Jingle Bells

Arrgh! It's December already...Christmas will be here before we know it! Thank goodness for this fortnight's "Christmas Card" challenge at Creative Cutting Challenge, or I wouldn't have a single card done yet!

I decided to start with family cards and created this cool gift card holder for one of my nephews. It's a fantastic idea I gleaned from Cindy at The Creative Pointe. It's the perfect size for holding a gift card, but I typically give cash, and this works for that too!

I wanted this to be fairly masculine and mature enough looking for a 17-year-old. I chose The Creative Pointe's 'Christmas Bells' SVG file to cut a large jingle bell to adorn the front.

To make the bell look aged metallic and give it some interest, I clear embossed some French writing and then layered on metallic Distress Stains. The ribbon was colored with an Aged Mahogany Distress Marker.

I modified the inside a tad since the flap on my invitation envelope comes to a point, unlike the one in the example from Cindy. Instead of using the right half of the flap, I tucked it in to create a little slant pocket. A row of jingle bell garland (colored just like the bell on the front) adorns the pocket's edge.

On the left side, I added more patterned paper and stamped "Merry Christmas". Here you can see how the inside looks with the "gift". It's just the cutest little gift card!

Other Challenge Fun:
613 Avenue Create: Challenge #48 - Anything Goes or twist of gift packaging
House of Cards:  Holiday Blog Hop
Perfectly Rustics:  PR Design Challenge No.12 – Christmas Gift

Supplies:
Cardstock:	Papertrey Ink ‘Kraft’, ‘Ivory’
Patterned Paper:	My Mind's Eye Lost & Found 'Christmas' 6x6
SVG:	The Creative Pointe ‘Christmas Bells’
Stamps:	Croppy Cat; Stampin' Up!
Inks:	Distress Ink ‘Walnut Stain’; Distress Stain ‘Pumice Stone’, ‘Brushed Pewter’, ‘Tarnished Brass’, ‘Antiqued Bronze’; Top Boss embossing pad; Distress Marker ‘Aged Mahogany’; Archival 'Coffee'
Embellishments:	Zing embossing powder ‘Clear’; twine
Tools:	Foam ink blending tool; heat tool; SCAL; Cricut Expression; 3M spray adhesive; Tim Holtz paper distresser
Misc:	A4 invitation envelope ‘Ivory’

Grandma's Sequins

Christmas is really sneaking up on me and I am soooo behind!  Get a jump on your own Christmas projects by joining our "Christmas - Not a Card" challenge this fortnight at Creative Cutting Challenge.

I was inspired by this Pinterest project for my design team project.  Man, do I love Pinterest!  I only wish I had enough time to apply all the fantastic ideas I see there...sigh.

Some months ago, my mom let my sisters and me divide my paternal grandmother's stash of vintage pearls, sequins, and beads.  Grandma was a wonderful beader and we are fortunate to each have several beautiful Christmas ornaments created by her very own hands.  When I saw the Pinterest post, I immediately thought of my grandma's beads.

I used The Creative Pointe's "Joy Ornament" SVG to cut four layers of cardboard.  I replaced the center oval cut-out with a large heart shape. The top layer of cardboard was embossed with Tim Holtz's woodgrain texture fade and all layers were given a coat of artist gesso.  Clear Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint and layers of Distress Stains add just enough vintage-ness.  

I recycled clear acrylic packaging to create the windows at the center of the ornament.  These were sandwiched between the layers of cardboard...adhered with Glossy Accents...with the sequins loose in between.

I actually broke into my cherished antique glass glitter to decorate the edges of the ornament.  It was the perfect touch.  A simple ribbon loop hardware piece and wired tinsel create a hanger and a big fluffy bow finishes things off.  Overall, I kept the ornament neutral to really make those colorful sequins pop!

