Hi Crafty Friends,
It’s Frances Byrne here today with another Christmas card tutorial to share with you. I have been having fun this year creating a lot of snowy Christmas scenes using Distress Oxide inks to create my skies. Christmas where I live down here in Australia is in summer, so we enjoy a hot Christmas Day with cold lunches and probably swimming in a pool. As we don’t experience snow, it is fun to create snowy scenes on paper instead.
By Judi Kauffman
I enjoy making flat ornaments to mail as an alternative to greeting cards. They can go straight to the tree or hang in a window or on a doorknob. And now that it’s become something of a tradition for me, friends have come to expect them!
Suzanne Cannon’s new A Way With Words release includes a fabulous flourished candle die set that has separate pieces for a dimensional flame and dripping wax. The candle can stand alone on an ornament, but I thought the word ‘Rejoice’ added a nice bit of extra sparkle. And the lettering provides visual balance when tucked just beneath the candle – The letter ‘R’ almost touching the flourishes, but not quite.
The best thing about winter for me is layering up! I love sweaters and cozy flannels…
Though I am too old for mittens, I’d take them if they were offered to me by someone as adorable as this penguin. I keep using this die set because it is just so cute and so easy to use. Today the penguin is holding a pair of mittens made with a die set from the new A Way With Words release. Did you know that Elizabeth Craft Designs also sells self-adhesive velvet sheets?! It’s a perfect match! This card came together very quickly. In addition to being a fun card to mail, it would be an extra special way to hint at the contents of a gift box containing gloves or mittens!
By Judi Kauffman
When the office supply store had composition books for only fifty cents as a back-to-school doorbuster deal, I bought thirty to give to a friend who teaches in a school that serves children from low-income families. As part of her curriculum, she has the students make up stories I thought that the words ‘Once Upon A Time’ (Suzanne Cannon’s A Way With Words die) would be the perfect fit!
GETTING STARTED –
If working with a group or class, decorate a couple of books to give students an idea of how to start, but then encourage them to customize their book as they choose. They will each need a rectangle to cover the printing on the front cover. Older children can cut their own. It’s a good idea to have the die cut words ready ahead of time with a few extras in case someone tears theirs. (I am donating die cuts, patterned papers, stickers, gems, glue, embossed and lightly sanded pieces of Shimmer Sheetz, and washi tape, along with the composition books.)
ANOTHER OPTION –
Turn it into a family affair. Make books so you and the kids can “interview” aunts and uncles, cousins and grandparents, siblings and each other, and can pretend that pets can talk. Write down their stories. Paste in photos and drawings! Write questions on the top line of each page and be sure to add the date of the interview and the name of the person giving the answers, along with the name of the person asking them… For example, “What were your favorite games as a child?” “When did you know you wanted to be a ______________?” (teacher, fireman, dancer, farmer, doctor…) “What were your favorite movies, who were your favorite singers, when you were my age?” Instead of taking notes, videotape the interview and write in the books later!
Hello Welcome! Samantha here sharing a card I created using two of my favourite Elizabeth Craft Designs dies. One of the things I love about dies is how easy and simple they are to work with. I had originally planned to colour the leaves in, but after colouring one in with Copic Markers I realised that it would take quite a decent amount of time and that I could achieve an equally striking and bright look by using some scrap left over pieces of cardstock that I have in my stash.
by Judi Kauffman
Planning a wedding or other big event? Need to keep track of invitations sent and RSVPs received, the menu and other aspects of the special event? Give some inexpensive composition books a facelift and you can do it in style!
To customize the books for use as a journal instead of a planner, incorporate the word ‘Courage’ or ‘Memories’ or ‘Faith’ or ‘Make a Wish’ instead. And ‘Special Day’ remains a good choice for journals as well as planner books. Suzanne Cannon’s A Way With Words collection has so many wonderful options.
Come join me –
By Judi Kauffman
If you’re a fan of chalkboards, this project is for you! Choose a board that hangs on the wall or go for one that’s easel-backed and can stand on its own. Decorate a rectangle with a sentiment and some embellishments to put at an angle at the upper left corner and you’re done…
I chose to make a chalkboard that welcomes guests and reminds them of the day’s activities, as well as answering the most-asked question (“What’s your wifi password?”), but there are many ways to change and customize the project: Instead of hearts, add stars or butterflies or flowers.
Judi Kauffman
For today’s tutorial I’m skipping the April showers and heading straight to the May flowers. Shimmer Sheetz flowers, that is… Though I’ve planted them on bright and happy cards, these blooms are waterproof so you could pop them onto a potted plant, string them as a garland to hang at an outdoor party, or with a few minor tweaks use them to decorate napkin rings, tennis shoes or flip flops, hair bows and all sorts of accessories and other projects!
by Judi Kauffman
It wasn’t love at first sight, but the 4 Seasons die set ended up becoming a favorite! (Suzanne and Els, you two were right, it’s so versatile!) I’ve used it on calendars and in planners and journals, and it has appeared on many, many cards. Today’s tutorial adds seven more to the count. They’re all super easy, and as I always say: Easy isn’t cheating!
I’ve chosen the Spring and Summer dies to help usher in the next two seasons, but these projects could easily be customized for Fall and Winter later in the year. Just change the papers and embossing folders to leaves, snowflakes, and other wintry themes.
Beginners: I’ve added some tips especially for you. Keep scrolling – you’ll find them after the instructions!
