Smoothfoam™ and The Robin's Nest™ - Designer Craft Connection Christmas in July Blog Hop

This month some members of the Designer Craft Connection group are participating in a Christmas in July Blog Hop featuring projects made with Smoothfoam™ and The Robin's Nest™ products.   They are also offering a great giveaway prize - enter the giveaway by commenting on all of the designer blogs, including www.chatteringrobins.blogspot.com, www.designercraftsconnection.blogspot.com  and www.smoothfoam.com/blog.  Product valued at $35 will be sent from The Robin's Nest and $50 from Smoothfoam™!  Deadline to enter is midnight, July 28th. 


Be sure to follow through the link in the column on the right to see what the other participating designers are sharing!

I created a mixed-media "Display Gift" which can also be used as a photo cube to display favorite holiday photos.  It's pretty on display without photos, but with them it will be even more special!

Materials:

Smoothfoam™ Cube - 5"x5"x5"

The Robin’s Nest - 

• Winter Retreat Glitter Swirl Cardstock 
• Iridescent Glitter Cardstock 
• Brown card stock with copper glitter snowflakes 
• Light blue paper with brown speckles 
• Winter Snowflakes Glitter Chipboard
• Diamond Dew Drops - Assorted colors 
• Blue velvet fabric strip

DecoArt® Americana Decor™ Chalky Finish Paint - Vintage 

Loew-Cornell™ brushes 

Beacon™ Tacky Glue, 527 Adhesive 

Sizzix® - Big Shot™

        - Bigz™ Die - Bow - Create-A-Bow by Eileen Hull  

Clearsnap® - ColorBox® Cats Eye ink pad - Chestnut 

            - Copper Smooch®

Makin’s Clay® - Brown 

        - Christmas Nature  Push Mold 

JudiKins™ Islamic Rosette stamp 

Scissors, paper trimmer

Instructions:

Smoothfoam™ has a flat, smooth finish that is a perfect surface for painting, stamping and more!Paint top, one side, and bottom of cube with “Vintage” Chalky Finish Paint (this color is a perfect match for these papers from The Robin’s Nest!).  Let dry.   

Cut 6 strips of brown glitter snowflake card stock 1” x 5”.  Glue to left, right, and back side of cube on the top and bottom with Beacon Tacky Glue.  Let dry. 

Cut piece of Winter Retreat paper 5” x 3 1/4”.  Ink edges with Chestnut ColorBox® ink.  Mount to sides of box slightly overlapping brown papers.  Let dry. 

Trim around partial swirl pattern on Winter Retreat paper and use Tack Glue to mount to bottom left of front of cube (painted side).  

Cut 5” x 1 1/2” strip of brown glitter snowflake card stock and mount vertically on left side of front of cube. 

Make assorted large and small snowflakes with brown Makin’s Clay® and Makin’s® Christmas Nature push mold.  Paint each snowflake with Copper Smooch®.   (Clay will be fully dry in 24 hours but can be painted and glued to project before fully dry.) 

Embellish assorted Glitter Snowflakes as desired with Diamond Dew Drops using Beacon 527 to adhere. 

Adhere row of pearl Diamond Dew Drops along bottom of sides and back over brown card stock using 527 Adhesive.  Let dry.  

Add glitter snowflake accent and mount small brown Makin’s Clay® snowflake to center using Beacon 527.   

Embellish opposite side and back of cube with row of pearl Diamond Dew Drops and add snowflake accents as desired. 

Cut 5” x 1/2” strip of blue paper with brown speckles, ink edges with Chestnut ink.  Use

Tacky Glue to mount centered on brown glitter snowflake strip on front of cube.  Mount blue velvet fabric strip centered over blue paper.  Add embellished Glitter Snowflakes and clay snowflake and pearl Diamond Dew Drop accents (use 527 to adhere Dew Drops). 

Ink JudiKin’s Islamic Rosette stamp with Chestnut ink and stamp onto 4 corners of top of cube, extending off cube.  

Follow manufacturer instructions to make bow from brown glitter snowflake card stock using Sizzix® Big Shot™ and bow die. 

Use Tacky Glue to mount centered on top of cube. 

\Your decorative gift cube is now ready for display!  Add a stamped Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas sentiment on the front if desired, or add favorite holiday photos and make it a photo cube!