A Tim Holtz-Inspired Holiday Card

Hello! Mixed media isn’t my usual cardmaking style, but it’s always fun to step outside my comfort zone and experiment. For this Christmas card, I used a variety of Tim Holtz products including stenciling and alcohol inking. The variety of mediums adds character and depth to the design—each layer contributing its own texture and visual interest. It’s a festive project full of wintery sparkle and creative play.

A Tim Holtz-Inspired Holiday Card

    • To begin, create a card base 3 3/4″ x 6 7/8″ from woodgrain cardstock. Ink the sides of the cardstock with Gathered Twigs.
    • Next, create a monoprint on watercolor paper with the Pinecones stencil using Antique Linen Distress Spray and water. There are several of the Tim Holtz makers who regularly use this technique. Once dry, stencil in the pinecones and greenery. Apply the Sparkle paste through the panel and set aside to dry. Tim Holtz recently created a video discussing the many pastes available.; it proved to be an invaluable resource.
    • Once dry, you can add Antique Linen ink to the cardstock since the areas covered by the paste resist the ink. This can help fill in bare spots from the monoprint method.
    • Cut the bird from alcohol-inked black cardstock. I used the same formula as on this card.
    • Cut the greenery, from cardstock to which Distress ink has been applied, with dies in the Holiday Greens set. Add a snow effect by applying Snowfall Grit paste and Rock Candy glitter.
    • Stamp the Festive Overlay sentiment on to cardstock and cut with a circle die. Cut a vellum circle slightly larger. Adhere the two.
    • Trim the stenciled panel and add to the card base. Add sentiment circle, greenery, and bird.

A Tim Holtz-Inspired Holiday Card

It’s a bit more involved than my usual clean and simple cards, but worth every step for the texture and sparkle it brings to the finished design.

CAS Stenciled Christmas Card

Hello! Today, I’m sharing a clean and simple Christmas card created with Simon Hurley products that captures the season’s elegance in just a few details. The background was made with the multi-part Festive Poinsettias stencil, blending classic holiday reds and greens. To complete the design, I heat-embossed the Sketched Snowmen sentiment in green and framed it with a touch of gold.

CAS Stenciled Christmas Card

    • With the first stencil in the Festive Poinsettias set, stencil the poinsettia petals on to Bristol cardstock with Candied Apple ink. With the second stencil, color the greenery with Mowed Lawn. The third stencil has details for both the poinsettia and the greenery. Stencil Archival Vermillion on the poinsettias (masking the areas for the greenery) and stencil Rustic Wilderness on the greenery, masking the poinsettias. Finally, add Champagne Gold Stencil Butter to the centers of the poinsettias, masking the other holes on the fourth stencil. (I decided that I only wanted the gold in the flower centers).
    • Once dry, trim the stenciled panel and add to an A2-size card base.
    • Heat-emboss the sentiment from the Sketched Snowmen set in Green and cut it with a rectangle die. Add to a gold cardstock mat with foam adhesive. Add assembly to card base.

CAS Stenciled Christmas Card

I love how the layered stenciling adds depth while keeping the card clean and modern.


Spellbinders | A Little Fall Charm

Hello! Autumn brings with it a sense of warmth and coziness, and I wanted to capture that feeling on my latest card. Using the September Stamp and Die Club offering at Spellbinders, I created a design filled with fall icons including acorns, pumpkins, pinecones, and squash. The sentiment, “a little fall charm, just for you,” makes it perfect for sharing the beauty of the season with someone special.

Spellbinders | A Little Fall Charm

    • Create an A2-size card base with Fawn cardstock.
    • Using the September Clear Stamp set, stamp the sentiment and images with Potting Soil ink. Stencil the stamped images with Distress Inks using the Autumn Whim stencil (the September Deluxe Caboodle offering). Cut with the coordinating dies.
    • Add sentiment and images to the prepared card base with foam squares.

Spellbinders | A Little Fall Charm


Hero Arts | Hocus Pocus Collection

Hello! Halloween crafting doesn’t always have to be spooky—it can be sweet and playful, too! Today I’m sharing a card I created with the Hero Arts Hocus Pocus Collection. Using the Boo to You die set along with the Scattered Stars stencil set, I put together a cheerful Halloween design. The smiling ghosts and the BetterPress sentiment “You’re Wicked Cute” bring a lighthearted twist to the season’s festivities, perfect for sending smiles instead of scares.

Hero Arts | Hocus Pocus Collection

    • Stencil a purple cardstock panel with the Scattered Stars stencil set using white ink, VersaMark ink, and gold paste for the three layers. Allow each layer to dry before applying the next one. Once the stenciling is complete, add to an A2-size card base.
    • Press the sentiment on white cardstock with the set. Cut with the coordinating die.
    • With the Boo to You die set, cut the ghosts, hat, and broom from cardstock. Assemble.
    • Add ghosts and sentiment to the prepared card base.

Hero Arts | Hocus Pocus Collection


Hero Arts | Candy Cane Magic

Hello! I’m back with another holiday card featuring the new Candy Cane Collection from Hero Arts. This time, I used Distress Oxide to ink the solid candy cane shapes, then added snowfall paste through the striped stencil and sprinkled on dry glitter for extra holiday sparkle. It’s a fun and festive way to bring texture to a clean and simple card design. You can see my first designs with these products HERE.

Hero Arts | Candy Cane Magic

    • Apply Distress Oxide inks through one of the stencils in the Toss Up set on to white cardstock.
    • Add Snowfall Grit paste through another stencil in the set and sprinkle with Dry Glitter. Set the panel aside to dry.
    • Once dry, add to a Tutu cardstock panel and add the assembly to a brushed silver card base. I created a custom size base to accommodate the design.
    • Stamp the Candy Cane Swag sentiment with silver ink on white cardstock. Cut with the coordinating die and add to the card base with foam adhesive.

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