Dancing Elf Box

 Happy Thursday AI Friends!

Today I have a fun gift bag for you featuring the new #6119 - Elf Puppet set.  These puppet sets are so fun to make and so dang adorable!  I did my usual and stretched his legs to make him dance.

I made one of these boxes last year decorated with a gnome.  You can find the dimensions and instructions on how to make the box here.  

To stretch the Elf legs:  partial cut the bottom of the legs with the die and then hand cut an additional 1/2" or so for the top of the legs.  Punch a hole towards the top for a foam dot to fit.  Place the foam dot on the back of the shirt and slip the legs over the foam dot.  Die cut an extra shirt out of cardstock and adhere that to the other sticky side of the foam dot (the legs should be in between the shirts).  The legs will swing back and forth.

I die cut all of the other pattern pieces out of #5853 - Christmas Magic PP.  For the face of the Elf, I die cut it from a copic friendly paper and colored it with copic markers listed below.  I stamped the eyes from a set in my stash and I drew the nose and mouth.  

I finished decorating the box with bells and baker's twine and closed it with a red clothes pin.

That's it for me today.  Hope you find yourself creating some of these boxes and filling with little treats for Christmas.

Have a wonderful day and keep creating!

Copics used:  R20, E11, E01, E000

Black Zig pen for drawing face features.

Reindeer Box

 Happy Thursday AI Friends!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving week celebrated with friends and family!  

December is here and that means holiday creating!  Clearly, I'm one of those that doesn't get started until now.  Yikes!  Guess I love the pressure of the holiday season.  😏 

I've got a fun project for you today and you'll find yourself wanting to make lots of these.  I used the new #6104 Christmas Keepsake set for this cute little box.  I found a quick video on Pinterest by SammyDemmy displaying this box, but it is in a foreign language.  I was able to improvise and create a version for you with English instructions.  I want to give credit to Sharon for helping me perfect the nose mechanism.  Thanks, bestie!

Cutest little box EVER!  

To open the box, you pull the reindeer's nose.

The finished box size is 3 1/2" tall x 2 3/4" wide x 1/2" deep.  This will fit a gift card nicely or you can place money or a small gift inside.

To make the box:  Cut a piece of 100 lb cardstock at 5 1/2" x 4 3/4".  Score along the 5 1/2" side at 

1/2", 1", 3 1/4" and 4 1/4".  Turn and score at 1/2", 1", 3 3/4" and 4 1/4".  On each of the corners, cut off the 3 small outer squares and snip up to the fold on the remaining small square (see below).

Fold and burnish all score lines remaining.  Tuck in each of the small tab squares and glue to the inside lower fold creating the box shape.  Before glueing the top 1/2" flap, check to see if you need to snip off a little so that it fits just to the bottom of the box when tucked inside.  Place glue on the top 1/2" flap and fold into the box to give the box stability (see below).  Do this for all four sides.  Your inside box is ready.

For the box cover:  Cut a piece of pattern paper at 7 1/4" x 3 5/8".  

Score along longest side at 1/2", 1 1/8", 3 7/8" and 4 1/2".  Fold and burnish.

To create the nose pull:  Color your reindeer and adhere it on a red circle base.  Punch a 1/8" circle into his nose.  Place the reindeer over your pattern paper box cover and mark where you want the nose.  Note:  I found that the lower you place the reindeer on the box, the farther the box will open.  

Punch a hole into the pattern paper for the nose.  If you have a crop a dile that will reach, you can adhere the reindeer onto the pattern paper and then punch the hole through all three layers at one time vs. marking it.  

Once the hole is punched onto the pattern paper, line up the hole with the reindeer and adhere the circle in place.  Thread the ribbon or embroidery thread through the bell.  Tie the thread so bell stays in place.  Place the two ends of the thread through the hole to the inside.  Hold the inside box into place and bring the thread up the front of the box and over the top.  Glue the thread on the top and again on the back of the box (towards the top).  After the glue has dried completely, snip off the loose thread from the back and glue the box cover together.  Make sure the cover does not adhere to the box.  

If you want the box to hang from the tree or a gift, place a tag topper to the back side of the box cover.  Tie some ribbon or string and a To/From tag to the topper and it's ready for your gift or tree.

