Easy and Simple One layer Holiday Cards

Christmas Inspiration I

11/3/2017

One Layer Holiday Cards

On my continued kick to spread kindness, I thought that the holiday season was a great time to whip up some quick one layer cards with hand written from the heart sentiments to let people in my life know how much I appreciate them. I was looking for some simple designs as I needed to make a lot of these cards. I came up with 4 designs that I will share with you today.

#1 - Using inks and stamps

For this A4 sized card, I used Sunny Studios Holiday Style stamp set. This stamp set comes with a wonderful pine branch and a layered bell or ornament. The link to the stamping guide for the bell and ornament is on Sunny Studios website. I decided to stamp the pine needles in Hero Arts green ombre ink and use my Tombow brush marker in 899, Redwood, to color the branch itself. The MISTI was a tremendous time saver here so I could do repeated stamping and it helped to make sure that the stamping was even as the card surface was a bit rough.

For the ornament, I stamped the layering ornament in: Hero Arts Royal Red, Hero Arts Strawberry, and the final layer was stamped in VersaMark ink and heat embossed with Hero Arts Clear Embossing Powder. The sentiment is from the same stamp set and stamped with VersaMark Ink and Recollections Snow White detail embossing powder.

#2: Colored Pencils

I have been wanting to try colored pencils on kraft cardstock for sometime and thought this stamp from Stampendous, Hill Top Train, that I came by in the bargain bin at Michaels (see my post on bargain bin stamps - I just can't stay out of there) would be perfect for this. I stamped the image on an A4 sized card, used Recollections Snow White heat embossing powder and Prismacolor colored pencils to shade in the images. The sentiment is from an exclusive Stamptember collaboration between SimonSaysStamp and Gina K, Warmer with You which is no longer available.

#3: Watercolor Painting

This A4 sized card started with an idea to useKuretake Pearl Watercolor Inks. I first stampedSimon Says Stamp Frozen Fractals Snowflake using Color Box Harbor Pigment Ink and then using Hero Arts Clear Embossing Powder to create a raised dimensional image. Using clear embossing powder over pigment ink is a great way to have a ton of different embossing powders without having to buy them all. I watercolored the image which did not take that much time at all. I then white heat embossed the Sunny Studios Sentiment stamp from the first card.

#4: Kitty in a stocking...Oh My!

As soon as I saw this Fluffy Stockings Stamp Set on the Hero Arts website, I had to have it. I first used Hero Arts clear embossing powder to heat emboss the Hero Arts Christmas Poster background stamp onto a Hero Arts kraft A2 sized card. I then stamped the kitty image onto Neenah Solar White cardstock using Hero Arts India Ink and then colored it in using my Copic Markers. I used Wink of Stella on the stocking to add shine. On the stocking cuff, I colored it with VersaMarker and then heat embossed Hero Arts White Puff powder to give the cuff a raised, puffy look. I die cut the sign from Cricut Labels and Such set, trimmed the edge with Krylon Gold Marker and heat embossed a sentiment from the same stamp set using WOW gold embossing powder.

Takeaways...

When making multiple cards and a lot of them, here are a few takeaways I picked up from this process.

KISS - I tried to keep the designs simple to maximize my time
Create in stages - I picked an end date/due date of when I needed these cards to be completed. I then started a few weeks ahead: planning, stamping and doing a bit at a time. With my schedule, it is hard to devote or dedicate chunks of hours to one thing. I have to be able to do one action, set it aside and do the next step later.
Use a MISTI - this tool will change your stamping life
Go-to sentiment stamps - Here are my go-to stamp sets for sentiments. Look at the sentiments that come in other stamp sets that may fit.

Hero Arts Holiday Badges - These look great on envelopes
Right at Home - Magic of the Season - These are just in a great font and have classic sayings and messages
Right at Home - Peace, Love and Joy - The script combinations of these sentiments look so modern and classy on a card.
Hero Arts - Christmas Messages which are great both outside and inside a card

Just do this - This is a handmade card with a wonderful, heartfelt sentiment inside. It truly is the thought that counts and even though the cards are not perfect, they are handmade and sharing a part of you goes a long way.

Thank you for joining me today and I hope that these ideas and designs have inspired you to try making your own cards. I have included affiliate links for your convenience. If you choose to use these links, I will be paid a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for your support and have a great holiday season!