Shiny Merry Christmas

Several years ago, I had done a painting of colored-cellophane-wrapped balls under a crystal trifle dish, & created our Christmas card for that year with an image of that painting. (I titled it, "Visions of Sugarplums.") One of our friends told me she treasures that card even more than the others I've created over the years, just because of the colors. I decided to create this card, inspired by that one, using Hero Arts "Christmas Crystals" stamp set (discontinued). I also created a coordinating envelope.

I got the instructions for this double Z-fold card from Sam at Mixed Up Craft. I used Bazzill Jawbreaker cardstock to create the card base, following her measurements & instructions. I wanted to use rainbow foil for the greeting, so I created that in Photoshop, printed it with my laser printer, & foiled with my Mini Minc machine. This is actually the best result I've ever gotten with foiling--no blank spots! I matted that with a silver holographic cardstock, & added it to my card base.

I stamped all the crystals onto Strathmore Smooth Bristol paper, and heat embossed them with Ranger Silver embossing powder. I used my Tombow markers to color them in rainbow hues, and blended the colors out with a wet paintbrush. I found that, to avoid brushstrokes, I needed to add quite a bit of water and just let the color spread. The heat embossing formed "walls" to keep the color & water from bleeding outside the lines.

After the crystals had dried, I poked small holes at the top of each, and stitched "hangers" with silver thread. I matted the panels with the same silver cardstock I'd used for the greeting, and adhered them in place.

I created the envelope from a similarly colored piece of 12x12" cardstock, using my We R Memory Keepers 1-2-3 punch board. I stamped 3 crystals on the front, and heat embossed with silver. I used a silver paint pen with a T-squre ruler to draw the "hanger" lines to the top of the envelope front. I also created a liner from the silver holographic cardstock, & adhered it inside the envelope. This card design is definitely a hand-deliver one, because it's quite thick--unless you add extra postage! Hopefully our friend will treasure this one, too.

I'm entering this card & envelope in the following challenges:

613 Avenue Create Challenge #228: "Anything Goes"
The House that Stamps Built DCC D419: "Stamp on Your Envelope"

Three Holiday Tags

This is a bit of a different project for me--not a card. Ellen Hutson has been having their "12 Tags of Christmas" challenges, with each tag inspired by the designer's favorite Christmas song. I created 3 tags for that.

Sandy Allnock's tag, based on "Deck the Halls," inspired my first one. She mentioned in her video that, even though she used Copic airbrush, you could get a similar effect with ink blending, so that's what I did. For the tag, I die cut the largest of the Sunny Studio "Crescent Tag Toppers" into a piece of white cardstock, then trimmed it to the proper width. I stamped the bulb from Sunny Studio's "Merry Sentiments" set 3 times on my tag. For the middle bulb I used Abandoned Coral & Festive Berries Distress Oxide inks. I used Squeezed Lemonade & Mustard Seed Oxide inks for the yellow, and Mowed Lawn & Lucky Clover Oxides for the green. For the "metal" on each I used Hero Arts Soft Granite ink (stamped 3 times) for the base & Hero Arts Charcoal ink for the shadow layer. I heat embossed the filaments in white. I stamped the greeting, also from "Merry Sentiments." I used Versafine Clair Morning Mist for the first part, and the darker of each of the Oxide inks I'd used on the bulbs for each of the remaining words. For the glow around the bulbs, I masked each bulb & ink blended with the lighter ink color, with the corresponding regular Distress inks. Finally, I rounded the bottom corners; & die cut a star tag reinforcer, glued it in place, and punched a hole through the tag with a 1/8" hole punch after the glue had dried.

My second tag was inspired by Jessica Frost-Ballas' "Let It Snow" tag for Day 8. She made a snow globe shaker tag. I used digital images for mine: Doodle Pantry's "Snow Globe Gala" & Dearie Dolls' "Little Snowman." I sized & combined all the images in Photoshop. I printed the full composite onto a panel of watercolor paper for the back layer, and printed just the snow globe onto an identical panel of watercolor paper for the front. I taped the panels together with painter's tape, and fussy cut around the perimeter, so both layers would be identical. I used a circle die to cut the opening from the front globe, doing partial die cutting to keep the bottom edge straight. I colored each layer with my Inktense pencils, using a damp paintbrush to pick up the color from the pencil & apply it to the paper.

To create the shaker, I adhered the front globe to a piece of acetate, and trimmed the acetate to size. I applied 2 layers of foam tape to the back of my snow globe, added clear seed beads to the open globe area, and added the back piece. I die cut a tag top with a "Crescent Tag Toppers" die, and glued it to the back. Finally, I added another die cut circle over that, just to give a neater appearance. I die cut a second tag with a "Tags a Lot" die by Mama Elephant (discontinued), stamped the to & from on that, and added it to the twine hanger. That way, that tag can be removed, and the main snow globe can be used as an ornament.

The inspiration for my final tag came from Heather Meeson's on Day 7. Her Christmas song was "Cool Yule." Her scene made me think of one I have, the HettyClare "Singing Snowmen" digital image. I sized it in Photoshop, printed it onto watercolor paper, & die cut it with a circle die. I colored it with my Inktense pencils & a damp paintbrush. I die cut a frame using the same circle die & one that was 2 sizes smaller, & glued it to my tag. I die cut a scrap of the same red with a "Crescent Tag Toppers" die & glued it to the back. I added another red die cut circle to the back, covering the tag topper. I cut another tag, stamped the to & from, and added it to the twine hanger. As a finishing touch, I applied tacky glue to the bottom of my image, & added mylar "snow" for a bit of sparkle.

