I hope you all have a wonderful day planned with your friends and families.
I host Thanksgiving at my house so I've been VERY busy the last few days preparing for today.
We will be on break for the next week to give our Design Team a chance to spend time with the people they love, but we need to announce the winners of our Making Spirits Bright challenge.
I hope our two well deserving winners will be patient because Art Impressions is offering an amazing Black Friday sale, so there may be a SMALL delay in answering your emails about claiming your prize.
For our Top Spot we chose Becca Yahrling for her 3 adorable Snowman Puppets.
Please contact Leah at Feedback@artimpressions.com to claim a free stamp set of your choice! Also, be sure to grab our badge to display on your blog, Facebook or Instagram!
Today we will be creating a super fun twister card using the brand-new Ai Mini Christmas Twister (5815) Set. This stamp and die set include several holiday twisters. We have got this adorable Santa, a sweet little snowman, a stocking full of gifts and the "JOY" sentiment! It also includes the dies that are necessary to create the spinner mechanisms and die cut all of the images.
Let's start off by coloring the front and back of the Santa's face. We will be using the Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens in the following colors: Blender, Sugared Almond Pink, and Flesh Colour. To color the Santa suit we will be using the Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink in Lumberjack Plaid.
Next, we can die cut the front and back of the Santa using the dies that are included in the set. We can also use this same set to die cut a pretty metallic frame in gold.
To set the scene for the card we will be stenciling a beautiful background using the Lawn Fawn Winter Sprigs Background Layering Stencil. We will again use the Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Inks for this process....and all of the colors will be listed below.
We can create the "Gate Fold" card base using some heavy weight 100lb Kraft cardstock. I'll show you exactly how to do this in today's video and I will also give you the measurements for the front panels and for the inside card panel.
Next, we can die cut the opening for the mini spinner. You may have to run this through the die cutting machine a few times since we are die cutting a few layers of heavy cardstock. Now we can glue the frame in place.
And... for the fun part.... let's pop our little Santa into the spinner mechanism and watch it spin!
Let's also add a fun belt buckle to the front of the card using the Ai Mini Journal Template (5718). Once this has been die cut we can add a bit of texture to it using the Tim Holtz 3D Texture Fades in Cracked Leather. Then go ahead and center this on the front of the card... remember to only put glue on the ends of the buckle! I thought this would serve a couple different purposes by giving us a fun closure for the card and it also mimics the belt buckle on Santa's suit!
Using the Ai Mousey Christmas (5564) we can grab a cute sentiment that says, "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas!" and stamp it using that same Lumberjack Plaid ink. We can also die cut this sentiment using a pretty die from the Ai Mini Journal Template (5718) Set.
I hope you had as much fun watching this video on how to create a mini spinner as I had making it!!!
Thank you so much for joining me today! Have a fun and crafty day!!!
Hello Ai fans, Nina here and I am so excited to share with you today's project. I made these adorable Christmas shaker tags that you can easily recreate and use for your Christmas gifts. I used our recently released Mini Christmas Set and the Journal Template Die Set.
I started by Stamping all these cute images on a thick white paper using Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and my Mini Misti and colored them with Copic markers.
I then cut all around the images leaving a white border all around which gives this chic finish to the images.
To create the shaker part I basically die cut two frames from the Journal Template die set and sandwiched the shaker beads in between both the frames. Let me explain in details.
For each tag I die cut the frame twice. I choose red cardstock to match my Christmas theme. for one of the frames I taped the inside rectangle to the outer frame from the back and then backed it with a scrap of paper to hide the tape, this would be the bottom background. I then glued this very light blue background.
To create a well for the beads to freely move in without falling out, I placed thin strips of foam tape on the edges of this bottom layer. Make sure they are too thin and place it on the outer edges only so that when you attach the top frame all the foam tape is hidden underneath.
I then poured the beads and placed a piece of acetate wide enough to attach to all the foam tape all around so the beads donot escape.
I then added glue on the edges of the acetate and placed the final frame on top of it.
Finally I attached all the images on top of the acetate with double sided tape.
I forgot to add the twine loops to be able to hang the tags before taking the pictures. If you keep them without the loop they are so cute to attach to the box of a gift or the mini gift card boxes. to make it a tag just cut a small twine and glue it to the back.
I've got another project today that fits the current challenge theme of Making Spirits Bright. I completely love #5718 Mini Journal Template Set! These little journals that fit in the palm of your hand are so much fun to create! I used a lot of Art Impressions sets to create this, and they are all linked below. The images were stamped with Memento Ink and colored with Copic markers. Hope you have time to sit back and grab a cup of coffee or cocoa and enjoy going through the pages!
The tree is from 5489 Front Porch Christmas Set. The background papers are all from 5812 Christmas S2 Paper Pack from Art Impressions.
