2025 Holiday Card Series #8 | Merry Little Things

Hi crafty friends!  Today I am sharing another tag that could also be made into a card featuring some humorous and delightful stamps from AALL & Create.  This company makes some of the most adorable, whimsical stamps that I’ve ever had the opportunity to work with.   I put my fate once again in the Sarah Renae Clark’s Color Cubes and a random number generator to pick my color scheme and today Color Cube card was #641.  Again, this one didn’t yell Christmas in the traditional sense, but I think we can make it work.

The supplies used:

AALL & Create – Hexalove Die Set

AALL & Create – The North Pole Stamp Set

AALL & Create – Merry Little Things Stamp Set

AALL & Create – Lil Elf Stamp Set

Technique Junkies – Birch Tree Border

X-Press It Blending Cardstock

Simon Says Stamp – So Very Black Cardstock

Copic Alcohol Markers – E04, E11, E00, E19, E15, E13, RV34, RV63, RV52, RV17, RV14, RV13, RV11, V17, V15, V12, BG78, BG72, BG11, N3, N1, N0

Ranger/Tim Holtz – Distress Oxide Ink Pads – Spun Sugar, Kitsch Flamingo

Lawn Fawn – Jet Black Premium Ink Pad

Sakura Gelly Roll Metallic Gold

Sakura Gelly Roll White 10

Scrapbook Adhesives Thin 3D Foam Squares

Bearly Art Precision Craft Glue

Winsor & Newton White Designers Gouache

Krylon Workable Fixatif Spray

Anna Griffin Empress Die Cutting Machine

Creating the Card Front Background

I cut a piece of white cardstock to measure 4” x 6-1/2” to give me plenty of space for ink blending and to allow room to use the AALL & Create Hexalove die to cut the card front.  Next, I used the inner tag die from the Hexalove die set, placed it on the white cardstock, and traced loosely around it with a pencil to show me where my actual cutting boundaries will be when I place the tree background stamp and do the ink blending for the background.  After that, I used the Technique Junkies Birch Tree Border stamp and stamped it on the left end of the tag using Copic friendly ink and stamped it a second time onto Altenew Masking Paper.  I fussy cut the image that I stamped onto the masking paper and used Copic markers N3, N1, and N0 to color the tree image stamped onto the white cardstock.  Once the alcohol marker ink dried, I peeled the backing from the masking paper tree image and placed it over the Copic-colored one on the cardstock.

For the sky, I used Distress Oxide inks in the colors Kitsch Flamingo and Sun Sugar.  I started ink blending at the top of the cardstock using Kitsch Flamingo and blended toward the bottom with the Spun Sugar.  Once the ink had a chance to dry, I die cut the ink blended cardstock panel with the tag front die from the Hexalove die set.  To set the colors and help them to not bleed when I spatter with white gouache, I went outside and lightly sprayed the inky tag panel using Krylon Workable Fixatif spray (you want to do this outside with lots of air flow!).  The Fixatif spray will also add a satin sheen to the cardstock versus the chalky finish you would get with the Distress Oxide inks… just in case you were wondering.  I allowed the Fixatif coating to completely dry then mixed a couple drops of water with some Winsor & Newton white gouache and spattered it across the tag background. 

I die cut a piece of Simon Says Stamp So Very Black cardstock using the decorative tag die in the Hexalove die set to frame the tag front.  I glued the inked front panel to the decorative tag panel and set aside to dry.

Creating the Focal Point

My focal point for this card was the elf from the AALL & Create The North Pole stamp set, the present from ALL & Create’s Lil Elf stamp set, and a tree from AALL & Create’s Merry Little Things stamp set.   I’ll list the Copic markers used for each element below:

     Elf Skin:  E04, E11, E00

     Elf Eyes:   E15, E13

     Elf Clothing:  BF78, BG72, BG11 (Teal)

         RV17, RV14, RV13, RV11 (Pink)

         V17, V15, V12 (Purple)

         Buttons and Bell – Sakura Gelly Roll Metallic Gold

     Tree Trunks:  E19, E15, E13

     Tree Flower Petals:  RV34, RV63, RV52 (Pink)

