Handmade Holidays Day 5 - Gelli Print Garland, Watercolor Resist Holiday Cards and Banner

Welcome to Day 5 of Handmade Holidays!  Every day this week, you'll find unique art and craft ideas.   Remember that every post has a giveaway, and all the comments for all the days count!  

For today's post, I have three projects for you.  The first project is a simple holiday garland using your excess gelli prints or other patterned paper.   All you do is punch shapes out of your prints, glue your shapes back to back over a piece of string or twine, embellish with glitter glue and dimensional paints, and add inspirational words.  Voila!  a pretty, festive, whimsical garland to adorn your mantle or stairway.  I was inspired by this post by Alicia Burke, in which she used some of her cards.   But then I added my own flair.

Next, here's a holiday card project.  You can use any image to make your cards.   I used the Three Trees Stencil from Stencil Girl Products. 

First, I stenciled the tree designs using acrylic paint.  Then I used a Sakura glaze pen to doodle and create resists.  When I washed around the stenciled designs with watercolors, the doodled areas resisted the watercolor.  

Here’s a video of some of my process making these cards.

You can also watch Watercolor Holiday Cards on YouTube here.

I added some glitter glue here and there, and was about to add the words from the stencil when…..

I spied some corrugated cardboard in just the right shapes to contain the trees!

I cut the trees out, and then painted the cardboard with Golden Fluid Acrylic paint.

I’d had this Bark Paper in my stash forever.  It was time to use it.

I added the trees to my cardboard substrates, pulled out my glitter glue and other items from my stash, and started playing.

 

Before I knew it, I was taken over by my muse.  I originally thought I would use each of these as an individual card or wall hanging.   But then I strung them together as a garland.  I love them this way!

I filmed some of my process.

You can also watch Holiday Garland with Corrugated Cardboard on YouTube Here.

Hope you enjoyed this easy project and it gives you some ideas for the holidays!

I hope this post gave you some fun ideas.  I am giving away one of the Three Trees stencils!  to a lucky commenter.  Remember, for extra chances to win, make sure to comment on all the Handmade Holiday posts!  I will pick all of the winners on Saturday morning, 11AM EST. 

Please leave your email address in your comment (like this: jessicasporndesigns at gmail dot com) to be considered for the giveaway!

And the winners are:

Corrine Gilman’s Brooch:  Lou Lou in Texas!  

Art is you Trade:  Suzie Q 23!  

Clay Ornament:  Karen!  

Hamsa Stamp:  Lisa Meyers! 

Three Trees Stencil:  Lu 

Make sure to check back for more projects and giveaways every day this week!

Your comments make me so happy and let me know you were here. I read and treasure every comment and will happily answer any questions as soon as I can.

If you don't already, please sign-up for my newsletter HERE, and follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Bloglovin and YouTube, so that you never miss a giveaway, and always get the latest Jessica Sporn Designs News!  

 

Guest Post: Handmade Holidays Day 2 with Corrine Gilman

Welcome to Day 2 of Handmade Holidays!  Every day this week, you'll find unique art and craft ideas.  Today, Corrine Gilman of Sparkle Days Studios has a fun gift bag idea with lots of up cycling.  Remember that every post has a giveaway, and all the comments for all the days count! 

Take it away Corrine! 

To make your gift bag, gather up some materials of your choice.

Deconstruct a paper bag.  

Cut out a rectangle 9x24

Fold up to form a 9x12 finished bag.  (Here's a template.)

(feel free to experiement with sizes that work for you)

Take some additional paper bag sections and crumple for a crinkled look.  Fold in half and glue to the bag rectangle. This provides some interest to your bag.  You could also use any other papers to trim the sides and the bottom as well.

I put together my decorative collage using more paper bag,an old envelope torn off with it’s stamp still intact, an old book page and washi tape.  I made a crumpled flower out of a coffee filter and added some punched shapes to form a center that I painted with glittery craft paints. Washi tape rounds out the trimming.  

I folded over and cut the top at an angle just to provide a visual break, punched a hole in the center and used a piece of stretchy lace to make a bow.  Perfect for a journal, book,  some art, a scarf or some mittens to fit inside.  You could even make some to give as gifts themselves for your friends and family to use later.  Happy stress free creating!
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Thank you Corrine!  Corrine has offered to give away this beautiful brooch to a lucky commenter.  You can see more of her beautiful designs in Sparkle Days Studios Etsy Shop.

Remember, for extra chances to win, make sure to comment on all the Handmade Holiday posts!  I will pick all of the winners on Saturday morning, 11AM EST. 

