Flore’s Christmas Card

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Materials

• Watercolour paper, 20 x 9cm

• Gold paper, 20.5 x 9.5cm (Clairefontaine)

• Glittered paper (Kesi'art)

• Paint colour chart

• Gold leaf badge (Scrapbuttons)

• Die cutting dies (Lime Citron, Kési'Art)

• Stamps (Lime Citron, Tim Holtz, Calico Studio, Denim Tampon)

• Stars (Studio Calico)

• Sewing machine with golden thread

• Liquid inks (Kesi'art, Colorex, Heidi Swapp)

• Inks pads (Tim Holtz Distress, Versafine, Versamark)

• Sticky foam pads, staples, buttons,, water-mister, paintbrushes, paper doily, heat gun

• Embossing powder (Aladine)

Instructions

Begin with your piece of watercolour paper and use a sheet of acetate to apply some liquid inks. Add a drop of ink to the acetate and mix it with a drop of water and then press the acetate onto the sheet of watercolour to transfer the ink. Add each colour one by one, drying your work in between colours.

Blot your page regularly with paper towels and diffuse the ink on your page with a paintbrush dipped in water.

Once the liquid inks are dry make some ink stamps on the page using background stamps and stars, following the colour scheme of the background. Use a bit of black ink too as this will help to bring out the golden colour.

Stamp the patterns that you want to use. Emboss some patterns using the heat gun and embossing powder before cutting them out. I chose a little bow.

Tear off a small piece of the paper doily and glue it to the middle of your card.

Use your sewing machine and the golden thread to add some decorative lines of stitching to your card – these should be irregular swirls, circles and waves. Don’t forget to leave some trailing thread at the ends, which you will staple on along with some of the other decorations you will be adding.

Next use your die cutting machine to cut out the patterns you want to use. Think about diamond shapes cut out of glittered paper, leaf shapes and the words ‘Merry Christmas’ in watercolour paper, a crown in gold paper etc.

If you have not yet done it, you should now choose the stamps and other embellishments you want to put on your page. Print and cut out your stamps.

Put together a group of decorative elements and stick them onto the large badge. Put this to one side while you glue and staple on the different cut-outs that you want on the left side of the page, then stick on the badge using a thick sticky foam pad.

Add your words to the right hand side, along with some triangles of glittered paper. You can also staple on a small star.

Add some areas of transparent glue and sprinkle them with glitter; shake off any excess and allow to dry.

Now stick your piece of decorated watercolour paper onto a gold background.

Finish off your card by adding a few splashes of white Colorex, or if you don’t have any try some gesso diluted with a little water.

To make these splashes take the end of the handle of a fine-tipped paintbrush, soak the tip in your Colorex and put it on your page right where you want it.

This helps to prevent any splodges where you don’t want them. It’s a good little trick for anyone who wants to get a good result with splash techniques or “patouille” style.

Let everything dry thoroughly and your card is complete!