Sunday, November 30, 2014

November ECD Challenge: Gift Luminaries



Created for the Elizabeth Craft Designs DT.

This month’s challenge is to make a gift (not a card). I decided to make some luminaries, which may be given with flameless (battery operated) candles for a “glowing” addition to the holidays.


Making the Luminaries

1. Measure the front of the lunch bags. For the front panel, cut a piece of black cardstock 1/2 inch smaller in width but the same height as each bag. Note: lunch bags are not necessarily all the same size, even in the same package. Optional: cut two sets for each bag, one for the front and one for the back.

2. Die cut Snowflakes down one panel as shown to form windows (repeat for a back panel if desired). Be sure to leave at least half an inch clearance on each side and bottom. Keep the small inside pieces if you want to add those details to the snowflakes. Repeat with base ornament dies (Ornament Set 2 and Ornament Set 3 used here) on another panel.

3. Hold a piece of white tissue paper up to one of the snowflake windows and roughly trace around it in pencil, leaving enough of an edge for glue. Cut. On the back of the panel, add a little glue around the window and adhere tissue. Repeat for all the other windows. If any overlap other windows, simply trim. Optional: you may use colored tissue paper as I did with the ornaments, but note the colors may not show up in the dark.

4. Glue the small pieces to the front of the snowflakes. For the ornaments, die cut detail pieces from black cardstock. Adhere to the front of the base ornaments as shown.

5. Cut out the front of the bag where the panel will go leaving just over half an inch (alternatively you may line up the panel on the front of the bag and mark inside the windows where the edges are). You will not need the top so you may cut from the top in a U shape down the bag. This is to allow the light to shine through the windows from the inside of the bag. Add Double Sided Adhesive Tape along edges and bottom of panel. With the bag closed, adhere panel to front edges of bag. Repeat on back if desired.

6. Add a flameless (battery operated) candle to the inside of the bag and enjoy! (Hints below.)


Hints: 1) For a cleaner look, instead of lunch bags, you could use black paper sacks as sold in craft stores. 2) I haven’t tried this but instead of tissue paper behind the ornaments, you may want to experiment with recycled plastic packaging colored with alcohol ink.

Supplies

Elizabeth Craft Designs
Other Supplies
  • Lunch Bags
  • Cardstock: Black
  • Tissue Paper
  • Liquid Adhesive/Glue
  • Flameless Candles


Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Soft Gel Snowflakes Christmas Card


Created for the Elizabeth Craft Designs DT.

For this card, I made my own stencil so I could use Glossy Soft Gel and glitter for a background that’s both shiny and sparkly.

Making the Card

1. Cut an 8 1/2 x 11 inch sheet of white cardstock in half to create two pieces 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches. Fold one in half for a card base. Cut a sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 inch sheet of blue cardstock in quarters (i.e. four 4 1/4 by 5 1/2 inch pieces). This will be your snowflake background base.


2. To create your stencil, use the other half of the white card stock; lightly draw lines 1 3/4 inches apart across the short part of the sheet (3 or 4 rows should suffice). Cut with the two smallest Snowflakes Dies in an alternating pattern across the sheet using the lines as guides (keep the snowflakes). Spray back of sheet with Easy Tack or other removable adhesive as per manufacturers instructions. This helps the small edges to stick down when applying the gel medium. (I also sprayed a Matte Finish coating on the front; not sure if this is necessary.)

3. Using removable tape, tape the very edges (1/8 inch max) of one of the blue pieces of cardstock to a craft sheet or large scarp paper. Line up the stencil over the blue cardstock as desired and gently press down all edges. Use a palette knife to apply gel medium evenly over the stenciled snowflakes.

4. While still wet, lightly sprinkle Silk Microfine Glitter over the snowflake areas. I used a combination of Silver and Cool Diamond  For a subtle look, use very little. Carefully peel off stencil. Let dry naturally.

5. Erase lines on white snowflake die cuts. Glue 4 or 5 matching layers together to form thick snowflakes (cut more if necessary); make two of each snowflake.


6. Die cut 6 Merry Christmas words from black cardstock; line up and glue 5 copies of each together to form thick stacks. On scrap paper, run some temporary adhesive across it and stick the last copy of words to it. Tap an embossing ink pad over the words to completely cover them. Add silver embossing powder and heat as usual. Repeat for a thicker coat. Peel the words off. If the edges are sharp or jagged, hold with tweezers and re-heat to get the embossing powder to dome nicely. Adhere to top of stacks.

