BFF Open House Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving  all! By the time you see this you will have probably gobbled til you wobbled. Hope you all had a wonderful holiday. It's full speed ahead from here on out and keeping it simple this week with just the link-up and no features. Wishing everyone who will be celebrating Hanukkah starting this weekend much love, light, and latkes! I'm grateful for fellow creatives who choose to share your work and talents here each week! 

 

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Christmas Decor: Layered Christmas Stocking

 

"It's the most wonderful of the year" also the busiest but definitely fun! As a Maker, it's definitely my favorite. And another favorite this making season continues to be layered cut files that so many Makers keep coming up with and sharing, I can hardly keep up! For this project I used one from a collection of Layered Ornaments from one of my favorite creators, Kimberly from Sweet Red Poppy. Whether you sew, do papercrafts or just love pretty things, you really need to check out her blog! 

NOTE: This project assumes familiarity with how to use your machine's software. 

Supplies: 

• Layered SVG Files (I used the stocking from this collection by Sweet Red Poppy)
• Cutting Machine (I used my Cricut Explore 2. These also work for Silhouette)
• Gold Foil, Cream, Silver Glitter cardstock (All, Recollections from Michaels)
• Background Paper ( I used sheets from the White Christmas stack, Michaels)
• Display Case Frames (Michaels)
• Foam Dots
• Embellishments (I used Wood Stars from Dollar Tree)

For the smaller stocking, I used a silver display case frame from my stash. I pick these up whenever they're a buy one get one at Michaels. The 8x8 frames come 3 to a package and the 12x12 come two to a package so when they're a BOGO it's a great deal! For the 12x12, I thought I had silver but alas, no so to the craft paints! Here's where what some might call a craft fail, I prefer to call a happy accident! I took the frame apart since I was going to paint it. Set the glass and insert aside. 

You might think I used a crackle medium. Nope! I took out some silver chalk paint and apparently it's a wee bit old and had separated. Oops. I stirred and shook it but when I applied it it crackled itself! While I thought I was going to go with a solid silver finish, as I watched this happen I was actually quite happy. Ergo, happy accident! 

The next step was to prepare my layers. The stocking comes in five layers but I wanted it simpler so I hid two of the layers and used the ones shown sized to 6 inches tall for the smaller stocking and 10 inches for the larger. 

Once you've sized your layers, cut them on your machine. Here are my completed and cut layers. 

Once you have all of your layers assemble using foam dots/squares/tape. For the top layer I cut the squares in half to fit the more narrow border. 

Working from the back of your layers, place the foam squares around the cutout, then flip and attach to your base layer. Repeat with the top layer. 

The reason I only did three of the layers is because I'd chosen a star background paper and was excited to use these wood stars I found at the Dollar Tree ( once again..."why didn't I buy more of these?!") because I went back and gone, baby, gone. I put small drops of glue (Ranger, Glossy Accents) on the back and applied to the stockings as shown. 

Squeal! I instantly fell in love with this White Christmas Hot Buy stack at Michaels. This week (11/21-11/27) they're my favorite...buy one get two free so get thee to a Michaels if you are looking for some pretty holiday scrapbook paper. I chose the paper I wanted for my background and cut one sheet to fit the 8x8 and trimmed the other to fit the 12x12 and then adhered to the inside of the frame back using double sided tape. Then I adhered the stocking using more double sided tape and assembled the frames. 

I am so happy with how they turned out! The color combinations are endless. I am so addicted to these beautiful and intricate layered files. 

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BFF Open House

 

Happy Friday Eve all! By this time next week we'll be stuffed like the turkeys many of us will have just consumed and busy in our workshops or online shopping because the final countdown to Christmas will have begun! Hanukkah starts the Sunday night of Thanksgiving weekend and comes early this year. Everybody panic and freak out! OK, no. Because WE'VE GOT THIS right? We're Creatives, Bakers, Holiday Gift Makers! We are Crafters and Cooks and our work will get looks! Are you fired up and ready to go? GOOD! Let's take a look at some ideas from last week's party! 

If you need one more EASY PEASY piece of decor for your Thanksgiving gathering, printables are the way to go and this one from Building Our Hive is perfect! You could do smaller sizes for each place setting even. And it's available in multiple colors! 

Another quick and easy idea for your Thanksgiving table are these Silverware Wraps from Satsuma Designs. These were designed with kids in mind but no reason they can't be for adults too right? 

I love Gnomes and they're everywhere, especially at Christmas. What's better than a No Sew Gnome?! Check out this one from Condo Blues. 