Once you make one of these, you will find yourself making so many more!  Have fun pulling his nose!

Thanks for joining me today!  Keep creating!

Copics used:  E50, E51, E53, E55, E57, E59

R20, R22, R24, R27

Y28, Y32, Y35

Let it Snow - Pop out Interactive card

       Happy Thursday AI Friends!

I'm so excited to be the one to introduce the new AI blog challenge called "Flurries Forecasted"!  I'm not quite ready for the snowy weather but I'm sure ready to add snow flurries to my cards, tags and projects.  Hope you are just as ready as I am and decide to play along with us!

You may have noticed that I love interactive cards, so yep, I have a fun one for you today using the 

#5929 - Christmas Train set along with some accessories from the #5489 - Front Porch Christmas set.

I love the way these sets work together so that you can combine and stretch their use.

The video below will show how this card opens and stores.  When folded it's an A2 card, but pops open to be approx. 5 1/2 x 12" wide.  Because of the panels that extend out, the card is much thicker than a standard A2 card and will need a larger envelope plus additional postage, if mailing.  

So to get started - I stamped the images with Memento black ink onto copic friendly paper and colored with my copic markers listed below.  I then die cut each of the images with the coordinating dies that are included in both of the stamp sets.  For the two penguins rolling down the snowy hill (on the front of the card), I die cut an extra one, out of heavy cardstock, and adhered to each to give a little extra weight for them to roll better.  I die cut various size snowflakes using the #5353 - Large Snowflake dies from glitter cardstock.  I also cut several trees out of the #5853 - Christmas Magic PP using a die set from my stash but any pine tree dies will work nicely. 

Now, we're ready to build the card.  I started with a standard top fold A2 card from heavy cardstock.  I scored at 5 3/8" as well as the 5 1/2".  This will allow the folds to come up and over the thickness of the final card.  Fold and burnish these score lines really well.  Hint:  I found that my card stood up better if I trimmed off about 1/2" from the bottom of the back panel.  The inside pop out card is cut from heavy cardstock and measures 4 3/4" x 9 1/4".  Score at 1", 3 3/4" and 6 1/2".  This will provide you with three panels that are 2 3/4" wide.  This is a nice size for each of the train cars.  Score and burnish these folds quite a few times back and forth to help breakdown the fibers.

For the front of the card, cut two slider tracks in blue cardstock, far enough apart so that the penguins won't bump into each other when then roll.  I also cut three blue panels to fit each panel of the fold out base.  I spattered Dr. PH Martin Bleed Proof white paint over each of the blue panels to create the snow-like look.  While those were drying, I cut two panels of glitter cardstock (larger than the front A2 blue panel) and cut the same tracks to match up to the ones on the blue base and I fussy cut each to extend the top of the hill.  I found it easier to cut the glitter panels down after lining the tracks up with the blue panel.  I inked the edges with Ranger Distress Oxide ink - Broken China before adhering and used foam tape for the bottom hillside.  Adhere the hillsides down onto the blue base panel matching up the corresponding tracks and leaving some areas to tuck the trees.  The bottom glitter panel will be stacked over the top panel to create a forward hill.  

To create the rolling penguins, I die cut six 5/8" discs from heavy cardstock (or you can use a penny, button or anything flat and round).  Glue one set of three discs together for each penguin.  Stack and glue two foam dots in the middle of each disc (making sure the dot will fit freely in the slider track).  Place the dots through the slider track from back to front and glue the penguin to the top of the dot poking through the track.  Do the same for the other penguin and track.  You should be able to test to make sure they roll freely at this point.  If all is good, place two layers of foam tape to the back of the blue panel.  Be careful not to place foam tape too close to either slider track as this will prevent the penguins from rolling.  Test again before adhering.  Place a piece of glitter cardstock face down over the tape, so that the glitter will show through the tracks, and then glue down to the front of the A2 card. 

Now, for the extended pop out card.  Glue the one inch tab to the inside back panel of the A2 card base.  See below.

Cut several snow drifts from glitter cardstock.  For the two main snow hills, I cut two long ones (different heights), ink the top edges and then cut into thirds so that the hillsides with match up from one panel to the next.  I put foam tape under the front hillside so that the train cars will fit behind with a little dimension.  This is the only dimension I did so that the panels would fold nicely.  If there are too many pop up items, the panels will not fold.  I added a few scrap pieces in back for added snowy hills. 

