Blink -- Holiday Season? Yup!

Blink — and the holidays are here. While I am not ready to let go of fall… it seems the work part of my world pushes me faster into the holidays than I really want to go. That being said, I do love the winter season and all the traditions that come with it. I had so much fun figuring out how to use the latest Brutus Monroe stamp releases. I started with the poinsettias because of the detail. You know me…love great detail that makes me look like an artist…when I am anything but!

Using all the bits and bobs of the Sketched Holiday Stamp Set I went to town stamping like a wild person with Detail Ink in Raven on both heavy watercolor paper and white coverstock. As usual, I did multiples of every component since I wasn’t really sure where I would end up final project-wise. I did the same with the Holiday Sentiments Set. I work in a tiny little area of my jewelry studio and I like to get all the stamping out of the way so there is not ink on the loose! You know what I mean, right? 

Wanting to play with watercolor pencils, I started there. It has been a really long time since I worked with watercolors — and I have never done anything of significance with watercolor pencils. So, flying a bit by the seat of my pants, I just colored as I do with regular colored pencils but using a really light hand and leaving bigger white spaces between the sketch lines. Using my fine tip aqua pen, which I think I got from Brutus Monroe way back when, I “scribbled” a little bit of water over the color until I had the effect I wanted.

Coloring to me is quite relaxing and meditative so I am happy to channel that energy into an end product of sorts. For the poinsettias, using regular colored pencils, I laid down a very light yellow as a base on all the petals and then used just one red pencil — with a soft touch at first; and then filling in with some shading with a heavier touch. One of the things I like about working with colored pencils is that I can get different shades of the same color merely by changing the amount of pressure I put on the pencil. I did the greenery, using two different green pencils building up the layers of color for dimension. The pinecone started with a light layer of orange, followed with golden and copper browns. Then I did a lot of fussy cutting. (Just a reminder, there are free digital downloads to go with this stamp set on the Brutus Monroe site.) 

On coverstock, I printed the black and white checked pattern I had used in a set of Planner Stickers (ECV-0131 Series) from trlplansandprints, my Etsy store. I definitely have a thing for the vintage look of florals tossed with the black and white check. Using my Silhouette, I designed and cut a 1 5/8 inch wide scalloped strip from the black and white print. I also cut out scalloped circles for the planner clip since that idea was rolling about in the back of my mind.

Finally — putting it all together! I decided on an A2 size card (4.25” x 5.5”). I gave a really light spritz of Liquid Elements in Sterling to the coverstock card back giving it that vintage mercury glass look I love. I taped the black and white strip to the card back, spacing it so there was enough room for the floral pieces to spill over the edges onto the card back and leaving a spot for the Merry Christmas sentiment. I placed the big poinsettia piece using foam tape, then randomly placed sprigs of fir and berries using flat tape, tucking the pieces under the larger piece. After fussy cutting the sentiment, I placed it with a twig of berries using flat tape. I did remember to ink the edges of all the pieces with Detail Ink in Raven this time around — it gives the pieces a bit of depth and I think adds to the overall vintage feel. With double sided tape, I attached the card back to the actual card. Don’t forget the tiny silver dots — here and there! Voila — a beautiful vintage-inspired holiday card!

As for the planner clip — I used the same idea I shared in earlier posts — just trading out the components and using only flat tape. I think it looks cute with the Vintage Christmas series planner stickers, once again from my Etsy shop. (ECV-0152). Side note: I can’t believe you are still reading all these words but it makes me happy to know you are still here! I love seeing all the cards everyone is creating with these great stamps. I really like how differently creative minds works, don’t you?

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Tanya Lochridge Jewelry

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Planner Stickers & Printables

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