Happy 11-sleeps-till-Christmas! Are you excited?! Over here, I’m pleased to report that all of my holiday cards have been sent, gifts have been gifted (or scheduled to be gifted), and Christmas music has been playing constantly. I’m feeling very ready for the opportunity to rest and relax over the holidays, and I hope that you get to do the same. But in the meantime…. I have a little trio of cards to share today that I made with a variety of my favorite Essentials by Ellen products.
First things first: color. I love jewel tones at this time of year, and the combination I chose mixes a few of those with some lighter colors. We have…
- Catherine Pooler Daydream
- Catherine Pooler Sauna
- Catherine Pooler Cummberbund
- The Stamp Market Fuchsia
- Catherine Pooler Apricot
… and of course, the holidays wouldn’t be the holidays without a little (or a lot) of shine, so I added gold foil to the mix, with a little incorporated on each of the three cards. Here’s a closer look at each one, the products used, and a few tips and tricks that I used along the way:
Card 1: Holly Jolly Christmas
Products:
Essentials by Ellen Abstract Paint Strokes
Essentials by Ellen Cool Yule Stamp Set – a GWP from last month
Essentials by Ellen Christmas Magic Stamps + Die Combo
Essentials by Ellen Press Plate
Essentials by Ellen Essential Rectangles
Pinkfresh Studio Gold Pearls
Color palette linked above, plus Catherine Pooler Juniper Mist
TIP: Want some gold shine but don’t have time to get your foiling machine out? This is where pre-made DIY gold foil cardstock is your best friend! I had several sheets ready prior to this crafting session that I created with the Essentials by Ellen Press Plate. To create the dimension you see on this card, I simply used the Essentials by Ellen Essential Rectangles to cut out a thin border, tossing the thin piece and keeping the two remaining. Then, I layered the pieces of the white panel over the gold cardstock with foam tape, and mounted the whole thing to the card base.
Card 2: Merry & Bright
Products:
- Pinkfresh Studio Abstract Triangles Hot Foil Plate
- Essentials by Ellen Holiday Cheer Hot Foil Stamp
- Essentials by Ellen Christmas Magic Stamps + Die Combo
- Spellbinders Shiny Gold Foil
- Color palette linked above.
TIP: Here I’ve used the design principle of repetition to create a sense of unity and consistency. You can do the same on any card by adding several of the same die cuts, stamping the same image in different colors, or even repeating the same sentiment multiple times.
Card 3: Foiled Falala
Products:
- Pinkfresh Studio Diagonal Stripes Hot Foil Plate
- Essentials by Ellen Holly Jolly Christmas Stamp Set
- Essentials by Ellen Essential Squares Die Set
- Spellbinders Shiny Gold Foil
- Color palette linked above
TIP: When I was new to crafting, multi-color sentiment stamping seemed next to impossible. I soon learned that Post-it Tape (or stamp masking paper, or low-tack tape) makes this process SO much easier! To do it, set up your stamp in the MISTI and mask off all parts of the sentiment except those you want to stamp in your first color. Ink the exposed parts of the stamp, then quickly remove the Post-It tape if you’ve hit any of it with the ink pad. Stamp the image, then clean the stamp and move on to do each of the other colors in your palette. Depending on the stamp design, you may find it easier to use ink cubes since they’re smaller than pads. The process does take a little while, but it’s worth it, in my opinion!
Even though these cards were made for the holidays, I hope you find the tips helpful in your crafting all year round. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and I’ll see you back here soon!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links and by purchasing products through these links, I earn a small commission. Thank you so much for supporting the incredible companies I’ve partnered with.