Shining, Shimmering, Splendid Christmas in July! Squirrel Gone Nutz Blog Hop

Hello! Are you ready for Christmas? It’s time for our monthly hop and if you have been hopping along, you have come from the wonderful V! This hop is a collaboration of crafty sisters who encourage and support each other. If you don’t already know, we have a monthly theme where we use something in our stash we have squirreled away!

This month’s theme is Christmas in July using acetate (or any clear plastic material) on our projects. Truth be told, I had grand plans to make an elaborate ornament but I wasn’t too happy with how it turned out. I’m sure it happens to the best of us. So I decided to make a shaker card instead. But to step it up, I made it a double shaker!

I dug through my cardstock stash and I found this interesting one with a wavy texture. I don’t even remember buying it and it must be super old, like more than five years! It had the perfect texture for a wintry shaker card!

I created the background using another old cling stamp from Hero Arts called Hand Drawn Snowflakes cling stamp. I heat embossed it with Snowflake Tinsel embossing powder on a piece of inexpensive watercolor paper then ink smooshed the background with Hero Hues Reactive Inks in Pool, Splash and a little bit of Grape Slush. Ink-smooshing is one of the easiest way to create a background! Just swipe your inks on a slick surface, spray with water and smoosh or pounce your card panel onto the inks.

I used a Hero Arts Infinity Rectangle die size 3.5″X4.5 to die cut the window on a 4.25″X5.5″ piece of the textured cardstock for the bottom layer. For the top panel I used the Wonky rectangle die, then cut out a window on it using a rectangle die measuring 2.75″X4″. I used plastic from a stamp package and adhered it to the back of each panel using liquid glue.

Then using the positive rectangular pieces left over from the panel, I die-cut the trees from Tri-fold Edge Winter Pine die set from Hero Arts. I then stamped the sentiment “We wish you a Merry Christmas” with HA Intens-ified Ink. The sentiment stamp came from the Hero Arts Poinsettia Christmas Tree stamp set. I added some irridescent baubles called Fairy Rocks from Trinity Stamps to each tree.

Assembling it was fairly straightforward, first I adhered the first line of trees directly on the ink-smooshed background with I cut to a standard 4.25″X5.5″. I made sure to add the glue all the way to the edges of the die cut trees to try to prevent the shaker bits from getting stuck behind the die cuts. Then next I added flat irridescent sequins to the middle (I think I went a bit overboard!). Then I adhered the first window layer. I then glued the next layer of trees, added more sequins, then adhered the top panel. I adhered the whole panel onto the same size note card.

I had a lot of fun creating this card so I decided to create another one but this time a slimline version.

On a piece of Dove White card panel cut to 3.5″X6″, I adhered a piece of 2.75″X4″ inkblended cardstock on the top half of the card. I ink-blended Chipped Sapphire and Black soot Distress Oxide Inks on a piece of blue cardstock and splattered it with irridescent paint to create shimmery stars.

I used another size from the Wonky Die set and die cut a piece and used the 2.5″X3.75″ rectangle die to make the window. Then I added plastic from the stamp package at the back of the frame and added a thin piece of foam tape all around.

Before I adhered the frame, I stamped the same “We wish you a Merry Christmas” on the bottom of the card panel using HA Intens-ified ink.

I adhered the die-cut layer of trees, then the flat star shaped sequins then the frame on top. I tried to capture the irridescent sparkle of the inkblended night sky and sequins in my photo, but the weather was not cooperating. It’s monsoon season where I live so it’s been raining a lot so not ideal for photos.

I hope you were inspired by my projects– inspired enough to start on making some christmas cards! Next on the hop is the lovely Lounon! Her project is sure to blow you away!

I am linking up my projects on the Hero Arts Stay Crafty Challenge. The theme this month is Interactive Cards!

Have a crafty day!

‘Til next time!

Anna

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Note: I am affiliated with some online stores including Altenew, Hero Arts, Brutus Monroe, Concord & 9th, Scrapbook.com and Trinity Stamps. If you use any of the links below, I get a small commission from these wonderful shops at no extra cost to you. Thank you so very much for your support! I truly appreciate it!