Hi everyone, today I’m sharing my first Christmas cards of this year with you all, and yes, I know I’m starting early, but each year I create a lot of cards, and I don’t like doing things last minute, so I figured I should make a good start!
I created two sets of each two cards, using the same images and the same backgrounds for each set, with some slight variations. These angel stamps were not designed to be specifically for Christmas, but I felt they are suitable for it nonetheless.
Set 1:
Each set is created in the same way, so what I explain for this set is also applicable for the other one! I started each card by stamping the angel image onto Strathmore Bristol Smooth Surface Paper using black ink and I heat embossed afterwards, this way my lines stay black and crisp, no matter how much water I add (use an anti-static powder tool before stamping the image). For this set I used the Crafter’s Companion stamp and die set called “Angel Messenger”.
I coloured all the images using my Spectrum Noir Aqua Markers in combination with a water brush.
For hair I used: Terracotta and Chocolate;
For skin I used: Peach and Spice;
For the green/pink dress I used: Hot Pink, Bud Green and Evergreen;
For the green/red dress I used: Scarlet, Flame Red and Evergreen;
Other colours that I used on the image: Gold and Flint;
Around the image I coloured using Aquamarine for the green/pink image and Kingfisher for the green/red image.
You can find all the Aqua Markers that I used on today’s project here:
https://www.crafterscompanion.eu/art-and-colouring/spectrum-noir/aqua.html
After the colouring is done and the paper is dry I added back some highlights using a white gel pen and than I fussy cut the image leaving a small border.
Now that my focal point is ready I can work on my background: for each card I die cut a rectangle panel two sizes smaller than my card base. Onto this panel I first stamped my sentiment using black ink (for this set I used one of the sentiments from the Clearly Besotted “Smaller Sentiments” stamp set).
Next I placed my stencil of choice (this one is TCW924s) over the panels and I applied some Imagination Crafts Sparkle Medium over the stencil using a palette knife and set that aside to dry. For the angel in the green/pink dress I used Sparkle Medium in “Turquoise” and for the angel in the green/red dress I used Sparkle Medium in “Lapis Blue”.
Now I can put my cards together: for the angel in the green/red dress I die cut a slightly larger rectangle mat from deep red card stock and for the angel in the green/pink dress I die cut a slightly larger rectangle mat from matching pink card stock. These panels I adhered together using liquid glue.
The combination of these panels I adhered to creme coloured card bases using one millimetre thick foam tape.
And to finish this set I now only have to adhere the coloured and fussy cut angels on top also using one millimetre thick foam tape.
Set 2:
The creative process is the same as mentioned for the first set, so I will only mention the products and colours that I used:
On this set I also used my SN Aqua Markers:
For hair I used: Terracotta and Chocolate;
For skin I used: Peach and Spice;
For the dogs I used: Terracotta and Chestnut;
For the green/red clothes I used: Bright Meadow, Ocean Green, Flame Red and Sepia;
For the purple/orange clothes I used: Jasmine, Sunset, Orchid and Prussian Blue;
On the wings I used a little of the Azure Blue;
And around the images I used some Sage (which matches the Sparkle Medium that I’m using nicely).
My sentiment is a combination of stamps from the Clearly Besotted “Message Me” stamp set. The stencil I used is TCW720s. The Sparkle Medium for this set is “Sage Green”. And let’s not forget the angel: this one is from the Crafter’s Companion stamp and die set “Friendship Angel”. I used a dark red mat for one card and a terra cotta orange mat for the other card.
And that is for today’s Christmas project! I wish you a creative day!
