My Winter Solstice/Greetings from Maine Card by Anne Thompson

I designed a card for today that will most likely be the one that I use to send a Winter Solstice message or greetings from Maine this holiday season.  As I write this post, this card very much looks like the view from my window--a dark evening sky, silhouettes of bare trees among the pines, and a few scattered snow flurries.

• This is a card of many layers.  I started with a white A2 notecard and covered the front with a brown/blue plaid from WOODSY PLAID PP1018.
• For the next layer I added the BIRCH TREE TRUNKS 94701 cut from a light brown Woodsy Plaid paper.

• The third layer is the PINE NEEDLE FRAME 9487 which I cut in a dark green plaid paper from the JOLLY CHRISTMAS PP1019 paper pad.

• The final addition is the center of the GLORIETTE SNOWFLAKE COLLAGE 94696 cut from white cardstock.

Because I plan to make a bunch of these cards I will set up an assembly line process, die cutting multiples for each step.  If everything goes according to plan they'll be ready to be sent out in time to celebrate the Winter Solstice.  If not--they'll be Happy New Year greetings!  

Happy Crafting!

 

Little Bundled Snowman Scene by Anne Thompson

Today's challenge for me in assembling this card was keeping track of all the little pieces for the LITTLE BUNDLED SNOWMAN 94678.  I really need to clear off my work surface before beginning a new project each time!  I missed one snowman layer (which I didn't realize until I looked closely at the picture on the envelope after I had the card together) and I substituted a pearl for the tiny pompom on his cap as both pieces went AWOL.

To make this card I started with a blank white A2 notecard and covered the front with a blue plaid from the SPRING PLAID  PP1012 6X6 paper pad.  I then cut the FOREST PATH 94702 twice, once from white cardstock and again from a second piece of the same blue plaid.  I layered the white scene minus the white path onto the background paper and added the blue path layer to make a stream in the forest.

To construct the LITTLE BUNDLED SNOWMAN 94678 I cut everything from white cardstock.  I used an orange marker to color the nose.  I used fingertip daubers and VersaFine Clair Pinecone ink to color the twig arms and VersaFine Clair Tulip ink to color the scarf and hat parts.  I added small black jewels to make coal eyes and buttons and a large pearl for the hat's pompom.

I assembled all of the pieces using the narrowest Scor-Tape (1/8") and added the snowman next to the stream using foam dimensional dots.

I've left room to add an appropriate sentiment later.  This all-occasion card design will work for the holidays, winter, even Valentine's Day.  And there are so many color and paper options, too.  I'll definitely be making more of these Little Bundled Snowmen!

Happy Crafting!

Layered Narrow Pines Along a Forest Path by Anne Thompson

I often send cards to mark the change of season.  As we've recently moved from summer into fall and those cards have been sent, I've started working on cards to mark the Winter Solstice and to celebrate the transition from fall into winter.  The snowy Layered Narrow Pines and the Forest Path work well together (and even alone) to create that wintery feel.

materials used for this card:

• white notecard
• brown plaid and green plaid papers from WOODSY PLAID PP1018
• white cardstock
• FOREST PATH 94702
• LAYERED NARROW PINES 94706

to make this card

• cover the front of a white notecard with brown plaid paper 5 1/2 X 4 1/4
• die cut the Forest Path and the snowy layers of the pines from white cardstock
• die cut the narrow pines from a dark green plaid paper--while I had the dies out, I also cut some trees from green cardstock from the Lush Green Collection and lots of snowy layers

• use a glue pen to attach the snowy details to the pine trees
• glue the Forest Path background and the path to the notecard
• add the three Layered Narrow Pines
• leave space in the snowy foreground to add a sentiment later

variations

For the second card I used a blue paid for the background, snipped off the white trees from the Forest Path, and added five of the Layered Narrow Pines that I had cut from the green cardstock.

And for the third card, I used just the three Layered Narrow Pines against a soft green plaid background.

These are also good designs for cards to send to guys on your list--just change up the sentiment for any winter celebration.

I love how so many of the Memory Box dies work together.  I think the combination that I used for these cards was sort of expected.  But I've been trying out some other more unexpected combinations of dies, papers, and techniques to see what happens as I start to create more holiday cards.  It's exciting to see what works and what doesn't--maybe I'll even share some of both!  Happy Crafting!

