Monday, December 21, 2020

Snowmen, Cardinal, and Santa Claus: Displays of Joy


I'm never one to hurry a year up. After all, I am past 55, so I need for the years to slow down a bit. With all of the global challenges this year, however, I find myself wishing for the quiet of the winter holidays to arrive more quickly than usual. As I shopped in the major craft stores, I noticed that quite a bit of decor is created in display frames. I thought it would be interesting to create my own holiday decor in display cases using StencilGirl stencils. In this way, I can create my own designs that include elements that mean the most to me and my family. This process is also useful for any other holiday or commemorative event such as graduation, a baby's birth, weddings, or simply a celebration of life and the change of seasons.


THE JOYFUL STENCILS

Snow Storm Stencil by June Pfaff Daley (L082)


Christmas #1 by June Pfaff Daley (L580)


Christmas #2 by June Pfaff Daley (L581)


Christmas Cardinal and Holly by Gwen Lafleur (S514)


Christmas Poinsettias by Gwen Lafleur (S515)


Snowman by Jennifer Evans (S542)




ADDITIONAL MATERIALS

Display cases (I used 9 x 9 cases.)
Peel & Stick Glitter Foam Sheets
White cardstock
Markers (I used COPIC.)
Embossing Powder (mostly clear but some colors as needed)
Embossing Pad and Pen (I used Versamark.)
White Gel Pen
Black Gel Pen or Micron Pen
Buffalo Snow Iridescent Flakes
Mini Pine Cones
Pop Dots
Heat Tool
Aleene's Tacky Glue (or similar)
Small scissors


LET'S GET CREATING!

Step 1: Choose the stencils for your designs.

Step 2: Cut the foam the size of the display case backing, peel off the backing protector, then adhere to the display backing.

Step 3: Stencil and emboss any material that you planned for the backing such as snowflakes, stars, or words and greetings on to the background that you just attached. 

Step 4: Use the markers to stencil the components of your display. Remember to use a light touch as a heavy-handed application can saturate the design to the point that it is unrecognizable. Some stencils are created by multiple lines rather than a full picture. In those cases, use the marker to outline the basic shape then go back in and color the rest of it in. This is true for the cardinal, as one example.

Step 5: Cut the components out. For components that have uneven edges, be sure to use a zipper pattern when cutting so that you retain as much of the original unevenness.

Step 6: Emboss with clear embossing powder. Doing this will make the colors pop and provide an additional layer of strength to the pieces.

Step 7: Add additional embossing as needed. I used it for the cardinal's wing, the middle of the poinsettias, the reindeers' collars, and Rudolph's nose. 

Step 8: Place pop dots on the backs of the components. Remember that to create levels, you will need to use more than one pop dot layer. For example, the cardinal has three pop dot layers.

Step 9: Place a dot of tacky glue on the last pop dot then adhere the components and allow to dry.

Step 10: Add Buffalo Snow Flakes, pine cones, and other elements to the bottom of the display case.

Step 11: Insert the backing once the design is completely dry.

Step 12: Display your lovely creation!

While I didn't include this step, you could also add tiny lights to the creations. Simply punch a small hole in the foam and wood backing, thread the tiny lights through the hole and arrange within the Buffalo Snow Flakes and pinecones, and attach the battery pack to the back of the display case.

And for you visual creators, here's a brief video of some of the steps for each of the displays.



Anne Marie

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