3-D Holly Impresslit Ornament

 This is a quick post-Christmas Blog post highlighting something I didn't get blogged before Christmas. One of the Chapter 3 releases that is just awesome is the 3-d Impresslit Holly. Oh my word! It is so beautiful! I don't know if anyone else is like me, but sometimes the dies are so beautiful I can't imagine making something that does justice to them.

I decided that I wasn't going to be able to really make something that truly showcased this Holly, but I couldn't get this project out of my mind, so I made a few quick ornaments for my tree.  They are really fast and simple to make, and now that the rush of the holidays is over, but your Christmas stash is still handy, it might be a good time to make a few new ornaments for next year!

 Start by cutting multiple 3-D Holly Impresslits. Then purchase some round paper mache ornaments. Adhere the holly branches around the center of the ornament. It took me about four branches to make it around the ornaments I had.

 I brushed on a nice layer of Collage Medium and then pressed the holly branch into it so that it looked like it was carved out of the ornament.

 Then once the Collage Medium was dry, I covered the entire ornament in Tarnished Brass Distress Paint.

 When that was dry I quickly brushed some Antique Linen Distress Paint over that.

 Then I wiped it off. The Tarnished Brass should show through. Unless you get a call from your FIL in the middle of this process. LOL! if that's the case, just brush a little Tarnished Brass back onto the high spots. No biggie.

 Spray the dry ornament with Distress Resist Spray and then spray it with Platinum Glitter Dust from the Glitter Duster.

Tie a shiny ribbon around the top and hang it on the tree. These were pretty quick to make and only a tiny bit messy. But I love they way they look on my tree. They pick up the light beautifully.

I hope you get a chance to enjoy some post-Christmas crafting!
Tami

I am an affiliate with Simon Says Stamp and Scrapbook.com so the links below send you to one of those stores depending on which logo you choose.  If you wish to purchase something from either store and use one of my links below, I get a small percentage of your order, at no additional cost to you. This helps me to defray the costs of this blog, the time, the ideas and tutorials I post here. Your help is greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Faux Mercury Glass Christmas Ornaments

My Christmas tree is decorated with silver, gold, white, clear, sparkly, glittery, music paper, jute, butlap, and mercury glass ornaments. So I thought it would be fun to make a few of my own faux mercury glass ornaments from some of the Chapter 3 and 4 Christmas dies from Tim Holtz and Sizzix.

I've made this faux mercury glass before from the Ideaology Mirrored Sheets. It's a little messy but so worth the mess! Here is how to do it.

Once you have several sheets of faux mercury glass made, then cut the ornaments out of the Bigz dies and some of the holly leaves and berries from the Large Funky Festive thinlit dies and you have some ornaments.

I cut the patchwork bird parts from the Mercury Glass sheets. Make sure you attach a ribbon hanger.

I put some Glossy Accents on the berry on the holly leaves.

Here is the Bigz Reindeer.

Again with the holly and berry.

This is the Bigz Seasonal Scroll and I had three berries on it that have been on it since September, but moments after I hung this on the tree to take a picture, my cat Patriot batted it off, then absconded with it and when I tracked him down and retrieved it, the third berry was no where to be found. LOL! So just imagine the third berry is there.

I love this die though. It is so pretty and decorative all on it's own.

The layered pine is perfect for an ornament too!

I love they way the little touch of holly adds so much.

Once the faux mercury sheets are made from the Idea-ology Mirrored Sheets, these ornaments are super fast and easy to make!

Today's recipe to go with this project takes a little time, but just like this, it is well worth the time and effort to make.  White Chocolate Orange Truffles -- they melt in your mouth!

Enjoy!
Tami

I am an affiliate with Simon Says Stamp and Scrapbook.com so the links below send you to one of those stores depending on which logo you choose.  If you wish to purchase something from either store and use one of my links below, I get a small percentage of your order, at no additional cost to you. This helps me to defray the costs of this blog, the time, the ideas and tutorials I post here. Your help is greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Dickens Christmas Vignette 2017

This was a super fun kit I made back in 2017. I pulled out some of my favorite retired Sizzix dies and just had fun making a Dickens inspired Christmas scene.  I never made a blog post tutorial about it so I have just posted all of the photos I used in the kit directions and I pasted the exact directions that came with the kit.

One of my favorite things about this is that I found a rotating base for it that plays Christmas music. I love it! I got the music box base off Amazon.

Directions:

1. Using a White Distress Crayon, Scribble over the brown 5 3⁄4” chipboard square with the cobblestone texture paste. Try and get the white to settle in between the stones. Lightly dampen your fingers if need be to reveal the top of the stones and help the crayon settle between them.
   
2. Attach the textured chipboard to the top of the 6x6 burlap panel.
   
3. Cut the piece of white chipboard in half and then cut a wavy edge on
   one side, as long as the iron fence piece. You need two of these wavy pieces. The should look kind of like snow that has piled up against the bottom of the fence, but they are adding an element of stability to the fence. Cover one side of the white pieces with some fluffed up batting.
   