Peace on Earth by Angie Cimbalo

Hello and welcome, it's Angie here today with a holiday card featuring some of the newly released 2022 Holiday products!  For my card today I used:

Forest Path 94702

Layered Birds 94684

and the Sweet Christmas stamp set CL5283

Here's a closer look at my card:

To make my card I started by cutting the Forest Path die from some white card stock and then I colored the trees with alcohol markers.  I ink blended the snow line with Iced Spruce Distress Oxide ink and a dauber and then on a separate piece of white card stock I ink blended Speckled Egg Distress Oxide ink on the top half for the sky behind the trees.  I added the Forest Path panel to the inked card with liquid glue.

Next I cut the Layered Birds from white card stock and a 2nd piece of white card stock that I colored with dark red alcohol markers.  I pieced the red and white parts of the bird together with liquid glue. and added them to the trees.

I stamped the sentiment from the Sweet Christmas stamp set in red on the right side of the snowy field and then took Cosmic Shimmer Fluffy Stuff and added snow to the sky, a little on some trees and then along the path on both sides.  When you heat it up, it puffs up much like a Marvy snow pen.  Either of those would work to create some puffy snow it you'd like to add that to your card.

Here's one last look at my card:

I really like how this turned out and had so much fun creating with the new release products.  Be sure to check them all out HERE.  

Thanks so much for stopping by!

 

Supplies

 

CL5283 Sweet Christmas clear stamp set

94702 Forest Path

94684 Layered Birds

Wildflower Garden Gate Card with Video by Sara Cook

Hi everyone.  Hope everyone is doing well.  I am having fun with all the new wild flower dies from the spring release.  I have gone a little "crazy" and created a wild flower garden with a gate fold.  This is going to be a long project but worth it in the end! 

Card base:

Cut 80 lb card base to 5 1/2 tall by 8 and 3/4" wide. Score along the width at 2 1/8" and 2 1/4" flip the base around to score the other end at the same measurements.  Cut at the 2/14" down to 1/2" and cut into the 2 1/4" leaving a 1/2" flap.  Fold on the 2 score lines. The 1/2" flaps are for the outer grass and gate.

Flowers:

For the shaping of the flowers you will need 2 stylist small and medium large and a foam pad.  Lightly mist the flowers before shaping them. This will help the paper fold without cracking.  Below is the paper color and technique used with each die.  When die cutting the flower stems  (except the lavender) position the die to get a small section of the flower base to glue the flower on.

Seed Stems Die: Die cut white 110lb paper for the seeding flower and the darkest mossy green from the Lush Green paper pack for the stem.  To color the flower base use Antique Linen distress marker to color all put the stem.  Then take a water brush and lightly blend the ink.  Color the seeds using Rosewood Marvy marker.  No shaping needed for this flower.  Just glue the flower to the stem.  You will need 2 to 3 of these flowers.

Lavender Stem Die: Die cut just the flower from the a shade lighter than the deepest purple from the Ocean Blue paper back. Die cut the full flower and stem from the darker light yellow green from Such green paper pack. Trim any excess stem from the flower portion. Color the flower part of the green stem with Violet Marvy marker, making sure to go around the sides of the paper.   Shape the flower from the backside using the smallest stylist from pulling from the end of the flower to the center. From the front side use the smallest stylist to flatten out just the center of the flower.  Glue on the stem.  it will not perfectly line up because we want to show some of the darker color, shadows, to give the flower depth.  You will need 6.

Wildflower Stems: Die cut the small flower from the 2nd lightest pink from Vibrant Violet paper pack and die cut the smaller flower from the  lightest pink from Vibrant Violet paper pack.  Die cut the stem and leaves die from the darkest green from the Lush Green paper pack. Color the small flower Bubblegum Pink Marvy marker, flicking the color from the base of the flower to halfway up the petals.  Use the same process for the larger flower but with Worn Lipstick Distress marker. Take a water brush and lightly blend the ink.  Shape the smallest flower from the backside, use the smallest stylist to pull down from top of each petal to the base of flower.  Take the larger stylist and use circular motions at the base to "cup" the flower. Set aside. For the larger flower trim off any excess stems and shape from the front of the flower using the same technique as the small flower.  Glue the flowers together lining up the base of the flower, then glue on the stem.  You will need 3 flowers and 3 leaves.

Gerber Stems: Die cut stem from the darker light yellow green from Such green paper pack. Die cut flower from the list shade of red from the Berry Red paper pack. Color the flower with Victorian Velvet Distress marker, dotting the center with marker, adding more color to the bottom section of the flower.  Color the bottom of the petals from the center out. Then take a water brush and lightly blend the ink. Shape from the back side with the smallest stylist from the end of the flower stem to the center.  Using the larger stylist to the flower base, making circular motions to cup the flower.  Turn flower over and use the small stylist to push down the petal where it meets the base.  Glue to stem.  You will need 3.

