Hambly Transparency Christmas Card Tutorial

About a month ago a made a set of cards to donate to the Festival of Trees, a yearly fundraiser for the Primary Children's Hospital. It was one of my favorite cards I have made using Hambly transparencies and I wanted to share how it was made here.

These cards were easy to make a bunch of in a short time and looked beautiful when bundled together and tied up in a big white tulle bow. They would make a wonderful gift as well!

Start by picking your card stock and ribbon colors, I wanted to have a bright and fun combination that was a little different than the traditional so I went with an lighter green and vibrant pink.

Trim out a panel of the deer, cut the card stock to the same size.

Then stitch around the left, top and right edges.

I then put in two colors of glitter, a pretty light pink and a white by Doodlebug.













The bottom was then stitched closed to create a shaker panel.

Tie the ribbon around, mine is a delicious Midori pink bias, and then adhere to the card base with dimensional foam adhesive.

I did stamp a beautiful Graphic 45 greeting in black ink on the inside of the card to finish it off.

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My Mind's Eye Christmas Trees and Card

I have so much fun stuff to share it is going to be overload, but that is what happens after a terrifically crafty week!
First I wanted to share one of my Paper Craft rejects from the Card Creations 10 call. I just love this card, and there are some other fun things that I have crafted that match so it seems like perfect timing!

It is mostly My Mind's Eye Lost and Found Christmas, but that delicious red gingham is from ABC Primer by Graphic 45 and tied up with some gorgeous Midori metallic ribbon, yum!!!

This cute card will hold a gift card in the front pocket and a sweet holiday greeting on the inside.

The trees are made from turning the tussy mussy cone upside down and then punching out lots and lots of circles and adhering with a hot glue gun. Die cut stars from hot drink wrap for a vintage looking topper. These coordinate perfectly with the projects from this post.

And if you still need a little inspiration and like tutorials, Ellen let me share a guest post in the CLASSroom for the 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist. You will find the step by step for the tag I created there.

I hope you are having a Fa-La-La-La Saturday, we went and picked out our tree and Laurel has begun putting on the lights. It has been one of those days that has been filled with the spirit of the season for me, a sweet nativity by the primary children at our church's Christmas breakfast, everyone singing Silent Night after the children's performance brought tears to my eyes.

Blessed and grateful!
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Graphic 45 Gift Box Tutorial

I know there are a lot of tutorials going into the posts right now, hopefully you aren't sick of them!
It is just that time of year where we have a lot going on and every little bit of help makes a difference and can save a lot of time!

This box can be used to share goodies or even light weight gifts, and the little window shares a peek of what is inside.

1) Cut the paper for the bottom of the box at 12” x 12”, score at 3” and 9”. Turn paper and score at 3” and 9”.
2) Trim into horizontal scores to vertical scores, apply adhesive to top of flaps and adhere to back of side flaps.
3) Cut the paper for the lid of the box at 8” x 8”. Score at a little less 1” and and a little more than 7”. turn the paper and score at just a little less than 1” and and a little more than 7”. (Remember with a lid we need barely a titch!!) To make this easier for the titch purposes, you can turn each edge as you score and just move it barely away from the left edge and use the 1” channel to get that tiny titch adjustment.
4) Trim into horizontal scores to vertiacl scores, carefully use die cutting system to cut window. Apply adhesive to the flaps and adhere to bakc of side flaps. Apply dry adhesive to inside of lid and adhere tranparency piece in place.
5) Cut 4 1/2” x 12” strips and adhere around box and lid to resemble gift wrap.
6) Remove tag from sheet and adhere to lid with dimensional foam adhesive.

I hope this inspires you to share the holiday spirit with those around you!!

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Graphic 45 Gift Tag For a Gift Card Tutorial

It is easy, cute and is the perfect size for holding a gift card! I made one in Graphic 45 and one from My Mind's Eye 12 Days of Christmas. Whimsical or vintage, same instructions work for both!!
























1) Cut tag base at 3 1/2” x 7”. Cut card pop out at 4 1/2” x 3 1/2”, score at 1/4”, 1/2”, 4”, 4 1/4”. Turn paper and score at 1/4” and 1/2”.
2) Fold along all the lines, trim into the corners and remover the corner pieces. Punch hole with circle punch. Adhere transparency to back.
3) Place Score Tape along the left, bottom and right edges. Start with bottom and adhere edge to back of tag. Adhere left and then right edges to back of tag, careful to maintain box shape of the popped out piece.
4) Remove tags from sheet and adhere underneath window, on top of tag, and below window. Trim top corners of tag at an angle.
5) Punch hole in the center at the top of the tag, tie bow with ribbon.

