Hugs in a Card

Hello crafty friends! I can’t believe we’re halfway through December and soon it’s Christmas day! Can you feel the festive feeling already? These carolling merry mice surely do. This handmade Christmas Pop Up card uses one of my favourite go-to die sets, MFT Outside the Box Level Up Pop Up die set and Hello Bluebird Merry Mice stamp set. MFT makes such a useful die set to make easy handmade holiday cards. In fact, it makes for easy all occasions card.

I always try to come up with Christmas card ideas for beginners and even though a pop up card may look complex, with the right cardmaking supplies and tips and tricks, you can actually create these creative holiday cards in bulk easily and quickly. If you want to learn how to make pop up cards without specialty dies, you can also refer to my blog post How to Make Pop-Up Cards: 6 DIY Card Ideas.

For this festive pop-up card, here is a step by step guide:

• Prepare by cutting the main pieces first: the pop up card base in Pretty Peacock Stampin’ Up! cardstock, the front piece, background piece, and snow ground in smooth white cardstock also from Stampin’ Up!
• Stamp the images on smooth white cardstock using Memento tuxedo black ink.
• Cut out the Christmas tree from smooth white cardstock (die cut used was from Stampin Up Ready for Christmas but you can also use whatever die set you have as long as it’s a Christmas tree outline. A triangle piece should be fine.
• I coloured the background piece with ink pad and blending brushes. The ink pads I used were Spun Sugar (Tim Holtz), Gorgeous Grape and Night of Navy (Stampin Up). Then I sprinkled over the inks with a white watercolour.
• I coloured the Christmas tree piece with Pretty Peacock sing a blending brush. I like using this technique because it give a subtle dimension. Not too heavy on the shadows but at the same time, not too plain if using a one coloured cardstock.
• I coloured the mice and other stamped images with my Ohuhu alcohol ink markers using mostly greys, teals, and purples.

• Stamp the sentiment on the front piece. The one I used here was from Penguin Palace.
• Finally, my favourite part, assembling the card. I started by gluing the pieces of the pop up box card first.
• Next, I glued the background piece and then the snowy ground. I added the Christmas tree on the back end insert gluing it at the back and then the two singing mice in front of the tree. At the centre front, I glued the mouse taking a letter from the mailbox.
• I glued the sentiment front piece last.
• For embellishment, I added a gold star sequin, gold musical note sequins (from Stampin Up), iridescent snowflakes (from my old stash) and pastel colored rhinestones (from Kmart). I added a pastel holly berry on the front card piece well.

And your card is done! What I love about handmade cards is that they are unique and can be personalized specially this holiday season, a handmade card goes well with just about any gift. I like it even more when I make pop up Christmas cards because it gives an element of surprise to the recipients.

I hope you enjoyed this festive pop up card crafting idea. Thank you for visiting my blog! Until my next post.