PAPER PIECING PATCHWORK VINTAGE CHRISTMAS CARD

Hello everyone!  With Halloween behind us and the wonderful holiday season fast approaching, I decided to create a homespun feeling vintage Christmas card using our Patchwork theme at this week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge. 

Resembling a star pattern on a fabric quilt, I created this card using cardstock scraps from Graphic 45's Christmas Emporium 12 x 12 Paper Pad.  Here is what you'll need:

  

• One 5" x 5" square base (cream cardstock on the card above)
• One 5" x 10" card cut from cardstock and scored in the middle (cream cardstock on the card above)
• One 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" cardstock mat (green dotted cardstock on the card above)
• One 4 1/4" x 4 1/4" cardstock mat (candy striped cardstock on the card above)
• One 4" x 4" cardstock for the quilt square base (cream cardstock on the card above)
• Four 1" x 1" squares of a patterned cardstock (candy striped cardstock on the card above)
• One 1" x 1" square for the center of the card (candy striped cardstock on the card above)
• Eight 1" x 1" squares of plain cardstock for the base of the star squares (cream cardstock on the card above)
• Twelve 1" x 1" squares (green dotted cardstock on the card above) 

 

I did not have a 1" square punch and I think it will be going on my "need" list for future cards like this.  I cut 1" paper strips and then cut them into 1" squares.  But, even with the most careful cutting, they still are not perfect.  As anyone who quilts knows, the more exact your measurements can be, the better off you are.

1.  Cut four patterned squares (the candy striped squares) on the diagonal from one corner to the opposite corner. 
2.  Cut four of the green dotted 1" squares on the diagonal.
3.  Find the eight plain cardstock squares (cream cardstock).  Glue one of the patterned (candy stripe pattern) diagonals onto half of the plain cardstock square, lining up the corners and points of the diagonal.  Then glue one of the green dotted cardstock diagonals onto the other side of the plain cream cardstock square creating a square with two different diagonal pieces on it.  Repeat this for all eight squares.
4.  Use a Tim Holtz Ruler to find the center of the 4" x 4" square.  Mark the center because this will help when lining up the squares and gluing them into place.

5.  Lay out the eight diagonal squares to create the star pattern.  You can turn them either direction, depending on which part of the diagonal you want to create the star.  (The additional eight 1" x 1" green dotted squares will be glued in the corners and four squares in the center of the card.)  I also distressed all of my edges using a Prima Branch Bark Chalk Edger for a little more of a vintage feeling.

6.  Glue all of the pieces in place, just as you would sew fabric squares together to form a quilt block.  Trim the edges.  

7.  Then stack the star on top of the two matting cardstock pieces. Glue the 4 1/4" x 4 1/4" square (the candy striped square) on top of the 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" green dotted square.  Then glue the quilt block on top of the candy striped cardstock square.

8.  Glue the one 1" square for the center onto the center of the card.  I turned mine diagonally and lined up the points of the square with the "seams" of the center squares. 

The basic card is now finished and it's time to embellish!

I decided to cut a Tim Holtz Mini Paper Rosette (the largest of the ones on this die cut) for the center of my card using more of the candy striped paper.  I always add a piece of scotch tape to the back side of the rosette to help keep the perforations from coming apart and also to add more strength to the rosette.

Before gluing the Mini Rosette together, I distressed the scalloped edge as well as the folded edges with my Prima Branch Park Chalk Edger. Then I used Glossy Accents to glue the Rosette together.

After the Mini Rosette was dry, I added Mercury Glass Stickles to the scalloped edge.  Love it! Then I added some gold-ish long eyelash fringe that I had on hand and popped a Glitz Giant Rhinestone from the Joyeux Noel Collection in place.  It is a large, faceted rhinestone and hard to photograph without a bit of a glare on the facets.  Then I glued the Mini Rosette in place in the center of my star.

The card could have been finished at this point but I wanted to vintage it up a bit more.  So, I found some metallic sticker corners that I wanted to add.  But, they were silver and my Mini Rosette was trimmed in gold.  What to do??

How about adding Tarnished Brass Distress Paint over the silver and turn it into a very cool, vintage tarnished brass look?  I just wiped it on and dabbed off the excess.  It dried in seconds.  I peeled off the corners and added them to my card.

The corners were now dressed up but seemed to still lack something.  I didn't want to add rhinestones but the corners needed something.  I've got it!  Melissa Frances pearls! They come in white or cream and also a variety of sizes all on one card. I easily turned the cream pearls into red ones. The color of red from the Red Pepper Adirondak Paint was perfect for the vintage red stripe of the candy striped cardstock.

I added the two different size pearls to the corners with Glossy Accents and my vintage patchwork card was finished!

I put this card together in a very short amount of time and it was FUN! I've never done anything like this before but I will definitely do it again! I guess I am an "instant gratification" kind of girl.  "Quilting" with paper is way easier and FASTER than with fabric! 

Now it's YOUR turn to join us at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge this week and create something with a patchwork theme.  Then enter our challenge.  You could be the lucky winner of our weekly random drawing for a very generous 

$50.00 gift voucher to shop at Simon Says Stamp!  And...if your art is considered extraordinary, you would be showcased in our 

Designer Spotlight ... a place reserved for the best of the best on a weekly basis!

Good luck!  I can't wait to see your patchwork productions!

Here are all of the products available at Simon Says Stamp that were used in creating this Patchwork Christmas Card:

*Graphic 45 CHRISTMAS EMPORIUM 12 x 12 Paper Pad 003768	*Melissa Frances CREAM PEARLS GN297 Trims Baubles	*Tim Holtz Sizzix Die MINI PAPER ROSETTES 657177 Sizzlits Alterations	*Tim Holtz Distress Paint TARNISHED BRASS Ranger Metallic TDD36487	*Ranger Adirondack PAINT DABBER RED PEPPER Acrylic
*Ranger Stickles MERCURY GLASS Glitter Glue SGG38467	*Ranger Inkssentials GLOSSY ACCENTS Glue Dimensional Adhesive	*Tim Holtz Idea-ology DESIGN RULER Clear 12 Inch	*EK Success 1"" SQUARE Punch Medium Inch 54-31003 New 2012	*Prima Flowers CHALK INK MULTI PACK Chalk Edger Colors 890971

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