hand-made holiday cards are one of my favorite ways to share a little creative magic with others. today vicki evans (aka: that crazy chick) shows how to make three unique styles of holiday cards using the same card layering template. i love how distinctly different these cards are showing how you can personalize your christmas crafting from traditional, to winter, to modern with a simple tweak of ingredients…t!m
Each of these cards has been assembled using the same template:
– layer 1 – the card back is cut 5 ½ x 11” and scored in the middle to make a 5 ½ x 5 ½” finished card
– layer 2 is cut 5 3/8 x 5 3/8” (patterns from the Tidings Paper Stash)
– layers 3 & 4 are cut 4 ¼ x 5”
– layer 5 is cut 4 1/8 x 4 7/8” and die cut with the argyle pattern from Mixed Media Christmas Thinlits
– layer 6 is 3 7/8 x 3 7/8
supplies:
- Inks: Alcohol Ink Lemonade/Pitch Black/Gold & Silver Mixative; Archival Black Soot/Hickory Smoke/Red Geranium; Distress Ink/Walnut Stain
- Distress Crayons: Antique Linen, Picket Fence
- Distress Markers: Hickory Smoke
- Distress Paint: Antique Linen
- Distress Mica Spray: Tarnished Brass
- Distress Glitter: Rock Candy
- Adhesives: Collage Glue Stick, Multi-Medium, Adhesive Sheets, Foam Tape, Wonder Tape 1/8″
- Embellishments: Adornments Pinecones, Baubles, Decorative Deer, Designer Tape Tidings, Floral Wire, Jingle Bards, Long Fasteners, Remnant Rubs Gilded Christmas, Metallic Sticker Labels, Word Band Christmas, Work Key Christmas, Flash Cards Holiday, Ephemera Christmastime, Plain Tissue Wrap, Crinkle Ribbon, Jute String (black) , Jute Sting Christmas
- Surfaces: Kraft Core #04 & #24 & Metallic Gold; Paper Stash Tidings; Mixed Media Card Stock
- Dies: Mini Globe, Mini Paper Snowflakes, Mixed Media Christmas
- Stamps & Stencils: Birch, Holiday Type; Mini Birch Layering Stencil
- Tools: Heat Tool, Sanding Grip; Craft Mat, Felt Applicator, Foam Blending Tool, Hot Glue Gun, Vagabond, Precision Base Plate, Cutting Pads
Step 1: Cut card layers from Kraft Core #04 (1, 3, 4 & 5). Sand edges and apply Walnut Stain Distress Ink to the surfaces and edges. Ink the edges of Tidings Paper Stash cut to size (2). Attach the Tidings Paper Stash piece to the card back with double sided tape, then attach layer 3 vertically and offset slightly to the left. Set these pieces aside. Use a Collage Glue Stick to attach (5) the piece cut with the argyle pattern from the Mixed Media Christmas set to (4) and set aside.
Step 2: Die cut several Mini Paper Snowflakes from a lightly sanded piece of #04 Kraft Core paper. )I chose the style that has 3 sizes for the same snow flake plus a solid design.) Ink the edge with Walnut Stain ink and shape into shallow cups. Layer configurations of snowflakes in descending size, attaching layers with Matte Multi Medium. Cut the backs off the Jingle Brads and set in the centers of the snowflake poinsettias with hot glue. Aggressively sand a piece of Walnut Stain Core’dinations paper and cut using the holly pattern from the Mixed Media Christmas Thinlits. Lightly ink the edges of the positive pieces and bend to shape leaves.
Step 3: Apply a thin and thick (uneven) layer of Distress Antique Linen paint with a brayer to Mixed Media Card Stock (6) and dry with a heat tool. Ink Holiday Type rubberstamp with Red Geranium; leaves stamp face up and bring the paper to the stamp and press down with Grid Block (this method ensures straight lines of text). Heat to set. Ink surface with Walnut Stain (where the paint is thin the ink will grab the paper). Wipe surface with a damp towel (where the paint is thicker the ink will wipe away). Add additional Walnut Stain to the edges.
Step 4: Collage stamped paper (6) with a Christmastime Ephemera piece, Holiday Flashcard, and stitch the edge with white thread. Use a mixture of Antique Linen and Picket Fence Distress Crayons to colour in the word WISH on Christmas Work Key. Tie Jute String (Christmas) around the key and around the stamped paper. Adhere to die cut layer (4 & 5) with an adhesive sheet. Use foam tape to attach to prepared card back. Decorate card with snowflake poinsettias and tuck in holly sprigs to finish.
