Saturday 17 November 2012

A Winter Card Inspired by a Picture Book

(This post is part of my Frosty Festivities Blog Event)

This Winter Wonderland card:

Supplies are mainly Pink Paislee City Sidewalks, Crate Paper Sleigh Ride, and Studio Calico Wonderland

Was inspired by a picture book!

I mentioned yesterday about the books I like to re-read in the winter, but there's also lots of picture books that I pull out each December to read to the kids at bedtime:


*The Nutcraker by David Walker * Mouse's Christmas Wish by Judi Abbot * Cat on the Hill by Michael Foreman* One Snowy Night by M Christina Butler * The Church Mice at Christmas by Graham Oakley * One Snowy Night by Nick Butterworth*


* Santa's Ark by Cliff Wright * The Jolly Christmas Postman by Janet & Allan Ahlberg * The Snowman by Raymond Briggs * That's Not My Penguin by Usborne * The Best Christmas Tree by Peter Haddock Publishing * Spot's First Christmas by Eric Hill * Winter Story by Jill Barklem *

We also have a pop-up version of 'The Night Before Christmas' poem, but it got broken last year, and I've put it somewhere 'safe' to be fixed, and I can't remember where the safe place was!

My favourite of these books is the Brambly Hedge Winter Story, about mice who live in comfy homes in the trees, and dig tunnels under the snow to have a Snow Ball in an icy chamber. I remember reading it as a child and really believing in the magic of it! I love this page, where the mice-carved cavern for the Snow Ball is revealed:


So I decided to try and use inspiration from it to make a card.

I used pale colours, and attached zig-zag ribbon at the top to mimic the icicles. The strips of blue snoflake paper that are ¾" wide either side are adhered with 3D foam dots, to look like the colums in the cavern. Finally I added painted wood veneer snowflakes and clear gemstones to echo the twinkles in the picture:


Be Inspired:
  • Take inspiration from a book page or cover for your next handmade card
  • Paint some wood veneer or chipboard pieces
  • Add some columns of paper using 3D foam to a card or layout

Don't forget that a comment on this post, or on any of my posts from this weekend, will count as an entry into the Grand Giveaway {NOW CLOSED} but only if you've registered your interest in winning that here!

Have you ever used inspiration from a book for a papercraft project?

Back in 60 minutes with a challenge! x

29 comments:

Missus Wookie said...

Stunning book collection and card inspiration. Took shots of our Christmas books last year and am looking forward to them coming out of the loft in a couple of weeks - just reorganised so that there will be room in the living room.

Jackie said...

What a super card! Lovely inspiration...might have to give this one a go too!!

vixen said...

what a lovely place to get inspiration from, not thought bout using book covers to inspire me. Gorgeous card x

humel said...

I recognise a few favourites there! Love how the illustration inspired your gorgeous card - not sure if I've ever consciously done the same, but I wouldn't be surprised if my subconscious picked up on a book page some time!

I did once use a Christmas card to create the page of a minibook, which is kind of the reverse process I guess....

Jane said...

I saw some old favourites there, gorgeous!

scrappyjacky said...

What a lovely selection of books....I remember the Postman one being one of my children's favourites...we had a boxful of christmas books that came out each year.

K said...

We have a few winter favourites as well. Great card, minty fresh :)

Annie Claxton said...

another brilliant piece of inspiration with so many possibilities! I still have a couple of my kids' favourite books, although they're 29 and 30 now (maybe one day they'll give me some grandchildren to read them to! I recently re-read "the Faraway Tree" by Enid Blyton and we used to love Mrs Pepperpot too, and the Borrowers ... I feel all warm and cosy now - thanks Jennifer

dogmatix said...

Love the card :-)

Abi said...

oh wow! I love brambly hedge. We used to read the books when i was little and watch the tv series. Lovely!

Scrapdolly said...

what a great way to get extra inspiration
There were many books there I recognise too

Sandie said...

What a great idea to get inspiration. I have some favourite books that I bring out at Christmas, they go back to my children's younger days but they are timeless. I share them with my grand daughters now. Special memories.

Zahra said...

Beautiful card, I love it!

Lisa-Jane said...

I LOVE Nick Butterworth, his illustrations are wonderful. As a little girl I used to love Brambly Hedge and anything with mice and woodland creatures in especially if it had snow in it!

Sally said...

Love all the Brambly Hedge books. Shame my daughter doesn't share my enthusiasm!

Lou said...

inspiration comes in many forms and i like how you were inspired to create your card x

Miriam Prantner said...

Great idea! I always try and get 1-2 new Christmas books each year to share with the girls, and there are so many good ones!

Margie said...

I don't think I have used a book as inspiration-great idea!

Sandy Ang said...

Wonderful card. love how that tag looks almost translucent

li-bee-ti said...

Great idea to use a book for inspiration!

Julie Baswell said...

I've always loved The Night Before Christmas. I have never heard of the Brambly Hedge Winter Story but it sounds very interesting.

To boldly polish said...

I am getting so inspired by your ideas! I haven't used a book as inspiration before, which is odd, because I love books.

hotpotato said...

I can remember reading some of these books to my children.

furrypig said...

more fabulous ideas! I really wish I had kept a few more of the children's favourite Christmas books now xxx

Fay aka Beautifullily said...

You should do a book advent calender next year!!!

Maria Ontiveros said...

What a great idea! I think it's interesting that our favorite kids Christmas books have virtually no overlap with yours! Even though both lists are great.
Rinda

Lizzie said...

That's a fun card - I love that idea, taking inspiration from a favourite book illustration.
We have a stack of children's Christmas books too, which I always bring out and leave by the fireplace for our smaller visitors. Some of your books above are included in our pile too.

Marilize said...

Does the actual book count? Hahaha. I use old torn and tattered books and paper findings in my projects all the time. They call it upcycling - I call it fun :)

Karen said...

Great ideas!

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