Holly Jolly Gift Box and Still Blooming Gardener Gail Card by Diane Mason

 Hello, and welcome back for Watercolor Weekend!

Hello Ai Watercolor friends, I hope you are having a fabulous weekend! Thanks for stopping by for Watercolor Weekend. I have two fun projects to share with you today — a “Christmas in July” gift box and a fun card using 6076 – Gardener Gail from the newly released Ai People sets.

Christmas in July – Holly Jolly Gift Box:

The hot summer days of July are a perfect time to start thinking about Christmas projects (can you believe it’s only 158 days until Christmas?!). In honor of “Christmas in July”, I created a sweet little gift box using 5805 – Mini Journal Box Dies and 5953 – Woodland Critters Set. This die was originally designed to create a box for storing Mini Journals, but it's also perfect for holding small gifts like candy, jewelry, money, a note, or even as a place-setting treat box. Make a variety of them, and you could turn them into a fun advent calendar!

Ever since the 5953 – Woodland Critters Set was released last year, I’ve been wanting to paint this adorable image of the sledding mouse and hedgehog—they look like they’re having a blast! I stamped the image onto Canson XL watercolor paper using Versafine Onyx Black ink, which is waterproof and perfect for capturing fine details.

Here is a list of colors I used for this image:

• Mouse: (body) N95, N75, (scarf) 249, (jacket) 526 and Navy TwinTone, (hands) 850, 912, (cheeks, nose, ears, mouth) 772
• Hedgehog: (face and hands) 850, 942, 912, (cheeks, nose, ears, mouth) 772, (spikes) 977 and Chocolate TwinTone, (scarf) 856, (sweater) 312
• Gift: (bow and ribbon) 856, (box) 565 for shading, (dots) Winsor & Newton Gold Ink
• Sled: (sled) 977, 969, Chocolate TwinTone, (runners) Winsor & Newton Silver Ink

To add dots to the gift, I used the new Winsor & Newton Gold Ink. This stuff is awesome! For the sled runners, I used a silver version of the Winsor & Newton Ink (I think Bonnie mentioned recently on a LIVE tutorial, that Art Impressions may start carrying this in the shop too!). Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bleed Proof White was used to add stripes to the hedgehog's scarf and sweater. To add woodgrain to the sled, I used a Chocolate TwinTone.

To create the gift box, I used the 5805 – Mini Journal Box Die along with patterned paper from the 5969 – Classic Christmas Cover Paper Pack. This paper is larger than the standard packs, making it a great fit for the box die—and it’s double-sided, too! I secured the tabs with double-sided tape (ScorTape) for a strong hold. The stamped image was die-cut using the coordinating die from the set and popped up on the lid for added dimension.

To decorate the inside of the box, I started by stamping the 'Holly Jolly' sentiment in red ink. I die-cut the sentiment using an oval die from the 5952 – Portfolio Template Die Set. Next, I used the decorative label die from the same set to cut a piece of the patterned paper I had used for the box. I layered the sentiment oval on top of the label and adhered them together. Finally, I glued the layered sentiment to the inside of the box lid. The box was then ready to fill and gift! 

Still Blooming After All These Years Card – featuring Gardner Gail:

For my second project, I painted a landscape side-folding card using the newly released 6076 Gardner Gail set. I wanted to mix things up a bit and have Gail popping out of the oval frame for a 3-D effect. Since I only needed to paint some of the image of Gail for the oval frame, I selectively inked parts of the image with Pebble Beach (Ranger Archival Ink). I find this color of ink to work well for people images. I inked the flower pot in 969 and the blooms with 555.

Here is a list of colors I used for this image:

• Gail: (hat) 990, 992, 027, (hat band) 027, (hair) 977, 969, Chocolate TwinTone, (shirt) 856, (apron) 027, (jeans) 565, (earrings) Winsor & Newton Gold Ink, (face, arms, and hands) 850, 942, (lips and tongue) 856, (cheeks) 772, (flower and stem) 555, 177, Turquoise TwinTone
• Flower Pot: (pot) 947, (blooms) 555, Turquoise TwinTone

To cover the landscape A2 side-folding white card base, I chose two patterned papers from the 5832 – Gnome Paper Pack. I used one of the patterns for the oval frame, the card base, and the sentiment mat to keep the design cohesive. The sentiment was stamped in Versafine Onyx Black ink for crisp, detailed results.

I used two oval dies from 5065 – Oval Double Stitched Dies to create the frame. I also die-cut an oval from watercolor paper, using the larger of the two dies. I painted clouds on the watercolor paper in 555 to create a background for the oval frame. Gail was die-cut and trimmed to fit inside the oval. I trimmed away the shovel handle with scissors so it would look like her hand is resting on the frame. I glued just the very top of the frame to the cloud painting. I then added foam tape to portions of the Gail die-cut (mainly the hat, face, shirt sleeve, flower, and hand). I inserted Gail into the frame opening. Once I had her where I liked it, I glued her empty hand and the bottom front of the apron into place. I then added glue to the lower portion of the back of the apron, the frame edges, removed the foam tape backing, and secured it in place.

Voilà, now it looks like Gail is coming out of the frame to hand you one of the beautiful blooms she has grown! The flower pot, frame, and matted sentiment were all popped-up with foam tape.

For the interior of the card, I attached a decorative strip of patterned papers to the bottom edge to make it fancy! I didn’t include a sentiment on the inside this time, but I think this card would make a fantastic Birthday or “Just Because” card.

That’s all for now—thanks so much for stopping by for Watercolor Weekend! I hope you have enjoyed today’s projects and have inspired you to get creative and make something fun. Also, be sure to check out the other four newly released Ai People sets (6074 – Pickleball Patty, 6075 – Cruisin’ Carol, 6077 – Loungin’ Linda, and 6080 – Birdie Betty) available in the Art Impressions shop! Until next time, Happy Painting!