Can you smell it …. can you feel it ….. ? Fall is here and that means Christmas is right around the corner. Oh, for a card/tag maker this is the “funnest” time of the year. Break out ALL your Christmas stamps and your favorite mediums and create until the reindeer fly.
This is what I have started my “Christmas card/tag journey” with, for 2019. I pulled out 3 of my favorite “Art Impressions”,  Christmas sets then pulled out some of my favorite mediums, some paint, fiber, and ribbon. First I stamped and colored my images. Yes, because I love the light fastness of pigment ink I pulled out my “VersaFine” quick-dry pigment ink and stamped the images that I wanted to color. Coloring was easy with my artist quality pencil crayons and I used Gamsol to blend. Now for the tag background …. this was easy & crazy quick! I created very “Christmassy and wintery” backgrounds with classic pigment ink and a  pigment-based chalk finish, ink. Pigment ink blends into each other like breathing so that is why there are no harsh stops or starts between colors.

Add some fun detail using the Versafine, quick-dry pigment ink or stamp some fun snowflakes using white paint ….. just make sure you clean that stamp that has paint on it IMMEDIATELY after.  Add a splatter of paint and presto … a gorgeous background. Think I will do this on a larger scale for a scrapbook page because I LOVE these yummy backgrounds. My little “snowman people” tag needed a message and I decided to stamp that on a clear acetate strip. Have you tried the all-new “StazOn PIGMENT” white stamp pad? Oh, yes … you NEED to add this to your creative arsenal. This new style of ink is going to make your “stamping heart”, very happy …. very happy indeed. For precision printing, I used my “Cathie Allan, Position-it” by Ecstasy Crafts.  Yes, this is the one that allows you to not only stamp an image exactly where you want it to be BUT allows you to stamp an image over and over in the same place for perfect images. You can use cling stamps, clear stamps, AND your wooden handled stamps … IT DOES IT ALL! Plus you only need just one size as this base handles small projects and cardstock up to a 12” by 12” and more. Glitter is just necessary at Christmas so I added Stickles and Nuvo Crystal Drops (these are dimensional) to my tags.  I had so very much fun creating these & I can guarantee you that I will be making several more as these sets simply inspire the “Christmas in me”. Stay tunned … watch for a CSM  Facebook live coming soon where I will be making a 4^th tag using “all of this fun stuff” from start to finish. See you then.

Happy Stamping Everyone!

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