Small Lantern Winter Scene

      A few weeks ago I made a Winter scene using the Large Lantern die set by John Next Door, this time I've made one using the Small Lantern. The standard Small Lantern is about 3.5inches tall when assembled, making it perfect for hanging on the Christmas tree.

     

     This lantern is a little taller than 3.5" because it's been modified to hold an LED tea light in the base.

     I cut the main body in snowfall acetate and cut the bottom off. Then I cut two pieces in white card, both have the base but one has a slightly taller side than the other.

     Both base sections have a small hole cut in them, one for the candle flame to poke through and one for access to the switch on the candle.

     

     The acetate was stuck on the inside of the taller base section, then the lantern was assembled. You must use something like redline tape for this, it's the only thing strong enough to hold the construction together.

     The slightly shallower base has the candle stuck inside with the flame poking out, this section will be pushed down into the lantern once decorated.

     The little houses are a Sizzix die by Tim Holtz called Paper Houses, I used the smallest one and cut it down in height to suit.

     I made sure there were plenty of windows in these tiny houses for the light to shine out. The windows then had small pieces of vellum stuck on the inside to mute the glow and make sure you can't see he flame. There is also a small gap cut between the two adjoining houses for the light to pass through

     The rooves are not covered with snow for two reasons...one is I didn't want to mess it up and the second is their insulation is terrible so it's all melted!

     The houses and a tree were stuck onto the base, making sure the flame was inside the buildings, then it was covered with a thin layer of True Snow paste. 

     Once all this was dry and set hard I lowered the base into the lantern, this was sticky as it was a tight fit. I also had to make sure that I got the switch in the right place, over the hole in the bottom of the lantern.

     To finish off I threaded a thin red ribbon through the holes in the top and drew it all together, I left this ribbon long so it can be used to hang the lantern. A few die cut Aster leaves and some tiny pinecones finished off the top and a wide strip of patterned paper around the base completed the project.

I would like to enter this project in the following challenges:

Christmas Cards All Year 'Round - Not A Card

Die Cut Divas - Anything Goes

Allsorts - Christmas

Creative Knockouts - Anything Goes

Krafty Chicks - #537 Christmas

Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas     Top Pick

Pick Up A Pine Tree

     Sadly this will be the last challenge at Not Just Cards, it has been running since 2014 but now it's time to hang up the scissors, thank you Helen for the last 6 years. 

     Making Christmas projects is one of my favourite things to do at any time of year, especially when I can make something tailored to the recipient. I have one friend that owns a few WWII American military vehicles and another that owns a haulage firm, so this was a perfect way to make something for them.

     

     I started with the Sizzix Bigz die by Tim Holtz called Old Jalopy and an A5 piece of card folded in half. Either side of the centre fold I added another fold to make a pleat, this was in one of Tim's many demo's, I'm sorry to say I don't know which one.

     When I put the card on the die I made sure that the pleat was just above the cutting edge at the bottom of the wheels, it didn't matter having a flat at this stage as tires would be added later.

     

     I also cut six wing pieces, two in red to match the car and four in black. I stuck two black together and then a red one on top to make them stand out, trying to get foam tape this thin would have been a nightmare!

     The hub caps and bumpers were also cut in black card, then they were coloured with silver guilding wax but not with a perfect cover as they are vintage vehicles and need to show wear and tear.....vintage will hide any tiny mishaps too.

     The lower part of the car was cut in black card, this forms the tires and shading under the wings, it was trimmed down to fit below the wings and running board. I cut the back of the car off to make it into a pick up.

      These vehicles are double sided so both sides have been decorated, when gluing the various bits on to the car remember that they will be the other way around on the back.

      The trees are also a TH die, cut in light green card, stuck onto a darker green card and then fussy cut. Again these are double sided so the tree outline on the back had to be stuck on back to front.

     With all the car parts stuck on and the tree loaded in to the back of the pick up it was time to stick both sides together but only at the top. I ran a small line of glue along the bonnet, across the cab and then along the top of the buck.

     If you stick the whole card together it will not stand up, having the ability to open at the bottom helps the pleat become the stand for the pick up.

     To make the military truck I used a suitable green card for almost everything except the tires and added a small white star to the door. Both the red and the military trucks have been aged with a dusting of black Distress Ink.

     For the blue truck I used blue card and silver satin mirri card for the wings, hub caps and bumpers, the Chris Riches fleet are always spotless with gleaming chrome accessories and at night they light up like a Christmas tree. The logo on the door was taken from a photo as my drawing skills were not up to copying it accurately.

     There is little space to write anything as they are not really a card, so I will be adding a small tag to the tree with my Christmas message. I hope that these will come out again next year as a simple decoration, I have kept several stand up items, both commercial and handcrafted, over the years because they have been too nice to throw out.

