Friday, December 12, 2014

Christmas & Winter Cards with Elizabeth Craft Designs!



Winter Mantelscape Project


If any of you have been following the Elizabeth Craft Designs blog, you know I have been blogging over there as a guest!  I have neglected my own blog...but now I am back here offering some BLOG CANDY from Elizabeth Craft Designs!  It is my most favorite die set of all, the Fancy Label Accordion Card die set.  I have been making what I call "mantelscapes" out of them.  The most challenging to date was the Twelve Days of Christmas.  You can see it HERE.  And be sure to leave a comment on THIS blog for a chance to win the random drawing that will take place on Wednesday, December 17, just in time for Christmas.  Some lucky person will win this for their stocking this year!

Now on to the featured mantelscape for this winter.  This one can go into January with its snowy scenes.  I attended a special retreat to teach this technique in October, and the ladies all loved creating this project.  We used Karen Burniston's triple pivot technique in the center of this winter mantelscape.  You can go to YouTube and watch her amazing video on how to do this technique HERE.  Be sure to scroll down below the simple instructions on this card to see my Christmas version of the card Karen did in this video.  It is fun to see how it looks in other papers and colors!

To do this project, you will need some coordinating winter/snow cardstock, watercolor paper, Distress inks, and several stamps with winter scenes on them.  I used some that were much too large for the panels, but each one had an area that could be cut down and used.  


  1. Stamp four winter images on watercolor paper (I like Fabriano Hot Press 140 lb.) and die cut with the largest Fancy Frame.   It is the one slightly smaller than the pivoting area inside the frame.  
  2. Stamp two more with winter sayings or a title.  
  3. Color all images monochromatically with Ranger Distress inks and the Distress ink application tool in shades of the lighter blues from Tim Holtz's Distress ink collection.  Ink the edges of these stamped images and adhere to the center panel of the accordion card.  
  4. Stamp something for the front of the card when it is closed and adhere to the center of the panel.  
  5. Now following Karen's instructions for making the triple pivot card that goes in the center of this mantelscape, make a coordinating piece for your own card.  
  6. Cover all frames with the coordinating snowflake frame sold separately.  Cut a frame for each panel from the same die. Trim it down as shown in the Twelve Days of Christmas tutorial and adhere to the back of each panel to firm up the piece.




First few panels Close up

        Evergreen Triple  Pivot card

7.  Accent frame edges using snowflake frames that coordinate with the Fancy Label die set.  Decorate the little trees with Elizabeth Craft Designs Glitter Dots or rhinestones or sequins.   Take great care when handling this delicately cut grouping of trees.  They tend to come unglued to their neighbors and/or they can break easily at their pivot points.  I have gotten in the habit of  reinforcing the frames from behind, extending the pivot point areas into a basic reinforcement to help keep the pivots strong and in good working order. 




Last panels (far right)

So try this fun technique during some of the days around Christmas and beyond to help cheer your household up from the let-down of the holidays!  This is a fun project, and it will give your family something to do--watch you create!  Or enlist them in the project for a fun family time.  Make several and display them all together on the mantel, or on a table in a prominent place.
Finished!

Here is a photo of the original Evergreen Triple Pivot Accordion Card constructed after watching Karen's video:


Christmas--Evergreen Triple Pivot Accordion Fold Card on display

Front of closed card


...and now for your comment for a chance to win this Fancy Label Accordion Die set from Elizabeth Craft Designs!



Thanks for coming today!  Good luck on the drawing!


17 comments:

  1. Beautiful work . . . I am a beginner at card making so your instruction for using the spiral circle and chilly on the Elizabeth Craft blog was inspirational and detailed. So many of the instructions I read/see leave out small details for most, but for the novice, very important. I love the idea of incorporating the SC and Chilly into a New Year's card. I will try this but I'm going to add a die cut of glitter paper in 2015. It seems that every one of my projects I try, I have to start over because I do something wrong. Its so frustrating not to mention, time consuming and wasteful. I only hope 2015, with more experience and a new craft room, will give me better opportunities to do things right the first time.

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  2. Kandace, just keep on with what you are doing! We all have projects that go awry sometimes! Glad you are able to use the instructions!

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  3. You amaze me, Nancy. Beautiful work. Of course I like the little house so much

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    1. Boo, I love that little house, too. I have other little houses, but this one is pretty neat with the strings of lights and wreath. When Karen Burniston designs a die, she thinks of everything one needs to make a cute project!

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  4. What a gorgeous project! This would make such an impressive gift. Thanks for sharing.

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  5. Love the snowy mantelscape! Amazing work!
    Linda Lipford

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  6. What wonderful work.....how do you find time to do all your projects?

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  7. Your creativity always amazes me. What a talented person.

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    1. That's a great compliment coming from amazingly talented YOU!!!

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  8. Nancy, You just amaze me, you are so talented! Love the Fancy Label Accordion Die and the Mantelscapes you created. I am sure the Ladies had a great time creating these at your recent retreat.

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  9. Replies
    1. Hi, StampingKathie,

      I have completed the random selection for the Blog Candy! You are the blog candy winner! Please email me privately with your mailing information. nancydwalker46@gmail.com

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  10. Wow, Nancy! I love your mantelscapes! And I love the winter one that can be left our longer than just for Christmas. Your work is just lovely and very creative. Thank you for posting such great inspiration for all of us! Have a wonderful Christmas!

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  11. Your cards are beautiful.....and how exciting to be a guest blogger for Elizabeth Craft Designs. You are very talented and thanks for sharing your knowledge with other crafters!

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  12. Your card is so many things I love! More than 2-panel open-close; useful for more than a few days; packed with WOW factor... I'll stop. =) Absolutely lovely! TFS Merry Christmas!! =)

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  13. This is truly lovely. Amazing what you can do with paper and dies! Thanks for sharing.

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