Repurposed Box for a Masculine Gift

I tend to keep containers, notepads, and other objects in hopes that I might make something with sometime in the future. In this case, I had a box that came from a grab bag at a craft store. It was a red lacquer-type box with "hello" written in white on the top - not very exciting. The techniques here can be adopted for use in other ways, such as on a cover for a notepad or in multi-media artwork. Creative Medium, by Imagine Crafts, can be used on all types of surfaces - it adheres well and provides enough tooth for easy integration with other mediums. In this case I'm using black gesso as a base. The iridescent and metallic layers look best over black.

Making the Box

1. If the wood finish is shiny or smooth, it's a good idea to sand first. These techniques may be used over paper mâché or even plastic.

2. Watch the video below:

Notes: there are several choices for Creative Medium, different metallics as well as iridescent colors. There are also other choices for Delicata and Brilliance - making for seemingly endless combinations.

Supplies

• Creative Medium: Clear, Iridescent Green, Metallic Bronze
  
• Delicata Ink: Golden Glitz
• Brilliance Ink: Gamma Green
• irRESISTible Pico Embellisher: Bronze
• Sheer Shimmer Spritz: Gold
• Ink Blushers
• Multi-Purpose Squeegee and/or Palette Knives
• Box
• Acrylic Paint Brush
• Gears Stencil (e.g. Dreamweaver)
• Black Gesso (e.g. Liquitex)
• Felt: Black, Red
• Optional: Soap Pen
• Recommended: Craft Mat

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CAS Reindeer Card for Christmas

When I first saw this cute little reindeer head, I wanted to make a card featuring it as all of Santa's reindeer. This clean and simple card shows those 8 reindeer and Rudolph in the center. Of course his nose had to be special so I added Silk Microfine Glitter to make it glow.

Making the Card

1. Cut 100 lb. Soft Finish Cardstock 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches; fold in half to make a 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inch card base.

2. Die cut 9 reindeer heads (Winter Sweater) as well as antlers and noses from 100 lb. Soft Finish Cardstock. Glue to front of card as shown (don't glue middle reindeer nose just yet). Hint: place all deer faces on card first, including at least one antler per row to get an idea of height; lightly sketch where each head will be located. Erase marks once finished gluing.

3. On red cardstock, place a piece of clear double sided adhesive. Die cut nose. Dip in True Red Silk Microfine glitter and polish with finger. Glue to center reindeer's face.

4. Optional: add a greeting from Winter Sentiments inside the card using red ink.

Supplies

ECD Supplies

• Soft Finish Cardstock, 100 lb.
• 1240 Winter Sweater
• Silk Microfine Glitter: 614 True Red
• Clear Double Sided Adhesive
• Optional: CS023 Winter Sentiments Stamps

Optional: Red Ink

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Coloring with Fireworks and Memento: Holiday Card

I love the shimmer of Fireworks sprays; it's perfect for holiday cards. I used the sprays to color most of the card. It lends a bit more texture to the background and tree. I masked to color a few areas, and used a paint brush to apply it to the smallest areas. The irRESISTible Texture Spray gave the card a slight dimension in the background as snow. Finally a few touches of Neon Amplify added fur to the hat and fox's tail.

Making the Card

1. Cut red cardstock 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches; fold in half to form a 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inch card base. Cut plaid patterned paper (Lawn Fawn Perfectly Paid Christmas) 4 x 5 1/4 inches.

2. Using 2nd largest oval (Large Stitched Oval Stackables), die cut white cardstock. using largest oval (Small Stitched Oval Stackables), die cut green cardstock.

3. Die cut bow from red cardstock and assemble.

4. Watch the video below:

5. I had originally planned to do more shading in the background with Summer Sky Memento Ink, either starting at the bottom and fading to the top or vice versa but I actually liked the background just sprayed so I left it. You can also optionally use Cottage Ivy Memento Ink and masking for tree shading under the branches.

Supplies

• irRESISTible Texture Spray: Wedding Dress
  
• Fireworks Sprays: Lady Bug, Cottage Ivy, Desert Sand, Summer Sky
• Memento Dew Drop Inks: Lady Bug, Toffee Crunch, Optional: Cottage Ivy, Summer Sky
• Ink Blushers
• VersaFine Ink: Onyx Black
• StazOn Ink: Jet Black
• Memento Markers: Tuxedo Black, Optional - London Fog
• Neon Amplify: White
• Patterned Paper: Lawn Fawn Perfectly Paid Christmas 6x6 Petite Paper Pack
• Cardstock: White, Red, Green
• Dies: Lawn Fawn Large Stitched Oval Stackables & Small Stitched Oval Stackables, Paper Smooches Baby Bow
• Stamps: Taylored Expressions Woodland Winter
• Masking Paper or Post-it Tape
• Dimensional Tape

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Holiday Ring Accordion with Hanging Charms

This is a fun card that looks complicated but is fairly simple to make. I especially love the hanging charms, the silver glitter, and entwined frames.

Making the Card

1. With the main Ring Accordion die, cut two from snowflake paper (Wish List), one from candy cane paper (Magical), and two from red cardstock. Use the circle die to cut the center from both snowflake rings, one candy cane ring, and one red ring. Trim tabs, etc., off of one snowflake ring and one red ring so you just have 2 circle frames. Use the decorator edge die to cut 4 from red cardstock and 4 from white cardstock. Adhere the red edges to the back of the snowflake ring and the white to the front of the red ring.

2. Add Clear Double Sided Adhesive to both sides of a thin piece of white cardstock. Die cut one snowflake charm and four snowflakes. Remove backing from one side of charm and sprinkle with Silver Silk Microfine Glitter. Polish with finger. Do same to other side. Repeat for all snowflakes.

3. Die cut candy cane charm base from white cardstock. Cut two copies of candy cane stripes from red cardstock. Adhere one copy to each side of candy cane base (one will be adhered backwards).

4. Die cut smallest entwined circles from white cardstock and largest from red cardstock. Adhere small white to center front of red ring (tab to right) as shown. Adhere large red to front of candy cane ring (tab to right).

5. Die cut scalloped lace circle (Ring Accordion) from white cardstock. Stamp "stay warm" sentiment with embossing ink, emboss with sticky powder, then sprinkle with Silver Silk Microfine Glitter and polish with finger. Adhere to center of red ring as shown.

6. Cut two lengths of silver thread. Thread through charm holes. Sandwich ends between rings and frames as shown such that they dangle in centers. Hint: put a little adhesive at top of ring, stick threads in it, hold up to see if it dangles correctly - if not, adjust; once satisfied, apply liquid glue and stick frame on top. Trim excess thread if necessary.

7. Embellish centers of snowflakes (both sides on charm) as well as entwined circles with transparent Glitter Dots. Adhere small snowflakes as shown (be sure to line up the ones on the front/back of first ring).

8. Slightly trim tabs that adhere to rings behind frames so they won't show. Adhere all tabs as in instructions with Ring Accordion.

Supplies

ECD Supplies

• 904 Ring Accordion
• 1210 Holiday Charms
• 1254 Entwined Circles
• CS023 Winter Sentiments
• Silk Microfine Glitter: 603 Silver
• Clear Double Sided Adhesive
• 7018 Glitter Dots: Transparent/Silver

Other Supplies

• Cardstock: White, Red
• Patterned Cardstock: American Crafts Wish List 368825, Studio Calico Magical 331570
• Embossing Ink
• Sticky Embossing Powder (e.g. Ranger)
• Silver Thread

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