'Hometown Christmas' Inspired Card Collection

Creative Team member Giovana Smith shares with us today a set of magical and charming Christmas Cards using the Hometown Christmas Collection.  

Giovana says:

Hello friends, Giovana here with a brand new set of Christmas cards. I think choosing one design and mass producing it makes it a lot easier when it comes to batch making your cards, especially at this time of the year when you don't have much time. 

For this set I have chosen my favorite papers and ink from the Ken Oliver Crafts range and I promise you, they are super easy to create! 

One of the pages that I have used is from the Hometown Christmas collection, this page has 6 small images (2" x 3" each), so first I cut them all out, then I matted them all with black card stock. Next I added die-cut frames in gold, silver and red to really help pop the images. For extra effect I added shaved ice to the bottom of each image to give them all little bit of bling. 

I then stamped the sentiment from the Hometown Christmas Set 1  clear Stamps using the Lamp Black 'Click It' Ink Pad.

As a final touch I added a piece of 'Stick It' to the back of the patterned paper (the one with the musical sheet) and cut six .5" strips and added one to the bottom of each card. 

And that's it! 

Hope you like them!

Hometown Collection Christmas Card

Creative Team member Jeanne Streiff has used the Hometown Christmas Collection with Color Burst and the Click it Ink Pads to create this beautiful Christmas Card.  The papers in this collection are perfect for all your holiday crafting, you can check them out here. 

Supplies:

Paper: Hometown Christmas Collection

Color Burst: Alizarin Crimson, Sepia, Terra Verte

Stamps: Hometown Christmas 2

Jeanne says:

It's so fun to use a pretty patterned paper for a card background. The beautiful muted colors in the Hometown Christmas Collection make the perfect backdrop for adding a few finishing touches to make a quick and easy Christmas card.

'Starry Night' Christmas Card using Color Burst and Stick It

Creative Team member Buffy St John has shared a great tutorial on her blog today of how to create this stunning Starry Night Card and background using Color Burst and Stick It.  

Buffy says:

Hi Everybody!

I just do not know where the time goes...it is Christmastime again!

I have a sweet little Merry Christmas card project for you today using Ken Oliver's Violet, Indigo and Ultramarine Blue, Stick It,

plain white 140# watercolor paper, embossing glitter and some dies.

Click here to visit my blog for the full tutorial.

Thanks Buffy, we cannot wait to try this technique ourselves.

Color Burst Christmas Cards

Creative Team member Laurel Beard has been very busy and I think you will agree that her Color Burst cards will certainly brighten up the recipients Christmas, to see how Laurel created her cards you can watch her in action in a video tutorial here.

Laurel says:

I created a set of Christmas cards very easily by heat embossing a sentiment on a piece of watercolored cardstock, sprayed the cardstock heavily with water and then spritzed some  Color Burst onto the wet cardstock and let the magic happen. I used:  Alizarin Crimson, Merlot, Pthalo Green and Terre Verte. I love how you get shades of blues and purples magically as the color moves.

Thanks Laurel for sharing today and for the video tutorial.

Color Burst Christmas Cards

Creative Team member Jeanne Streiff has combined the Hometown Christmas Collection with Color Burst to create two very striking Christmas cards that would be joy to display on any mantle this Christmas.

Jeanne says:

Hi! I'm happy to be here today to share a couple quick and easy cards using Color Burst (Alizarin Crimson, Merlot and Lemon Yellow) and Hometown Christmas Collection Set 2 clear stamps.

I sprinkled Color Burst (Alizarin Crimson, Merlot and Lemon Yellow) onto a stencil on watercolor paper and then misted lightly with water. I carefully removed my first paper and then put another piece of watercolor directly onto the stencil. Two different looks with a single Color Burst application. How fun!

Click here for a direct link to my blog post:

Thanks Jeanne for sharing.

Family Business and Gratitude

“I sew a little prayer and a little good wish into every card I make," is what my mom said when I picked up a bunch of watercolor cards yesterday that she’d just sewn for me. And, that, just kind of blew me away, because I know it's true.

   

 As a "solo-preneur" I never know how things are gonna get done and I am really grateful that I can rely on my family for some of the day-to-day tasks that I need to accomplish. No kidding, I've actually asked my dad to help me kit and sort scrapbook paper. 

Lately, my mom has been helping with sewing watercolor card fronts together. And I could not be more grateful to her for help. I just love this image of her hands sewing (can you see the love?)...she's been a seamstress all her life, her work is amazing.  She's sewn window treatments, draperies, and accessories for homes all over the United States and been included in publications and house tours for over 40 years. And even to this day, designers and folks who worked with my mom in the past, tell me they always loved working with her, loved her designs, and often tried to figure out how she created some of her wonderful projects. 

