Christmas Project #6: Simple Crackled Glass Ornament

I love to give handmade gifts, but the hustle and bustle of the holiday season doesn’t always allow time for that, so one of my goals this holiday season is to make an ornament a night in an hour or less. It’s a nice way to de-stress at the end of the day.

This ornament that takes less than an hour to make (not counting dry time).

  

Materials used:

• Ranger Memory Frames (2x2)
• Ranger Memory Frames Glass (2x2)
• Ranger Crackle Accents
• October Afternoon Patterned Paper
• Bazzill Pink Tulle
• Offray Cream Flower
• Deja Views Black Holiday Rub-on

  

Instructions:

1. Cut two pieces of paper to 1-15/16 x1-15/16.
2. Place the papers back to back in between two pieces of memory glass.
3. Add Holiday rub-on to the glass in the lower left corner.
4. Slide the memory glass sandwich (glass + paper) into the Memory Frames.
5. Flood top of glass with Crackle Accents. Allow to dry overnight or about 10 hours before flipping over and doing the same on the reverse.
6. Once crackle accents is dry, glue flower in upper right corner.
7. Cut Bazzill Tulle approximately 10” long (or a little longer if you want to make it easier to work with) and double the layer so it’s 5” long.
8. Tie the tulle around the memory glass hanger leaving the ends sticking out and not pulling the loops all the way through. Cut the loops to make more “ends” and trim to desired length.
9. Admire and enjoy your new ornament!

*Two Peas Holiday Sharing Project* Holiday Door Hanging

I am super-psyched to have the privilege of sharing my project with my fellow peas for the Two Peas in a Bucket Holiday Sharing Event. When I found out my project was selected I was really surprised (because hey, it's just something that little ol' me put together), but seeing the talent that has contributed projects so far, and getting to be a guest designer amongst them... well I'm just speechless! :)

In October I participated in the Maya Road Challenge on Two Peas in a Bucket and was one of the lucky finalists. When my package of Maya Road goodies arrived (Thank you Maya Road!) there were several of the Journey Tins included and I thought they'd make adorable little shadow boxes. And then I thought, what's more adorable than a shadow box? A shaker box! So I compiled all of those ideas into one fun little door hanger.


Here's how to make your very own...


Materials Used

• Chipboard Background – page from a Maya Road  Mix it Up Mini Album (also won in the Two Peas Challenge)
• Patterned Papers – K and Co (Swell Noel line)
• Playing cards - dollar store
• Metallic pipe cleaner – Michaels
• Chipboard Bird – My Minds Eye
• Chipboard Flourish (bird wing) – Maya Road Decorative Scrolls Chipboard Set
• Blue and red chipboard frame – Maya Road Ornate Tags Chipboard
• Metal tins - Maya Road "Journey Tins"
• Paints, Inks, and Alcohol Inks – Ranger
• Gingham Ribbon – Craft Supply
• Jingle Bells – Craft Supply (Michaels)
• Jump Rings – Tim Holtz
• Snowman – Maya Road Trinket Pin
• Red floss (snowman scarf) – DMC
• Micobead Glitter – Martha Stewart
• Poinsettia Brad – Creative Imaginations (have also seen a very similar one in a Paper Studio brad set at Hobby Lobby)
• Wreath – Craft Supply from Michaels
• Holiday pieces - Dress it up from Michaels

To create the happy holidays plaque

1. Paint the inner piece with a red pepper dabber, then using a cotton swab or paint bush, add a little bit of a darker red dabber (or distress ink) to create a weathered two-tone effect.
2. Paint the outer piece with a light blue dabber and add a little bit of a darker blue dabber (or distress ink) over the top to create a weathered two-tone effect.
3. Add "happy holidays" pieces to center of red piece.

