Articles : Tutorials - Scrapbooking

Holiday Card Class

featuring the Cricut

The holidays are quickly approaching and my to-do list is getting longer and longer. I've always loved to send homemade holiday cards, but I've always tried to find a way to make a beautiful card while being mindful of the time commitment. One of the ways I save time is by putting my Cricut machine to work!

I'm going to share a few examples of holiday cards that I've created using my favorite scrapbooking tool, the Cricut!

"Season's Greetings" - The Sleigh Card

Supplies Used:

• Cartridges used: the new Christmas Solutions cartridge, Stretch your Imagination
• Red Patterned paper
• Green patterned paper
• Ivory patterned paper
• Blue-green patterned paper for top of sleigh
• white cardstock

Directions:

• The card base is 5"x6.5". You can cut a piece of cardstock 10"x6.5" and fold in half.
• Cut red patterned paper or cardstock 5"x6.5" and adhere on the front of the card.
• Using Stretch Your Imagination cartridge, go to page 81 in the manual. Using green patterned paper, cut skinny scalloped card frame at 5.5".

• Cut white cardstock to 3"x5.25" and adhere behind green scalloped frame.
• Adhere to center of the card.
• Using ivory ledger paper , green paper, and  Christmas Solutions cartridge, cut out sleigh in ivory with accessories in green at 5.5". The sleigh is shown on the top line of the cartridge. (No manual is included for this cartridge) 

• Carefully punch out any of the remaining paper on the sleigh.
• Adhere the green paper to the top of the sleigh. It should line up exactly.
• Now you can adhere the sleigh to the center of the card! The bottom of the sleigh will line up with the bottom and the right side of the white cardstock.

• I've used a present stamp with brown ink and then cut out the image. I added some gold glitter to the present  and then adhered it just tucked behind the sleigh.
• I've stamped a sentiment for "Season's Greetings", added gold glitter around the edges, and then added with foam tape to the left side of the sleigh.
• To finish the card, I've added pearl gems and a ribbon using mini glue dots.
• You can use your stash to finish embellishing the card.
• (TIP):  If you don't have stamps, you can use rub-on's, die-cut or cut the present and sentiment out of a piece of patterned paper you may have!

"Joy Card"- featuring Wreath

Supplies Used:

• Cartridges used: the new Joys of the Season Cartridge, Storybook Cartridge
• Red cardstock
• Green patterned paper
• Ivory patterned paper
• white cardstock
• Red glitter
• background holiday phrase stamp 
• glue pen, foam tape

Directions:

• The card base is 5"x6.5". You can cut a piece of cardstock 10"x6.5" and fold in half.
• I've taken a white card and stamped a holiday phrase stamp as my background. If you don't have a stamp, you could use a piece of patterened paper or simply add rub-on's to white cardstock!

• Adhere two strips of green paper to top and bottom of the card .5"x6.5".
• Cut ivory ledger paper 1.5"x6.5".
• Cut 2 strips of red cardstock to 1"x6.5" and scallop one side of each of those papers.
• Adhere red scallop paper behind ivory ledger paper and adhere to center of card.

• Using Joys of the Season cartridge, go to page 66 of the manual. Cut out (Wreath 1) in green paper 3.5" on Cricut.

• Use ivory ledger paper to cut out inside of wreath (hit Shift and Wreath ) at 3.5".
• Use white cardstock and cut out blackout of wreath (hit wreath and then blackout) at 3.5"
• Using red glitter and glue pen, add red glitter to berries around wreath. Stickles could also be used.

• For "J" and "Y" Letters, use Storybook Cartridge and cut out letters at size 2.5". Add red glitter to letter and adhere to card using foam tape.

• For final touch, add ribbon to top of wreath using mini-dots!

Here are some of the products I've used for these cards!

About the author ...
Diane is an ACOT Design Team member living in New England with her husband, Dave, and two children, Lauren age 7 and Colin age 5. She has had over 60 projects featured in magazines and idea books such as Simple Scrapbooks, Scrapbook Trends, Paper Trends, Paper Crafts, and Cards Magazine. Currently, she is a "PrimaDonna", an Endorsed Teacher for Prima Marketing. In the past, she has been on the design teams for Creative Imaginations, Imagination Project and Scrapworks. Diane teaches throughout New England and also offers project and card kits through her blog at Diane DiTullio Designs. For more information, you can visit: http://dianeditullio.typepad.com

Submitted by Dianedi