How to Create a Sweet Snowman Christmas Card with Unexpected Colors

Hello, crafty friends! It’s Lisa Tilson here with you on the blog today to share a card using the Christmas Blush Collection from Frank Garcia. I am going to be doing a step-by-step photo tutorial showing you how to create a Christmas card using the Sweet Snowman Etched Dies.

Also included in this lovely, whimsical-style collection are the Frosty Skates Etched Dies, the Bundled Up Winter Bear Etched Dies (you can dress up the bear in winter woollies, boots, and a pretty dress (super cute!) and the Sparkling Trees 3D Embossing Folder. Finally, there is the Christmas Blush Sentiments Press + Foil Plate & Die Set, which has nine festive sentiments that can be used for many different card designs. I also use the sentiment set on my card today.

So, let’s get started with today’s card.

Christmas Greetings

For all the die cutting, use the Platinum SIX Die Cutting Machine with the die-cutting sandwich as follows (from bottom to top):

• Plate A – Platform Base
• Plate B – Platform Top
• Plate C – Cutting Plate
• Plate C – Cutting Plate

The cardstock/die will be inserted between the two cutting plates with the die sitting on top of the cardstock, cutting edge down.

Die Cutting the Snowman, Hat and Scarf

The dies in the next few photos are placed on their respective cardstock, cutting side up, to enable them to be more easily referenced. When die-cutting, the dies will be turned over so that the cutting edge is directly on the cardstock, and they will be taped in place using Best Ever Craft Tape.

1. Take the Sweet Snowman Etched Dies and cut the snowman from Classic White (body), Raven (coal), Bellini (cheeks), Carrot (nose), Rainforest (holly), and Truffle ColorWheel Cardstock (twigs). The snow piles are die-cut from Pop-up Die Cutting Glitter Foam Sheets White.
2. The small oval die that is being cut from Raven ColorWheel Cardstock needs to be die-cut three times.

3. Tape the dies in place using Best Ever Craft Tape.
4. Run the dies through the Platinum SIX Die Cutting Machine using the sandwich listed above.

5. Die-cut the hat and trims from Fawn, Coral, Bellini and Chiffon ColorWheel Cardstock. The little bow die cut also needs to be cut from Coral.

6. Die-cut the scarf from Seaside, Waterfall, Teal Topaz and Blue Spruce ColorWheel Cardstock.
7. The die at the top of the photo needs to be die cut from both Blue Spruce and Seaside.
8. The die at the bottom of the photo needs to be die cut from both Teal Topaz and Waterfall.

TIP: After die cutting, place your die cuts into a Craft Stax Medium Tray for safekeeping.

Assembling the Snowman

1. Adhere the three black die cuts behind the snowman’s eyes and body using small dabs of Bearly Art Glue.

2. Adhere the head section onto the body. There are some guidelines on the lower body die cut to help you line up the top section.

3. Using liquid glue, adhere the two cheek die cuts and the nose. There are guidelines to help you with placement for these and note that one cheek is slightly bigger than the other.

4. Adhere the Bellini hat band onto the hat base.

5. Adhere the Coral trims to the right-hand side of the hat band.

6. Now add the Chiffon bow followed by the tiny Coral bow centre.

7. Add some liquid glue onto the top of the snowman’s head and pop the hat in place. You will see some guidelines to help you with the placement of the hat.

8. Start assembling the scarf by adhering the Seaside die cut onto the Waterfall die cut using the lines on the die cut to help you.

9. Add the Waterfall die cut onto the right-hand side of the Seaside die cut to complete the other scarf tails.

10. Add the Seaside die cut onto the Teal Topaz die cut.

11. Now adhere the Blue Spruce die cut onto the left side of the Seaside

12. Now pop that assembled section of the scarf onto the Waterfall lower section. You will be able to see where to line it up as the folds of the scarf mimic each other.

13. Using liquid glue, adhere the neck section onto the left-hand side scarf tails.

14. Repeat for the right-hand side scarf tails.

15. Add Bearly Art Glue onto the back of the scarf but make sure to not add any glue towards the bottom of each scarf tail.

16. Pop the scarf onto the body. Doesn’t he look fabulous!

17. Add tiny bits of liquid glue onto the ends of the twigs and adhere the snowman down on top of them. Using liquid glue will give you time to manoeuvre these around if you need to.

18. Glue the holly leaves onto the twigs. Some of them are glued onto the top of the twigs, and some below.

19. Adhere the two small glitter foam snow pieces onto the twigs.

Foiling the Sentiment

1. Switch on the Glimmer Hot Foil System so that it is warming up whilst you prepare the sentiments (not shown). The red power light will come on.
2. Take a piece of Classic White ColorWheel Cardstock and place some Opaque Black Glimmer Hot Foil on top (shiny side up). The 9” Pro Shears are great for cutting foil!
3. Take the Christmas Blush Sentiments Press + Foil Plate and Die Set and place the sentiment plate face down on top of the foil.
4. Cut off any excess foil using 4” Detail Scissors and tape the plate down using pieces of Best Ever Craft Tape.

5. When the Glimmer Hot Foil System is ready, the green Platform Ready light will come on.
6. Place your foil/plate/cardstock face down onto the heated platform. The plate will be in direct contact with the heat.

7. Now place your green Thin Shim and clear Spacer Plate on top. Press the Timer button and it will start to flash on and off (green).

8. When the Timer button has stopped flashing, remove your heated platform from the base.
9. Run it through your Platinum SIX Die Cutting Machine.

10. Once you have run it through the die cutting machine, pop the platform back into the base for additional foiling if required and remove the shims. Peel off the yellow tape from your foiled panel.
11. Pull the foil back to reveal the sentiments!

12. Tape the Christmas Blush Sentiments Press + Foil Plate and Die Set coordinating die in place and run it through your die cutting machine.

13. Die cut the coordinating die a further two times from Classic White Cardstock. This is going to give you plain white layers which you can adhere to the foiled sentiments for stability.

14. Adhere two white layers together and finish by adding the foiled layer on top.

Embossing the Background

1. Take an A2 panel (4.25” x 5.5”) of Bellini ColorWheel Cardstock and pop it into the Molded Frame 3D Embossing Folder. Use the etched guidelines on the folder to help you line it up.

2. Run it through your Platinum SIX Die Cutting Machine using the following sandwich (from bottom to top):
   • Platform Base (A)
   • Embossing Folder with cardstock inside
   • Grey Adaptor Plate (D)

Assembling the card

1. Adhere the embossed panel onto an A2 top folding white note card (11” x 4.25”, scored and folded at 5.5”).

2. Temporarily place the snowman onto the panel so that you can see where to add the sentiment and then adhere your sentiment in place using liquid glue.

3. Now add the snowman using liquid glue but make sure you don’t add any glue onto the bottoms of the scarf tails as you need to insert your snow piles under them.

4. Add liquid glue onto the backs of the glitter snow piles and adhere them under the scarf. If you like you can glue the ends of the scarf down on top of the snow now that the pieces are in place, but this isn’t essential.

5. Finish by placing some Spectrum AB Color Essentials Gems around the snowman. This adds a little extra sparkle to the card!

I hope you find this tutorial helpful and you enjoyed seeing this sweet snowman come together. This is such an adorable set, and you can have lots of fun creating the hat, scarf and background in all sorts of different colourways. The peachy and aqua tones make this a slightly unusual colour palette for a Christmas card, but it’s always nice to create with unexpected colours.

If you would like to see more of my cards, I would love to have you join me over on my blog, Instagram and Facebook. In the meantime, thank you so much for being with me here on the Spellbinders blog today. I hope that you have a good day!

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