Please leave your email address in your comment (like this: jessicasporndesigns at gmail dot com) to be considered for the giveaway!

And the winners are:

Corrine Gilman’s Brooch:  Lou Lou in Texas!  

Art is you Trade:  Suzie Q 23!  

Clay Ornament:  Karen!  

Hamsa Stamp:  Lisa Meyers! 

Three Trees Stencil:  Lu 

Make sure to check back for more projects and giveaways every day this week!

Your comments make me so happy and let me know you were here. I read and treasure every comment and will happily answer any questions as soon as I can.

If you don't already, please sign-up for my newsletter HERE, and follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Bloglovin and YouTube, so that you never miss a giveaway, and always get the latest Jessica Sporn Designs News!  

 

Handmade Holidays Day 1 - A Wooden Spool Menorah

Welcome to Day 1 of Handmade Holidays!  Every day this week, you'll find unique art and craft ideas.    Remember that every post has a giveaway, and all the comments for all the days count!  I'll be picking all the winners after 11AM EST on Saturday, so make sure to check out all the Handmade Holidays posts!

Today, I want to share a handmade menorah. While I created this for our Hanukkah celebration, you can use this tutorial to make your own unique candelabra.  

Supplies:

Wooden spools (You'll need eight of one size, and one that's larger for the Shamas)

Balsa Wood Block 

Black Gesso

White tissue paper 

gold acrylic paint

Matte Medium

E6000 Adhesive

Stencil or Stamp- I used my Borders Stencil from Stencil Girl

3/8" hex nuts for the candle cups

Assorted bits and pieces from your stash.

1.  Paint the spools and the wood with the black gesso.  

2.  Stencil patterns on the gold tissue paper.  Then, using a wet paint brush, paint lines to "cut" the tissue paper.  Here's a video tutorial where I did just that.

3,  Use Matte medium to adhere your tissue paper to the wood, making sure to coat under and over the tissue paper.  When it dries, the un-stenciled parts of the tissue paper will become nearly translucent!  In the photo above, it was about 50% dry.

4. Add a bit of gold to your hex nuts and glue them on the tops of your spools using the E6000 or other strong glue.

5.  Glue the spools to the Balsa wood base with the E6000.

6.  Dig out items from your stash.  I added beads, some old keys, and pieces of charms I received at Art is You Mixed Media Retreats.

Hanukkah began on Sunday night.  May the lights we kindle shine peace, love and freedom into the world.

I hope this post gave you some fun ideas.  I am giving away one of my Art is You Trades to a lucky commenter.  

Remember, for extra chances to win, make sure to comment on all the Handmade Holiday posts!  I will pick all of the winners on Saturday morning, 11AM EST. 

Please leave your email address in your comment (like this: jessicasporndesigns at gmail dot com) to be considered for the giveaway!

And the winners are:

Corrine Gilman’s Brooch:  Lou Lou in Texas!  

Art is you Trade:  Suzie Q 23!  

Clay Ornament:  Karen!  

Hamsa Stamp:  Lisa Meyers! 

Three Trees Stencil:  Lu 

Make sure to check back for more projects and giveaways every day this week!

Your comments make me so happy and let me know you were here. I read and treasure every comment and will happily answer any questions as soon as I can.

If you don't already, please sign-up for my newsletter HERE, and follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Bloglovin and YouTube, so that you never miss a giveaway, and always get the latest Jessica Sporn Designs News!  

 

How to Create Quick Holiday Gifts with Stamps and Stencils

If you're like me, the winter holidays creep up on you!  They're definitely coming fast for me;  I'm leaving for our home-away-from-home in Guatemala on the 13th, and won't be back until January 2!  So I'm going to get right to it.  Here are some past tutorials for Hanukkah and Christmas gifts.  Most of these posts have step outs or videos.  Enjoy!

Holiday Gift Bags and Gift Card Holders

Mobils

Quick and Easy Holiday Tags

Gift Card Holders and Journals

Do you have links to favorite holiday projects?  Leave them in the comments. Make sure to check back every day next week, because Monday through Friday, I'll have new ideas and tutorials for you, as well as some giveaways! I'm calling it "Handmade for the Holidays."  See you then!

Your comments make me so happy and let me know you were here. I read and treasure every comment and will happily answer any questions as soon as I can.

If you don't already, please sign-up for my newsletter HERE, and follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Bloglovin and YouTube, so that you never miss a giveaway, and always get the latest Jessica Sporn Designs News!