Epiphany Lantern Lighting the Way

Today, I am featuring a Christmas-themed project after December 25. This lantern is made in time for the Epiphany, also known as Three Kings' Day, when the Wise Men, or Magi, visit baby Jesus. It's a Christian holiday celebrated on January 6th.

I began by selecting my cutcardstock.com colors.

DCS Discount Card Stock: Blast Off Blue Card Stock

Silk Glitter Black Prince Card Stock 12x12

Silk Glitter Opulent Opal 12x12 Card Stock

I use my Cricut Air for many of my projects, and this was no exception. I fell in love with this design and knew it would make a great centerpiece. There aren’t many layers involved in this project, but it looks like there are. 

What I love about this project is it tells a story. I chose a blue card stock base to represent the night sky, as the Wise men followed the North Star to see baby Jesus and bring him gifts fit for a king. I love the black glitter over the blue — it frames the image nicely and gives the lantern a silhouette even during daylight. Lastly, the lantern needed some “brightening up,” so I used the white glitter card stock to represent the starry night. The contrast works, making everything pop.

For the glitter papers, I used the Cricut glitter plus more pressure setting. This ensured that I got clean cuts in the paper, typically thicker card stock paper than non-glitter paper. The blue base was cut on an intricate cut with normal pressure. I prefer intricate cuts for most of my work because the cuts are always consistent. I keep my custom setting on intricate for that reason.

Assembling the lantern was easy because the design included cut score lines. They bend easily, allowing the glue to adhere to the next piece easily.

The best part about the lantern, aside from how it looks during the day, is how it looks in dim light with a tea light inside. 

I hope you enjoyed this project and will make something similar if you celebrate the Epiphany!

 

Santa's Coming to Town -- in a Box Card!

Being in a festive spirit, I am sharing a Santa climbing down a chimney box card designed by Lori Whitlock. It is adorable. It’s cute enough for a child but fun to give to an adult.

 https://shop.loriwhitlock.com/a2-box-card-santa-chimney/

The digital file is already an A2 size, a basic card, so it fits into a ready-made envelope. There is no need to size paper and cut your envelope!

My first step was to assess my color layers in my Cricut Design Space program. I merged all similar colors, so I don’t have to cut different shades of the same color. Shh! That is my secret to quick projects. This is also a good time to change layer colors to make elements pop. 

Then I pulled all of my Cutcardstock papers. The ones that I used are below:

DCS Discount Card Stock: Canvas Textured Mantis Green Card Stock

Astrobright Solar Yellow 8.5x11 Discount Card Stock

Lessebo Colors Hunter Green 83lb Cardstock

Silk Glitter Opulent Opal 12x12 Card Stock

DCS Discount Card Stock: Vanilla Bean Brown Card Stock

DCS Discount Card Stock: Red Pepper Card Stock

I also use pale rose by Bazzill; black textured card stock from American Crafts; and Mint Tape, which is low-tack and repositionable, from scrapbook.com. This tape holds down my card stock on my Cricut brand cutting mats, as new mats are on order.

The third step was to cut the pieces and sort them. For example, all the Santa cuts were placed into plastic containers.

I also embossed the chimney bricks with a Sizzix embossing folder and a Big Shot machine. 

The fourth step is doing a sample layout before gluing. Once the pieces fit together and look like the final digital image, it is time to glue them down. 

After I assembled the pieces, I added glitter glue to the gifts and bow on the tree. 

Let me know if you make this box card — or a similar one! Wishing you lots of fun in your holiday crafting!

"Twin" Christmas Door with Wreath Cards

Here's my "Twin" Christmas Door with Wreath Cards for today's Cutcardstock.com challenge. I’m in Christmas card-making mode and love working on multiple cards that use similar materials yet look different. Tell me which one you like more — the card with the blue or pink door? 

I had fussy-cut front doors from Mintay Papers’ Door Book, a scrapbook paper booklet made in Poland. I have had these cut paper doors for years and always wanted to create this project. I selected two doors — one a pale blue and one a bright pink. 

Then, I began by choosing flattering card stock from Cutcardstock.com:

Silk Glitter Red Flash 4x6 Discount Card Stock - 25 pack

Lessebo Colors Hunter Green 83lb Cardstock

Stardream Metallic 5x7 Discount Card Stock - 25 pack- in Eris, which are Mica-coated metallic

DCS Discount Card Stock: Canvas Textured Mantis Green Card Stock

DCS Discount Card Stock: Red Pepper Card Stock

I used a few of my Christmas-themed die cuts: a layered wreath and a cluster of three berries. I also gathered my stamps and chose Sizzix’s “falalala” stamp to mimic a door-to-door Christmas carol sentiment. My stamped sentiment was also used as a stoop for the door.

