Christmas Tree Label Holder Metal Frame Decorations

Another festive project today using the Simply Gorjuss Santoro Tweed Metal Name Plates I got for £1 a pack (6) from NEC HobbyCraft Show.

I also used the last of some metal Christmas tree embellishments I bought many, many years ago, and that I wish I could find again ………. I made the backgrounds using scraps of blue and white glitter paper, attaching them using E6000 glue onto the back of each frame to ensure a good, strong bond.  I added a few silver stars ……….

……. and then carefully flooded the space (minus the Christmas Tree) with Ranger Glossy Accents, leaving to set completely for 24 hours.

When I was sure the Glossy Accents had completely set I glued two label holders/bookplates together, again using E6000 to make double sided decorations. These were left under a heavy weight for a couple of hours to make sure they were well bonded and flat.

Next followed jump rings, beads and wire loop hangers, not one of my most favourite of tasks, jump rings being my crafting nemesis, as Marc will contest.

And then, I could add the Christmas Trees (using E6000), to finally see if my idea would come together as I had imagined.

I am dead chuffed!  These will be put away and then given at Christmas to friends and family as a Christmas greeting that I hope will come out year after year instead of a card.

Gingerbread Men Red Gingham Bunting

Iris is mad about gingerbread men so I promised her I that I would cut some out for her on my Big Shot (now sadly deceased, but that’s a story for another day).

I have to say that, for me, the Originals Red Sizzix Gingerbread Man has to be the best designed gingerbread man die. It could only be bettered, perhaps, if the hearts were an optional feature. I paid rather a lot for it via an eBay auction, but it had been retired for quite a few years by then and it was something I really, really wanted.  There are a lot of gingerbread man dies out there, but I can’t be doing with the curly, boat shaped feet, if you know what I mean.

Anyway, while I was cutting, I thought I would try to make Madam some bunting for her bedroom for her birthday.I decided that twelve gingerbread men would make quite a generous length for her longest wall.  After cutting out I outlined the edges with a white gel pen, and put a scrap of red paper behind the cu out hearts.

Each individual panel measures 4ins x 5.5ins.  I layered red gingham onto plain red card and edged both layers with faux stitching using a black fine liner pen.  I then added the gingerbread men, giving them a red bow and two tiny domed, black circle stickers for the eyes.

The final touches were made by using the hearts that were left over from the cutting out and groups of three dots scattered here and there, again in white gel pen and black fine liner.

I used a tacky PVA glue to stick the panels on to a length of white ribbon at intervals of 7cms, holding the edges together with pegs until the bunting was completely dry.

I am really chuffed with how this bunting has turned out, it’s only something I have recently tried making and have really enjoyed it  ………  I now await Madam’s approval!!!

Metal Label Holder Christmas Tree Decorations

I am not sure what the proper name is for the metal frames I have used in this idea is ….. label holders, name plates, bookplates?

But, I bought several packets (£1) with the specific idea of making some simple Christmas Tree decorations with them.

The first thing I decided was to make them double sided, so the design could be seen at any angle on the tree.

I started by cutting and gluing the backgrounds using scraps of script and music manuscript design paper on to the back of each plate using PVA glue.

I made a tree template which measured 1.5cms at the bottom by 4cms tall, and then cut the trees proper from a sage green spotty type paper.

Next followed the trunks and a silver star at the top……..

…….. and finally tiny weeny gold/yellow flat back gems, all glued with equally tiny dots of PVA.

The next stage was to carefully flood each frame with Ranger Glossy Accents, I wanted to cover the design completely, but knew from past experience too much Glossy Accents can wrinkle the paper underneath , and going back to fill spaces you missed first time round is also a recipe for disaster. I wanted to get this bit right and so had to forget all about them for at least twenty four hours, if not longer, to make sure the Accents was well and truly set.

When I was happy that everything was dry, I glued two matching sides together using E6000, as I wanted a really strong bond ……… and then to make sure they were really married together put them under a large weight for a couple of hours!

Using a matching bronze coloured jump ring I added antique silver heart charms to the bottom of the decorations.

And through the top a thin wire hoop with a matching bead.

All through this project my fingers were well and truly crossed, as earlier attempts have ended up in the bin …….. this time, I think I got it just about right! This is an idea that I will definitely be visiting again, I am already thinking snowmen ………..

Snowflake Glass Slide Christmas Decoration.

