Santa's sleigh gift card holder svg

I am mailing off a gift card and wanted to incorporate it into the card.  I made this little sleigh so that the gift card would stick out like a package.  If you weren't using a gift card, little squares of patterned paper to look like gifts would also be cute.   The svg is below as todays freebie,  it includes three parts for the sleigh and the Merry Christmas writing   To make the sleigh a little pocket I just glued the bottom and top layers along the very edges only - see photo below.  Thanks for looking!
PSI_SantasSleigh

Christmas Cards

 Yesterday was finals for me, so today I am re-couping, relaxing, and making some cards.  This first one I made for Frosted Designs 5th day of Christmas Challenge : 5 things of gold

These are the stamps I used

It has 7 gold brads, the background is stamped in gold ink, the edges are done with a gold leaf pen, and there is a gold cord wrapped with the ribbon.  I liked this one so much I made 6 of them.

The next one was done for Cas-ual Fridays Knotty or Nice Challenge.  The ribbon is in a knot, and I knotted on a bell too!

Doh, I got sidetracked and missed the deadline for this one by a couple hours :(

Next I made two for the Less is More One Layer "in a row" challenge.  My snowflakes are sort of in a row, so hopefully they count.  I used punched snowflakes as masks and then sponged on some blue.  They look sort of blotchy in the photo, but they are quite soft in real life, I liked them so much I made several to send out.  The second entry is a $1 stamp from Micheals I've had for years, its a cutie.  I used a score pal and cuttlebug folder to emboss.

Thanks for looking!  Tomorrow I'm working on gifts!

2013 Matchbook Calendar tutorial and freebie

Time for my annual matchbook calendars.  If you haven't made these before, they make a great little stocking stuffer or something to toss in a card.  I recommend printing the calendar on standard copy paper and using cardstock or double sided designer paper (heavy) for the covers.  In years past I have used my cricut or stamps to decorate the covers, but this year I used some fabulous images from The Graphics Fairy .  I have picked 3 and sized them for covers and set to print on one page (jpg link below).

So here is how you make them....

1: Print you calendars and and covers (print covers on white cardstock if using images provided).

2: Cut calendars to 2 1/4 by 2 1/2.  Be sure to cut so that the months are close to the top and the white emtpy space is at the bottom of each month.

3: Cut your base - if using the ones provided, just cut off the white,  if using other cardstock, cut your paper to 2 1/2 by 6 inch.

4: Score your base at  1/2 inch

5: Fold bottom and staple in your stacked calendar sheets












6: Fold top down to staples and press flat.

Embellish as desired - I have found in years past that ones with pop dots or any raised items on the top don't hold up well in my purse, they catch on things, so if this is for a purse, flat embellishments/stamping does best.  If you'd like to see samples from years past, see my post HERE (2009) , or Here (2011), or Here (2012) Enjoy!

2013 Matchbook Calendar PDF

Matchbook covers

A few challenge Christmas cards

Today I took a break from school work to make a few cards for challenge blogs.  I made this on for red and green challenge on the Less is More site.  I used fresh vintage and greetings of the season (both Stampin Up)

I made this one for Retro Sketches.  Papers are from and Authentique Christmas pack, I used a spellbinders die for the label and cricut (Noel cartridge) for the poinsettia.

I made this one for Frosted Designs First day of Christmas challenge (had to include a bird).  I used a memory box stamp that has a bird and I used some my minds eye card bases which I am wanting to use up!

I made this one for Freshly Made Sketches

Then I made this one for a challenge, but then realized you were supposed to make tags, not a project with tags....oh well.

Whew, busy day!

Cricut Noel and felt poinsettia Christmas pillows

Last week I went looking for holiday pillows for the living room, but all I could find was tan with colored images, since I have a tan couch I didn't think it would look nice since the tans would be slightly different.  My only choice was to make my own.  I did one with fabric paint ( two posts earlier).  I wanted them all to be different so for my second I made a pottery barn sort of knock off (the PB pillow was white on tan for $50, mine is white on green and only about $5).  I'm sure theirs is much nicer, but..$ yikes.  I cut the poinsettia leaves from craft felt sheets, stitched them on, then stitched jingle bells in the center.  Today I did the 3rd pillow using the NOEL cut on the Noel Christmas cricut cartridge.  It was cut at 10 inch from stampin up fabric (they have 3 fat quarters on sale for 0.99).   I started by putting permanent heat-n-bond on a 12 inch square of fabric, cut my images, then ironed the pieces onto cream colored fabric.  I stitched a 1 inch red border around the cream and did the back in the green, so it used up most of the two fat quarters.    Each pillow took me about 30 minutes - perfect for a daily crafting "fix" -  and I have something I can use for years, I might have to make them for every season!  I'm linking these up with Christmas cheer link party over at Happy Hour Projects, thanks for looking!

Holly Edged Christmas Card and svg file

Oh my goodness, tomorrow is December!  I need to make some cards and quick, here is todays card along with an svg file.  There are a few extra holly leaves on the file, just in case you need some on the inside, or for accents, etc.   I cut the card base from craft and then lined the inside (verse side) with white so that the holly would pop on the bottom. The labels on the card are from spellbinders (labels and tags collection) and the stamp is from Stampin Up (Greetings of the Season set).   Thanks for looking!

