Snowflake The Winter Dragon

 

     When is tree shaped treat box not a tree shaped treat box?......When it's a dragon of course!

   The new Charles Treat Box from John Next Door makes a great gift box, but when I started to make one it fell over on my desk and looked just like a dragon's head with perfect spikey teeth. Not very Christmassy?  it is if you like dragons....a dragon is for all seasons......a table decoration with a difference. Make in another colour scheme for Halloween, a special gift or just for fun.

     

     I made a dragon in plain card as a prototype, no point in wasting the good stuff to start with, it meant I could fold and chop it around until it looked right without a worry.

     The body is made from the main part of last years Hexacracker with two hexagons for end caps.

     For the tail I made the treat box into a triangular shaped tree and glued it to the hexabody, making sure that the spines of one edge were pointing upwards and lined up with the peak of one edge on the body.

     With the remaining tree from making the tail I folded it in half and glued the spinney edge. Cutting the tree in half I discarded the folded part and glued the spine along the ridge of the body in line with the tail spines.

     For the head I made the box as a tree but left one side open, the inside of this flap was lined with some marbled effect wallpaper and the spinney edges were folded inward to form the lower row of teeth. To stop the jaw flapping about I glue the largest tooth at the back of the mouth to the corresponding tooth on the upper jaw, the mouth stays open but doesn't drop too low.

     The head was glued onto the body to be higher than the tail, then a spine was added to the head, made in the same way as the main body spine but shorter and glued in the middle to line up with the rest of the spines.

     Wings were made from one tree shape each, the bottom edge was cut with the box die to get a spikey edge, then scored and pleated to give folds. These were glued onto the body at an angle to give a nice sweeping wing that stands up. Wing tips can be glued together so it can be hung up, but you will need to find the centre of balance for your own dragon as it will vary depending on card and embellishments added.

     All that remained were the legs, what better way to stand firm than using four trees. Three tree tops for each leg were cut, I only cut the top part that I would need rather than wasting card. The little trees were cut with an angle to the base so that Snowflake would stand level, having the slightly shorter edge on the inside as well as a flat side to glue to the body.

     Once the dragon was built it was time to cover it in snowflakes and gems for added sparkle and some large blue pearls for eyes. Using a patterned pearl card made it much easier to incorporate sparkle and shine, embossing would have made it harder to assemble and painting might have made it soggy.

     It may sound complicated but it's not really, pick up some inexpensive card and have a play. Dies should be versatile giving value for money, it's NOT just what it says on the packet, it can be so much more.

I would like to enter this project in the following challenges:

Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps - Anything BUT A Card

Try It On Tuesday - Fantasy

Creative Crafting Uncles - #44 Animals

Peace On Earth - #47 Photo (Snowflakes)

Christmas With The Cuties - #73 Something Snowy

Die Cutting Divas - Anything Goes

The Holly & Ivy - #147 Anything Christmas

Fab 'n' Funky - #579 Wings or Scales

A Tree For All Seasons

 

   The new Tree Of Life die set from John Next Door lends itself to much more than card making. I love making 3D projects and this was perfect to use with the Stepped Lantern for a seasonal terrarium.

     

     Using Kraft card I cut four trees and folded each one in half. The next step was to glue the trees together in pairs.

     While the trees were drying I cut the Stepped Lantern in acetate, with a black card base and assembled it.

     To get the tree to stand up and stay strong I added two thin strips of Kraft card to the bottom of the trunk before gluing the two sides together to form a complete tree.

    

     For Spring I die cut lots of pink flowers with one of the dies in the set, shaped them and glued them all over a quarter of the tree. I didn't add leaves as many trees flower before any leaves appear.

     The next section was Summer, a healthy covering of green leaves in several shades, all shaped and glue onto the branches.

     Using the same leaf die I cut lots of leaves in Autumn shades, shaped them and glue them onto the tree.

     For Winter I used some flock and a little Flowersoft, both in white. 

     I cut a base to go inside the lantern and made a slit in the centre. I passed the extra tabs on the bottom of the tree through the slit and glued them on the underside, I also added glue around the trunk on the right side of the base.

     Once the glue was dry and the tree was firm on it's base I inked, with green, the half that was under Spring and Summer. Using some flock and Flowersoft from my stash I decorated the 'ground', adding fallen leaves to Autumn and snow to Winter.

     When the tree and base were dry I gently slid them into the terrarium, gluing the 'ground' to the base. A little check on the tree to tidy up any stray decoration and make sure the inside of the acetate was clean before using a length of cord to seal the top.

     Die cut ivy was then used on the top to add some interest to the outside.

     It was a little fiddly in places but not as complicated as you might think, the main thing is to make sure the tree is standing firmly on it's base, you don't want it falling over once inside the terrarium.

