Christmas Wishes

I wanted to begin the year right and make a card a week to enter into Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - which is 'Santa has gone into hiding' so I swiftly chopped up another of the shop bought cards we received at Christmas time. No way would I even contemplate touching the precious hand made ones sent by so many lovely people - Elizabeth has just published on her blog a great idea for storing/displaying them by the way!

Anyhoooo, this is what I made:

I used:

- 4" x 4" square white card stock

- image from a Christmas card, die cut and then matted onto SU's 'Certainly Celery' backing made by tracing round the outside of the same die and hand cutting - and it is centred properly, although in the piccie the right hand side looks a bit 'off'

- backing paper on the card front is from a free set which came with a magazine, called Humphrey's Corner Christmas paper pad. There are some decoupage images included but I doubt if I'll use them although the papers are nice :(

- little holly sprig was die cut using a Marianne Creatables die - No. LR0244

- Josy Rose nail heads on the die cut and also to cover the insipid ones on the main image

And here's another little tip. Having so many backing papers I often cover the front of cards - sometimes leaving a narrow border. But, if I don't want to leave a border and instead want to cover the entire front of a card, I use a variation on the little trick I explained the other day. Cut the patterned paper just slightly bigger than the card front, then stick it (put the adhesive onto the card itself and not the patterned paper by the way else you'll be cutting through sticky stuff) so that the 'spine' and one side at right angles are aligned properly - make sure you've folded your card first. Then just trim the rest off the bottom and the other side, from the wrong side (ie. the inside of the card). If, like me, you use a trimmer which sometimes leaves a little raised line just run a fingernail down the front edges after cutting.

Not content with just a card, I also played with my new Crafters Companion Enveloper Pro and made an envelope to match :) I know quite a few of you make your own envelopes - Sarn is one person who springs to mind and they always are a lovely finishing touch. Over Christmas I made a few odd shaped cards and this gizmo would have been great to have - so the other day I hopped into Hobbycraft and spent some gift vouchers I've had in my little paws since September on one.

Hmmm, square cards, and therefore square envelopes, do mean a bit of a different fold at the bottom to what I expected (unless I'm missing a trick - I think oblongs would be fine though) - but I'm still 'pickled tink' :)

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