Step 1: Cut card layers from Bazzill Cinder (1, 3, 4 & 5). Use a felt applicator to swipe Silver Mixative across the paper to metalize the surface. Lightly sand and apply Walnut Stain Distress Ink to the surfaces and edges. Ink the edges of Tidings Paper Stash cut to size (2). Attach the Tidings Paper Stash piece to the card back with double sided tape, then attach layer 3 vertically and offset slightly to the left and set these pieces aside. Use a Collage Glue Stick to attach (5) the piece cut with the argyle pattern from the Mixed Media Christmas set to (4) and set aside.
Step 2: Apply a mix of Hickory Smoke & Archival Black ink to Birch rubberstamp, and stamp onto Mixed Media Card Stock (6) and set with a heat tool. Cut the frame edges from Birch Mini Stencil (this makes it easier to extend the pattern) and ink stencil with Hickory Smoke. Tear a piece of Plain Tissue Wrap to 3 7/8 x 3 7/8 and stitch to stamped and stencilled background.
Step 3: Cut 2 large and one small Mini Paper Snowflake from Plain Tissue Paper. Brush Snowflakes and Decorative Deer with Matte Multi Medium and sprinkle with Distress Rock Candy Glitter.
Step 4: Cut a 10” length of Crinkle Ribbon and colour one edge with Hickory Smoke Distress Marker. Mist with water, crumple and set aside to dry. Use a Picket Fence Distress Crayon to colour in Christmas Word Band and attach with Long Fasteners. Apply Gilded Christmas Remnant Rubs to Metallic Label Sticker and tuck under layer 6 and adhere to the combined layers of 4 & 5 with Adhesive Sheets. Wrap Crinkle Ribbon around all three layers and secure on the backside (there is 1/8” strip of Wonder Tape underneath the ribbon to hold the crinkles in place). Secure glitter-coated decorative Deer with hot glue and tuck in glittered tissue snowflakes behind the deer and along the ribbon using Matte Multi Medium. Use foam tape to attach to prepared card back.
Step 1: Cut card layers from Kraft Core #24 (3, 4, 5 & 6). Sand edges and apply Walnut Stain Distress Ink to the surfaces and edges. Use Gold Metallic Kraft Core to cut card back (1) and the Mini Globe die. Lightly sand edges and surfaces. Ink the edges of Tidings Paper Stash cut to size (2) and spray both the card pieces as well as the off cut with Heirloom Gold Mica Spray. Attach the Tidings Paper Stash piece to the card back with double sided tape, then attach layer 3 vertically and offset slightly to the left and set these pieces aside. Use a Collage Glue Stick to attach (5) the piece cut with the argyle pattern from the Mixed Media Christmas set to (4) and set aside.
Step 2: Tim’s showed a great method for colourizing elements using alcohol inks and a small cup (insert link to video) during the Ideology Holiday Live Facebook release; this is the technique I have used. Place the Adornment Pinecones in a small cup with a couple drops of Gold Mixative and shake and swirl to coat (the larger pinecones took an extra drop and another spin to cover) set aside to dry. Using this same technique coat several assorted (smaller) Baubles with Lemonade Alcohol Ink; once this layer is dry repeat with Pitch Black Alcohol Ink (I found that the black didn’t cover perfectly and rather than having the white peak through the base coat of yellow appears like a golden glow beneath the black). Coil several loops of floral wire around a glass slightly larger than the Mini Globe die (ensuring a mostly round result) and wrap the ends tightly to bind.
Step 3: Stitch the edges (6) with white thread and attach the Mini Globe to the backing with foam tape; cut the phrase from the ‘cut off’ distress edges and attach with foam tape. Use hot glue to attach wire frame, tacking only where the wire has been twisted. Tear 2 strips of Tidings Designer Tape (apx 8”) and adhere back to back. Tear into 2 pieces and use one piece to create bow loops and the other for the bow tails; scrunch in the middle and wrap with more Designer Tape to secure.
Step 4: Tie large Pinecones with Jute String (black) and knot at staggered lengths. Hot glue to card to cover wire twist and weave under the wire frame. Attach assorted sized Baubles and small Pinecones to the wire frame and paper backing with hot glue. Apply Gilded Christmas Remnant Rubs to Metallic Label Sticker and tuck under layer 6 and adhere to the combined layers of 4 & 5 with Adhesive Sheets. Wrap Jute String around all three layers and secure on the backside. Use foam tape to attach to prepared card back.
