Today's Featured Artist: Linda Auclair

This week's featured artist is the incredibly talented, Linda Auclair.  We were supposed to publish this post last week, but we didn't want to forget to thank all the sponsors and volunteers from CHA!

Linda wrote a special post for us assuming that her piece would be published in July...so let's just pretend summer isn't almost over and that it is still July so we can enjoy a little

Christmas in July!

Make sure to read the whole post....there just might a be a little surprise at the end!

It’s 93 degrees outside this afternoon, but here in my craft room I’m dreaming of a white Christmas!  The holiday season will be upon us before we know it, so beat the heat and do a little crafting with me to get a jump on your holiday crafting.  It’s Christmas in July – craft along with me!

What you’ll need to complete the project as shown:

• A small, lidded candy tin.  (I used one from my favorite Cinnamon Altoids)
• Crate Paper’s Snow Day collection patterned paper (Flakes )
• Crate Paper “Snow Day” collection Chipboard Accents
• Crate Paper “Snow Day” collection Phrase Stickers
• Epiphany Crafts Shape Studio Round 14 tool & epoxy stickers
• Queen and Company self-adhesive Pearls
• Ranger Glossy Accents and Stickles Glitter Glue
• Colorbox Chalk Ink – Dark Brown
• Glue Arts Foam Squares & Extreme Adhesive Glue Squares
• Corner Rounder (I used the large Squeeze Punch corner rounder from Fiskars)
• Favorite adhesive (I used my Xyron, but you could use any liquid adhesive as well, just adjust for drying time.)
• Lace Scrap (Mine is from Prima)

How to:

1.   1.  Cut 4 rectangles from the Flakes paper, approximately 2.5 x 3.75.  You will need to trim each piece slightly to fit inside the tin and on the bottom without any overhang.  Using the corner rounder, punch each corner so it will fit.  Ink around the edges of all 4 pieces.  Cut one long strip 12x.5 inches to wrap around the lower portion of the box.  Ink the edges of this as well.

2. Adhere the inside papers pink side up inside the box lid and box bottom.  Adhere the top and bottom papers tan grid side up on the outside of the box.  Wrap the long strip around the bottom of the box, trimming small notches to allow the hinges free motion.

3. Begin adhering chipboard elements.  I used the Christmas tree and one of the snowmen from the Chipboard Accents sheet layered with stickers from the Phrase Stickers sheet.  

4. Create a custom round epoxy using the Epiphany Crafts Shape Studio tool and the “Merry” sticker from the Phrase Stickers sheet.  Adhere to the snowman’s hand.

5. Accent the chipboard stickers with Stickles and Glossy Accents.  Allow to dry thoroughly.

6. Wrap lace scrap around the bottom of the box, adhering with Extreme Squares.

7.  Embellish with pearls.

8. Fill with gift card for your  favorite person and make their day!

This project is great to do with kids, too, so if you are looking for a fun summer vacation project, you can adapt the box lid embellishments any way you choose.  How cute would this be filled with seashells or beach glass from a trip to the ocean?  Or decorated with birthday-themed embellishments for a friend’s birthday party?  The possibilities are endless!

Hope you’ve enjoyed a break from the summer heat!  Leave me a comment, and I’ll choose one winner at random for a cool treat!