Repurposing Containers for Christmas Wrapping

We got this container filled with individual bowls of oatmeal. The container was just too cool not to reuse, so I repurposed it into a wine bottle holder - actually I think it was Egg Nog. Anyway, here are the pics. I forgot to take a picture of the whole thing before I started, so you only get the bottom half of what it originally looked like.

I just wrapped it in a pretty paper I had lying around and tied a silver box around it. I even cut a circle of the paper to put on the top of the tin. I didn't line the paper up for the top and bottom, so the bow helped hide that.

Other cards I've made

Here are some other cards I've made over the years.

Baby Invitations
I made these for my sister's baby shower in 2004. I used the hand die cuts at a local store, since my sister didn't know what she was having, I did pink and blue.

Wedding

Christmas Tri-Fold

Outside

Top inside

Back inside

Character Cards

Dora

Super Why

A character from Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams video game

Animal Cards

Frog

Monkey

Christmas cards through the years

Since I started blogging long after I started making our Christmas cards, here are our Christmas cards from past years.

This was tied with a white raffia bow, like a present.

The inside

The snowflake was used as a pivot so the front would swivel open.

This is with the swivel open.

Candy Cane Card

The inside included a poem about the meaning of the
candy cane - relating it to Jesus.

This year's card had 3 different versions. One opened like a matchbook,
I can't remember what the other one was, but pictured here are the
other 2 main art elements.

The Red Sea Is Behind You

Read Exodus 14:10-13

Imagine helicoptering into this Red Sea scene, dropping commando-style onto the scene for an interview with one of those terror-stricken Hebrews. The stark fear of being wiped out by their former slave-driving boss, Pharaoh, and his cronies aside, what emotion does your interviewee articulate? I'd put my money on fear, fear that they haven't escaped their old identities, their old slavery, and their old slave master.

Think about it. These people had known nothing but slavery for 400 years. Suddenly, the God whom they thought had forgotten about them completely comes on the scene to deal with Pharaoh's tyranny. Finally, after the chilling plague narratives, Pharaoh relents. At last! Camping and bonfires on the beach of the Red Sea, right?

But wait! There's more: Suddenly, in the throes of megalomania, Pharaoh changes his mind and chases after them. Now God's people are hemmed in at an impassible Red Sea without water wings. But just as they miraculously cross and the Egyptians are charging across after them, God closes the sea and swallows them up (v. 26-29).

They were this close. This Moses guy had a great plan and now this! Horrific images emblazoned on their minds from lifetimes of slavery come rushing back. The hope of deliverance was too good to be true and they're really just slaves after all. It's back to the old life.

Now that's fear.

Nothing can quite peg identity like fear - and its constant companion, shame - can. And that's the big question. Who are you, really? An ineffective employee? A failed father? A basket case? A pervert? Damaged goods? Shame words try to name you, own you, and weigh you down.

Know this: you've been lied to.

You are not your old nature, and Christ has removed it completely from you and in His perfect love, driven out fear. In Christ, you are His treasured possession. We were not meant to lug the weight of slavery around in the first place. Christ's burden is easy; His yoke is light. You're clothed in Christ's righteousness, and when God sees you, He doesn't see shame - He sees the perfection of Jesus.

As part of God's family, you are the beloved firstborn. Rather than receiving the just judgment of the Egyptians, He has ransomed you to be with Him. In His eyes, the chaos of the sea is behind you, and the enemy has been defeated. Just like the Israelites' enemies and their accusations were drowned in the Red Sea, the shaming, condemning words of your past life of slavery have been silenced in the death and resurrection of Christ.

Amen!

"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery" Galatians 5:1

This comes from "Your Identity in Christ" devotion ,Day 18, from the YouVersion Bible app.

Christmas Card 2013

This year I opted to go the traditional-looking card route. I received these stamps as a Christmas gift in 2012 and couldn't wait to use them. Hope you enjoy this how-to on this traditional-looking Christmas card. The complete assembly of one card took ~6 minutes (time includes opening & closing each ink tray and cleaning stamps). Please note, assembly time does not include drying time of the 3D paint.

Paper Supplies:
    White card stock (use a thinner card stock for the card base)
    Black card stock
Stamps:
    InkadinkaClings Village Park
    InkadinkaClings Village Lifestyle
    Clear acrylic block
    Merry Christmas stamp of your choice (I used Hero Arts)
Ink:
    Staz-On Forest Green
    Color Box Ice
    Brilliance Coffee Bean
    Brilliance Black
Other:
    Scribbles 3D Fabric Paint in Christmas Green/Glittering Electric Green, Glittering Ruby, Crystal*
    *can substitute with glitter glue
Tools:
    Paper trimmer
    Scallop Corner Punch (I used Creative Memories)
    Adhesive of choice
    Tim Holtz Ink Blending Tool

Step 1
Cut white paper stock to 4-1/2" x 9"; cut white paper to 3-1/2" square; cut black paper stock to 4" square.

Step 2
Score 4-1/2" x 9" card base at 4-1/2" (this will fold to a square size of 4-1/2" x 4-1/2")

Step 3
Use your scallop corner punch to cut the corners of all pieces of the card (card base, white square and black square). If you used a thinner card base, you shouldn't have any problems punching through the folded side.

Step 4
Using Tim Holtz's Ink Blending Tool, you will use Color Box's Ice Ink and the 3-1/2" square sheets of white paper. Dip Blending tool in ink, insuring you have ink on the pad. In a circular motion, starting off the paper, move the blending tool onto the paper, continuing in a circular motion. Reink as necessary, cover 3/4 of the bottom of the 3-1/2" square paper.

Ice colored Ink, Blending Tool,
3-1/2" square white paper

Step 5
If you haven't already done so, attach cling stamps to acrylic block (sleigh and bridge on one side, then line up trees on the other side, next to where snow banks on bridge stamp ends, there can be minor overlap here).

Coffee Bean, Black and Forest Green
Inks, stamps, 3-1/2" square paper

Now stamp your images. You will want to stamp the bridge and sleigh first, that way you know where to position the trees. I inked the horse in Coffee Bean, inked everything else in black, then stamped my image. Flip over, ink trees in Forest Green and stamp image. Ink your Christmas saying in black, then stamp at bottom of picture.

 

Step 6
Adhere layers to card base. Center the 3-1/2" white square on the 4" black square, then center that on the 4-1/2" square card base.

Step 7
Apply 3D Paint.
Green - apply to garland along bridge side and wreath (do a complete circle for the wreath)
Red - apply to where the garland swoops meet, just a dot, along side of bridge and sleigh
Crystal/white - apply to snow on bridge railing and snow banks alongside and under bridge.

I didn't let the 3D paint dry before doing the next color. My suggestion is to do apply the paints in this order, especially if you are not going to wait for them to dry in between: green, red; crystal/white. Let dry.

For this step you will need the completed card and the three
different colors of 3D Paint: Green, Red and Crystal/White.

Step 8
Stamp your chosen message on the inside and add your signature stamp to the back.

Hope you enjoyed yet another Christmas card tutorial. If you have any thoughts or suggestions on how to improve this how-to, please leave your comments. I'd love to hear your feedback.