You still have time to complete holiday cards to send to family and friends. The four card samples below use stamping/scrapping supplies you may already have on hand. You’ll find suggestions in the article for substituting supplies or images that will work just as well.
The gold leafing on the first card, “Golden Christmas,” is applied using Tacky Powder. This powder has the advantage of easy use, and it can be stored for years without drying out. Tacky Glue, Duo Glue, or specialty glue like Designer Leaf Sizing can be used in place of the Tacky Powder.
The leafing used is imitation gold, not genuine. There is a considerable cost difference. Similar leafing in either flakes or sheets is available in most craft stores.
Try substituting a rubber stamp from your collection for the skeleton leaf. A stamped elongated leaf, fern or feather would be stunning in place of the skeleton leaf. Emboss the stamped image with purple embossing powder or another color to match the layer.
“Star Light” conveys a vintage look. It was designed from scraps of cardstock and background paper. Try substituting other colors you have in your scrap pile for a similar monochromatic look. If you do not have a tree stamp, substitute an ornament or decorative image and decorate with embellishments that you have on hand including small gems, stickers, or glitter.
A high quality smooth-surface cardstock makes the star image pop off the paper on the card “Noel.” Some cardstock is too porous, thus causing the embossing powder to melt into the paper rather than raise above it.
For this project, I chose to blend embossing powders. The detail white powder did not have the look I was seeking when used alone, and the sparkling powder was not as clear and sharp as I wanted. Mixing two parts of detail white and one part of sparkling powders created the perfect effect.
Ranger and Stewart Superior both offer several sparkling embossing powders that can be substituted for the one used on this card.
If you do not have a large snowflake stamp, try substituting a stamp of a pear, bell, bird, tree, or star to use with the white embossing powders.
“Checking His List” can easily be adapted for photographs rather than a stamped image. Simply adjust the size of your card to fit the size of the photograph.
Besides using a photo corner stamped image, you can use a small square stamp for each corner. Two sides of the square are cut to fit the corner of the photo.
The Santa on the card is from a punch-out sheet of holiday images and tags. You can download copyright free images from the internet or cut Santa images from old holiday cards.
Beat the holiday rush so you can actually enjoy crafting your own holiday cards. Start this month! Your family and friends are sure to enjoy receiving them.
