Bah Humbug, NOT!

I'm starting to design and make my Christmas Cards. I'm probably one of a few people that have purchased the unique stamp set from SU called, Keep Christmas. It is unique because the images are related to the story, written by Charles Dickens, called, The Christmas Carol.

I love the Christmas Carol story and I watch the movies (several versions of it) each year. I share this "Carol" passion with a relative and I decided to make him a Christmas card this year using this stamp set. I needed a card design for a male and I wanted to keep the Victorian feel of the images.

I also wanted a WOW factor involved in the card. So I decided to try the Dryer Sheet Technique to add softness and a little dazzle. Click on this link for a tutorial on how to do this technique. Dryer Sheet


Click to enlarge picture

The Image has a layer of used dryer sheet over it that has been glittered with dazzling diamonds. You cannot see the effects in the picture, but it turned out great!

Dryer Sheet Tip:
The only thing I have to say about the dryer sheet technique was that it covered my image too much and I couldn't see the detail that I wanted to see. So I took a piece of sand paper and lightly sanded a little bit through the dryer sheet; just over the areas that I wanted more detail to show through. This took off a layer or too, but it still has the look and feel of softness.

Also in the tutorial link they used an xryon machine, if you do not have one of those, just use spray adhesive.

Coloring the image:
I stamped the image using black Stazon ink on water color paper.
I used SU markers and a blender pen to color in the image. Outline a section of the stamped image with a SU marker, then use a blender pen, to pull color where desired. You can use more then one color to blend for depth. For example, in this card, I used two colors of yellow on the lamp light.

I will only make a few of these cards because of the work involved. But I like to make several different designs of Christmas cards to match the personality of the ones I'm sending them too.

Card recipe: All products SU
Stamps: Keep Christmas, Tres chic background stamped on pomegranate
Ink: Pomegranate, black stazon,
Markers: old olive, not quite navy, going gray, rose red, ruby red, summer sun, more mustard,
chocolate chip
Paper: Pomegranate, more mustard, not quite navy, going gray, artichoke, watercolor paper
Other: ticket corner punch, silver cord, blender pen to blend marker colors, dazzling diamond
glitter, used dryer sheet, xryon machine to add adhesive for the dryer sheet technique
Note: I sponged Not quite navy ink on the edges of the more mustard card piece