Christmas Card

Santa Bauble

| ullycatdesigns

This Christmas card/ornament is a prototype for a shaker card. The car and Santa are part of the Spellbinder’s Sunday Drive collection and the pierced circles is also a Spellbinders nesting circle die set.

To make this bauble card, I cut a circular card base using the largest nesting die placing it just off the edge of a 6 ½ x 5 inches white card base.

I cut the series of pieced holed circles on white glitter cardstock and colored the front of the card base with silver metallic ink to show through the pierced holes. I also cut a piece of acetate between tissue interleaves so as not to have the cutting plates leave marks. Two strips of silver foiled cardstock ½ x 1 ¼ inches and a piece of thin silver wire 3 inches long were cut as well.

Next I cut a circular frame using the largest nesting die and the next size down circular die out of glitter cardstock. (I used a stitched circle die from another set to get a narrow border, but you could use the Spellbinders circle set and have a wide pierced border frame too.)

At this point I should have stamped and heat embossed the inside greeting before assembling the card. I like to use a stamping platform and the assembled card was too thick to get a good stamped impression. (My improvised solution was to stamp and heat emboss a tissue circle and glue it inside which is not as professional a finish as I would like.)

Previously I had cut and assembled a number of the Santa in the car and assembled them. (See Sunday Drive with Santa post.)

The whole process should be:

  1. Cut card base, acetate circle, nesting circles, silver foiled strip, all parts for Santa, reindeer and car.
  2. Stamp and heat emboss inside card sentiment.  (If in inking back of license plate with distress ink, clear heat emboss it now.)
  3. Add any colored ink or paper to go behind pierced circles to front of card base now.
  4. Assemble Santa, reindeer and car
  5. Glue down pierced circles
  6. Glue Santa and car to top of circle frame and place foam tape on back side of car
  7. Using a thin line of glue at outer edge of circle frame, glue acetate circle on top of circle frame and car
  8. On the back side of the circle frame place short, thin strips of foam tape with no gaps. This will hold your shaker contents from escaping. (I cut ¼ inch wide stripes of foam tape.)
  9. Place a small amount of craft snow in the middle of the front card base and then peel off backing paper on foam tape and adhere the acetate circle assembly to card base.
  10. Score on backside of foil strips every 1/8 inch and accordion fold both strips and flatten out again. Cut two strips of foam tape ¼ x 1 inch and adhere at top edges of foiled strips on back.
  11. Make a loop from the thin wire.
  12. Glue one of the foil strips to the top of the card base over fold so that foam tape is above the fold. Remove backing paper from foam tape on this piece.
  13. Place wire loop on foam tape. And add a drop of glue to secure wire.
  14. Remove backing paper on other foil strip foam tape and glue in place on backside of card.
  15. Tie ribbon through wire loop.

To finish the card, I stamped its envelope with a hint of what’s inside using a “Believe in the Magic of Christmas” sentiment in red ink.

Other Sunday Drive cards:

Sunday Drive Celebration

A Snowy Sunday Drive with Santa

Santa Bauble

Santa Delivers to the Tropics

Being Spooky

Driving into a Spooky Sunset

The Best is Yet to Come

Hoppy Spring!

SUPPLIES:

Dies

Stamps

  • Kaisercraft – Clear Stamps – Sentiments -Traditional – CS313

Papers

Inks/Watercolors

·  VersaMark – Watermark Stamp Pad

·  Recollections Pearl Embossing Powder – Sapphire

·  Recollections Detail Embossing Power- Clear

·  Stampin’ Up Classic Stamin’ Pad – Real Red

Miscellaneous

  • Foam tape
  • Cosmic Shimmer Acrylic Glue/PVA Glue
  • American Crafts – Metallic Marker – M – Silver -62212
  • Blue Snowflake satin ribbon
  • Thin silver wire (I used 26 gauge round medium temper silver plated jewelry wire)
  • Craft snow (I got my package years ago from a hobby shop that sold materials for making model train scenes)

A Snowy Sunday Drive with Santa

| ullycatdesigns

I was so excited when I received the Sunday Drive die set from Spellbinders in May and now I am happy to show off one of the new holiday add-on sets for the Sunday Drive collection on this clean and simple slimline card.

The die sets I found easy to use following the images on the package but recommend having a pair of tweezers handy to glue and place the tiny taillights, box-ribbon-bow, and reindeer antlers. I also recommend having a small container or bag to put your die cut pieces into as you cut them out. They are quite easy to lose on your workspace or get dropped onto the floor. (I am still finding lost antlers on my crafting table.)