I would like to enter this project in the following challenges:

Christmas Cards All Year 'Round - Not A Card    Top Pick

Winter Wonderland - Anything Christmas

Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas

613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes/optional Vintage

Ike's World - #139 X is for Christmas

Dream Valley - Christmas

Use Your Stuff - Winter/Snow/Christmas

The Paper Funday - Anything Goes/option Christmas

Winter Blues

     The theme this month at Christmas Craft Creations is Winter Blues. I know this has a touch of purple but they go so well together. 

     This idea came from a friend of a friend, it's so simple but looks like you've spent hours making it. The best thing is there is a video tutorial to follow which you can find here.

     For this card I used Ultramarine Brusho on the embossing folder, silver guilding wax and some die cut snowflakes. It's not the same as Mary Ellen's but that's the beauty of this technique, it's not going to be the same even if I use the same items.

     After polishing the crackle I added the snowflake and some blue dewdrops type gems from deep in my stash. I decided to mat and layer on purple to bring out the odd bits of purple in the Brusho.

     Just having Winter on it means it's a good card for anyone not celebrating Christmas and being snowflakes, my favourite seasonal thing, it's not religious either. Our challenge doesn't have to be a card, anything you have made that fits the Winter Blues theme is fine with us.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

ABC Christmas - Y-Your Favourite Things - Snowflakes

The 12 Months of Christmas - #72 Anything Christmas

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas

Bastel-Traum - Winter

Opera Post Box

     I saw a new die advertised to make a post box, 'that's nice' I thought, then the penny dropped with a resounding clang! Why not make one with the JNDD001 Opera box die set?! Lockdown has been good for making me look more closely at what I already have and adapt it to suit. 

    The main body of the die and the lid were cut in red card, then I cut another lid in black card for the base. Using the lid for the base meant a nice easy fit over the main body, it also means you can make it slightly taller if you need to.

     There is a video tutorial on the assembly of the opera box on John's YouTube channel, here's a link to it. These tutorials are great but don't be afraid to tweak it to your needs, cut one in basic card and play around until you have what you need, then cut your good card and build.

     I cut several pieces of mini ivy from dark green card and coloured the edges with white ink. There is one spray visible at the front and another climbing up the back of the box.

     Rather than cut a slot in the box I have stuck a small piece of black card where the slot should be, with a small silver square above it that usually holds the time of the next collection. The larger panel on the front is the ideal place to hold a greeting, I kept this one very simple. 

     The top has a thin layer of True Snow paste sprinkled with a little clear glitter, once dry I added a robin cake decoration poked through a small hole and held in place with hot glue on the inside. The finished height of this one is 5.5 inches, without the robin.

I would like to enter this project in the following challenges:

Christmas Cards All Year 'Round - Not A Card 

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas

Crimbo Crackers - Anything Christmas

Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas

Allsorts - Anything BUT A Card

Dies R Us - Christmas

Winter Forest Shutter

     Another shutter card made with John Next Door's new die set, this time for Christmas. There is a video tutorial for the basic assembly on John's You Tube channel here.

     

     Using the large rectangle die I cut my frame in white card stock and then embossed it with a snowflake pattern. The card used was not a heavy weight so I added a layer of gold mirri to give added strength and a nice gold border around the outside.

     The outer edge was trimmed after I had made the back panel so that they would both be the same size.

     The shutters were die cut with snowflakes and had more snowflakes added to give them a little interest. The placing of the shutters is important, if you watch the tutorial John explains that it is best to glue the two end shutters first and then fill in with the remaining shutters so it all comes out even.

     I actually centre marked the back of the frame and the middle shutter to make sure I got it right, I did use a strong PVA so I had a little wiggle room. All pencil marks wee rubbed out before the frame was added to the back, I don't think they would have been easy to see but I knew they were there.

    

     I used the centre panel cut from the frame to make my backing image. Using the tree die as a stencil I inked a scene, with a torn piece of paper at the bottom for the rolling hills, having the die the opposite way round to the cut so they would appear different to the cut ones.

     After cutting a couple of deer in black card and gluing them down I added a layer of die cut white trees to increase the forest. The stag was cut in black card and then placed further down so he looked closer.

     I did try to place the animals so they would be visible when the shutters were open but I think it could have been better.

     The only thing that was left was to add the image panel to a piece of white card a little larger than the outside of the frame, trim the frame to the same size and then carefully stick the two pieces together by the shutter tabs.

Materials List   (available from your local craft shop)
JND198 - Shutter Card die set

JND141 - Woodland Trees die

JNDCC021 - Deer Scenes die set

S57262 - 3D PVA Glue from Stix2

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Dies R Us - #158 Christmas

Do-All Kreatives - #48 Winter Wonderland

Cardz 4 Guyz - Traditional Christmas

Ike's World - #139 X is for Christmas

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas - #518 Anything Christmas