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Altoid Tin Christmas Card

By Nancy Leimer
Rubber Roadsters
Advanced Stamping Team Designer  

Altoid Tins can be made into many exciting projects.  For that matter any tin can be altered or changed into anything you can imagine.  I have chosen to alter this one into a Christmas card.  Consider the message you want to send and start the process.  This card can be kept out all year long.

Supplies:

•  Large Tree Stamp (CTMH)
•  Love Stamp (Dollar Tree)
•  Holly Leaf and Berries (CTMH)
•  Angel Stamp (Judikins)
•  Reindeer Stamp (A Stamp In The Hand)
•  Cardinal and Leaves (Stamp a Rosa)
•  Snow Flake Cluster (CTMH)
•  Christmas Wreath Stamp (Stampin’ Up!)
•  Small Reindeer Stamp (CTMH)
•  Merry Christmas Stamp (Stampabilities)
•  Birdhouse Stamp (Stampin’ Up!)
•  Pine Leaf Stamp (CTMH)
•  Package Stamp (Unknown)
•  Pinecone and Pine Sprig (Stampin’ Up!)
•  All Other Words-Christmas Heaven Set (CTMH)
•  Cranberry Stamp Pad (CTMH)
•  Olive Stamp Pad (CTMH)
•  Blush Stamp Pad (CTMH)
•  Goldrush Stamp Pad (CTMH)
•  Gamma Green Stamp Pad (Brillance)
•  White Pigment Ink Stamp Pad (Color Box)
•  Moon Struck Ink Pad (CTMH)
•  Pansy Purple Stamp Pad (CTMH)
•  Black Ink Pad (Staz On)
•  White Cardstock, 8 1/2” x 11”
•  Gold Rollerball Marker (Fiskars)
•  Fine Gold String – Small Piece for Bow (Unknown)
•  Beads and Glitter Mix (Beadazzles)
•  Hot Kiss Glitter (ART)
•  Woven Tapestry Embossing Powder (PSX)
•  Copper Embossing Powder (Ranger Industries)
•  Holographic Glitter (Ranger Industries)
•  Glue (Zig)
•  Glue (E6000)
•  Dimensional Magic (Royal Coat)
•  Embossing Pad (Rubber Stampede)
•  Assorted Markers (CTMH, Tombow, Marvy Le Plume)
•  Gold Spray Paint (Krylon)
•  Deckle Cut Scissors (CTMH)
•  Assorted Buttons and Beads (Dress it Up and Holiday Times (Wal- Mart))
•  Ribbon 1/8” Mini Dot Red-Roll of 10 yards  (Offray)
•  Gold Eyelets - 24 (Paper Studio)
•  Eyelet Setter (CTMH)
•  Make Up Sponges (Dollar Store)
•  Ice Pick or and Awl (to make hole in tin)
•  Hole Punch 1/8” (McGill)
•  Altoid Tin 

Instructions:

1. Clean the tin and dry well.  Spray with gold paint and set aside to dry. Once tin is completely dried make hole in the back section of the tin to add an eyelet.  This hole will need to be low enough for the lid to open properly. (See photo to set eyelet.)
    
2. Use the tin to create a template for the inside card.  Place the tin on the cardstock and draw around the bottom, creating the template.  The template is presently too large for the box. Trim approximately 1/8” around the template to make a correct size to fit the tin.  Check to see if the cardstock will fit inside the tin. (Note: To make sure your template is equal on all sides fold in half and trim all sizes the same.)  Once you have made your template you will need to draw around it on the cardstock to make 6 pages for your card and then cut each one out.
    
3. For the pages of the card, stamp fronts and backs with White ink and the Snowflake Cluster stamp. This gives a light texture to each page.  Add Holographic Glitter to some of the snowflakes and allow to dry.  The glitter was used on the page that says Merry Christmas. Use the make up sponge and lightly add color to the snowflake backgrounds matching the color of the main design.
    
4. Please refer to photos as description for each page progresses.

                   Page 1

                   Front:  Stamp large tree with the Gamma Green ink. Allow to dry.

