Watercolor Art - Christmas

I tried a Christmas art drawing last night.

A Bethlehem Star front and center.  A night blue sky with stars.

A stable with Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus.

Sand dunes a plenty.

Penciled then went over with a dip pen and black ink.

Watercolored with my rag tag pencils.

 

2021 Christmas Card Challenge - Refurbished Cards - Session 2

I continue my clean up of old cards and they need to be use or otherwise disposed of.

A beautiful manger scene which is simple and elegant.

I just added a brown texture card stock layer to the golden rod card base.

The manger layer was then adhered to the brown layer.

I added a greeting with a Stampin Up Modern Label in the the card color and a brown Word Window punchie.  This was adhered to the card front with 3D foam tape.

While shepherds kept their watching
Over silent flocks by night,
Behold throughout the heavens,
There shone a holy light:

I love the beautiful greens in this stain glass window of the shepherds in the fields.

I trimmed the window from the commercial card front.  It was not wide enough so I added a strip of purple to the right hand side.

The stained glass layer was adhered to the card front with 3D foam tape.

 

 

 

A well lit church scene inside a Christmas tree shape with gold foil stars all around.

I trimmed it and then layered it on a piece of white card stock.  Then added to a medium blue card base.

I added a Stampin Up Modern Label punichie greeting in blue. This was adhered to the card with 3D foam tape.

 
 

 

 

The name above all names "Jesus".  The reason for the season.  Gorgeous trio of candles with holly around the base. I added a green layer to the golden rod card base. Adhered the focal element with 3D foam tape.

 

The trip to Bethlehem on a donkey.  Mary pregnant with Jesus and Joseph leading the family to their destiny. 

Love the blues and purples in this card.  Adhered with 3D foam tape to a purple card.

I am really happy with these cards. 

Five more cards for the Christmas box.

Christmas Card Order - My Photos

I had an order for manger cards again this year.

I made a few Christmas cards in this set with photos.  This one is the Nativity which used to sit in my office when I worked.

I love the stars in the deep purple sky.  The big star above the baby.  I used gold mesh as straw on the floor.

The blue green below is a batik wall hanging.

This one is burgundy velvet curtains in the background with gold holy family in the foreground. These had color printed frames.

 I photographed this holy family at a nativity display.  I replaced the background on this one with a purple handmade paper digital from my collection. 

I then added that to the solid 3.5x5 inch photo. 

I added the words from "O Holy Night" on the right hand side.  It was adhered to a deep purple card base.

This is my small nativity which I photographed a while back.  It comes out every year.

I cut the photo to almost square.  I mounted it to  a brown Tim Holtz Cameo Frame with 3D foam tape. 

This was adhered to a tan card. 

Christmas Card Challenge - Ornament Silver

The challenge for March is Ornament and Silver.

I chose to use my recent purchase again. I cut the Penny Black Creative Die 51-254 Manger from black card stock.  I cut a circle from sparkly paper with a Spellbinder Nestabilities Smooth Round from the small set.  I cut an ornament with the Sizzix Ornament #2 from the same black card stock. I assembled the ornament by gluing the sparkly paper onto the ornament then attaching the manger die cut with a pewter star brad.

I printed the greeting layer onto warm grey card stock then trimmed close to the border.  I then adhered the ornament to that layer aligning it with the branch.  I cut a length of silver cord, made a bow and adhered it to the ornament hanger. I trimmed the ends with scissors.

I placed 2 lengths of silver glitter washi tape onto the black card front aligning them near the top and bottom. The greeting layer was then adhered to the card front with 3D foam tape.  I think I will try a couple with cooler grey card stock.

I made a couple with the same non shed silver glitter paper and the manger scene shows up much better on those.   Those also have the cooler toned card stock greeting layer. 

Card Fronts Relayered #3

This is another church card.  The frame with the clear centre is one from Photo Elements.  I placed the music sheet with O Little Town of Bethlehem behind it and created a graphic I could use in my layout software.
I added the greeting in red at the top of the card front and a script font.  The leaves for the red flower were added too.
The card front was color printed.
The red silk flower was added to the bottom right hand corner with a gold sequin and a gold tiny brad.
This card front was trimmed and layered onto a red new card base.

