Crafty Elves Countdown to Christmas - October 2020 Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to the October 2020 Edition of The Crafty Elves Countdown to Christmas, but I like to call it the Countdown to the Holidays since I also make Hanukkah/Chanukah cards for my family and friends.  

The other Crafty Elves (Debra and Lisa) have also been busy making their cards, which you can find on their blogs by clicking on the links below.  I hope you can find some time to show them some love too.

Debra - Meticulosity

Lisa - Life of a BZ Scrapper

Now on to my cards for October!

Cards No. 1

For these 3 cards, I used images from The Happy Holiday Tags Bundle Digital set from The Paper Rabbit on Etsy.  You might know The Paper Rabbit as Lindsay Ostrom - Creator of Cuteness - one of my favorite designers.  The bundle comes with both Christmas and Hanukkah images. 

Back for the August 2020 Crafty Elf post, I made some cards using the Christmas sheet and this month, as promised, I made some Hanukkah cards.

They are super simple to make.

• I made 3 top-folding A2 card bases of white cardstock to which I adhered some decorative Hanukkah paper.  The papers all came from the Happy Hanukkah paper kit by Photo Play Paper.
• I colored 3 of the images using BIC Intensity Ultra Fine Tip marks.  
• I adhered each of them to a piece of navy blue cardstock, trimmed around each to give a border, and then I adhered them to the center of each card using foam tape. 
• To finish off the cards, I used some Stickles by Ranger on 2 and some homemade enamel dots on 2 others.  

Below are each of the cards -  

Card No. 2

I've had this Sun Garden Medallion stamp from Holly Berry House Originals for many many years.  It was only recently that I found it while cleaning out some boxes and I had to put ink to it again.  I intended to make a 3D ornament but life got in my way and I decided to make a card.  But I think the ornament will be for the next Crafty Elf post.  

Other than some fussy cutting and a lot of coloring, which I love to do, this card is very easy to put together.  

• I decided to make this as a 5 layer card so I started by stamping the image 5 times, on white cardstock, with Versamark and then embossing with Black Sparkle embossing powder (Ranger).  I love how the ornament sparkles between the layers.
• I fussy cut 2 of the images completely.  With the other 3 images, I cut out only sections of each image with the intention of building the layers up with foam tape. 
• I colored in the images using BIC Intensity Markers - both the Ultra Fine Tip and Fine Tip markers.
• I made a 5" square card using white cardstock to which I adhered a piece of decorative paper.  Then I cut another piece of decorative paper, 4.75" square, adhered a piece of fun foam behind it, and then adhered this to the card front.
• To build the ornament, I adhered one full image to the center of the card.  Then I adhered the other full image with foam tape but I turned it 90 degrees. 
• Then I continued to build the layers up adhering each layer with foam tape.
• I added some stickles around the image to give some shimmer and then I adhered the sentiment on a banner strip.

Card No. 3

This card was so easy and fun to make!  I was in the process of listing this stamp set to sell when I realized this set is perfect for a slimline card!  I used Holiday Lineup from Stampin Up.  It's retired but still around on eBay if you do a serch.

• I started by making a 3.5" x 8.5" slimline card base of white cardstock, which I covered in decorative Christmas paper.
• I cut another piece of white cardstock 3.25" x 8.25".
• Using a stamp positioner, I stamped the elves in the center of the white cardstock.  Then I stamped again on each side.
• I colored in the elves.  I only used 3 or 4 BIC Intensity Ultra Fine Tip markers.  
• I die cut the Merry Christmas Script sentiment from Poppy Stamps using red cardstock and adhered the words in the center, above the elves.
• Lastly, I used Christmas Red stickles on the ends of the elf hats and Frosted Lace on the beards.

Card No. 4

I got the idea for this card after I saw THIS card on the Lisa Addesa/I'm In Haven blog.  She used stamps on her card and I decided to use scrapbook paper.  (She has an amazing blog by the way so go check her out.)

• I started by making a top-folding A2 card using white cardstock to which I adhered a piece of decorative cardstock.  The paper I used is from the Christmas Past Collection from graphic45.
• Using a stitched rectangle die, I cut another piece of white cardstock and then I trimmed it down to form 2 triangles.  
• Since one side is not stitched, I used a stitched die from the Dots & Dashes set from Paper Smooches to add stitching to the last side. 
• I layered the triangles on a piece of red cardstock to give a slight border.  On one I stamped a sentiment and then I adhered both to the card front using foam tape.

