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!