Daisy Stems: Die cut the both flower from the  lightest yellow from Sunny Orange paper pack.  Die cut the stem and leaves die from the darkest green from the Lush Green paper pack. Color the flower petals with the fine point Brilliant Yellow Marvy maker.  Flicking the color up the petal where it meets the base. Using the full tip of the marker dot the center with marker, adding more color to the bottom section of the flower. Take Vintage Photo Distress marker and dot the bottom of the flower base.  Blend with a water Bruch.  Shape and assemble using the same method as the Gerber Stems. You will need 2.

Grass boarder:

Die Cut the Wild Grass Boarder from the darkest green from the Lush Green paper pack twice. One  should have a 1/2" base  then cut into 2 strip of 2 1/8".  The other strip should be a 3/4" based, 4 1/4" long.  Shade the bottom half of the grass boarder with Rustic Forest Distress Ink. White emboss the Birthday sentiments form Big and Little Word stamp set on the 3/4" by 4 1/4" grass strip.

Fence:

Die cut the Poppy Stamps fence from woodgrain paper.  Shade the top and bottom on the fence with Pomis Stone Distress Ink. Shape the fence back side using the flower shaping technique. 

Inside Sky panel:

Cut the 2nd lightest blue from the Ocean Blue  paper pack to A2 size base.  

Assembly:

Glue the sky panel to inside of the card base.  Glue the 1/2" grass strip to each side of the gate fold.  Glue gate on top of the grass strip.  At the bottom inside of the card add 1/2" of tape runner.  This is to hold the flowers in place while  arranging them  Add double sided foam tape to the 3/4" grass strip and adhere to the bottom of the card hiding the tape.  

 

 

Supplies

 

94534 Seed Stems craft die

94535 Lavender Stems craft die

94537 Widlflower Stems craft die

94533 Gerber Stems craft die

94538 Daisy Stems craft die

94415 Wild Grass Border

2349 Pointy Picket Double Gate

CL5242 Big and Little Words lear stamp set

SP1007 Vibrant Violet 6x6 pack

SP1003 Lush Green 6x6 pack

SP1002 Sunny Orange 6x6 pack

SP1001 Berry Red 6x6 pack

SP1005 Ocean Blue 6x6 pack

Snowy Pine Needle Oval Frame and Pine Tree Hill by Anne Thompson

Living in Maine, the Pine Tree State, I was drawn to  both the PINE NEEDLE OVAL FRAME 94283 and the PINE TREE HILL 94295 for my winter and holiday cards.

I was trying to think of a way to put some snow on the die cut branches and its oval as well as on the pine trees.  Why not try VersaMark direct to the paper and heat set white embossing powder over it?  I tried it on the needles first.  And it worked! I got just what I was hoping for.  

And then I added a little bit to the oval.

Now to try the trees.  After die cutting the Pine Tree Hill, I left the die in place and pounced the VersaMark pad on top of the die to leave sticky stuff in the openings and around the base of the trees.  Those are the darker shiny spots you see in the photos below.

After carefully removing the die (and washing it with warm water and dish soap), I sprinkled on opaque white embossing powder and heat set it.

The next thing was to remove the die cut from the extra paper.  I used sharp scissors to cut from the edge to the slit by the trees on the left and right.  Then I trimmed the bottom edge straight using my paper trimmer.

I used foam tape along the base and the bottoms of the three trees and adhered this strip to a piece of blue dotted paper cut 4 X 5.25.  I snipped off the edges that overhung the paper.  Using a tape runner, I attached this panel to the front of a top-folded A2 notecard.

I chose "enjoy the beauty of the season" for the sentiment from the MISTLETOE SWAG Clear Stamps Set CL5247.  I stamped it in VersaMark on a scrap of the same green paper and embossed it with opaque white embossing powder.  I trimmed it down and adhered it on the card using foam tape.

Here's the finished card.

Now I just have to go back to the Pine Needle Oval Frame and make a card with that!

Happy Crafting!