4. Punch out all the little excess pieces from the fencing. Glue the two fence pieces together so they are sturdier. Glue one of the snow pieces from step 3 onto each side at the bottom of the fence. Make sure they are even with the bottom.
   
5. Put a little Collage Medium in a few places along the top of the fence, where you think snow would fall, and also onto the white snow pieces at the bottom. Sprinkle with Distress Rock Candy Glitter. Let Dry.
   
6. Put Collage Medium on each of the trees, one at a time and then sprinkle with Distress Glitter. Let Dry.
   
7. Attach the patterned paper die cut pieces to the black chipboard carolers as seen in the photos. The three carolers are just single patterned paper pieces. The wreath carrier, has a wreath and a bow
   

8. Trim the small white square with + symbols, into a small enough shape that it fits behind the windows at the top of the lamppost. Attach it to one lamppost and then attach the two lampposts together. Attach one wreath on each side. Add collage medium to the parts of the lamppost and wreath that would have snow fall on it and then sprinkle some Distress Glitter on it. Let Dry.
   
9. Go back to the fence now. Put some Collage medium (or a glue gun) all along the bottom of the fence and then place it down the middle of the textured chipboard between the two areas with texture. Hold it there until it is dry and stands on its own.
   
10. On one side, poke a hole all the way through the burlap and board in the place where there is a hole in the chipboard. I used my Sizzix poker and then my Tim Holtz scissors to make it a little wider. It needs to be wide enough that you can thread the lights through the hole.
    
11. Thread the lights through the hole from the bottom. Attach the battery pack to the underside of the panel with tape to hold it while you work. Cut some thin strips (about 1⁄4”) of the batting. I added a little Collage medium to the wire between the little lights and then wound the strips of batting around the wire so it covered the silver. This takes a little time, so grab a snack and cup of tea, and settle in. It’s worth it, so don’t skip this step even though it is a little tedious. Once the wire is all covered, attach it to the base in a few places on both sides at the bottom of the fence. It should end up back where you started.
    
12. Using collage medium and more of the batting, rip little pieces of the batting off and attach it all around the outside of the chipboard square and over the lights and light cord. Add batting to the bottoms of all the trees to cover the wood.
    
13. The trees should be dry by now so take the large tree and wrap the rest of the lights around it. As you do so, bend the wire so that it looks like a fluffy light garland. (refer to photo)
    

14. Once you have finished with the light garland, attach the tree to the base near the edge of the fence where the lights are coming through.
    
15. Decorate the tree with the pearl baubles and some of the beaded berries. Save 5 of the berries for other places.
    
16. Now attach the wreath man on the cobblestones as if he is putting the wreath on the tree. Add one small tree to the front left corner with a piece of white greenery and the red rose.
    
17. On the opposite side of the fence, attach the lamppost near the end of the fence opposite the tree. Put some Collage Medium along the bottom and hold it in place until it can stand on its own. Add some of the white greenery two of the small white flowers, and a beaded berry on the snow on the left side of the base of the lamppost.
    
18. Attach the three carolers in front of the fence on the left side. Stagger them and add more batting snow between and around them as you go. Add a piece of white greenery, three small white flowers, and one beaded berry on the left side at the base of the outside female caroler. (refer to photo)
    
19. In the right front corner, add the medium and the second small tree. Add a few of the smaller baubles to the medium tree. Add a piece of white greenery between the trees, with a beaded berry.
    
20. Attach the plaid strips along each side of the burlap panel.
    
21. Put brads through two of each of the three holes in the metal corners. Attach them to the corners of the burlap panel with the brads on the top and the side with now brad on the bottom. Hold in place until the glue or Collage Medium dries.
    
22. Adhere the words or phrases on each side.
    
23. If desired, Cut a small hole in the second piece of brown chipboard. A hole small enough to fit the battery pack through. Then attach the chipboard to the bottom of the burlap panel. This allows you to tuck the battery pack inside but it can still be accessed to turn the lights off and on. Also, if you want it to spin, the chipboard gives you some place to attach a 3” or 4” lazy susan hardware piece. This is not included in the kit, but would be pretty cool if you could turn this one. I also found a music box element with a 4” turntable to go under mine that plays “Deck the Halls”.
    

I hope that gives you some fun ideas for a victorian vignette.

Today's Christmas recipe is one my mom found in the 1960's. It's called Remarkable Fudge and is easy to make and always a favorite.
Tami

Mr. Snowman Decks the Halls - Sizzix Chapter 4

I am overjoyed that Sizzix The Making Journal has asked me to share a project with you from the Tim Holtz Chapter 4 release. There are some delightfully whimsical dies to choose from and that makes for equally whimsical projects.

It’s that time of year when we are all decking the halls and getting ready for the big day! Well, Mr. Snowman didn’t want to be left out so he decked out his cabin too. If you would like to make your own version of this framed wintry scene, I’ve detailed the steps I took to make it and hope it inspires you to make one of your own.

Just head on over to The Making Journal for directions and step-out photos as well.