 

I added a blue panel to the inside as well as a sentiment panel.  Fold your panels in to make sure it is closing nicely.  They should fold in as follows:  right panel closes onto center, then under left and then into the card.  If you are having any trouble, you may have to trim down the blue panels slightly. 

Now the fun, you are ready to decorate the front and each of the panels.  Remember not to add any more dimension to the inside panels.  Foam tape, at this point, is not your friend.  ;)  

However, the front is fair game.  Have fun!

I hope you enjoyed my card today to kick off the new blog challenge "Flurries Forecasted".  

Hope you play along for a chance to win a free stamp set.  We love to see your creations!

Have a wonderful day!  Keep creating!!

Copics used:  C00, C1, C3, C5

B0000, B000, B00, B01

E21, E23

R20, R22, R24, R27

Y32, Y35    YR16, YR18

G40, G43, G46

Winter Wonderland

 Happy Thursday AI Friends!

I was having too much fun making cards for the current Blog challenge "In The Navy" so I'm sharing two of the them with you today.   I used the #5953 Woodland Critters and #5954 Woodland Bears.  These would make such a cute gift set for that special someone that has everything.  What's better than giving/receiving handmade gifts?

I started out by stamping the images onto copic friendly paper with Memento black ink and colored with my copic markers listed below.  Each of the images in both sets come with corresponding dies.  As usual, I die cut an extra set from heavy cardstock.   I love the dimension and stability.

Card #1:  I created a fun pull tab interactive card where the critters slide down the hill when pulling the tab.  This is a square 4 3/4 inch card.  To make the stitch border, I partial cut two sides using the largest #5063 Rectangle A2 Double Stitch die and then cut the other sides to make this large square.   I spattered Dr. PH Martin's Bleed Proof White paint onto the navy blue cardstock base to create a snowy background and also glued some of the snow die cuts that were left over from card #2.  The stitch snowy hills were using dies from my stash. 

Card #2:  I created a popped up frame card.  Using the #5782 Snowflake Frame die, I die cut two frames with heavy cardstock and glued them together.  Saved some of the snowflake pieces from the frame die cuts and used on card #1.  This card measures 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 inches.  I spattered Dr. PH Martin's Bleed Proof White paint onto the navy blue cardstock base to create a snowy background.  Again, I used a curvy stitched die from my stash to create the snowy hillside.  I popped the frame and the images up using foam tape onto the hillside.  Added a bow and the card is finished. 

Hope you enjoyed my cards today and you decide to join us in the Blog challenge.  See above tab for details and a chance to win a free stamp set.  We love to see your creations!

Have a great day and keep creating!

Copics used:  E30, E33, D35, E37, E40, E41, E43, E44

E51, E53, E55, E57, E59

N1, N2, N3, N4

Y13, Y17, Y19, 23, Y26, 

R20, R22, R24, R27

BG90, BG93, BG96, BG99

BV20, BV23

Christmas Magic

 Happy Thursday AI Friends!

Today I have a Christmas card inspired by the "Leon" blog challenge.  "Leon" is Noel backwards and since we are halfway to Christmas, a "Leon" challenge makes perfect sense.  Now is the time to start getting in the mood for creating our annual Christmas cards/tags/etc.  Hope you will join us and enter the blog challenge for a chance to win a free stamp set of your choice. 

I used the #5775 - Front/Back Santa.  He is just the cutest peeking Santa Claus!  I also used the presents in the #5457 - Christmas Truck set.

I began by stamping the santa and the presents on copic friendly paper with Memento black ink and coloring with my copic markers listed below.  I then die cut each of the images with the corresponding dies that come in each of the sets.  I added Dr. PH Martin's bleed proof white paint to Santa's fur.

I cut three trees from the #5853 - Christmas Magic PP using a die I had in my stash.  I scored each tree in half and glued the fold into the next scored tree until all three trees were adhered together by the folds.  This allows for the trees to flair out for dimension.   I adhered the stripe pattern paper onto a green base and then added a strip of red cardstock to the bottom.  I then glued the bottom tree stack, at the fold, to the pattern paper card base.  I glued the santa front to the third layer tree and adhered his backside to the back of that layer.  I adhered the colored presents on each layer at the base of the trees.

