Sparkly Layered Snowflake Card

This week’s card tutorial brings a fusion of sparkly elegance and vintage chic. I really wanted to do something with layered snowflakes because they are just so lovely layered up with different shapes and sizes. My Silhouette Cameo came in so handy for this because I could pick and choose a variety of different snowflake shapes, resize them however I want to and bam! A layered snowflake haha!

I’ve been taking advantage of my scraps of white and mint cardstock to make my snow flakes.

This snowflake card has 2 different types of embossing, the card background with a sizzix embossing folder and heat embossing for the “Merry Christmas” tag.

The supplies are as follows:

1. One 4.25 x 5 inch card in white with envelope

2. 3x snowflakes of varying sizes cut from scrap white and mint green cardstock. I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut mine which I purchased from the Silhouette store and edited the size and shapes to suit my needs. If you need help with this step, please don’t hesitate to contact me for details. Also, you can always download a few snowflakes and print them on cardstock, then cut them by hand. But if you don’t have a cameo, I highly suggest you add that to your wishlist. Honestly the best machine I’ve ever owned! And hope to own again and again and again!

4. Stamp pads: VersaMark embossing stamp pad and a silver metallic stamp pad

5. Stickles in Star Dust

6. Ultrafine Gold Crystal Glitter

7. “Merry Christmas” stamp and acrylic block if needed

8. Snowflake stamp

9. Make-up sponge

10. Die-cut machine christmas themed embossing folder, I’m using the Sizzix Swirls Ribbons and Snowflakes

11. Ranger Sticky embossing powder

12. Heat Tool

13. Bejewelled brad

14. Hole punch

15. Quick-dry wet glue

16. Foam dots

Instructions

1. Cut a 9.5 x 5 inch card out of white cardstock. Score it down the centre at 4.25 inches. Then place the front flap of the card in the embossing folder, fold the back half around the back of the embossing folder and then run it through your die-cut machine.

2. Take the make-up sponge and ink up the sponge with the silver metallic stamp pad. Gently rub the sponge across the raised embossed front surface of the card. This gives the the front of the card a silvery and wintery sheen and also makes the embossing really pop!

3. Cut out the 3 snowflakes of different sizes. Use a different shade of cardstock for the middle snowflake, like a mint green or baby blue. Decide how you are going to layer the snowflakes on the card. Punch a hole through the centre of each snowflake.

4. Take the snowflake that is going to be the top-most layer. Use the versamark stamp pad and ink the entire surface of the card. Generously sprinkle the Ranger sticky embossing powder over it. Gently tap off the excess. Use the heat tool to heat the powder and then immediately sprinkle white glitter over it. I used Crystal Glitter in Gold which is really just a white colour. Tap the back gently to release loose glitter. I accidentally overheated my sticky embossing powder and it left a burned reddish colour. I tried to cover it with the gltter but it still showed through…which is fine because the reddish colour adds to the vintage effect so it actually worked out for the best!

5. Take the middle layer snowflake and place it on a piece of scrap paper. Ink up the snowflake stamp with silver metallic ink and stamp it randomly over the front of the snowflake. The design won’t show up really well but it looks really cool and shimmery with the silver stamping. Don’t worry about being neat or using the same consistency of colour. Sloppy stamping will actually enhance the vintage effect.

6. Use Ranger stickles, put dots of glitter glue all over the snowflake. Set the snowflake aside to dry for at least 15 mins. You can blast it with your heat tool after the first 5 mins if you want to speed up the drying process. But it won’t look as lovely as letting it dry naturally.

7. Cut a half inch-wide strip of scrap blue cardstock in green. Cut the length to the length of your “Merry Christmas” expression stamp plus an extra half inch. Stamp the Merry Christmas expression with versamark on the little blue tag and sprinkle silver embossing powder over it. Then melt the powder with the heat tool. Snip the corners of the tag with a “V” shape. See picture below if this doesn’t make sense. Punch a hole in the opposite end of the tag.

Layer the green tag and snowflakes as follows starting with the top-most snowflake: top glittered snowflake, blue tag, middle green snowflake, bottom-most white snowflake. Take the top layer snowflake, blue tag and the middle snowflake and glue them together with dots of wet glue making sure to match the punched holes. Then put foam dots on the back of the middle green snowflake, avoiding the punched hole, and then adhere that to the bottom-most snowflake making sure to match the punched holes of the snowflakes.

