there is still time to check out the fabulous products and new line of Altered Pages original art stamps, too.  So check them out and see what fabulous gift giving ideas you can come up with.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a wonderful week.

Barbara

Winter Wonderland Sliding Easel Card

Hello everyone, and welcome to December!!!!  I hope everyone is having a wonderful winter and great holiday season.  Today I want to share a fun card with you that can not only be beautiful, but can stand alone, literally.  I love dimension, as well as interaction, and this card does both.  I also wanted to play with my new stamp set from Sin City Stamps, Winter Wonderland.  I love the vintage images on this plate, and I think you will, too.

slider in closed position 

slider opened to reveal message

Supplies Used:

Sin City Stamps:  Winter Wonderland
5" x 7" Kraft Card
Print papers:  Glistening Collection (Authentique)
Dies:  Circle (Spellbinders), Doily (My Favorite Things)
Ink Pads:  Brilliance Lightning Black (Tsukineko); Iced Spruce distress ink (Tim Holtz)
Tab punch (Stampin' Up)
Snowflake border punch (Martha Stewart)
Starform glitter lines stickers (Ecstasy Crafts)

Directions:

Cut print paper to 5" x 7".  Follow diagram below to cut a window in this layer.

After you cut and fold this top layer, it will look like this.

Trim a pull tab layer to measure 3-1/2" x 6" and adhere bottom of pull tab piece to bottom fold of window opening.

Before I adhere this to the card front, I want to make a pencil mark for where to stamp my phrase.

Center and stamp Let It Snow with Brilliance ink.  Erase pencil marks.

Add a tab punched from tan print paper to center top of pull tab layer.  (NOTE:  You can use any shape you have to make a pull tab, a circle folded in half, for instance, or just make your pull tab layer longer than 6", i.e.,  6-1/2", so that it extends past the card top.

close-up of tab

full view of tab

Turn card layer over and add adhesive strips around side and bottom edges only.  Leave top free for the pull tab layer.

Adhere to top of base card.

Stamp skaters onto blue print paper with Brilliance lightning black ink, die cut into circle.  Die cut doily from coordinating tan print paper.  Attach circle to doily with foam tape for dimension.

Die cut street light from dark gray print paper.  Add and trim small piece of transparent tape to back of light fixture and add tiny piece of gold gilding flake to sticky side of tape, rubbing gently to remove excess.

Adhere both the street light and doily skaters to the front easel piece, as shown, being sure not to add adhesive past the easel itself, and not to interfere with the movement of each fold.  (See photo of finished card.)

Punch three snowflake strips from tan print paper.  Edge snowflakes with Iced Spruce distress ink.

Adhere to all three sides of card front.  Add glitter lines stickers around perimeter of card to finish off all edges.

Here is a view of the card from the side.

I hope you enjoyed my tutorial for this fun easel card.  They make wonderful cards to display by the recipient, and with Sin City Stamps, you have all the tools you need to make fabulous cards.  So check out all the new products here, and the fabulous sale going on this month.  Even all of the newest products are on sale.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful weekend.

Barbara

Snow Angels and Christmas Tree Cards

Happy December, everyone.  This month, we are featuring the Russian Winter Collection of papers, and we are also sponsored by another wonderful company, Ecstasy Crafts.

The rush is on to finish up on those Christmas cards so you can get them in the mail.  I have made two more cards for you to hopefully inspire and motivate your creative juices.

Supplies Used:

The Robin's Nest:  Winter Glitter Snowflakes cardstock, Glitter Winter Words cardstock,  Boy Polka Dot Stamp card stock,  Silver Classic Glitter card stock, Peach Classic Glitter cardstock, Gold Classic Glitter cardstock, Robins Egg Blue Classic Glitter Cardstock, Winter Glitter Chipboard Snowflakes, Green Glitter Journaling, Vellum - Silver Classic Swirl, Vellum - Irredescent Glitter Swirl, Ocean Blue Mini Dew Drops, Fushia Mini Dew Drops, Metallic Silver Dew Drops
Christmas Tree Sticker, Stars Stickers (Ecstasy Crafts)
Punches:  3-Dot Scallop, Cathedral Arches,  (Martha Stewart); Mini scallop edger, 1/2" circle, 3/4" circle, 1" circle (EK Success)
Dies:  Doily (Sizzix), Flower Rosette (Memory Box)


Directions:

My first card, Snow Angel, is inspired by Laura Denison's paper rosette angel.  She has a wonderful how-to video on youtube here.  While there are many different versions of paper angels, I really liked this one the most for adhering to a card and just had to share.  It is dimensional without the addition of more layers for wings, etc.

Cut Winter Glitter Snowflakes cardstock to 6" x 12", fold in half to make a 6"x6" top fold card.

Cut the words "Snow Angels" from Glitter Winter Words cardstock to 1" x 5".

Trim around a Green Glitter Journaling label and adhere "Snow Angels" to center with foam dots, covering the journal lines.

Adhere to top of card at an angle, as shown.

To make the rosette angel, cut papers as follows:
3" x 4-1/2" Silver Classic Glitter card stock (skirt)
1-3/4" x 5-1/2" Vellum - Silver Classic Swirl (wings)(2)
3/4" x 5" Gold Classic Glitter cardstock (halo)
3/4" circle Silver Classic Glitter card stock (1/2" circle punched off center to form halo behind head)
3/4" circle Peach Classic Glitter cardstock (1/2" circle punch centered inside, cut in half) (arms)
1/2" circle Peach Classic Glitter cardstock (face)
1" circles (to hold rosette together) (2)

Before using edge punches on skirt, wings, and halo, score each strip of paper every 1/4", then punch your decorative edges, as follows:

 3-Dot Scallop along skirt bottom
Cathedral Arches along wings
Mini scallop edger along halo

Follow directions on video to put the pieces together.  Here are the pieces ready to assemble.

Adhere angel to card, as shown.  Here is a close-up of her.  I added a metallic silver dew drop to the center of the chipboard snowflake, and added a sprinkling of blue dew drops in the background.

For my second card, I wanted to use some of the Starform Stickers from Ecstasy Crafts, our co-sponser this month.

Cut Boy Polka Dot Stamp card stock to 5-1/2" x 11", fold in half.  Do the same with the Vellum - Irredescent Glitter Swirl card stock.  Insert the polka dot paper inside the vellum.  Tie together along the spine with a piece of iridescent ribbon.

Die cut a doily from green card stock, and a rosette from Robins Egg Blue Classic Glitter Cardstock.  Adhere rosette to doily, but leave the rosette loose so it will fit to the edges of the doily, as shown.

Adhere Christmas tree sticker to a piece of Gold Classic Glitter cardstock.

Trim around the sticker close to the edges.

Adhere tree to center of doily with foam tape, covering the rosette opening.

Adhere Fushia Mini Dew Drops to tree, as shown.  Glue to center of card front.  Add some star stickers  from the same sticker sheet, and a couple of Winter Glitter Chipboard Snowflakes to opposite corners of card, as shown.

Here is a close up.

I hope you have enjoyed my Christmas cards using the Russian Winter paper collection and Ecstasy Crafts stickers.  Both products are so beautiful and work so well together.  And the stickers look like you spent hours heat embossing the images.  Very easy to use.

So please take a moment or two to visit the Robin's Nest online store to see this awesome collection, which is one sale this month for 20% off, and then take a look at the wonderful products that Ecstasy Crafts has to offer, too.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a wonderful week.

Barbara