Make the holidays merry – shop Essentials by Ellen on Amazon!
December always flies by WAY too fast, and that’s even more true when you’ve got holiday cards to make, isn’t it?! Thank goodness for Christmas in July being a theme in our crafting community, because it’s a great opportunity to get ahead on your holiday card stash. Some designs lend themselves better than others to mass production, and the 3 projects I’m sharing today are a few examples.
Below you’ll find 4 tips I wanted to share with you as I put these projects together. They’re clean and simple cards with some small metallic touches, and you’ll be able to customize them with whatever holiday color palettes your heart desires. You could send these individually, or even give them as a boxed set as a gift. And, if you’re in the mood, why not make some simple coordinating envelopes? I used the Essentials by Ellen A2 Envelope and Liner Combo, with gold cardstock for the liners for a festive touch. Either way, I’m sure your recipients will enjoy these!
Tip 1: Pick a palette
A color palette can make or break a card design for me, and if you’re going to be mass-producing cards, it’s nice to have one that you like! For this trio I’ve used Concord and 9th Peacock, Aqua Sky and Ballet Slipper inks, as well as Pinkfresh Studio Doe and Catherine Pooler Rouge. Not sure what to choose? A quick search on Pinterest for “contemporary holiday color palettes” should give you some fresh ideas.
Tip 2: Take advantage of stamp/die combos that allow you to stamp and cut many sentiments in one pass
This is where the Essentials by Ellen Sentiment Strips die and Holiday Vibes Stamp Set are going to be your best friends! With 40 words and phrases, plus 4 decorative line stamps, you’ll have plenty to last you for all your Christmas in July creations – and leftovers for the cards you need to make when the holiday season actually arrives.
Tip 3: Use shape dies to make reusable stencils
The recently-released Essential Triangles are perfect candidates for this because they can be made to look like trees. (You could do the same with Essential Circles, making them look like Christmas bulbs.) I used the Essential Triangles to make stencils from acetate sheets, then ink blended repeatedly to create trees in various arrangements on A2 card panels. While making the stencils out of cardstock would work, I like to use acetate (the same kind you use to make windows on shaker cards) because it’s transparent and I can see the design as it progresses. Just be sure to wipe your stencils off if you’re changing colors.
Tip 4: Try doing each step of the cardmaking process in batches
Rather than making a single card from start to finish, I find it faster to mass produce by focusing on one step at a time. That means creating all of the sentiments (which is easy with Tip 2!), then making lots of ink blended tree panels with my DIY stencils, then trimming down all the panels, then adhering them all to card bases, then adding the sentiment strips, then embellishments. This can also be a helpful tip if you have limited space to craft in.
Ready to give these a try for yourself? We’d love to see! Be sure to tag me, @mycraftyperspective, and @ellenhutsonllc on Instagram so we can take a peek at your gorgeous creations. Have fun!