This is a card I designed from an advent class several years ago.

I trimmed the card front and layered it onto a new navy blue card base which matched the navy scallop oval in the centre of the card.

Another church card.
I designed the large greeting with fonts.
I added the faded green oval background and printed it on white card stock.
The flower is made of 2 confetti daisies held in place with a white tiny brad.

This card front was trimmed and layered onto a new red card base.  A new insert was added and it's ready to give again.



Not all the cards donated come to me in good shape. Sometimes the card back has been punched with holes because the recipient put it on their bulletin board, so the front is salvaged and re-layered.  Sometime only the card front arrives, again it likely can be re-layered.  Sometimes the card front was not assembled very well, the elements may not be glued on straight, maybe there is glue residue where it should not be, or some other aspect that makes the card front not able to be re-used.  It happens.  I give a second life to as many as I can.

As I reviews cards and kits I have made years ago I am amazed at how many I have done.  Christmas is my favorite time of year and I don't need a big excuse to participate in it at any level.  Cards have been a natural go to for me for a long time. Sending paper cards is in decline.  I'm working on digital Christmas cards.  I made some last year and have to design new ones for this year.

Challenge - Any Cricut Cut

I made this card for the challenge at Bitten by the Bug2 which is Any Cricut Cut.  I decided on a Christmas card as my supply is lower than it should be!
I selected the Winter Frolic cartridge and cut the greeting from gold card stock.  It was cut at 1.25". I chose AC Kringle and Co - Lighting Department designer double sided paper. The star and manger are my own design.  I adjusted the colors to match the warm blue card stock I selected then printed it on the DSP.  I rubbed the edges of the DSP layer with a navy ink pad to soften the edges.  I then glued the gold greeting.
I'm really happy with this one!

Cmas Card Challenge - March - Star

My Christmas Card Challenge theme this month is Star.  I chose a Bethlehem star.  There are many options for stars: Bethlehem, one, many, night sky, layered, 6 point, 5 point, primitive, traditional, die cut, stamped, watercolored. What comes to mind for you?

I started with the glitter star background from American Crafts which does not shed glitter.  It was on sale because it is rolling and not very attractive from a retail point of view.  I brought a sheet home because I wanted a starry background for my QuicKutz  Nativity die.  I found some navy card stock that matched the blue in the glitter paper.  The glitter paper was cut to 4"x5.25".  I tried several colors of nativity before I settled on a white one.  This die is a 12" cookie cutter one and I cut a piece of white 5.25" wide then placed in along the die to get the manger scene.  It was great because I managed to get the shepherd as well. The die has a star on the stable but I wanted something bigger so I cut it off and replaced it.  I chose a Sizzix star die to cut the central star.  I selected some thin glitter paper but it needed some stiffness to allow it to be raised from the card with 3D foam tape.  I glued it to white card stock which I pressed for a while to ensure good adhesion before diecutting. I applied narrow strips of 3D foam tape to the points of the stars as well a square in the center then aligned it with peak of the stable. Very happy with these cards.  I made 6 of these.

Card - Advent Class Cards

I was asked to help out with a "Getting Ready for Christmas" class.  The instructor is spending 8 weeks helping the group prepare for Christmas spiritually as well as practically.  Each week she has a related craft.  This week it was Christmas cards and she asked me to teach the card class.  We had an hour so I kept the cards simple to ensure everyone was able to finish their 4 cards in the time allotted.

I wanted a versatile design in which I could change the colors without affecting the entire design. Also, I wanted a card in each orientation of portrait and landscape to add variety.  I selected the these images: the manger scene is by SonLight Impressions which I have owned for years.  The candles I just bought this summer is by Sunshine Designs put out by Stamp Barn.  I gold embossed the central image on white cardstock then cut it with Nestabilibities Classic Oval.  I then cut a Nestabilities Scalloped Oval in a solid colored cardstock to coordinate with the designer paper.  These were glue together, I dotted each scallop with a Galaxy white opaque marker and a fabric gold snowflake was added with a Zot.  The designer paper was trimmed to 5.25x4.00 inches and glued to a white card. The central oval was mounted to the card with 3D foam tape which easily adds dimension. I had seven different color combinations so that there was lots of variety so each person got 4 different cards.