Other Challenge Fun
Make It Monday:  MIM #167
Paper Playtime:  Challenge #23 - Sparkle
Crafty Calendar Challenge: All Things Christmas!
My Time to Craft:  Challenge #243 - Baubles

Supplies:
SVG:	The Creative Pointe ‘Joy Ornamente’
Inks:	Delta Ceramcoat artist gesso; Distress Stain ‘Pumice Stone’, ‘Tarnished Brass’, ‘Brushed Pewter’, ‘Picket Fence’; Distress Crackle Paint ‘Clear Rock Candy’
Embellishments:	Grandma’s sequins; Stampin’ Up! hardware; Hug Snug seam binding ‘Ivory’; wired tinsel; Cody Foster & Co. vintage glass glitter ‘Silver’
Tools:	SCAL; Cricut Expression; Sizzix Texture Boutique; Tim Holtz texture fade ‘Wood Grain’; Glossy Accents; SU! eyelet tool
Misc:	Cardboard; clear acrylic packaging

Pilgrim's Thanksgiving

Oh, my...November already.  Let the season of overeating begin!  LOL!  We're celebrating this month of thanks with our "Thanksgiving" theme at Creative Cutting Challenge this fortnight.  So go create...it can be anything Thanksgiving-related as long as you use an SVG file on your project.  And for our neighbors to the north, our Canadian friends...come on, you've got a jump on this!  Did you create anything special for your Thanksgiving table this year?  Share it and join the challenge!

I love silhouettes...so elegant and timeless!  This pilgrim couple is on their way to gather with friends and family.

Instead of traditional black, I cut the pair from chocolate brown stock.  Much more autumnal and soft. Some swipes of Pumice Stone Distress Stain and Frayed Burlap Distress Ink on the edges gives a hint of dimension and softens the cut edges.

The lovely pilgrim pair is from The Creative Pointe's 'Thanksgiving Set 1'.

Every autumn project needs some leaves, right?  The pretty paper leaves were cut from patterned scraps using The Creative Pointe's 'Fall Leaves'.  I wanted simple leaves, so for this project, I only cut the bases.

Again, some Distress Stains and Ink give the leaves dimension and hide the white of the raw cut edges.  A sticker from the stash, scrap of lace, cluster of buttons and twine create pretty layers of embellishment for this card.

Don't forget - you must use an SVG file for your project to qualify for the challenge...rules are rules!

Other Challenge Fun:

The Kraft Journal: Challenge #145 - Make It Monday with Kraft Outlet
Blessings Ink: Amusing Challenges – Autumn Colors
Hiding in My Craft Room: HIMCR #122 - Fall Colors
2 Creative Chicks: Challenge #8 - Thanksgiving

Supplies:
Cardstock:	Papertrey Ink ‘Kraft’; DCWV (brown); Stampin’ Up! ‘Naturals Ivory’
Patterned Paper:	Scraps
SVG:	The Creative Pointe ‘Thanksgiving Set 1’, ‘Fall Leaves’
Stamps:	TPC Studio ‘Sewing’
Inks:	Distress Ink ‘Frayed Burlap’, ‘Old Paper’; Archival ink ‘Coffee’; Distress Stain ‘Rusty Hinge’, ‘Spiced Marmalade’, ‘Pumice Stone’
Embellishments:	Hobby Lobby crocheted lace; sticker; buttons; PTI rustic button twine
Tools:	SCAL; Cricut Expression; Tim Holtz paper distresser; 3M foam tape; Wondertape; foam ink blender

Night Owl

Happy Halloween!

Sharing the result of another dive into the Halloween stash drawer today.  I had a lot of inky fun with this card!  It was semi-inspired by Tim Holtz's October tag...at least using an owl in a frame...the rest was all me.  J

I love embossing chipboard and adding lovely layers of ink.  The green brocade frame has just a touch of sparkle from the Starburst sprays, as does the night sky behind our owl friend thanks to dots of Platinum Stickles.
Mr. Owl was stamped twice...one full image was colored for the background and one owl was colored, fussy cut, Glossy Accent-ed, and layered on top with foam tape to pop him out of the frame.

Who?  Who to boo with this card this All Hallow's Eve?...hmm...

