A Festive Ornament

I haven't had the chance to watch all of the So Very Merry 2025 classes at Online Card Classes yet, but I wanted to try out this new Easy Repeat Background stamp by Kristina Werner at Concord & 9th. The first class taught by Jennifer McGuire inspired the alignment of this ornament on the matching background. 

After heat embossing the background stamp in gold on a watercolor paper panel, I also embossed the same image on maroon card stock in the exact same position (thanks to the Stamp Wheel 2.0). Then I watercolored in the image with the embossed lines holding the water inside the lines. 

Then I cut a circle for the ornament from the maroon and lined it up to match the painted background panel before adhering it with foam tape. 

I love this new Loopy Bow by Simon Says Stamp! It takes a little patience to assemble, but reverse tweezers save the day. 

To tie the sentiment strip to the ornament, I watercolored the edges of the strip with Grapevine to match the color. A T-square helps to line up a sentiment strip. 

To add a little more shine, I adhered flat gold sequins from the Simon Says Stamp Christmas Cheer mix. This is the first time I've used the flat sequins and they really are eye catching! 

Supplies: 

Easy Repeat Holly Background Stamp, Concord & 9th, So Very Merry 2025 

Sentiment from Holiday Assortment Stamps, Kristina Werner Concord & 9th (SVM 2024)

Watercolors 36 pan set, Altenew

Watercolor paper 140 lb cold pressed, Altenew

Gilded Embossing poweder, Brutus Monroe

Loopy Bow die, Simon Says Stamp

Christmas Cheer Sequin mix, Simon Says Stamp

Challenges:

A Place to Call Home, Anything Goes with Something New November Challenge

Cupcake Inspirations Challenge #631 Maroon and Gold

Winter Cardinal Scene

When is enough snow, enough? 

I created this card in a recent class taught by Altenew Certified Educator Liz Ortiz called Songs of Winter. Her bird was perched in a serene tree scene with a little snow, so peaceful. Snow just exudes a peaceful feeling to me, so I added more... and more! I went back to it after drying and sure enough, it needed more! Then some glitter to top it off. 

The background is a cloud stencil on watercolor paper using a gray blue shade of ink with a little gray on top . For the front wood texture I used an embossing folder and applied the brown inks with first with a blending brush, then direct to paper in a slightly darker shade.  The arch die from an Altenew Mini-Delight came in handy for the front window. The cardinal was stamped with an Altenew layering stamp, which was pretty easy to align and forgiving. 

I'm not exactly a big fan of folding. I always hesitate when I see the vast amount of measurements for where to cut and fold, but this project was actually fairly simple. I find it easier to watch and then try it myself. I love how Liz taught using an accordion fold to pop the sentiment out as well. 

To finish off the card, I added some pine branches and a generous amount of snow using the new Gina K Rise & Shine paste. At first I just dabbed some on but after it dried I decided to add more using a pallet knife. This tool allowed me to add some snow sitting on the window ledge and on top of the sentiment strip. I had some old chunky glitter lying around that I sprinkled on as well. 

                           

The  back of the card has a little pocket to slip a card in with a personal message. I made a gift card/money pocket card with a ribbon to pull it out easily. 

If you'd like to learn card making techniques, sign up for Altenew emails to have the offerings from Altenew Certified Educators sent to your inbox each month. You can also find these posted in the Altenew Fan Group on Facebook. Many are free or have a nominal fee. The classes I have attended are not recorded so they are not available later to access. To see more of Liz Ortiz's work and upcoming classes, check out her blog here

Supplies: 

Altenew Fresh Dye Inks (Misty Morning, Morning Frost, Hazelnut, Almond Butter, Ruby Red)

Altenew Winter Cardinal layering stamp & dies, Birthday Greetings stamp, Regal Frame die

Versafine Clair Nocturne pigment ink

Tim Holtz Sizzix embossing folder (wood grain)

Simon Says Stamp Pine Needle dies

Gina K Rise & Shine Paste (white), inks (brick red, red velvet)

Gick Prisma Glitter

 

Pastel (Im)Perfection

​Perfection is overrated! 