To create the bird embellishment

• Start with a My Minds Eye chipboard bird as the base.
• Use a Maya Road chipboard flourish for feathers. Spray with metallic silver Maya Mist. Then, paint with a thick layer of Tim Holtz Crackle Paint (Picket Fence) using a stippling technique to build more texture. I am impatient, so I use my heat tool to speed up the drying process. Once dry, spray with a mini mister that has water plus 8 drops of antique linen reinker (or just tint it down with a little antique linen distress ink).
• Glue flourish to bird.

To age the playing cards

• Sand bottom half of the playing cards with very fine sand paper.
• Apply 1-3 small drops of butterscotch alcohol ink to the alcohol ink applicator
• Working over a splat mat Rub the alcohol ink onto the playing cards until you have the color you desire. If you get too much, you can remove it with alcohol blending solution. You can also add a drop of alcohol ink to the applicator to re-wet the already applied ink and rework it. I also used a new felt applicator to buff off the excess.

 Making the shadow boxes

• Wreath tin
• In the large square tin, punch or cut a square of the blue patterned paper. Use a small corner rounder to round all four corners. Apply glossy accents to the back of the paper. Glue the paper to the inside of the tin by wiggling it around a little and then letting it dry.
• The wreath will be a little too thick to fit. Gently flatten the back side of the wreath without flattening the front. Place inside the tin.
• Apply a little glossy accents around the edge of the tin and then fit the lid on. Hold for 10-15 seconds to allow the glue to set a little.
• Poinsettia tin
• In a small sqaure tin, punch or cut a square of green accent paper. Round the corners with a small corner rounder. Apply glossy accents to the back of the paper. Glue the paper to the inside of the tin by wiggling it around a little and then letting it dry.
• Remove the prongs from the back of the poinsettia brad. Glue the brad to the background paper using glossy accents.
• Apply a little glossy accents around the edge of the tin and then fit the lid on. Hold for 10-15 seconds to allow the glue to set a little.
• Snowman tin
• In a small sqaure tin, punch or cut a square of pink accent paper. Round the corners with a small corner rounder. Apply glossy accents to the back of the paper. Glue the paper to the inside of the tin by wiggling it around a little and then letting it dry.
• Making the little snowman
• Tie 3 strands of red embroidery floss between the top and middle to create the scarf. Use wire cutters to cut off all but a little bit of the metal pin.
• Put a 1/8" pop dot on the bottom left edge of the tin. Put a few small drops of glossy accents on the back of the trinket pin and then push the snowman into the pop dot to hold it in place.
• To create the "landscape" fill the bottom with glossy accents varying the height to create the shape of little mini hills. Pour some Martha Stewart micobead glitter in to the tin at the top.
• Apply a little glossy accents around the edge of the tin and then fit the lid on. Let the microbeads

To assemble

• Remove a the page with scalloped edges from the Maya Road Mix it Up album. Cover it with the Santa paper from the K and Co Swell Noel line. (Don't forget to punch out the holes! I used the crop-a-dile).
• Add the playing cards to the upper left corner.
• Fit the journey tins across the bottom of the page just above the holes. Lightly the mark the top of the large and small tins. Apply wonder/tacky tape to the back of the ribbon and glue it to the page before gluing down the Journey tins.
• Place the bird so it's feet are just above the large tin.
• Glue the "happy holidays" plaque on a slight angle in the upper right corner.
• Using the large Tim Holtz jump rings, hang jingle bells along the bottom. Open the spring rings by bending one end forward and the other end backward rather than pulling the ends apart.
• Attach a pipe cleaner through the binding holes. Bend about one inch from the end and twist around the pipe cleaner.

Enjoy!

Christmas Project #5 - Gift Card Tin

Since there are only two weekends (one really since this weekend is almost over) before Christmas, I figured it's time to get wrappin'! My family draws names, so fortunately I have only a few to do, which leaves me with a little more time to personalize what are normally fairly impersonal gifts, gift cards. Since they're small, generic and not as exciting as other gifts, I try to make gift card containers a little more interesting.

