A beautiful, easy to make Christmas card!

This one is the one to try if you’re new to this whole paper crafting  addiction that has taken over many social media sites.  It’s hard for me to imagine that there are many families that don’t expect a handmade card these days!  LOL  Anyway,…..this one is easy, goes together quickly and packs all the “wow” factor for the receiver.  Here’s how I made it:

Step 1:  Using: 1067 – Poinsettia, cut one silhouette pc. from red cardstock and a second from red cardstock that you have adhered to double sided adhesive before cutting the pc. Note:  Tape the die to the adhesive side with blades down.  (Note: You may need to run through your machine twice, so don’t remove from the die until you’ve tested if it was a uniform cut.)  Cut one of the silhouette pc. from green cardstock.  I Cut the “swirly overlay pc. and the smaller petal pc. from red cardstock.  Cut the small “center pc.” from white cardstock and color the outline pattern yellow and the inside little circles green.

Using a flower shaping tool kit, vein the plain red large petal pc. and the green one, you will use for leaves.  Optional: lightly go over the leaves pc. after veining with a darker ink and the veins will be more visible.  Next, remove the protective layer from the “double sided adhesive red layer and sprinkle with: 614 – True Red Silk Microfine Glitter.  Shake off excess glitter and rub with finger to polish the glitter side.  Assemble the poinsettia by adhering the swirly red layer to the glittered petal layer.  Then adhere this to the plain but veined red petal layer offsetting the petals.  Then add the smaller red petal layer and last the pollen yellow/green layer.

Step 2:  Using Elizabeth Craft Designs: 758 – Berry Branch Cut the die twice with white cardstock and color the branch brown and the berries red.  Add a drop of Crystal Lacquer to each of the berries.  Let dry.  It may take an hour or more.

Step 3:  Cut a rectangle from cream cardstock that measures 4.25 x 6″ and run through an embossing folder from Elizabeth Craft Designs: Pinecones  I colored the raised pinecones with a eye shadow applicator and Burnt Umber PanPastel.  I love coloring embossed panels with PanPastels.  If you are not familiar with this medium, they are highly saturated compressed powder colors.  Every color can be blended and, as in this case, if some of the (brown) color I used, fell where I didn’t want it, you can erase it.  Once you’re happy, you spray very lightly once with cheap hair spray and it’s set.  Trim to 4 x 5.5″

Step 4:  Cut two rectangle mats: One light brown that measures 4.25 x 5.75″  the second one in red that measures 4.5 x 6″.  Adhere the light brown one over the red one centered with a 1/8″ border on all sides. Adhere the embossed layer to the red one.

Step 5:  Score a 8.5 x 11″ cream cardstock at 5.5″ on the long side.  Fold over for a tent fold and trim to 5.5 x 7″.  Adhere the step 4 sandwich to the front of this card base.

Step 6:  Using:  Elizabeth Craft Designs 944 – Merry Christmas  cut from red cardstock that you use the same technique for the red glittered petal layer.  Remember when you use this technique, tape the die, blade side down on the protective double sided adhesive side.  Run through the die cutting machine twice to cut through all the layers.

Step 7:  Adhere the poinsettia and berry branches, as well as the glittered “Merry Christmas sentiment as shown.  Here’s another look:

That’s it!  Thanks for taking a closer look.

I hope you’ll come back tomorrow for more inspiration from the :Dies R Us Inspiration blog