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Holiday Hints: Vellum Bag and Envelope

November 11, 2013

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To kick off our Holiday Hints feature, Elizabeth is transforming her favorite box and envelope patterns with hand-stamped sheer papers.  She’s used the following Penny Black products:

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SHOP: 40-252 Ornately, 40-258 Dancing Deers, 51-015 Snowflake Trio, 51-020 Fancy Flourish, 51-018 Ornaments

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To create this look, lay a piece of sheer paper larger than the template on a work surface.  Stamp designs with white ink and let dry.  Trace pattern onto paper, cut and assemble.

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In this sample, stamped vellum gives the treat bag fabulous stability and is beautifully ornate.

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Parchment and tracing papers are perfect for delicate envelopes.  Not too much bulk and flexible enough so cards or a homemade cookie can be slipped inside. (YUM-O!)

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This glittered snowflake was die cut from clear plastic, pounced with white acrylic paint and dusted with micro fine glitter.

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Imagine all of the possibilities of using thin metals.

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Don’t forget about shrink plastic!  These hanging ornaments were instantly transformed into tiny charms.

Inspired? Share your stamping on our Facebook page and/or Penny Circle Flickr Gallery.  And until next time, don’t forget to follow us on Pinterest, YouTube, and Twitter.

19 Comments leave one →
  1. November 11, 2013 12:07 am

    All great ideas thanks for the inspiration

  2. November 11, 2013 3:31 am

    Love the idea. Thank you for giving inspiration to take our holiday card making just a little further.

  3. Kathy Browns permalink
    November 11, 2013 4:06 am

    I’m going home after work to cut and glitter some acetate!
    Thanks for the wonderful ideas!

  4. Sue Brailey permalink
    November 11, 2013 4:57 am

    Gorgeous! I have a couple of questions tho: is there a particular template you used for the gift bag? I love the flap! What adhesive did you use to complete the velum bag? I have never had luck with adhesive not showing when using velum! lol. Is the bag strong? Sorry to prattle on! Also wondering your source for the clear plastic for the snow flakes! I am making a ton of stuff for a fundraiser at a craft fair and these ideas are terrific!
    Thank you so much for highlighting other uses for your lovely stamps! Have to get some shrink plastic too!
    Thanks again!
    Sue

    • November 11, 2013 5:27 am

      Hello Sue, thank you for all your excitement. I design most of my templates so I can customize the size, but there are many fabulous examples available on-line. If you google bag templates you will get many results to choose from. Using a heavy weight vellum for the bag gives it great stability. I would suggest making one and inserting your gift inside to see if the weight is appropriate. I am an avid recycler and used a piece of plastic from some packaging for my snowflake. However, a great alternative is to use the shrink plastic, but do not heat and shrink. Depending on the weight of the material your are gluing, Glossy Accents and glue pens work very well for sheer papers. It is helpful when applying the glue to keep the adhesive in a continuous and even application. When dry this will help avoid having “patches” of adhesive. Happy crafting!!!

      • Sue Brailey permalink
        November 11, 2013 5:50 am

        Thank you so much Elizabeth!! This helps tremendously! Never occurred to me to use Glossy Accents to glue gift bags together. i use it for everything….should have occurred to me! Off to use coupons at Michaels for velum!
        Thank you again for taking the time to answer my questions. I love Penny Black stamps and it is so wonderful that you take the time to enhance our experience with products.
        Have a great day!
        Sue

  5. November 11, 2013 7:04 am

    I absolutely love white on white or tone on tone – this takes it a step further for the translucence of the vellum gives the white an extra punch. Your use of the die-cuts for the enclosure mechanism adds such a lovely glittery touch. Using recycled materials is a real boon. My lovely husband now asks me if I can use something like a piece of packaging or a pill container before he disposes of it – I didn’t even ask him to!
    The dies are being added to my wish list.
    Thanks again for adding yet another dimension to using stamps.
    Paula (PEP)

  6. ggnurse permalink
    November 11, 2013 8:16 am

    Elizabeth always has the best ideas! These are all wonderful–especially the white on vellum!

  7. Patricia Molnar (artjunkie2) permalink
    November 11, 2013 8:19 am

    Stunning! I love the effect! The dies are so beautiful and I love how you used the dies! I have saved all of my packaging with different applications. I am going to give that a try! Thanks for the fabulous idea!

  8. Susan Holton permalink
    November 11, 2013 8:21 am

    Elizabeth, they’re both stunning! They remind me of a gentle snowfall in the dark and quiet of a moonlit winter night. So graceful. Thank you for sharing your beautiful creations!
    Susan

  9. November 11, 2013 9:10 am

    Stunning packaging with vellum especially when it is stamped in white – it gives such an elegant look and perfect for white Christmas, Elizabeth!

  10. November 11, 2013 11:01 am

    Love these dies and how you used them. The white on white is so beautiful. 🙂

  11. Brenda permalink
    November 11, 2013 12:32 pm

    I love these great tips! There’s something special about projects made with vellum.

  12. November 11, 2013 12:47 pm

    the monochromatic white looks awesome-it’s a very sophisticated look and it sounds easy. thanks for sharing!

  13. November 11, 2013 1:22 pm

    The parchment/tracing paper bag and envelope are truly wow!
    I love their classy elegance and not only will they be good for Xmas but would also fit other winter celebrations such as a winter wedding or birthday so beautifully – thank you for the inspiration – I now want to go play with my supplies to try and make something similar, thank you, thank you, thank you!

  14. November 24, 2013 8:11 am

    Great ideas! I love the snowflake, do you use anything on it to keep the glitter from coming off?

    • November 30, 2013 1:45 pm

      Hello Cindi…After the snowflake die cut from plastic was pounced with white acrylic paint, I sprinkled on the glitter while still wet. After drying, this seems to hold the glitter great. However, you could also spray the snowflake with a clear acrylic coating (Krylon UV-Resistant Clear Acrylic Coating) if you would like a little extra added bond insurance.

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