This is another project using the 2in x 2in Inkssentials Memory Glass Clear Slides I have been able to source after much searching.

I sandwiched a white, glitter snowflake sticker between two slides and then used an adhesive, silver metal foil tape to seal and go round the edges of the square.

I am still toying with the idea of soldering similar slides, but the tape, when applied carefully, gives such a good finish it’s questionable if soldering would add anything more, other than the extra fiddle fart.

I attached a silver bail to the top and bottom of the square using E6000 glue for a strong, secure bond, leaving it to set for at least 24 hours, with careful twiddling with a needle I removed any excess glue.

Once I was sure the bail was firmly in place, I added a few tiny, clear flat back gems to the the front and back of the slide.

I wanted to attach a silver snowflake charm to the bottom bail, but jump rings and fiddly fittings are my crafting nemesis, in the end the bottom bail wasn’t the right way round to do this as I had hoped without using two jump rings and that just looked wrong. Instead I removed the bail completely, and attached two linked beads, taken from an old necklace and a loop of silver wire through the top bail.

To be honest this was not the most successful of projects, too much fiddle fart for a mediocre end result, but I will try it again, using what I have learned from this first time round.

Halloween Spider Bunting

I am still finding these flipping spiders in the oddest places since last Halloween! Bertie loves them, they are the first thing he goes for when I get the toy box out, so I have kept a few back just for him, but the rest I have used on this Halloween Bunting.

It’s an idea I have been toying with for a while.  I cut the triangles, which measure 18cm wide x 21cm deep, out of black card using pinking shears, to give a zig zag edge.

I then used a white Posca pen for the faux running stitch round the edges and the webs, because the ink/colour doesn’t absorb and fade into the card.

I knew the spiders would be tricky to stick but using a glue gun made it so simple, giving a strong bond to stand up to the rigours of the bunting being hung.  I didn’t fuss about removing any of the glue threads, as they added to the creepy Halloween effect.

To add extra sparkle and to catch the light when hung I added a mixture of gold and silver stars in assorted sizes, using a tacky PVA glue, again to give a fairly secure bond.

The pennants were stuck at 7cm intervals onto a length of orange ribbon to co-ordinate with the orange spiders with tacky PVA, and then held in place with pegs until the glue was dry.

I then got carried away, filling in a little more space with groups of dots, using the Posca pen, I did think of using flat backed gems instead, but thought they might be a little lost.

I now have a huge pile of neon coloured skeletons bought for 25p a pack of 10 from my Wolverhampton days …… I want to do something similar with them, but with the little I have experimented with them the triangle pennant shape doesn’t work as there’s too much empty space around them which looks odd ….. but I won’t be beaten!

Lace Glass Slide Christmas Tree Decorations

I am still experimenting with glass slide Christmas tree decorations. For these I used Inkssentials 2in X 2in Clear Memory Glass Slides. 

I had a few left over from many moons ago but didn’t think I would be able to get any more, however, after a bit of a search and a wait, I finally got two more boxes from Country View Crafts, but I have still to find any of the smaller 1.5 x 1.5in slides, I have a feeling that trying to find them may be a fools errand.

I bought a selection of wide lace for about 89p a bundle and experimented with which would look best in the square slides, cutting it to size and sandwiching it between two slides with a sprinkling of iridescent micro glitter.

I used 40mm adhesive, silver metal foil tape to seal and go round the edges of the glass squares.

Then I attached a silver bail to the top of the square using E6000 glue for a strong, secure bond, leaving it to set for 24 hours plus. With careful twiddling with a needle it was possible to remove any excess glue.

I tried to use part of a Tonic Studios script rub on each slide (as featured yesterday) ……

…… but alas despite applying an awful lot of pressure, they just would not adhere to the glass, but not to be beaten, I simply cut a section of the rub on out and glued it onto the glass instead with Ranger Glossy Accents, as I knew it would dry clear.

I used E6000 again to glue on silver filigree wrap connectors (ordered from eBay/China) on the bottom of each slide.

I cut through the centre divider at the bottom of each connector so that I could add a bead allowing it to hang exactly in the middle.

I then added a few tiny blue and clear flat backed gems here and there on the galss.  When the E6000 on the connectors had set I bent the edges round the edge of the slides for a neater look.

I am really chuffed with how these have turned out, they just need a narrow white or possibly blue ribbon to hang them from.  I still have plenty more slide ideas I want to experiment with,  I just hope you don’t get bored of them!