Embrace the White Space!

Hello there, Michelle Short here, and I am delighted to be back on the Spellbinders blog sharing three cards using the Wonderland collection. This fabulous collection is perfect for Christmas and the holidays, and includes snowmen, festive cars, cocoa cups, trees, and lots more! As you will see from my cards, I embraced the white space of the card bases to let the die cuts shine!

YULETIDE RIDE

My first card uses Yuletide Ride, which is a fun set featuring a car and all things festive that you can adorn the top of it with! To make this card:

• Die-cut car from Waterfall, Teal Topaz, Raven, Classic White, and Beeswax ColorWheel Cardstock.
• Assemble the pieces, adhering with Bearly Art Glue.
• Die-cut roof rack from Brushed Metallic Gold Treasured Cardstock and adhere to the top of the car.
• Adhere car and roof rack to an A2-size white card base with thin foam tape.

TIP: Whilst I didn’t do it for my card, it would be fun to add acetate or vellum behind the openings of the windows on the car!

• Die-cut presents from Tutu, Pomegranate, and Teal Topaz ColorWheel Cardstock. Cut bows from Waterfall, Tutu, and Ruby Matte Metallic Treasured Cardstock and adhere to the presents.
• Adhere presents on top of the roof rack using Bearly Art Glue.
• Die-cut tree from Peridot ColorWheel Cardstock and stump from Acorn ColorWheel Cardstock. Adhere stump to tree and then adhere on top of presents.
• Die cut wreath from Peridot ColorWheel Cardstock and berries from Tutu ColorWheel Cardstock. Adhere together and then adhere to card standing on the pink present.
• Die-cut string for lights from Raven ColorWheel Cardstock and lights from Waterfall and Tutu ColorWheel Cardstock. Adhere lights to string and then adhere to card on top of tree.

• Hot foil Merry Messages Plate:
  • Cut Champagne Glimmer Hot Foil Roll to size.
  • Place on top of white cardstock, shiny side up.
  • Place Merry Messages plate on top of foil, design side down.
  • Hold in place with Best Ever Craft Tape.
  • Place on Glimmer Hot Foil System platform, plate side down.
  • Press button and wait until it goes solid green. Remove platform from base and then place back into base to reset the timer. Press button again.
  • When solid green, remove platform from base, place shims on top and run through Platinum Six.
  • Carefully remove plate and tape from cardstock, being careful not to touch the hot plate.

TIP: I like to heat the platform up twice when hot foiling press plates. It just seems to work for me, but you may not need to. Experiment with what works best for your machines!

• Die cut sentiments out using coordinating die.
• Adhere ‘Merry Christmas’ to card.
• Add Aquamarine AB Color Essentials Gem to aqua bow and Red Color Essentials Gem to red bow.
• Die-cut candy cane from Classic White and Pomegranate ColorWheel Cardstock. Adhere pieces together and adhere so that it is popping out of the car window.
• To finish, embellish with Gold Mix Color Essentials Gems.

WARM WINTER WISHES

My next card uses The Snow Notes, along with Snowfall Shimmer to add some detail to the background. To make this card:

• Die-cut snowmen from Classic White ColorWheel Cardstock. Die-cut mouth and button pieces from Raven ColorWheel Cardstock. Adhere these to the back of the snowmen using Bearly Art Glue.
• Die-cut arms from Acorn Colorwheel Cardstock and adhere them to the two outside snowmen.
• Die-cut noses from Carrot ColorWheel Cardstock and adhere to snowmen using Bearly Art Glue.

• Die-cut scarves from Waterfall, Tutu, and Teal Topaz ColorWheel Cardstock and adhere to snowmen.
• Die-cut songbook from Pomegranate and Alabaster ColorWheel Cardstock. Adhere together and then adhere the middle snowmen’s arms around it.
• Adhere to middle snowman.

• Dry Press Snowfall Shimmer BetterPress Plate:
• Place Snowfall Shimmer BetterPress Plate onto the Chase (magnetic platform) of the BetterPress Letterpress System.
• Place Porcelain BetterPress A2 Cotton Card Panel on top (since there is no ink to transfer this can be placed directly on top of plate)
• Place Platen on top of the system.
• Run through Platinum Six Die Cutting Machine.

TIP: You may need an extra shim to get the impression that you want. I tend to add this over the top of the panel I am pressing into with a piece of scrap cardstock. Sometimes you get an impression on the piece too which you can save for a future project!

• Adhere panel onto an A2-sized white card base.
• Adhere snowman on top using thin foam tape.
• Die cut two more of the Merry Messages die, this time from white cardstock, and adhere behind ‘Warm Winter Wishes’ foiled one for added dimension.
• Adhere to card using Bearly Art Glue.

The pressing of the Snowfall Shimmer BetterPress Plate helps to add some interest to the card base. It is still white space but with some added snowflake detail!

MERRY & BRIGHT

For my last project, I’m using Cocoa Wonderland for a fun and festive-filled cocoa cup! To make the card:

• Die-cut base of cocoa cup from Classic White ColorWheel Cardstock, as well as the moustache and eyebrows. Die-cut the handle and top rim from Matte Metallic Ruby Treasured Cardstock.
• Die cut the bottom layer of the rim from Pomegranate ColorWheel Cardstock and Santa’s face from Alabaster, Raven, and Chiffon
• Adhere facial features first, followed by moustache and nose. Adhere this to the cocoa cup base with thin foam tape.
• Adhere handle from the back and then adhere the rims to the front.

• Die-cut whipped cream from Antique White Glitter Metallic Treasured Cardstock.
• Die-cut trees from Peridot, Teal Topaz, Waterfall, and Tutu ColorWheel Cardstock. Adhere to cream.
• Die-cut star for the tree from Brushed Metallic Gold Treasured Cardstock and adhere to tree.
• Die-cut present from Tutu ColorWheel Cardstock and bow from Matte Metallic Ruby Treasured Cardstock. Adhere together and then add to the bottom of the cream.
• Adhere cream with all the adornments to the back of the mug (so that it looks like they are all inside the mug).

• Adhere cocoa cup and contents to an A2-sized white card base with thin foam tape.
• Die-cut ornaments from Tutu ColorWheel Cardstock and adhere to tree.
• Take ‘Merry & Bright Sentiment’ that was foiled from Merry Messages, and add another die cut to the back. Adhere to card with foam tape on the left side, and Bearly Art Glue on the right.
• Add Red Color Essentials Gem to the bow on the present.
• To finish, embellish with Gold Mix Color Essentials Gems.

I hope you have enjoyed seeing my projects today. Whilst these cards have a lot of white space, they don’t feel boring as there is a lot of colour from the die cuts. Thank you so much for visiting today. I hope you have a wonderful day!

Other Supplies

Thin foam tape