carnival issue 2 ••••• holiday

i'm thrilled to have made it to issue 2 - my carnival is actually plural now! alas, i did not get any article submissions* - but fret not, i have done my homework and this issue promises to bring you some terrific ideas for holiday papercrafts - from me and from blogland.

this first holiday card is so adorable, i just want to scream. i taught this project as a class a couple years ago at a scrapbook show and it went over really well. it's made with a little 3x3 blank board book - it is a combo christmas card and tree ornament. you can see all the interior pages here on my flickr page, and if you would like the complete project instructions, just email me and I will be glad to give them to you.

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so these next two holiday cards involve a little more than paper, but i promise you it's so easy to learn. if you've never tried needlefelting, now is the perfect time. you can get supplies from your local craft or knitting store.  i started with a small rectangle of wool felt. i drew my holly and circle shapes on other pieces of felt and cut them out. then you just start punching away into your mat and the little felt fibers start to lock together. when the piece is all flat like this, you can use a multi-needle punch instead of a single needle.  i recommend the clover brand for tools, and here's a link to a great how-to book for beginners.

once the felt pieces are all locked together, poke some decorative brads through and then mount it on to the front of a blank piece of cardstock with thick glue dots.   

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and on we go to some great links....

•  the design team at our creative corner put together some adorable holiday cupcake cards for their latest challenge, using a martha stewart cupcake picture as inspiration.  if you love cupcakes, you'll really love clicking on all the comment links from this blog's readers...see what i did for the challenge here on my flickr page.

•  at christmas cards all year round, there is a great pocket card project, perfect for tucking a gift certificate inside. they also show you how to make a little treat holder and a sweet little gift box.

•  over where the daring cardmakers live, their latest challenge is about birds - and several of the featured designs have a christmas theme. this little tag is my favorite - imagine making all 12, how cute!

•  i found this tutorial at dozi design for how to make a spiral paper rose - perfect to embellish a gift, an ornament, or even a napkin ring on your holiday table.

•  and last, but far from least - you can learn how to make a stunning 3-d paper snowflake at the wikihow site.  there are lots of other christmas projects there too!

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that's a wrap folks, thanks for reading and clicking - i hope you found something wonderful to make for your friends and family this holiday season.

issue 3 will be posted on friday night, november 28. the theme will be 3-dimensional projects. show us how you use paper to create 3-d art, gifts, storage, decor  and more!    

ps:
* if you did submit something for issue 2 and i missed it, please send it again and i will edit the issue to include you!