It’s Sunday…and time to play with The Paper Players! This week the challenge is Christmas in July! What better way to cool down on a hot summer’s day than by creating a holiday card or two! Snowmen, Santas, Christmas Trees, Greetings of the Season…pull them out and dust them off. Since my Stampin’ Up! Holiday Catalog pre-order did not arrive in Iowa in time to use one of the new sets, I decided to pull out a few retired sets: A Christmas Carol, Christmas Lodge, French Foliage. I will be teaching a watercoloring session to member’s of Mary Fish’s Pretty Pals at Convention in a few weeks, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity to practice my skills. So…I pulled out my Stampin’ Write Markers and a Blender Pen, and set to work. I hope you enjoy my first holiday card of the year.
The Stampin’ Schach Design Tips: Watercoloring with Blender Pens and Stampin’ Write Markers
This finished card measures 5-1/2″ wide x 4-1/4″ long.
- Easy does it! When water coloring with Stampin’ Write Markers and Blender Pens, I lightly rub the Blender Pen on the broad side of the marker, and test it before applying. Start light…and add more if necessary. Handy hint: Staying within the lines is easier if you heat emboss the image first!
- Decorating the tree! Pearls were colored with a dark red permanent marker, and added to the Tree image from Christmas Lodge, another recently retired set. For a wee bit of sparkle, Dazzling Details were added after coloring.
- Waterspots! The Waterspot image from French Foliage ages any card instantly! It is one of my favorite stamps.
So what do you think of today’s Christmas in July card? Won’t you let me know in today’s comments? Your comments are important to me. And remember, if you ever have any questions about the cards I create or the techniques I use, I am only an email away. Until next time…
Stamp Sets: French Foliage, A Christmas Carol, Christmas Lodge; Inks: Always Artichoke, Crumb Cake, VersaMark; Stampin’ Write Markers: Cherry Cobbler, Smoky Slate, Basic Black, Always Artichoke, Night of Navy, Elegant Eggplant, Blush Blossom; Card Stock: Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler, Basic Black; Designer Series Paper: Modern Medley, Regals Designer Series Paper Stack; Tools: Big Shot, Snowburst Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Paper Snips, Blender Pens, Sponge Daubers, Heat Tool, Basic Black Stampin’ Emboss Powder; Glitz and Glam: Basic Pearls, Dazzling Details
I Love your work! Always have always will!
Fabulous vintage holiday cheer, Ann! I love how you combined the stamp sets and your watercoloring looks awesome! All of the layers really add to the charm and detail. Gorgeous, my friend! 🙂
Very vintage, very beautiful! You know, I think SU needs to come up with a a set similar to Itty Bitty Backgrounds that includes this water spot and a few other “aging” stamps. Wouldn’t that be great?
Love this card and seeing some of the old stamp sets.
Ann, I love seeing some of my old favorite stamp sets. Your card is so beautiful!
Ann, you do beatuiful creations. Love this Christmas card. Everyday I am so excited to see what is next. Thanks for sharing your wonderful talent.
I always love your Christmas cards…and this one is no exception. I love that the focal image is offset on the page. And I really love the music paper. It’s vintage, it’s colored beautifully…it’s all the things I love about your work!
OH WOW! Happy to say that I can always count on you to share a WOW card, perfectly colored and decorated….great combination in your design.
You really created a wonderful card coordinating all the designs and papers!
beautiful Christmas card Ann-I love all the layering-my type of card-I am making my first Christmas card today as well
Ann another beauty, but as much as I love it, it IS hard for me to think of Christmas when me and the grandkids just returned from the cottage from a weekend of boating & tubing! hugs.
Another beauty, Ann! But I am so not ready to think about Christmas. Just wish summer break would slow down some. I have to go back to school in 1 month! But seriously, your card is really beautiful!
I love the card, and I’m so happy to see the retired sets. All of them are wonderful, but in combination. they are stunning!
Fabulous challenge, Ann. In this heat, it was wonderful to disappear into the cold of Christmas for a little while:-) Gorgeous coloring job, as always. I also love the combination of sets that you used.
Hugs
Jayde
This is so fabulous, I love it.
Georgous georgous! I wish I could purchase this set! So sad I cannot. You did a wonderful job, thank you for sharing it
Beautiful card! Love the tree peeking out behind the carolers and the musical paper looks very festive. Your coloring is fabulous. Thanks for the blender pen tip.
A classic vintage beauty! So many Schach-tac-ular details here, Ann…love it!
This card is music to my ears! Sorry, couldn’t contain myself! When I saw the music DSP paper I thought oh Ann would use this with her carolers. I love the mix of papers and stamp sets. The water spots look like snow almost too. Of course the addition of the pearls is the crowning touch! I love your water coloring and oh so wish I was there at convention to take your class. Beautiful card! Have a safe trip back from the show. I am sure the girls were winners just as this card is!
Chris R. from Iowa
Great idea heat embossing first, it really changed the look of the stamp and brag out better detail of your water coloring. The rest of the card knocks my socks off!!! Best card with this stamp set ever! Thanks for sharing.
Hugs
Shirley Pumpkin
Beautiful beautiful card Ann ~ wow wow wow, I’m rather speechless ~ love the colours, the DSP, the WATERCOLORING!!!! thanks for the great tip…hope to see you at convention…maybe I’ll sneak in the room during your teaching…shhhh…don’t tell 🙂 Safe travels!
I love the three dimensional effect you created. First you realize there is music because of the visual of music, then you realize it’s Christmas music because of the tree, and then we have singers from the 1800’s singing their hearts out. The other visual effects with colors and vintage are just perfect. Good tip on using heat to set the image BEFORE watercoloring. Thanks Ann another beautiful creation.
Wow, wow and wow. Just gorgeous!!!
Oh, Christmas in July, how beautiful!! This set is amazing, love everything about this card, thanks you for sharing.
Love, love, love this card! Hope you are cooler than we are here! I wanted warm, but this is making me yearn for fall!I am just wondering if we will all be saying that around the Christmas holidays! It is Hot here in the northeast and I am apprehensive about this upcoming winter. This Hot a summer means a real COLD winter, yipes! Thanks for sharing your Beautiful card!
I’m quite speechless so I’ll just say WOW!!!
OMGod!! What a beautiful card. Wow you are amazing. Love everything about it…you should enter the Artisan Award contest you would win hands down!
This is gorgeous, Ann! I love how you combined these sets and what beautiful watercoloring! Thank you for the great tip!
Just beautiful! Love all three of these sets. It’s been so hot lately. This reminds me that it will be cold again. Great job on the card.