PSI_HollyEdgeCard

Painted place mat JOY pillow

$3 place mat from Target

I really want some fun holiday pillows for my couch/chair but all the ones I can find in the stores are tan.  My couch is a gray-ish tan, so tan pillows would love awful.  I have no choice but to make them. For the first one, I wanted red so I picked up this $3 place mat at Target yesterday.  It has really fun sequins lining the top and bottom- perfect for a word pillow.  I used some scrap contact paper to make a stencil and then painted the fabric with Martha Stuart Multi-Surface acrylic in PEARL.  After using this stuff, I want to go buy all the colors!  If you are trying this, I suggest you use something with stick, rather than just paper for your stencil - either scraps of vinyl, or contact paper, or even freezer paper.  Then use a foam brush with a pouncing motion rather that brushing it.  This will keep you lines crisp.  One more tip: I know its hard to be patient while the paint is drying, you will want to strip off your stencil because you can't wait to see the results - don't do it! If the paint on the stencil is wet it can (and will) get on your project where you don't want it to, ALSO, if you are doing a light color on dark, you may want a second coat of paint, and I can tell you now, you are not getting that stencil back on right.  I was too eager and took it off, then had to add paint with a paintbrush.  Next time I will try to be more patient (ha).  So once my paint was dry, I ripped open about 4 inches of the side seam, stitched a button on the snowflake to tie in with the  sequins, stuffed it with filling from an older pillow, then hand stitched the opening closed.  I just love it!  I need 2 more for the couch, but I want them all to be different.  Next I'm trying a PB knock-off, I'll let you know how it goes.

With Stencil

Paint then LET IT DRY

Snowflake svg freebie

Today I tried making snowflakes in inkscape - it surprisingly fun-give it a try to make your very own!  I ended up with 6 done before kids got up.  Three of them have layers, but you could easily skip the layer if you like only pointy snowflakes, or mix and match to make other layered snowflakes!  File is below, happy cutting!

PSI_Snowflakes

How to make a quick holiday organizer

Its almost time to shop those Black Friday deals.  I whipped up a quick keeper to help me organize.

To make one, start with a piece of cardstock 6 x 12
Score at 3.5, 4, 4.5, 8. and 8.5 inches
Fold the first 3 score lines so that the form a peak.

Make a snip mark through the peak to the score lines, approx one inch from the end

Repeat approx. one inch from the other end
Push out the paper connecting the snips, this will be for holding the pen

Fold your cardstock into a book and your ready to work on the inside

For an inside pad, cut 3-4 sheets of standard thin white paper (like for your printer), into strips that are 2.25 by 4.24 inches.  3 sheets will make a pad of 24 sheets- probably plenty since this is only for the holidays.  Cut a small strip of an accent paper and fold over the edge of the paper pad, staple to the right flap.

Next, take 2-4 envelopes, seal them, then cut off the tops so that they are 3 1/4 inches wide.  Use adhesive to connect your envelopes to each other as well as the 2nd and 3rd flaps of your organizer, this will create pockets for keeping lists/receipts/coupons.

Embellish your folder as desired, add a fat-ish pen, there is room on the inside for a few post-it- notes (I only had blue, which doesn't match, but oh well!).  If your using some leftover scrap embellishments, you can really get this done in about 5 minutes, so make enough to hand out at dinner tomorrow!

NOW....GO SHOPPING!

For those who prefer a video (yup, still in my pj's and poor lighting - its was early) :  

Here is my last round of Thanksgiving/Fall cards...tomorrow I switch to Christmas!  Inside each one I have printed Wishing you and your family a Thanksgiving filled with bountiful blessings and countless happy memories.   Now, off to those new Christmas stamps!

One sketch for two cards

I used punches and left over scrapbooking items for the fall cards and the new Snowflake sizzix die for the winter card.

Bell Jar svgs

Tall bell jar set

short bell jar

Last week I went to a friends house and she had the new Tim Holtz bell jar die.  I loved the idea but we had a hard time finding a stamp to fit it (FYI, the To you and Yours stamp set from Stampin Up has a house that looks and fits perfectly in it).  Anyway, I thought it would be nice to have a jar you could size to fit your stamp (meaning an svg).  So I made a couple of svgs with bell jars but now my problem is how to turn them into cards.  I've tried liquid glass, stamping on white, or covering with cut transparency's to look like glass.  I've not really been happy with any of the results.  I thought I'd post the svgs and let others give it a go.  If you create something with them, please leave a comment with a link.  I know these types of dies are popular right now so somebody must have some ideas.  I look forward to seeing what you make!


 Short bell jar svg

Tall bell jar set svg

A Couple Joys of the Season cricut cards

Today I have a couple cards to share done with Joys of the Season cricut cartridge.  The first is the poinsettia, cut at 5 inch.   The second is the flower from page 68 - I meant to cut the pinecone, but forgot the shift key.  Once it was cut I figured I may as well make it into a card.  I cut it at 5 inch initially, then did just the flower again at 4.75, 3.5 and 2.5 inch.  For each flower I scrunched/curled the edges a bit-and glittered the edges.  Did you know Christmas is only 2 months away?!!!

Thanks for looking!

Fall burlap and felt coasters

I had this idea that burlap curtains in the craft area would be cute...it wasn't.  So now I have a couple yards of burlap I need to use for something else.  First use: coasters!

To make them you need:
8- 5x5 inch pieces of burlap
4- 4x4 inch pieces of felt
4- felt cuts for top (sizzix dies cut felt GREAT! I used Tim Holtz tattered leaves die)
glue

sewing machine or embroidery thread/needle

NOTE: I do not know how to sew, so take this with a grain of salt.

Attach you cut felt to one burlap square- I used Aleenes glue to the edges of the cuts, NOT the center where I was going to sew ( I tried a couple other adhesives/hot glue but they didn't work as well, fabric glue would probably be good but mine had dried out)

Sew or embroider some stitches on the felt to secure it to the burlap

Layer burlap with felt on top of felt and another burlap square.  Zig zag or embroider around the edge of the felt square.

Pull the UN-stitched (is that a word?) burlap threads to fray the edges.

DONE!

Hummm, what do I do with the rest of the burlap now...maybe a Halloween banner or table runner or?