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.
Comment from LISA on November 6, 2008 at 7:26 PM
WOW HOW DO U DO THAT.IT LOOKS SO NICE IM AN ARTIST AND I CAN'T DO OMG JUST U AND SHEREE DO THAT UR WHAT OMG THAT IS SO NICE.