Christmas Design Team Challenge

December 1, 2008



Wow, can you believe that it is already December. Soon Christmas will be here, all the kids will be excited to see what presents will be under the tree on Christmas morning.

I cannot believe that it has been a while since I last posted anything on this blog or at Splitcoast Stampers. I have been really busy at work. 4 co-workers have retired on Friday and all week long I was busy making them some mini albums to take with them so they have something to remember all the years that they have worked with us. It was a sad day to say good bye to the 4 of them on Friday. I am glad it is over and we all can move on.

For today's post, our Team leader, Vicki Chrisman has challenged us to use any of the Christmas stamps... images.. or both for a card, a layout, an altered project.. anything. For this challenge I made 4 items.

The first is a Christmas Countdown Calendar. I used a 12x12 piece of chipboard for the frame on my project. I trimmed down the chipboard to 12x10 and then cut it at 5, 6, 7 inch intervals. I layed all 4 pieces beside one another leaving a gap of about 1/8". I then covered both side with DP paper from Basic Grey. The front portion of the frame was covered with Basic Grey's Wassail and the back portion which is not visible was covered with a DP from Basic Grey's Figgy Pudding. I used some cardstock strips from Bazzill to the top portion of the frame. Then proceeded to use a bind-it-all to punch out the holes for the binding. This was done on the 2 ends of the frame. This was put aside for awhile. Cut out 13 (1-3/4x4") strips of DP also from the Wassail collection of Basic Grey. Stamped the Christmas Ornament from the Christmas Joy stamp set of Crafty Secrets. Stamped the numbers using A Sexy Little No. stamp set, colored the ornament holder with a gold mettalic Sakura pen and added a little glimmer on the bottom portion of the ornament with a glitter Sakura pen. Used the bind-it-all to the top portion of the 13 strps of paper and then proceeded to bind the 2 ends of the frame together with the strips of paper to make a tent. Stamped the work CHRISTMAS downwards on a strip of green cs using the TopHat - ABC stamp set and COUNTDOWN across on another piece of green cs. The 2 strips were placed towards the left and underneath the numbered strips. For the right side of my Christmas Countdown tent I placed another piece of the Wassail DP. Stamped the Holly leaf stamp in a circular pattern to form a wreath. Before stamping the next holly leaves, I would mask the last one stamped. Colored the leaves and holly berries with Tombow markers and cut the DP using a circle Coluzzle. Cut 2 different sizes of scalloped circles with the Red DP also from the Wassail collection using Spellbinders scallop circle nestabilities. Matted the wreath to the scalloped circles and then onto to the background DP. Stamped DAYS in the middle of the wreath with some letters in the Favorite Fellas stamp set and then added 4 green half-pearls from Kaiser to the 4 corners.

Stamp: Christmas Joy, A sexy Little No., Tophat - ABC and Favorite Fellas stamp set from Crafty Secrets Clear Art Stamps.
Paper: Wassail and Figgy Pudding from Basic Grey and green cs
Ink: Onyx Black Versafine, Mettalic Gold Sakura pen, Glittle Sakura pen and various Tombow markers.
Accessories: Green half-pearls, circle coluzzle, scallop circle nestabilities and Bind-it-all

For the 2nd, 3rd and 4th projects I made some Christmas Candles. I stamped some images from the Christmas Joy stamp set onto white tissue paper with Onyx Black Versafine. I colored the images with Tombow markers and then cut the tissue paper either with a scallop circle nestability or scissors. I placed the tissue paper images on vanilla candles and then placed wax paper on top of the tissue. Used a craft iron to melt the candle wax and tissue together. I have always admired candles decorated this way and always thought that it would be too completed to make. Realized after making 3 of these, that it was really quite simple. Now my kids want to make some of their own to give away for Christmas.

Stamps: Christmas Joy
Ink: Onyx Black Versafine and various Tombow markers
Paper: White tissue paper
Accessories: Candle

Check out the blogs of the other Design Team Members to see other projects for this challege.

• Vicki Chrisman
• Anna Wight
• Lisa Zappa
• Pam Hooten
• Heidi Blankenship
• Vivian Peters
• Michele Kovack