Eugene Christmas Card

Hello crafty card makers! Continuing with Christmas in July, I have another holiday card tutorial for you! Today I’m sharing how I made this Eugene Christmas card. It features lots of die cutting, along with some embossed texture. You can make this card in traditional Christmas colors, or even go for a cool wintry pallet. This cute fun card is perfect for the holidays. I made this card for Christmas, but the color pallet could easily be changed to fit your specific need. This Eugene Christmas card could also work for other occasion, just by switching up the colors, accessories and adding a sentiment.

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Link Abbreviations

AMZ – Amazon*
Sb.com – Scrapbook.com*
SIZ – Sizzix*
SSS – Simon Says Stamp
RI – Ranger Ink*
BA – Blick Art Materials*

Supplies Used / Substitutions:

Tim Holtz Sizzix Thinlits Colorize Dies – Eugene #665568 | Sb.com | AMZ | SSS |
Tim Holtz Sizzix Thinlits Dies – Tree Line #661604 | Sb.com | SIZ | AMZ | SSS |
Simon Says Stamp Embossing Folder – Snowflake Oval Frame #sf208 | SSS / Any snowflake embossing folder
Sizzix Tim Holtz 3D Embossing Folder – Engraved #664249 | SIZ | AMZ | SSS / Any embossing folder
Canson XL 140lb Watercolor Paper – Cold Press | BA | AMZ / Any watercolor paper
White Heavyweight Cardstock
Black Cardstock – 3 shades / Black inked watercolor paper with black soot distress ink
Orange Cardstock – 3 shades / Orange inked watercolor paper with carved pumpkin distress ink
Green Cardstock – 3 shades / Green inked watercolor paper with pine needles distress ink
Red Cardstock – 2 shades & red glitter paper / Red inked watercolor paper with lumberjack plaid distress ink
Tim Holtz idea-ology Metallic Kraft Stock – Gold | Sb.com | RI | SSS / Any metallic cardstock
Distress Grit Paste – Snowfall | Sb.com | SSS / Distress Grit Paste – Icicle
Distress Ink – Shaded Lilac | Sb.com | RI | SSS / Light blue watercolor
Distress Oxide Ink – Rustic Wilderness | Sb.com | RI | SSS / Distress Oxide Spray
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Crayons:
- Walnut Stain | Sb.com | SSS |
- Snow Flurries | SSS |

Tools Used / Substitutions:

Sizzix Big Shot | SIZ / Any die cutting machine
Tim Holtz Tonic Guillotine Comfort Paper Trimmer | Sb.com | AMZ | RI | SSS / Any paper trimmer
EK Scoring Board | AMZ | SSS / Any scoring board
Tim Holtz Glass Media Mat | Sb.com | AMZ | SSS / Non-stick craft sheet or optional
Neptune Synthetic Brush Short Handle – Quill #4 | BA / Any watercolor brush
Bearly Art Glue | Sb.com | SB | AMZ | SSS / Any liquid adhesive
Spray Bottle with water | Sb.com | AMZ / Any spray bottle with water
Sizzix Die Pick | Sb.com | SSS / Toothpick
Tim Holtz Reverse Action Tweezers #665304 | Sb.com | SIZ | SSS / Any reverse action tweezers
EK Scissors | Sb.com | AMZ / Any scissors
Mechanical Pencil | AMZ / Any pencil
Foam Squares | SSS / Optional
Palette Knife | Sb.com | SSS |
Paper Towel
Washi Tape / Any low tack tape

Making The Card Base

Take a sheet of white cardstock and cut it in half with your paper trimmer. You should now have two 8½ x 5½ inch pieces of cardstock.
Score the half sheet of cardstock at the 4¼ inch line.
Fold on the score line and reinforce the fold with a bone folder.

Your card base should be 4¼ x 5½ inches. A standard A2 card size.

Inking The Snowflake Background

Cut the watercolor paper to a size of 4 x 5¼ inch.
Press some shaded lilac distress ink onto your craft mat.
1. Scribble some snow flurries distress crayon on the mat too. (This will add a subtle shimmer to your background.)
Spray the ink and crayon with some water and mix them together with your brush.
Spray the watercolor paper with water.
Add the ink to the paper with your watercolor brush.
Add a much ink a you like to get the intensity you desire.
1. Keeping the paper wet while working ensures a blended winter like look.
Let it dry.
Place the water colored panel in the snowflake oval frame embossing folder.
Run it through your die cutting machine to emboss it.

Making The Tree Line

Cut watercolor paper down to a size slightly larger than the tree line die.
Ink the watercolor paper with distress oxide ink in the shade rustic wilderness.
Spritz it with some water to give it the oxidized effect.
Let it fully dry.
Die cut the tree line from the inked green watercolor paper.
1. If you have any lighter inked areas you can add more ink with your finger.

