Crafty Elves Countdown to Christmas - November 2022 Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to the November 2022 Edition of the Crafty Elves' Countdown to Christmas.  If you are just joining me/us, on the 25th of each month, the Crafty Elves - me, Debra of Meticulosity, Lisa of Life of a BZScrapper, and Misty of The Jolly Fat Elf - post several ideas to help you with your Christmas and holiday cardmaking.  

Photos/links to the other Crafty Elves' projects, as well as links to our social media pages, are at the end of this post and I hope you can find some time to stop by to show them some love.  And to follow us!  

This month I have 2 card ideas (and a bonus idea) using just dies and papers.  These can easily be mass-produced with some simple prep before to make things go faster.  

For my prep...

• I made 2 A2 card bases and then I adhered a piece of decorative Christmas paper to the front of each one.  I went thru my stash and found some single sheets to use.

• Next, using 2 different sized dies from the Stitched Rectangle Set 1 Dies from Pink & Main, I cut 2 pieces of white cardstock.  One measures 3.25" x 4.5" and the other measures 3.75" x 5".

Prep is done.  Now for the words JOY and NOEL.  

I used the Outline Letters alphabet die set from Creek Bank Creations for the letters in each word.   I love these letters because you get an outline part and a solid part for each letter, giving you more options.  For the letter "O", I used the wreath die from the Mantel Decor - Winter Die Set from Altenew.  

 

• To make my life easier, I applied double sided tape to the back of each of the stitched rectangle pieces.  This way the pieces of the letters will be easier to adhere down later.  This is optional but worked best for me.  You can use glue later on if you want.

• Then, using a craft mat, I lined up the dies as best I could trying to leave the same amount of space between each of the dies.  Then I used a piece of washi tape to secure the dies, place them on my piece of white cardstock, and then I die cut them.

This is what you will end up with.  We will not use the solid inside letters but we will use the outline parts. Make sure to keep the small center piece of the wreath.

• I adhered each of the stitched rectangle pieces to a piece of red cardstock.  Then I trimmed them leaving a small border, adhered the outline portion of each of the letters to the inside of the cut out areas (optional), and then I adhered these to the card fronts using foam tape.   

• I used the white cut out wreath as a mask and adhdered the inside part to each of the card fronts.  Then I die cut the wreath again using green(ish) paper and adhered them to the white wreaths, which I then adhered to the card front using small foam dots.  

• And, lastly, I adhered small crystals to each of the indentations on the wreaths, I die-cut the bow from the Mantel Set using red glittered fun foam, and then I adhered a small strip of the same paper I used on the card front to the inside of the card, with a Merry Christmas sentiment from Impression Obsession. 

Done!  Here are the final cards.

I hope you can find some time to visit the other Crafty Elves to see what projects they have made for this month.  Their social media pages are below.  Just click on the link and you will be taken right to them.  And, if you want to follow us, that would be awesome too. 

My Instagram

My Blog

My Facebook

My YouTube Channel

Debra's Blog

Debra's Instagram

Debra's Facebook

Lisa's Blog

Lisa's Instagram

Lisa's Facebook

Misty's YouTube Channel 

Misty's Instagram

Misty's Facebook

Thanks for stopping by my blog today.  Have a great Thanksgiving if you are celebrating and, until next time...

Hugs from Brasil!

~Michael

Woodblock Wednesday - Hanko Designs - Butterfly Fence

 

Hello everyone and welcome to "Woodblock Wednesday" - the new day of the week to dust off and ink up those long-forgotten woodblock stamps.  My friend Amy rebooted this idea of hers and I want to play along.  Since moving here with hundreds of woodblock rubber stamps that have never been used or loved, I decided that it was time to start inking them up.    

If you would also like to play along, the graphic Amy created is below, and, remember to use the hashtags #woodblockwednesday and #woodblockstamps (and any other hashtags you feel are relevant).  Also, remember to link up on her blog, which you can find HERE.

When I started this "addiction", er, I mean "hobby", there were no clear stamps.  Or digital stamps.  There was no Etsy.  Just red rubber stamps on wood blocks. And, when I moved here, all my stamps came along with me for the ride.  Even if I never used them in the states, I "knew" I would use them in Brasil.  LOL

8-10 years later, let's get using them!

While cleaning recently, I found a beautiful butterfly stamp (from 2007) called Butterfly Fence from Hanko Designs that I bought at The Ink Pad - YEARS AGO.  Hanko is still in business and making stamps but, sadly, they no longer sell this image.  And, sadly, The Ink Pad is no longer in business.  But I wanted to use it. 

I started by making an A2 card from black cardstock.  I cut another piece of black cardstock, 4.25" x 5.5", using a stitched rectangle die, which I then embossed with an embossing folder in my stash.  Sadly, I have no idea who makes the folder but the design matched the design in the stamp perfectly - not that you can see much of it.

Then I used another stitched rectangle die, 4" x 5.25", to cut 2 pieces of white cardstock.   

I adhered the piece of embossed black cardstock to my card front and one of the white pieces to the inside of the card.  

Using the other piece of stitched white cardstock, and a stamp positioner, I stamped the image with some of it off the cardstock.  

Then I positioned my image where I wanted it and stamped it again to the right of the first image. 

Next, I adhered a piece of black fun foam to the back of my stamped piece and then I adhered this to the card front.  

I decided to use one of the quotes from the Small Talk Sticker pack from Tim Holtz.  I cut it, layered it on a piece of black cardstock, then to the card front. 

I thought I was done but I was wrong.  Something was missing.  Bling!  So I adhered a small Swarovski crystal to the center of each of the Xs.

Now I am done!  I made a 2nd card, this one horizontal.  Both are below.

I hope you have enjoyed this little journey back in time with a woodblock stamp.  Are you playing along?  Let me know and leave a comment below.  I'd love to see what you make.  

Until next time...

Hugs from Brasil!

~Michael