Kinkade Christmas Box

I've been saving some packaging from Target's Archer Farms line because I loved the unique shape! You know you're a seriously addicted paper crafter when you start saving food boxes. (insert rolling eyes) This week's CHF Chick's challenge was to make a Holiday Gift. I love packaging my gifts in creative ways & this box gave me my inspiration. :)

I took the box apart and used it as a template to cut my cardstock. After layering on some Cosmo Cricket paper & a Kinkade image that I colored... this box was totally transformed! To open the box, simply untie the ribbon!

I wanted to show you a close up of this image, but my camera is just not able to pick up the details. It's actually much clearer in person & soooo sparkley! I used Glossy Accents to cover the pond & it's so shiny and slick. (you're going to have to trust me on this one) :)

Make sure to check out the other designer's blogs to see some great holiday gift ideas!!!

- Julia
- Dawn
- Joanne
- Kim
- Jen

Stamps:
- 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas' & 'Skaters Pond' Thomas Kinkade Stamps by Cornish Heritage Farms

Ink:
- 'Versafine Vintage Sepia' Inkpad by Tsukineko

Cardstock:
- Black, Candle Glow Medium, Tawny Dark, & Simply Smooth White Prism CS

Printed Paper:
- Oh Joy by Cosmo Cricket

Accessories:
- Glitter by Martha Stewart Crafts
- Glossy Accents by Ranger (used over pond)
- Copic Markers
- Corner punch by EK Success
- Black Brads by Joann Crafts
- Noteworthy Scallop Sheer Green Making Memories Ribbon
- Jumbo Eyelets by We R Memory Keepers
- Gold organdy ribbon (Michaels)
- Tags Nestabilities Die by Spellbinders

Streams of Living Water

This is another one of my 'Welcome to our Church' cards that I make for new visitors. I really love how the image looks when it was stamped onto this linen-like paper in the new Scrapblocks Layers paper pack. The paper is actually super smooth, which makes the impression nice and clear. AND... the image looks great without having to spend 2 hours coloring it in. :)


Stamps: (all by Cornish Heritage Farms)
- Streams of Living Water (Thomas Kinkade line)
- (sentiment) Script Essential Expressions (Mona Lisa Moments line)

Ink:
- Black Onyx Versafine inkpad by Tsukineko
- Frayed Burlap Distress inkpad by Ranger

Cardstock:
- Birchtone Dark CS by Prism

Patterned Paper:
- Scrapblocks Paper Pack by CHF
- Creative Impressions Art Warehouse paper

Accessories:
- Satin Ribbon by Martha Stewart Crafts
- Hardware by We R Memory Keepers
- Rub-on by My Mind's Eye (Laundry line)

Tools:
- Sewing Machine
- Stampin' Up! Word Window & Slot punches

Faux Soldering Technique

Happy Monday!!! Well, it's been awhile, but I'm finally able to participate in the weekly CHF Challenge Chicks challenge (tongue twister!!!). This week, all of the girls are talking about their favorite product in the CHF store. Did you know that Cornish has their shelves stocked with a lot more than rubber stamps? Make sure you check out the other girls' blogs to find out more! (click on each name on my CHF Design Team area on my side bar) Oh... and if you see something you just can't live without... shipping is always FREE for US orders over $35! :)

One of my favorite new products is UTEE. What IS UTEE, you may ask? UTEE stands for Ultra Thick Embossing Powder. It's a little bit like clear embossing powder... but, you guessed it, THICKER! And... you can do a lot of different techniques with this product! It's perfect for the 'cracked glass' technique... but I'm going to show you something new that I've discovered. (at least I think it's new! I just started playing around today and thought it was pretty cool!)

I started out by trimming one of the small images from my new Thomas Kinkade Christmas Series Paper Pack. Then, using my Ranger Melting Pot (found this at Michaels... It's great for warming up a big POT of UTEE and other things), I warmed and melted a small amount of UTEE. Then, I SLOWLY poured the UTEE over my TK image. *I placed a non-stick craft mat over my work surface first

The UTEE dries fairly quickly. Once it's cool enough to touch and mostly set, slowly peel your image off of your craft mat. I used my craft scissors to trim the excess UTEE from the edges.

Once your image is completely hardened and cooled, use a Krylon leafing pen to edge your piece and make it appear soldered. I securred a piece of hardware on the back of my image to give it the look similar to a jump ring.

This card was really fun to make! (I used the Sketch For You To Try by Jen del Muro.) I inked over the other Thomas Kinkade paper with Distress Ink to give it a warmer patina & then edged each panel with the same Krylon Leafing Pen.

Stamps:
- (noel) Heart Warmers (the Kim Hughes Collection) by CHF

Ink:
- Dark Brown ColorBox Fluid chalk ink
- Old Paper Distress Ink by Ranger

Cardstock:
- Spring Willow Medium, Suede Brown Dark & Kraft CS by Prism

Patterned Paper:
- Thomas Kinkade Christmas Paper Line by CHF

Accessories:
- Copper Krylon Pen
- UTEE by Ranger
- Sheer Organdy Ribbon
- Copper Precious Metal Hardware by We R Memory Keepers

I LOVE Thursdays :)

Today was a great day. :) My husband is a teacher and school started today. My oldest son transferred schools and is now going to the elementary that's right next to where my DH teaches... so they get to ride to school together. I was a little nervous about how my son would do with all of the changes... but as you can see by his smile - I think he was excited about it all. The little guy wanted to be in the picture too (he's making some kind of silly monkey face). He's starting preschool and had to be in the 'first day of school photo'. So... the house was nice and quiet and I finally had some time to myself. Ahhh! I haven't had a quiet house since May.


I was really anxious to break into my new Thomas Kinkade paper after seeing so many awesome samples by some of the other CHF DT members. I just LOVE it because it looks just like you spent hours coloring a TK stamp... when in reality, it's just paper! At CHA, customers kept ooh'ing and ahh'ing at the card samples saying how wonderfully colored the images were. Their eyes bulged out when I told them that they weren't stamped/colored at all! It was just part of the paper pack! They would pick up the card and stare at it in disbelief. LOL!

I had a plain blue gift bag that I thought would coordinate really well with some of the winter pack and wanted to try it out for myself.


I added a little fiber and satin ribbon to the top of my bag, mounted it onto shimmery golden paper, and added a little glitter to the snow (I loved how Dawn Lusk's samples turned out using this glittery idea!). The bag and the card took me about 15 minutes to complete. I'm sure it would take even less the next time! Lisa Strahl said I needed an Easy Button. ;)

For the card, I stamped a sentiment, inked the edges just a bit, and sewed it all together. Oh! And I added more glitter to match the bag. EASY! :)

Stamps:
- We Wish You a Merry Christmas (Thomas Kinkade line) by Cornish Heritage Farms

Ink:
- Pitch Black Adirondack (for card's sentiment)
- Antique Linen Distress Inkpad by Ranger

Paper:
- Thomas Kinkade Christmas Series Paper Pack by CHF

CardStock:
- Nautical Blue Medium, Ice Gold by Prism

Accessories:
- Gift Bag
- Martha Stewart clear glitter

Tools:
- sewing machine & white thread