8. Use the wet glue and adhere the layered snowflake to the embossed white card halfway down the card and to the left towards the folded edge. And then you’re done! Easy peasy!

And that’s it, a great way to use white and green scraps from other Christmas projects, or if you’re like me and can’t bear to part with scraps, then perhaps scraps from last year lol!

Hopefully you have as much fun making this card as I have and I would love to see your layered snowflake cards as well!!!

As always, if you liked this tutorial, please like my facebook page located on the top right hand side of this page.

Up next week, I’ve been meaning to do something with ribbons so look forward to a ribbon card project!

 

Bubbly Snowman Card

Today’s tutorial will be on how to make a fast and easy snowman Christmas card. If you’re pressed for time or need to pump out 15 of these in one night, this is the card for you! All of my stamps, embossing folders and papers can be replaced with anything you might have at home so you don’t need exactly the same ones to make a fun and spirited card!
I love to watch Kristina Werner tutorials on Youtube and this card was definitely inspired by her creative style. Hop over to her youtube channel to check out some of her techniques and tutorials as well!

What you’ll need:

1. card and envelope – 4 x 5 1/2 inches

2. printed Christmas cardstock in green and red – preferably with gittery designs
These are cut in the following dimensions:
Red: one rectangle of 3 x 2 1/2, and one strip of 1/2 x 4 inches, with rounded corners
Green: one banner of 1 1/2 x 4 inches

3. An embossing folder, preferably with a simple design like bubbles

4. Snowman stamp – I’m using the Imaginisce Snag ’em #003367
and acrylic stamp block if needed

5. One cream cardstock rectangle of 2 3/4 x 2 1/4 inches with rounded corners for stamping the snowman image

6. Foam dots

7. ATG gun

8. Green or red stickles

9. Corner rounder punch

10. Versamark stamp pad

11. Silver detail embossing powder – recollections

12. Heat tool

13. Silver marker

14. Rhinestones in red, green or silver

Instructions:

1. Take the folded card and putting only front flap of the card in the embossing folder and wrapping the back of the card around the back of the embossing folder, run the sandwich through your die-cutting machine.

2. Take the small cream cardstock rectangle of 2 3/4 x 2 1/4 inches and stamp the snowman image using versamark or your favorite embossing stamp pad. Generously sprinkle silver embossing powder over the stamped image over a large piece of scrap paper. Optional, before stamping, use a sachet of baby powder and cornstarch, or the EK success powder brush tool and generously dab powder over the front of the cardstock to prevent flyaway embossing powder. This helps to build a very sharp embossed image since embossing powder tends to stick to the cardstock in non-stamped areas. I always forget this step haha but you should do it because it’s good for you!
Using a prewarmed heat tool, hold the cardstock with tweezers (to avoid burning fingers!) and blast the image with the heat tool to melt the embossing powder. Set aside to cool for a few seconds.

3. Using green stickles, fill in areas of the stamped image where you feel it needs a little extra bling! I selected the snowman’s scarf and the little bird’s hat. Set aside to dry at least 30 min. Then using a tape runner, mount this stamped image on to the red printed cardstock rectangle to make a red frame.
Optional – apply 2-3 rhinestones in a line but apply them so that they’re asymmetrically distributed. Asymmetry will make the card look unique and stand out.

4. While your stickles are drying, assemble the embellishments for your card. Using your tape runner, tape the small red strip to the large green strip of paper (as shown) above.

5. Apply all the different pieces to your embossed card. Start with the Green and red banner, place it about 1/3 of the way from the bottom using your tape runner on the back of the banner. Do not attempt to run your tape runner across the embossed front of the card as it will deflate your embossed image. Then using foam adhesives, mount the image of the embossed and stickled snowman to give the card an extra level of dimension. Using your corner rounder, round the corners of the card. Finally, pat yourself on the back for a job well done!

And that’s it! Thanks for tuning in this week for this fast and easy Christmas card tutorial! I will try to post a new tutorial once a week and since we’re fast approaching the holiday season, I’ll be focusing on Christmas card tutorials! Many of my scrapbooking friends have already finished or are nearly finished their Christmas cards this year so for those of you who haven’t started, my tutorials will make holiday card making a breeze.

