a little bit of us: September 2019

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Here's another one ...

I couldn't help it - honest.

I love Christmas creativity.

Last week I showed a crafter how I make my hot air balloons.

I dug deep into my stash and found some Vintage Christmas papers from Blue Fern Studios, sourced some more seedling pots [peat pots] and this is what my hot air balloon turned out like.

There are a couple of ridges in these seedling pots, so I opted to cover in gesso, waited for it to dry and then used a tacky glue before winding twine around the outside of the pot.

Inside the pot there is a handful of nuts and bolts [metal ones] to weight down the pot and then half a polystyrene ball, which is then covered in tacky glue and the wee Christmas baubles are glued down on top of it. Throw in a few crafting fibres around the bottom together with some Aleene's True Snow and I'm a happy crafter.

Gorgeous papers, a few pearls, lace, poinsettias, True Snow, a little Christmas foliage and voila.

Happy crafting everyone.

Until next time,
Michelle

Friday, September 27, 2019

Exploding box

Hi everyone

Let me start off by saying - it's starting to look a lot like Christmas in my house.

There are Christmas bits and pieces lying around everywhere and I may have sung a few wee Christmas tunes not only in my head, but out loud as well.

I know it's early but I'm one of those people that just loves Christmas.

Let me share a little more Christmas creativity with you all.

An exploding Christmas box.

All panels are decorated

and the inside ...

a gorgeous wee Christmas tree ...

Let's make the exploding box itself.

The lid ...

Cut patterned paper 2 1/4" squares for the lid of your exploding box together with strips to cover the outside of your lid.

The base ...

Looking left to right - cut away the top left hand side square and the top right hand side square on the top row.

On the bottom row cut away the bottom left hand side square and the bottom right hand side square.

Choose a selection of patterned papers from the stunning Naughty or Nice collection from Couture Creations.

Cut patterned paper squares 2 1/4" to cover each panel both front and back of the base of your exploding box.

Now choose how you want to decorate each inside panel of your exploding box.

I cut a selection of pieces of Christmas foliage [in bulk] - I have also used the bauble ornament die cuts from the ephemera pack on each wall panel, layered Christmas foliage pieces, added crafting fibres, hearts, holly and sentiments and then randomly applied Christmas snow.

Each panel ...

My middle Christmas panel on the bottom - I made a Christmas tree and I love how this turned out.

I cut a pile of pieces of Christmas foliage and used a toothpick in the centre and layered, added more layers, more adhesive, some baubles and crafting fibres as I built up the tree layers and then I stuck on a small white bauble at the top.

I used another toothpick to add Christmas snow to my tree.

The lid ...

I made a Christmas poinsettia with foamiran - I coloured the foamiran with oil pastels.

I built up my embellishment cluster with Christmas foliage, crafting fibres, hearts, Christmas baubles and used the sentiment 'Merry Christmas' from the ephemera die cut pack.

Using a toothpick I randomly applied Christmas snow.

Materials List :

CO726889 12 x 12 patterned paper set

CO726903 ephemera die cuts

CO724389 glue pen

CO726342 Couture Creations Scoring Board

ULT200031 cardstock - Cypress Pine

CO725038 scissors non stick blade

CO721985 Double sided adhesive tape

CO725410 Mirror board - matte gold - A4 sheets

CO726143 - foamiran sheets

Happy creating everyone,
Until next time
Michelle

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Christmas cards

Hi everyone

Let me share two cards that were really very quick to make.

Both cards are 4" x 4" - well the front of the card measures 4" x 4".

Cut a piece of white cardstock 8" x 4" and score in half with the fold on the left hand side of the card.

Cut green cardstock 3 3/4" x 3 3/4" and adhere on top of the white cardstock.

Select one of the gorgeous patterned papers from the Naughty or Nice collection and cut 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" square and adhere on top of the cardstock.

Cut a strip of green cardstock 1/2" x 3 1/2" and adhere across the front of the patterned paper.

Cut a selection of pieces of Christmas foliage from both the green cardstock and scrap pieces of patterned paper.

Adhere a little crafting fibre, Christmas foliage and then adhere a Christmas poinsettia.

Cut two or three hearts - I have used white cardstock and gold mirror board. Tie them together on the left hand side with gold thread and adhere to the poinsettia.

Cut a sentiment and adhere to the left of your embellishment cluster.

Randomly apply some snow product to give it that extra 'snowy' Christmassy look.

Materials List :

CO726889 12 x 12 patterned paper set

CO726890 6.5" paper pad

CO726903 ephemera die cuts

CO724389 glue pen

CO726342 Couture Creations Scoring Board

ULT200031 cardstock - Cypress Pine

CO725038 scissors non stick blade

CO721985 Double sided adhesive tape

CO725410 Mirror board - matte gold - A4 sheets

CO726908 Joyous frame mini die set

Happy creating everyone,
Until next time
Michelle

Sunday, September 01, 2019

Christmas is fast approaching

Hi everyone,

I'm back to share a little Christmas creativity featuring the gorgeous 'Naughty or Nice' collection from the Couture Creations team.

I love the more traditional colours of Christmas. The reds, the greens, golds, snow - love it all.

This post is all about Christmas gifting - the tags, the gift boxes, the gift bags.

A little something to make all those wee Christmas treasures that you are gifting, well something a little more special.

Tags - well tags definitely don't have to be tagged shape shall we say.

I cut out a star shape and then recut it on cardboard packaging - corrugated cardboard packaging.

These star tags are approximately 4 inches across from side to side.

Cut out another shape this time using gorgeous papers from the Naughty or Nice collection.

Before adhering, rip away a couple of areas or both of the patterned paper and the top layer of the corrugated cardboard star.

When I am in the midst of Christmas creativity I spend an hour or two cutting out pieces of Christmas foliage through my die cutting machine until I have a large assortment of foliage pieces to create with.

Using up lots of scraps of patterned paper and green card.

Then I just go 'fishing' shall we say in my Christmas foliage container until I find what I am looking for and use them to build up my layers.

Punch a hole in the top of your star, ink around the edges, thread through some twine, build up your embellishment cluster, add some crafting fibres, a poinsettia, threads, muslin, pearls, a sentiment and then randomly apply Christmas snow.

Patterned paper gift bags, calico gifts bags, muslin gift bags, tulle gift bags.

So many ways to present and gift your Christmas treasures every year.

Make a gift bag and use a scalloped lacey edge die along the top. Punch holes and thread additional twine through and then tie in one of your star tags.

If you look really closely on the tag on this gift bag you will see 'naughty or nice' on the poinsettia - this comes from the bar code strip of the paper - don't throw those strips away - they come in handy.

Tie a star tag onto a calico bag.

Tip - always remember when making paper gift bags to check to see which way the writing on your patterned paper will sit on the front of your gift bag - hint, double check to prevent the writing being upside down on a gift bag when it is made - it happens, trust me on this one.