Simple, High-Impact Christmas Cards

I've been making a lot of Christmas cards, but many of them are rather involved, and I have a LOT more to go and it's nearly December. I also have a lot of supplies I haven't used, so today I wanted to make a few cards that I might be able to mass produce. The goal for each one was to use supplies I hadn't gotten to this season and to keep the supplies for each card to a very short list.

A Gold and Deep Burgundy Stunner

This month, the Colorful Options challenge is to use Burgundy. I started making holiday cards using my favorite burgundy cardstock and feeling unsure, and now I'm looking to mass produce this one. I couldn't be more pleased.

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Spellbinders, Scenic Poinsettias Embossing Folder [SPB] [SBC]
Spellbinders, Bold Type Merry Christmas--Discontinued
Lunar Paste, Slippery When Wet [SPB] [SBC]

Challenge/s Entered

Maybe My Favorite

I know it looks very clean and simple, but for me, this is taking a lot of risks, and I LOVE how it turned out. I created a pile of white space (thank you Cathy Zielske), added white pigment ink with a brayer (thank you Jennifer McGuire, though this was hard than I anticipated), and cut some sequins so I could fake-nestle one under the sentiment (thank you Laura Fadora).

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Challenge/s Entered

Can You Handle the Pressure

A Bling-tacular Non-Christmas Card

Let's get real, not all of my cards get sent before Christmas, and I'm okay with that. In fact, I think a Christmas card sent in May is hilarious, and I know my friends will chuckle, but there's something awkward about a Christmas card in January. I also have friends who celebrate holidays other than Christmas, so I love this one as a non-Christmas option.

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Challenge/s Entered

Colorful Options: Beautiful Burgundy

Channeling My Inner-CZ

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I've been watching the Simon Says Stamp 5 Ways in 5 Days, always a favorite of mine, and the intrepid Cathy Zielske did a tutorial today on 5 ways to make clean and simple cards. I "can" do clean and simple, but I have such a love for interactive and surprise cards that I often forget that it's an option.

For this card, I was really just playing around with a lot of things--CZ's ideas, a Nuvo Glacier Paste I've had for over a year and never opened, ink blending on a deeply embossed panel--and things... wonky. The glacier paste has actual glitter pieces in it that I didn't anticipate, so the panel was uneven, but I love how the thickly glittered areas show through the velum when the lightly glittered areas do not (so I left them at the top).

Challenge/s Entered

Everyday Tools:

I've been making cards for over ten years and there are a few things that get used on a daily basis. They make cardmaking more joyful for me. I hope this list is helpful for you. Some items are listed with an affiliate link which offers me a small commission at no cost to you (items noted with an asterisk), while others are linked here just because I think these products are the best!