All the pieces were cut from scraps in my stash. I had to use my embossing mat to get good definition on the bummer piece cut on silver matte cardstock.

This was my first attempt at foiling multiple times the Spellbinders Twinkle Lights foiling plate on one card. Lessons I learned: Be patient and let the foiling plate cool down so you can place it exactly where you want it for the second and third pass. Don’t foil directly onto your slimline card unless you want the snow embossing effect inside your card too. Foil onto a panel you can adhere later.

The card base is an 8 inch x 9 inch piece of heavy white cardstock scored and folded long ways in half.

Inside the card is a green foiled Christmas tree which was one of test pieces I had foiled previously on a die cut rectangle scrap from another project.

Finishing of the card by stamping its envelope with some hints as to what’s inside using a vintage Disney stamp set.

Other Sunday Drive cards:

Sunday Drive Celebration

A Snowy Sunday Drive with Santa

Santa Bauble

Santa Delivers to the Tropics

Being Spooky

Driving into a Spooky Sunset

The Best is Yet to Come

Hoppy Spring!

SUPPLIES:

Stamps/Dies

Papers

Inks/Foils

Miscellaneous

Santa is Coming Tonight

| ullycatdesigns

Santa is coming-open-wide

It’s Christmas Eve and the candles are lit in the windows to welcome Santa. This is the second house card in my series of “A Week of Christmas Houses” using Poppy Stamps 2020 Winter House Pop-Up Easel die set.

The house goes together easily by looking at the photos on the Poppy Stamps packaging. It does involve a lot of die cutting as there is only one die of each window type.  (I cut lots of the small pieces and store the extras in a tiny plastic bags that I keep with the die set.) To add depth to the porch and dormer windows I cut those pieces twice and glued together. The snowy pieces are cut from glitter paper and some of the window frames and siding have Nuvo Glitter Drops used thinly to give the illusion of melted snow.

Santa is coming-Side view

Papers Used: The house is cut from Bazzill heavy card stock in a 2014 color of Gold Coin. The dark blue, red and pale yellow come from monotone color packs of cardstock by Recollections. Note that there is a dark blue outline layer of the house that provides the window inside color as well as framing the outside edge of the house.

Santa is coming-inking door

I masked off the front door with sticky notes and used Walnut Stain Distress ink to darken the door and frame. A tiny drop of gold Nuvo Crystal Drops for the doorknob (which wasn’t put on yet in the photo) and a wreath made from green scraps and a piece of red embroidery floss, complete the door. Greenery was cut from food boxes to get the thickness using a greenery die by Christina Griffiths and snipped into smaller pieces and glued to a wreath shape cut freehand.

Santa is coming-windows-CU

The windows all have tiny white candles cut from a thin white scrap and flames are cut from an orange envelope in my stash. I used the appropriately  named Candlelight – Spectrum Noir Sparkle Glitter Ink to put a dot of glow behind each candle on the dark blue layer.

Santa is coming-Candles

I stamped Santa Sleigh on white cardstock and colored with colored pencils. I cut a strip of clear plastic packaging to sandwich between Santa and another piece of white cardstock. Before I glued the strip, laid-out the position of the house, Santa and the plastic strip on a slimline envelope to make sure all would fit inside the envelope.

Santa is coming-laying out

Other than having to trim a bit off each side of the eaves on the white card base, all fit.

Santa is coming-triming card base

I made pencil marks to note where the plastic would go on the backsides of the dark blue layer and Santa. The plastic is sandwiched between the blue layer of the house and the white card base layers.

Santa is coming-Santa gluing

The welcome mat, which acts as the easel stop, was stamped and heat embossed using a stamp from a retired Stampin’ Up set. I used a blend of Ranger Black Sparkle and Recollections Ebony Detail Embossing powders that give the welcome mat a snowy sparkle. Once heat embossed, the mat was weathered using Antique Linen Distress Ink on a sponge dauber and cut out with the coordinating die. Foam pads where used to adhere the mat to card and make it tall enough to act as an easel stop.

The ”Merry Christmas” is cut from heavy black cardstock glued down.  A personal message can be written behind the house

The envelope was stamped in read on cream envelope using vintage Disney stamps.