I created this card for a pastel color challenge (Altenew Challenge Live), but the perfection part is what I can't get behind! I know it's a play on words, but there are so many flaws in this card and I didn't redo it. Can you find them? 

When you watercolor, you really have to let go of control. The water leads colors in ways you don't expect at times and sometimes into areas you don't want it to go. I had to blot a few times with paper towels and work on an area again. What I rarely ever do is start over from scratch! There are areas of imperfection in the mug where the metallic watercolor layer went askew. A little of the color went outside the lines on the mug handle. Oh well! Your recipient probably won't notice and it is handmade after all. 

Imperfections can often be covered up with embellishments. Layering can be incorporated to cover a flaw. There isn't anything unsightly hiding behind the cupcake, but there could be. You'd never know! Sometimes I place other more eye catching pieces to distract the eye away from flaws. 

The one flaw on this card that draws my eye is the embossing of the sentiment. The bottom of the Y is a little bit darker because the powder didn't stick. I saw it and decided it wasn't important enough to start over or try to fix at that point. I was hungry and wanted to get it done, so I used a piece of vellum behind the sentiment to draw your attention. I'm also hoping the cupcake sprinkles draw your eye upward! 

I hope there are other crafters out there who embrace imperfections instead of starting over. If not, I think I'd have given up a long time ago! 

Challenge Entries:

Altenew Challenge Live video link

A Place to Start: Anything Goes and Something New (sprinkles)  here

Supplies: 

Altenew  Sweet Life dies, Cozy Mornings stamp set, Birthday Greetings stamp, antique silver embossing powder, 36 pan watercolor set, 140 lb cold pressed watercolor paper, crystal clear embossing powder, Fresh Dye Inks (buttercream, warm sunshine, hazelnut), pigment ink Mist Gray

Pretty Pink Posh Birthday Cake Mix sprinkles

Sleigh Ride Scene

 

                    Create a Sleigh Ride Scene 

                             to display throughout the season! 

Create this sleigh ride scene with a timeless wooden sled & delicate poinsettias on a snowy hill using mainly watercolors and markers. This project card (I'll call it a project because it includes 3D folding) isn't as difficult as it might look. I achieved the winter colors in variety of ways including using watercolors, stencils, and Shimmer Relief paste. You can learn these techniques taught by Erum Tasneem in her Altenew Academy class Creative Coloring with Erum, Advanced Techniques. The class is filled with tips on various ways to add color. Many of the lessons focus on florals, but as you can see, the techniques can be applied to other objects. I snagged this class on sale a couple of weeks ago. Don't forget to check the weekly sales for classes. Come along and I'll show you more!

Faux Wood Timeless Sled

I wanted to give the sled a wooden, antique look so I used watercolors to achieve the wood texture. Using watercolor paper, cut out the Timeless Sled die pieces and apply a basic wash of light brown. Then add the wooden texture with a dry brush technique. Swipe the darker brown lines in a jagged motion from the edges in. Including some circular notches makes it look more like real wood. To maintain the strokes, dry the paper in between layers. 

     

TIP: If your wood is to light like mine was, just give it another was of color over the wood grain strokes and start again. I actually darkened mine three times, until I achieved the look I wanted. It is always better to start lighter and darken. 

 


TIP: Not sure if it looks good? Assemble the sled without gluing and take a picture. Sometimes when I look at a picture, it's like seeing with fresh eyes. Something stands out that I need to change. I wanted the wood darker yet, so I washed color over the top and added more wood grain. 

Once the sled was dry, assembly was super easy with the Altnew keyhole system. Just line up the little keyhole following the numbers imprinted on the pieces. #1 will be on the bottom. The rail pieces were cut from metallic silver paper. Be sure to leave a little space for the gifts to tuck inside the sled. Go ahead and make the pillow and gifts to complete the sled. Pattered paper is fun for variety or just add stripes to a gift with markers. 

Create a Snowy Background

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To create the look of blustery, blowing snow, use the drip technique. Start with damp watercolor paper, then drip some clean water where you want the color to run. Then drip the color in the same areas. The watercolor will follow the lines of water. 

TIPS:  Too much water? Drips went too far? Just dab with a paper towel. 