Lastly, I added streamers to the tree, the sentiment, bow and jewels.  

I hope you enjoyed my "Leon" card and you enter the challenge.  We love to see what you all create!

Have a great day and keep creating!

Copics used:  E000, E01, E11

N0, N2, N4

R20, R22, R24, R27

Y13, Y15, Y17, Y26

BG53, BG57

G24, G28

Merry & Bright

 Happy Thursday AI Friends!

Christmas is going to be here before we know it and I wanted to share my Merry & Bright Christmas card.  I used the #5192 Penguin Cheer as well as the #5457 Christmas Truck Rides sets.  These little Penguins bring so much cheer!

I stamped the penguins with Memento black ink onto copic friendly paper.  I then made a mask of the penguins so I could stamp the tree to look like it is behind the penguins.  The tree in the Christmas Truck set was too small compared to the penguins so I had to stretch the tree to make it larger.  To do this, I inked up the tree with the Memento ink and wiped off the trunk before stamping where I wanted it to fall behind the penguins.  Then I inked it up again and wiped off the top two layers of the tree and the trunk and positioned the stamp to fall under and to the right of the original tree.  Lastly, I inked up the trunk and stamped it to fall in the center lined up under the tip of the tree.  Since it fell just perfectly behind the penguins, you can't tell the tree was stretched.  After the image was how I liked it, I then colored it with copic markers (listed below). 

I die cut the presents with the coordinating dies that came in the Christmas Truck set and popped them  up under the tree.  I used stinkles on the star and glossy accents on the ornament and lights.  I stamped the sentiment from the #Mini Christmas Sentiment set.  I then layered the image onto papers from the 

#5962 Classic Christmas PP and tied a red bow to top it off.  The frame was made with dies I had from my stash.

 Thanks for joining me today and I hope you enjoy my card!

Copics used:  C00, C1, C3, C5, C7

E53, E55, E57

R02, R05, R08, R20

YR21, YR23, YR14, YR18

G21, G24, G28

BG70, BG72, BG75

Snow Much Fun Globe

 Happy Thursday AI Friends!

I have a fun card for you today that fits the "Under the Dome" challenge.  Who doesn't love snow globes?   I used the #5815 Mini Christmas Twister snowman along with the #5457 Christmas Truck cubbie and the #5197 WC Winter kids sets.  

I used a plastic dome cover from the packaging of a battery powered light.  You can use any size covering from most household items.  Find one around your home that fits your scene or go to your nearest dollar tree and look for an item that the covering would work.  😀  My measures 2 3/4" so it is perfect for my scene and made for a nice snow globe.  

I stamped the images onto copic friendly paper and colored with my copic markers listed below.  I die cut the images with the coordinating dies except for the little girl in front, which I fussy cut, but it was simple enough.  I inked the hillsides and the background with Broken China Distress Oxide ink.  I layered the scene together on a circle die cut larger than the base of the globe.  Once the scene was created, I painted with some stickles and let dry.  Before I added the snow (glitter) to the globe, I dusted the inside of the globe with my anti-stick powder pouch.  I then filled the globe with glitter and placed liquid glue around the edge and placed the scene piece onto the globe.  I die cut a circle frame using pattern paper from #5853 Christmas Magic PP and two sizes of the #5726 Nested Circle dies, making sure that the inner circle fit around the base of the globe.  I created two more hillsides to place on the bottom of the card, stamped the sentiment from the #5461 Christmas Slimline set and inked the edges with the broken china distress oxide ink.  I adhered the little girl to the bottom right and a few snowflakes around.  

This is such a fun card to play with.  

Thanks for joining me today and I hope you decide to enter the challenge to have a chance to win a free stamp set.  Make sure to check out the tab above for details.

Enjoy your day creating!!!

Copics used:  C1, C3, C5, C7

E43, E44, E47

B0000, B12, B14, B16

YG63, YG67

R20, R22, R24, R27

Dancing Santa Tag

 Happy Thursday AI Friends!

Have you seen the new Art Impressions Christmas release?  Wow, what a bundle!  Two cute stamp sets, a die set and two beautiful paper packs.  I decided to play with the #5931 Santa Puppet die set and boy, did I have fun making several versions of this Santa.  I have several more that aren't christmas so I'll save those for another post.  Stay tuned.