I would like to enter this project in the following challenges:

A Perfect Time To Craft - #3 Anything Goes

Classic Design - #3 Anything Goes

Daisy Chain - #61 Use Dies

Happy Little Stampers with Dies - Anything Goes with Dies

Love To Craft - #67 Anything Goes

The Four Seasons - Anything Goes Spring

Gem Of A Craft - #6 Anything Goes

Ribbon Tree

     A new year , a new challenge at Christmas Craft Creations, this month it's use ribbon or twine. As you can see I went a bit OTT with ribbon, we're not just a card making challenge so this seemed the perfect project.

     My crafting buddy Mynn made one of these a few years ago and I loved it, it's a fab way to use up all those odd bits that are too short for wrapping but too good to bin. I have to admit it took me a while to get my knots right, some ribbon is just so slippery.

     The trunk is a small twig cut from the garden and left to dry out for a week or so, then glued into the cotton reel. The ribbon around the reel is stuck on with redline tape and there is a small baize disk stuck on the bottom so it won't scratch any surface it's put on.

     The star is a brad, held with silicone glue because I didn't trust myself not to dribble hot glue all over my ribbons! The pins of the brad were then wrapped around the trunk once the glue had set.

     I have a small collection of festive trees which I add to every year, some are bought but most are handmade.

     Come and join us to start your festive makes for this year, we have lots of inspiration for you over at Christmas Craft Creations.

I would like to enter this project in the following challenges:

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas

The Holly and Ivy - Anything Christmas

Crimbo Crackers - Anything Christmas

Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas     Top 5

Fezziwigs Festive Frolics - Anything Christmas     Top Pick

Trees and Stars

     Next Sunday will see the release of the third Christmas collection from John Next Door. This card is made with the Jane's Tree die set.

     I cut three trees in dark green card, making sure it was green on both sides. It is possible to score down the middle of these die cuts if you are careful, the tree is not symmetrical so you will need to fold them so the animals match on the sides to be glued together.
     After slowly folding and gluing the trees I cut the frame into a piece of the new Waterfall gold glitter card, it needed something subtle to fill the open spaces at the top either side of the tree so I used a star die. To make the stars stand out I put a piece of gold mirri card behind the Waterfall card.
     To bring a little more green into the picture I used a mat layer in the same card onto a white card blank. For the greeting, which also comes in the die set, I used a shaped die and backed it with a little more green card before mounting it on foam pads.
     A  nice easy card with dimension, the only bit to take time was the tree folding, but done slowly it works very well. The Waterfall card is gorgeous and comes in a mixed pack of gold and silver, it has a softer effect than the usual glitter card or plain mirri card.


Materials List
JND195 - Jane's Tree die set
CTGFP-09 Waterfall Glitter Card
LKK-A441 - Moss Linen Card
CAT002 - Glue Glaze pen
S57262 - 3D PVA Glue

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

ABC Christmas - P..Pine Trees  (sort of)

The 12 Months Of Christmas - Shimmer and Shine

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas 

The Holly and Ivy Christmas - #77 Anything Christmas

Deer Forest

      Wow, I never thought I'd be able to say 'As Seen On TV' but his one was this morning. I'm so happy it made the grade and so grateful for the opportunity to work with John.

      I started by stamping Woodland Deer on a piece of white card using Versafine black. I stamped the image twice, which is easy when using a stamp platform and a clear stamp.
     For this card I needed a 5 1/4 inch square which meant the deer appeared twice, I didn't want that so I covered the second deer with a die cut pine tree before cutting out my square. The only colouring on this was the deer, I tried one fully coloured but it was too busy for a background.

      My box card started as two pieces of white card 5.5 x 10.5 inches long, both scored at 1.5, 2.5, 8 & 9 inches. The front piece has a square window cut in it ready for decoration.
      I stuck the stamped background in the centre of the back panel and creased the panel ready for the die cut trees. Using the Woodland Tree die I cut a panel two cuts wide so it would fit across the centre of the box with spare to glue down. At this point I added a grazing deer from Deer Scenes 2019, coloured dark brown behind the trees.
      The centre tree panel is what holds the card as a square when finished so I had to measure, mark and then glue in place across my creased card.

     The two outer edges of the front card were embossed with a snowflake strip folder, it would look nice if the snowflakes had a little sparkle but I didn't manage it for this one.   
     Before sticking the front panel to the back I glued another tree die cut to the inside of the window and a stag from the Deer Scenes set, again coloured dark brown.
     I then glued front to back making sure to keep the box shape, this card will fold flat for posting but you have to be mindful of any decoration that sticks out beyond the edges, like the snowflake on this one. I used a corner chomper to round off the outer corners.