7. Die cut two white banners (from 915 Lorna Label PopUp set by Karen Burniston).

8. Once the gel has dried completely on the blue cardstock snowflakes, cut 1/8 inch off each side (final size 4 x 5 1/4 inches).


9. Adhere Merry Christmas, one word per banner (see image for lining up near ends). Temporarily place them on blue background as shown; mark edge with pencil and trim to fit. Adhere with dimensional tape as shown.

10. Adhere snowflakes to background as shown, trimming excess. Use dimensional tape to adhere to white card base.

Once dry, I was able to use the stencil again on the other sheets of blue cardstock.

Supplies

Elizabeth Craft Designs
Other Supplies
  • Cardstock: White, Blue, Black
  • Easy Tack or Other Removable Adhesive (Spray Recommended)
  • Golden Soft Gel (Gloss)
  • Palette Knife
  • Removable Tape (Painter’s Tape, Washi Tape, Post-It Tape)
  • Silver Embossing Powder
  • Embossing Ink Pad
  • Heat Tool
  • Dimensional Tape


Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Lorna Label Pop Up Snowman Card

I love how the Snowman in Frame Peel-Off perfectly coordinates with the Snowman Die  For this card I used the Peel-Off on the front of the card then a pop up Snowman inside, all beautifully glittered with Warm Diamonds Silk Microfine Glitter.


Created for the ECD Design Team


Making the Card

1. Cut a sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 white cardstock in half lengthwise. Fold one piece in half for a top folding card base.

2. Cut red cardstock 4 x 5 1/4 inches and 3 1/4 x 3 3/8. Cut grid paper 3 7/8 x 5 1/8. Cut white cardstock 3 1/8 x 3 1/4. Adhere the grid paper and white cardstock to their corresponding red mats.

3. Cut light blue cardstock using the main die from Katie Label Accordion  Reverse the paper, line up, and cut again to remove the tabs, etc. Cut red cardstock with label die (next size down). Adhere to center of light blue cardstock.

4. Cut around Snowman in Frame Peel-Off  separating it from the sheet. Cut off the same amount of Double Sided Adhesive. Peel off backing paper and stick to white cardstock. Peel off other side's backing paper and stick the silver outline Snowman Peel-Off to it. Cover with Warm Diamond Silk Microfine Glitter and polish with your finger. Color with alcohol markers. Fussy cut around design. Stick to center of red/light blue mat using dimensional tape.

5. Cut a strip of red cardstock 1 x 4 inches wide. Cut a strip of Snowman Paper 1 x 4 inches; adhere to red cardstock so a small amount shows at top. Adhere to red/grid mat as shown. Add washi tape as shown, wrapping around back. Cover seam with silver ribbon as shown. Adhere to card front.

6. Cut 4 snowflakes from white cardstock. Adhere snowman/mats and snowflakes as shown; note that two were adhered with dimensional tape. Make a bow with silver ribbon and adhere where shown.


7. Cut Snowman Paper 4 x 10 3/4 inches. Fold in half. Cut Lorna Label PopUp in center as per instructions. Cut Lorna Label from white cardstock with same die - trim around label. Cut light blue cardstock with separate label die (next size down). Adhere light blue to center of white. Add "Merry Christmas" where shown. Adhere to Snowman Paper pop up label. Adhere this to the card base by lining up the fold and sticking down one side then the other.


8. Stick one side of Double Sided Adhesive to white cardstock, enough for the snowman and accessories. Die cut the snowman and accessories, except face/buttons. Peel off backing from each piece and cover with Warm Diamond glitter; polish. Color with alcohol markers. Adhere pieces together as shown. Cut face/buttons from black cardstock. Add Wink of Stella. Glue to snowman as shown. Adhere snowman and his broom where shown.

9. Adhere white/red mat where shown. Add small silver bow. Add glittered snowflakes where shown. Put a small amount of powder behind them where they stick up over the card (e.g. baby powder or flour) to remove stickiness.


Supplies

ECD Supplies
Other Supplies
  • Cardstock: White, Red, Light Blue, Black
  • My Mind's Eye: "Snowman Paper" WW1056, Noel Banner AB1006 (Grid Paper)
  • Silver Ribbon
  • Recollections Washi Tape, White with Silver Swirles
  • Wink of Stella Brush Pen, Clear
  • Dimensional Adhesive