Homemade Christmas Cards
I started stamping only a few years ago. In 2003, I began stamping Christmas cards. It has become quite a feat every year, but I fully enjoy making and sending them. The last few years I have even sent them in clear plastic envelopes -- The cards look so pretty and the mail carriers can see them too!
The 2003 card (the one on the left) was created with the Stampin' Up set "Gingerbread House." I stamped peppermints on the background and colored everything with markers. I stamped gingerbread men on shimmery bronze paper, cut them out, and strung them to the house. Their hearts are filled in with red glitter. I think that these cards were in limited supply, I want to say that I only made 15 or so. I couldn't handle cutting/coloring any more houses or gingerbread men. Being my first year, I did not anticipate the work involved.
In 2004 I made cards with three different images. I had bought a block stamp made by Endless Designs with 3 Christmas stamps (an elf, a penguin, and a snowman). I bought window cards (navy and green) from Paper Cut. The images were colored in with watercolor pencils and cotton swabs. I brushed the card with some powder I had to give it a shimmer. (I can't remember the name of it, but it comes with a "medium" stamp pad to set the powder.)
My 2005 cards were more complicated. I used the Stampin' Up set "A Merry Season." The snowman was colored with chalk and then I used "E-Z Chalk Enhancer" made by Craft-T Products, Inc. I added a small pom pom to the Santa hat, thread to the scarf, and dimensional glitter to the snow. I also took brown embroidery thread, dipped it in laundry starch, and formed "branches" for arms. These were then just glued onto the back of the snowman after gluing on the tree.
This past year's card (2006) was not as impressive as my 2005 card, mainly due to the fact that I was taking 18 credits and classes ended one week before Christmas. I even forgot to take a picture of the card! So, I have to get my hands on a copy of it, and I'll post it at a later date. Update: 2006 Christmas Card.
Lastly, I used to have a group of friends who got together to stamp once a month. I posted a few of our swaps that we did- April 2004, July 2005, and a Christmas card swap.
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Wow how do u do that. It looks so nice I'm an artist and I can't do OMG just u and sherree do that ur what OMG that is so nice.
hey hey
i think homemade cards are the best to add effct and show that you have out thought into it.
i am making my own this year and your ideas are great thanks
Sasha
I would love to know how to make the snowman one. Can you send me the instructions ? Or do you post them elsewhere ?
The stamp was part of a Stampin' Up set.
I stamped the image with permanent ink and colored it in with chalk. There is a special liquid that you can apply to chalk to make it look like water colors. I rubbed that on with Q-tips.
Then I glued a small pom pom on the end of the Santa hat and I applied 3-D glitter as the snow on the bottom. At the end of the scarf, I glued on DMC (needlepoint) thread and trimmed them to make them even.
I also took brown DMC thread and dipped it into liquid starch. After it was wet, I divided the ends into three partitions of two strands each. Let it dry and then glue onto the back of the snowman. The little tree was part of the original stamp, so I cut it out and then glued it into the stick hand.
I believe that I also added 3-D gel to the buttons so that they would dry raised, hard, and clear
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