HD Christmas Classics - Xmas Cocoa #1

This is the first of the four cards I got out of the second set of toppers in the Hunkydory Christmas Classics set - the one called Christmas Cocoa.  (Previously I got EIGHT cards from the "Toyshop Window" topper set from this card kit - see "Nearly OSW Toyshop Window" posts from August of 2017.)  I'm calling it a Trifold Flap card - like more traditional tri-folds, but just a narrow 3rd panel that forms a flap.  Here's how I made it:

Materials: 

• Hunkydory Christmas Classics Luxury Card Kit
• Pebbles Welcome Christmas Paper pad 
• Red card stock
• Ribbon & Braid from my stash, 
• HOTP Design Tool Kit #1 templates
• foam tape
• 5" x 6.5" card base

Method:

1. Card Base - With card open horizontally in front of you (original score line vertical), start measuring from the left side and score a vertical line at 4".  From the other side (right side) score a vertical line at 1.5" (8.5" from left side).  
2. Front - Cut piece of patterned card stock with hot chocolate focal at 3 3/4" x 6 1/4". Wrap red snowflake ribbon around the bottom edge and glue in place. Wrap a 2nd piece on the left side and cut at an angle part way across the top as shown. Glue it in place. Cut a third small piece - at an angle on both ends, and glue across this ribbon at an angle near the left edge as shown.  Attach panel to front of card. Add greeting (from topper sheet) with foam tape, right where these two smaller ribbons cross.  With foam tape, add cookie cut-outs directly over their spots in the picture (paper tole style). 
   
3. Flap - Using largest template from Design Tool Kit #1, draw scallop-style design along the edge of the flap and cut it.  Do the same for two 1 3/8" wide strips of red card stock and sandwich the edge of the flap between the two red pieces - glue in place.  Wrap braid all the way around the flap and glue in place.  Add greeting (from topper sheet) with foam tape right where the ends of the braid join. (See picture above)
4. Inside - Using the same template as for the flap, cut a piece of red checked paper (from Welcome Christmas paper pad) and mat it on another piece cut from red card stock.  Finish by gluing image from die cut sheet in bottom left corner.
   

HD Christmas Classics - The Nativity #1

This is the first card I created using elements from "The Nativity" - the third die cut set from Hunkydory's Christmas Classics Luxury Card Collection.  It is a bit more complicated than most of the cards I've made recently, but now that I've worked out the measurements, it should be relatively easy to make another from a standard 5" x 7" card blank.

Marquee Card Basics:

1. Score base card as for a gate-fold card. (Image A above though cutout hasn't yet been done.)
2. Cut 2 pieces of light-weight card stock that is 4 1/2" by 3 3/4".  Score 1/2" in from long edge. These will be your sliders.
3. Create cut-out on each of these by tracing 1/2 of wanted opening on each (on opposite side of scored edge - see Image B in diagram above). Save leftover pieces for step 6.
4. Fold along scored edge and crease well with bone folder.  If you wish, cover area from cut out to folded edge with paper.  Apply adhesive on narrow side of folded edge and glue to card, lining up at least 1" from top of card and butting up to the fold line of gate-fold gluing to the INSIDE of the card FRONT(not the inside center of card).   
5. At this point, sliding flaps are still free.  Center focal picture (that will be hidden behind these flaps) so that when the flaps are fully open you see the picture as you wish.  Double check that as the card folds, the sliders will hide it. Glue focal picture it in place.
6. Cut panel 3 3/4" by 6 1/2" (Image C above).  You can use printed card stock OR card stock covered with patterned paper.  Center on card and see where you want the cut out to be.  Create cut out and then attach panel over top of sliding flaps, securing top and bottom with foam tape (making sure sliding flaps can slide freely!).
7. Cut opening in front of card to match the one inside - if you wish.  Alternatively, leave as a standard gate-fold on the outside.

Materials: 

• Hunkydory Christmas Classics Luxury Card Collection
• The Essential Book of Christmas Sentiments 2016 (Hunkydory)
• Leftover card stock from Hunkydory Cute Christmas Luxury Card Collection
• Gold glimmer paper
• Purple Mylar Tissue Paper
• 5" x 7" card base & additional white card stock
• Dazzles - Gold Jewel Border Dazzles

Method - Inside/Marquee Slider:

We'll start by following the steps above for making a Basic Marquee card.

1. Follow step 1.
2. Follow step 2.
3. Follow step 3.  Use die cut that will be marquee focal to draw cutting lines for opening.  Save cut away pieces for step 6.
4. Follow step 4 - covering sliders with gold glimmer paper.  
5. Attach nativity die cut as described in step 5. 
6. Cut panel for step 6 out of leftover starry card stock (Hunkydory). Overlap saved cutaway pieces, comparing them to the picture & slider opening until you have it the size you want (preferably just a little smaller than the hole created by the sliders, so edges are hidden) and tape together.  Carefully measure where you want the hole to be in your panel and use the prepared leftovers as a template to draw your hole - cut with craft knife.  Attach in place with foam tape as directed.  As you can see, at this stage, I added the "curtains" (die cuts from kit) and a sentiment (from Essential Book).
7. Cut panels from leftover dark starry card stock and glue from where the sliders attach to the edge of the card.   

