Christmas!--More Place-Setting Cards or Gift-Tag Cards or Cards to Mail

My blog post of October 10 featured print-making on wet-strength tissue paper.  That time, rather than use a gel plate to develop the prints, I used my sponge brayer approach. (Details are visible by scrolling down to the post dated October 10.)

One series of papers created that day looked like this:

First using Titanium White acrylic paint to lay down a print with 9" x 12" Mimosa L141; then following that with red acrylic paint and 9" x 12" Longwood Florals Stencil L676, I ended up with several sheets printed the same way.

Upon turning the finished papers upside-down, I saw the possibility of creating abstract versions of Christmas trees for Christmas greeting cards that I make on fold-over card blanks.  Today's 6" x 6" card blanks come from JAMPaper.com, but similar blanks are likewise available elsewhere online.  (I've been ordering card blanks and envelopes all over the internet!)   

Below are my results:

Above:  My abstract version of a Christmas tree still needs dressing up.  Previously I had dressed up another new Christmas card ....

The card face above (having started with the same fold-over card blank) became background for a Christmas tree that I cut from a print made on textured gold giftwrap paper with red acrylic paint and 9" x 12" Winter Berries Stencil L678 .  After putting down the gluestick, I pulled out my stickers bought online, where many varieties are available, including this and this.  A scattering of those stickers became the silver snowflakes around the tree.

In both cards above, my goal was of course to imply shapes and images commonly tied to Christmas trees but in abstract versions rather than representational.

Today's next card comes to life because of a laser-cut doily forming a halo around a flame that symbolizes fulfillment of a promise made long ago.

Above:  The best adhesive I've found for use with these delicate doilies is here....Grafix Artist-Tac.  I have a package I bought in 2020 and its adhesive is as good as ever!    This pillar candle was cut from a print made using my 4" x 4" mask Carnival M340.  I took advantage of the festive look of this print to trim it into a Christmas pillar candle.

The next Christmassy image, initially, hit me by surprise.  At first glance I didn't tie it in with this season at all.  But then the abstract-seeing part of me took over.  I still consider green and red the traditional Christmas colors so this collage fit the bill.  I trimmed it to fix the face of a 6" x 6" blank fold-over card and added shiny metallic stickers.  I printed the red foreground image using a 9" x 12" stencil-and-mask set created by Valerie Sjodin -- Figures Praising L727.  The background was printed with my 9" x 12" mask Looking Up Through Trees L753.  I made the heart with a paper punch.

I don't title my cards that I make to serve as place settings, gift-tags or cards to mail, but if I did, this one would have the title Joy!

Above:  My 4" x 4" mask Carnival M340 made another print that to my eye suggests high spirits; with stickers, it became another unique Christmas card embellishment.  Stickers come in nearly endless varieties available online, including these, these and these.

Above:  Another laser-cut doily forms the glow around a flame symbolizing new life, fulfillment of a promise made long ago.  This pillar candle was cut from a festive print I made using my 6" x 6" mask Champagne s960. 

A wide variety of laser-cut paper doilies are available on Etsy, so if today's featured link takes you to something sold out, just keep looking on Etsy and you'll find something as beautiful as these shown here.  Likewise, you can find Nativity stickers at Etsy.

Thanks for checking out my blog today! To scroll thru the pages of my stencils and masks at StencilGirlProducts.com, please start here.