So, I would have never imagined while I was in college, or busy working at my corporate jobs, that at some time in the future, I'd have the opportunity to work directly with my parents, in a business, almost every day. I am grateful for their time, talent and for their years of experience in running their own businesses. Most people don't get this opportunity and I am blessed daily for it, and it never would have happened had I not left the corporate world and ventured out on my own.  

The fact that these watercolor cards are even a class is also somewhat of an accident, it seems a few store owners had seen some of my Color Burst demos and suggested that a watercolor card class would be great...and it is, in this class I get to teach a number of Color Burst stamping and painting techniques, and I'm starting to get enough requests for the class that we're going to have to find a source for the cards...it's not like I can ask my mom to sew thousands of cards every week.  

 

 So until I find the source, we'll keep making the cards by hand, and each one will have a little prayer and a little wish sewn into it, and I am so happy to be able to share these cards with my students, because they really are handmade with love.  And I am so grateful that my journey has brought me home and given me the opportunity to work with my family in ways I never imagined and I could not be happier! 

Til next time, 

Ken

  

Stick It, The New Adhesive with the Funny Name...Here's How it Works!

You may have heard of Stick It...it's a new adhesive that I've been working on...and I've got to tell you it's really cool.  Stick It, is a micro-thin adhesive sheet, that is specially formulated for die cutting.

It's perfect for thin metal dies, platform dies, it works with any machine (or punch) that you already have, AND, you can use it with your electronic die cutting system too! It's amazing.

Here's how it works:

So, I wanted to test it with one of the most intricate dies I could find.  I selected a new die from Tonic Studios called Dragonfly Delight. This die has every feature of an intricate die that you love, but that can also make gluing to card stock a challenging proposition...for me,  all the swirls, flourishes, and beautiful lattice cuts are a little tricky when applying adhesive.  And, invariably I either get too much glue on one area, and none on another. Stick It, let's you glue an intricately die cut piece of paper, easily and quickly.  There's no more muss and fuss like with glue pens or liquid glue...and there's no adhesive residue.  It's the perfect solution.

I created a simple card just to demonstrate how beautifully Stick It really works.  Each swirl, every flourish, every single piece of that wonderful lattice is glued perfectly in place.  This is the first adhesive sheet that's been specially formulated just for intricate die cut paper.

Stick It is acid free, archival, water-based and FSC certified, so you know it's green, safe and non-toxic.  Now, it's only been on the market for about 1 week in the U.K. and just started shipping in the US today...It's available for wholesale exclusively at Product Performers in the US...and at Craft Obsessions in the UK.  It's shipping out this week to retail shops and online retailers.  Ask for it at your local scrapbook store.  

I am telling you, this is going to change the way you make cards!

  Here's another little bit of awesome sauce...there's a free pack of Stick It for every guest who's coming to Art at the Edge on October 25th...I've had a special shipment from the UK sent directly to me just for everybody who'll be at Art at the Edge with me!

    

How to Create a Beautiful Christmas Card with Spellbinders Build a Wreath

I know it's only March, but it's never too early to get a head start on making Christmas cards, I can't even say that with a straight face...I am always the last one to get cards sent out...I am vowing that this year will be different...so I started early.  This card turned out so nicely that I wanted to share a couple tips and tricks that will let you create a beautiful, dimensional Christmas card with Spellbinders Build a Wreath die template. 

Layer 4 pieces of coordinating cardstock (Christmas colors). I used 3 solids and 1 patterned paper. For a variation, you could create this card in light blue, white and silver.   

Use the die template to cut 3 layers for the wreath. Tip: for a more realistic wreath, use 3 different shades of green. 

Lightly stencil all the die cut pieces with white ink (to mimic snow or frost). 

Assemble the 3 die cut layers together with foam squares...this adds dimension between the layers.  

Next, build your wreath by layering all the die cut branches that are included in the set.  Layer the pieces on top of the wreath using tape roller to affix them to the wreath. 

Next, affix small clusters of small gem stones or beads to create "holly berries."  

Then, use foam dots to place the wreath on your card base, then finish with a small red bow and a stamped Christmas greeting.  

After, I'd finished the card, I "dusted" it with some additional white ink on the edges of the branches and holly leaves.  This is a fun card to make because it's dimensional, and your friends will love getting this card...it's pretty enough to use as a Christmas decoration.  

Now, will I find the motivation to create more Christmas cards between now and December?  It's doubtful...It's spring outside...I'd rather be outside enjoying the daffodils and dogwoods...When do you usually get started on your Christmas cards? I should develop a plan this year to keep me on track. 

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you've picked up a couple tricks that you can use when you create your Christmas cards.  

Ken