I had the most delightful time creating a pair of cheerful Christmas cards using dies from the new North Pole Friends collection by Spellbinders. These cards feature The Clauses Etched Die and Santa’s Elves Etched Die, paired with a beautiful patterned paper from Memory Box and finished with a clean letterpress sentiment. Both cards follow a horizontal A2 format, and I used the Notched Corner Frames die for that extra polished look around my scenes. Let me walk you through how each came together!
Card 1: Classic Clauses
Layered with Love
For the first card, my focus was on The Clauses Etched die set. I cut out the Santa and Mrs. Claus pieces from a mix of red, cream, and black cardstock, adding tiny details like glasses and mittens to bring them to life. I used foam tape to give the couple dimension, stacking the layers carefully to ensure all the delicate elements, like Santa’s beard and Mrs. Claus’s apron, were visible.
Background with Subtle Festivity
The backdrop is a pattern paper from the Poinsettia Garland 6×6 Paper Pack by Memory Box. Its subtle design provided just the right balance-not too bold to distract from the characters, but festive enough to tie everything together. I framed the scene using the Notched Corner Frames, which adds a nice finished edge and slightly vintage feel.
Sentiment Simplicity
I wanted the sentiment to be elegant but unobtrusive, so I used the Home for Christmas Sentiments BetterPress Plate to press a clean holiday greeting beneath the Clauses. This added a soft texture and a professional look, while keeping the overall card cheerful and lighthearted.
Finishing Touches
To finish this card, I mounted the entire panel onto an A2 card base. I didn’t feel the need for additional embellishments since the characters and the patterned paper already made it feel full of charm.
Card 2: Santa’s Elves in Action
Building the Elves
For the second card, I used the Santa’s Elves die set from the same North Pole Friends collection. These little characters are packed with personality! I die cut them in shades of green, cream, and brown, with touches of red and white for their hats and candy canes. As with the Clauses, I added foam tape to give them a dimensional look so they’d pop from the background.
A Garland of Color
The background for this card features another sheet from the Poinsettia Garland paper pad, this one with a more prominent red and green color scheme. I thought it complemented the elves perfectly. I again used the Notched Corner Frames die to frame the elves and keep consistency with the first card.
A Joyful Sentiment
The sentiment, also from the Home for Christmas BetterPress Sentiments, is centered just beneath the elves. The BetterPress technique added a tactile detail that contrasts nicely with the bold die cuts, and using the same sentiment style on both cards helps them feel like a set.
Playful Finishes
This card was adhered onto a white landscape A2 base, complementing the elves’ outfits and pulling the whole design together. I left off any sparkle or embellishment because the elves already brought enough playfulness and movement to the card.
Together, these two cards make a fun and festive holiday duo, perfect for sending out some handmade cheer. I love how the North Pole Friends collection lets you mix traditional charm with playful whimsy-and when paired with elegant tools like the Notched Frames and BetterPress sentiments, the result feels both polished and joyful.
Let me know which one is your favorite!
Hugs,
Jyoti
Products used :
Poinsettia Garland 6×6 pack Shop at: SSS |
Notched Corner Frame Die Shop at: SB |
Santa’s Elves Shop at: SB |
The Clauses Shop at: SB |
Home for Christmas Sentiments Shop at: SB |