Challenges:
4 Crafty Chicks: Crazy Egg Challenge #166 - Halloween
Fab 'n' Funky: Challenge #191 - Halloween
Little Red Wagon: Halloween

Supplies:
Cardstock:	Stampin’ Up! ‘Sahara Sand’, ‘Barely Banana’
Patterned Paper:	DCWV
Stamps:	Scrappy Cat ‘Creatures Animaux’
Inks:	Distress Ink ‘Black Soot’; Distress Markers; Distress Stain ‘Crushed Olive’, ‘Tumbled Glass’; Lindy’s Stamp Gang Starburst spray ‘Ponderosa Pines Olive’, ‘Tibetan Poppy Teal’; Archival ink ‘Jet Black’
Embellishments:	Stickles ‘Platinum’; chipboard frame; Glossy Accents; scrap ribbon
Tools:	Sizzix Texture Boutique; Tim Holtz texture fade; 3M foam tape; TH paper distresser

Spooky

Several months ago, I rearranged my stash so that all my specific holiday themed items were stored together in one drawer...stamps, stickers, embellishments, etc.  Now, I just pull out the drawer and everything I have for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. is all together.  It seems to work.  But...I don't know about you...I seem to reorganize the stash every year or so...always improving and looking for better ways to manage the ever-growing collection of "stuff".

The best part of my new system is when I pulled out the Halloween drawer, I found all this stuff I forgot I had!  So I made a card, of course.

The skeleton tag is a two-layer laser-cut freebie I received at a crop.  I added some ghostly bats and glowing orange eyes (which do not  photograph well).  

It's fun and inspirational to discover your lost stash...can't wait to dig further down into that drawer!

Challenges:

Alphabet Challenge: "S" for Spooky

Card  Makin' Mamas: CMM75 - Trick or Treat!

Savvy Handmade Cards: Gone Batty Challenge

Supplies:
Cardstock:	Papertrey Ink ‘Soft Stone’; Stampin’ Up! ‘Pumpkin Pie’
Patterned Paper:	My Mind’s Eye Lost & Found ‘Portobello Road’ 6x6
Stamps:	We R Memory Keepers ‘Tangled Tree’
Inks:	SU! craft ‘White’; Distress Ink ‘Black Soot’; Distress Stain ‘Spiced Marmalade’
Embellishments:	Skeleton die cut tag (from Scrapaloo, Delton, MI); DCWV tag ‘Halloween’; baker’s twine; ribbon; Stickles ‘Orange Peel’; brads
Tools:	EK Success punch ‘Donut Chain’; Tim Holtz paper distresser; 3M foam tape

Keep Out

We're continuing the Halloween fun at Creative Cutting Challenge this fortnight with our "Halloween - NOT a Card" theme.  So bring on your most spooktacular non-card creation and join the fun!

For my design team project, I created a luminary from The Creative Pointe's 'Haunted House' SVG.  It's perfectly dilapidated and haunted looking in it's own right, but it sure was fun to amp up the spooky!

 

I maximized the scale of the house to get the largest I could out of 8.5 x 11 inch cardstock.  I cut two houses from black, one with a 4 inch "foot" that was scored and folded to hold the luminary upright.  I also cut one door from dark grey, one bat from black, and one moon from vellum.  The vellum was colored with Spiced Marmalade Distress Stain and was given a few coats of California Poppy Gold Starburst Spray and dried with a heat tool.  It ends up crinkly, but that adds to the charm.  Ultimately, the colored vellum is sandwiched between the two house cuts.

Each window was given an extra layer of vellum with spiderwebs stamped on the back in grey ink.  This looks like dusty, cracked or cobwebbed glass.  I also used the pieces from the window cuts to make shutters hanging shabbily from their hinges.

White pen brings the "architectural" elements of the house alive and gives it a spooky, run-down Victorian look.  The "keep OUT" sign is "nailed" to the door with brads and foam tape.  Black Soot and Old Photo Distress Stains were used throughout to give dimension and add age.

"Wrought iron" fencing is given dimension with black embossing powder.  The felt pumpkins were cut cut from a ribbon strip and layered with foam tape.

 Here you can see the gold shimmer of the giant harvest moon...

But the real beauty is revealed with the lights go out!  Here's our haunted house lit from the back by a candle...super spooky and perfectly Halloween-y!

