Handmade by Lou: Getting a Start on Christmas

Friday, 25 September 2015

Getting a Start on Christmas

I had a lot of fun last night with my customers, making a card, matching envelope, gift tag and gift box featuring products from the new Holiday Mini Catalogue. Here's what we made:

We used the gorgeous Embellished Ornaments Bundle of stamps and matching Framelits and the traditional red/green Christmas colours. This year's in-colour Cucumber Crush looks right at home with Real Red for Christmas. I also used a little of the Gold Foil Sheets for the top of the ornament, and gold cording.
Here's a closer look at the card we made - it was fairly simple, and would be pretty easy to mass-produce. We also made envelopes in Cucumber Crush to go with the cards (mine isn't pictured).

The holly leaves and berries were stamped using our Markers to achieve two colours on one stamp, and the ornament was popped up on Dimensionals. Finally the sentiment was stamped using Basic Black Archival ink.

Here's the gift tag we made - it was so easy!

All we did was stamp one ornament and cut it out with the matching die, then cut out a second shape in Whisper White cardstock. Staple them together at the top (our handheld mini stapler is the perfect size to fit the ornament top) and cover your staple with the ornament topper cut out of gold foil. I used a glue dot for that, but you could use liquid glue if you are more patient about drying time than I am. Thread some gold cord through and it's done.

Every person in the class decorated their pillow box differently - I forgot to take a photo, unfortunately. One clever lady made a belly band with leftover Envelope Paper, which looked gorgeous. Another stamped the ornament on both sides of the box, and I simply stamped mine with the holly leaves in Basic Black Archival ink, tied it with a little ribbon and added a tag I'd previously made.

The pillow box was made with Kraft Cardstock, and stamped with the leaves image in Basic Black Archival ink. The tag was cut out using the tag frame lit in Cucumber Crush, and the little Christmas trees are in the Pillow Box set. A touch of Gold Baker's twine and real red cotton ribbon to finish off.

I made an ornament as well - though the class didn't, I wanted to show different ways of using these products. The ornament was pretty easy and could be a fun holiday activity for the children - stamp six ornaments, cut them out using the framelit die and Big Shot, score them down the centre and fold them, then adhere them together. I punched a hole in the top to thread some gold cording, and I was pretty pleased with it.

I could see photographs cut out with the Ornament Die and used as tree decorations, gift tags, or even place cards for Christmas Dinner! This year, I'm going to have my cards made, and mailed, in plenty of time. Who's with me? Product List