Say what?  Those pesky Jingle Belles, Steph and Lauren, have quite a task for us this week and that’s to make a card for our friends of different faiths who celebrate differently, or not at all.  Whether that be Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice or just a general non-denominational card.  It just so happens that a good friend and her family are totally non-denominational, and they don’t celebrate the traditional holiday season at all, although they do still exchange some small gifts with their children and try and get together with their extended family over the Christmas break.  I have a stamp, brand new in fact, that I bought entirely with these friends in mind.  Although it also appeals to me greatly as I’m very aware of traditional (often considered Pagan, but quite often Celtic in origin) holidays such as the Equinoxes, the Soltices, Samhain etc, and often find myself observing these traditional festivals more than any other as I get older.

So I actually knew exactly what I wanted to do, and had planned to make this card at the weekend anyway, I do have to admit to wondering if those Belles can read my mind, lol!  The stunning stamp is Memory Box (my new favourite company btw) and this simple, little card has gone straight to Number One on my list of my favourite cards this Christmas, as made by me that is!

 

 

 

 

I started by mixing up a paint wash using a goldy/yellow shimmer paint mixed with a little Tuscan Sunset Glimmer Mist, and then painting the very shimmery, watery mixture repeatedly over a scrap piece of 140lb watercolour card.  It dried a little mottled and beautifully shimmery, but of course the camera fails to capture that.  After the card was fully dried, and had flattened out again, I inked up the stamp with Versamagic Gingerbread Chalk Ink and stamped.  I coloured the image with Bundled Sage Distress Ink for the holly leaves, Frayed Burlap for the pine cones and the bird, and Memento Cottage Ivy for the evergreen tufts.  To make the card pop, I used a bright red marker pen for the holly berries, before edging it in Antique Linen and matting it on to a scrap of Strathmore Artist Card and finally on to a duck egg blue card blank.  This is one card that I really wish you could see in real life.

 

Card Recipe:

  • Card: Blank free from a UK card magazine ~ Canson Water colour card ~ Strathmore red artist card
  • Stamp: Memory Box Winter Collage
  • Inks: DI Bundled Sage, Frayed Burlap and Antique Linen ~ Versamagic Gingerbread ~ Memento Cottage Ivy
  • Embellies: Shimmer paints free with UK card magazine ~ Tuscan Sun Glimmer Mist ~ Whispers Red Ink Pen

 

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Challenges:

Jingle Belles ~ Cards for folks who don’t necessarily celebrate Christmas

Jules Crafty Snippet Challenge ~ Use up your scraps

Phindy’s Place Challenges ~ Christmas

Wags and Whiskers ~ Christmas