But It's "Not" Christmas Blog Hop

Sponsored:  As a designer for Amazing Paper Grace, I receive dies to create projects.   I'm also a designer for Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L and receive product to use for projects.

Don't you just love a die that does double duty?  We thought so!  Today we're are having a blog hop to show you how the dies in The Charming Christmas Collection can be used year round; after all, it's not Christmas.  No worries, Christmas is coming and we'll press A Charming Christmas back into service this year but in the meantime, please join us for some year-round inspiration and a giveaway at the bottom of the post.

It's Not Christmas but About A Charming Christmas

Becca designed A Charming Christmas with lovely romantic frames and shapes and with charms.  Leave the charms in the package and you have a lovely 'everyday' die that is begging to be used all year round.  Hop around with us as we reintroduce you to the non-Christmas side of A Charming Christmas.

My Project for Today

The die I'm showing today is Charming Tag Pocket.

For my project today, I made a graduation card with a tiny inspiration book tucked in a pocket. This card doesn't have fold.  It certainly could be made with a folded card if you like!  The pocket is cut with the pocket die from Charming Tag Pocket die set.  I cut a narrow piece of gold metallic paper with shaped edge of the die and fastened it behind the pocket edge.  A piece of knotted gold floss is fastened across the pocket before fastening it to the card. The pocket is fastened at edges with Premium Double-Sided Tape 1/4 inch.  I shaped the pocket to make a gap rather than laying if flat before fastening the edges to allow more room for the book.

The book is made with pieces cut with the tag from Charming Tag Pocket.  Isn't it cute?  The cover is cut from patterned paper to exact size of tag with loop cut off end.  The pages are cut from text weight paper using the tag die as well.  I was able to cut 2 pieces of paper at once. I recut them by placing the tag in the die again with loop end of paper beyond the smooth end of the die.

When cut, it's a bit shorter than cover so when folded for pages, it won't extend beyond the cover edges. I cut 6 pieces of paper for pages.  When I stamped the verses, the ink showed through the paper so I fastened 2 pages together to make each page in the book.  

I stamped and embellished all the pages before sewing them to the cover with sewing thread.  

The gold piece was cut with the insert rectangle die from Charming Tag Pocket.  Then I cut the edge with scallop edge of pocket die. I cut off both ends of the rectangular piece to get the pieces for this page.

You can see the thread binding on this center fold page.  Since the verse was a little big for a single page, it worked well across this center page.  I fussy cut the flower. 

I added some patterned paper on the next to last page along with verse stamped on patterned.  Verse piece was cut by tracing around the outer edge of the die and hand cutting it.  The verse just didn't fit on die cut piece.  I left the last page blank to write a personal message.  I tied gold floss around the spine at the back cover and knotted it at top of spine.  I fussy cut a flower to place on the cover. 

Across the top of the card is band of contrast paper with gold mat showing along the edges.  The verse was stamped and heat embossed with gold embossing powder.  I fussy cut it out and also cut a gold mat to fit behind it.  It's popped up with Thin 3D Foam Squares. 

What do you think?  Is this a fun way to use Charming Tag Pocket for a "not" Christmas project?

This card could easily be used for birthday, encouragement, get well.....by simply changing the greeting and verses in the book.  

Have fun using your Christmas die sets in different ways!

Happy Creating!

Judy

Supplies

Stamps: Taylored Expressions Wonderful World
Paper:  My Mind's Eye Bliss; Cream Cardstock, Gold Metallic Cardstock, Text Weight Cream
Ink: Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko Versafine Clair Fallen Leaves
Accessories:  Spellbinders A Charming Christmas Collection - Charming Tag Pocket

Adhesives: Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L - Thin 3D Foam Squares White Mix,

E-Z Runner® Ultra Refillable Dispenser,  E-Z Dots® Permanent Refillable Dispenser, Premium Double-Sided Tape 1/4 in

Thank you for having a special look at the versatility of the dies in The Charming Christmas Collection.  As a part of our hop we're giving away an Amazing Paper Grace Die of the Month from a previous month - based on availability. 

Leave a comment on each blog by May 24th at midnight and on May 25th, Becca will randomly pick and publish the winner.  We encourage all of our international friends to participate!  (All giveaways for this hop are managed by and the responsibility of Amazing Paper Grace).

If your name is selected, simply claim it within 2 weeks of the announcement by sending your address through the form under the Contact Tab on the Amazing Paper Grace Blog.  There won’t be a reply back but if you leave your choice, we’ll get it, I promise.   The dies will be mailed out from Amazing Paper Grace.

Here is our trail of inspiration for our Not for Christmas Blog Hop:

Visit Joanna   – joannakrog.blogspot.com
Visit Kate       -   craft2owls.blogspot.com
Visit Teresa   –  victorianpaperqueen.blogspot.com
Visit Melissa  – keepsakesbymelissa.blogspot.com
Visit Judy       -  judyhayesdesign.blogspot.com
Visit Ewelina -  elinaart.blogspot.com
Visit Becca     – amazingpapergrace.com/blog

I know you will be happy to hear that indeed there are new Christmas Amazing Paper Grace dies coming and coming soon!  Yes, we begin in Summer because Christmas will be here before you know it!  In the meantime, there is much more inspiration in store today and for the weeks to come.  Just pop down the list of Creative Team Members to see more!