Please be sure to SHARE your creations and comment below if you have any questions 🙂

vintage christmas card

My tutorial on how to make a vintage style Christmas card!

The 3 photos above show the one that I created last year and sent to one of my friends but since this was such an awesome and lovely card, I wanted to make a bunch more this year too and give them away to other friends as well. It works quite well if you’re looking for a Christmas card to give to one of you guy friends because it’s not too girly haha!

This card has a postcard theme and I specifically bought this stamp from Michaels because I love the look of postcards. For this tutorial, it will take some time to complete but the steps are easy and the final product is beautiful!

I’ve added an extra layer of vintaging to the tutorial by making a crackle effect! I think it looks soooo lovely with the extra details. Whoever receives this card is going to feel truly blessed this Christmas season by all the work you put into this card.

The supplies you’ll need:

1. One 5 1/4 x 3 3/4 inch manilla/cream cardstock

2. On 4 x 5 1/2 inch cream card and envelope (I’m using the Recollections brand of card/envelope)
3. Red and Green Stickles or other glitter glue
4. Fast-drying Tacky Glue (Scotch)
5. ATG gun/tape runner
6. foam dots

7. Archival black ink (StazOn Jet Black)
8. Distress Ink – Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain with foam daubers
9. Red stamp pad – colorbox in red

10. Silver “Merry Christmas” stickers
11. Postcard Stamp – Stampendous Snow Postcard
12. Tim Holtz  French Market Acrylic stamp set – postage stamp piece
13. Acrylic Block – Martha Stewart (the one with foam feet)
14. Ranger Crackle Paint in Rock Candy

Instructions:

1. Place your inset cardstock piece on a craft mat and tack it down with washi tape to avoid dislodging it when stamping.

2. Ink up the postcard stamp with black archival ink and line up the stamp using the guides of the craft mat.

3. Using Scissors or a paper distressing tool, distress the edges of the cardstock.

4. Ink up the foam dauber with Vintage Photo and rub around the edges of the cardstock being careful not to distress the centre of the image too much. I think I may have overdone the centre a bit but you won’t make that mistake! Then ink up a foam dauber with Walnut Stain and distress the edges of the cardstock to make the image pop.
5. Using Rock Candy Crackle Paint and generously layer the cardstock with a layer of the paint. Be careful as some of the vintage photo distress ink will transfer to your paint brush, but only a little bit. Let it dry for about 30 minutes. If you’d like to speed up the drying time, once it’s started to dry and you can clearly see crackles, the bottle says you can use a heat tool to speed it up. Just don’t use your heat tool right off the bat, then you won’t get any crackling. I just let it dry by itself and work on other parts of the project in the meantime. After the crackle paint has COMPLETELY dried (very important this!) put a big text book or dictionary over top of it and let it flatten out since the wet medium has made it crinkle and warp. Let that sit at least an hour to overnight.

6. Ink up the French Market postage stamp acrylic stamp piece with your red stamp pad of choice. I’m using a red colorbox pigment ink. Don’t use distress inks here as the fine details of the stamp will become blurred by the wetness of the distress ink. Then stamp it on some scrap cream cardstock and cut around the edges leaving just a little bit of a border.

7. Use foam dots to attach your red stamp to your now dried piece of cardstock with the stamped postcard and crackled image right over the stamp portion of the postcard image. I found that my foam dots didn’t attach so well the distressed crackle paint so I added a few extra dots of tacky glue to really make a good stick. 

8. Use red Stickles to make holly berries over the stamped postcard image and use the green stickles to fill in the holly leaves. Let dry at least 45 minutes to 1 hour. You can see that my cardstock even sitting under a heavy physics textbook, is still a little warped. Once we glue it to our card, it’ll flatten out.

9. Finally, using your tape runner, adhere your cardstock piece to the card. Since we used the wet crackle paint medium on the cardstock, it’ll be a bit wrinkly and won’t lie flat. Mine had edges that came up after sticking it down to the card with my ATG gun. So I used my tacky glue around the raised edges and pressed for a few seconds and wiped away the excess glue with my finger.

And tada~ the final project all done!

I’d love to hear your comments and suggestions to make this card even better and help out others looking for more efficient techniques!

And please share your vintage style Christmas cards too!