      There is a small die cut 'Peace' in silver glitter on the bottom left corner and a snowflake on the upper right. This snowflake was made using various die cuts in silver glitter card, white card and white shimmer card, all topped off with a small silver gem.
      There is ample room on the back to add any greeting or message you wish. As there is no mention of Christmas on the front this could be used as a winter decoration year after year.

Materials list 
  JNDC  C021 - Deer Scenes                                
  JND 141 - Woodland Trees      
  CTJJ106 - Woodland Deer

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas, optional Deer

              My Time To Craft - Christmas In July 
 Crafty Animals - Anything Goes With An Animal

Cute 'N' Crafty Christmas - Anything Christmas/Winter

Silver Forest

     Welcome to a CASE-ing Christmas project, we have a great card from Donna this month to inspire us, I chose to use the trees and the ribbon as my starting point.

     The card is made using a new product stocked by Woodware from Clear Scraps, it's an acrylic sheet that can be used like acetate but is much more rigid. It comes with a protective cover so it doesn't get damaged before you use it.
     The trees were stamped in Stazon Silver on to the acrylic and on to a piece of black card, making sure to offset them to look like a small forest when the card is assembled.
     Once dry the black card was stuck on to the wrong side of some tartan paper leaving a large spare piece at the top to form the hinge on to the acrylic, it is stuck on to the acrylic with red line tape.
     The small greeting inside is stuck on to the black card and the banner greeting on the outside is stuck on using red line tape. The heart greeting is stuck on with foam pads before adding the twine decoration to the top tartan strip to finish it off.
     Taking photographs of shiny things can be problematic but I hope you can see the effect of the layered trees made possible by using acrylic. The other great thing about this acrylic is if you don't like what you've stamped or it's gone wrong just clean it off with Stazon cleaner and start again.
     Please come and join us at CASE-ing Christmas with your seasonal creations, we would love to see them, this challenge is open until the end of the month.

Materials list - available from your  local craft shop

Woodware Craft Collection - Stamp - FRS278 Winter Forest

                                          Stazon Silver Ink Pad

                                          Clear Scraps Acrylic Sheet

                                         

Stix2 Anything -  Red Line Tape

                         Foam Pads

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Inkspirational - Anything Goes With Silver

Christmas Cards All Year 'Round - Christmas Tree

Magazine trees

     Hello and welcome to the mid month inspiration for CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra. We are a monthly challenge where you can enter anything you have created as long as it has a Christmas theme.
     These trees are quick and easy to make, all you need is a magazine with around 80 pages or more, with no spine, just folded and stapled.
     Begin by folding the pages to bring the top edge to the centre and crease, then fold the creased edge to the centre. Tuck in the small point of page that is sticky out at the bottom flush with the bottom of the page and move on to the next page. Continue all through the magazine until you have a folded cone shape.
     Once the cone is finished dab PVA glue along the outer ridges and roll in glitter. It shows more in the reflection on the table in this photo than on the trees and it looks great in the evening in artificial light.
     The little star on the top is made with glitter paper and origami folding. Both the tree and the star can be found as tutorials on you tube. This is something you could make with children, it's inexpensive, simple but effective and when Christmas is over it can be recycled.
     Come and join us at CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra with any of your last minute seasonal makes, we'd love to see them.

I would like to enter these trees in the following challenges:

Splendiferous Creations - Christmas Ornaments

Crazy Catz - Last Minute Christmas

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Urgently needed Christmas Creations

Sugar Creek Hollow - Not A Card

Male Room Trees

     There is a new challenge over at The Male Room today. The theme is trees and leaves and it will run for the next two weeks.
     My tree is a Chocolate Baroque stamp from the Tall Trees set, stamped in Olive Green Archival ink and clear embossed on white card. I have then used various shades of green distress ink to colour my card, then spritzed and flicked water over the card to get the mottled effect. I have also spritzed another tree from the set with water and stamped with it, this lifts some of the ink off and leaves a ghost type effect.
     The image panel is mounted on a thin layer of gold paper and then a wider layer of dark green before being mounted on the card blank.  It was a white card blank before it was coloured with distress inks and water stamped with a tree stamp to give it a pattern. This means that the background colours will always match the image panel because the same inks have been used, no more hunting for the right shade of card which never seems to be there!
     I like to make my cards with no greeting, unless I have a specific occasion in mind, as it can always be added later and sometimes not at all, like this one.
     Our challenge will be running for two weeks at The Male Room so please come and join us with your tree or leaf creations. Remember it doesn't have to be a card, we also accept scrapbook pages, tags, gift boxes, anything related to our theme as long as it's for a man or boy.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Ladybug Crafts Ink - Make It Monochrome

Top Tip Tuesday - Monochrome  (tip in italics)

Cardz 4 Guyz - 1,2,3   (1 tree, 2 mat layers, 3 shades of green)

Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge - One For The Guys Big or Small

Playing around with a digi stamp

I haven't used a digi stamp before but I have seen some beautiful cards made using them, so when asked to use one I thought I would take the opportunity to play around with it and see just what I could get out of it. It's been fun using my printer to alter the effects, I expect most of you already know how but for anyone who doesn't here is what I've discovered so far.