Creating The Snow Hill

Cut a piece of white cardstock down to a size of 2 x 4 inch.
Using a pencil, draw a curved line on the white cardstock.
Starting at about 1¼ inches up on the left side to just under 2 inches in the middle and 1½ inches on the right side.
1. It doesn’t have to be precise. Any curved line will do.
Cut off the curved line with scissors.
Using a pallet knife spread snowfall grit paste all over the white cardstock.
1. Work on a scrap piece of paper.
2. Put your pallet knife in a tray of water and immediately wash it when you are done.
Run your finger along all the edges to smooth out any paste hanging off the sides of the paper.
Wash the paste off your hands and let the snow hill dry.

Gluing The Trees & Snow Hill

Aline the snow hill up with the bottom edge of the snowflake embossed panel.
Trace the curve of the hill onto the snowflake embossed panel.
Glue down the tree line with the bottom edge just below the top of the snow hill line.
1. I sniped my trees apart because I wanted the taller tree on the right to show more.
Set something heavy on it while it dries.
Trim off any tree branches hanging off the card.
Then, glue down the snow hill aligning it to the bottom of the snowflake panel.
Set something heavy on it while it dries.
Lastly, glue the snowy background panel to the front of the white card base.

Gather Cardstock Colors

Gather the following shades of cardstock.

White
Black – 3 shades – darkest black, black, & light black (aka really dark gray)
Orange – 3 shades – dark orange, orange, & light orange
Green – 3 shades – darkest green, dark green, & green
Red – 3 shades – dark red, red, & red glitter
Gold Metallic

If you don’t have all theses shades of cardstock, you could always make your own. All you need is some watercolor paper, ink/watercolors, a brush, and water.

Apply a light wash of color to the whole piece of watercolor paper.
Let it dry.
Apply another wash of color to 2/3 of the watercolor paper.
Let it dry.
Apply another wash of color to the last 1/3 of the watercolor paper.

Die Cutting Eugene

White Layer Dies (Whole body & belly)

Cut white 1-3 from the same white cardstock.

Black Layer Dies (Arms, Head & Eye)

Black 1 – Cut with darkest black cardstock.
Black 2 – Cut with black cardstock.
Black 3 – Cut with light black cardstock.

Orange Layer Dies (Beak & Feet)

Orange 1 – Cut with dark orange cardstock.
Orange 2 – Cut with orange cardstock.
Orange 3 – Cut with light orange cardstock.

Blue Layer Dies (Scarf)

Blue 1 – Cut with dark red cardstock .
Blue 2 – Cut with green cardstock.
Blue 3 – Cut with darkest green cardstock.
Blue 4 – Cut with dark green cardstock.

Red Layer Dies (Hat)

Red 1 – Cut with green cardstock. (Use the same green used for blue 2.)
Red 2 – Cut with dark red cardstock. (Use the same dark red used for blue 1.)
Red 3 – Cut with red cardstock.

Die Cutting The Present

Purple Layer Dies (Present)

Purple 1 – Cut with gold metallic kraft stock.

I didn’t use purple layers 2 & 3.

Green Layer Dies (Bow)

Green 1 – Cut with red cardstock. (Use the same red used for red 3.)
Green 2 – Cut with red glitter cardstock.
Green 3 – Cut with dark red cardstock. (Use the same dark red used for blue 1 & red 2.)

Embossing The Present

Mist the back of the gold present with water and place it in the Engraved 3D embossing folder.
Run it through your die cutting machine. I did two passes for mine.
Remove the embossed present from the folder and let it dry.
Scribble the walnut stain crayon along the engraved lines.
Rub it in with your finger. You’ll want to work the crayon into all the lines and crevices.
Take a wet paper towel (wring out most of the water) and gently rubbed it over the present.
Rub off and remove any crayon that gets on the back and sides of the present.
Let it dry.
Glue all 3 red bow layers together.
Glue the bow to the present.
Adhere a foam square with some glue to the back of the present.

Assembling The Hat & Scarf

Hat

Glue hat layer 2 on top of hat layer 1.
Then, glue hat layer 3 on top of hat layer 2.

Scarf

Glue scarf layer 2 on top of scarf layer 1.
Next, glue scarf layer 3 on top of scarf layer 2.
Then, glue scarf layer 4 on top of scarf layer 3.

Assembling Eugene

Next, it was time to glue Eugene together. Sizzix has made a YouTube video showing how to assemble Eugene. You can find that video here.

When he’s all glued together Eugene should look something like this. How stinkin’ cute is he!

Gluing It All Together

Then, add some foam squares with glue to the back of Eugene.
On the back, apply some glue to the bottom area of Eugene around the feet.
Remove the release paper and put a dot of glue on each of the foam squares.
Adhere him to the front center of the card.
Set something heavy on it while the glue dries.