120 Handmade Holidays Blog Hop 2012!!!

Did you arrive here from Vivian Keh's blog? If not, head on over and visit HERE. 


Welcome to the 

2nd Annual 

Handmade Holidays Blog Hop!!

Calling all crafters! We’ve gathered designers from some of our favorite manufacturers to show you ways to create something from the heart this holiday season. This 3 day Hop includes over 60 stops with inspiration brimming from every corner. Explore all of the thoughtful and frugal handmade gifts you could create for the holidays, all in one place, during our second annual Handmade Holidays Blog Hop!

Today I am sharing an altered paper mache box that holds an assortment of greeting cards. 

Everyone can use a good greeting card and a boxed set as unique as this is a gift that anyone would treasure! In fact, I have half a mind to keep it for myself! 

I dyed the bottlebrush trees with a combination of Stephanie Barnard Sprays by Clearsnap and Smooch Spritz, dousing them with water to destaturate the intense color. After the trees were dry, I glued them into spools of string, wrapping one of the spools with baker's twine from The Twinery to giveit more interest. Finally, I dusted the trees with Smooch Glitz for a little bit of glitter and ColorBox Crafter's ink in white for a snowy glow.

Around the house base I applied Clearsnap's Design Adhesives with a layer of Lime Burst Designer Foils.

The roof and trim were punched from scraps of kraft cardstock and Starbuck's drink sleeves using Fiskars punches. They were then applied to the house with the ultra stronmg Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Adhesive and then painted with a mixture of acrylic paint and Smooch Spritz. To add more depth, the entire house was rolled in several patterns of Clearsnap Rollagraph Stamp Wheels using various ink, from Pigment ink to Decades Antiquing Ink.

Finally, the doors and windows were painted on with acrylic paint and round tip paint brush. The shading was achieved by outlining the doors and windows with Smooch Accent Ink and blending it with my finger. The "snow" on the corrugated stars and trim is a generous layer of Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Adhesive topped with Stephanie Barnard's Sprinkles! Chunky Glitter for Clearsnap.

Here's what you'll need to create this project:

Supplies:

• Rollagraph Stamp Wheels and Handle by Clearsnap
• Design Adhesives and Designer Foils by Clearsnap
• Smooch Spritz in Ginger Ale by Clearsnap
• Smooch by Clearsnap
• Stephanie Barnard Sprinkles! Chunky Glitter by Clearsnap
• NEW ColorBox Crafter's Ink by Clearsnap
• Smooch Glitz by Clearsnap
• Color Catcher by Clearsnap
• Stephanie Barnard Sprays by Clearsnap
• ColorBox Stephanie Barnard Dye Inkpad in Spearmint
• ColorBox Limited Edition Pigment Inkpad in Zen Garden
• ColorBox Graphic 45 Decades Antiquing Dye Ink in Dark Cashmere exclusively via Hampton Art
• Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue
• Tombow Power Tabs
• Bazzil Kraft Cardstock (scrap)
• Punches, Scissors by Fiskars
• Twine by The Twinery
• Trim, Pins, Beads, Bottlebrush Trees by hydrangeahippo.etsy.com
• Ribbon by Maya Road
• Vintage Spool by Coats & Clark via Zinnia
• Acrylic Paint by Delta and Americana
• Starbuck's Drink Sleeve
• Resin Flower by French General
• Paper Mache Box by Darice
• Foam Paint Brush
• Small Round Tip Paint Brush
• Hot Glue
• Paper Towel
• Water
• Cards and Envelopes

This step by step video shares how to transform this plain paper box into a holiday house that can be filled with cards or even candies, lotions, or other small gifts. 

While you're watching, please SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube channel to enjoy more videos like this one. When you're finished, don't forget to come back here to leave a comment and enter to win some sweet crafty swag!

To sweeten the Hop, we’re offering a gift for you! For every comment you leave on the blogs in the Hop, you’ll be entered to win a prize pack from one of the participating manufacturer sponsors! Use the Rafflecopter widget on the Clearsnap blog to gain extra entries each day: http://cleasnap.blogspot.com. PLUS, there is a giveaway going on here on the Hydrangea Hippo blog -- the widget to enter will appear at the bottom of this post :)

Here's the Clearsnap prize pack---that's over $100 worth of swag!!!

Visit the list of blogs below and leave a comment on each by Nov 27, 2012 at 11:59 PM PST. Each day we will be sharing a brand new list of blogs with brand new projects for you to explore, be inspired by, and create from!

Nov 16

Clearsnap – http://clearsnap.blogspot.com START HERE IF JOINING THIS HOP :)

Hampton Art - http://blog.hamptonart.com/

Graphic45 – http://g45papers.typepad.com/

Fiskateers - www.fiskateers.com/blog

Donna Salazar Designs – http://donnasalazar.typepad.com/

Tombow USA – http://blog.tombowusa.com/

Authentique Paper http://authentiquepaper.blogspot.com/ 

The Twinery - http://www.thetwineryblog.com/

Eileen Hull for Sizzix http://eileenhull.blogspot.com/

Globecraft Memories – http://globecraftmemories.blogspot.com

Kristin Wilson – Graphic 45 -  http://www.kristinwilsonhandmade.com/

Jennie Garcia - Tombow -  earthyscrap.blogspot.com

Gini Williams Cagle - Hampton Art - http://ginicagle.blogspot.com/

Sabrina Alery – Clearsnap – http://Sabrinaalery.blogspot.com

DeeDee Catron - Globecraft Memories - http://umwowstudio.blogspot.com/

Michelle Grant – Donna Salazar Designs -  http://michellejbg.blogspot.com

Emily Lanham – Authentique Paper -http://www.createserendipity.net

Emma Jeffery – Fiskateers - http://hellobeautifulblog.blogspot.com

Natalie Clause – The Twinery -  http://www.southernbellescharm.com/

Alberto L Juarez – Graphic 45 http://vintageodyssey.blogspot.com/

Vivian Keh - Hampton Art - http://contadinak.wordpress.com/tag/vivian-keh/ DID YOU COME FROM HERE? VISIT HER BLOG NOW IF YOU MISSED IT :)

Jennifer Priest – Clearsnap – http://hydrangeahippo.blogspot.com YOU ARE HERE

Heather Conklin – Authentique Paper - http://goldiecar.blogspot.com/ GO HERE NEXT

Cheers to creating gifts from the heart this holiday season!

Happy Hopping!

P.S. We have a little secret!! Want to see our new line of fall product including the reveal of our new CHOX by Donna Salazar Designs? RSVP here...

a Rafflecopter giveaway