Merry Christmas Snowman Family

Hi this is Cheryl. Well, I think Texas has finally thawed out. Our schools were closed for three days. Most businesses lucked up with it hitting Thursday night and were only closed or disabled on Friday. The Fort Worth area had three to four inches of pure, solid ice on our driveways, local streets, and highways. It was pretty challenging for any experienced driver. I never moved my car until Tuesday. Today, six days after the winter storm, most yards are still covered with snow and ice, but thankfully the roads are clear.

For my Designer Team project today with Flamingo Scraps, I made a family of Snowman treats. Each one can hold a snack size piece of candy. I used the Echo Park "Merry Christmas" paper collection. As you know I have a stock of these papers. So beware, I have not gotten tired of it yet! I also used my awesome We R Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board. I just love using this and everyday I am discovering new ways to use it other than making an envelope. For the month of December in the online store this is on sale for only $14.99!! What a nice stocking stuffer!  

To make these sweet Snowman, there is a lot of cutting, small pieces involved, and a long list of directions. These instructions sound like it is too big of a project, but once your papers are all cut, it goes together fairly quickly, and they are soooo cute! You will end up with many tiny pieces so I would suggest that you place a small dish on your work surface to hold these.

You will be using many of the scrap pieces that are punched and normally thrown away. Use this small dish to hold the tiny piece until you are ready to use them. Both the Mom & Dad are the same size and the two kids are also cut to the same smaller size. 

Start off with a piece of 8.5" x 11" white cardstock. Use your thickest paper on hand. Cut one piece at 4.25" x 11" and another at 3" x 9".  From there cut these two pieces in half. You will end up with two larger pieces measuring 2 1/8" x 11" and two smaller pieces measuring 1.50" x 9". Score the larger two pieces at 5" and 6" and the two smaller pieces at 4" and 5". Get your Envelope Punch Board and line up each piece at the 2 1/8" mark and punch. You will do this measurement and cut on all four ends of each piece. Take a light brown ink and carefully ink the edges and score lines of all four pieces.

Now you will need a piece of black card stock. You will keep every trimming from this paper when using your score board. These tiny scraps will be found under your board. Place all of these in your dish and save them. This is a great time to get out and use your scrap black pieces. You need to cut two squares measuring 2" x 2", and two 1.50" x 1.50" squares, two 1/2" x 2.50" rectangles, and two 1/2" x 2" rectangles. The picture shown below shows all the measurements the same size for all four snowman. Once I decided to make the two kid snowman smaller, I failed to take an updated picture.

Using your Envelope Punch Board again, take all four squares and round two corners only on one end using the built in corner rounder on your board. Taking the same piece that has it's corners rounded, insert the width of this under the board, eyeball the center, and punch in the middle of each square on one end only. You should now have four squares that have two rounded corners and a middle punch. Moving onto the four retangle pieces insert all four ends into the corner rounder and round each end. Remember to keep all of the tiny trimmed pieces of the black papers.

Now we need to make a band for their hats, (if desired) a strip of paper over these bands, and their scarves. For the larger Snowman's band on the hat, I cut four 1/2" x 2" pieces and for the smaller size I cut four 1/4" by 1.50" pieces. Then four 1/8" x 2" pieces and four 1/8" x 1/2" pieces for the thin strip to lay on the middle of the hat band. For the scarves I used my crimper so I had to cut my piece 1/4" larger to accommodate for the shrinkage. Your crimper may effect your papers differently. I would cut them slightly longer than needed until you know the length needed. For my scarf pieces I cut the larger snowman piececs 1/2" x 2 1/4" and cut three total for each snowman. (six total for the large snowman)  For the smaller snowman I cut again six total of pieces measuring 1/2" x 1.75". For all of the scarves I used a piece across the neck in the front and back and then the third piece was tapered at one end and then ribbon cut on the end of each scarf. If desired you may ink the edges of all pieces.

I also used random papers and punched out buttons for their chests and used an orange paper and cut a longer triangle for their noses. The tiny black pieces that you have collected will be used for their eyes and mouths. I added two ribbon bows to the two girls hats and a holly leaf to the boys hats. 

To assemble score well on the two score lines, but don't fold. Leave flat for now. Start with the snowman of your choice and adhere the band of paper around the middle of the hat on the front side only. Layer this with the narrow strip. Take the top edge of your snowman and adhere just below the hat band, making sure these two pieces butt up to each other. Take one of the rounded black pieces and layer/adhere it just below the band again making sure it butts up just under the hat band. This will be adherred over the top of the snowman, covering up the top edge.  (You will use the other oval hat piece at the end of making each snowman) Now look in your bowl of tiny pieces and get two of the smallest scraps and adhere for the eyes. Take one of the largest pieces from punching the center of your hat and adhere it for the mouth. Cut a small orange piece for a nose. The face is complete. Now take your scarf pieces and adhere the tapered end to the middle of the neck and the end of this piece toward the middle of the bottom right side. Save your third scarf piece for later. For my buttons I used a 1/4" and 1/2" round punch. If desired you may add a bow to both girl hat bands and a holly leaf to the boys hat bands. The front of your snowman are complete! Now turn the snowman over and add some strong adhesive between the 1" scored lines and attach a treat of your choice. Add more adhesive to the bottom of the snowman edge, the same side the candy is attached. Flip the snowman back over and fold up on the scored lines and lining up both notched punches and adhere well.  Now we will decorate the back. Take your hat band and place it just above the adherred edges and then add your 1/8" strip to the band. Next take your oval rectangle and adhere it just below the hat band, making sure from the front side the back edges are not showing. From there add the back of the scarf and you are done! Are these not just adorable? I love mine. I am thinking of making another set, but adherring them to chipboard for strength and posture. I might even add a layer of Modge Podge to keep it from being damaged from being handled. You could also bling these up really cute too. Tons of ideas in making these. One last thought I had was to actually punch out the circles on the chest and add a small tea light instead of the candy. That would be really pretty for a mantal or table. Oh well....my mind is going crazy with ideas! 

Here are my sweet Snowman. I think they turned out pretty stinking cute!

The back view

A couple close up views

I just love them! Enjoy!!

Thank you for visiting my blog today. I would appreciate it if you would leave me a comment below. If you would like to do some online shopping with Flamingo Scraps, you may visit their store here, and of course they would really appreciate it if you would "like" and follow them on Facebook here.

Happy Scrappin............Cheryl