Amazing Paper Grace May Die of the Month Blog Hop

Sponsored:  As a designer for Amazing Paper Grace, I receive dies to create projects.   I'm also a designer for Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L and receive product to use for projects.

Today is Amazing Paper Grace May Die of the Month Blog Hop!  It's also Mother's Day!  In honor of mothers and especially my mom, I made a pretty gift box and card with the May Die of the Month. This die is called Nostalgic Serenade Card Frame.  It fits a 5 x 7 inch card.  It includes a beautiful ornate rectangle with three label style insert dies.
 My first project is agift box with a topper that slides up and down on a ribbon handle.  It's like a small purse!  It measures 4.5 inches wide, 2 inches deep and 3.5 inches high.  It can easily hold a small gift.
To make the topper, I cut the ornate rectangle with largest insert from  white cardstock. Next I cut a rectangle of salmon color cardstock to fit behind the inner part of the rectangle and cut out the center with largest insert die.  I cut bigger rectangle of green sized to fit  behind ornate white piece and show through beyond the salmon color.  These are layered onto a patterned paper rectangle.  I added a white label layered with patterned paper label cut with the 2 smaller insert dies.  Because I didn't want the back side of patterned paper to show along edges and inside, I fastened all to a piece of white cardstock.  I added a little tab at front edge. I used the largest insert die to cut the pieces using only about an inch of it to layer behind the flap.  There's also a fold of ribbon and accented with a button with pearl.  Small pearls decorate along the edge of white label.  The topper simply sets on top of the box. The ribbon handle keeps it in place. The ribbon is fastened to the bottom of the box and goes up each side, through a hole on each edge of the topper and is knotted at the top.
The box is formed from 8.5 x 9 inch white cardstock.  I made score lines 2 inches from each 9 inch edge and score lines across the 8.5 inch side are 3.5 inches from each end.

I added dotted paper to the sides before assembling the box with Home and Hobby Premium Double-Sided Tape 1ʺ Permanent.  

The little tag tied to ribbon handles was first cut with smallest insert die from white cardstock. Then I realigned the die to cut off about 1/2 inch on one long edge.  I cut it short  and punched a hole for my tag and added a salmon mat.

Nostalgic Serenade Card Frame Die

Amazing Paper Grace May Die of the Month

If you want to find out more about the Club - prices, how you sign up and what's included, please look --------HERE.
If you missed the introduction and want to know more about what inspired the Die of the Month Club, look -------HERE.

My 2nd project today is a coordinating Mother's Day Card to go with the box.

This card can easily be used for a wedding, birthday or other occasion by simply changing the greeting.
The card is basically  like the box topper. The difference is two ornate pieces above and below the verse.  These I cut using the ornate rectangle die by cutting a small piece of cardstock with the center of the short end of the die.  I trimmed it to fit behind white curvy edge label that layers over patterned paper.  The possibilities are almost endless when you cut up the die cut pieces!  I know some of the other designers have done very awesome things by doing just that.  Be sure to check out their projects!  
The dotted label behind the greeting was first cut with smallest die.  Then I realigned the die along one long edge to cut the label narrower.  It's an easy way to get more options with your dies!  It's popped up across the card. I added pearls to accent the curved edge of white label and at ends of greeting.  This card is 5 x 7 inches. 

Thank you for stopping by today!
Judy

Supply List:

Stamps: KaiserCraft Occasions; Penny Black It's Your Day
Paper:  Simple Stories Belle Fleur; Simple Stories Crazy in Love, White, Salmon, Green Cardstock
Ink: Imagine Crafts/Tsukinedo Versafine Onyx Black
Adhesives: 

Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L®:

Home and Hobby Premium Double-Sided Tape 1ʺ Permanent, Thin 3D Foam Squares White Mix, 
E-Z Runner® Ultra Refillable Dispenser, E-Z Dots® Permanent Refillable Dispenser

Accessories:  Ranger Clear Embossing Powder, Pearls, Button, Ribbon, White Cord

For this month's Die of the Month, we cut it up and folded it up!  More inspiration is just a click away.  Stop by with each Creative Team Member to see how they manipulated this die to come up with a unique project for you to try!

Visit Kate         - craft2owls.blogspot.com
Visit Joanna   – joannakrog.blogspot.com

Visit Teresa   –  victorianpaperqueen.blogspot.com

Visit Ewelina -  elinaart.blogspot.co.uk

Visit Melissa  – keepsakesbymelissa.blogspot.com 
Visit Judy       – judyhayesdesign.blogspot.com
Visit Becca     – amazingpapergrace.com/blog

We can’t wait to see what you make with these exclusive dies – be sure to post your creation on the Amazing Paper Grace Die of the Month page -------HERE or on Instagram using the hashtag #AmazingPaperGraceClubKit