A Christmas Card with NOn-Christmas Dies

Hey Crafty Meraki friends....it's Michelle back with you today for my weekly blog post. Today I am sharing a Christmas card made using non-Christmas dies.  I love the different leaf dies from Crafty Meraki, so that is exactly what I used.....the Canopy and the Laurel Leaf Dies.  Let's get started, shall we! 

I used my new pearlescent paints and did 4 separate panels on watercolour paper using 3 different golds and silver. I didn't use alot of water, to try and keep their intensity.  Set aside to fully dry.  When doing watercolour pieces, especially a full panel llike this or a watercolour wash, I find that the quality of paper really makes a difference.  The better quality paper I used stayed flat, no matter how much water I used on it and the still great watercolour paper but lower price (I don't want to say cheaper lol) warped a bit amd didn't remain flat.  The paper on the left in the above photo is the better quality.  But also use whatever paper fits into your budget.

Cut out as many as you can using the small and big leaves in the Canopy and Laurel Leaf Dies, from each watercolour panel.  To add colour to the berries, I used a red goauche, added a bit of water and painted it on to the berries.  Allow these to dry.  In the end I used mostly only the smaller leaves and should have cut more of them to large ones.  

I wanted a tone on tone look for the background, so I used the Diamond Dazzle Hot Foil Plate and hot foiled it using an opal hot foil on red cardstock.  I did have some over-foiling, so I used a light ough with a sand eraser to remove it all.  Cur down this panel to 3.75x5" and add some gold paint flecks using one of the golds used for the leaves.  Cit out the bow from the red cardstock using the Take A Bow Again Die Set.

For the base of my wreath, I cut out the middle layer from the Tinsel Ornament Layering Die.  Cut out the mddle of it, leaving only the thin outer circle frame of it. This will help, as if any of it pokes through the finished wreath, it won't be seen much as it is the same colour as the background. 

Arrange the diecut leaves on the circle, trying to keep it a little even and fill in any gaps that may arise.  I did cut apart some of the larger leves to fill in some gaps.  Use liquid adhesive to adhere them to the circle and bend and manipulate the diecuts to fir the circle better.  Attach the hot foiled background to an A2 cardbase made from the same red cardstock.  Attach the finished wreath the the background in the middle usinf liquid adhesive,  Heat emboss the sentiment in gold and cut out using the Gilded Greetings Stamp Set and coordinating die.

Attach the sentiment using foam tape and add some more sparkle with the Meraki Sparkle Red.  These were the perfect touch for that gorgeous Meraki sparkle!  And that¨s it....I had lots of fun putting this together and creating a Chistmas wreath and these greenery leaves were perfect for it!

Thank you very much for stopping by today and joining me on the blog.  I hope that I have helped to inspire you in some way.  I wish you all the most wonderful day and until next time,  Michelle :)