It’s the first Wednesday of the month and that means it’s time for another IDEAS blog hop. This month our theme is “Christmas Crafting’ and we hope to inspire you to create handmade gifts and cards for those you love. For my contribution I chose the Joy of Noel Stamp Set and coordinating dies and in the IDEAS tutorial bundle there’s a Christmas card and gift card holder. I also made this Christmas card using pretty much all the same products. There’s definitely something about this colour scheme that inspires me.

JOY OF DISCOVERY

I began this project with a 4″ x 5-1/4″ piece of Soft Sea Foam Card for my background layer. Rather than use patterned paper to add interest I decided to emboss the card using the Crosshatch folder from the Basic Embossing Folders pack.

For the A2 card base I chose Shaded Spruce Card. After cutting and scoring the card I folded it along the scored line and sharpened the crease with a Bone Folder. Then I attached the embossed layer to the front using Multipirpose Liquid Glue (Tombow).

Next it was time to stamp the large berry and leaf image from the Joy of Noel Stamp Set. However as I got out the Basic White Card I decided I didn’t like the harsh contrast between the white and the background layer. So using Early Espresso ink I stamped the image onto some Soft Sea Foam Card instead. Then I simply coloured it as normal using Stampin’ Blends alcohol markers.

For the holly leaves I chose Shaded Spruce, colouring one half of the leaf with the light marker and the other half with the dark one. Turning to the other leaves I coloured over the central vein using dark Old Olive, then coloured the whole leaf with light Old Olive. On the berries I drew a U shape at the bottom of each one with dark Real Red, before using light Real Red over the whole berry (leaving just a few tiny uncoloured spots). Finally I added some shimmer by going over each berry with a Clear Wink of Stella Glitter Brush.

With that done I cut out the image using the coordinating die from the Joy of Noel Dies set. Then I added it to the embossed background with Stampin’ Dimensionals.

MAKING SPIRITS BRIGHT

To finish off the card front I chose the “Making spirits bright” sentiment from the Joy of Noel Stamp Set. Using Early Espresso ink once more I stamped it onto a scrap of Basic White Card. Then I fussy cut the sentiment using Paper Snips before adding it to the card with a combination of liquid glue and pieces of Stampin’ Dimensionals.

Now, while the card front was complete, I still had the inside and envelope to decorate. So I went back to the large leaf and berry image and Early Espresso ink pad.

This time I cut a 4″ x 5-1/4″ piece of Basic White Card and stamped part of the image in the bottom left and top right corners. Then I stamped two corners on the front of a Basic White Medium Envelope. My plan was to colour these images to match the main one but first I slipped some scrap paper inside the envelope. This would stop the ink bleeding through the lighter weight paper and staining the back.

Having coloured these images I just needed to glue the Basic White layer inside the card base and my Christmas Card was complete.

JOY OF NOEL AND MORE

So now that’s out of the way let me tell you about this month’s IDEAS Tutorial Bundle. The October “Christmas Crafting” PDF contains 66 pages with 28 projects from 13 designers. The collage below offers a little sneak peek of what’s inside. I don’t think my contribution is very hard to spot.

If you’d like a copy of the IDEAS Tutorial Bundle for your own personal use, or even to use in your classes, there are three different ways to get it:

• Place an order via my online store for $45CAD (before shipping and taxes) using my October 2023 Host Code 7J4MJVPT. Make sure to allow Stampin’ Up! to share your contact details so I can e-mail the tutorial to you. If your order is over $200CAD don’t use the Host Code or you’ll miss out on Stampin’ Rewards. However, so long as I have access to your contact details I’ll still send you the PDF.
• Join Stampin’ Up! and my Crafty Canadians team, and you’ll get this IDEAS tutorial for free. It’s just another reason to take advantage this month’s amazing joining offer!
• Buy the tutorial for $20CAD. Contact me at tutorials@papercraftwithme.com for more information.

Once you’ve received the bundle, please remember not to share or distribute printed or electronic copies of the tutorials. The IDEAS Team has worked hard to provide these exclusive projects for your own personal use. However, if you know someone who would like a copy of the tutorial bundle, simply ask them to contact me about it. Thank you for your support.

And now for more Christmas projects from the IDEAS team simply click on the links below or use the Previous Blog and Next Blog links. You’re currently at number 4 Tracy Elsom – Papercraft With Me (Canada).

PRODUCT LIST

BUNDLE BONUS – I bought the Joy of Noel Stamp Set and coordinating Joy Of Noel Dies using the single ‘bundle’ item number. This meant I saved 10% off the cost of buying the same two items separately. I’ve included both options below in case you want to explore these for yourself.

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE – The Basics 3D Embossing Folders (pack of 3 different designs including the crosshatch) are part of the Stampin’ Up! Online Exclusives range. Sadly, these items are subject to availability and may be discontinued without warning.