Kean On Paper: December 2011

December 24, 2011

OCC: Home for the Holidays

Well, the special day is nearly here! The gifts are purchased (even the stocking stuffers! - a record for me), the tree is lit and me and my hubby even had time tonight to got catch a movie on Friday night.

This week at Our Creative Corner, we're taking inspiration from our holiday decor! My project this week is a small pillowbox.

My tree is a collection of all types of ornaments, ones representing memories, likes, in all colors and styles. I use the multicolored lights and wooden cranberry beads to finish it off. That's how my mom decorated our tree when I was a kid and I always loved it. With this week's challenge, I'm taking some inspiration from a hand painted wooden reindeer ornament my mom and dad got for me several years ago. I love the light-heartedness this chubby little reindeer brings to my tree!

While my interpretation isn't as cutesy, the deer is a wonderful wintery theme for a pillow box.

This paper was a double sided so I cut the tag out and added my sentiment on the reverse side to add some contrast. I love what you can do with a double sided paper.

If you have some time to spare this week for a little bit of papercrafting, play along with us this week! Take a look at what our other designers have put together:

Wendy Janson

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

Holly

December 17, 2011

OCC: Color Challenge

The air is buzzing as the Christmas countdown gets closer and closer to "the big day." My son is 4 and a half and this year he gets it. He is enamored with all things Santa, lights and presents and its fun to see him enjoying this time of the year as much as I do.

This week on Our Creative Corner, our host Anne Marie has a beautiful color challenge for the holidays! I love cards but I enjoy branching out a bit too. This time around, I've created a simple but really fun snowflake garland. Here's the color pallet we're working with this week:

Ok. Ok. So I didn't use the red so much in my project but technically, red is on the back of one of the snowflakes. Does that count?

This is a really easy, somewhat-not-so-time consuming project. I found some papers I liked and ran them through my Sizzix with a snowflake die. If you decide to make one of these, choose a shape that's not to frail or fragile.

Once I had several snowflakes cut, I lined them up in the order I wanted and then stitched away, right down the center. To hang them up, I punched a quarter inch hole on either end and finished off with a silver grommet and loop of ribbon. I've made several of these - some with a mix of colors, some monochromatic - and I just adore them.

I'm going to make a few for gifts this year so I better get crackin'!

If you have some time on your hands this week for a little bit of a papercrafting challenge, play along with us this week. Take a look at what our other designers have put together this week:

Wendy Janson

Only 8 more days (or about 194 hours if you count it that way) until the "big day"!

Holly

December 3, 2011

OCC: Haul Out the Holly

Happy first-Saturday-of-December! I could not be more thrilled that the Christmas season has finally come. Christmas is by far my most favorite time of the year so I am savoring every moment between now and December 25th.

This week on Our Creative Corner, Wendy Janson is hosting a fun sketch challenge for us all.

Check it (as Cath from Moxie Fab World would say):

And here's my take on this sketch:

I think lavender is one of those unexpected holiday colors and snowflakes are a perfect compliment. Isn't it pretty along with the glitter?

I took a 3"x3" square of Amethyst Core'dinations Gemstone cardstock, used my fingers to spread a bunch of glue around it to cover the surface and then with Martha Stewart's Crystal glitter. Then I dry embossed the snowflakes on a piece of white cardstock and then used a Sizzix Sizzlit snowflake die to punch out the large snowflake shape. After the glitter had dried, I adhered it to my card base in the area where the punched out snowflake would be. On another piece of Amethyst cardstock, I stamped my PTI sentiment and then mounted it to the dry embossed piece.

Using foam tape, I mounted the whole thing to my cardstock and BAM! I was done. This card is ideal for giving to someone in person or with a gift basket because of the dimensional aspect.

So now its your turn. See what you can do to "decorate" this sketch! To get your ideas rolling, take a look at what the other designers on our team have made.

Wendy Janson

Have a great week! Only 22 days until Christmas!

Holly