Going home to be greeted by family and friends is a Christmas tradition since the mid-1800s.  This slimline tower card uses Spellbinder’s Open House dies to an interactive card that emotes the feeling of being welcomed home. (I must give credit to @DebsyG of Craftworld and Sam Calcott’s Made to Surprise tower cards for the inspiration for this card.)  

Spellbinder’s Open House collection has a number of add-on sets for various holidays, but none include a door wreath. (I had to use an older Lawn Fawn Mini Wreath from their door collection to complete my card.) I did use the side panel set to add more windows to the doorway.

Card base: Using heavyweight white cardstock that is 8 ¾ inches tall x 8 ½ inches wide, I scored and folded at 1 1/8 inches, 2 2/8 inches, 6 1/8 inches and 7 3/8 inches. Next, I stenciled the card base with brick colored ink, a brick stencil and a small make-up brush (I find these inexpensive contour make-up brushes from Dollar Tree work as well as the expensive ink brushes.) The folds should go to the back of the card, to form a jut-out entryway often found on townhouses.

Stairs: A gray cardstock was used to cut the main steps with the sentiment “Merry Christmas.” The sentiment was backed with scraps of red paper. I found an old envelope that was just a shade darker gray that the cardstock for the step tops. The railing is cut from heavy black cardstock and glued only at the rod tips to the steps.  The stairs where then adhered to the center of the card base, which when folded shut is 3 ¾ inches.

Door and Windows: The door was die cut with the windowpane dies in one pass. The side panels had to be cut and then cut with the window die. The top transom windows were also die cut from white cardstock.

I positioned the die cut door over the stairs and used a pencil to trace where the windows and the door edges.

Using the pencil lines, I cut out the windows and three side of the door with a craft knife.

Positioning the side panels next to the door, I traced the window positions with pencil and cut out and did the same with windows over the door and panels.

I saved the window frames to be glued in place to scrap pieces of clear vellum on the back side of the door and side panels and transom windows. Then I glued the vellum backed door onto the card base door. The vellum backed panels and transom windows where also glued in place so that the vellum was sandwiched between the case base and the white window and panel frames.

Inside Mechanism:  To create the set-back house interior, I cut a 8 ½ inches tall x 5 ½ inches wide piece of lightweight white cardstock. I scored and accordion folded at ¼ inch, ½ inch ¾ inch, 1 inch, 4 ½ inches, 4 ¾ inches, 5 inches and 5 ¼ inches. Next, I cut a floor from some woodgrain paper and the wallpaper from a small, patterned paper.  These piece where adhered to the center of the inside mechanism. 

The woman is an older Spellbinder’s small die of the month that can hold a pie, a present or a small fir tree. I chose a present popped-up on a foam square. The woman is glued to the wallpaper and floor before the inside mechanism is glued onto the back side of the card base.

The finishing touches are a tiny wreath I had in my stash that is glued over the door and attaching the mail slot and doorknob (cut twice and glued together for depth) to the door front.

The back of the envelope is stamped in red using a Tim Holtz rubber stamp “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

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Dies:

• Spellbinders – Open House Door Base – S4-1131
• Spellbinders – Open House Door Side Panel – S2-316
• Spellbinders – Open House Sentiment Steps – S4-1132
• Spellbinders – Small Die of the month – October 2019 – DOM-OCT19
• Lawn Fawn – Dies – Mini Wreath

Stencil & Stamp

• Creative Backgrounds A6 Decorative Stencil from Wallace & Grommet magazine kit from Practical Publishing
• Stampers Anonymous – Tim Holtz Collection – Doodle Greetings 2

Inks

• Ranger – Distress Ink – Fired Brick
• Stampin’ Up – Classic Stampin’ Pad – Real Red

Papers

• Colored cardstock scraps
• Pattered papers from Colorbok and Mrs. Sparkle paper pads
• White cardstock
• Clear vellum
• #10 Business envelope

Additional Supplies:

• Cosmic Shimmer – Specialist Acrylic Glue – 125ml
• Fineline 20 Gauge Applicator & Bottle
• Sizzix – Big Shot PLUS die cutting Machine
• Small make-up brush
• Foam square