 

 

 

 

Pine Needle Oval Frame die 94283

Pine Tree Hill die 94295

Mistletoe Swag Clear Stamp Set CL5247

 

 

"sending oceans of love" Scene Card by Anne Thompson

I was inspired by the Wonderful Whale Frame to create an ocean scene card to send to my son and his family.  They have just confirmed a trip to Maine this summer and we'll be staying in a coastal town, with views much like this one.

materials used

• pale blue notecard
• WONDERFUL WHALE FRAME 94228
• OCEANSIDE LIGHTHOUSE AND WAVES 99736
• SOARING SWALLOW 99995
• "sending oceans of love" stamp from OCEANSIDE TYPEWRITER SENTIMENTS CL5240
• blue cardstock just a shade darker than the notecard to shadow many of the images
• white cardstock
• a small scrap of yellow cardstock
• Hero Arts Cornflower ink
• glue pen and one foam pop-dot for the swallow

to assemble this scene

• Cut the Wonderful Whale Frame twice, once from the blue cardstock and once from the white cardstock.
• Layers the pieces together using a glue pen, offsetting them a bit for a blue shadow behind the white frame and the waves.
• Adhere this to the front of the notecard, near the top.
• Cut the Oceanside Lighthouse and Waves from white cardstock.
• Cut the lighthouse again from the scrap of yellow cardstock.  Place this piece behind the white one for lights in the windows.
• Cut the waves again from the same blue cardstock used before.  Glue these behind the white waves, offsetting them a bit.
• Add the lighthouse and the waves to the scene.
• Cut the Soaring Swallow from white cardstock.  Secure it to the card using a foam pop-dot.
• Stamp the sentiment "sending oceans of love" using the Hero Arts Cornflower ink.

This scene was so much fun to create, combining new dies and stamps with the older lighthouse/waves die.  Hmmm...this gets me thinking about creating more scenes representative of places I've been.  

Happy Crafting!

 

Fa La La by Laura Fulcher

Greetings friends.  Today I wanted to share a dimensional forest scene that has a tree popped up in the foreground and a singing bunny in the background.

Here is a close up so that you can see the Copic coloring and the popped up tree a bit better:

To color the bunny, I used the following Copic markers:

Copic Markers- C00, C1, E51, E33, E35, R20, B0000, B1, R32, R35

E51- color entire bunny

E33- color right side of bunny (about 2/3 of the way in) as well as behind and under the bunny arm.

E35- add darkest shading to ear, tail, armpits, base of bunny

R20- bunny cheeks

R32- entire hymnal

R35- shading of hymnal

For the tree section, I cut the tree frame out twice...once in white and once in green to piece together a snow-capped finished tree.  The die set comes with small birds, so I added a few of those as well.  As a final step, I popped the tree frame onto my card using a lot of foam tape for support.

 

Supplies

 

94031 Delicate Pine Frame craft die

32224 Snow Much Fun die set

99842 Stitched Curves

CL5224 Snow Much Fun clear stamp set

CL5227 Penguin Cheer clear stamp set

The BLOG BLITZ continues! featuring the Holiday Collection 2018 and my "Peace in the Country" cards by Anne Thompson

Have you been enjoying this Blog Blitz as much as I have?!!!  There are so many great new dies and stamp sets in this collection!  And so many great ideas from the Design Team!  Here's  the link to the Holiday 2018 Collection catalog.  Check it out!!! 

Remember that you have a chance each day to win a prize by commenting on each blog post.  I look forward to reading your comments for this post.  You might be the lucky winner of the COUNRYSIDE FENCE FRAME!  Just leave me a comment before 11:59 PM on Sunday, August 12th.  One person at random will be chosen and all of the winners for all of the posts will be announced on the Outside the Box blog on Monday evening, 6 PM, August 12th.  Winners will be notified directly by email to get their shipping info.  Good luck!!!

I'm loving this newest bunch of dies and stamp sets and getting a head start on making my holiday cards.  Today I'm featuring the COUNTRYSIDE FENCE FRAME 94034 and the PEACE CHESHIRE SCRIPT 94017 on cards I'm calling "Peace in the Country".

Here are the dies:

And here is the first card:  white on white on white...

This is a top-folded notecard, 4 1/4" square.  After I die cut the Countryside Fence Frame from white cardstock, I used wide Scor-Tape on the back of the three frames to keep them together.  I used an embossing folder and a scrap of white cardstock to make the snowy panel that I trimmed to fit inside the window behind the fence.  I die cut the Peace Cheshire Script three times and layered them together with a glue pen before gluing it to the snowy hill.  I used wide foam tape on the back to pop this panel onto the notecard.  Simple, elegant, and my first ever all-white card!

Now for the same thing but different:

This time I cut everything from white cardstock and from a warm medium brown cardstock.  

 

I kept the middle brown frame (the one without dots) and snipped off the brown fence and the hill from the larger die cut.  I kept the white frame with the hill and fence and the outermost white frame.  I cut "peace" twice from white cardstock and once from brown and layered them with brown on the bottom and showing just a bit for a shadow.