Pairing the blue door with the traditional green colors of a Christmas wreath, I punched out the berries in the red glitter card stock and glued on the wreath leaf layers and the berries. 

For the pink door card, I wanted a pop of color, and the bright green was perfect. I just replicated the same wreath and popped it on the pink door. I used the white shimmer cardstock for the berries to make this card stand out.

The wreaths on both cards were attached with dimensional adhesive dots to give the cards some depth.

The background patterned paper was from Hobby Lobby, and the bricks accentuated the front doors. I then matted both cards. One card is on the white shimmer card stock, and the second card is on a flat red mat. Both tie into the wreath berry colors.

Thank you for stopping by the blog today. Let me know if you have any questions about this how-to. Maybe you will try something similar for your Holiday cards? I’d also love to see what you make, so please share! And tell me, which one you like more? — the light blue door or the bright pink door card?

Mini Hot Cocoa Cup Treat Gifts

Today, I am bringing you some holiday cheer inspiration. With the Christmas season upon us, you will search for the perfect “thinking of you” gift! Finding a nice, high-quality gift at a value price is sometimes challenging. I have a one-of-a-kind project for you that you can make or sell at crafts shows or online.

It’s a real mini coffee cup in a card stock cup holder. You can fill the espresso cups with K-cup cocoa, K-cup coffee, candies, or small chocolates. If you are selling the cups, I suggest complying with your state cottage food laws.

First, I gathered my supplies:

The Big Shot machine and the necessary die-cut shapes. They are The Stamp Doctor’s “Mini Coffee Cover” and “Mini Coffee Cup Holder Dies” and 4-ounce coffee cups with lids. You can find the cups and lids at online restaurant supply retailers or The Stamp Doctor if you are looking for smaller quantities.  

You can find the cups at retailers, like www.webrestaurantstore.com, who sell expresso cups with lids — or the Stamp Doctor for smaller mini coffee cup quantities.

For the next step, match coordinating card stock papers to 12" x 12” patterned paper. I used Hobby Lobby’s The Paper Studio snowflake paper and DCS Discount Card Stock: Textured Indigo Blue Card Stock and Lessebo Colors Premium Misty Blue 83 lb Card Stock.

My other supplies include cute glittered foam sticker snowflakes, clear Stickles glitter glue, and adhesive rhinestones.

After cutting the cup wrapper in the patterned paper, I cut the card stock cup base in Indigo Blue. I pieced my sample together and added a rhinestone to the center of the glittered snowflake. I then made sure my cellos for the project fit well — and they did. 

To finish off a cello bag, you need to make a topper. I made a folded card stock top that fit the top of the cello bag. I used Indigo Blue Card Stock and stapled the topper with Tim Holtz idea-ology Tiny Attacher Stapler.

I also die-cut a tag out of Misty Blue Card Stock and glued it to the Indigo Blue cello topper, covering the staple. I inked a “to” and “from” stamp sentiment, using an ink color that matched the Indigo Blue, and I embellished the tag with Stickles, and adhered it to the topper with a silver brad. I also added hand-punched snowflakes in white card stock.

I hope that you enjoyed this how-to and will try it. And happy holiday crafting to you!

A Bright & Merry Christmas Card

I know Thanksgiving isn’t here yet — but who else is in a merry mood? While some of you are already putting up the tree and lights and others are saying bah humbug, I love working on my Christmas cards before the holiday season begins, and now is the time!

I knew what I wanted to make — a snowflake Christmas card using white glitter paper and a couple of nontraditional colors — right on trend for the 2024 Christmas season — that is from cutcardstock.com.

Silk Glitter Opulent Opal 12x12 Card Stock, which has glitter on one side and white on the backside.

DCS Discount 8.5x11 Card Stock: Amaranth Pink, which has a matte finish.

https://www.cutcardstock.com/.../amaranth-pink-discount...

DCS Discount Card Stock: Plum Purple 8.5x11 Discount Card Stock, which has a canvas texture on one side.

I started with a few great dies that I bought from Stampin’ Up! years ago. They are a snowflake border and a lace border — very intricate die cuts that take a lot of patience — and a thick shim in the Big Shot die cut machine. At first, I was poking out the cut holes with my circuit tool, but then I remembered I had a piercing mat to help. The piercing mat “heals” after puncturing it.

For the sentiment, I had two “merry” die cuts — and tried them both out to see which one cut better. You can see which one is the winner. I also used the negative space on the cardstock, which would be covered by the purple and glitter-white layers. I love saving card stock that way.

I cut the sheets of paper to an A2 size, 4.25x5.50, and layered the card stock, putting dimensional adhesive dots between the glitter paper with the snowflakes and the purple paper with the lace trim. I did not glue down the snowflakes because I wanted to keep them raised like the base.

I am very happy with the way this card came out, and I love a nontraditional color take on a holiday card. Let me know if you used similar colors on your holiday projects!