The frame comes with the Mini Journal Set. The sentiment is from 5566 Christmas Sentiments Set.
I put a piece of acetate in between the windows on the front and back to make it look like it is an actual window. The string lights from 5457 Christmas Truck Set fit the curve of the window perfectly!! The window is from the Mini Journal Set and both the Snowman and Santa are from the brand new 5815 Mini Christmas Twisters Set. They are front and back sets, and they're perfect to use on their own without the Twister dies with this journal! I only used one side of the snowman here, and the other side further in the journal. I glued the front and back of Santa together. I wanted to create like an outside looking in scene. I love how they're waving to each other!
And then you step inside to the nice warm fireplace all ready for Santa to fill the stockings! The fireplace is from 5442 MatchBook Santa Christmas. I simply trimmed off the sides that you normally use to glue it into the MatchBook. They are the perfect size!
For the center scene, I used the amazing 5350 Animal Nativity Set. Jesus is the reason for the season! The flying bird is from 5346 Birdhouse Cubbies Set. I needed something in that upper portion of the left page and that cute bird filled it perfectly and fulfilled the rule of 3's for the blue accent.
Here I used the other side of the snowman I had colored. I don't like wasting, especially after I've taken the time to color it. I added some snowflakes from 5353 Large Snowflake Set and used some Stickles on them to make them sparkle! The Joy is again from 5815 Mini Christmas Twisters Set.
Same with the stocking which I tucked into a pocket I made with pieces from the Mini Journal Template Set. There are soooo many amazing dies in this set!!
So that's it for me today! I hope you've enjoyed your visit. I'd love to wish all of my USA friends a very Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you get to spend the day enjoying friends and family, and being Thankful for all the blessings in your life.
Today,
I'm switching things up by sharing both a project and a card! With the holidays
just around the corner, I wanted to craft a Treat Box that could serve as both
a place card on your holiday dinner table or a small gift for your guests. I
mean, who wouldn't love a charming treat box filled with chocolate? To create
these boxes, I used the 5723 - Journal Cover and Bookmarks Dies. While these
dies weren’t intended for box-making, they happened to be on my craft desk from
a recent journal project, prompting me to experiment with making a box using
them. Many of you might already have these dies if you've previously purchased
the Journal Bundles.
Here is the
Thanksgiving version:
And here
is one for Christmas:
For the Thanksgiving design, I used the Exclusive Turkey
2023 Limited Freebie Stamp. This adorable freebie stamp, one of six available,
can be added to your cart when you spend $30 or more at artimpressions.com. I
inked the turkey in 969 and stamped off once before stamping onto my Canson XL
watercolor paper circle die cut (5064 - Circle Double Stitched Dies). It proved
easier to stamp the turkey directly onto the die-cut circle rather than cutting
it out later. The circle die I used cuts out a 1 ¾ inch circle approximately.
Colors used to paint the turkey:
Body: 947
Lower wing feathers, tail feathers,
and feet: 969
Feather tips: 947
Head and Beard: 526 and 565
Beak: 933
Snood and wattle: 856
For the ground, I used 969, while for the sky, I used a
diluted mix of 565. A black TwinTone marker helped to darken the eye and
eyebrow. Any details that might have washed out were added back with a brown TwinTone
marker. I also added a touch of Dr. Ph Martin’s Bleed Proof White on the beak
and a few tail feathers.
As for the Christmas version, I inked the snow-couple
entirely in 565 and selectively in 969 on the non-snowy parts such as the hat,
scarves, and jacket. I added shading and depth to the snow-couple using 565.
Again, I stamped off once before stamping onto the circle die cut.
Colors used to paint the snow-couple:
Top hat, stocking cap, and jacket: 526
Hat band and snowman’s scarf: 249
Carrot noses: 933
Snowwoman’s scarf: 703 and 743
Cheeks: diluted 856
Once more, I painted
the sky using a diluted mix of 565 and added some shadows to the ground in front
of the snow-couple. I used a sharp pencil to darken the mouths and eyes. Thin
stripes were painted onto the snowman’s hat band and scarf using 249 and a size
0 brush. Plaid lines were added to the snowwoman’s hat and jacket using 526 and
a size 0 brush. Dr. Ph Martin’s Bleed Proof White was used for polka dots on
the snowwoman’s scarf and dotted across the painting for snowflakes. The
buttons were darkened with a black TwinTone marker. For any details that needed
to be added back, I used a brown or navy blue TwinTone marker. The paintings
were layered onto a slightly larger die-cut circle and secured with pop dots. I
opted for shiny metallic papers for the bottom layers to add an extra touch.