Today is Chloe's 19th birthday, so hard to believe!! The time has certainly flown, she is an amazing young lady and I am very blessed to have her in my life!!

Here she is just four short years ago when she was almost 15.




















And this is her at a scholarship award ceremony this spring sporting a similar do!

I know I am biased, but she has always been completely adorable, but she has matured into a beautiful, kind, generous and intelligent person who is always completely amazing me! She has recently started a blog that is intended to be a place that she can share her creative spirit, thoughts and some insight into her mind and life experiences. 

Anyway, happy Friday! Happy December and Happy Holiday preparations!

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Christmas Emporium Gift Bag

I love the gift bag from this post so much, that it only made sense that I use the same directions for the base and just use a different die cut for the front and make it out of the Christmas Emporium collection.

Add some gorgeous Midori ribbon, a tag for a to and from and it is all set to fill with goodies.

Easy Peasy!!
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InLinkz.com

Graphic 45 Giving Thanks Gift Bag Tutorial

I wanted to share the instructions for making the gift bag that Graphic 45 shared in their newsletter today. It is a very simple project and is great for presenting yummy treats or small special gifts for your Thanksgiving celebration.

1) Cut a piece of Building Blocks at 8 1/2” wide by 12” tall. Place the card stock into the scoring tool with the tall side along the left edge. Score at 1 3/4” and 6 3/4”. Turn card stock so the tall edge is along the top and score at 4 1/2” and 7 1/2”. Fold along all the score lines.

2) Score at a 45 degree angle between the 1/34" score on the sides and the 4 1/2" score in the middle, repeat for the other 6 3/4" and 7 1/2" scores.

3) Apply Scor-Tape to the top left of the paper, fold over and adhere to the back.

4) Repeat for all the other corners.














5) Apply Scor-Tape to the angle scored sections and adhere to the back.

6) Cut a piece of Bedtime Stories at 4 1/2” wide by 2” tall and ink edges with Frayed Burlap Distress ink. Cut a piece of Games and Playtime at 4" x 1 1/4" ink edges, and adhere to center of Bedtime Stories. Use die cut to cut leaf from One, Two, Buckle My Shoe, ink the edges and adhere to Games and Playtime. Cut out letters from The Three R's, ink edges and adhere to Games and Playtime alternating between flat and dimensional adhesives. Adhere to front of the gift bag with dimensional foam adhesive.

7) Trim Bedtime Stories at 4" wide (finished width of gift bag) by 4" tall and use a decorative punch or die to finish edge. Ink edges, then score at 2" from straight edge and adhere to back of gift bag. Tie around with May Arts black silk ribbon and natural colored twine.

8) Apply Scor-Tape to both sides, adhere one side and leave the other open until you fill. Once filled adhere other side to close.

Many thanks to all of my amazing family, and friends. You are truly my loved ones, and what I am most grateful for this Thanksgiving.

With a full heart, Happy Thanksgiving!
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InLinkz.com

Quick Gift Card Tutorial with Imaginesce

In the spirit of gratitude, a gift card can go a long way in letting someone know you appreciate them and all they do for you. So with that in mind I am sharing a quick way to put together a darling gift card that uses their  cute fall line.
1) Cut a piece of paper at 3 1/2" wide by 12" tall, place the paper in a scoring tool with the pattern of the paper pointing to the left edge of the tool.
2) Score at 1", 3" and 8" and then fold along the scored lines.
3) At the 1" score line fold the pattern up and at the 3" line fold it back. Punch two holes about an inch apart and tie a bow with twine.
4) Punch small holes in the leaf die cuts and tie through with a tiny twine on one leaf, loop through the side where the bow was tied and then tie the other leaf onto the other end and let dangle.

5) Trim a piece of paper at 2 1/2" tall by 4" wide and punch half a circle into the right side.
6) Place adhesive on the top, left and bottom edges and then adhere to the center of the card.
7) Adhere the cute apple die cut with dimensional foam and insert gift card.
8) Fold bottom up and under the top flap and let the leaves do a cute dangle  :o)

Happy Monday!!
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Attitude of Gratitude

I think Thanksgiving here in America is at the perfect time of year. That transition from fall to winter, where we go from raking leaves to shoveling snow can get me in the dumps. And I love the winter, so I don't know or understand why that is. But it happens and when it does I take a step back from everything. I do some reflecting and always come back to how blessed I am, in most every way.
A beautiful home that is heated, has working plumbing, no leaks in the roof and provides a place for my family to love and care for each other. The food that we need to be healthy, Working vehicle that gets us to the places we need to be. A kind, benevolent and generous Heavenly Father who knows my heart and loves me unconditionally and my savior Jesus Christ who has set an example of how to live and love others.