Finally, if you already have a chalkboard laying around or you're lucky enough like Lisa to find one at a thrift store, then this idea is for you. Fresh Vintage by Lisa S will show you how to stencil with more than one color to achieve this look! 

OK Chocoholics! We were made for this. Let's get to making!!

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Thanksgiving Decor: Gather Dollar Tree Sign

 

I know lots of people went straight from Halloween to Christmas decorating but I'm contrary and like having my Fall / Thanksgiving decor in between! No judgement...that's just me. I swear I'm going to end up owning every single one of these Dollar Tree signs but I can never pass them up! They're an easy way to decorate and easy to do whatever you want to them from paint to decoupage and many things in between. I decided to do this one in the palette I used for my Thanksgiving Cards. 

Supplies: 

• Gather Sign (Dollar Tree)
• Acrylic Paints in choice of colors. I used Delta Ceramcoat Mulberry and Craftsmart Bright Gold
• Dimensional Glue. I used Ranger Glossy Accents
• Craft Foil. I used Recollections from Michaels in Copper
• Coordinating Sequins 

I always start these by painting the interior of the letters, then the edges, then the back and front. For me, it helps ensure I don't leave bare spots in the nooks and crannies!

These take paint really well so it only took one coat. Next I dry brushed with the gold. 

I really wanted just a hint of gold so I kept it very light. After that, I added some copper accents using the same foil I'd used for the interior sentiment of my cards. 

NOTE: I thought plain Elmers was going to be enough because I was going for a very light effect with the foil...kind of like a dry brush...it was not! So I brushed on some dimensional glue ( Ranger Glossy Accents ). You can put the foil down almost as soon as you brush it on and then I burnished with the handle of a pair of scissors. 

I grabbed some bright gold sequins along with the metallic brown ones I'd used for my cards and just randomly placed them using the same Glossy Accents. 

You can get a better feel for the copper in this pic. I layered the sequins, using the large gold ones and then smaller brown ones. 

Easy. Pretty, Inexpensive. Three of my Crafting food groups! 

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Hanukkah: Modern and Bright Layered Dreidels

 

Hanukkah starts early this year, beginning at sundown on November 28th, the Sunday following Thanksgiving. So I needed to get some gifts done earlier this year! I'd picked up some deep box frames on one of my Michaels trips and decided they'd be perfect for what I wanted to do! 

Supplies: 

• Deep Box Frames 
• Handmade Paper (JoAnn)
• Foil Cardstock (Michaels)
• Chalk Paint (Folk Art, Michaels)
• Mod Podge Matte
• Digital Cutting Files 
• Digital Cutting Machine
• Coordinating Sequins and Rhinestones

I had this gorgeous handmade paper in my stash from a prior JoAnn's trip that I'd been holding on to for the right inspiration and this was it! 

The picture doesn't do it justice. I knew it would make the perfect background for my project. I pulled out coordinating foil cardstock from my stash (Recollections, from Michaels in bright gold, turquoise, and royal blue) and got to work. 

The first step was to prep the frames. I chose this Home Decor Chalk Paint by Folk Art which goes on smoothly with great coverage and only needed one coat. 

After the paint was dry, I sealed it with a coat of Mod Podge Matte. Then it was time to get to work on the interior. 

I'd downloaded a beautiful Hanukkah set of layered files from Special Heart Studio. You will just need to sign up with your email to get access to a wonderful set of files that Gjoa graciously provides for FREE! It comes with a Menorah and a Dreidel and I used the Dreidel. I downloaded and imported into Cricut Design Space, sized to fit the frames and cut on my Explore Air 2. 

I assembled the different layers of the dreidel using foam squares. 

I used gold for the bottom of each then switched up the turquoise and royal layers for each dreidel. Then using the backing insert from the frames, I Mod Podged the handmade  paper that I'd cut to size. 

After that was good and dry, I mounted the dreidels using Aileene's Turbo Tacky Glue, let that set, then put them in the frames. 

Of course I had to make cards to go with! For these I used a file I had downloaded in Silhouette Studio and then brought into my Cricut Design Space software which is easily done if you make sure you check the SVG box when purchasing your Silhouette image. 

As you can see, I went with the Chevron pattern and in Design Space used the "offset" function to create the layer behind the Chevron. Then I cut those from the foil cardstock as shown, used a spray adhesive to attach the gold top layers, and embellished with coordinating sequins and self adhesive rhinestones. I cut white cardstock 10x7 to make 5x7 cards, then a gold panel 4.75x6.75 to which I added strips of the handmade paper and then mounted the dreidels using foam squares. 

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