Dot & Whimsy

We're having a Merry Christmas decorating with the 

from

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and they're having a GIVEAWAY on the blog too...don't miss it!

(click on link above)

This trio of Christmas coned-shaped trees will be added to my holiday décor.  

They're just perfect for bookshelves, a fire place mantel or coffee table…make as many as you’d like in different sizes and patterns from the “Have a Merry Christmas” Collection.

 Varying patterns for making cones can be found online, but I found that by cutting 

a piece of 12X12 patterned paper from one corner to its opposite corner
(at a rounded angle) served to make a pretty good cone shape.

  Once you have the paper cut, roll the paper slightly to form the cone shape.  

Secure the two edges with a quick drying liquid glue. 

 If needed, trim around the bottom of the cone so that it will sit flat.

Now for the fun part: decorating the trees!

  I used the ornament stamp from the Happy Christmas Stamp Set,

 Delicata Golden Glitz and Color Box Wild Cherry ink pads and the Santa Claus paper.

  After stamping an equal number of the ornaments in both colors, each were trimmed out. 

 The outer edge of the ornament was used as a guide for where to cut. 

 Next, I used green/red/white twine and tied small bows to the top of each ornament. 

 The tails of the bows were glued to the back of the ornament and then the ornaments

 were attached around the bottom of the largest cone shape. 

 Large enamel dots were added to the center of the ornaments.

 For the focal point of the largest tree, I layered together one of the die-cut

 Ephemera pieces and a label sticker. 

 The piece was attached with a piece of foam adhesive.

The tops of the trees were adorned with a glittered star.
To make the star, I used a few chipboard stars from my stash and covered them
 with patterned paper from the 6×6 Paper Pad.

To decide the height of your trees, go by the length of the paper.
The largest tree shape was cut from a 12X12 paper, so the approximate height of
 this tree is 12” high.  The other two trees were cut from paper that measured
 10.5” and 8.5”; all of the widths were 12”.

Embellish the bottoms with fun trims such as sequined string or pom pom ribbon!

Carta Bella Paper would like to help you embellish some of your Christmas projects!
**Leave a comment on the Carta Bella blog post, (by clicking HERE)**

 and tell them if you’ve already put up your Christmas Tree – or when you plan to –
 and you could be the lucky (randomly chosen) winner of this
 Striped Ornament Die

 which coordinates with the “Have a Merry Christmas” collection!

GOOD LUCK!  This die is the perfect size to make actual tree ornaments with!
XOXOX

Happy Saturday!

I have a few "Juniper Berry" crafts to share with you today

that have been up on the 

First up is a really "COOL" snowman home-decor project:

has the cutest Designer Dies to go with almost

every collection that they create!  

This past week I had a set of "Meow" Cards up:

Come on by the EP blog and see how I put together these

fun, feline 3-D cards!

With Thanksgiving-themed collections hard to find, why not try 

Sun Kissed and its beautiful papers and embellishments for your fall and

 Thanksgiving cards this year!

 First up is a whimsical, homespun “Happy Thanksgiving” card where I used some 

pumpkin dies that I had in my stash…no dies, no worries! Use easy-to-find svg files

 or other templates/punches to achieve a unique look.

 I die-cut each pumpkin twice from the 6X6 “Daybreak” paper (multi floral) and the 

off-white paper (or side B of the “Daybreak” paper). The center of each pumpkin was

 layered with the opposite pattern by trimming away the sides and gluing in place. 

The edges were inked with Memento Potter’s Clay.

Buttons from the Embellishment Pack were hand-stitched to the center of each

 pumpkin before they were added with foam adhesive. I used the small letter stickers

 to spell out “thanksgiving” at the bottom. 

The second card’s inspiration was drawn from the “sending you happy” sticker. It was layered onto the speech bubble sticker with foam adhesive and then attached to the journal card.

 Again, I used a die from my stash to die-cut the word “grateful” from the “Solstice” paper. 

The larger stickers or other svg style sentiments could be used instead. Half inch strips

 of the striped paper were added to the top and bottom of the journal card.

Buttons from the Embellishment Pack were adhered with glue dots and then small

 bows of twine were included.

