It’s beginning to feel a bit like Christmas . . . is coming.

I rarely make Christmas cards.  You can buy a box of Christmas cards so cheaply that it kind of feels like it’s a bit wasteful to spend lots of  money (not to mention time) to make them myself.  We crafters know exactly how much it actually costs for our supplies – and believe me it’s not cheap! 

But this year I thought that I could justify making them as I had a plethora of card stock, and I if I used my Card-io stamps then I could make them really cheaply, with very little in the way of adornments or embellishments.  (Watch out for more about Cardio stamps soon.  I’m going to do a write-up in my  ‘Craft Products I recommend’  category on my blog here – so look out for that one.)  Over the next few days I’ll post a card a day of a selection of the Card-io cards which I’ve made for friends and neighbours this year.

Today is the turn of the Christmas Wreath Card.

Pretty, isn’t it!  And yet it’s made SO simply that you probably wouldn’t believe it.  Made using just four tiny little clear stamps.  The only embellishments on this card are some pale pink flat back pearls (used as little berries on the wreath), and a tie of a tiny bit of ribbon for the bow on the top of the wreath – oh, and a little sprinkle of some glitter.

I know that in the photograph the wreath looks as if it has quite some depth – but it’s actually totally flat, apart from the pale pink pearls.  The clever bit is in the stamping.  If you use a second and sometimes third generation of stamping then you’ll ‘build in’ some depth.  If you look around the edge of the card itself, you’ll see what I mean by ‘second generation’.

second generation stamping

You can see a dark stamped image … but between the darker images, you’ll see a second, paler image.  Well – that’s second generation stamping.  I stamped the image once, then without inking up the stamp again, I stamped the image again – this time pressing just a little harder on the stamp to ensure that the image printed out.  This is what gives a depth to a stamped image.  It looks like something is there, in the background.

Because the wreath is a little more heavily stamped, you don’t see the second generation stamping too easily – but it’s there.  It kind of tricks your brain into thinking that what you’re seeing is actually a shadow of the darker stamped image, and so makes the darker images look as if they’re dimensional and stand out proud of the card.  Hence the deception of depth.

Crafty stuff I used to make this card:

• White 6×6 ready scored card stock.
• An assortment (4) of small individual Card-io stamps
• Whisper Archival Ink Pads (a pinky peachy raspberry colour and a dull brown)
• Memento Ink Pad  (in a warm brown)
• Ranger Archival Ink Pad (black)
• Pinflair Glue
• Translucent Glitter Dust
• Anita’s flat back pearls from their Gemstone Wheel.
• Short length of tartan/plaid ribbon.

This was a really quick to make card and it didn’t need any die cutting, measuring, cutting (other than the ribbon) or any great deal of ‘working it out’.  I knew I wanted to make a wreath.  I knew I wanted it to look festive but in colours other than red and green (so over-used at Christmas!) – and I wanted the edges of the card to be coloured to tone with the wreath.

I had such a fun time making this  … but then … I was using Card-io stamps, and I always have a fun craft time with them.  But I’ll do you a write-up about them and then you can make your own decision on whether to buy some for yourself!

Wishing you a blessed and trouble-free Tuesday, love from ~

 

 

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