Gift Card Container made with Ranger, Maya Road, and Making Memories products

These are fairly quick and easy to make. Especially if you use your heat gun to speed up the paint drying process :)

Step 1 - Alterning the Making Memories "Vintage Findings" Tin Box

• Coat the top with a generous layer of "Peeled Paint" Crackle Paint (Ranger). As you're applying the paint work some texture into it. Use heat tool to speed up drying.
• Paint edges and sides with "Lettuce" paint dabber. Then rub a little of the lettuce paint on the top too. Use heat tool to dry.
• Highlight high spots with a little "Walnut Stain" Distress Ink (Ranger) on top and sides of tin. Set ink with heat tool.
• Add a little "Gold" paint dabber around the edge of the top for a little shiny glam :)

Step 2 - Create the layered poinsettia embellishment

Poinsettias made from Grungeboard with Maya Mist and Cricut

• Cut 4 poinsettias from the "Joy of the Seasons" Cricut cartridge.
• Blade: 6 | Speed: High | Pressure: Max | Multicut: 2
• As it's cutting you made need to help hold the grungeboard in place.
• Once flowers are cut and ready to go, place in a box and spray with Maya Mist
• Spray 2 with Strawberry Metallic and 2 with Pink Grapefruit.
• I let them sit briefly, then lightly sponged dry with a paper towel to get a look that was more metallic than pigment.
• Once dry, use a stylus to bend and curl the leaves to get a little more realistic dimension going.
• Stack and use a brad to secure (I liked using the brad because that allowed me to continue turning them once stacked until they were right were I wanted them.
• Once you're happy with how they are stacked, pull a piece of metallic pipe cleaner through an "Bubblegum" pink button (American Crafts) and then affix it to the brad and flower stack with hot glue.

Step 3: Finishing off the top

• Punch a 1" circle from a scrap of cardstock.
• Cut pieces of light and dark pink tulle and attach with a tiny attacher as you work your way around the circle.
• Then, holding the poinsettia to the center for reference, use scissors to trim down until it's just slightly bigger than the top of the tin. I also was careful to cut the tulle in triangle or wedge shapeds beause I wanted to create a base that resembled the skirt of a ballerina or little pixie fairy.
• Use hot glue to affix the tulle pinwheel to the poinsettia and then again to attach the whole thing to the top of the tin.

Place the gift card inside, add gift tag and you're ready to rock your holiday!

Christmas Project #4 - Christmas at Home

The holidays are a time to spend with friends and family at home. One of my favorite things to create are mini books that highlight my favorite photos from Christmases past. They can be displayed on plate holders, hung on the tree, or placed in a basket on the coffee table.

I created this fun little mini to document our first Christmas in our first home. It features some shots of us decorating and preparing our house for the holidays. It's funny too look back and see our home so sparsely appointed!

Click the image to bigify.

Christmas Project #3 - Popcorn Gifts

You never know when a neighbor or friends may pop by over the holidays. Be ready to send them along on their merry way with these easy, make-ahead gifts.

Supplies include:

• Cardstock: Bazzill

• Pattern Paper: October Afternoon "Verry Merry"
• Ribbon: Michaels
• Beaded berries: Hobby Lobby
• Popcorn die cut & scalloped circle die cut: QuicKutz
• Holder die cuts: Cricut Machine, Fabulous Finds Cartridge, Cricut Design Studio
• Shipping Tag: Avery
• Ink: Clearsnap
• Fonts: Bookman Old Style, Machia
• Adhesive: Tacky Tape
• Safety Pin: Making Memories

To create the sleeves:

To create the scalloped flowers
-Cut or punch a scalloped circle.
-Score across the scallops (this makes it much easier to fold later)
-Fan fold around the scalloped circle.
-Open the circle into a triangular shape, cut off the tip of the triangle.
-Attach foam dots to a punched circle (may need a few to get to the height of the fold, then place glue lines around the foam dot (the peaks of the folds will stick to this)
-Place the hole of the scalloped circle over the foam dot so the foam dot poke through the middle.
-Attach another punched circle to the top to "sandwich" the scalloped circle.

