Create Beautiful Christmas Cards with Cardinals

Would you like to experiment with a design like this? You’ll find a supply list below, including a link to the stencil I used from A Colorful Life Designs.  Follow the link and use discount code ChrisFan10 to save 10% on your entire order! (Master Creator Bundles are excluded as they already have a 20% discount built in.)

Let’s get Started:

Card Base: 5.25 x 10.5,  scored and folded at 5.25

Cream Border Layer: 5. X 5

Red Border Layer  4 x 4

Card Face: 3.75 x 3.75

Scraps of cream and red cardstock for the banner and birds

Card Face:

  • I laid the card face down onto scrap paper and positioned the stencil.  I applied green embossing paste to all exposed areas.
  • I removed the stencil carefully and put it into water immediately (to prevent the paste from drying on the surface).  
  • I put the card face aside to dry.  Once dry,  I used a corner punch on each corner, which created both the rounded edge and the peek-a-boo slot in the card face.

Other:

  • I die-cut the banner 2x from cream cardstock and once from red.
  • I glued the two cream banners together, then added the red one behind, offsetting it just slightly.
  • I die-cut the tiny cardinals from the same red cardstock.
  • I put the banner in my stamp positioner and stamped Merry Christmas in red ink.
  • I put the cream border into an embossing folder and ran it through my Big Shot.

Assembly

  • I glued the embossed, cream border to the card base, centering it on all sides.
  • I glued the card face to the red border layer, again centering it on all sides.
  • I glued these two layers together, again (of course!) centering on all sides.
  • I glued the banner into the center of the wreath.
  • I added the tiny cardinals as shown.

Final Thoughts:

I had such a time with that banner!   The first time I tried to glue it down I hadn’t allowed enough time for the ink to dry and smudged the red in the process.  The second attempt, I had glue on my finger, touched the red ink … and of course smudged it again.   At that point I put it aside for a couple of days –  I was tired of looking at it!

When I returned to it I once again die cut a banner and stamped it, and very carefully glued it on top of what was there …  and I finally managed to get the task done without smudging it!

Luckily,  I like the result, LOL.  The embossing paste has a lovely gleam and creates a wonderful backdrop for the banner and birds.

Supplies: (and links where possible)

   I have listed which products I have used, and where they may be purchased. It’s a huge marketplace and in most instances, there are multiple sources and many alternatives to choose from.

Stencil: Leaf Frame,  A Colorful Life Designs

Waffle Flower Grip Mat, 8.5 x 6.5, Scrapbook.com

Embossing Paste:  Later Gator Lunar Paste, Glitter & Ink

Stamp & Die: Banner Sentiments, Penny Black, Teaspoon of Fun

Ink: Stampin’ Up!

Adhesive: Tombow Aqua, Michaels

Cream Card Base & Card Face: Recollections 110 lb., Michaels

Do you have comments or thoughts to share on this design?  Drop me a line in the Comments Section below –  I’d love to hear from you!

You can also use the Comments Section  to be notified when I release new work.

Leafy Frame by A Colorful Life Designs