The Crafty Elves' Countdown to Christmas - May 2021 Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to the May 2021 edition of The Crafty Elves' Countdown to Christmas.  If this is your first time here, there are 3 Crafty Elves - myself, Debra of Meticulosity and Lisa of Life of a BZscrapper. Each month the 3 elves make 4 cards for the holidays and we share on the 25th of each month.  And, this month, we have a Special Crafty Elf joining us - Crystal O. Minkler who you might also know as Tawny Owl Paperie.    

Have you started making any holiday cards yet?  If not, I hope these cards inspire you to start.  I actually made 5 cards this month because we 2 of the designs I had 2 ideas.  

Card No. 1

I actually started this card last month during the 10-day coloring challenge from The Daily Marker but never finished it.  Until this month.  I have had this "Pointed Oval/Circle" stamp set from Anthony's Paper Craft for over 2 years and never really knew what to do with them.  Then I just started stamping them and this card happened.  

• I started by cutting a piece of white cardstock using a stitched rectangle die that measures 4" x 5.25".
• Then I stamped the Pointed Circle stamp all around the cardstock.
  
• Then I colored in the Pointed Circles using 3 BIC Intensity Ultra Fine Tip markers - Rambunctious Red, Key Lime, and Blue Skies Blue.  Because of the design of the circles, you have so many options using just 3 colors.
• I adhered this to a piece of red cardstock, which I then adhered to my card front.
• I made my own sentiment, printed it out and adhered it to the card front and then, lastly, added a crystal inside the center of each circle.
  
  
  

 

 Card Nos. 2 and 3

These cards use the Vintage Botanical Holly stamp from Technique Junkies. I bought it on my last trip to NY a few years ago and it's never been inked up.  I also decided to do 2 cards, each card a bit different. 

• I started by making two top folding A2 cards from white cardstock.  Then I used a stitched rectangle die and cut a piece of green and a piece of red cardstock, which I then adhered to the card fronts. 
• I cut two pieces of white cardstock using the next stitched rectangle die down.  Then I stamped the image of the holly on to the cards.  On one I stamped just the full image and on the other I stamped the holly randomly around the white cardstock.  
  
• The single holly image I layered on a piece of the green cardstock.  Then I cut a piece of red fun foam for under the image.  Then I adhered it to the card front. 
• The randomly stamped holly image piece I layered on a piece of red cardstock, which I then adhered to the card front. 
• Using Parker Lower Alphabet set from Memory Box (retired), I cut the word "merry" out of the red cardstock.  Then I adhered the word to each of the card fronts. 
• Lastly, I used green stickles on the leaves.  
• On the inside of each card I stamped a sentiment from the Gifts of Christmas Set of 5 stamp set also from Technique Junkies.
  
  

Card Nos. 4 and 5

For these cards I used a snowflake die cut to make 2 cards using the positive and negative of the snowflakes.  Great way to get two cards made at the same time.  Also, using snowflake images or dies with a sentiment that can be for any religion, you get a "holiday" card for either Christmas, Hanukkah, or even Kwanzaa. 

Although I used the Let It Snow Confetti Cuts from Reverse Confetti, which is long retired, they have two stamp/die sets that would be perfect too - the Snowflakes stamp set works with the Snowflakes Confetti Cuts and the Snowflake Magic stamp set works with the Snowflake Magic Confetti Cuts.   Just sayin....LOL

• I made two top folding A2 card bases using white cardstock.
• On one card front I adhered a piece of decorative snowy type paper that I had made a long time ago, scanned, and printed. The other I left it alone.
• I used a stitched rectangle die to cut a piece of white cardstock and a piece of the snowy blue paper.  
• I placed the 3 snowflake dies on the white cardstock and ran it thru my machine.  Then I stamped the sentiment "every day is magical", which is from the Magical Days stamp set from Unity. 
• The 3 snowflakes that cut out I adhered to the snowy blue piece of paper and then I stamped the sentiment under them. 
• I adhered the white cardstock to the snowy blue card front.  
• I adhered the snowy blue cardstock to a piece of white fun foam and then to the card front.
• Lastly, one both card fronts, I adhered crystals in the center of each snowflake and then a few additional crystals to the card fronts.
  
  

And those are my 4 Christmas/Holiday card ideas for May!  Do you have a fav?  I love them all, as usual, and can't really pick my fav.  

Please remember to visit the other Crafty Elves as well as our Guest Crafty Elf. Each of them has even more amazing card ideas for the holiday season and it's never too early to start making some.  Just click on their links to go right to their May 2021 creations! 

Debra's Blog - Meticulosity

Debra's IG Page - djdavison814

Lisa's Blog - Life of a BZscrapper

Lisa's IG Page - bzscrapper

My IG Page - worldofmichaeltrent

Crystal's Blog - Tawny Owl Paperie
Crystal's IG Page - crystalominkler

Until next time...hugs from Brasil!

~Michael