Christmas Sparkle (by Julie)

Good morning everyone. Today I have some fabulous, brand new, Christmas stamps to show you. With the weather here in the UK being slightly unseasonal of late, it has not been that hard to imagine all things festive, so grab a cup of something and have a read.
My first card uses stamps from both of the new sets which are Sparkling Trees and Christmas Candlelight.

To start with I inked up the larger pine cone stamp with Watering Can Archival Ink and stamped the design in each of the corners on the base card. The background was created with Fired Brick, Tea Dye and Forest Moss Distress ink before colouring with colouring pencils. The middle panel has been stamped with the naked tree from the Sparkling Trees set, using Spanish Moss Versafine ink and the centre circle was die cut and stamped with the smallest pine cone stamp from Christmas Candlelight. I decided where I was placing the centre panel and then stamped the small pine cone stamp so that it looks like it is emerging from underneath each corner of the panel. The sentiment is from Christmas Candlelight and the card has been finished off with dabs of Crystal Stickles and flat backed gems.

My second card has been created using Sparkling Trees and the sentiment is from Christmas Magic.

The background is just red and green liquid watercolour onto watercolour card, dry with a heat tool and then add dabs of a silver metallic ink pad. The background snowflakes have been stamped with Onyx Black Versafine along with the sentiment and the trees. I stamped the trees for a second time onto green card and embossed with Sparkling Snow Wow Embossing Powder before cutting out and mounting with silicone. The reindeer was stamped with Onyx Black Versafine, coloured with pencils, cut out and mounted with silicone. The sparkly panel was created by spreading Hologram Viva Crystal Gel onto a non stick sheet. Leave to dry completely before peeling off and colouring the smooth side with red and green alcohol markers and then apply the coloured smooth side to some silver mirri card. The black frame has been die cut and embossed with a snowflake embossing folder and then silver gilding wax was used to add highlights. Snowflakes stamped onto acetate using Picket Fence Distress paint were then cut out and mounted with silicone to finish off.

These cards are obviously not quick but are relatively easy to do, so please do pop back regularly where the rest of the Design Team will have more Christmas ideas for you.