     Tree Flower Centers:  E19, E15, E13

     Tree Body:  BF78, BG72, BG11 (Teal)

         RV34, RV63, RV52 (Flower Petals)

         E15, E13 (Flower Centers)

     Present:  V17, V15, V12, E19, E15, E13

     Star on Tree:  Sakura Gold Metallic Gelly Roll

Once the coloring was completed, I added some white highlights here and there to the images just for fun and added interest using a white, size 10 Gelly Roll pen.  Once the white highlights dried, I fussy cut the images and added foam squares to the backs for adhering to the tag front later in the process.

Building the Sentiment

Utilizing the “merry little things” sentiment from AALL & Create’s Merry Little Things stamp set, I stamped the sentiment onto the tag’s background using Altenew Obsidian Pigment Ink. 

Finishing the Design

To complete the card, I removed the backing paper from the adhesive squares on all the elements and adhered them to the card front.  Using a ¼” hole punch, I punched a hole at the top of the tag so it could be placed on a gift more easily.  My final touch was to add a bit of mauve and white ribbon to the top to finish off the festive design and then sprinkled some glitter at the center of the bow. 

Thank you for stopping by and checking out today’s blog post, I really appreciate it.  Until next time, happy crafting!

2025 Holiday Card Series #7 | Cutest Reindeer of All

Hi crafty friends!  Today I am sharing a tag that could also be made into a card featuring some humorous and delightful stamps from AALL & Create.  This company makes some of the most adorable, whimsical stamps that I’ve ever had the opportunity to work with.   I went out on a ledge with a random number generator to pick the color scheme from Sarah Renae Clark’s Color Cubes for this tag and the winner was #4.  Not exactly screaming Christmas, but let’s see if we can make it work!

The supplies used:

AALL & Create – Hexalove Die Set

     AALL & Create – Merry Little Things Stamp Set

     AALL & Create – Snow Good Stamp Set

     X-Press It Blending Cardstock

     Spellbinders – Antique Glitter Metallic Cardstock

     Lawn Fawn – Jet Black Premium Ink Pad

     Ranger/Tim Holtz – Distress Oxide Ink Pads – Uncharted Mariner,

          Peacock Feathers, Salvaged Patina

     Copic Alcohol Markers – BG78, BG49, BG45, BG72, BG11, YG0000

          YG63, YG61, YG11, E53, E51, E50, E19, E08, E97, YR18, YR12, YR82

     Winsor & Newton White Designers Gouache

     Trinity Stamps – Crystal Ball and High Dive Baubles

     Krylon Workable Fixatif Spray

     Bearly Art Precision Craft Glue

     Scrapbook Adhesives Thin 3D Foam Squares

     Anna Griffin Empress Die Cutting Machine

Creating the Card Front Background

I cut a piece of white cardstock to measure 4” x 6-1/2” to give me plenty of space for ink blending and to allow room to use the AALL & Create Hexalove die to cut the card front.  Next, I used the inner tag die from the Hexalove die set and used it to cut a 2” x 3” piece of the Spellbinders Antique Glitter Metallic cardstock so that the edges of the glitter cardstock align perfectly with the tag. I used my scissors to simply freehand a curvy edge on the top end of the glitter cardstock to represent a slight hill. 

For the wintry sky, I used Ranger/Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks in the colors Uncharted Mariner, Peacock Feathers, and Salvaged Patina.  I started ink blending at the top of the cardstock using Uncharted Mariner, then moved to Peacock Feathers, and lastly Salvaged Patina.  I worked my way up and down the cardstock, changing ink colors as necessary, until I obtained the look I was going for.  Once the ink had a chance to dry, I die cut the ink blended cardstock panel with the tag front die from the Hexalove die set.  To set the colors and help them to not bleed when I spatter with white paint, I went outside and lightly sprayed the inky tag panel using Krylon Workable Fixatif spray (you want to do this outside with lots of air flow!).  The Fixatif spray will also add a satin sheen to the cardstock versus the chalky finish you would get with the Distress Oxide inks… just in case you were wondering.  I allowed the Fixatif coating to completely dry then mixed a couple drops of water with some Winsor & Newton white gouache and spattered it across the tag background.  Once the spatter dried, I glued the metallic glitter cardstock panel to the bottom of the tag.

