Designers Craft Connection Blog Hop - December

Welcome to the Designers Craft Connection Blog Hop for the month of December. This month's theme is "Handmade for the Holidays".

I am excited about this month's theme because; 1) I love making things, 2) I love the holidays and 3) I had a perfect idea for a dual-purpose project.

My sister and I exchange handmade ornaments every year. This year our theme was "Something Made of Paper". So combining the themes I created a "Tim Holtz Cuckoo Clock" ornament.

I began by covering a small box with old sheet music. This happened to be from The Nutcracker Suite in case anyone happens to notice. Before I sealed up the box I punched two small holes in the bottom of the box and ran a small chain through it leaving both ends hanging out of the bottom. I sealed up the box and used Distress inks to age the paper edges.

Using all Sizzix dies, I die cut two Tattered Pinecone pieces and followed Tim Holtz's video to create the pinecones hanging beneath the clock. I added some snowy glitter using white glue.

I cut out a House, 3-D and used the Woodgrain Texture Fade for added dimension to the sides. Again, using Distress inks I highlighted the raised texture. I cut an opening near the top arch and attached a small die cut Cardinal {more festive than a Cuckoo Bird}. 

I die cut the Weathered Clock and first applied Tea Dye Distress ink as a background color. Next, I used Perfect Medium with an all-over pattern stamp and applied Perfect Pearls in Heirloom Gold. This created a random, worn metallic look to the clock face. Before assembling the clock/house I laid the clock face on the front and determined where the clock hands would be attached. I used a small brad to attach the hands then removed the clock face while I worked on the next steps. 

I assembled the clock/house and decided that it needed a roof. I folded a piece of brown cardstock and ran both sides through my Vagabond die cutting machine using the Snowflurries Texture Fade. I sanded the raised surface to give it more texture. I also added a small piece of die cut Vintage Lace along the front edge of the roof. It is cut from more old sheet music and left over from a previous project. It gave the house a gingerbread roof line. I used a large needle to punch two holes in the roof and top of the house. I glued the roof to the house then strung a piece of vintage ribbon through the holes.

I used hot glue to attach the house to the bottom box. I glued the clock face to both the house and the base. On the left side of the clock I added a small bottlebrush tree. On the right, I glued a small die cut Reindeer.

I hope you enjoyed my Handmade for the Holidays project. Please use the DCC Blog Hop button on the right to visit all of the talented designers and see their creative projects.

This is linked to:
Beyond the Picket Fence, Coastal Charm, Elizabeth and Co., Making the World Cuter, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Savvy Southern Style, Sew Can Do, Sew Much Ado, Someday Crafts, Sugar Bee Crafts, The Shabby Creek Cottage, The Thrifty Home, The Trendy Treehouse, Topsy Turvy and Twin Dragonfly Designs

Spooky Halloween Banner

Today I Created | A Spooky Halloween Banner

I am in the Halloween spirit and wanted to create a Halloween decoration. I found some wonderful skeleton images from the GraphicsFairy.

First I printed the skeletons on cardstock. I trimmed them to size along with pieces of plain orange cardstock. For the skeleton banners, I sprayed them with Periwinkle Glimmer Mist and while they were still wet, I sprinkled copper Perfect Pearls to make them appears rusted.

Next I ran the orange banners through the Cobwebs Texture Fades. I edged everything with black Distress Inks. I then sewed all of the banners onto a piece of ribbon.

I created the black and orange Paper Rosettes and attached them to the front of the orange banners. Finally, I attached the bit of bling to the bottom of the skeleton banners just to add a bit of sparkle.

Christmas Tag

Today I Created | An embossed and stamped Christmas Tag

I started with a tag embossed with two different patterns. I first sprayed dark gray and red Glimmer Mist on the embossed tag. Once this was dry, I sanded the raised, embossed areas.

For the overall pattern at the top, I rubbed Perfect Medium and then applied Perfect Pearls on the raised areas. This created the gold highlights.

I used Versamark watermark ink on an Inkadinkado clear stamp to create the bird in the green circle.

Finally I used some metallic numbers to finish off the December 25th theme.

I really like how the watermark ink created such a subtle design on the dark green paper.

Type Tray Flowers

Today I Created | Flowers for my type tray.

The background image, both inside the type tray and used on the grunge flowers, is of pink tulips that my boyfriend had sent to me. They were a very bright pink and the colors were too vivid for my design. I used Photoshop to soften the colors and printed out the background image and a larger version that I applied to some Grungepaper.

I cut the flowers using the Tim Holtz Tattered Flower die. Then I inked and stamped them to wear them down a bit. I used Perfect Pearls in a copper color to decorate the petals.

I used Pearl Brads from s.e.i. for the flower centers. On the larger flower I used a round piece of chipboard that had a shiny coating then applied Crackle Paint in Old Paper. The paint crackled but when I tried to ink it some of the paint chipped off. I sprayed Glimmer Mist in Iridescent Gold to hold the paint on the chipboard.

Behind the flowers in the type tray is an old cigarette card of a rose. I collect cigarette cards and the old roses are one of my favorite designs.

Royal Tag

Today I Created | A tag with a royal theme.

I had two die cut shapes of decorative flourishes in a cross shape but didn't have any idea of how to use it. I placed the contrasting colored center of one into the other creating a two-tone flourish. It was a little large for my tag but I decided to use it and let the edges hang over.

I sprayed Glimmer Mist on the tag before I attached the flourish die cut. I used clear ink to stamp the lion image and then applied gold Perfect Pearls. I then used alcohol ink to turn the clear rhinestones into an amber color and then apply them to the tag.

Since the lion and the flourish had a "royal" feel to it, I placed it on a page from an old book about Queen Victoria.

Halloween Tag

Today I created | An embossed Halloween tag.

I'm not a big "tag maker". I've never made a tag before.

This tag was cut using the eclips shape cutter. I embossed the spider web using one of the new Tim Holtz Texture Fades. Next I inked and painted and added Perfect Pearls and inked some more until it looked pretty distressed. I stamped the words "Happy Halloween" on adhesive-backed, cotton tape from cutetape.com. The hole reinforcer is also from cutetape.com.

The key might be a real skeleton key that I had in my stash. I curled some wire and used it to attach the key. I tied it off with some green velvet ribbon.

Lots of work for one tag. But since the purpose of this Blog is to stretch my creative wings and try new things then this all made sense. Tags are perfect little "canvases" for art to be created and then given away.