Santa is coming-card-envelope

See the more the series of “A Week of Christmas Houses”

Day 1 – From Our House to Your House

Day 2 – Santa is Coming

Day 3 – A Baby is Coming

Day 4 – Keep the Home Fires Burning

Day 5 – Red Four Square

Day 6 – Santa Delivers to the Tropics

Day 7 – House Luminary

2019 – 12 Days of Christmas Trees

Supplies

Dies

Stamps

Paper

Ink/Embossing Powder

Miscellaneous

From Our House to Your House

| ullycatdesigns

Snowy house -house CU

It’s a cold and blustery day where snow is covering everything. You’ve walked to your neighbor’s house down the lane to drop off a bit of Christmas cheer and now you’re walking back to your home all aglow in the afternoon sun. How lovely and welcoming it looks with its bright paint underneath all the snow.

This is the feeling I hope the recipient of this card will have when they open and display the card.

Snowy house -front

This is the first house card in my series of “A Week of Christmas Houses” using Poppy Stamps 2020 Winter House Pop-Up Easel die set.

The card goes together easily by looking at the photos on the Poppy Stamps packaging. It does involve a lot of die cutting as there is only one die of each window type.  (I cut lots of the small pieces and store the extras in a tiny plastic bags that I keep with the die set.) To add depth to the porch and dormer windows I cut those pieces twice and glued together. The snowy pieces are cut from glitter paper and some of the window frames and siding have Nuvo Glitter Drops used thinly to give the illusion of melted snow.

Snowy house -easel

I masked off the front door with sticky notes and used Walnut Stain Distress ink to darken the door and frame. A tiny drop of gold Nuvo Crystal Drops for the doorknob and a wreath made from green scraps and a piece of red embroidery floss, complete the door. Greenery was cut from food boxes to get the thickness using a greenery die by Christina Griffiths and snipped into smaller pieces and glued to a wreath shape cut freehand.

Snowy house -door CU

The welcome mat, which acts as the easel stop, was stamped and heat embossed using a stamp from a retired Stampin’ Up set. Once heat embossed, it was weathered using Antique Linen Distress Ink on a sponge dauber.

The windows all have a piece of peach organza ribbon taped behind the window frames to give the shine of glass and the rosy glow of sunlight.

The ”Merry Christmas” is cut from heavy black cardstock glued down.  A personal message can be written behind the house.

Snowy house -inside

The house is cut from Bazzill heavy card stock in a 2014 color of Gold Coin. The red and pale yellow come from monotone color packs of cardstock by Recollections. Note that there is a pale-yellow outline layer of the house that provides the window inside color as well as framing the outside edge of the house.

See the more the series of “A Week of Christmas Houses”

Day 1 – From Our House to Your House

Day 2 – Santa is Coming

Day 3 – A Baby is Coming

Day 4 – Keep the Home Fires Burning

Day 5 – Red Four Square

Day 6 – Santa Delivers to the Tropics

Day 7 – House Luminary

2019 – 12 Days of Christmas Trees

Supplies

Dies

Stamps

  • Stampin’ Up – At Home with You – stamps & die set 143681 (Retired)

Paper

Ink/Embossing Powder

Miscellaneous

An Old-Time Christmas

| ullycatdesigns

1 Parlor-Wide

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert are credited with popularizing the idea that families need evergreen trees adorned with babbles and sweet treats at Christmas.  This fold-out parlor card is in that tradition.

1 Tree CU

Christmas Tree:  The tree frame and pop-up mechanism were made using Karen Burniston’s Christmas tree pop-up die set. I embossed thin copier paper with the saucer die from Karen Burniston’s Cup Pop Stand die set and then cut a circle of cardstock to back it. Using the tabs cutting die from the Christmas tree set, I cut tabs on the embossed saucer to make the tree skirt. Next, I assembled the tree (an assembly video is on the link to die set below) and decorated it using fir branches from the Gemini fireplace accessories pack, ornaments from the Gemini Yuletide treasures die set, and candy canes and gingerbread men from Sara Davis’ Frosty Christmas die set. (The ornaments have glitter glue, Nuvo Drops and Aqua Shimmer on them.) The two star pieces are cut twice from recycled foil from an envelope liner. Once the tree was decorated, it was attached to its brown tree stand and then glued to the tree skirt tabs. Placement on card was based off where the furniture and tree would be when the card was closed.  A portion of the tree skirt was trimmed to fit the card size.