Using a piece of black cardstock from my scrap bin, I die cut the decorative tag die in the Hexalove die set to frame the inky background.  I glued the inked front panel to the decorative tag panel and set aside to dry.

Creating the Focal Point

My focal point for this card was the reindeer from AALL & Create’s Snow Good stamp set and the stack of three presents and one of the trees from AALL & Create’s Merry Little Things stamp set.   I’ll list the Copic markers used for each element below:

     Reindeer:  E19, E08, E97

     Reindeer Coat:  BG49, BG45 w/ E19 pocket, & Gold Posca buttons

     Reindeer Scarf:  YG63, YG61, YG11

     Reindeer Antlers:  E53, E51, E50

     Christmas Tree:  YG63, YG61, YG11, YG0000

     Tree Trunk:  E19, E08

     Star on Tree:  Sakura Gold Metallic Gelly Roll Pen

     Christmas Gifts:  BF78, BF72, BG11 (blue)

                                YR18, YR12, YR82 (orange)

                                 BG78, BG49, BG45 (dark blue)

Once the coloring was completed, I fussy cut the images and used liquid glue to adhere four Trinity Stamps “High Dive Baubles” and four Trinity Stamps “Crystal Ball Baubles” to the Christmas tree in the place of ornaments.  When the glue dried, I added foam squares to the back of all the colored elements.

Building the Sentiment

Utilizing the small rectangular die from the Hexalove die set, I diecut a banner to hold the sentiment out of a scrap of white cardstock that I colored with Copic markers E08, E97, YR12, and E51.  Then from the AALL & Create Snow Good stamp set I stamped the sentiment that said “cutest reindeer of all” onto the rectangle die cut.  I loved the quirky, smudged look of this stamp and couldn’t resist using it as my sentiment.  Lastly, I added some foam squares to the back of the sentiment.

Finishing the Design

To complete the card, I removed the backing paper from the adhesive squares on all the Copic colored elements and adhered them to the card front.  Using a ¼” hole punch, I punched a hole at the top of the tag so it could be placed on a gift more easily.  My final touch was to add a bit of silver cord and white ribbon to the top to finish off the festive design. 

Thank you for stopping by and checking out today’s blog post, I really appreciate it.  Until next time, happy crafting!

2025 Holiday Card Series #6 | Paws in the City

Hi crafty friends!  Today I am sharing an oversized card (5-1/2” x 7”) using the Spellbinders BetterPress of the Month for November 2025 letterpress set that includes a young lady walking her Frenchie (I also have a Frenchie which is why I absolutely HAD to get this BetterPress set!).  I figured if I added holiday colors to her apparel and possibly a holiday scene it just may be able to be a successful Christmas card.  Fingers crossed!

The supplies used:

