2025 Christmas Card File

Hello Friends,

Today I am sharing the Christmas Card File I created for the idea-ology Christmas LIVE back in September. I love making Card Files because each group of three cards allow for order to the making process. I also love that you can work on just one group a day and be done in a week's time. Sometimes the cards are easy, and will take just 30 minutes or they might be more demanding a take a few hours. Either way, you can work the cards around what you have scheduled for the day. Then return when you have time and work on the next group until the box is full.

I always begin a Card File by spraying all the cards with Antique Linen Distress Spray Stain. I like an over all color rather than sprayed dots. So I spray each group of three on the front side, immediately wipe/rub over the stain with a paper towel. Dry for 10-15 seconds with a heat tool, then repeat on the backside. If a card comes out too light for my taste, I just give it one more spray and wipe it off again. It really does not take as long as it sounds! I can finish a set of three cards in about 2-3 minutes.

So here they all are! The one exception - I will need cards or #5 tags to slide into the pockets - that's a total of 9 Mixed Media Heavystock cards or tags. I will call them out when we get to the File Card.

I'm going walk you through the cards/pockets made with the basic File Cards, then the cards/pockets made with the File Cards 2 pack. I did not use the pockets from the basic pack. 

There is no "correct" order for working the cards. I usually start with the Tabbed Cards and work my way to the zig zag cards which take the most thought. Cards can be put into the Card File in any order. 

Please note, all Paper Dolls were colored with Distress Crayons and sprayed with a Fixative.
I used Thin Foam Squares to slightly raise all Paper Dolls and much of the ephemera.

I also created a 50/50 mix of Rock Candy and Rock Candy Chunky in a empty jar. I used this mix throughout the project. Mostly over ephemera and before adding the Thin Foam Squares to the back.

FILE CARDS 

Tabbed Cards: Collage Strips and Christmas Sticker Book.

Notes: These are the easiest of all the cards. Of course they could be embellished more, but I kept mine simple, using just Collage Strips and some clippings from the sticker book. The Collage Strips make it look like you worked harder than you did!

Flat Cards: Backdrops, Paper Dolls from Layers pack, Christmas Ephemera, Christmas Sticker Book and Cello Tape.

Notes: Use Collage Medium to add pieces of Backdrop paper to the flat card. Round the corners. Add Cello Tape. Add ephemera and Paper Dolls with Thin Foam. The only thing that is not raised is the holly, because it slides slightly under the calendar that is raised.

Folded Cards: Collage Strips, Backdrop Paper, Christmas Ephemera, Cello Tape and string.

Notes: I used one Collage Strip per card and filled in the blank space with Backdrop paper. The three added ephemera pieces were covered with Collage Medium and sprinkled with a Rock Candy Mix before adding with Thin Foam Squares.

FILE CARDS 2

Library Pocket: Collage Paper, Backdrops, Christmas Ephemera, Christmas Sticker Book, Ledger Script stamp, string.

Notes: Pocket does not come with an insert. I used a #5 tag and cut it to 3 3/4" long. Stamp the background with the Ledger Script stamp. I got the watercolor look by inking the stamp, then spritzing it once with the Distress Sprayer before stamping. Add Backdrop Paper to the front of the pocket as well as embellishments like stickers and ephemera. 

Inserts: Use Collage Medium to add Collage Paper to the inserts. Collage Medium goes both under and over the Collage Paper. Dry with heat tool. Scribble Distress Crayons in Rustic Wilderness and Walnut Stain on glass mat. Pick up with a damp Detailer Water Brush (no added water) and paint the images.

Envelopes: Collage Paper, Christmas Sticker Book, Bold Tidings 1 and 3, red string, eyelets.

Notes: Use Collage Medium to add Collage Paper to the envelope. Dry with heat tool. Scribble Distress Crayons in Rustic Wilderness, Candied Apple and Walnut Stain on glass mat. Pick up with a damp Detailer Water Brush and paint the image. Added Cello Tape makes it look like a real postcard.

Cards: Envelope does not come with insert, so I cut my own from Mixed Media Heavystock (2 3/4 x 4"). Use the Bold Tiding stamps to stamp the card. Round the corners of each card, then punch a hole with a Crop-A-Dile and add the eyelet.  

Side Note: Simon Says Stamp now carries Antique Brass Eyelets!!! Seriously, these are impossible to find so I am over the moon that they now carry them!

