Winter Florals

Good morning, everyone and welcome back for Day 4 of the Papertrey Ink October Countdown! Today we're sharing a handful of new products that showcase wintery foliage. The flowers and leaves available in the wintertime are some of my very favorites. I eagerly look forward to holly, evergreen boughs, and poinsettias every year. The stamps and dies we're featuring today are the perfect way to incorporate that gorgeous, seasonal greenery into your holiday projects. Let's get to it!

Today's first project is a gift card holder that I created using the stocking die from the Quick Stitch Beaded Holiday Kit (it's still available for now). The die paired beautifully with Dawn's new Spruce & Sprigs set and my new Fair Isle Borders set.

I began by die cutting the stocking body and hanger out of Rustic White cardstock. I stamped it with my new Fair Isle Borders set by inking the strips in Pure Poppy ink and then rocking the edges with Scarlet Jewel. That deepened the color a bit and gave the borders fantastic dimension.

Next, I die cut the cuff and other detail pieces from Pinefeather cardstock. I stamped the sentiment onto the cuff and heat embossed with gold detail powder. I stitched the stocking together with gold embroidery floss and set it aside while I die cut and stamped my foliage.

I used Pinefeather, Ocean Tides, Pure Poppy, Scarlet Jewel, and gold heat embossing to give the branches and berries a lush, rich appearance. I layered the branches and adhered them to the stocking with flat adhesive. The berries were then added with foam tape for added depth. I absolutely love how this turned out and I foresee a few more of them in my crafting future.

Next up is the coordinating stitched tag.

I wanted to create another gift card holder, this time with the Stitched Tag Die. We're giving so many gift cards at the Christmas these days that I like to have a little variety in my presentation while maintaining a similar feel.

I used the same basic materials on this tag, just swapping out the sentiment and a few of the branches. Can't you just see a handful of these hanging in the tree on Christmas morning. Wouldn't that be festive?!

On to a winter birthday card! My sister's birthday is just a few days before Christmas, so I thought I would use the new Botanical Blocks III set to make her a seasonally appropriate birthday card that didn't scream "Look at me! I'm a Christmas Card!"

I began by heat embossing the anemone image onto watercolor paper using Liquid Platinum embossing powder. Then, I colored the flower with Zig markers and a water brush. I was aiming to replicate the anemone variety that is ever-so-slightly pale purple near the base of the petals with a dark, blackish-purple center. Once it had dried, I colored over the flower petals with a clear Wink of Stella pen to make the whole thing shimmer.

Next, I used the new Botanical Blocks Basics dies to create an aperture in layers of White Shimmer and Winter Wisteria cardstocks. I heat embossed the sentiment onto the shimmer panel and then adhered both pieces to a white card base. I finished by adding the flower in the opening with foam tape. It's so shimmery in person. I hope she loves it!

Lastly today, I have a thank you card that I created with the new Cover Plate: Winter Floral.

This card really couldn't be much easier. I began by adhering a piece of Betsy's new holiday plaid patterned paper to a white card base and adding a layer of vellum to soften it a bit. I die cut the Winter Floral panel from a piece of white cardstock and a Photo Finishers strip from Aqua Mist cardstock.

I heat embossed the sentiment onto the Photo Finishers strip using white detail powder and then adhered it to the back of the Winter Florals panel. Then I used narrow pieces of foam tape to attach that whole piece to the card front. I like the idea of keeping Christmas thank you notes simple. The easier they are to put together, the more likely I am to have them finished and ready to go before the holidays arrive.

Well, that's all for me today. Thank you so much for joining me! Make sure to check in with Nichole, Amy, Ashley, Betsy, Danielle, Dawn, Heather, Kay, Laurie, Melissa, and Maile as they share more of this month's release with you today. I'll see you again bright and early tomorrow morning. Have a great day!

Recipes:
Stitched Stocking Gift Card Holder
Stamps: Spruce & Sprigs, Fair Isle Borders, Minute To Make: Holiday Tags #1 - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Rustic White, Pinefeather - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Pure Poppy, Scarlet Jewel, Ocean Tides, Pinefeather - Papertrey Ink; VersaMark - Tsukineko
Other: Stitched Stocking Die (Quick Stitch Beaded Holiday Kit), Spruce & Sprigs Die - Papertrey Ink; Gold Detail Embossing Powder - Filigree; Foam Tape - Scotch; Gold Embroidery Thread (#E677) - DMC

Stitched Tag Gift Card Holder
Stamps: Spruce & Sprigs, Fair Isle Borders, 2013 Holiday Tags - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Rustic White, Pinefeather - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Pure Poppy, Scarlet Jewel, Ocean Tides, Pinefeather - Papertrey Ink; VersaMark - Tsukineko
Other: Spruce & Sprigs Die, Stitched Tag Die - Papertrey Ink; Gold Detail Embossing Powder - Filigree; Foam Tape - Scotch; Gold Embroidery Thread (#E677) - DMC

Birthday Anemone Card
Stamps: Botanical Blocks, Botanical Blocks III - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: White Shimmer, Winter Wisteria - Papertrey Ink; Watercolor Paper - Ranger; White
Ink: VersaMark - Tsukineko
Other: Botanical Blocks Basics Die - Papertrey Ink; Liquid Platinum Embossing Powder - Ranger; Foam Tape - Scotch; Clean Color Markers, Wink of Stella Pen - Zig

Christmas Thank You Card
Stamps: Holiday Thanks - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Aqua Mist, Holiday Plaid Paper Collection, Vellum - Papertrey Ink; white
Ink: VersaMark - Tsukineko
Other: Cover Plate: Winter Floral, Photo Finishers Die Collection - Papertrey Ink; Foam Tape - Scotch; White Detail Embossing Powder - Filigree