Christmas in July - Two Holiday Cards

Hello again! Enza here, and I’m back today to share two Christmas cards featuring several Crafty Meraki products. I know it may be too early for some people; summer has barely started – at least in my neck of the woods – but I truly enjoy creating projects for the holiday season. It’s fun, and it motivates me to go through my stash and figure out what other products I may want to purchase 😉

I feel that I need to preface by saying that coloring is not my forte. I struggle with shading, and nothing ever looks good enough to me. That said, it is true that we are our worst critics, so I keep trying, and one of my cards today includes pieces that I colored using alcohol markers.

I started by stamping some foliage and berries from the Evergreen Elegance Stamp Set with Altenew Clear Embossing Ink. I then sprinkled Altenew Antique Gold Embossing Powder on the images and embossed them using a heat tool. I knew I wanted to make sure I stayed in the lines when coloring, so this worked out perfectly as the melted embossing powder created a subtle edge around the images. Once I had all my pieces ready, I used Altenew Alcohol Markers to color them. Here are the colors: Forest Glades, Olive, and Moss for the leaves; Crimson, Velvet, and Ruby Red for the berries. I think they came out okay.

Before arranging the foliage in a wreath shape, I prepared the background. I embossed an A2 panel of Neenah Solar White 110 lbs cardstock with the Sizzix Tim Holtz Cracked Embossing Folder. I then ink-blended the whole panel with Distress Oxide in Antique Linen to achieve a vintage-y look, and gently glided Distress Oxide in Walnut Stain over the top to make the cracked wood stand out.

A shaped card is always fun, so I used nested arch dies from my stash to die cut the “wooden” panel, a second panel from brown cardstock to mat the first one, and then the card base. Once everything was adhered together, I arranged the foliage and berries directly on the card, using foam dots to give the wreath dimension and a more realistic look.

I finished the card with a sentiment from the EAP - Festive Flora Wreath, which I cut with the coordinating dies before adhering it to my card with foam dots.

The second card is very simple and perfect for mass production.

I again used the Sizzix Tim Holtz Cracked Embossing Folder to emboss an A2 panel of Bazzill cardstock in Pomegranate to adhere to the card base. You can’t see much of it, but it adds a subtle texture and more interest to the card. The same concept was used for the patterned paper that went on top. I feel the geometric design balances the softness and curvy lines of the wreath really well.

After preparing the base, I glued a piece of white cardstock behind the center of the wreath to create more contrast with the background and adhered it toward the left side of the prepared base for more interest.

I finished the card with a sentiment from the EAP - Festive Flora Wreath. Instead of using foam dots to give it dimension, I cut the shape of the sentiments several times from white cardstock and glued it together for a more sturdy look. Clear gems added sparkle and a festive touch to the card.

I hope you found inspiration in these cards today. Thank you for stopping by!

Enza