Papercrafting: 2024 Christmas Cards

 

My first love remains papercrafting and cardmaking. I still make all of my holiday and birthday cards for friends and family and remain honored each year that several keep and use them in their own holiday decorating. 

I have amassed quite the collection of papers but can't resist checking out new ones every year and sometimes combining with collections from previous years. I start stalking Michaels in September for their holiday papers since they go fast when they come out. Here's this year's crop! 

Supplies

• Holiday Themed Papers: New stacks this year High Shine and Holiday Cheer by Recollections
• White 110lb Cardstock: Recollections
• Glitter Cardstock (Amazon)
• Foam Tape and Squares (Dollar Tree)
• Tape Runner and Tape
• Self Adhesive Rhinestones

See? Stacks on stacks! 

I found some wonderful tree images via my Creative Fabrica subscription that are reminiscent of handmade papercuts. Thanks to modern technology I can use my Cricut to cut! I uploaded the images to Cricut Design Space, used the offset feature to create another layer, and cut them out.

I love metallics and glitter papers but especially at Christmas. I cut the offset layer from foil cardstock and the tree from glitter. Then layered the papercut tree on to the offset layer using foam squares. 

For a few I went glitter on glitter. The more sparkle, the better!

I chose various papers from the stacks to use as background and kept these fairly simple (for me) since I have to keep postage in mind and I am convinced the post office says "Not her again". 

Oops a little off on the placement here. Photos don't lie, but at any rate, you get the idea!

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Papercrafting: Birthday Card in Two Colors

 

I finally got back to making! Have a couple of early July birthdays and didn't plan on making matching cards but while looking through the paper stack I realized that the same paper came in two different colors and...

Supplies

• Recollections Background Paper (Watercolor Stack)
• Recollections 110lb Cardstock
• Recollections Foiled Papers
• Birthday SVG File 
• Birthday Balloon Stickers
• Tape Runner
• Double Sided Foam Tape

I decided on the patterned papers then pulled coordinating solid papers and cardstock from my stash. 

I wanted to accent the gold foil in the background papers and chose gold for the top layer and silver for the layer that would show the present. 

I cut out the SVG file layers, ending with the gold layer, and attached with my ATG Tape Runner, foam tape, and spray adhesive and did the same for the pink card. 

I saved the present cutouts and added some washi tape and rhinestones to accent the cards, then chose some balloon stickers (Dollar Tree) from my stash to embellish te middle balloon. Et, voila!

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Papercrafting: Musical Monogram

 

I am "Other Mother" to one of my bestie's daughters who is expecting her second child next month. The parents-to-be own a music store and Dad and Grandpa both play guitar. As part of their baby shower gift I made this framed Musical Monogram. 

Supplies

• Coordinating Papers
• Music Themed Alphabet (I downloaded from Creative Fabrica)
• 12x12 Shadowbox Frame
• Paper Punch
• Embellishments
• Double Sided and Foam Tapes

I selected the letter I needed from the alphabet I downloaded, sized, and imported into Cricut Design Space. Putting some things I learned last month in a workshop to use, I added a guitar from the CDS store and "sliced" a guitar image out the body of the top layer of the letter, then cut two guitars from silver glitter cardstock and layered them onto black pieces I also cut. 

I created two background layers for the Z using the Contour feature to remove the detail from the white layer, leaving it solid, and then using the Offset feature in Design Space to create the black background.

I used foam tape on the back of the white layer to attach to the black layer. 

To finish, I used some textured rhinestones as shown. The top layer of the monogram is black glitter paper. Can you tell there's a "Rock Star" theme here?

I've said before I stock up on these frames whenever they're a BOGO at Michaels. They are so perfect for making home decor or gifts like this one. 

I grabbed a large star punch from my punch collection and punched out a few stars which I attached with foam tape. Et, voila! 

I also found this great little book to include along with the other items in their gift. Looking forward to meeting my newest Grandbaby. We won't be grandparents biologically, but I get to play Fair Grandmother! 

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Papercrafting: Faux Chocolate Bunny Cards

 

My inspiration for this year's Easter cards came from a classic Easter staple, the foil-wrapped chocolate bunny. I used dark brown cardstock and glitter cardstock.

Supplies:

• Dark Brown Cardstock
• Pastel Glitter Paper (Recollections)
• Foiled/Marbled Background Papers (Recollections)
• White Cardstock (110lb)
• SVG File (I downloaded a set from Creative Fabrica)
• Cricut Cutting Machine
• Cricut Design Space
• Self-adhesive rhinestones
• Foam Tape
• Tape Runner

I used these papers by Recollections at Michaels for the background panels. I had these in my stash but was thrilled to find they still carried the Spring Marbles stack and picked up another one during their recent sale. 

I found a collection of bunnies at Creative Fabrica, downloaded, and selected the one I wanted to use. 

A moment of self-congratulatory pride...drumroll please! The middle of the top layer was empty and I found an egg design in Cricut Design Space and added it to the middle! Please clap!

This idea was inspired by foil-wrapped Chocolate Bunnies so I used dark brown cardstock for the bottom layer (used the offset tool in Design Space to create) and then cut the glitter layers. 

I attached the glitter layers to the "chocolate" layers using foam squares.

The thing I love about the Recollections papers is how well so many of the patterned papers work with solids. Being a paper hoarder, I have stacks from different years and they work together. I chose solids from the Spring Pastels stack to coordinate with the Spring Marbles papers and the Glitter Stack is also Spring. 

 

As always, my cards are 5x7 and the panels are 4.75x6.75 and 4.25x4.5. I attached the marbled papers to the solid using my ATG tape runner, then attached the layered panel to the card, then the "Chocolate Bunny" to the center using foam tape.

To finish, I grabbed my stash of self-adhesive rhinestones and added as shown. Now, family and friends have a calorie free Chocolate Bunny!

I did versions in pink:

Blue

Green

Lavender

When I make multiples, I use the same image even if I do different colors to make it easy to keep the settings in the software and machine the same and not confuse myself! 

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Sundays on Silverado

Papercrafting: Layered Disney Inspired Train

 

Walt Disney said that he wanted Disneyland to be a place for everyone, young, old, and in between. And one of the things we love is riding the Disney Railroad around the park. Since Mr.Chocolate likes trains period, I made him something special for a recent birthday that captures both! 

Supplies:

• 8x8 Shadowbox Frame (Michaels)
• Disney Themed Background Paper
• Red, Yellow, Black Cardstock
• Train Cut File (Silhouette Online Store)
• Foam Tape and Foam Squares
• Digital Cutting Machine (Cricut Explore Air 2)

He's got quite the Disney collection and this idea was inspired by a Funko Pop I got him for Christmas. Walt conducting his Railroad which he did occasionally do around the park.

I used one of my go to frames from my stash and then cut the background paper to size. 

I imported the SVG file from the Silhouette Online Store into Cricut Design Space , sized, and then duplicated the original and removed some of the cut out portions using the Contour feature in the software. I assembled the layers using foam tape and foam squares. 

I tacked the background paper to the back of the frame with double-sided tape then attached the train to it and assembled the frame.  

I also made him a coordinating card! 

He was very surprised and happy!