Add string to the eyelet. Tiny stickers can be added to the ends of the string (from the 2025 Sticker Book). I backed the sticker with paper and then cut around the shape.

Pocket with Window: Swirly Snowflakes stamp, Collage Strips, Backdrops, eyelets, red string.

Notes: Stamp pocket with Stampers Anonymous Swirly Snowflakes using Iced Spruce Oxide Ink. I used the same "watercolor" technique when stamping. 

Pocket does not come with insert, so I cut my own from Mixed Media Heavystock (2 3/4 x 4"). Add Collage Strips to the front, then round the corners. Use a Crop-A-Dile to punch a hole at the top and add an eyelet and string. I also added poinsettia Backdrop paper to the inside of the pocket so it shows when the card is pulled out. 

Zig Zag Cards: Collage Strips, Christmas Ephemera, Christmas Sticker Book, Bold Tidings 2, 3 and 4 + red string, eyelets and various ribbons for closure.

Notes: The front of the zig zag books are covered in Collage Strips or Backdrops. The strips on the left side of two books are from the Sticker Book. Round ephemera has Rock Candy over the top. A Tiny Clip as used to close the green plaid book, whereas the other two books have a ribbon closure.

I made the inside of each zig zag very simple and easy by relying heavily on the Swirly Snowflakes and Bold Tidings stamp sets. I started each zig zag by stamping a saying from a Bold Tidings set. Then I added multiple Swirly Snowflakes over the length of the card. After that it was ephemera, stickers and Paper Dolls that had been previously colored. Much of the ephemera has added Rock Candy.

The red plaid strip is from the Sticker Book.

It's hard to see, but the holly on the bell has Rock Candy over the top.

If a Paper Doll is too tall, just chop off the legs to make it work!

I pulled multiple cards From the Emporium pack to add to the card File (feed in between the other cards).

To make them a bit unique, I added ephemera with staples and Cello Tape or Mini Paper Clips. I even added clippings to some of the botanicals.

Because the Card File was used in the Christmas Live, you can view the replay on Tim's YouTube Channel. The Card File comes up at the 1 hour mark and lasts for 11 minutes. It's a great way to see the Card File and how things open and close, the use of the Rock Candy, and see the depth of the raised pieces. You really get a sense of the texture and how the pieces work together. So I encourage you to watch that portion if you are thinking of making this project!

Now carry on,

paula

All the Stars Shine

Hello friends,

Today marks a special day on the project table as we feature Palette Multi, the highly anticipated final collection in the beloved Palette series!

To celebrate the conclusion of this wonderful journey, I wanted to create a project that truly captured the essence of the series—and what better way than to use multiple fabrics!

Palette Multi is a fantastic group featuring 9 vibrant prints and one essential neutral. What sets this collection apart is that while every Palette fabric can shine solo, Multi's magic is found in the combination of color and pattern. It's not just about one dominant color or scale; it's a dynamic interplay that makes every print work beautifully on its own or together in a wonderful ensemble.

So lets get started!

Paint the Vignette Tray with Speckled Egg Distress paint or any other neutral color. When the paint was dry, I sanded the wood and gave it a coat of Collage Medium to seal.

While the paint was drying, I worked on the quilted back ground. I used the Multi "Ephemera" fabric + cotton batting + a Frixion pen and my clear ruler to mark the lines (1" apart) for stitching. 

Turn the piece and mark the lines going the other direction, making a diamond pattern.

Go to the machine and stitch the fabric and batting together. Trim the edges to fit the back of the tray.

Use Collage Medium to add Design Tape Trim to the edges of the Tray.

Add Collage Medium to the entire back of the tray and add quilted panel. Press down.

I wanted to add a shelf to my project but I didn't want to wait till my husband got home to cut the wood. SO just got a scrap piece of wood from my stash and cut it to length (the width of the tray). Then I stacked Etcetera Trims - Pinked (I cut these to length individually before glueing the stack together).

I glued the wood piece to the stack of Trims with Collage Medium and let it dry for about 15 minutes, before painting it the same color I painted the Vignette Tray.

Once the paint was dry, I added a piece of Backdrop paper (from the neutral pack) to the top of the shelf.

I used Collage Medium to add the shelf to the tray, 3 3/4" up from the bottom.

