Tall and Skinny Archives - Kathy by Design

Carta Bella Christmas Box Card Tutorial for Throwback Thursday

Hello, Friends! Today’s Throwback Thursday is a Carta Bella Christmas Box Card Tutorial. It’s a mash up made with 3 different Carta Bella Christmas collections: Farmhouse Christmas, Christmas Delivery and Christmas Market. The color palette of these 3 collections blended together perfectly, so I was able to use up a bunch of little scraps on this long and lean box style card.

Home for the Holidays Inspiration

As I was organizing my scraps, I came across this cute border strip of Christmas houses. Since it was long and skinny, I decided to make it the focal on this 8 1/2″ x 4″ box style card. My paper scraps, however, were not that long. So I had to innovate.

TIP: Join 2 complementary patterns of paper to create a designer look. The black tartan panel is 6″ x 3″. So I finished out the width of the card base with a 1 1/2″ x 3″ panel of a script pattern. The end result is pretty sharp looking.

TIP: Make your focal panel stand out from the crowd. Mat the top and bottom edge on solid cardstock. Then back it with dimensionals. Height equals prominence. Think about how a king’s throne always sits higher than its surroundings. That’s so he stands out in a crowd. The same principle holds true in papercrafting.

The Shaker Element

I generally make the shaker element the focal point of my card. But for this card, I turned the shaker element into the embellishment. Here’s how.

First, punch the center out of a chipboard frame.
Next, back the frame with clear cardstock. I use Dries Clear Adhesive for this task, but you can use scor-tape, red line tape or any other strong adhesive that dries clear and goes down neatly.
Now adhere 3 layers of 1/4″ foam tape to the back side of the shaker frame. You will need to angle the corners so that the foam does not show.
Next, place the filler mix in the center of the area where you plan to adhere the frame. I used these adorable Sprinkletz to fill mine. (Supply list is linked below the post.)
Then line up the frame and press it into place. You only get one chance to do this, so make sure that you are centered and straight.
Finally, punch out the Christmas Wellies from the chipboard sheet. Back with foam tape (height=prominence, remember?). Adhere to the right side of the frame. Dress up with a little bow, tiny jingle bells and a bit of greenery.

A Peek Inside

This is why I love this card style! It makes the perfect base for a little Christmas gift!

You can tuck gift card wallets in the top pocket and treats in the bottom.

Carta Bella Box Card Tutorial #2: The Vertical Box Card

This card base can also be turned vertically for a totally different look.

Die cut an Eileen Hull Mitten from scraps of Christmas Delivery papers and from chipboard. Then adhere the patterned paper mitten to the chipboard. Next, adhere a Reneabouquets Mini Snowman to a chipboard element from Farmhouse Christmas. Create a border on the bottom of the card by layering ribbon together and wrapping around the base.

Now you can fill the side pocket with a Tea Party in a Box. It’s another perfect little Christmas gift!

Video Tutorial

If you’d like to learn how to create this versatile card base, please enjoy this short tutorial. I also share some great tips for organizing your paper collections and scraps.

I hope I’ve shared some tips and tricks that you can use in your next crafty adventure. If so, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section below. You will find a linked supply list below the post.

These cards are also available for purchase in my Etsy shop.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

SUPPLY LIST

Carta Bella
- Farmhouse Christmas Mega Bundle
- Christmas Market Scraps (retired)
  - Ephemera
  - Chipboard
- Christmas Delivery
  - 6×6 paper pad
  - stickers
Prima Christmas in the Country Flowers (retired)
Reindeer Satin Ribbon
Shell Grey Sparkle Satin
Silver Snowflake Grosgrain Ribbon
Santa’s Treats Sprinkletz
Eileen Hull Mitten Die
Mat Board
Reneabouquets Mini Snowman
Mini Jingle Bells
Greenery from a floral pick
Glitter Snowflake from the Dollar Store
Plastic Paper File
1/4″ Foam Tape
acetate sheets (clear cardstock)
Retired bits and bobs from my stash

Gone Fishing Father’s Day Card with Authentique Manly

Hello, Friends! Today I’m over on the Authentique Blog sharing this Gone Fishing Father’s Day Card as part of Authentique’s Father’s Day Week Celebration. All week long you will find wonderful masculine projects that honor the dads in our lives.

My father and 3 older brothers were avid fishermen. The rose early in the summer mornings with tackle box, rods & reels, night crawlers, a thermos of coffee and a bag of sandwiches in tow. They were gone fishing. On a good day, they’d come home with fresh brook trout for dinner. But even if their fishing creels were empty, they had the pleasure of that time together under the sky in God’s beautiful world. And they bonded, even though hardly a word was spoken while fishing. Dads seem to be able to speak into their children’s lives without saying a word. I tried to capture that in this card.

Gone Fishing Father’s Day Card: Building the Layers

Here’s how to put this card together:

Begin by cutting an 11″ x 8 1/2″ sheet of paper to measure 10 1/2″ long.
Place the long side on your scoring tool and score at 4 1/4″ and 8 1/2″.
Fold to form a tall and skinny card base with a 2″ deep side pocket.
Mat a 3 5/8″ x 7 7/8″ panel of Manly 3 on a slightly larger panel of Spectrum Honey Comb and Spectrum Hot Chocolate. Don’t adhere to the card front yet.
Now cut the 3×4 “Outdoor Life” image from Manly 8. Place the bass brad over the bass in the photo. Mat on both colors of Spectrum cardstock. Back with dimensionals and adhere in the top third of the card.
Next, cut a 3″ x 3″ square of Manly 3. Mat on the Spectrum cardstock, back with dimensionals and adhere in the lower third of the card. Leave about 1/4″ between the two decorative panels.

Gone Fishing Details

Adhere 3 wood slices (my son made these for me) at the bottom of the bottom panel. Top with the novelty buttons and the small fish sticker.
Then adhere novelty buttons on top of the wood slices.
Next back the “gone fishing” sticker and the fish sticker with dimensionals and adhere above the wood slices. Adhere a bracket sticker in the top left hand corner and top with the other small fish sticker.
Now thread ribbon through the Tim Holtz buckle. Wrap around the card panel and secure with a dab of hot glue. Tie a square knot with a separate piece of ribbon.
Finally, adhere the panel to the card base.

Gone Fishing Father’s Day Card: A Peek Inside

Now you can finish the inside of your card. Add gussets to the side pocket and decorate with designer papers. Tuck in a chocolate treat and a bookmark. After all, Dad can’t fish 24/7!

I feel truly blessed to have been raised by my dad. Although he left us far too early in life (I was only 13 years old when he passed into glory) the lessons he taught me are alive and well today. He left his imprint on my life and character.

Wishing all the dads out there a truly blessed and restful Father’s Day!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy