Cozy Christmas Bow Tutorial

Hello friends,

I thought I would start off the month by sharing a couple Christmas cards I created with the new Cozy Christmas stamps from Tim holtz/Stampers Anonymous.  This is such a fun stamp set and very easy to color with so many mediums, from Distress Ink and Oxide to Distress Crayons!

I used Distress Watercolor paper for the card fronts (3.75 x 3.75").  I stamped the images in Hickory Smoke Distress Ink which gave it a softer tone than if I had stamped in Black Soot.  I used my Detailer Water Brush with Candied Apple, Peeled Paint, Rustic Wilderness and even a bit of Kitsch Flamingo to color the images.

Then I chose a background stamp and a stencil to add a little detail to the corners of each card.  I love a polka dot for every holiday, but the plaid stencil looks good too!  Use what you have!

I did not use a block, but rather inked and pressed the polka dot where I wanted.

For the plaid stencil, I added the Rustic Wilderness with a Distress Brush so I could get into all the nooks and crannies of the stencil.

I stamped each card with a sentiment, using Archival Ink.

Next comes the stitching...I think I should have stitched it in red though!

Then a little foam tape before adhering each front to a Distress Kraft Stock foundation (4 x 4").

To create the little bows, I gathered some Velvet Trims (we have great colors to choose from).  You will also need a hot glue gun and 1/4" Scor-Tape.

Step 1: cut two pieces of Velvet Trim 2 1/2" long (3" for a larger bow).

Step 2: Add a small piece of Scor-Tape to the center of one piece.

Step 3: Fold the ends toward the center, securing on the Scor-Tape.  You should have an open loop on each end.

Step 4: Wrap the second piece of ribbon around the loop and pinch the center.

Step 5: Open the ribbon (but maintain the pinch as much as possible).

Step 6: Add a bit of hot glue and quickly pinch together.

Your bow should look like this...

Step 7: Press down on the "knot" bow so the "pinch" is at the back.  Cut ends to desired length.

I swear it only takes a couple tries to get a perfect looking bow!

Add bow to your card with hot glue.  

now carry on,

paula