Cardstock Christmas

This fortnight at Jingle Belles we're asking you to step away from the designer paper … yes, put it away … none allowed … not even a scrap … because this time the assignment is to create a holiday card using only cardstock. You can tear it, ink it, stamp it, spray it, emboss it, diecut it … but stick to only cardstock for your holiday card design.

Here's how we "took stock" this week:

My name is Lauren and I'm a scrap-hoarder! I confess that it's difficult for me to throw away scraps and off-cuts, so a few times a year, I make quilty or, as in this case, stripy backgrounds to use them up. This version features various shades and textures of red, white and green cardstock; from smooth and glossy to chunky and glittery; arranged to resemble peppermint candies. Fabric poinsettias, plastic leaves and holiday flair complete the design.

A bit more about the technique, in case you'd like to try this idea. To streamline the assembly process, I started by running a piece of plain white cardstock through my Xyron machine, (full-sheet adhesive also works) trimming it into a square just slightly larger than I wanted my finished piece to be, peeling off the backer paper and working from the middle outwards, adding the strips. I took a bit of time to line them up precisely and to alternate shades and widths of the strips. When the panel was full, I burnished the strips to make sure they were well-affixed, got rid of all the over-long ends with my guillotine trimmer, rounded the corners and added machine stitching around the perimeter. In actual face, that last step is not strictly necessary, since the pieces really are ON THERE, but it's a guarantee against peeling ends and I love how it looks. 

Head over to Jingle Belles to see what Stephanie has made and start planning your own Christmassy Cardstock Creation. This challenge runs through the evening of May 22nd.