There are many wonderful patterns and colors found in the Sun Kissed collection that 

can be used for your fall crafting! Check out the Sun Kissed product here:

And more papercrafting ideas on the blog:

Hi y'all!  I recently shared a "Hello Winter" Layout at
ECHO PARK PAPER
using a few SVG shapes from the Silhouette Design Store.
www.echoparkpaper.com
www.silhouettedesignstore.com

To begin, I selected the Dark Teal/Cream paper, Arctic Plaid patterned paper,
Teal/Grey paper and the Label Set SVG File set from Silhouette Design Store.
 I cut the largest scallop design from the plaid paper to measure 11” in diameter.

  The scroll label was cut from the teal/grey paper to measure 9.25” square.
  The scallop paper was center and glued to the dark teal/cream paper.  I used strips
of foam adhesive tape to attach the label paper to the center of the scallop.

 Next, I printed to photos and cut them down to measure 4”W X 3.75”H.
  The two were layered side-by-side and overlapped to measure 7.25” wide.
 I used the cream side of the solid paper as a mat for the photos and then
attached it to the top/center of the label paper.

 Using three different patterns from the 6X6 Paper Pad and the
 Pine Trees SVG File set, I cut out several of the tree shapes.  I added the 6X6
squares to the 12” cutting mat and arranged the trio of tree shapes so that they
 would be cut from each of the three squares.  A sticker strip from the Alpha Sticker Sheet
 was attached along the bottom of the photos.  The trees were clustered in threes at
each side of the photo and overlapping the sticker strip as needed.
  I used foam adhesive to achieve various dimensions for the trees.



Round chipboard snowflakes were used to embellish the tops of a few of the trees.  Instead of journaling, I used one of the sticker sentiments.  The alpha stickers were the perfect size to go atop the chipboard banners.  Instead of spelling out ‘snowman’ I simply allowed the snowman sticker to complete the title!

PRODUCTS:
Hello Winter- HW95007 Arctic PlaidHW95014 Element StickerHW95015 Alpha StickerHW95017 Teal / GrayHW95018 Dark Teal / CreamHW95020 Decorative BradsHW95022 6x12 ChipboardHW95023 6x6 PaperPadHW95028 Enamel Dots

Berry basket displays make a world of fun that can be added 

to an end-table or shelf...sort of like a snow globe, but without the glass!

I have this cute piece that was shared over at the

 

Pulp berry baskets are very popular right now, so they’re pretty easy to find at craft stores, 

flea markets or a farmer’s supply.  Today I have chosen a dark turquoisey/aqua 

colored basket, a couple of wooden trees that I found at Hobby Lobby, some craft paint 

and stencils from the “Hello Winter” Collection.

The trees were painted with a leaf green acrylic paint and allowed to dry thoroughly.  

Next, I used the Mini Dot Stencil, the Snowflakes #2 Stencil, white acrylic paint and

 a sponge brush to apply the stenciled design to each tree.  You will want to use a 

‘dry brush’ type of method with the stencils, so be sure to tap out any excess 

paint before dabbing over the stencil.

 After the stenciled areas were dry, enamel dots, stickers, chipboard stickers and/or

 Designer Brads were used to decorate the fronts.  A sturdy paper straw was glued

 to the back of each star and set aside.

 A piece of floral foam was cut so that it would fit down into the basket.  Next, a thick

 coating of pearlized modeling cream was slathered on top of the foam , sprinkled

 with clear glitter and then allowed to completely dry.  You can also use a textured 

snow or cotton batting for covering the foam!

 While allowing the foam to dry, the chipboard polar bear was glued to the front of a

 paper straw and his cheek was embellished with a pink enamel dot. 

The straws were cut to the desired lengths and then inserted into the foam. 

 Use a dab of glue around the bottom of the straws to secure them in place.

 To the front of the basket, the “Hello Winter” scrolled sentiment from the  

Ephemera Pack was added with glue dots.

 The Comfy Sweater Paper was cut into 1/8” strips.  The strips were then crimped with

 a paper crimper and used as a basket filler around the edge of the floral foam.

 Add more trees, more chipboard pieces or even try stenciling the basket to create your own unique display!  This is also an easy project for the kids to help along with.