Christmas in July...

Hello and Welcome!

It sure has been awhile since we've visited, hasn't it!

School is out, my kids are enjoying the summer so far, and we've just returned from a week of holidays...and now it's time to start thinking Christmas!  LOL

It's another Heartfelt Creations Wednesday...and it's another release...we're doing Christmas in July with the new O Holy Night Collection!

Here's a little more about this adorable release...

Celebrate and create inspirational Christmas greetings that spread the true meaning of the holiday season with the O Holy Night Collection from Heartfelt Creations! Immerse yourself in the Christmas story right alongside the angels who announced the Savior’s birth, the shepherds who received the good news, as well as the loving family who welcomed the holy babe in Bethlehem so many years ago! Swaddled in a traditional color palette of reds and greens mingled with hues of midnight blues, golden starlight yellows and snowy whites, this festive paper collection has been beautifully wrapped with tender lace like details, charming plaids, flowing swirls, and elegant brocades all nestled among pretty poinsettias, delicate snowflakes, fanciful Christmas ornaments and gentle images depicting that holy night when Christ was born! Three exquisite cling stamp sets along with coordinating dies provide wonderful options for creating dimensional nativity scenes, holiday themed accents such as an old fashioned scroll, a pinecone with greenery, as well as an assortment of beautifully scripted Christmas sentiments in a variety of styles perfect for all of your holiday card making! The substantially sized and intricately detailed ornament die is magnificent for creating wonderful focal point images on card fronts, stunning accents on scrapbook layouts, or for creating ornament shaped cards ready to deliver your Christmas greetings to friends and loved ones! So pause, reflect and spread the message of God’s love given that holy night so many thousands of years ago as you create and send off holiday wishes with the O Holy Night Collection. 

For my first project with this release, I decided to do an ornament shaped card! 

I've used the ornament die to cut my card base and have then decorated it with the other ornament layering die cuts!

Here's how it turned out...

I decided to go with a bit of a country Christmas vibe by using the plaid paper as an underlay to the red die cut overlay. I opted to ink the edges of the white card base using Ranger Archival Ink - Red Geranium just so it wasn't so stark in contrast to the other colors. The die cut with the sentiment I have used a dries clear glue to add some Rajni Chawla's Crystal Clear Powder just on the decorative portion of the die cut to give the card some additional sparkle. I've raised each of the ornament layers using dimensional pop dots so the ornament has quite a bit of dimension.

I've stamped the pine cone images, poinsettia and holly cluster images onto white card stock using black ink and have then colored them using the Stack and Store Daubers. I've then die cut all of the embellishments and shaped my poinsettias using the coordinating 3D shaping mold. 

I've arranged my pinecone cluster and then adhered it to the ornament using a dries clear glue and have then created a small double poinsettia and backed it with one of the smaller holly leaf clusters. I've then added it to the center of the pinecone arrangement!

To give the floral cluster a bit of sparkle and the appearance of being snow covered, I've applied dries clear glue and then sprinkled those areas with Rajni Chawla's Frosting Powder, which I have then heat set using my heat tool! And, of course I've given the poinsettia a center with some prills!

This card came together so quickly and easily, and is one that I will surely be repeating for my own personal greeting cards this Christmas!

So, I hope I've encouraged you to get a jump on your holiday cards so that you're not stuck last minute in December trying to get them all completed! Be sure to pop on over to the Heartfelt Creations blog to see what the rest of the uber talented design team have come up with for your inspiration!

Until next time...

A Last Minute Gift Idea

Welcome back!

So glad you were able to stop by for a visit today!
Christmas is fast approaching and I know that the crunch time for last minute preparations is closing in on us rather quickly!  With that being said, I decided that for Heartfelt Creations Wednesday I'd like to share with you a quick and easy last minute gift idea!

What makes this gift idea even more fantastic is that you will be able to use up some of those scraps kicking around your craft space from previous creating!

I've even included a very quick picture tutorial for you for part of it...not that you'll be needing it!  LOL

Here's a look at the project for today...

...and here's a close up of just the ornament...which by the way would make a great last minute gift even without the matching packaging...

These glass ornaments are all the rage this year and if you browse the internet you'll find all sorts of things to do with them.  I loved the idea of filling the bauble with beautiful scraps of Heartfelt Creations papers so they wouldn't go to waste.  The colors and patterns are so gorgeous!

So let's get started!

