Tag Archives: Christmas in July

Heartfelt Creations July 2022 Alumni Blog Hop

Heartfelt Creations July 2022 Alumni Blog Hop: Christmas in July Shaker Card

Hello, Friends!  Welcome to the Heartfelt Creations July 2022 Alumni Blog Hop!  The hop starts here and continues until 11:55 PM EDT on Monday, July 31st.  I hope you are ready for a big dose of crafty inspiration, because the Alumni Team has sooo many beautiful projects lined up for you this month!

Be sure to visit each blog in the hop, and leave a sweet comment behind, because one comment from a mystery blog will be randomly chosen to win a $25 Heartfelt Creations gift card.  Oh, and did I mention that everyone who comments on the Heartfelt Creations blog will be eligible to win a second $25 gift card?  That’s right!  You have two opportunities to win a shopping spree!

Winners will be announced on the Heartfelt Creations BLOG and FACEBOOK page on Wednesday, August 3rd.  You will have 72 hours to claim your prize by emailing socialmedia@heartfeltcreations.us. Please write “winner of the July Alumni Hop in the subject line of your message.  

Now, let’s get this hop started with a little Christmas in July, shall we?

Snowy Pines Christmas in July Shaker Card

Heartfelt Creations Snowy Pines Shaker Card Christmas Poinsettia and Holly Poinsettia Clusters French Courtyard by Kathy Clement Kathy by Design Photo 02

Can you say “Pretty Pink Poinsettias” three times real fast?  I had such fun making this card, my friends!   Snowy Pines is one of my all time favorite Christmas collections!  And making this 6×6 shaker card is much easier than you might think.  Here’s how:

  • First create a 6×6 top fold card base from white cardstock.
  • Next, cut a 6×6 panel of the green pattern paper from Snowy Pines.
  • Then cut a slightly smaller panel of the green plaid pattern.  Distress the edges lightly and adhere over the first panel.
  • Now, cut out both of the 6×6 snowman card fronts.  Trim away the outer frames until you have only the inner frame and image left.
  • Next, use the Large Basic Circles die to cut out the image in one of these panels. This will be your shaker frame.  Put the die cut center back  in your stash for later use.  Use the 2nd panel as the backing for your shaker frame.
  • Now adhere a square of clear cardstock to the back of your shaker frame with Dries Clear.
  • Then place 3 rows of 1/8″ foam strips on the back of the frame.
  • Next, fill the frame with your shaker elements.  Then line up the back of the frame and press it over the foam strips to seal.
  • Layer this shaker frame over the die cut French Courtyard die. Now you’re almost done!
Making the Poinsettias

Nothing says “Christmas” like a cluster of beautiful poinsettias!  Unless it’s a cluster of pink poinsettias with frosty jingle bells peeping out!

I’ve combined two different poinsettia dies in this cluster.  The larger poinsettias with the white veins are made with the Christmas Poinsettia and Holly Dies.  These were stamped on on white cardstock with Versamark Ink, then heat embossed with Shabby White embossing powder. This embossing power has gold flecks in it, which lends a subtle sparkle to the finished flowers. Next,  spray the petals with pink mist and shaped them with the matching mold.  After that, layer up the petals.  Finally, fill the centers with some pretty glass beads.

The smaller poinsettias are made with Poinsettia Clusters and Holly stamps and dies.  This time, stamp the poinsettias on white cardstock with Olive Archival Ink.  Then sponge Spun Sugar Distress Ink onto the petals. Now die cut the petals.  Next, mist with water, and run through the shaping mold.  After that, brush each flower with Dries clear and dip into Rajni Chawla’s Crystal Clear. Finally, fill the centers with Maize Prills.

Embellish your card with some pretty pink ribbon and rustic white twine as a finishing touch. Paint jingle bells with white paint, then dip in white embossing powder to achieve a frosty effect.  Tie these onto white twine and tuck into the flower cluster.

A Peek Inside

Create a pocket with one of the cute border strips.  Then tuck in a little note card/gift card wallet.

If you tuck in some Holiday Tea, a honey stick and a mini candy cane, you’ve just turned your card into a gift!

On With the Hop

Now amp up your crafty mojo as you hop along to all the other wonderful blogs.  Here is the blog hop order.

Kathy (You are HERE) ♥ Vicki  ♥ Amarilys ♥ Bozena ♥ Lynn  ♥ Alissa  ♥ Lisa ♥ Candy  ♥  Gloria  ♥ Monica  ♥ Heartfelt Creations

You’ll find a linked supply list below this post.

To leave a comment on this blog, please click on the REPLY button that is located right below the blog title.  Or you can scroll all the way down to the bottom of this post and add your comment there.

Thanks for stopping by!  I know  you are going to enjoy the hop!

Cheerio,

kathy

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Spellbinders Stitchmas Christmas Ornament

Spellbinders Stitchmas Christmas Ornament Trifold Folio Stamperia Blue Land Kathy Clement Kathy by Design Photo 01

Spellbinders Stitchmas Christmas Ornament Trifold Card Folio with Stamperia Blue Land

Hello, Friends!  For today’s Christmas in July project, I’m sharing this Spellbinders Stitchmas Christmas Ornament Trifold Folio Card. I enjoy all the deep blues, soft greys and snowy whites in this  non-traditional Christmas color palette!  You can almost hear “Blue Christmas” playing in the background, right?

