Perfectly Plaid goes green... and silver

Perfectly Plaid is one stamp set which you won’t regret adding to your Christmas craft stash. With the co-ordinating Pine Tree Punch, you can create great cards, tags and even bunting in minutes.

I’ve combined it here with the Feels Like Frost Designer Series Paper (silver side up) to add a touch of festive glitz.

When using a dark card base like the Mossy Meadow I've used here, you’ll want to line the inside of your card, either with a paper insert or a layer of Whisper White cardstock. Decorate it for your favourite recipients, or just stamp a simple greeting if you’re in a hurry. 

Nature's Beauty meets Feels Like Frost

If only real winters were as beautiful as the Feels Like Frost Designer Series Paper!

I've used this pack for loads of projects already and it still shows no signs of running out. The beauty of this pack is that you have lovely wintry views on one side, and white and silver foil designs on the other, which you can colour, brayer, sponge... you name it, you can do it.

This was the Make & Take for a party on Friday evening; guests could choose their piece of paper so all their cards were different.

Cut your Designer Series Paper slightly smaller than the white panel on the front of these Silver Foil-Edged Cards and you get the appearance of an extra layer without adding bulk or weight. 

Perfectly Plaid Christmas gift tags

It can be very difficult working out how long projects will take to create, especially as everyone works at different speeds.

For my All-Day Craft Event, I thought I’d play safe and pack an extension activity... and I’m glad I did because I think everybody moved onto it.

These cute tags are simply made using leftover cardstock (plus a bit!) from our earlier projects. They're simple and fun, and will make your presents look really impressive.

When using the Perfectly Plaid stamp set, you'll see that some of the trees require the trunk to be stamped separately. If you are planning to punch out your tree, my top tip is to stamp and punch the main body of the tree, then stamp the trunk on last, as it will be easier to get it in the correct position.

Pillow box pouch and Perfectly Plaid cards

The afternoon session at my All-Day Craft Event was especially relaxed. Fuelled by lunch and cake, we settled down to make this cute hanging pouch and two cards.

The pouch, inspired by US demonstrator Connie Babbert, is especially clever. While the pillow box is still flat, you punch through both layers with a label punch to create the hole. If you like, you can even colour your pillow box before you start by spritzing with ink and alcohol, brayering with ink or simply sponging all over it.

The cards were easy, too, thanks to the silver foil-edged note cards and envelopes (they are available in gold, too). In fact, they were so easy that absolutely everyone moved onto the extension activity, which I will show you on Friday.

Please click here to download the instructions

The bell is tied with baker’s twine, with around 1cm ends left so you can tape it behind the ribbon. Another tip: when working with foil sheets, avoid Tombow adhesive like the plague as it just slips and smears. SNAIL or double-sided tape works best.

Snow globe Christmas ornament and shaker card

It was my autumn All-Day Craft Event at the weekend, with a distinctly festive theme, and we spent the morning creating these snow globe-themed projects.

I had completely overlooked the Snow Globe Scenes dies but was blown away by a project in Stampin’ Success, the magazine for Stampin' Up!® demonstrators. The ornament is created by sticking two shaker domes together with a miniature scene inside. The card is made to match, and I used the Noble Peacock Foil Sheets to provide the shimmer.

Please click here to download the instructions

 

 

Take great care when adhering your shaker domes, whether on the card or when joining two together, as the adhesive is very strong. Once it’s stuck, it’s stuck!
 

Perfectly Plaid in Pretty Peacock

Perfectly Plaid in Pretty Peacock? Try saying that without spitting on your computer screen!

I’ve been getting myself in the mood for Christmas in readiness for my All-Day Craft Event tomorrow, where we will be using the Perfectly Plaid stamp set all day long.

While playing around with some ideas, I came up with this colour combo – what do you think? Could this be the hot Christmas combo for 2019? It’s Pretty Peacock, Pool Party and Cherry Cobbler.

To get the Pool Party behind the punched tree, I simply sponged in a circular motion until I was happy with the results. No fancy technique – and if you get any blobs you're not happy with, just stick your tree on top!

Sneak Peek: Perfectly Plaid

The new Autumn/Winter catalogue is now available to demonstrators - and we get the perk of being able to order early. One of the first items on my order was the Perfectly Plaid bundle as these are the projects we'll be using at my All-Day Craft Event next month.

Everyone who attends will get this stamp set as part of the kit, and there is the option to upgrade to get the Pine Tree Punch at a special price, too.

Please click here for more details of my All-Day Craft Event

This is the first project I've made with my new products; a simple Make & Take for a team garden party I hosted at the weekend, using a non-traditional colour combo of Cherry Cobbler and Seaside Spray.

Everyone brought some food to share and a project to make, and a lovely time was had by all. The sun even shone, which was a miracle after the wet week we've had!

Pop your tree up on Stampin’ Dimensionals before attempting to tie the linen thread around the trunk as this will make it more stable and easier to manage. Sounds simple but sometimes we can overlook the obvious!