Gather together left over paper pieces from the Festive Christmas Paper Pack Collection and a clear glass ornament in the size of your choice.  Trim small pieces of scraps to the size that you wish to use to fill the inside of the ornament with.  Wrap each piece of paper over the body of a paper shaping tool or pencil.  While still rolled, remove from tool or pencil and place inside glass ornament.  Decide whether you would like to fill entire bauble or just half way and continue filling until you've reached desired amount.

 Locate a piece of light beige paper in the paper pack that has been printed with music and stamp the Christmas Poinsettia PreCut Set once in Espresso Truffle Memento ink. Die cut the images using the Sun Kissed Fleur metal die.  Ink the flowers with the Cherry Cobbler and Close to Cocoa ink using finger daubers.

  Once dried, shape one mid sized poinsettia with 3 layers.  Apply small Cameo colored Sparklet to the centre and stickle edges of flower for added sparkle and shine.  Set aside to dry completely.

 Ink leaves using Old Olive and Garden Green inks.  Once dried, snip apart leaf sections and shape.

 Create the bow for the ornament while warming up your hot glue gun.  Attach ribbon, poinsettia and leaves to ornament using hot glue gun.  Attach gold twine to hang ornament.

And so concludes our ornament tutorial!

Now I have to admit that the box did give me some trouble as the overhead transparency paper I used was a tad too thin and this box did not come out as solid as I would have liked it to.  So, my advice to you is to use a stronger and thicker transparency or acetate sheet.
I've included the instructions here for the box as well...however I have not done a pic tutorial.

Here's a close up of the box...

 Cut pattern for clear portion of ornament box using your electronic die cutting machine (or fussy cut pattern available from on internet) and box insert from patterned paper in the paper pack collection according to the size of your ornament.  Measure and cut decorative strips from the Festive Christmas Collection papers to layer on the upper portion of the box insert on 3 sides.  Moving onto the back insert of the box, cut 2 matching pieces of paper measuring just a bit smaller than the size of the box itself.  Adhere them together so that the front and back are matching and the back of the box will show the same pattern as the front of the panel.  Choose a small coordinating card panel from the collection and adhere it to the front of the double sided piece.  Insert into the back of the box to give it some extra stability.  I also used small glue dots to stabalize the box adhereing a few along the sides and corners.  Choose the patterned paper you wish to use to create a band for around the box.  Cut four 1" strips across the entire 12" length.  You will need to adhere two together giving you 2 reinforced 1" strips thar are 12" long.  Adhere the two long strips together and begin to wrap around your box marking where you will want to score crisp folds. Once scored, use small glue dots to apply the box band to sides of box...do not adhere to top.  Add a piece of velcro to top where the ends of the box band meet so that band is easily opened and closed.  Fussy cut a premade tag from the Festive Christmas Collection and affix to the box band with gold twine.  Using your electronic die cutting machine cut the bow in matching paper to that of the box band.  (Fussy cut patterns for bow also available on internet.)  Assemble bow and adhere with hot glue to top of box band making sure to not glue it to the portion of the box band that needs to remain free to use velcro closure.  Present to a special friend, family member, teacher, neighbour, etc. to enjoy year after year!

 HCDP1 246 Festive Christmas Paper Collection
HCPC 3557 Christmas Poinsettia PreCut Set
HCD 734 Sun Kissed Fleur Die
272486 Cameo Sparklets
048749 McGill Paper Shaping Tools and Piercing Mat
159223 McGill Paper Blossoms Molding Mat
SMP001 Stamp Mat Pad

Other Products Used:  clear glass ornament, Scor Tape, mini glue dots, Big Shot Manual Die Cutting Machine, Silhouette Cameo Electronic Cutting Machine, Silhouette Design Store Cupcake Box Design ID #13565,  Silhouette Design Store 3D Layered Paper Bow Design ID #35588, ribbon, gold twine, Ranger Mercury Glass Stickles, hot glue gun, finger daubers, Stampin Up Cherry Cobbler ink, Stampin Up Close to Cocoa ink, Espresso Truffle Memento ink, Stampin Up Old Olive ink, Stampin Up Garden Green ink, overhead projector transparency sheets (x3)

 I hope you've enjoyed todays post and that you've gleaned a tiny bit of inspiration here!
Be sure to check out what the other extremely talented design team members have created for your inspiration as well and leave them some love on the blog!

Until next time...

This creation has been shared in the following challenges...