For my first Santa, I made him a dancing tag.  His body and legs move.  Check out the video below.

I partial die cut the pants (cut up to top of pant and then hand cut to make pant waist higher - see Pic 1).  I die cut all of the other pieces as well as an extra jacket and hands and decorated accordingly (see Pic 1 below).  The oval white piece on the right is a rough cut of the back of the head as you will need a base piece.  I then punched a hole in the three pieces as seen in Pic 1.  To put them together so that Santa dances, hold the leg piece where you want it to fall under the finished jacket.  Turn this over and adhere a foam dot into the hole (Pic 2).  Layer the extra jacket behind the back of the other jacket and adhere with the foam dot (see Pic 3).  Next hold the face over the front of the jacket, turn over and place another foam dot into the hole on the back of the jacket (see Pic 4).  Adhere the head base piece onto the foam dot in the jacket.   Your dancing Santa is ready for decorating with a pompom on the hat and a string to hang from the tree or present.

         Pic 1                                                                                                              

  

                                Pic 2

         Pic 3                                                                                                                

   

                                  Pic 4

      Pic 5

               

My other variations using the 5931 Santa Puppet die set:

Cut my Santa in half and made two tags, one of which using the 5132 Tag Stitched Die.  I popped up the chimney and placed the body of Santa upside down into the chimney.   The second tag, I scored the arms before putting the cuffs on and folded them in half, then put the cuffs on the outer side so he was wrapping his arms around the star.  I also added google eyes to him for fun.  I cut several snowflakes from the 4804 Snowflake dies and the icicles on the chimney are from the 5407 Birthday Cake gift card die.  The sentiment is from 5350 Animal Nativity Set and candy canes are from 5187 Gingerbread cubbies and 5457 Christmas Truck cubbies.

For the following tag I decided to make him a gnome santa.  I shortened his arms and legs and placed the hat lower on his face.  For his beard, I cut two but I cut one differently, by cutting half and then moved the die to stretch his beard and make it wider.  Another thought, you could use the 5223 Bookmark die and cut the top tab off to make a smooth beard.  He actually fits perfectly, but I wanted a fuller beard.  The die used for the santa sack is included in the 5931 Santa Puppet die set.  I believe it is actually to be used as the santa face base, however, I saw someone suggest a possible santa sack so I borrowed her great idea.  I wish I could remember who it was, so I could give her a shout out.   The candy canes are from the 5178 Gingerbread Cubbies and the banner is from 5722 Birthday Journal die set.  The sentiment is from the 5192 Penguin Cheer set.

Clean & Simple

 The last challenge of the year for Art Impressions is "Clean and Simple".  Seems I'm always trying to add something to my cards to "spoof" them up, but this challenge is letting me keep it simple, so no adding bling and embellishments, etc.  I used the Art Impressions Gingerbread Cubbies and the new Joyful Snowman Set.

First I stamped the sentiment from the Joyful Snowman set onto a piece of white cardstock and cut it with a stitched circle die.  Then I cut another circle die just a tad bigger with red cardstock to make the frame.  I temporarily placed the white circle die cut in the center of a 4 x 5.25 piece of kraft cardstock and using my misti stamping tool, I positioned a variety of gingerbread girls and boys stamps from the Art Impressions Gingerbread Cubbies set around 1/2 of the circle die.  I inked the stamps with white pigment ink and stamped onto the kraft cardstock.  I turned the paper around in my misti and stamped the other 1/2 of the cardstock to finish the circle.

I mounted the kraft cardstock onto a piece of red cardstock and then onto a 4.25 x 5.5 card base.  I glued the sentiment circle onto the red circle frame and popped that up with foam tape onto the kraft cardstock in the center of the gingerbread girls and boys.  I colored one gingerbread boy with copic markers and die cut with the dies included in the set.  I tied a piece of twine into a bow and glued the gingerbread boy in the center and attached to the card.

Ta Da done and it took me less than 45 minutes to create two cards.  

I send about 75 Christmas cards out every year and for some reason I always make them so much more involved.  They take me months to complete.  Why don't I keep it simple?  They are just as cute!!  AND so much easier!!!!  

Enjoy and hope you have a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!!