Now, onto the box-making process: I die-cut two panels from
cardstock for each box using the Journal Cover die from 5723 – Journal Cover
& Bookmark dies. For the Thanksgiving version, I used the lacy-edged panel,
and for the Christmas version, I chose the scalloped one. I then scored each
panel using a scoreboard, scoring at ¾ inch on each flat side. To create tabs
for gluing the box together, I carefully cut along the score line on each side,
stopping at the first score line. On the front panel, I trimmed off the
remaining corner pieces from each side. On the back panel, I snipped a
small wedge off each tab piece (you can refer to the above photo for clarity on where
to cut and apply glue). After folding along all the score lines, I began
assembling the box. First, I glued the bottom of the front panel to the back
panel, then added glue to the tabs and sides, folding them up to form the box
structure. To finish, I created a band by gluing together two thin wavy-edged
die-cut pieces from 5723 and wrapped it around the box, securing it in place
with glue. To finish, I centered the painting on the front and secured it in
place with glue. For the back, I used die-cut letters for each guest's name and
glued them onto the band. Now that the box was assembled, it was time to add the
candy! In mine, I managed to fit two Ghirardelli Squares with a bit of room to
spare.
To provide further guidance or if the written instructions
were a bit confusing, I've included a link below to a video I made,
demonstrating how to create the box. It might offer a clearer visual
walkthrough of the process.
And now, on to my Santa's Sleigh Shaker Card:
I kept the color palette for the magical Santa’s Sleigh
Shaker Card to red, blue and green. The colors I chose paired well with the new
5853 – Christmas Magic Paper Pack.
I inked just the front-facing Santa stamp from 5775 – FB Santa
with 969 and 565 and stamped off twice before stamping onto my Canson XL
watercolor paper. Then I used the coordinating die to cut out the Santa.
Colors used to paint
the just the front of the 5775 – FB Santa:
Santa’s face
and wrist: 850 and 910 Jacket,
pants, and hat: 856 Belt and
boots: N25 Buckle: Gold
Signo Pen I used 565
to add shadows and contours to the fur, gloves, and beard.
I inked just the sleigh from 5571 – Christmas Snowmen Set in
969 and 565 and stamped off twice before stamping onto my watercolor paper.
Colors used for the
sleigh and packages:
Sled body and package bow: 856 Runners: 565/969 Packages: Red (856), Blue (526), and Green (249) I used 565
to add shadows and contours to the white areas
I painted in
the sky with a watery mix of 565 and also added a few shadows near the sled.
Details were added to the packages with 856, 526, 249, and Dr. Ph Martin’s
Bleed Proof White. White was dotted across the painting for snowflakes. I also
added snowy dots with a Spectrum Noir Clear Sparkle brush to the sky and brushed some
onto the snow near the sled for extra sparkle!
I die-cut
the 5782 – Snowflake Frame Die from pearly white cardstock and also some snowflakes
from the set. I cut down a piece of the blue snowflake paper from 5853 –
Christmas Magic Paper Pack to 4.25 x 5.5 and used a rectangle die from 5724 –
Nested Rectangle Dies to cut an opening in the patterned paper. I glued the
Snowflake frame to the front of the patterned paper. I glued a piece of
acetate to the back of the patterned paper to cover the opening. I attached
foam tape to the back around the opening and all around the edges. Next, I
attached the sleigh painting to the front of a white A2 card base. I added snowflakes,
clear beads, and clear glitter to the center of the painting. Then I carefully
placed the decorative panel over the painting to complete the shaker part of
the card.
I attached the Santa die-cut to the bottom right corner with foam squares. I stamped a sentiment from 5586 – Christmas Sentiments set onto a
piece of white card stock and die-cut it with the frame from 5718 – Mini Journal
Template. I only used the interior part. I die-cut the frame again from
the blue snowflake patterned paper. The frame and the sentiment where then
attached to the inside of the card.
Thank you for joining me today for Watercolor Weekend! Until next time, Happy Thanksgiving (to those who celebrate) and Happy Painting!
Happy Saturday Ai Fans. One of the newest sets at the store is a stamp and die set I'm featuring on today's card. It's called 5803 - Snowman Puppet Set. It comes with stamps and matching dies. You can use the dies and stamps separately or together. Either way, it's very easy to use some of the great paper packs for the holidays that are available to paper piece this jolly and chubby snowman. I used cheerful paper patterns from 5853 - Christmas Magic PP. The Joy sentiment is from 5566 - Christmas Sentiments Set.
I enjoy paper piecing. In fact, it's what got me started in card making years ago. I was always a scrap booker and I had plenty of paper scraps laying around that I didn't have a use for but couldn't toss. One day, I was browsing books in a store and came across a paper piecing instruction book. It was full of patterns and designs to make cute little scrapbook figures, very much like this chubby snowman. Fast forward to today and now I can cut cute paper figures conveniently with dies. The stamps included add more detail and are super cute!
