CHRISTMAS ELF PUNCH ART CARDS...

Well, I last night after our Thanksgiving dinner, we made our annual pilgrimage to Best Buy to wait overnight for the Black Friday specials.  Yes, for the last 6 years, we have been one of those crazy fools you see on the news!  Since our kids were old enough that they wanted electronics for their Christmas gift, or we needed a new TV or computer and lacked the funds to pay full price, we have been braving the elements in our pursuits.  However, this one was the worst!  Around midnight it started HAILING and thunder-storming (only scattered showers predicted).  UGH!  My darling hubby held our place in line and sent my daughters and I to the car to wait it out - my hero.  Around 3 AM, we rejoined him under a tent people had put up and continued our wait.  Although we got what we wanted (a GPS for hubby, a flip camcorder for DD and a camcorder for me to record videos for all of you among this years desires and 2 FREE digital frames to show my creations off at workshops and craft shows), I'm not sure it was worth it this year.  It will have to be AWFUL good to get us out again next year! 

After a few more stores and recovering with a quick nap, Jen and I were off to the big Christmas Craft show that we wait all year for.  I was able to accomplish a few more gifts and then drag myself home -- and I do mean DRAG!  But, despite all that I finally finished work on a project for everyone...

So, here is my Black Friday Special for all of you and it won't cost you a dime - the card so many of you have been requesting and waiting for (though I'm not sure why it's been singled out).  As previously communicated, I decided not to sell these as tutorials for now due to time constraints, etc.  I may in the future sell a tutorial here or there as it would certainly help to defray the costs of keeping up my blog, but for now I am sharing this FREE mini tutorial with all of you.  I ended up doing two different hats for the elves - you choose which one you like better!  I hope you enjoy it!

CHRISTMAS ELF SUPPLIES:

• Card stock – Real Red Textured, Whisper White, Blush Blossom, Basic Black, Chocolate Chip Textured, Very Vanilla, Garden Green, Merry Moments DSP, To the Nines Specialty DSP
  
• Ink – Blush Blossom, Pretty in Pink, Classic, White Signo Gel Pen, Stampin' Write Markers (Basic Black, Real Red, Olive Green)
• Punches – Wide Oval (#112082, $15.95), Scallop Oval (#114889, $15.95), Large Oval (#107305, $15.95), Small Oval (#107304, $15.95), Word Window (#105090, $15.95), Modern Label (#116630, $15.95), Curly Label (112208, $15.95), 1 3/8" Square (#103375, $15.95),  1 1/4" Square (#104400, $15.95), 3/4" Square (retired), Ornament (#116794, $15.95), Scallop Circle (#109043, $15.95), 1/2” Circle (#104390, $5.95), Boho Blossoms (#110711, $15.95), 5-Petal (#109041, $15.95), Butterfly (#116629, $15.95), Large Star (#110710, $15.95), Star (#109045, $10.95), Trio Flower (#109183, $15.95), Crop-a-Dile (#108362, $29.95)
• Accessories – Dazzling Diamonds Glitter (#102023, $4.50), 2-way Glue Pen, Sponge Dauber, Crystal Effects, Supernova Fine Stampin' Glitter
  

PUNCH DIRECTIONS:  For all "double punches", the first punch is shown on the left of the strip, the second punch (done over the first) is shown on the right with the resulting punched piece shown below it.  Many of the punches are done as partial punches "on the edge" with the Santa's Nice-o-Meter card.

• Elf Hat – Cut or punch one curly label from Old Olive as pictured.  For the Brim, cut a small portion with the Large Oval Punch as shown.  Then punch around that cut with the Scallop Oval so that the Brim looks as shown.  Use the smallest Boho Blossom flower for the pom pom.  
• Elf Hat 2nd Version – For the Brim on this hat, punch two Large Stars from Real Red Textured.  Cut some points of stars off as show and adhere one star point under the right side star as pictured.  Stick onto post-it and use to trim brim with the Large Oval Punch as pictured on the right side.  For bells on the points, dot some Crystal Effects and cover with Olive Supernova Fine Glitter.  For pom pom, punch one Trio Flower from Real Read.
• Face – Punch one Ornament (head) and one 1/2" Circle (nose) from Blush Blossom.  For eyes, punch two Whisper White and two Basic Black 3/8" holes with Crop-a-Dile.  Adhere black onto white offset so white is showing below black.  For ears, cut out 2 petals from a 5-Petal punch
• Collar –Punch three Stars from Real Red.  Cut off two opposite tips from one of them.  Glue one tip from the uncut two stars underneath either side of the cut edges of the cut star.
• Body – Wide Oval Punch from Old Olive 
• Arms – Punch approx. 2/3 of  the Small Oval from Old Olive.  Punch above and around with the Wide Oval punch so the resulting punched piece looks as the one shown.  For the hands, punch two 1/2' Circles from Blush Blossom.  When arranging the arms and packages, you may trim the sleeve if needed.  You can also use a Horizontal Slot punched piece layered under the circle for thumbs, if desired.
• Legs – Modern Label punched from Old Olive and cut in half.
• Socks – One Word Window punched from Whisper White and cut in half and then striped with markers.
• Shoes  – One Butterfly punch from Chocolate Chip Textured, cut in half.  Then use the 1/2" Circle to punch approximately one half of a punch on outer sides of cut tops as pictured.  (Thank you stampinmutt for this tip!).
• Presents  – Punch two 1 3/8" Squares, one 1 1/4" Square and two 3/4" Squares of your desired DSP or Card stock.  For the bows, punch portions of the three different Boho Blossoms by punching them "on the edge:" of the paper.  For the ribbon, nip small pieces of cardstock with the same size Square punch as the gift square.

Arrange all pieces on your completed card base before adhering.  You will have to play with him quite a bit to get him to fit on a standard A2 card.  His head looks better when not sat as low on his shoulders (more elongated), but he wouldn't fit then.  If doing a larger card, he would fit and look great!

Marie