Keeping It Simple...

Hi folks, after a couple of decades of making my own personal Christmas cards, I've learned that it pays to keep it simple, there's no point in going down the route of using lots of techniques when you have a pile of cards to make. The run-up to Christmas is stressful enough and who wants to be a frazzled wreck come the big day...

I decided to use the gorgeous snowflakes from Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous Mini Swirly Snowflakes stamp set and looked out my must-have tool when it comes to batch stamping...the Tim Holtz Stamp Platform. I did a little test run on scrap paper, just to check I was happy with the arrangement of the snowflakes and as most of the snowflakes were to be stamped off the edges, I marked with pencil on the scrap paper where to place the card panels. I inked the stamps with Versamark ink and stamped all the panels before sprinkling them with Ranger Super Fine White Embossing Powder and heat setting. 

I used Tim Holtz/Sizzix Alphanumeric Thinlits to die cut the words from the panels, it's a great alphabet set for creating words as it has multiple vowels and consenants. I then looked out some of my favourite Distress Oxide ink colours, Faden Jeans, Frayed Burlap, Wilted Violet and Peacock Feathers, lightly inked the panels with a blending tool and spritzed with water to create that snow splattered look. I then flicked on Tarnished Brass and Brushed Pewter Distress Mica Spray which doesn't show up in the photos but gives a lovely shimmer when you turn the cards to the light. I fixed the left over die cuts letters back into the negative die-cut space with Ranger Multi Medium Matte, stamped the sentiment from Simon Says Stamp Stained Glass Greetings with Distress Black Soot Archival, Peacock Feathers, Wilted Violet Distress Oxides and Versamark heat embossed with white embossing powder and finished off by adding sparkly gems I found in my stash, bought donkeys years ago but what a stroke of luck, they were an exact colour match...

I still have cards to make for the grandkiddos but if I've the done my maths right, I should have enough for everyone else so it looks like I won't be making a last minute dash to my local M&S Card Department this year. I just need to find the motivation to write and address them all, which is NOT a task I enjoy.

Hugs Kath xxx

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