Christmas

 The final challenge for 2022 at Art Impressions is called "That's a Wrap".  I can't believe that we are at the end of another year.  This year has flown by and I remember my mother always telling me that the older you get, the faster the time goes.  Boy, she was right again!  The only thing is:  I didn't think I was getting older.  😁

  Anyway... back to the challenge.  I chose to use the Art Impressions Chubby Snowmen stamp and die set.  I am a sucker for snowmen and this has got to be the cutest set ever.  Love the fact that it comes with dies for the images.  Huge plus!  

I stamped the images on cryogen white cardstock and colored with copic markers.  I then die cut the images out and also cut a blank out of heavy cardstock to mount behind the colored image.  I make many Christmas cards so this was a time saver instead of using foam tape (cost savings too).  I used a birch tree die cut, from my stash, for the background and framed it with a stitched rectangle die from Art Impressions.  I also cut the snow hill using the inside piece of the rectangle.  I made the snowy background from a trick by Jennifer McGuire.  Using a laminator, sprinkle a dusting of embossing powder in between the laminating envelope and run it through the laminator.  As it runs through, it melts and creates the snow effect.  Genius!  I then glued the birch tree die to the laminated sheet and onto a blue cardstock for the background.  Mounted it all onto a gray mat and then onto a red mat and finally onto a white A2 card.  Lots of layers, but I love it!

I hope you have a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!  

Christmas 2021

 The challenge at Art Impressions this week is Happy Happy Holidays.  This is always my favorite time of year.  I LOVE to create Christmas cards and I usually make about 75 to send out.  So, I started this card back in May but, of course, I am still working on getting them done.  Why is that?  Seems the time just gets away from me (or maybe a little procrastination - cuz there wasn't a hurry back then)!  Even though it has taken me a long time to finish these, it was worth it because this is probably my favorite one of all!

 I used the Reindeer Flutter set from Art Impressions.  This is an interactive card - pull the tab down and the penguin's feet flutter up and down.  Sooooo darn cute!!  I stamped the image on copic friendly cardstock and colored with my copic markers.  I used stickles on the jingle bells around the reindeer's neck and glossy accents on the reindeer's nose to give them a little shine.  I inked the background with tumbled glass distress oxide ink and cut it out with the Art Impressions stitched rectangle die.  I also cut the Art Impressions little snowflake dies out of white glitter cardstock for accents.  I die cut the hilltop and the snowy hill from white glitter cardstock from dies I had in my stash and inked the hilltops using mowed lawn and pine needles oxide ink for the trees and tumbled glass for the snow banks.  Lastly, I used white glitter cardstock on a black cardstock base to frame the scene.  The sentiment is included in the Reindeer Flutter set.

Hope you enjoy my card!  

Happy Happy Holidays!

 

Mini card

 This week's Art Impression challenge is "Itty Bitty" so I decided to make a mini card out of the Art Impression's Gingerbread house from the Gingerbread Cubbies set.  

  To make this a card, I folded a piece of cardstock and then placed the house die with the left side just over the edge of the fold so that when you cut the house, the left edge doesn't cut, but instead, is the fold of the card.  To finish the inside of the card (no windows or door cuts), I made another die cut of the house on scrap paper and traced it onto plain white cardstock, then I fussy cut it out, trimming the left side to accommodate for the fold and glued it to the inside.  Now you have a plain inside for your sentiment.

 You can make almost any die cut a card by using this technique.   I think the Art Impression's school bus from the School Bus Cubbies set would be adorable as a flip up card.  Gotta try that one next!  I've been wanting to make this Gingerbread cubbies since Christmas and just never found the time, so who says you can't make Christmas cards in March.  😂  This would make a great tag on a Christmas bag!  Can't wait to make more!  Too stinkin' cute!!

  These little cubbie sets are soooo fun to make and play with.  Hope you get to try them out for yourself! 

  Enjoy! 

Christmas

 A Christmas card is the theme for this week's Art Impressions "Reason for the Season" challenge.  Art Impressions has sooooo many adorable snowmen stamp sets to pick from, but I chose the Jolly Snowmen set for this challenge.   I love the grin and happy feeling this little snowman expresses.  He just makes me smile!

I hope you enjoy my card.

Stay well and Happy Holidays!