Christmas: Cute & Elegant! by Guest Designer Simone Carr

 Hello Everyone and welcome to Watercolor Weekend!

I’m excited to cover for Jami Steiger as your guest designer for November! This month, I crafted a cozy winter scene featuring adorable critters from the Woodland Critter Set and the Snow Globe Set.

Materials Used:

Stamp Sets: 5953 Woodland Critter Set, 5791 Snow Globe Set (small tree)

Dies: Star Cutting Dies (3 1/8" x 2 1/2"), Dimensional Stars SF243

Tombow Watercolor Markers: 177, 526, 856, 947, N65

Inks: Memento Toffee Crunch, VersaFine Clear Nocturne, Distress Oxides (Chipped Sapphire, Dusty Concord, Salvaged Patina, Peacock Feathers)

Paper: Canson Watercolor Paper

Other: Dr. Ph Martin's Bleed Proof White, Embellishment Stars by Tim Holtz, Glue, Embossing Folder, Foam Squares

Project Steps:

Background Creation

I started by ink blending on Canson Watercolor Paper, beginning with Chipped Sapphire at the top, then Dusty Concord, blending into Salvaged Patina, and finally Peacock Feathers at the bottom for a soft winter sky effect.

Tree Stamping

Using the small tree from the Snow Globe Set, I inked it with VersaFine Clear Nocturne and stamped it along the horizon, where the “snow” meets the sky. To create natural variation, I only inked portions of the tree each time.

Star Cutouts

I used the Star Cutting Die to create a star shape on Canson Watercolor Paper, then splattered Dr. Ph Martin's Bleed Proof White across the star to add a snowy effect. I cut the next larger star frame and layered it over the star for added depth.

Critter Coloring

I stamped the mouse from the Woodland Critter Set with Memento Toffee Crunch and watercolored it using Tombow markers (177, 526, 856, 947, and N65). After coloring, I cut out the mouse and attached it to the scene with a foam square to give it a bit of dimension.

Assembly

Card Base: 5 1/2" x 4 1/4".

Embossed Layer: Cut to 5 1/4" x 4" for a layered look.

I adhered the background, positioned the star and critter, and embellished with Tim Holtz stars for a final sparkle.

I loved working on this woodland scene, and I hope it brings you some cozy, festive inspiration this November!

 I also created a festive Christmas scene using the MB Christmas (5500) and Santa Christmas (5442) stamp sets, paired with the beautiful Christmas Magic PP (5853).

Materials Used:

Stamp Sets: 5500 MB Christmas, 5442 MB Santa Christmas

Paper: Christmas Magic PP (5853), Canson Watercolor Paper, Strathmore Bristol Smooth

Inks: Archival Ink Aquamarine, Memento Toffee Crunch, VersaFine Onyx Black, Distress Spritz (Tumbled Glass, Fossilized Amber)

Glaze and Glue: Nuvo Crystal Glaze, Art Glitter Glue

Dies: Sizzix Eileen Hull 665869

Tombow Watercolor Markers: 026, 055, N25, N55, N65, 177, 195, 451, 526, 837, 856, 947, 969, 985

Other: Glitter Pen

Card Size: 5 1/2" x 4 1/4"

Project Steps:

Background Creation

I began by cutting out the Postage Die from Strathmore Bristol Smooth cardstock. While the paper was still in the die, I blended Archival Ink Aquamarine over it. After that, I used Distress Spritz on my palette and spritzed Tumbled Glass and Fossilized Amber over the cardstock for added texture and interest. I set this aside to dry.

Image Stamping and Coloring

Next, I stamped the images from the stamp sets using Memento Toffee Crunch on Canson Watercolor Paper. After coloring the images with the Tombow markers, I die cut each one, trimming off excess material to ensure they fit well within the scene.

Assembly

I arranged the images on the background to determine the best placement before gluing them down. For added dimension and sparkle, I used a Glitter Pen and Nuvo Crystal Glaze on some elements of the images.

This project was a joy to create, and I hope it inspires you to get into the holiday spirit this November!




I have one last bonus card.

Best wishes,

Simone