     Spellbinders – Paws in the City BetterPress of the Month for Nov 2025

     Sizzix/Tim Holtz – Vault Christmas Magic Die Set

     Altenew – Warm Blessings Stamp Set

     Ranger/Tim Holtz – Distress Watercolor Cardstock

     Ranger/Wendy Vecchi – Watering Can Archival Ink Pad

     My Favorite Things – Butterscotch Cardstock

     Ranger/Tim Holtz – Distress Ink Pads – Wilted Violet, Shaded

        Lilac, Kitsch Flamingo, Spun Sugar, Pumice Stone, Black Soot

     Altenew – Obsidian Pigment Ink Pad

     Schmincke Watercolor Paint – Forest Green, Shire Grey,

        Volcano Red, Desert Orange, Tundra Orange, Glacier Black

     Sakura Gold Metallic Gelly Roll Pen

     Tombow ABT Water-Based Marker #N75

     Scrapbook.com – Mixed Media Heavy Weight Paper Pad

     Winsor & Newton Designers Permanent White and Lamp Black Gouache

     Spellbinders BetterPress Letterpress System

     Spellbinders Platinum 6 Die Cutting Machine

     Scor-Pal Scor-Tape Double Sided Adhesive

     Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Squares

     Simon Says Stamp Metallic Silver Cord

     Bearly Art Precision Craft Glue

     Anna Griffin Empress Die Cutting Machine

Creating the Background

Using the Sizzix/Tim Holtz Vault Christmas Magic die set, I selected the buildings die and cut it twice from Distress Watercolor Cardstock.  I placed the two diecuts onto a sticky mat and watercolored them with a wash of Schmincke Glacier Black watercolor paint until I achieved the desired color depth.  Once the paint was dry, I took a piece of My Favorite Things Butterscotch cardstock and traced around my buildings diecuts (you could totally skip this step) and fussy cut my tracings so that my buildings would have yellow light showing in the window cut-outs.  I used liquid glue to adhere the yellow cardstock to the back side of the building diecuts.

Next, I cut a piece of Scrapbook.com’s Heavy Weight Mixed Media cardstock to measure 7” x 5-1/2”.  Using Tim Holtz Distress ink pads in the colors Wilted Violet Shaded Lilac, Kitsch Flamingo and Spun Sugar, I began ink blending the mixed media paper to create my winter sky starting with the upper left corner with the darkest color and gradually working my way diagonally across the cardstock until I liked the application.  Once the ink had a chance to dry, I spattered Winsor & Newton’s white gouache mixed with a drop of water liberally across the cardstock panel.

For the last touch on the background, I cut a piece of watercolor cardstock to measure 7” x 2” and applied a wash of the Shire Grey watercolor to it.  After the panel dried, I ink blended the edges with Distress Pumice Stone ink and added just the tiniest amount of ink blending with Distress Black Soot to add a bit of depth.  Lastly, I used Winsor & Newton Lamp Black gouache mixed with a drop of water to heavily spatter the panel.

Creating the Focal Point

I created the focal point using Spellbinders’ “Paws in the City” BetterPress plates and the Spellbinders BetterPress Letterpress System.  I letter pressed the image of the woman and the dog using Ranger/Wendy Vecchi Watering Can Archival ink and a piece of Distress Watercolor Cardstock.  Next, I used Schmincke watercolor paints in the colors Forest Green (blouse and shoes), Volcano Red (skirt, beret, and scarf), Desert Orange (skin), Tundra Orange (cup), and Shire Grey (dog).  After the watercolors dried, I used a gold Sakura Gelly Roll Metallic pen to add small dots along the lower hem of her skirt.  Lastly, I fussy cut the young lady and the little Frenchie dog since I wasn’t going to use them “as intended” (if there’s such a thing) and edged both die cuts with a Tombow ABT water-based marker #N75.

Building the Sentiment

For my sentiment, I chose to use one from Altenew’s Warm Blessings that says “’tis the Season”.  I stamped it directly onto the card background using Altenew Obsidian pigment ink and my MISTI stamp positioning tool.

Finishing the Design

I added Scor-Tape to the back sides of the buildings and the sidewalk panel and adhered them to the purple/pink ink blended sky panel.  Next, I added foam adhesive squares to the back side of the young lady and the little dog.  To re-create the leash from the lady’s hand to the dog, I glued Simon Says Stamp Silver Metallic Cord flat along the lady’s skirt, let it flow freely between her and the dog then glued the cord to the neck of the dog.  After removing the backing paper from the foam squares I adhered the lady and the dog to the sidewalk portion of the card front.

For the final touch, I decided to add a lamp post from the same die set as the buildings – Sizzix/Tim Holtz’s Vault Christmas Magic – and die cut it from black glossy cardstock that I found in my scrap bin and die cut the wreath and bow from red and green cardstocks from the scrap bin.  I glued the lamp post to the card front at the far-right side edge of the card front and raised it higher in the scene to adjust it for scale.  I adhered it to a white card base to wrap up another 2025 Christmas card!

Thank you for stopping by and checking out today’s blog post, I really appreciate it.  Until next time, happy crafting.