SPOILERS! 12 Days of Stitchmas Advent Calendar 2024 | Day 11 With Jaycee Gaspar

Welcome to day 11 of our 12 Days of Stitchmas 2024 Advent Calendar class! Join us and stitch your way through the season! We invited 12 guest artists to share inspiration with the 12 stitching surprises. Let’s welcome Jaycee Gaspar as he shares inspiration with the Day 11 surprise!

Don’t miss the other video tutorials from our free Youtube Class: Day 1 with Suzanne Hue | Day 2 with Laura Bassen | Day 3 with Kim Kesti | Day 4 with Michelle Short | Day 5 with Lisa Tilson | Day 6 with Mindy Eggen | Day 7 with Carissa Wiley | Day 8 with Cheryl Penner | Day 9 with Yana Smakula | Day 10 with Rebecca Keppel

Hello everyone! My name is Jaycee Gaspar, and I’m thrilled to be back for my second year with the 12 Days of Stitchmas Advent Calendar from Spellbinders. Today, we’re on Day 11, and I can’t wait to reveal the stunning stitched wreath and accompanying bow dies that will elevate your holiday card-making experience!

Watch video tutorial below or on our Youtube Channel:

A Playful Spin on Tradition

For my first card, I decided to go a non-traditional route inspired by an unexpected source – a popular restaurant chain in the U.S. known for donuts made from Japanese mochi! This stirred my creative juices, and I opted for a bright and playful color palette, perfect for a festive donut-themed celebration. Let’s dive into the details of how I created this card!

Start by die-cutting the shadow layer in brushed silver cardstock. Use the negative space from the wreath for the bow’s loops, ensuring you’re maximizing your materials. Die cut the stitched wreath from the darker Tiffany blue cardstock found in the Stitch Along Kit.

For stitching, use DMC 964 floss. I typically use a length of about 45 inches (3/4 of a wingspan) to reduce twisting and knots.  For consistency, begin stitching from the center larger hole outwards to the smaller radiating holes, ensuring a uniform appearance throughout the wreath.  Cut the bow tails from brushed silver and assemble by aligning the square reference points.

I incorporated the stitched dies from Day 8.  Die cut the holly leaves from the light seagreen cardstock and poinsettias from coral red and pink matching cardstocks. Assemble your flowers and small holly leaves to the stitched wreath.

I created a fun paper fan background to match the donut party theme I have going on this first card.  Cut two strips of white cardstock (1.75” x 11”) and score every quarter inch to form an accordion fan. Glue the ends together into a loop.  Secure the fan with two circular cardstock layers cut from the shadow die in Day 8 using hot glue.

Adhere the fan to an A2 light seagreen panel, placing the stitched wreath centrally on top. Stamp a sentiment from the 2024 Stitchmas Sentiments with a matching ink to the background panel and mount it onto the wreath with foam squares.

Finally, surround the wreath with Aquamarine AB crystals and Fashion Oyster pearls for that added sparkle.

A Classically Glamorous Second Card

For my second card, I wanted to embrace a more traditional approach while infusing some glamour.

First, I die-cut both the shadow layer and bow elements from gold brushed cardstock, and stack two red cardstock wreaths for added stability. I used gold DMC Diamant thread to create a sparkling effect, employing the same stitching technique as the previous card for consistency.

Using the Night & Day Pines Press Plates, I pressed dark ink onto red cardstock for a rich background, layering the images with metallic gold pigment ink.

I added a classic banner sentiment on a strip of cardstock, foam mounting it to the red wreath. Attach the wreath to the background for a regal touch.

And there you have it – two unique cards made with Day 11 of the Spellbinders 12 Days of Stitchmas Advent Calendar! The versatile wreath die set can be styled in so many ways, from playful to elegant.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and feel inspired to create your own festive masterpieces. Don’t forget to come back tomorrow for the final reveal in our 12 Days of Stitchmas series—a surprise you won’t want to miss! Thank you for joining me, and I hope to see you again very soon!

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