This big card measures 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″.  As you will see in the video share below, the die itself measures a very generous 3 1/2″ x 4 3/4″, so you need a larger card base to support it.  And yes, I could have made a card with just one ornament on the front, but I was having so much fun with this die that I just kept right on cranking them out on my die cutting machine!

These ornaments would make great tags on cookie plates or gift packages, too.  You can see what they look like with the stitching HERE.

A Peek Inside

There’s a lot of goodness packed inside this pretty little trifold card folio.  While I didn’t set out to make anything this grand, I was having so much fun that the project just kept expanding.  Does that ever happen to you?

Since I was working primarily with scraps of Stamperia’s Blue Land papers and lots of images, I had to get creative with paper piecing in this project.  You’ll learn more about that in the video tour.

I’ll also show you how I created this spacious “side car” pocket.  This is such a good trick, and one that I think you will enjoy using.  Since I had a big  pile of sweet ATC sized tags left in the paper collection, I decided to turn them into a waterfall feature.  This was a good choice, I think!

Of course, the heart of the project is the center pocket.  I filled it up with lots of “flat” treats including a book mark, post card folio, and ornament.

Stitchmas Christmas Ornament Trifold Card Folio on YouTube

While this is not a complete tutorial (I’ve been a battling a nasty summer cold, so just didn’t feel like it) you’ll get a lot of great tips in today’s short video.

I have a busy week this week, and I’m still trying to get over the last little bit of this cold.  So there will be no Throwback Thursday tutorial this week.  Instead, I’ll be working on getting my next Button Farm Club Kit ready for you all.  Thanks for understanding!

So how do you feel about non-traditional Christmas cards?  I think it’s fun to mix it up a little, and Blue Christmas has always been a favorite theme for me.

You’ll find a linked supply list below this post.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio, 

kathy

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Christmas in the Country Stacked Spine Mini Album Tutorial

Christmas in July Day 3: Prima Christmas in the Country Stacked Spine Mini Album Tutorial

Hello, Friends!  It’s Day 3 of Christmas in July, and today I have a wonderful Prima Christmas in the Country Stacked Spine Mini Album Tutorial to share with you!  I developed this mini album design when I was on the Graphic 45 Design team, and it is still one of my favorite ways to build a mini album base.  I hope you’ll enjoy the detailed tutorial for this mini album on YouTube!

Christmas in the Country and Reneabouquets
Prima Christmas in the Country Stacked Spine Mini Album Tutorial Reneabouquets by Kathy Clement Photo 01

Since it is also Throwback Thursday, I’ve raided The Closet of Inspiration and Delight in search of some older Christmas goodies.  When my hand fell upon Prima’s Christmas in the Country, I  knew exactly what I wanted to make. (There is a chance that I bought an embarrasingly huge stash of this lovely paper collection…but I’m not telling!)

The mini album measures 5 1/2″ x 7″ with a 1 1/2″ spine.  Shaker frames always add a festive vibe to a project, especially when they are filled with such cute elements.  And, as is so often the case, Reneabouquets Beautiful Boar adds the perfect finishing touches.

A Peek Inside

 There are 4 sections to the mini album.  The cover is made with heavy kraft cardstock.  Inner pages are cut from 110# Natural Cardstock. Then I lined the inner pages with more of the heavy kraft cardstock to create really thick, sturdy pages.  Can you see how the interior pages start out big, get smaller, then get big again due to the stacked spine design. This is one of the reasons I enjoy this style of album so much.

Christmas in the Country Stacked Spine Mini Album Tutorial on YouTube

Friends, this is a massive tutorial.  Go grab yourself a cuppa and a snack to sustain you before you hit play!

This tutorial ought to keep you busy until next Tuesday.  That’s when our next Christmas in July post is planned.

You can find a linked supply list below this post.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

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Spellbinders Celebrate the Season Sled Tag

Spellbinders Celebrate the Season Sled Tag Decor Stamperia Romantic Christmas by Kathy Clement Photo 01

Christmas in July Day 2: Spellbinders Celebrate the Season Sled Tag with Stamperia Romantic Christmas

Hello, Friends!  It’s day 2 of Christmas in July and we’re going to make this wonderful vintage Spellbinders Celebrate the Season Sled Tag together.  If you were lucky enough to grow up with snow at Christmas, then you probably remember the thrill of belly flopping onto a wooden sled and shrieking your way all the way to the bottom of a big hill.   This adorable sled die brought all kinds of delightful memories back to my mind as I was working with it. 

Spellbinders Celebrate the Season Sled Tag Tutorial by Kathy Clement Photo 01

The base of our Tim Holtz Etcetera Tag measures 4 1/2″ x 8″. It’s the perfect size to set out on a little side table or in a mantel display.  Dress it up with Stamperia Romantic Christmas papers to create a delightful botanical/nostalgic vibe.