Outside of Card:

Cover outside of card with mylar tissue paper and a glue stick.  Add die cuts to meet at edge and then cut along them to create a bit of an opening.  Add Dazzles border on either side and attach a sentiment (from Essential book) - gluing just to one side of the card front.

Finishing:  Finish the inside with more border Dazzles along the edges of the dark blue panels.

Deer Sympathy

Today's card is the result of a challenge on the PW wishes blog.  We were to make a patchwork background.  The examples were like those of a beautifully planned quilt, but I decided I wanted to just use the scraps I had on my desk from completing these recent projects -

• Thank You Challenge
• Get Well Challenge
• Woodsy Sidestep Sympathy
• More Heartfelt Sympathy

Most of these were narrow strips leftover from trimming things to the size I wanted them, but I hadn't managed to throw them away yet because they were so pretty!

1. I looked at my scraps and realized some were pretty short.  Measuring the various short ones, I decided to cut my pieces 1 1/2" tall - leaving them in varying widths as I found them.
2. After cutting my pieces, I decided I needed an easy way to glue them together.  I cut a piece of white card stock (4 3/4" x 6 1/4") for my base, covered it with double-sided adhesive and went to work. 
3. After I got my first 1 1/2" row completed, I realized I better see how many rows would fit on my base.  I realized I could do 2 more rows, but would have 1/4" or so not covered.  So, I found a couple more scraps that just happened to be about 1/8" wide and placed one between each row - fit just about perfectly.  (See first picture below.) 
4. You see the completed card front at the top of this post.  Focal & sentiment were from Heartfelt Creations Woodsy Wonderland.  Dark purple mats were purple glimmer paper embossed with an embossing folder.  I used some foam tape to add some of the pieces to give the card some dimension.

INSIDE: 

As you can see, I did another row of "patchwork" on the inside.  These ones were only 1" tall because that was all the taller some of the remaining pieces were.  I added another of the blue glimmer paper leftover strips and finished with a purple one trimmed from one of the mat pieces.  I matted the tag (also Heartfelt Creations) on purple glimmer paper and fussy cut around it leaving a narrow mat.

I'm quite happy with the finished product.  Not only does it look pretty, but I didn't waste all my pretty scraps! :)

Double Embossed Foiled Stickers

Watching the first of the fall Week of Webisodes on the Paper Wishes site, gave me ideas for using the double embossed stickers that came in their VIP mailing - so I had to try it.  Not having Spectrum Noir pens, I made do with Sharpies and Bic Permanent markers.  I learned a lot making this and would do some things differently next time, but am pretty happy with the way it turned out anyway.  Unfortunately, the picture does NOT do it justice!!!

Materials used:

• Double embossed foiled stickers (PW)
• Gold Dazzles (Christmas Greetings, Merry Christmas, Fine Lines, Jewel Dazzles) (HOTP)
• Red Jewel Dazzles (HOTP)
• Clear Acetate (PW)
• Clear glitter sheet (PW)
• Sharpies and Bic Permanent Markers
• Bic White-Out (Extra Coverage)
• Green Shine Design Paper (HOTP)
• Older Green plaid Paper (HOTP)

Method:  I made this much harder for myself than it needed to be since I actually cut a window through the card - and then covered it up!  SO, I'll list how it SHOULD have been done instead! 

1. Place double-embossed foil window sticker on clear acetate & cut around it.
2. Cut piece of green shine design to fit front of card with a bit of a border around edge.
3. Place cut out sticker on paper in the position you want it, draw around it lightly with pencil - then draw around it about 1/4" inside those lines (little more at the bottom) - basically following the inside of the window.  Using a craft knife, cut out this inside piece of paper.  Use the piece you removed as a pattern to cut the clear glitter sheet.
4. Glue shine design in place & attach glitter sheet in the "hole" (to be behind the window).
5. Color the acetate on the back using permanent markers. Then use White-Out to cover the areas you want to be opaque white (window frames).
6. Attach window to the "glittered hole" prepared for it using thin strips of double-stick foam around the edges.
7. Add border strip of plaid paper across the bottom with a fine strip of red card stock in the center & fine-line gold Dazzles on either edge. 
8. Prepare bow sticker in the same way you did the window - apply to clear acetate, color the back - then attach to one side of the border with foam tape.  Add small gold jewel dazzles on the other end of the border, and medium sized ones to the center of the bows on both the border and the window.
9. Finish the outside by adding your Dazzles Greetings.
10. Inside - add plaid and shine design papers as shown.  Using pieces from the Merry Christmas Dazzles sheet, apply them to clear acetate & color as you did for the double embossed foiled stickers on the front. (I could have used White Out for the bells, but instead just backed the whole thing with white paper after I had colored the back of the acetate.)
11. Fussy cut around the Dazzles and glue in place.