AWH Heart of Christmas Blog Hop #14

Christmas with Iconic Imagery

Hello. Welcome to Valley Inspirations with Andrea and the fourteenth Art with Heart Team Heart of Christmas Blog Hop for 2024. We will be hopping every week until the end of November. It is hard to believe there are only a few blog hops remaining for this year. 

We all love sharing Christmas creativity with you and hope that you will be inspired in your preparations for Christmas. This week I am using an On-line Exclusive bundle that was launched months ago. When I first saw the Iconic Imagery bundle I envisaged using these smaller images to create wreaths with either stamping in the round or placing the die cut images in a circle. This week I have focussed on using the little tree images. There are two tree images, one being a line image and other a filled in stamp. They are used together as a 2 step process to create a little tree.

As you can see, the cards are similar and different. The techniques to create the wreaths are different. I will go into that below. 

This first card was also created in response to a challenge Emma Goddard gave to those in her Card and a Cuppa Group. We usually gather via Zoom every Friday night, however, Emma was away on a well earned holiday last Friday so she gave us a layout challenge with 4 potential variations. I CASEd this layout, though moved the wreath into the upper left quadrant.

The trees were individually stamped, firstly with the outline stamp and then with the in-fill stamp from the Iconic Imagery stamp set. I found it easier to line up the images by stamping in this order. The outline colours were Pretty Peacock, Shaded Spruce & Garden Green Classic Stampin’ inks, whereas the infill colours were lighter, ie Shaded Spruce, Garden Green and Granny Apple Green inks.

The little trees were individually die cut with the coordinating tree die from the Iconic Imagery dies. A circle was die cut from Soft Sea Foam card-stock using 2 of the Spotlight On Nature dies. They are a wonderful set of circular dies. A panel of Soft Sea Foam card-stock was embossed with the Birchwood 3D Embossing Folder. It was then layered over a Basic White card-base with a wide strip of white & gold Regal Distressed Patterns Speciality Paper.

Some splattering was added to the background using both Shaded Spruce and Granny Apple Green Stampin Write Markers. The tree wreath was built by alternating the 3 different colour trees and adhering them to the die cut ring. Dimensionals were added behind the wreath and it was positioned to the left-hand side over the SDSP strip.

The word “Celebrate” from the Iconic Imagery stamps was white heat embossed onto Shaded Spruce card-stock. The smaller words “The Season” was white heat embossed onto Gold Foil. The sentiment words were fussy cut and then added with Mini Dimensionals.  A bow was tied in the Iridescent Striped Trim and it was tucked under the sentiment pieces. Some Iridescent Foil Gems were scattered around the sentiment and wreath. 

A Basic White card inner was stamped with some other words from the same stamp set. An embossed strip of Soft Sea Foam card-stock and a thin strip of the white and gold SDSP were adhered down the RHS and 3 remaining die cut trees were adhered in a row and the bottom of the card. Some Shaded Spruce splattering was added with a Stampin Write Marker.

The last 3 remaining little die cut trees were added to a C6 Basic White envelope and a little Shaded Spruce splattering was added. 

CARD 2

I wanted to use the same stamps to create a tree wreath by stamping in the round. Many years ago I had created a template using a square die and die cutting it 4 times to create 16 distinct points. I used this and my retired Stamparatus to stamp the tree outline in Shaded Spruce ink. The infill stamp was inked with Granny Apple Green ink with touches of Garden Green ink applied with a Blending Brush. You could draw a circle and then manually stamp the trees in place, but knowing me, it would likely be a little uneven. A little Shaded Spruce splattering was added.

The stamped background was mounted to a slightly larger piece of Gold Foil. In turn, the background panel was adhered with Dimensionals, to a panel of white & gold Regal Distressed Patterns Speciality Paper that had been mounted on a Shaded Spruce card base.

I usually heat emboss at least 2 of the sentiments in case one goes array. Both sentiment sections were good and so I had a set ready for this 2nd card - just needed to fussy cut them.  This time the Gold Foil sentiment was adhered with Multipurpose Liquid Glue and “Celebration” was added with Mini Dimensionals with the bow tied using 2 half pieces of the gorgeous Iridescent Striped Trim tucked under the sentiment and adhered in place with a couple of Glue Dots. Some of the subtle Pearl embellishments from the Cherry Cobbler and Pearl Self Adhesive Berries were scattered around the sentiment and tree wreath.

A Basic White card inner was stamped with words from the same stamp set.  Trees were 2 stepped stamped in a row at the bottom of the card inner and a Granny Apple Green inked heart near the sentiment (to disguise the fact that “Love” is at a tad of an angle).

I had a 6x6 inch envelope at hand so stamped that with little 2-step stamped trees in the same colours as on the card. Another option would be to create an envelope using DSP. 

Thank you so much for dropping in on your way around the Heart of Christmas Blog Hop.

There is more Christmas creativity, so do continue with the blog hop. Just click on the "next" graphic below to be taken to the blog of a lovely lady, Christine Blain. I always look forward to checking out Christine’s creation(s). I do love seeing everyones' projects - there is so much inspiration. I know we are small in number this week, but I am sure there will be wonderful projects to see.

Also, many of us participate in the Colour Creations Blog Hop that goes live every Wednesday night where we showcase one of Stampin’ Up!s colours each week. We would love you to also check in on us for more creative inspiration.

Stay well, stay safe and be kind to yourself.

Andrea 💕🐾

If you find a broken link or would like to view the full list of participants go to Sharon Davern’s blog @ Rhapsody in Craft. Sharon is our amazing Art With Heart Team Heart of Christmas Coordinator.  She is a special lady. Check out her delightful creation while you are there.

If you live in Australia, don't already have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator and would like your own copy of the Stampin' Up 2023-2024 Annual Catalogue and or the September-December 2024 Mini Catalogue, then let me know and I will be delighted to send them to you.  Please don't hesitate to make contact re any queries about these projects or Stampin' Up!. 

#heartofchristmas  #heartofchristmas2024 #stampinup #stampinupaustralia #stampinupsouthpacific #stampinupdemo  #handmadecards #stampinupdemonstrator #papercrafting #artwithheartteam  #papercrafter  #valleyinspirations   #iconicimagery