Stamping Symphony Tags/Packaging InstaHop

The countdown to Christmas is dwindling quickly, so this month's Stamping Symphony tags/packaging Instahop theme has perfect timing!  As my kids have gotten older gift cards have become our go-to holiday gift, but I still want Christmas morning to be special and a gift card tucked in the tree just isn't cutting it.  Last year I made these amazing exploding boxes, and my kids are still talking about them!  So this year I decided to carry on with that theme, and I designed this Gift Card Book:

Creation Station Fun & Fancy Folds Blog Hop

I have been waiting so impatiently to share my projects for the Creation Station Fun & Fancy Fold Blog Hop with you!!  This amazing flap fold card is so much fun to make--and to receive!

Stampin' Friends Thankful For You Blog Hop

It was nice to take a break from Christmas crafting this week and shift my focus to showing thanks as I created my projects for the Stampin' Friends Thankful For You Blog Hop today.  I am excited to share my fun-fold gift card holder and matching 2-4-6-8 box with you.

Stampin' Friends Life's Special Occasions

We're celebrating all of life's special occasions on the Stampin' Friends blog hop this month.  Many couples get engaged over the holidays (including myself, a long time ago!), so I decided to go with a card celebrating love.  This would be a great way to celebrate an engagement or a wedding this year!

Gift Card Wallet #TGIFC347

The #TGIF challenge this week is a project challenge to create a gift card holder.  I have just finished purchasing a bunch of gift cards for teenager gifts next week and this challenge made me think of a great way to make them have a bit more impact--a gift card wallet!

Gift Card Holder (Blog Hop)

 Happy Holidays Everyone!  It feels waaayy too soon to be saying that, especially with the beautiful weather we've had in Cambridge this week, but the holiday season is upon us despite the balmy temps.  Every year I buy more and more gift cards as it becomes harder and harder to buy the perfect gift, and I always worry that it's a bit of a let down for the recipient...where's the fun?!  So I was really excited that our theme this month is gift card holders--we are bringing back the wonder!

I am once again featuring the colourful and fun Coming Home bundle and DSP--because I can't get enough of it!!  The DSP includes two sheets of this full 12x12 scene.  

I'm not a scrapbooker but this is such a great scene that I knew I wanted to feature it somehow in a card, and this pull out design was the perfect choice.  

It took a bit of fussy cutting to get everything to line up just perfect, but I think it was worth the effort. :)

I followed a tutorial from 2018 on Patty Bennett's blog for the original pull-out dimensions, but I altered the gift card holder to be a full pocket, so that the scenic design wasn't interrupted.  

I also decorated panels on the back of the pull-out and the card base, so there was a space to write a holiday message without disrupting the design.\

I have loved colouring these little houses and trees!  They are very simple designs and the perfect size to practice shading with our Blends alcohol markers.  

This design was so easy and fun I made another one featuring the Poinsettia Petals bundle, some traditional green/red DSP, and some of the Forever Gold Laser Cut specialty paper elements.

It's hard to see the shine from the gold elements, but in real life it provides such an elegant touch.

Please continue to hop along and be inspired by the other designs this month, and as always I'd love to hear from you!

LollyandSand (Sandy)

SimpLeigh Stamping (Leigh)

Stampingjen.BlogSpot.com (Jennifer)

A La Cards (Leena)

Laurel Davis Crafted (Laurel)

Christmas Gift Card Holder (Blog Hop)

As we head quickly towards to the single-digit countdown to Christmas I have LOTS of gift cards on my holiday list!  When you have teenagers and young adults in your life they are an essential, but they can leave the giver and recipient wishing they were a little...more.  That feeling of "not having something to open on Christmas morning" lingers, even when you know it's what they really want.  Today on our blog hop we have the solution--beautiful gift card holders!

My gift card holder is a "Corner Pop Up" style I first saw on Lisa's Stamp Studio  and just knew I had to make this year.  It's so easy to do but a real wow!  Lisa has a great video with easy to follow directions on her blog as well as still pictures and all of the measurements, so be sure to check out her page as well.

This holder is beautiful inside and out with lots of pretty paper, and can stand up for display.

I started with an 8" square of Very Vanilla and scored it vertically and horizontally at 4".  Then I scored a diagonal from corner to corner as well.  I burnished all the folds with my bone folder, being sure to fold the diagonal score mark "up."  Once you do this the card easily starts to fold onto itself with very little effort.

Each of the quadrants is 4" square, so that makes it super easy to decorate.  I used four different patterns from the Toile DSP and the Tidings All Around Bundle (stamp set and dies) to make my holder, but this style would work well with any paper and embellishment.

I layered two of the detailed wreath dies, one in Garden Green and one in Mossy Meadow, together, and then added some gold glitter embellishments.  I was inspired by a card I received at our team swap several weeks ago, loving the gold accents and filling the centre of the wreath with a sentiment for the season.

I stamped some foliage on a vanilla circle and layered it on a Real Red scalloped circle with a bright and cheery sentiment.

Tucked inside on a pull out card is the gift card (shh, this is a secret for my niece!) and a little more stamping.

I thought the hardest part of this holder would be creating an envelope to match the 4" square, but then inspiration struck!  I used one of Stampin' Up!'s gold foil striped envelopes and I will never stress about unusual card sizes again!  These particular bags are no longer available, but there are some great copper ones you can use instead. ;)

I decorated a vanilla panel on my envelope with  the new 3D Brick & Mortar embossing folder and some Real Red accents, and then layered another two wreaths (in Garden Green and Mossy Meadow), popped up with dimensionals, and gold accents.

I tied a tag to the bag with some gold and vanilla twine and voila--a beautiful and unique gift to open on Christmas Day!

Here's one last look at the holder front before you hop on by to see what everyone else has for you today:

Thanks for stopping by, and Merry Christmas!

A La Cards (Leena)

LollyandSand (Sandy)

JustBStamping (Barb--you're here!)

Stampingjen.BlogSpot.com (Jennifer)