And those are my 4 ideas for October!  

I hope you guys love these cards as much as I do.  Which is your favorite?  I am leaning towards the Hanukkah cards and the elves.  Probably because of all the coloring.  

Please remember to visit the other Crafty Elves - 

Debra - Meticulosity

Lisa - Life of a BZ Scrapper

As always, thanks for stopping by my blog.  Until next time - 

Hugs from Brasil - 

~Michael

Witches Brew - Slimline Halloween Card

Hello everyone!  I should be making holiday cards for my Crafty Elf post on the 25th but my brain is still in Halloween mode!  The other day I made THIS Halloween card using the Happy Haunting Chipboard Elements from the Happy Haunting Collection from My Mind's Eye, that I had in my stash.  I wanted to use more of the chipboard elements and was thinking of cards to make when my eyes settled on the piece that says "Witches Brew" and I immediately thought "coffee".  And that is how this card came to be.      

I started by making a top-folding 4" x 9" slimline card using black cardstock.  I also printed some of the digital papers from the Halloween Digital Set No. 001646 from VectoriaDesigns on Etsy.

Using the largest die from the Slim Stitched Rectangle Die Set from Pinkfresh Studio, I cut the paper with the larger checkered design and adhered this to the card front.

Next, using the Large Coffee On the Go die from Memory Box, I die cut the coffee cup from the digital papers I printed.  I also die cut the coffee lid and cup warmer from black cardstock and I embossed the cup warmer pieces using the Swiss Dots embossing folder from Cuttlebug.  Just to give some texture to the pieces. 

This is the part where the card was not coming out the way it was in my head I had to adjust my idea!! 

I distressed the edges of the cups with black ink (so that the pop off the checkered paper).  But, when I placed them against the card front, they just kinda blended in and did not pop.  

So, I die cut the cup part again, 6 times, out of black cardstock and adhered each of the 6 cups to the cardstock, offsetting it just a smidgen.  Along with the cup warmers and cup lids.

Then I adhered them to the card front with white glue, except for the 1st and 6th cup, which I adhered with pop dots. 

Lastly, I adhered the Chipboard Element that says "Witches Brew" to the card front over the cup.  

Done!  I know there are a lot of patterns going on here but I think it all works together and gives a more Halloweenie feel to it.  What do you think?  

Thanks for stopping by the blog today.  Now I am off to make a few more holiday cards for my Crafty Elf post on the 25th!  This year is flying by!  Until next time - 

Hugs from Brasil.

~Michael

Spooky Slimline Halloween Card

 

Hello y'all.  How is everyone doing?  We had a bit of a hurricane here last week - tiles flew off the roof and we had a bit of flooding inside the house but now, a week later, all is back to normal.   

It's that time - a new challenge over on the If You Give A Crafter a Cookie Challenge Blog.  We are up to Challenge No. 153 and it's all about Halloween, or bats, or witches, or scary cats, or even the colors of Halloween.  Here is the inspiration photo the Design Team had to work with should you wish to join us!

I had a bunch of ideas in my head but then I started to clean and I found this in my stash - 

It's the Happy Haunting Chipboard Elements from the Happy Haunting Collection from My Mind's Eye.  From 2013!  And I had to use it for this card.    

I decided to make a slimline card using the 6 letters that spell out S P O O K Y.  It's the perfect type of card since the letters each measure about 1 3/8".  

• I made a top folding slimline card, 3.5" x 8.5", using black cardstock.  
• I adhered one of the design papers from the digital version of the Hocus Pocus Paper Pack from Echo Park.  
  
  

• I cut a piece of black cardstock, 2.5" x 8.5", and stamped the Spider Web image from Anthony's Paper Craft using Versamark ink and Black Sparkle Embossing Powder (Ranger). 
  
  I love how this Black Sparkle looks on black cardstock!  
  
  

• I adhered it to a piece of black fun foam and then to the card front.   
  
  

• I adhered the letters S-P-O-O-K-Y across the front of the black embossed cardstock.  I also adhered 3 black enamel dots to the front. 
   

Because the cardstock base is black, the last thing I did was to cut a piece of white cardstock and adhere it to the inside so I can write on it.  

Done!  

I hope you enjoyed this card idea.  If you want to play along with us, just click HERE to be taken to the challenge blog. If you play along with the challenge, please let me know so I can check out your creation.  

Thanks for stopping by the blog today.  Stay safe and, until next time - 

Hugs from Brasil - 

~Michael