    There are four variations in this picture. 

    #1 is the image as received from the supplier.
    #2 is the image printed out on the 'draft' setting on my printer, this gives a paler image which can be really useful.
    #3 is the result of reducing the 'magenta' ink input to zero using the advanced settings on my printer. Now I have green trees.
    #4 is the result of reducing 'magenta' and 'yellow' to zero on the printer which left only 'cyan', blue trees.
    I am not a very technical person but I did find this quite easy, so I would encourage you to play around with your digi's to see just what you can do with them, after all we crafters love value for money don't we?!
    If you would like to see what I've done with these images and where the original came from then please join me on Sunday afternoon for the House Of Cards Blog Hop when all will be revealed, there are prizes to be won so pop over to the House Of Cards where the hop begins (Sunday 1st December 12noon GMT) and read all about it.

Iris Tree

    This Christmas card was inspired by an article in an old copy of Craft Creations magazine. It's an iris folded tree made using a tri-fold card from Craft Creations that has a tree shaped aperture in it. This one is from my stash but I think they do still sell them. I am trying to use up some of my stash in an effort to cut back but we all know that's not easy with craft, there's often something new that just has to be bought, oh well....I am trying!
    I have used three different papers to fill my tree shape and then stuck some tiny white snowflakes on the front. I began at the outside edge and followed the instruction in the magazine to build up the layers in ever decreasing triangles until I had a tiny hole in the middle which is backed with silver paper.
    The silver outlining is already on the card, which is a bonus as I'm not sure I could be that accurate. I have made several of this style before in different colours, it's a firm favourite with the family.
    I can't post the full instructions due to copyright but I can give you the web address for Craft Creations,  www.craftcreations.com. The instructions are in Issue 47 from Autumn 2007. They may have back issues that you can either purchase or access on the web.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Trees

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Christmas

Sparkles Christmas Challenges - Christmas Trees

   

Green Trees

     This weeks Christmas card was inspired by 52 Christmas Card Throwdown's challenge of using only greens and one neutral colour.
    I began by die cutting a Spellbinder tree from copy paper to use as a mask. The mask ( the bit with the tree shaped hole in it ) was put on gloss card and then I used Distress Inks Bundled Sage, Forest Moss and blending foam to create a vague brayer type effect of graduated greens. Once I was sure this was completely dry I used the tree shape mask to cover the coloured bit and stamped in Archival Ink Olive with a Chocolate Baroque stamp from the Madonna and Trees set. This gives the appearance of the scroll tree being behind the fir tree, I then stamped again without the mask so I now had a scroll tree in front as well.
    The greeting is also on gloss card that has been coloured with Bundled Sage while the die was still on it so I got a small white edge. The greeting was stamped in the same Olive ink as the scroll trees and mounted on foam pads.

    The Archival Ink takes a while to dry so I then set about finding a star to put in the top corner, this also came from a Chocolate Baroque set and was stamped in Olive green. I have stuck a small green gem in the middle of the star to add some 'twinkle'.
    The gloss card was then mounted on a white card that has had its edge coloured with Forest Moss so that it tones with the rest of the card.
    CraftyHazelnut's challenge is to use die cuts, this may only have one stuck on it but they were most definitely used to make the card. Using the dies as masks is another way of getting your full value out of a considered purchase, just what every crafter likes to do!

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Shades of green

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Die / Punch cuts

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Christmas

Silver tree

Seasons Greetings!  Making Christmas cards when it's cool and raining just seems comfortable, you've just got to love the great British summer.
My contribution to this weeks sketch challenge on 52 Christmas Card Throwdown is quite basic, I didn't want to distract from the silver tree. The stamp is from a set called Madonna and Trees by Chocolate Baroque, the backing paper is also from them on a CD Rom called Seasons Greetings. I printed the backing paper from the disc on the usual settings but then printed another piece on the 'draft' setting to stamp the tree onto, draft gave me a matching background that didn't over shadow my stamp as it comes out much paler.
The tree is embossed with Cosmic Shimmer Silver Shine and I'm pleased to say that it actually shows in the photo, I must have got the angle right this time.
I was told today that August is going to be hot, let's just wait and see shall we, wouldn't it be nice to have dry school holidays! Oh well, there's always plenty of crafting to be done whatever the weather!!!!