1 Furniture wide

Furniture:  Using Karen Burniston’s Family Room Pop-up die set I altered the style of sofa and changed the chair into a table. I cut the base pop-up mechanism from clear acetate and made the chair arms lower by trimming some of the middle arm piece off and adhere the remaining sides together. Next, I embossed some blue cardstock with an embossing folder by Jennifer Ellory to create brocade fabric for the sofa. I used the sofa seat/back piece to cut the basic shape and then trimmed and added an additional sofa back piece cut from Olga Direktorenko’s Elegant Room sofa die. I made my own template for the brown base and legs of the sofa trying to mimic an empire style settee. A separate back sofa piece was also cut with the Elegant Room die. The Family Room die set has the cushions die and pop-out mechanism on the sofa seat. The tea table was created using the table die from the Elegant Room die set and a Spellbinder’s scalloped circle die for the tabletop. The plate was cut using Courtney Chilston’s Birthday Shadow box die set and the candy cane and gingerbread man were made as describe in the tree section above. Placement on card was based off where the furniture and tree would be when the card was closed.

Fireplace:  Using a recycled greeting card back in an off-white, cut the fireplace out using the Gemini Fireplace Concept die set. Because the die is designed to pop-up from a folded card, I had to cut the fireplace out with tabs at the back edge of mantle and the floor of the fireplace. I I also cut the trim pieces from the same card back and glued the pieces in place after scoring the tab folds. I also cut a rectangular piece of black cardstock to become the back of the fireplace. Taping the bottom of the black back to the floor tab. I cut two brick pattern pieces from the Gemini Yuletide Treasures die set and then I glued them to the black back piece and created smoke and soot on the brick by rubbing a Tim Holtz Distress Crayon over the bricks. The fire and logs were cut from the Gemini Fireplace Accessories Pack. The flames were cut from cardstock that I had blended two colors of Spectrum Noir Sparkle Glitter Ink on, let dry and then cut. The logs and flames were glued together and then placed in fireplace with foam squares.

1 fireplace decorated

Wallcovering:  The wallcovering was created using two embossing folders by Olga Direktorenko. The main piece with pillars and molding is the Elegant Room folder and the crown molding is from the Timeless Room folder. I masked the molding and rubbed Distress Ink over the wallpaper. The mirror (cut from recycle mirror card from a box) wreath, bows, holly and coal shuttle were also cut using the Fireplace Accessory Pack. The embossed “wings” on each side are from the Timeless Room embossing folder.

1 Front Door

Door: The Front of the folded-up card is an elegant Italianate styled door. I used Olga Direktorenko’s entire Elegant Door die and embossing folder set. The windows are wax paper over pale yellow card stock and red marker. The door hardware is cut from gold foil cardstock and gold gel pen. The wreaths were cut from recycled boxes using lawn Fawn’s mini wreath die set.

1 Greeting wngs folded

Greeting: The greeting is on the front of the second folded-side of this tri-fold card. Merry Christmas is cut from recycled red foil envelop liner using a Card Deco Essentials die. The gold lacy background was cut from foil card using Spellbinders Charming Christmas Boughs die set. The greeting is offset to left to allow room for a personal message.

1 Parlor close up

Supplies

Dies:

Embossing Folders:

Stamps & Inks:

Papers:

Miscellaneous:

Shake Your Snow Globe

| ullycatdesigns

Snow Globe Shaker-Front

This snow globe is filled with pearlessense sequins and silver star sequins and a hint of snow glitter.  I was inspired by a number of snow globe stamp and die set project cards by a variety of companies, but in the end, I made the card with affordable alternatives that I had on hand.

I stamped the pine boughs and red berry branches on a stamping platform, turning the card four times and then changing color ink and stamp for the next layer and once more for the final color and stamp change.

Next, I cut out the opening for the plastic shaker globe from the stamped card. I then stamped and cut out the house, snow man and trees. Using white glitter paper to cut the two snowy hills, I attached the house, trees and snowman using foam squares.

Assembling the globe: I added a few white and silver sequins and a hint of fine snow glitter. (I find the that glitter clings to most of the surfaces inside the globe and a hint gives a sparkle without fogging up the globe.) Using clear removable tape, I sealed the back of the globe with the house and hills which were attached to the stamped globe cut-out. Once the globe was sealed, it was placed into the stamped card with the globe cut out.

The red and white background paper, heavy white card stock with the red sentiment stamped on it and the red globe base where all recycled from junk mail, and packaging. A ribbon was taped to the back of the pine boughs stamped card before it was adhered with double-sided tape to the card base. The “Magical Christmas wishes” and red globe base were attached using foam squares.

Snow Globe Shaker -inside

The inside sentiment is from an old Kaisercraft clear stamp set that I was unable to find a link for.

