Dies R Us: A Little Christmas Cocoa

Hi everyone! Welcome to the inspirational blog for Dies R Us. I'm Monica of HeartcraftPaper and today I have a simple yet beautiful card as a part of my Christmas In July crafting. A group of us girls on Instagram and sharing Christmas crafts in preparation for the Christmas holiday. I have to say that this is my favorite holiday of the year. I think that it brings out the kindness and joy in people. Most of the year we focus so much on ourselves that we don't really think much of others. So this is the perfect time to send a lovely holiday card to a loved one that you don't always get to talk to or see.

This time I was inspired during my last visit to Starbucks. You may have guess that I had a warm chocolate filled cup of joy in my hand with inspiration hit. I mean, who doesn't think Christmas when they are enjoying such wonders. I knew that I had a die that fit this perfectly and so I set out to make my Christmas Cocoa holiday card.

Supplies:

Yvonne Creations: Hot Drink

Impression Obsession: Patchwork Holly

Lawn Fawn: Reverse Stitched Scalloped Circle Window

Poppy Stamps: Merry Christmas Flourish

Carta Bella Paper: Christmas Delivery

Best Creations: Black Glitter Cardstock

Recollections: Bright Red Starry Cardstock

Doodlebug: Gingham Linen Rainbow

Liquid Glue

White Gelly Roll Pen

5.5" Card Base

1/4" Foam Tape

Scotch Tape

Distress Ink: Vintage Photo, Antique Linen, Mowed Lawn

Let's get started...shall we?

I started by cutting out a 5.5"x 5.5" square of the Plaid from the Carta Bella Christmas Delivery set. This is a double sided paper that has dots on the reverse side. I didn't want to make it too busy so I chose to use the dotted side since it was black and white. This would really make all of the color I would add pop. With my square cut out I centered the larges of the Reverse Stitched Scalloped Circle Window Die set.

Using scotch tape I adhered the cut out back into my square piece using the quilting technique. This allowed for me to then add double sided tape to the back and adhere it to the card base.

With my window and card base made, I set that aside to create my sentiment cut out using the glitter cardstock and the Merry Christmas Flourish. I decided on using glitter cardstock in order to make the sentiment really shine where where it will be placed. Sometimes combining different textures and pints make a card even more beautiful. Consider paper types when making your crafts.

With the sentiment cut out, I used liquid glue to adhere this inside of the window I created. I used a set of tweezers to help me make sure that I was able to set this under the edge of the window. Set this aside.

Time to work my die cut embellishments. White the cards is lovely, it does need some color. I die cut out my hot chocolate mug using the Hot Drink Die. This is a set of six different dies: the mug, drippings, whipped cream, marshmallows, and cinnamon sticks (two sizes). I used the red gingham Doodlebug cardstock print for the mug, tan for the drippings, brown for the cinnamon sticks and white for the whipped cream and marshmallows.

While I embossed the mug so that the deer shape, because of the print, it didn't really show very well. In order to correct that, I placed the die over the cut out and using a white gelly roll pen, I colored in the deer. This made it stand out against the print as well as having a raised edge.

Moving on to the drippings, I decided to give it a bit more depth by blending some Vintage Photo Distress Ink onto the edges. This helps when using die cut images to give some color so that it doesn't look flat. Once colored, I adhered it using liquid glue just under the slit created by the die on the mug.

For the cinnamon sticks, I used a black pen to just create some definition lines. Nothing much more. Using a dot of liquid blue on the bottom end, I insert them both into the die cut slit so that it appears as if though it is coming out form inside the cup. I made sure to have the small of the two in the background.

For the Foam I used Antique Linen Distress Ink to add some color to it. I didn't want it to be just white, but to have a touch of a tan color, so this was perfect. I didn't go in too heavy handed with the coloring, just on the upper edge of the die cut.

With the mug completed, it's time to add it to the card. I used a single layer of foam tape on the part of the mug that would be directly on the polkadot paper and two layers of foam tape on the section that would be over the window. This way it has stability and at the correct height.

For the final touch to the mug, all that is left is to adhere the marshmallows. I used one in the mug and three on the left of the mug. They looked as if they fell out. Now you can choose to add some clear Wink Of Stella at this point to make those mallows pop.

We are down to the final touches of the card. Using the Patchwork Holly die, I cut out my leaves out of green cardstock and the berries with the reflective Bright Red Starry Cardstock. I figured I would add a bit more shine to the card this way.

To put together my holly bunch, I first added some color. I did this by blending in some Mowed Lawn Distress Ink along the edges of each of the holly leaves. I then glued them into bunches of three (1 small, 1 medium, 1 large) so that I had two bunches. I then glued them together so that the center points would be together. Using the liquid glue I adhere the berries at the center alternating between big and small.

All that's left to do is to adhere this using liquid glue onto the upper left corner so that it settles over the window cut out nicely.

This is how your card will look once complete.

Thank you all for visiting the blog today. Don't forget that you can also find this posting and more inspiration on the HeartcraftPaper Blog. You can find the link on the right side of my blog page.

Hope you share your Christmas In July crafts with me as well.

Don't forget to come join in the fun at the Dies R Us Challenge Blog. There's a new challenge theme offered on the 1st and 15th of each month and one lucky randomly drawn winner will receive a gift voucher prize to the Dies R Us Store.  