Celebrate the Season Sled

Spellbinders Celebrate the Season Sled by Kathy Clement Kathy by Design Photo 01

Ok…true confessions.  I’m kinda smitten with this little sled. I die cut it from patterned woodgrain paper, and I love the way it turned out. The die set comes with the sled, skates, poinsettia and greenery.   You can use the sled with or without the ice skates, but why would you not want to use those cute skates?   

At first I thought the poinsettias were too small, but by the time I was finished, I decided that I really like the size.  They flow perfectly with the size of the sled, of course.  But I can also see myself using these as “filler” with other flower dies.  They are super easy to make, as you will see in the video tutorial.

Celebrate the Season Sled Tag Tutorial on YouTube.

I hope you’ll join me on my YouTube channel as I create this fun Christmas tag.  There’s a little surprise element that I have not shown you in these photos.  Enjoy!

 

I’ll be back on Throwback Thursday with another Christmas in July tutorial.

You can find a linked supply list below this post.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

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Spellbinders Winter Garden Dies 3 Ways

Spellbinders Winter Garden Dies 3 Ways for Day 1 of Christmas in July

Hello, Friends!  Bundle up, put on your mittens and come for a stroll through Spellbinders Winter Garden Dies with me.  Yes, it’s the first day of Christmas in July here at Kathy by Design.  I know, I know…we’re all still wearing our flip flops, drinking iced tea and wearing Bermuda shorts.  But as fast as this year is going by, I thought we’d better get a head start on our Christmas crafting.

With shipping delay issues, handmade gifts are the way to go this year!  The remainder of this month (and into August and even September as my ordered supplies come in) I’ll be sharing some fun ideas for cards, folios, banners, gifts and tags.

Today’s post features 3 lovely Susan’s Winter Garden dies used in 3 different ways.  I’ve put together a little video tour with tips for you as well as a tutorial for creating a 5×7 double gatefold card base.  Are you ready to get your Christmas craft on?  Then let’s get started!

Spellbinders Winter Garden Dies Project #1: Carta Bella Christmas Rustic Ice Skate Card

Carta Bella Christmas Spellbinders Susan's Garden Skate, Christmas Rose, Evergreen Foliage by Kathy Clement Kathy by Design

Here’s a true confession: Although I grew up in Vermont, I never learned to ice skate.  Did you?  The closest I ever got to skating was falling down.  A lot.  But my dad was a marvelous skater.  He could go forwards and backwards and spin, too.  Ice skates and Christmas cards go together like Santa and reindeer.

This 6×6 top fold card features the Winter Garden skate, Evergreen Foliage and Christmas Rose dies.  You can find out more about this rustic Christmas card, learn some fun crafting tips,  and see the inside in the video below.

Spellbinders Winter Garden Dies Project #2: Stamperia Pink Christmas Slimline Card Folio

Stamperia Pink Christmas Slimline Card Folio Spellbinders Susan's Winter Garden Skate, Evergreen Foliage, Christmas Rose Dies by Kathy Clement Kathy by Design Photo 01

Care to join me for a Victorian skating party?  This 4 1/2″ x 8 1/2″  slimline card folio features pink ice skates, of course!  This time I layered 2 skates together and topped them with pearls and a bow.  This girly girl project was probably my favorite of the three.  Here’s how to make the trifold base from 1 sheet of 8 1/2″ x 11″ cardstock.

  • First, place the long side of  your cardstock on the your scoring tool.
  • From the left, score at 4 1/2″, 5″ and 9 1/2″.  (This measurement is wrong in the video; that’s why I’m adding it here.)
  • Fold the 2″ flap on the end to the inside of the card base.

It’s that easy!  Wait ’til you see the inside of this pretty card!  I hope you’ll enjoy the video tour with tips!

Spellbinders Winter Garden Dies Project #3: 5×7 Double Gatefold with Belly Band Tutorial

Photoplay Paper It's a Wonderful Christmas 5x7 Double Gatefold Card Tutorial Spellbinders Susan's Winter Garden Evergreen Foliage Christmas Rose by Kathy Clement Kathy by Design Photo 01

Oh, there’s no place like home for the holidays!  This 5×7 Double Gatefold card sports a decorative belly band that I like more every time I look at it!  It’s made with Photoplay’s new Christmas collection called “It’s a Wonderful Christmas.”  And truly, this is a wonderful collection!

The Evergreen Foliage die is so versatile, friends.  Instead of keeping the boughs whole, I snipped them into individual pieces and built this lovely wreath.  Can you guess what I used to make the “berries” adorning the wreath?  You’ll have to watch the video tour to find out if you’re right.  I’ll also share a quick tutorial showing you how to assemble the card base.

Winter Garden Dies 3 Ways Video on YouTube

If you’d like to take a tour of the projects, the dies and the paper collections I’ve used in today’s post, I hope you’ll enjoy this video.

I’ll be back tomorrow with another tutorial featuring more new Christmas goodies!  I love Christmas in July!  It’s like getting to open your presents the night before Christmas!

You can find a linked supply list below this post.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

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