Merry Christmas Door

I created one more card for Christmas Card Throwdown's "Watercolor" challenge. I have had the "Front Door" & "Door Decor #1" stamps by Stacey Yacula for Purple Onion Designs for a long time, and had never really used them. I decided this would be the perfect occasion.

Because these stamps are red rubber, and therefore not see-through, I created placement guides by stamping each image on an acetate scrap & outlining the stamp itself on the acetate with a permanent marker. This helps me see where the image will go when I stamp with my MISTI. I stamped  the poinsettia & logs from "Door Decor" onto a panel of 140 lb. watercolor paper first. Then I masked them, and stamped the door. That makes it look like the poinsettia & logs are in front of the wall.

After I removed my masks, I used my Mijello Mission Gold & Da Vinci watercolors to paint the image. I knew I wanted a red door to add to the festive vibe, so I kept the wall, porch, & steps more neutral. I also mixed a warm grey for the walkway, just for contrast against the cooler greys of the house & steps.

For the sign, I measured the welcome sign from "Door Decor #2," another of Stacey's designs, which was 3/4x3/8". I wanted a Merry Christmas sign, but didn't have a stamp that small. So I turned to Photoshop. I created a blank "canvas" that size, and used the custom shape tool to draw a frame, which I filled with red. I chose the Aquaduct Plain font, and typed the Merry Christmas inside the frame, using the same red color as the frame. After I sized & spaced the text, I printed the sign onto a small piece of ivory cardstock. I fussy cut that out, and glued it to the door.

I used Tulip Puffy fabric paint for the snow. I had never used this on paper before, but figured I'd give it a whirl. I applied a coat of the paint on either side of the walkway, and let it dry for several hours, as instructed. The paint puffs when steam is applied. I wasn't sure how steam would affect my painting, so I was very careful when applying it with my iron. Thankfully, the paint did puff, and the steam didn't mess up the watercolor!

All I had left to do then was adhere a panel of red cardstock to a white A2 card base & glue my image panel to that. I am so happy with how this card came out! :)

I'm also entering this card in the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge: "Traditional Christmas"
613 Avenue Create Challenge #228: "Anything Goes" (not playing the twist)
Through the Craft Room Door: "Anything Goes"

Joy to the World

I am in major holiday card making mode now. Even so, I have only about 10 more cards I have to make to meet my goal. I made an almost one-layer card, with the only additional layer being the focal image. I based my design on Sketch #SC726 at Splitcoaststampers.com.

For the image, I used a technique I learned from a woman at Splitcoast during last summer's Dare to Get Dirty challenges. I used an A2-size sheet of glossy photo paper I got at Dollar Tree. I applied Shaded Lilac, Stormy Sky, Salty Ocean, Blueprint Sketch, & Chipped Sapphire Distress Oxide inks to my non-stick craft mat. I spritzed each color with a bit of water, and smooshed my panel into the resulting puddles. I used my heat tool between layers to dry the ink on my panel, being careful not to melt the paper. When I had applied enough layers of ink, I used Black Soot Distress Oxide ink to stamp the image, from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps' "O Holy Night" set, onto my panel. I actually stamped the image two separate times, to make two cards, and still had some of my panel left over for other cards. Then the magic part--I wiped over the panel with a baby wipe. I'm not sure of the chemistry involved, but that took it from dull, chalky, and frankly ugly, to bright & beautiful. It also revealed the ink colors in all the different layers. Finally, I die cut my image with a circle die.

The sketch called for paper strips behind the focal image. I decided to keep it simpler, and did ink blending & stenciling instead. I thought the "Pointed Star" stencil from Jenni Bowlin (discontinued) was perfect to go with the image. I taped off the vertical strip area on my white panel, & inked it with Salty Ocean Distress ink. Then I taped my stencil in place, keeping the original masking tape in place, and inked through the stencil with Chipped Sapphire Distress ink. I repeated the process to do the horizontal strip. Where they overlapped ended up a bit darker, just because there was more ink, but the image covered it, so it didn't really matter. I stamped my greeting, also from "O Holy Night," in Versafine Onyx Black ink, and that finished this card.

I'm entering my card in Creative Knockouts Challenge #326: "Winter/Holidays."

Season's Greetings Cardinals

The November technique challenge at Christmas Card Throwdown is Watercolor. I got this image at a stamp show several months ago, mostly for the cardinals. I thought it was high time to use it, and that it would work perfectly for this challenge. I based my design on Sketch #SC656 at Splitcoaststampers.com.

I stamped the Heartfelt Creations "Festive Holiday" image onto a scrap of 140 lb. watercolor paper. I used Lawn Fawn's Walnut ink, for a more subtle look than black would provide. I painted it with my Mijello Mission Gold & Da Vinci watercolors. After it dried, I die cut it with the coordinating die.

For the background, I stamped the My Favorite Things "Cheesecloth Background" (discontinued) with Memento Toffee Crunch ink onto tan cardstock. I also die cut 2 circles from patterned papers from my scrap stash.

When I put the image over the background & patterned paper circles, it all seemed a bit too busy. So I got the idea to adhere a piece of vellum to the back of the image. I glued the image to a piece of Essentials by Ellen 40 lb. vellum. I added the glue just behind the wheel itself. When it dried, I trimmed around with my scissors, so that the vellum showed just through the openings in the wheel.

I stamped a greeting from Hero Arts' "Color Layering Partridge" onto a strip of dark green cardstock. I heat embossed that with Ranger White Super Fine Detail embossing powder, & angled the ends of the strip. After adhering my elements to the background, I added my greeting over the wheel. Finally, I matted the panel with the same green cardstock I'd used for the greeting, and adhered it to a white A2-size card base.

I'm also entering this card in Creative Knockouts Challenge #326: "Winter/Holidays."