Crafting Up the Coast

So, it’s mid-November. The leaves are falling, we’ve turned back the clocks, and the nights are drawing in. I personally love this time of year! It’s an excuse to get cozy at home with my family and enjoy those warming comforts we all love. Perhaps a roaring fire, a warm blanket, or a mug of hot chocolate? The Danish call this state of warm, cozy happiness hygge (pronounced “hooga”).

Typically at this time of year our thoughts turn to the upcoming holidays, and I wanted to incorporate this hygge feeling into my gifts this year. Stampin’ Up! has a wide variety of products in their catalogs to help us create warm and happy gifts for our friends and family, and I thought I’d share my hot chocolate gift creation with you today.

I created my own “gift crate” to present my selection of hot chocolate goodies. I made a simple rectangular box from Basic Gray Cardstock (item 121044) stamped with the Hardwood Background Stamp (item 133035). I then added Copper Foil Sheet (item 142020) strips to the corners to give more of a “crate” feel (while reinforcing the corners at the same time).

Another great range of products Stampin’ Up! offers is their assortment of packaging options. I’ve used several in my project for my various hot chocolate ingredients. I used a Petite Café Gift Bag (item 135826) for my hot chocolate mix, a Clear Tiny Treat Box (item 141699) for my chocolate chips, a 2″ x 8″ Cellophane Bag (item 141703) for my chocolate spoons, and a 6″ x 17″ Gusseted Cellophane Bag (item 142001) for the marshmallows (you always need lots of marshmallows)!

To serve the hot chocolate, I also provided some cups. I took standard hot drink cups and removed the brown sleeve. I then used the sleeve as a template to create my own using Blushing Bride Cardstock (item 131198), which I then embossed with the Cable Knit Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (item 143537) before wrapping it back around the cup. I mean—you can’t get more warm and cozy than with knitting, can you?

Finally, I finished all my items off with tags created using the Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies (item 145372) cut from Basic Black Cardstock (item 121045) and tied with Blushing Bride Solid Baker’s Twine (item 141683). I added sentiments from the Candy Cane Christmas Stamp Set (item 142040) and heat embossed the tags using White Stampin’ Emboss Powder  (item 109132). The sentiment for my crate is from the Wonderful Year Stamp Set (item 142158). I created the rectangular tag using the largest square from the Stitched Shape Framelit Dies and the partial die cutting technique.

Do you love the Danish idea of hygge, of creating a warm and cozy atmosphere this season surrounded by good friends, good food, and fun times? I sure do, and I wish you all a “Hygge Christmas”!
Valerie Moody
Rugby, UK
Artisan Design Team 2015–16

Decorating for the holidays is always a time I treasure. I enjoy dressing up our mantle while my husband sets up the tree, and then we decorate the tree together. It’s a really special time for us. This year I’ll be adding some adorable itty bitty ornaments to our tree that I’ve made using the Big Shot and several of the Thinlits and Framelits Dies from Stampin’ Up!

The Home Sweet Home Thinlits Dies (item 140279) are perfect for creating a shadowbox house ornament. Just be sure you don’t add the front piece so you can decorate the inside. I used the Outdoor Adventure Framelits Dies (item 141480) to create a miniature mountain scene and then added some stamped images from the Mountain Adventure Stamp Set (item 142194). Isn’t the little ski chalet perfect?

You can see just how little these ornaments are when placed beside a small decorative tree. The house only measures just over 3″ tall!

The base of this mountain ornament is made with the Pyramid Pals Thinlits Dies (item 140618). These Thinlits are SO versatile, and although they make darling animals, they have the potential for so much more!

With a peek inside you can see that I’ve used the Outdoor Adventure Framelits and the coordinating stamp set, Always an Adventure (item 142726), to create my scene. The stamp set and die coordination makes the creative process so much easier for a project like this.

This last ornament uses the Hearth & Home Thinlits Dies (item 139666) for a snowy view out a window. To create the little box that sits on the back of the window, cut a piece of 4″ x 4-1/2” Whisper White Cardstock (item 100730) and score 1/4″ and 3/4″ on every side. Fill the little box with your scene—like trees from the Outdoor Adventure Framelits Dies and a large mountain from the Mountain Adventure Stamp Set—before gluing the box to the window frame.

A generous application of Mica Flakes (item 141998) to all of your ornaments will make these winter wonderlands even more authentic. And just check out all that sparkle!

I hope you’ll try creating some of your own itty bitty ornaments using your Big Shot, dies, and stamp sets from Stampin’ Up!

Allison Okamitsu
2015–2016 Artisan Design Team