This set allows you to build the snowman you prefer. There are different hat and neck options and a bird and candy cane shape for additional embellishment. I stamped every piece except the candy cane before cutting them out. I cut an extra pocket and pieced it to the jacket. I colored parts of the snowman and the bird with Copic markers. Then I pieced it all together to create this adorable little guy. I used some white shimmer paper for the snowman. You can see that shimmer in the photo below. He looks very frosty in person! I added white drops on his hat brim and pompom for more texture. Clear glitter drops were used as accents on his tie and jacket pocket and silver metallic drops were used for his buttons too. A holly brad from Eyelet Outlet adds a bit of decoration to the hat.
I think this little 'fella turned out really cute! There are so many combinations you can make with this set. It's the perfect size for a card, cheerful tag, or as a puppet mounted on popsicle sticks. They'd be adorable peaking out of a potted plant or a holiday floral arrangement. As usual, you are only limited by your imagination!
Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you'll stop by the store to see all the things you need for your card, journal, and tag making projects.
Tasha here, thrilled to share my latest creation in the spirit of the season – a delightful holiday card inspired by the "Making Spirits Bright Challenge." Now that the Holiday Season is in full swing, my crafting hands are busy bringing Christmas cheer to life, and I couldn't be more excited about the charming 5802 - Joyful Snowman Set!
Let's talk about the star of the show – the adorable snowman adorned with holiday lights. Honestly, all the snowman stamps are darling, but this one stole my heart. As I gazed upon it, I thought – what if a mischievous kitty joined the snowy fun? And voila! The 5098 - Cozy Cat Cubbies Set provided the perfect feline companion, nestled cozily next to the snowman, adding an extra layer of cuteness to the card.
Now, onto the greeting! The 5040 - Sleigh Bells Set boasts a whimsical font that worked beautifully with this winter wonderland scene. Opting for a light blue ink not only complements the overall color scheme but also enhances the frosty vibe of the card.
To bring it all together, I incorporated silver glitter paper for a touch of holiday sparkle, deep teal cardstock for contrast, and a delightful piece of check pattern paper from the Ai 5835 - Mini Journal Paper Pack. I must confess – I have a soft spot for snowflakes!
Thank you for taking a peek at today's holiday card! I invite you to join in the "Making Spirits Bright Challenge" and share your own creative expressions!
Hello everyone and welcome to week two of our Making Spirits Bright challenge!
As promised last week, we have Janet's feature tutorial for you. Her card is so full of sparkle and cheer that it's sure to make everyone's spirits bright! Let's see what Janet has prepared for you!
Hello everyone! It's week 2 of our Making Spirits Bright challenge. To participate and possibly win free stamps from Ai, you just need to make an upload a holiday themed card to our challenge post.
Today I'm showcasing the 5779 - FB Snowman stamp and die set. To begin this project, I stamped the front and back of the snowman, colored them with Copic markers, and cut them out with the dies included in this set. I glued them together. Because they are a Front Back set, they match up perfectly when glued glued with wrong sides together.
To make the front of the card, I started with a white glitter A2 sized card. I cut a piece of holly cardstock from the 5812 - Christmas S2 PP with the 3rd largest rectangle die from the 5724 - Nested Rectangle Dies set. I cut another piece of green cardstock with the largest rectangle die. I glued these on top of each other and then glued the stack to the top of the card. I used the rectangle die in the 5719 - FB Fence & Window Dies to cut a rectangle in the three layers of cardstock. This die is exactly the correct size so that the fence die in this set fits around the rectangle. After cutting the rectangle, I cut two fence pieces and glued one on the front of the car and the other on the inside.
The next step was to cut the word Happy twice with green and gold cardstock and I glued them together slightly staggered. Then I stamped the phrase Holiday Cheer from the 5566 - Christmas Sentiments in red ink and then I glued the Happy phrase from 5103 - Flip Card Die to the sentiment. I glued the finished sentiment to the top of the card. With this done, I adhered the finished snowman at the edge of the fence so that part of him shows when the card is opened.
Inside I added a rectangle covered in winter glitter washi tape. When the card is shut, the glittered trees and snow show through the window cut with the fence die.
Last but not least, I used the 5353 - Large Snowflake Dies to cut 3 snowflakes in silver cardstock. I arranged them on the front of the card as the finishing touch.
Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you'll stop by the store to see all the things you need for your card, journal, and tag making projects.
One of my favorite things about our Design Teams is how they can all be given the same challenge and yet all of their projects turn out so different! Thank you all for all of your hard work and to Janet for the wonderful tutorial.
Now, let's see what you create and enter, so that you might win a wonderful new stamp set!
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