Wednesday, January 08, 2020

{Christmas in the Air} CAS Christmas Cards by Nancy and Monika


Happy Wednesday, STAMPlorations friends! We're just coming out of the holiday season but hey, it's never too early to start building up your stash of Christmas cards, right? Our Christmas in the Air blog feature with STAMPgirls Nancy and Monika will hopefully help you do just that -- that is, every 2nd Wednesday in January, March, and May. 

We'll also randomly draw one lucky winner of a $15 gift code from all the comments left on this post, on Nancy's post and on Monika's post. Let's have a look at their cards.


  

  


Here is a more detailed look at

Never too soon to start your 2020 Christmas cards! STAMPlorations has many wonderful clear stickers available, which are perfect for adding to artsy watercolored backgrounds.



I made the watercolored backgrounds using Distress Inks onto a ziplock freezer bag. Then spritzed ink with water and flipped over to lay onto ATC die cut Strathmore Mixed Media paper to get the smooshed results or you can do your smooshing onto craft mat or glass mat. I used Distress Inks: Barn Door and Mowed Lawn.



Finished the cards by attaching the Tis the Season clear stickers to the dry ATC backgrounds. Die cut card front with the Crazy Running Stitch Rectangle Die and stenciled with the Dots All Over stencil using glittery Nuvo Glimmer Paste..Moonstone. Let paste dry and then added the popped up ATC to the card base and Done!


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Sharing two more Christmas cards using Tis The Season Clear Stickers and ATC Tag Builder Dies




After making the first two cards, I decided to try making a couple more cards using a Quick Clean and Simple (QCAS) design.

I added texture to the card base by dry embossing with a SU Embossing Folder "Subtle". I had more backgrounds in my stash using the same smooshed technique as my  first two cards, but this time I used Yupo paper and Distress Oxide Inks: Faded Jeans and Pumice Stone for a warmer effect. Popped up the backgrounds with foam, added the Tis the Season Clear Stickers and Done!

Have fun hoping along and being inspired to start your 2020 Christmas Stash!


Hugs, Nancy


      

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Hello Crafty Friends! Welcome to January's Christmas In The Air feature.

You can never start too early making Christmas cards. That way you won't be caught out, at least that's what I've decided to do this year.

I thought I'd start with sharing a couple of one-layer cards, perfect for sending abroad and overseas.

First up is a card with a stencilled holly border.


The inspiration for this card came from my chosen sentiment 'Have a jolly holly Christmas'. It was perfect for a stencilled holly background. My latest toy for blending ink, little eyeshadow applicator brushes, would come in handy too. 

I first masked off the strip, positioned the Holly Background Mini Stencil and taped it down.


Next I chose 2 shades of green, 2 shades of red, 1 shade of yellow and simply used the brushes to blend my inks through my stencil ...


... and around the holly before removing the masking tape. I ended up with a nice decorative strip. The stamped sentiment finished my card off perfectly.

TIP!: For a different look, try moving the stencilled strip to the top of the card front and/or change the position of the sentiment.


  


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Next up is my second card featuring a little pencil coloured Elf.


This little elf was so delicate that I felt a CAS card would be the best way to help it take center stage.

To colour the elf I used metallic pencils. Their subtle shimmer adds some extra interest when it catches the light. Sadly the shimmer doesn't show up in photos, but looks pretty on the card. A few stencilled stars and stamped sentiment finished my card off.


I decided to stamp my sentiment towards the top of my card front for a more balanced look. I felt it would look too heavy right next to the elf.



  


Hope you're having fun hopping along.
Hugs
Monika xxx

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For a chance to win a $15 gift code to the STAMPlorations store, leave a comment here and on the designers' blogs (Nancy's blog here and Monika's blog here) by February 8. We'll announce the winner in the January winners post on February 10.

If you enjoyed today's feature post, Nancy and Monika will be back in March for more festive inspiration. Jane and Tanja will be back next month with another helping of wing themed projects, so keep your eyes peeled!

This month we are a Winter Sale. Check out the details of all our promotions on our store's current promotions page here.


27 comments:

  1. I agree that it's never too early to start making Christmas cards. Love these CAS creations.

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  2. WOW! Gorgeous cards and great techniques! I love the stenciling and the ink smooshing!

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  3. Fun techniques and lovely card designs. Wonderfully festive!

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  4. Wonderful work here - love to make Christmas cards all year long - love the distress ink technique by Nancy - thanks to the DT for sharing!

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  5. These are all beautiful cards!
    Thanks for sharing techniques!

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  6. Awesome cards! I'm still in holiday cardmaking mode, so maybe I can get some done to get a stash built up to send out in December of this year!

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  7. Delightful set of cards...great way to keep the holiday spirit going. tfs

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  8. Beautiful cards and great designs to start a stash for 2020.

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  9. Lovely cards, especially if you make Christmas cards all year round!

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  10. These ladies have really charged my batteries again to start on making Christmas cards for the next season. They sure are wonderful designs.

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  11. Great looking cards...it's never to early to start with Christmas cards....well done ladies and tfs

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  12. Fabulous cards ladies, and yes get a start on the Christmas stash right at the start of the year, it sure helped me last year. I love Nancy's QCAS cards and the use of stencils on Monkika's - great inspiration

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  13. Lovely cards ladies! I love each of them, even thought they are so different.

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  14. WOW - WONDERFUL cards!
    LOVE the ink smooshing, LOVE the stencils, LOVE the designs => I HAVE to get started on our 2020 Christmas cards NOW :)

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  15. Great start for
    next year's cards.
    So pretty.
    Carla from Utah

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  16. Pretty cards! If I can do one card a week, then I will have around 50 cards ready in December. Kind of like a “Christmas Club” for cards. :). Great ideas!

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  17. I love making Christmas cards all year long! These are all wonderfully designed.

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  18. Wonderful cards. I really like the one with the holly border.

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  19. Oh, I agree! It is NEVER too early to start making Christmas cards! And these are awesome!

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  20. I love the cards. The use of stencils and clear stickers are perfect! Better to start early than wait and be late (and rushed).

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  21. I love the smooshing that Nancy did and the color combos she used. So easy to add a sentiment with the stickers. And I love how beautiful Monika's holly stencilling came out!

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  22. Cute cards! I love making Christmas cards all year long! Great inspiration!

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