 

 

Cover the panel of the frame with the wood paper from the Idea-ology Christmas Paper Stash. I adhered mine with Collage Medium on the panel and then gently pressed the paper onto the panel and smoothed it onto the panel pressing out any bubble with a bone folder.

 

Paint the frame white with one layer of Picket Fence Distress Paint. Then put some Ranger Opaque Crackle Texture Paste on your finger and smear a thin layer here and there all over the frame. Let it dry and crackle.

Spray with Distress Resist Spray and a thin layer of Clear Rock Candy Distress Glitter from a Glitter Duster. Attach the frame to the panel with Distress Collage medium. Set a few books on it once it is in place and set aside to let it dry.

Cut out all of the pieces of the FIRESIDE die. I cut the fireplace pieces and flames out of Distress Watercolor Cardstock so they stayed white. I cut the grate from black cardstock, and the tile surrounds from Watercolor Cardstock coloured with Tumbled Glass Distress Ink. Assemble the entire mantle.

Cover the whole piece with Clear Distress Crackle Paint.

When it is dry, scribble some Hickory Smoke Distress Crayon on the mantle and rub it in with a damp finger. 

Cut a piece of watercolor cardstock big enough to fit behind the fireplace opening. I colored mine with a few blue Distress Inks that were on the darker side. Then cover it with a thin layer of Distress Crackle Paint as well. Rub some Picket Fence Distress Crayon over the dark blue insert and attach it to the back of the mantle behind the opening.

Lightly color the flames with Tumbled Glass Distress Ink and then put them on a non-stick surface and slather some Distress Crackle Paint all over it and let it dry so that when it is dry it is stuck in the curly bits like frosty ice.

Attach that in the fireplace opening and then curve the grate a little bit and put the black grate in front of the ice flames.

Cut three trees and a wreath from the FESTIVE THINGS die set in Dark Green cardstock. Flick some Picket Fence Distress Stain onto the them. When dry, spray with Distress Resist Spray and add some Clear Rock Candy Glitter. Make sure to cut the bases from silver metallic paper and adhere them to the trees.

The trees are put on the frame with one in each lower corner and the third up behind the tree on the right. The lower part of that tree will be covered by Mr. Snowman soon. Attach the completed Fireside piece to the right of the tree in the left corner. I popped it up a little with some pieces of chipboard behind it.

Adhere some Sizzix Permanent Adhesive sheets to a few pieces of Distress Watercolor Cardstock. Cut all of the MR. SNOWMAN pieces. 

Lightly edge the white Snowman part in Tumbled Glass Distress Ink, then assemble them.

Color the black pieces with Black Soot Distress Ink. Adhere them to the snowman body.

Color the scarf, mittens, and hatband the colors you want and adhere them, as well as the nose. Cut a buckle from silver metallic Kraftstock. Once the snowman is complete, lightly spray him with some Distress Resist Spray and then some Clear Rock Candy Distress Glitter. I adhered a few pieces of chipboard behind him to pop him up off the frame and then placed him to the right of the fireplace.

The last thing to do is to DECK THE HALLS! Color Watercolor Cardstock with several fun, wintry colors. I used Chipped Sapphire, Tumbled Glass, Shaded Lilac, Faded Jeans, Dusty Concord, and Milled Lavender. I also colored a few pieces green with Pine Needles and Peeled Paint, as well as some brown with Brushed Corduroy and Ground Espresso.

Cut the greenery, pine cones, bows and garlands from the appropriate colored papers. I cut four of each color garland - three across the top of the frame, and the one on the mantle.

Start layering the garlands. You will need to trim the garlands along the top of the frame to get them to fit. I glued the ends in place with Collage Medium.

Once all the pieces are in place, cover the ends with greenery pieces, two pinecones and a bow.

I also added two pinecones and a bow in Mr. Snowman's hand to make it look like he is decorating.

Add the bow and some of the sparkles from one of the garland dies to the wreath, then attach it above the fireplace.

The final touches are to cut two ice skates from the Festive Things dies and adhere them to the mantle in place of stockings. Put a few of the sparkle pieces in the top of the skates, cut two mugs and put them either side of the mantle.

I painted a little bit of Distress Collage Medium on the top of the mantle and all along the bottom of the frame and sprinkled some Distress Mica Flakes onto them to add a snowy, wintry touch to Mr. Snowman's festive cabin.

With so many options in the three die sets used in this project, it's easy to make a whimsical wintry scene that is uniquely your own. I hope you let your imagination go and create some fantastically frozen fun!

Tami

P.S. Since this is technically #5 of my 12 days of Tim Holtz Christmas, here is the recipe to my Grandma's Penuche, or Brown Sugar Fudge. It's so good!

I am an affiliate with Simon Says Stamp and Scrapbook.com so the links below send you to one of those stores depending on which logo you choose.  If you wish to purchase something from either store and use one of my links below, I get a small percentage of your order, at no additional cost to you. This helps me to defray the costs of this blog, the time, the ideas and tutorials I post here. Your help is greatly appreciated! Thank you!

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