Grids and Greens by Judi Kauffman for The Queen’s Ink

I loved Tim Holtz’s Holiday Greens Sizzlets dies right from the get-go! There are four in the set – realistic, bold and graphic, just right for so many projects. And the Kaisercraft Grid embossing folder was right up my alley, too. Together: Cards that are easy as pie. Actually, even easier than pie!

The recipe:

1. Die cut the greens from green glittered cardstock, Emerald Gemstone Shimmer Sheetz, or a mix of the two. (See REMINDER following Step 5 of the recipe.) Tip: When removing these intricate die cut shapes from the die, always begin at the stem end and work slowly and carefully so the delicate stems don’t tear.

2. Emboss wine red cardstock or Ruby Gemstone Shimmer Sheetz with the grid embossing folder. Option: Tone down the Shimmer Sheetz by lightly sanding the surface. Adhere the embossed rectangle to a side-fold A2-size card base using double-sided adhesive tape.

3. Arrange and adhere the greens as shown or as you prefer. Use tiny slivers of Tombow Power Adhesive Tabs to hold the die cut greens in several places, allowing most of the leaves and needles free from the surface for lots of dimension.

4. Embellish with a red star-shaped button (shank removed) or a trio of red gem-topped snowflakes (die cuts or sequins).

5. Trim any greens that extend past the edges of the card front.

REMINDER:

You MUST use a Metal Adaptor Plate or the Sizzix Big Shot with Precision Base Plate when die cutting Shimmer Sheetz. Review Els van de Burgt’s YouTube tutorial if you are new to this technique.

OPTIONS:

*Switch to a brighter color palette or go for a monochromatic scheme like ivory, white, and silver.

*Instead of an embossed grid background, use textured handmade paper or cardstock with a small all-over dot pattern.

*Position grid and greens on a larger size card base (5 x 7 works well), leaving an inch or more at the bottom; add a bow (ribbon or twine) where the stems touch at the bottom of the cluster of greens so they look like they’re tied together.

SUPPLIES:

• Holiday Greens dies (Sizzlets)
• Shimmer Sheetz in Ruby and Emerald Gemstone
• Grid embossing folder (Kaisercraft)
• (For die cutting Shimmer Sheetz, a Metal Adaptor Plate or Sizzix Big Shot with Precision Base Plate is required)
• Tombow Power Adhesive Tabs
• Non-stick scissors (for cutting Power Tabs)
• Optional embellishments (gems, star-shaped buttons, snowflake sequins)
• Double-sided adhesive tape
• Sanding block (optional: To tone down Shimmer Sheetz)
• Cardstock in wine red (to emboss), silver and Kraft brown (for card bases)