 

Dry the paper and run it through a snowflake embossing folder. TIP: Leaving it a little damp will ensure the card stock doesn't crack when embossed. I strategically placed my drips of color in the areas of the paper where the snowflakes would be. 

                  

To add some shimmer and snow texture, apply Altenew Shimmer Relief Paste in pearl. You can use a pallet knife/tool for a smoother application. I used my finger in areas I wanted it to be thicker and more uneven, like snow drifts. This dried quicker than I expected. It was dry enough to assemble everything in an hour or so, even the thicker parts. 

TIP: Be sure to clean your tools right away and don't apply the paste on your sticky mat like I did. It took some work to get it off! 

                        Marker Coloring the Poinsettias

Use alcohol markers to color the poinsettias. I started with a base of blush color because I cut them from white card stock. Then add the color, darkest color first, using flicking motions with the brush tip. The next lighter color is used to pull the color out from the center out or from the tip inward. Be sure to leave light areas for added interest and a more realistic look. Assembly is easy again with the keyhole in the center.  

TIP #1: These flowers are small, so I kept them nested in the card stock piece so they didn't move around on my mat so much. 

TIP #2: Vary the colors if you are making several blooms. One bloom was Rouge, Crimson and Velvet. I made the next bloom a little different by adding in a brighter color, Cotton Candy. The last bloom is darker by using Grapevine. You can also vary the leaf color. 

Watercolor the Frame Piece

This was my favorite part! This frame is made with a stencil used as a guide for watercoloring. It was so relaxing and easy. I actually made three different panels because I wasn't sure what colors would look best. 

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Start by applying a very light color ink to watercolor paper through the stencil. Here I used Altenew Polar Bear blue ink which is super light. For the green panel, I used Fireflly ink with a light touch. The stenciled light ink acts as a guide for where to place your watercolor. Just wet a leaf with plain water, then apply the color. To vary the shading on the leaf, apply the color (Evergreen) to the base and pull the color out in an ombre effect. Let the leaf dry and work on another one. Check back to see what each leaf needs once it is dry. I added some more intense color and a different shade with a blue tint (Emerald) in some areas. For the blue leaves, I used a mixture of Caribbean Sky (very light) and Persian Blue (dark). 

 The stems and berries were painted with a wet on dry technique using Mocha. You can add some shine to the berries with a swipe of metallic watercolor paint. I used an icy blue tinted metallic color. 

Making the 3D Frame (It's not really that hard!)

Cut out the shape of the window you'd like to use. I used an oval, but any shape will work. Just be sure to leave enough space around the shape for the paper to stand firm. 

TIP: Save the oval piece you cut out for another card!

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To make the frame pop out from the background, you just need some accordion folded pieces for both sides. Personally, I dread reading measurements for where to fold and cut a bunch of pieces! So here's the easy way I did it: Start with a white piece of cardstock the same height as your card (4.25 inch). Place it on your scoring board. You'll need to make a total of 8 sections, the first and last section are a bit larger because they need extra space to attach to the card top and bottom. 

Here we go! Make the first score mark 3/8 inch from the end, then make score marks at every 1/4 inch until you have 7 small sections (the first section is 3/8 in., then six 1/4 in. sections). The last section needs to be 3/8 in. Then cut off the excess card stock and fold! Do this again so you have two accordion folded pieces. 

Assembling the Card

Glue the snowy background panel in the bottom fold so the larger piece wraps around the back of the panel. Then temporarily arrange the sled, sentiment and any pieces you want on the background and lay the frame on top. Check to see what is visible with the frame in place, especially the sentiment! Make adjustments and glue the pieces to the back ground. I popped the sled up with foam tape and gave some elevation to the sentiment by backing it with 3 more die cut pieces. 

Next glue on the top frame piece. Finish the card by adhering the flowers and greenery on the corners of the frame. The card will flatten to fit in an A2 envelope and stand up for display. Such a magical scene! 