Back:  Stamp the Christmas Wreath on white cardstock and cut out with the deckle scissors. Color in the wreath using assorted markers.  Once it has dried, using a make up sponge add small amounts of the cranberry ink to the edges. This will allow the wreath to be the focal point of the page.  Center the wreath on the back of page one and glue in place. Add the Dimensional Magic to the boughs of the large green tree and sprinkle the Beads and Glitter; set aside to dry. 

Page 2

Front:  Stamp the word “Come let us adore Him” in cranberry ink. Using markers color the Cardinal stamp with red for the cardinal and the berries.  Color the leaves and stems with green and add to the top of the page. (Remember to “huff” on the stamp for moisture before stamping.) Using the same stamp clean and color only the leaves and the berries and stamp on the bottom of this page.

Back:  Stamp the small reindeer and emboss with Copper embossing powder at the top of the page. Stamp the word Merry Christmas and emboss with the Woven Tapestry embossing powder.

Front:  add dimensional magic to the cardinal and add the Hot Kiss Glitter, set aside to dry. 

                   Page 3

Front:  Using the Moonstruck stamp pad and the snowflake cluster stamp add snowflakes to entire page.  Stamp the Angel in moonstruck ink over the snowflakes. (See photo for positioning). Color in the star in the angel’s hair using the gold marker.

Back:  Use the black inkpad and stamp the birdhouse.  Now color in the birdhouse with the makers. 

Page 4

Front:  Using the Goldrush inkpad stamp the words “Let the heavens sing it’s Christmas.” Using the Pinecone and pine bough stamp add colors to stamp with markers and stamp center top of page.

Back:  Stamp in Purple Pansy ink the words “Jesus is the reason for the Season”.  Add leaves and berries using the small cardinal stamp (See photo.) 

Page 5

Front:  Stamp the Reindeer in Goldrush ink centered in the middle.  Use a marker to add highlights to the reindeer on the back, hooves, ears and top of head.  Add a shadow under the reindeer with a marker.

Back:  Stamp Holly leaves in Olive and add Berries in cranberry ink.

Front:  add Dimensional Magic to the antlers and coat with the gold Beadazzles beads and glitter.  Then add bow for the reindeer with the thin gold string.  Set aside to dry. 

Page 6

Front:  Stamp in the Pansy Purple the words “Wise men still seek Him.”  Using black ink stamp the small package and color in with markers.

Back:  Using the Blush ink and the Love stamp add to this page from top to bottom. (See photo for placement) Add sprigs of pine using the small stamp and olive ink.  Highlight the word love with the gold marker and add highlights to the pine springs. 

5.  Each page, except for page one, has two sets of eyelets.  Using the punch make holes and add the eyelets.  Page one has two eyelets on one side and one eyelet on the other. (See photo for placement.) Use the punch for the placement of the eyelets, just go the depth and the outside of the punch and make hole.  Page one will use the middle for the one eyelet.  Now set the eyelets.
    
6.  Cut ribbon to 6” lengths to attach each page together.  Add the ties on opposite pages for design sake. On page 6 use 12” ribbons in each eyelet using a slipknot in each.  Take a string from each side and tie into a bow.  The remaining ribbon pieces will be run through the eyelet in the back of the tin and tied into a knot to hold the card in place. On page one where the one eyelet is located attach the piece of ribbon with a slipknot.  This will hang outside the tin and indicate how the card is to be opened.
    
7. The outside top of the tin is created using the E6000 glue and the beads and buttons with the shanks removed.  The stars are to coordinate with the star in the angel’s hair, the Christmas tree coordinates with the tree on page one.  Snowflake buttons coordinate with the lace effect of snowflakes on each page. Start by adding a large button of choice in the center of the tin as the base for the design.  Add remaining button and beads to cover the entire top of the tin ending with an angle button as the focal point of the design.  The angel coordinates with the angel stamp.  (See photo.)  Now add your signature under the words Merry Christmas and you are finished.

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