Finding an attitude of gratitude is the quickest way for me to get my right side up and to move forward. It reminds me that I have two legs that can go out into the beautiful world and have a brisk walk, or use my two eyes to sit in a quiet place and read from a book. I can go into my studio and use my two hands to make something crafty or sit on my healthy bum and crochet while I listen to my family with my two ears. There are might be a few more "things" on our wants list, but there are very few things on our needs list and for that we are extraordinarily blessed.

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Gift bag supply list:

InLinkz.com

Christmas Gift Giving with My Mind's Eye

For my Heartland design team projects I was asked to create some gift and treat packaging and also some home decor items from the My Mind's Eye Lost and Found Christmas collection. This was a fun assignment, and in spite of the glitter that was shed in the cutting of innocent paper, they still have a beautiful glisten when the light hits them just right  ;o)

I love covering handled bags with pretty paper, and what makes me even happier is when I get to re-use a bag that has come from a store and give it a new life.

A quick and easy container to make for stocking stuffers, teacher and friend gifts or neighbor goodies is what has been nicknamed a "sour cream" wrap. Cut the paper in a square (4" x 4" for smallish all the way up to 12" x 12" if you have bigger and softer items) and adhere end to end on one edge. Apply adhesive to one end (I recommend a double sided adhesive like Scor-Tape), pinch to close, put in gift or goodies, apply adhesive to other side going the opposite direction, pinch to close.

To add a few extra finishing details pull the crimper out of your older crafting supplies and crimp the ends. Punch a hole in the top and tie on a cute die cut with a rustic twine, elegant silk ribbon or cute printed ribbon. You can write a to and from on the back of the tag if you feel the need.

Now just to clarify, I am not even remotely close to having any of my holiday preparations done (or even started for that matter, lol!!) But with Thanksgiving fast approaching and Christmas right on the heels, it can't hurt to have lots of ideas at your finger tips!

It is getting ready to have a nice big snow storm here, so my family is going to put on some college football for the afternoon (U of U is playing UCLA and U of O is playing Stanford, good games!!) and I am going to get crafty  :o)

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Graphic 45 Christmas Emporium Banner in a Box

Right now I am sitting in my snowflake patterned pajama pants and a thermal shirt, watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (got to get ready part 2 comes out tomorrow!!) and doing a little crafting. On my desk are a few Christmas projects and some other assignments and such that need attention. With the chill in the air and my fuzzy slippers on my feet I am reminded why I enjoy crafting so much this time of year. I can't be outside for hours at a time, and all of that energy gets funneled into my creative projects. If I am not in my studio, I am in the family room in front of the tv with the kids crocheting a blanket to give to the next recipient of my blankie happiness.

So if you are like me and looking for a few projects to keep you occupied during these delightful, crisp fall evenings, here is one that might catch your fancy  :o)

Go sign up for the Graphic 45 newsletter and you will get the instructions to make the "Christmas Emporium  Banner in a Box" that I designed for them. The outside of the box looks like this and the inside is...



















FUN!!!

I have some more Christmas projects to share over the next few days, so come back if you are wanting more ideas, (can we ever have enough ideas or time?).

If you are craving more inspiration, pop over to the Ruby Rock-It blog to check out the design team introductions, this team is stacked with talent and personality!!

Well that is all I have for now, I can't keep Harry waiting   ;o)

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p.s. The project is now on their blog as well!!

Youer Than You!

What could be better than a friend who sees you for who and what you are, loves you and encourages you to stay truer than true? Not many things in my opinion, and I am most fortunate in that the people that I have the luxury of calling my friends are just like that for me! To celebrate and give tribute to these friends I made a card with that delightful Dr. Seuss quote using beautiful poppy paper from Graphic 45.

And to the friends that noticed I spelled Dr. Seuss wrong on the cards and informed me in a gentle way, thank you!! I often get in a hurry and need to spend just a few moments proofing my work. The story that I am going to stick with is, "that is how you know it was hand made"

:o)

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