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Altenew Supplies:

• Timeless Sled die, Sleigh Ride Greetings stamps & dies
• Layered Snowflakes 3D embossing folder
• Leaves & Berries stencil
• Watercolor paper 140 lb cold pressed
• 36 pan watercolor set
• Shimmer Relief Paste, Pearl 
• Fine detail watercolor brushes
• Alcohol markers: rouge, crimson, velvet, cotton candy, grapevine, Pocket Full of Sunshine set
• Garnet glitter cardstock

Other supplies:

• Metallic silver paper (sled rails), metallic gold paper
• Metallic Pastel watercolors (Art Philosophy)

Watercolor Hack!

A Watercolor Hack for you... use your stencils!

I love the look of watercolors, but they definitely challenge me. The Altenew Academy class All About Layering 7: Stencils Edition opened my eyes to an easy way to use watercolors with stencils. There are a few tips to success when watercoloring through layering stencils. The main tip is to control the amount of water you use. I'll give more tips as I take you through creating this card, but the real credit goes to Bridget Casey who taught this portion of the class. 

          

This card was created with the Watercolor Dreams Set and 140lb cold pressed watercolor paper (for die cuts and panel) The name is a coincidence. You really just need a layering stencil set and dies. It helps to die cut your images first, that way you can easily align the stencils and don't need to let the images dry overnight before cutting them out. 

The Prep Work

Tip: Tape your stencils down securely! You want to get the stencil as flat on the paper as possible so the water doesn't leak under it as you paint. Using scrap pieces of paper to cover other parts of the paper will also protect it from accidental drops of color. 

Here's the Trick: Control the Water

                                                                           

Watercoloring inside stencils requires control of the water. This is more of a damp on dry technique. Spritz your watercolors and use a damp brush on dry paper. Starting in the center, you will be able to spread the color out towards the edges in the larger opening of the base image. This will allow for lightening the color as it is spread out as needed. 

Tip: Keep a paper towel handy to blot off the water if the color is too dark or you have too much water.  You can blot it quickly before it spreads under the stencil. 

                                              Painting Detail Layers

    

The next layer of my stencil was quite detailed. I began by painting in the outlines of each area and removing the stencil before filling in the centers, however, it was difficult to figure out where to paint when the stencil was removed. It was easier to just paint the entire area before removing the stencil. That's what worked best for me with this particular stencil. 

  

This bloom turned out beautiful, but I personally wanted a little more of a loose look. I used a wet brush to soften the lines. 

The leaves were painted in a similar way. I added my own touch to the base with yellow highlights, as well as a darker shade of green after the details were painted. I softened these lines with water as well. 

                                                         Expand the Bouquet

            

After die cutting the blooms and leaves, more blooms and leaves can be added directly onto the panel. I arranged the die cuts, then simply held my stencil over the bouquet to plan where to watercolor. I slid the diecuts out of the way and taped my stencil down. You can see Anna use a similar technique in Lesson 3 of the class. 

                                

Small marks can be made before removing the die cuts for use in positioning the stencil for additional leaves. Stencils can also be used upside down to get a different orientation for a leaf or bloom. The curved leaf above was turned the other direction using this technique. Rosie's Lesson 5 shows this technique to get more out of your products. 

Add Shimmer and Shine

Add more shine and dimension with Shimmer Relief Paste. Brown Moonstone Shimmer Relief Paste was used through the stencil on the centers of the flowers. This layer is thick enough that it really stands out.  To add some shine to the petals, you can water down the shimmer paste and apply it similar to paint. Be sure to wash your brushes right away!

Before adhering the die cuts, add some Shimmer Paste to the edges of the panel. I decided to trim my panel down and adhere it to colored cardstock for a frame, so I needed to add a little more shimmer paste back to the edges. One bloom and leaf was adhered with foam tape for more dimension.

Final Touches

I'll admit, I'm an "eyeball it" type of person. However, when it comes to a straight sentiment, a T square is a vital tool. Adding a few enamel dots adds interest, especially when they are of different sizes and shades of green. Tuck one under the edge of a leaf for interest too!

Altenew Products Used: 

Cold Pressed 130lb watercolor paper

Watercolor Dreams stencil and dies

Bold Bouquet Sentiment and die

36 Pan Watercolor Set

Brown Moonstone Shimmer Relief Paste

Enamel Dots- Green Fields