SUPPLIES USED:

Dies

Stamps

Paper:

Miscellaneous:

Let It Snow Shadow Box

| ullycatdesigns

Shadowbox -frontShadow box cards can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make them. Let It Snow is of medium difficultly. This die set, along with strong double-sided tape, makes it quick to cut and assemble a four-panel shadow box with depth and character.  You can choose to color or not.

Shadowbox -materials

Step 1: Using the shadow box frame set, cut out one large box frame – your choice of oval or rectangle opening. See video on assembly of shadow boxes. (I used a shimmer pen on the blue panel as well as snow highlights on other panels.)

Step 2: Using both the smaller panel frame from shadow box die set and the four panels of winter scene diet set, cut one of each panel. (Because of the delicate detail of some of the dies and the score marks, you may have to use a precision metal cutting pad or make two passes through your die cutting machine.)

Step 3: Cut a piece of blue cardstock and a piece of white cardstock3 inches x 4 inches (76mm x 101mm). Using the snowy background die from the winter scene die set, die cut the snowy background onto the blue cardstock.

Step 4: Fold the tabs and sides of box and panels first one way and then the other way. Flatten to decorate.

Step 5: Flatten to decorate. Colored pencils, watercolors, or just some glitter pen gloss are some ways of decorating.

Step 6: Place double-sided strong tape on all panel flaps on the face-up side. Place double-sided tape on both front and back tab flaps of shadow box.

Shadowbox -snowy panel backStep 7: Assembly – start with blue background and peel off backing of one shadow box tab tape on inside of box. Line up long side of blue paper to folded edge of tab.

Shadowbox -back panelStep 8: Peel off tape on back panel same side as blue panel and line up with fold of shadowbox tab.  Shadowbox -all panelsRepeat with other three panels butting the edge of new panel up to folded edge of previous panel until all panels are adhered to inside of shadow box.

Shadowbox -front panelStep 9: Peel off tape on Front panel and line it up on opposite side of shadow box to be equal distance from front opening as other side of panel. Shadowbox -most panelsRepeat with remaining three panels.

Shadowbox -snowy backStep 10: Peel off tape on inside of shadow box tab and adhere blue panel.

Shadowbox -white backStep 11: Peel off tape on outside of shadow box tabs and adhere white card panel.

Shadowbox -frontStep 12: Decorate outside of shadow box as desired using sentiment die cuts from Winter Scene set.

 

SUPPLIES USED:

Dies

Paper

Miscellaneous

12 Days of Christmas Trees -in 1:18

| ullycatdesigns

Thank you for being part of The 12 Days of Christmas Trees +1.

Click Here to learn about my earliest Christmas Cards.

Day 1 – Give Joy -Plaid

Day 2 – Home for the Holidays-Village

Day 3 – Holly Joy

Day 4 – Snowy Day

Day 5 – Give Joy – Holly

Day 6 – Gingerbread Joy

Day 7 – Home for the Holidays-Joy to the World

Day 8 – Nutcracker Greetings

Day 9 – Plaid Joy

Day 10 – Home for the Holidays-Let It Snow

Day 11 – White Christmas

Day 12 – Home for the Holidays-Peace and Joy

Bonus Day – Topical Christmas

12 Days of Christmas Trees – Bonus Day

| ullycatdesigns

img_7189

I could not forget those who celebrate Christmas in the warmer climates. (Yes, Karen Burniston has a die for this one too!)

img_7187

Using the Palm Tree Pop-up die set, heavy kraft paper, baker’s twine and vintage Mrs. Grossman’s Christmas light stickers, this card comes together. The sand is a brown fine tip marker. The vintage postcards are free from copyright.

img_7195

See all the of the 12 Days of Christmas Trees by clicking on one below.

Day 1 – Give Joy -Plaid

Day 2 – Home for the Holidays-Village

Day 3 – Holly Joy

Day 4 – Snowy Day

Day 5 – Give Joy – Holly

Day 6 – Gingerbread Joy

Day 7 – Home for the Holidays-Joy to the World

Day 8 – Nutcracker Greetings

Day 9 – Plaid Joy

Day 10 – Home for the Holidays-Let It Snow

Day 11 – White Christmas

Day 12 – Home for the Holidays-Peace and Joy

Bonus Day – Topical Christmas

SUPPLIES USED:

Dies

Stamps & Ink (on envelope)

Paper/Stickers

Miscellaneous

  • Tombow Multi Mono Liquid Glue
  • ½ inch white double-sided tear tape
  • Baker’s Twine orange/yellow