You can also cut a very small amount off of the tip of the triangle and use a large brad to secure the top to the punched circle on the back.

Have fun making these and sharing them with your neighbors.

Christmas Project #2 - Button Wreath Ornament

Here's a slightly less involved ornament that will help you use up your button collection. And, if you don't happen to have a button collections, Hobby Lobby sells bulk buttons in their sewing department very reasonably!

Martha Stewart Button Wreath

German Star Instructions... at last!

Growing up we had these really old german stars on our tree. I don't know what draws me to them, but I'm completely enamoured! This past Christmas I was the fortunate recipient of some German Stars that my dad made as a kid (how cool is that!?), so my desire to make my own has become a little less urgent.

Nonetheless, I've been searching for instructions to no avail for several years, but finally I've found some instructions and I'm sharing them with you.

German Star Ornament Instructions

Christmas Project #1 - Vintage Ornaments

I found this concept at the Christmas with the Cricut blog from a lady who made the most beautiful ornaments using the Ranger Alcohol Inks. I've been eyeing those inks for a long time (and those of you who know me, know I am a product/technique/tool junkie) so they finally gave me the reason I needed to go buy some. Bonus!

So for my version, I swapped the Cricut vinyl for some Hamby Rub-ons (Yay Hambly!) and went to town creating my own vintage ornaments. When I gave them away last Christmas, many people thought they were store-bought, no one believed they were handmade!

 Vintage Alcohol Ink Ornaments

Want to make your own? Here's a supply list:

• Alcohol Ink Applicator (Ranger)
• Alcohol Inks (color + a shade of brown or two high-contrast shades of the same color)
• Alcohol Ink Blending Solution (for cleaning off any mistakes, or the table)
• Alcohol Ink pearl mixatives (optional, but gives it a pretty shine)
• Glass ornaments (I purchased mine at Michaels)
• Gloves (vinyl/latex)
• Glass cleaner/rubbing alcohol
• Paper towels
• Rub-ons (use high-quality, super sticky ones -of course I recommend Hambly) OR, Cricut vinyl and the cartridge(s) of your choice
• Ribbons, wired beads, Bazzill tulle, wired berries, etc. for the top

Here are a few tips from my ornament making experience:

1. If you don't like how it's coming out, you can just go back over it. The wet ink on your applicator will redistribute what's already dried on your ornament.
2. If you really, really don't like how it's looking, you can use the alcohol ink blending solution to remove what you've already applied and start again.
3. Adding the metallic mixatives comes out really cool! (Apply it with the other 2 colors)
4. These inks stain... PERMANENTLY so wear gloves and old clothes and don't do it over any furniture that you'd really like to keep...or any surface that you'd like to keep for that matter.
5. If you do get some on a hard surface like formica, you can use the alcohol blending solution to remove it, but there will likely still be a residual stain.
6. It's addictive! I'm already thinking of vases and other things to apply this technique too!

If you want to seal your ornaments, here are some tips from inkyheart:

• Use Creative Imaginations' Super Seal. It's an acrylic-based sealer so it won't mess with your pretty alcohol ink work and mimics the surface it is sprayed upon... so it doesn't change the look of your work either. I've used it on transparencies and acrylic as well as paper.
• This sealer works well for Ranger and Copic Alcohol inks.
• FYI: Most spray sealers have propylol (or some other alcohol ---lol) and those will make the ink 'dance' and especially mess up detailed images that you may have colored in (think mud puddle); so don't use Krylon for alcohol ink work, unless you are going for a crazed look. I've actually done that on purpose for my domino-based jewelry pieces.

That's it. Have fun creating your own and post a comment to share your creations!

Christmas Projects

The holidays are a busy time of year for me (both personally and professionally) so I generally have very little time to get my projects done let alone add them to my blog. So to make sure my blog isn't woefully neglected next holiday season, I'm posting some of my Christmas projects from 2009 over the next few days. Enjoy!