I added the brown fence behind the white one, offset a bit to look like a snow on a wooden fence.  Then I added the brown frame and then the largest white frame.  I used Scor-Tape on the back of the frames to hold them in place.

The next step was to add the embossed snowy panel behind the fence in the center frame. 

I selected a white A2 notecard and added a panel of brown dot paper cut 4" X 5 1/4".   I adhered the framed piece to the bottom of the panel using dimensional foam tape.  I then added "peace" above that using a glue pen.

And because I got carried away and couldn't stop playing with these dies, how about two more square cards with red accents.

And here's one where the sky area is a blue watercolor panel that I'd sprinkled with salt while it was very wet.

Five cards done for this coming holiday season!  These cards will work for Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Christmas, or the New Year, and the design will also make a great guy card to send anytime this winter.  And because I live out in the country, this may be the card design I send the most this December.

Remember to leave me a comment and you could be the lucky winner of the COUNTRYSIDE FENCE FRAME!  Happy Crafting!

Mountain Village Houses Fabric Mini-Quilt/Ornament by Anne Thompson

More new dies from Memory Box!  I'm so excited!!!  Some of them are new DEEP EDGE dies which will cut up to six (yes, 6!) layers of fabric at once!  I knew when I saw the MOUNTAIN VILLAGE HOUSES 30106 that I would create a mini-quilt that could also be used as a tree ornament.

The finished project:

Materials used:

• batik fabrics (I cut from 5" charm squares) for the sky background and all of the die cuts (I chose batiks for this project because they cut crisply and don't fray easily and the fabric glue works well to secure the fabrics together.)
• SewLine fabric glue pen
• sewing machine; blanket stitch and straight stitch (I used white thread because that's what was already threaded in my machine.  Another time I'll try a variegated one or a color that blends better with the fabrics for a different look.)
• felt for the final backing; ribbon for the hanger
• STITCHED MOUNTAINS die 99890 NEW!
• EVERGREEN HILLSIDE SLOPE die 99888 NEW!
• GENTLE STITCHED LANDSCAPES set of three dies 99896 NEW!
• MOUNTAIN VILLAGE HOUSES set of eight dies No. 30106 NEW!

Steps:

• Choose a batik square for the background sky.  Die cut the Stitched Mountains from a green batik and the snow caps from white.  Glue the snow caps onto the mountains with fabric glue and glue the base of the mountains to the sky fabric.
• Die cut the Evergreen Hillside Slope from a darker green batik.  Glue it to the mountains.
• Die cut one of the Gentle Stitched Landscapes from a large piece of snowy batik fabric and glue it over the bottom of the Evergreen Hillside Slope.  This piece has to be large enough for all of the houses you will use.
• Die cut a bunch of houses and their roofs from a variety of batiks.  Place them where you'd like them. (I even flipped some of my houses.)  Use a little fabric glue to hold them in place. (I decided not to add all of the little windows and doors for this project.)
• Even up the edges of your panel and place it on a piece of felt a little bit larger all around.  Use your sewing machine to quilt it.  I used a blanket stitch all the way around the outside edges first and then went back and used a straight stitch to make all of the vertical lines.  Then I sewed all of the horizontal lines.  This stitching really secures all of the small pieces.
• To finish, add a ribbon to serve as the hanger.
• The final dimensions of my piece:  5 1/4" W X 7 1/4" L.

This second one is actually the prototype I started first.

The base is gray felt with mountains, snow (which is almost completely covered by the houses) and trees also from felt.  The green trees really shredded because I used an inexpensive craft felt instead of a good quality felt.  The houses and roofs are cut from a variety of cottons and homespun. I used fabric glue to put it together and then set it aside to work on the other one.  I think I like it better now that it is quilted even though the green trees are wonky.  

Because I cut so many houses and roofs at once, I have lots more to mix and match for another fabric project!  All of these new dies can also be used with paper and I can't wait to craft some cards using these same dies to make more mountain villages.

Want a chance to win your own deep edge die?  Leave a comment to this post as well as the other designer posts through Friday, November 17th.  Three people at random will be chosen from all the comments to win the deep edge die of their choice.  The more days you leave a comment, the more chances you have to win! (Limit one comment per person per day).  Good luck!

and ... Happy Crafting!

Supplies

30106 Mountain Village Houses craft die

99890 Stitched Mountains craft die

99888 Evergreen Hillside Slope craft die

99896 Gentle Stitched Landscapes craft die