INSIDE

I chose these ladies from Paper Doll Groups pack. They are a favorite from the pack! I colored them with Distress Crayons, mostly coloring directly on the image and then rubbing the color with my fingertip or a cotton swab (FYI: the color will be lighter using a cotton swab). I used a dry Detailer Water Brush to color the stripes on the center dress.

I wanted to use the neutral fabric that is part of Palette Multi called "Vintage". As I was trying to figure out how to do that, I had a thought that the fabric looked like the moon texture you might see in a telescope. So I et out to make it look like the moon. 

First I punched out the center of one of the Etcetera Facades. Then covered it with Collage Medium and added the fabric. Once dry, I cut out the circle and added a layer of Collage Medium over the top (that helps with the fraying of edges).

I added just a small about of Spray Stain over the top BEFORE the Collage Medium was dry (it will not adhere if the CM is dry).

From there I added Lost Shadow Distress Crayon to the left side to create a shadow (it rolls right on over the sealed surface).

Then the stars.

I've been using these a lot lately. It's just the Falling Stars die cut from Sparkle Kraft Stock. Because the paper is thick, you might have to pop the stars out with a pair of tweezers.

I used a thin brush to add Collage Medium to the back of each star and then placed them where I thought they should go, starting with the largest stars.  The last stars I added to the edge of my moon, then once dry I cut the excess that was hanging over the edge. This little trick really helps the moon to look like it's rounded.

Because I added3D foam squares to the back of the moon, I need to add doubled bingo chips and foam squares to the back before placing the paper dolls onto the tray. The goal is just to have the ladies stand up upright over the moon.

I set them a little off center from the moon and left them to dry for an hour before standing the tray upright.

BOTTOM COMPARTMENT

To start the bottom compartment, I added a ripped piece of paper to the bottom of the tray (the same paper I used on the shelf).

I wanted to add some Corked Vials to the tray. I used different sizes of tape to make stripes on the bottles. I pounced over the tape with Gold Mixative and let it dry for a few minutes before removing the tape, leaving the gold stripes on the glass.

I used Collage Medium to add Clippings to the bottles, then filled them with a combination of shredded Mummy Cloth and pearl beads (from the craft store) colored with Mushroom Alcohol Ink. I love they way they turned out.

Next I need a sentiment. I took the easy route and used a Label Frame and Quote Chip - Labels that match up perfectly.I added some white paint to the frame, let it dry and then added the Quote Chip with just some scotch tape on the back.

I added the Corked Vials, the Label Frame (using two more bingo chips), and a nest I made in the summer for another project. I made multiple nests from wire and Spanish moss adding a Tiny Egg that has been painted blue and splattered with Scorched Timber.

The mushrooms are from the Field Notes Ephemera pack. Neutral reindeer moss was added to disguise the bottom of the mushrooms, like they are growing right out of the moss.

TOP COMPARTMENT

We ended the top compartment when we added the ladies standing in front of the moon. I didn't want to add much, but it needed something on the left side. I had the idea to make something like a covered button (showing my age there), so I took an idea-ology Vintage Flair button and removed the silver ring from the back with a pair of needle nose pliers (it comes off easily).

I added Collage Medium to the front of the Flair and some on the back edge. I pre-cut a piece of Palette Multi "Botany" fabric (I love this fabric!!) over the top and pushed it around the edge to the back side, just like making a covered button. I love how fabric is flexible so it stretches so easily around the circle.

I added the Vintage Flair button to an Optical Frame (I had already tested it for fit), then added a little bird that I had previously rubbed white paint over. I adhered the bird with Collage Medium and left it to dry for about 30 minutes.

I added the button to the top compartment (it has a wood block behind it to help it stand up), along with a Tiny Vial that again has Gold Mixative on the bottom and is filled with Mummy Cloth and pearls.

You can see that Tiny Vial much better in this close-up.

Details matter.

The last thing I added was more ephemera from Field Notes. A label glued on the top of the Tray with added Cello Tape...

 and a label tied with string around the neck of the knob.

This one was a fun one to make, I especially like using the fabric three different ways to enhance this piece. And I might just be covering more Vintage Flair with fabric!

If you missed the Palette LIVE with Tim on Monday, November 17th, please take the time to watch the replay. There are so many great fabric projects from both Richele and myself using not only Palette Multi but also Palette Christmas. I promise it will be great inspiration!

Now carry on,

paula