Weekly Inspiration

I've been having loads of fun playing with the Stocking Builder Punch. My upline, Jan, asked me to create a display of different ways to use this punch for a Team Meeting this coming Saturday. It turns out there are lots of ways to use it besides just making a stocking! Please plan to visit my blog on Saturday, November 12 to see over 20 different ways to use this fun and versatile punch!

Today's card uses it as a stocking, but in a slightly different way. The stocking becomes the "L" in the word "noel." Enjoy!

Supplies

- Stitched Stockings, page 34 of Holiday Mini, Clear - $19.95, Wood - $27.95

- Real Red 8-1/2" x 11" Card Stock, page 177, $6.95

- Wild Wasabi 8-1/2" x 11" Card Stock, page 178, $6.95

- Cherry Cobbler 8-1/2" x 11" Card Stock, page 179, $6.95

- Very Vanilla 8-1/2" x 11" Card Stock, page 180, $8.50

- Chocolate Chip 8-1/2" x 11" Card Stock, page 180, $6.95

- Wild Wasabi Classic Stampin' Pad, page 178, $5.95

- Holly Berry Bouquet Specialty Designer Series Paper, page 20 of Holiday Mini, $12.95

- Cherry Cobbler 1/2" Seam Binding Ribbon, page 195, $6.95

- SNAIL Adhesive, page 206, $6.95

- Sticky Strip, page 206, $6.95

- 2-Way Glue Pen, page 206, $3.50

- Paper Snips, page 208, $9.95

- Craft Scissors, page 208, $29.95

- Paper Cutter, page 208, $24.95

- Replacement Cutting & Scoring Blades, page 208, $5.95

- 1-3/4" Scallop Circle Punch, page 210, $16.95

- 1-1/4" Circle Punch, page 212, $15.95

- 1-3/8" Circle Punch, page 212, $15.95

- Stocking Builder Punch, page 34 of Holiday Mini, $16.95

- Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine (includes Multipurpose Platform and Standard Cutting Pads), page 215, $99.95

- Timeless Type Junior Alphabet Medium Sizzlits Dies, page 224, $74.95

Directions

1) Cut a piece of Very Vanilla Card Stock to 4 x 5 1/4".

2) Cut a piece of holly patterned Holly Berry Bouquet Specialty Designer Series Paper to 1 1/2 x 5 1/4".

3) Adhere the designer paper to the bottom of the vanilla rectangle.

4) Adhere a piece of Cherry Cobbler 1/2" Seam Binding Ribbon to the card stock/designer paper rectangle so it covers the seam.

5) Cut a piece of Wild Wasabi Card Stock to 5 1/2 x 8 1/2" using the Paper Cutter.

6) Score the card stock along the 8 1/2" side at 4 1/4" using the Scoring Blade on the Paper Cutter. Fold in half to make card.

7) Adhere the card stock/designer paper rectangle to the front of the card.

8) Use the Stocking Builder Punch to punch a stocking from a scrap of Real Red Card Stock.

9) Stamp the cuff, heel patch, and toe patch image from the Stitched Stockings Set in Wild Wasabi Ink onto a scrap of Very Vanilla Card Stock.

10) Use the Stocking Builder Punch to punch out the stamped cuff, heel patch, and toe patch.

11) Use the 2-Way Glue Pen to adhere the punched out cuff, heel patch, and toe patch to the red stocking.

12) Use Paper Snips to carefully cut out a poinsettia image from one of the sheets of Holly Berry Bouquet Specialty Designer Series Paper.

13) Use the 2-Way Glue Pen to adhere the cut out poinsettia to the top right side of the stocking.

14) Punch a scrap of Wild Wasabi Card Stock with the 1-1/4" Circle Punch. Leave plenty of room around the circle.

15) Slide the punched card stock into the 1-3/4" Scallop Circle Punch so that you can see the circle centered in the punching area. Punch. You should have a wreath shape.

16) Repeat steps 14 and 15 to make a second wreath shape.

17) Adhere the two wreaths together so that the scallops are slightly offset from each other using the 2-Way Glue Pen.

18) Use the 1-3/8" Circle Punch to punch out one of the circles from a piece of chocolate with scallop circles patterned Holly Berry Bouquet Specialty Designer Series Paper.

19) Use the 2-Way Glue Pen to adhere the punched wreath over the designer paper circle so the scallop circle image is centered in the wreath.

20) Cut a small scrap of Chocolate Chip Card Stock about 1 1/4" square.

21) Place the card stock over the lower case "e" on the Timeless Type Junior Alphabet Medium Sizzlits Die.

22) Build a sandwich of Multipurpose Platform with Tab 2 open, one Standard Cutting Pad, Sizzlits Die with card stock on top as outlined in step 21, and the other Standard Cutting Pad. Run through the Big Shot.

23) Cut a small scrap of Cherry Cobbler Card Stock about 1 1/2" square.

24) Place the card stock over the upper case "N" on the Timeless Type Junior Alphabet Medium Sizzlits Die.

25) Build a sandwich of Multipurpose Platform with Tab 2 open, one Standard Cutting Pad, Sizzlits Die with card stock on top as outlined in step 24, and the other Standard Cutting Pad. Run through the Big Shot.

26) Place your letters, wreath, and stocking on your card front without adhering them so they spell the word "noel" and are evenly spaced and lined up. The toe of the stocking will hang over the ribbon a bit.

27) Use the 2-Way Glue Pen to adhere each letter one at a time.

28) Use SNAIL to adhere the wreath and stocking one at a time.

29) Use Paper Snips to carefully cut out a holly leaf image from a piece of holly patterned Holly Berry Bouquet Specialty Designer Series Paper.

30) Use the 2-Way Glue Pen to adhere the holly cut out to the upper left side of the "N."

31) Cut a small piece of Cherry Cobbler 1/2" Seam Binding Ribbon and tuck it under the piece of ribbon on the card front and tie a simple overhand knot. Position the knot under the wreath "o" and trim the ends.

Tips

I like to adhere ribbon by cutting a piece slighly longer than my card front is wide. I then wrap the ends around to the back side of the card front and place a piece of Sticky Strip across the ends of the ribbon to hold it in place. Adhering ribbon in this manner uses less ribbon and it lays flatter!

It's best to position all your word pieces without adhering them first so you can make sure you have them evenly spaced and lined up.

I like to use fairly unmarked Standard Cutting Pads when using Sizzlits Dies. If your Standard Cutting Pads are really marked up, the scratches can create impressions in your card stock. You can buy fresh, new Standard Cutting Pads on page 215 for $8.95.

Don't forget to check back on Saturday, November 12 for lots of other creative ways to use the Stocking Builder Punch.