Gentle reminder: You must use an SVG file for your project to qualify for the challenge...rules are rules!

More Challenge Fun:
Anything But a Card: Challenge #28 - Orange and/or Black
Hobbycutz: Challenge #21 - Home Decoration / Anything but a Card
Pile It On: Challenge #42 - Halloween / Day of the Dead / Cute and Creepy
Crafty Calendar: October Challenge - Halloween
Inkspirational: Challenge #41 - Anything Inkspirational Goes

My Sheri Crafts: Challenge #121 - Night Time

Supplies:
Cardstock:	Papertrey Ink ‘Black’, ‘Smokey Shadow’; Stampin’ Up! ‘Pumpkin Pie’, ‘Vellum’
SVG:	The Creative Pointe ‘Haunted House’
Stamps:	We R Memory Keepers ‘Pumpkin Patch’; Basic Grey ‘Halloween’; My Mind’s Eye Stella and Rose Hattie ‘Remember’
Inks:	Distress Ink ‘Black Soot’, ‘Old Photo’; Top Boss Embossing; SU! craft ‘White’; PTI ‘Smokey Shadow’; Distress Stain ‘Spiced Marmalade’; Lindy’s Stamp Gang Starburst Spray ‘California Poppy Gold’; Glaze pen ‘White’
Embellishments:	Oriental Trading Company felt ribbon ‘Fall’; Stampendous embossing powder ‘Midnight Black’; Little Yellow Bicycle card stock stickers ‘Trick or Treat’; brads
Tools:	SCAL; Cricut Expression; foam ink blender; heat tool; Zig glue pen; emery board; Tim Holtz paper distresser; hole punch; 3M foam tape; Glue Dots

Boo to You

I love October.  Autumn is my favorite season and October is the heart of it.  And Halloween...so much ghoulish fun!  Our theme at Creative Cutting Challenge this fortnight is "Halloween Cards" so go get your spook on and join us!

The Creative Pointe's "Coffin Card" SVG makes a classic Halloween card a snap.  Of course, I couldn't just do a plain and simple pine coffin...no way...I embellished my little heart out for extra eerie fun!  First off, my coffin had to have some color and pattern.  I love the way the purple patterned paper adds a graffiti feel.  And strips of Tim Holtz "Commute" tissue tape look a bit mummy-ish, don't you think?

My coffin also had to have some rusty hinges to creak and squeak...enter an old Stampin' Up! stamp set, some black Archival Ink, and grey cardstock.  A little Frayed Burlap and Crushed Olive Distress Ink add the right amount of age.

The bat was cut from skeleton patterned paper, doused in Black Soot Distress Stain, highlighted with white gel pen, and given glowing eyes with Lime Green Stickles. He's mounted with foam tape because...he's alive...ALIVE!!

To continue the cemetery theme, I stamped wrought iron fencing along the bottom in black ink and highlighted in white gel pen.

Creeeaakk....open if you dare!!!  Bwah, ha, haa!!  oh...sorry...got a little caught up there. J

Gentle reminder: You must use an SVG file for your project to qualify for the challenge...rules are rules!

Other Challenge Fun:
The Paper Players:  #166 - Halloween Theme Challenge
My Craft Spot:  Monday Challenge #114 - Trick-or-Treat!

Supplies:
Cardstock:	Papertrey Ink ‘Smokey Shadow’; Paper Presentation ‘Fog’
Patterned Paper:	Scraps
SVG:	The Creative Pointe ‘Coffin Card’
Stamps:	We R Memory Keepers ‘Pumpkin Patch’; Stampin’ Up! ‘Finials & Frames’
Inks:	Archival ‘Jet Black’; Distress Ink ‘Frayed Burlap’, ‘Crushed Olive’; Distress Stain ‘Black Soot’; Glaze pen ‘White’
Embellishments:	Tim Holtz tissue tape ‘Commute’; Little Yellow Bicycle card stock stickers ‘Trick or Treat’; Stickles ‘Lime Green’
Tools:	SCAL; Cricut Expression; foam ink blender; tweezers; TH paper distresser; 3M foam tape