IDEAS FOR CHRISTMAS CARDS IN A HURRY! A STAMP HAPPY HOLIDAYS POST🎄

Hi Stampers!

Happy December! Can you believe we are just short of 3 weeks from Christmas? This year has flown by, and I am certain the pace won’t slow down now! I hope your cards are completed or almost complete. If not, it’s okay. Keep going, and just do the best you can do. If you haven’t made any cards, but would like to - it’s not too late. Today’s post might help you come up with ideas for cards you can make in a short amount of time.  Let’s take a look at the sample cards:

VIDEO

CHRISTMAS CARDS IN A HURRY

PATTERNED PAPER + A LARGE WORD STAMP

Do you have a life time supply of patterned paper? It’s time to use it! Cut full panels (5 1/2” x 4 1/4”) as I did for the card on the right, or cut the panels and mat them (panel - 5” x 3 3/4”; mat 5 1/4” x 4) as I did got the card on the left. Next choose a large word stamp. Merry Christmas, Joy, Peace, even Hello will work. Stamp a sentiment inside, add a few sequins or other embellishments, and the card is finished. Not all patterned paper lends itself to stamping a greeting directly on it, but many do! Lighter colored papers work best. I did use a stamping platform to stamp the greeting. This allowed me to stamp the greeting multiple times to get a richly colored sentiment.

SUPPLIES I USED

* Cardstock - Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanills (inside panel)

* Ink - Cherry Cobbler

* Patterned Paper - Retired

* Stamps - Merry Christmas, Wishes & Wonder (retired)

* Embellishments - Red sequins (?)

* Adhesives

SUPPLIES I USED

* Cardstock - Basic White, thick

* Ink - Pretty Peacock

* Stamps - Merry Christmas, Wishes & Wonders (retired)

* Embellishments - Rhinestones Basic Jewels

* Adhesive 

BACKGROUND STAMPS 

Background stamps are great, because they cover a lot of space fast! As the stamps are so large, it is a good idea to use them with a stamping platform to ensure achieving a great result. The stamped panel can be adhered directly to the card base or it can be matted. Add a greeting and you are good to go. You can add fussy cut or die cut images if you like and if time allows.  To finish off the cards I added some embellishments. I zig-zagged some ribbon and attached it to the back side of the greeting on the card to the left.

SUPPLIES I USED

* Cardstock - Pool Party, Basic White

* Stamps - Knit Together (retired), Winter Wishes (retired), Stay Warm

* Inks - Pool Party, Fresh Freesia, Gorgeous Grape, Soft Sea Foam, Garden Green, Lost Lagoon

* Embellishments - Glittered Enamel Dots ( Simple Stories)

NOTE - The two sweater images on the card came from my box I use to store extra images. If you have a box like that you might take a look and see what images you can find that would work for your Christmas cards.

* Adhesive & dimensionals 

SUPPLIES I USED

* Cardstock - Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso

* Stamps - Sheet Music (retired). Hope & Peace (retired)

* Ink - Early Espresso

* Embellishments - Red Sequins (?), brown ribbon (Offray)

* Adhesive, dimensionals

LARGE WORD DIES / COVER PLATES

Do you have some large word dies? Die cut words make a great focal point for cards! The die set I used for these cards included the words and the background. I cut one each in blue and one each in white to create two cards. I added a mat of patterned paper to the blue card to add a bit more interest. 

SUPPLIES

* Cardstock - Basic White, Boho Blue (retired)

* Patterned Paper - Simple Vintage Fresh Snow (Simple Stories)

* Ink - Boho Blue (inside)

* Die - Joy, Hope, Peace (Photo Play)

* Embellishments - Rhinestone Basic Jewels, Snowflakes (retired), SmallPearls (retired)

* Adhesive, adhesive sheets (put on back of cardstock I used to cut out sentiment)

The die I used for these cards actually is an A-2 cover plate. I like that it creates not only the sentiment, but also a great frame. I used specialty papers on white cardstock to add an extra festive look, and finished it off with some shiny embellishments.

SUPPLIES

* Cardstock - Basic White -thick, Red Glimmer Paper (retired), Gold specialty papers (retired)

* Die -Merry Christmas A-2 card die (Scrapbook.com)

* Inks - Real Red, Wild Wheat (retired) -inside sentiment

* Embellishments - Gold snowflakes (retired). Red Shiny Disks (retired)

* Adhesive

COVER PLATE DIES

For the next few cards I used cover plates or A-2 card front dies. They really speed up the card making process. Some of the dies cut out a 5 1/4” x 4” piece allowing for a nice border around the die cut. Others go over the entire card front and create great overall designs.

This design was created with two dies. I cut one of each color, layered them and adhered them to white card bases. I added die cut greetings with a few gems. Quick, easy, and quite merry!

SUPPLIES I USED

* Cardstock- Basic White - thick, Real Red, Garden Green

* Dies - Layered Stripes (Tim Holtz). Happy Holidays (Scrapbook.com)

* Embellishments - Rhinestones - red (?)  Shiny Dots - red (retired)

* Adhesive

SUPPLIES I USED

* Cardstock - Basic White - thick,  Shaded Spruce, Gold Glimmer

* Dies - Tree Pattern (Hero Arts), Fancy Dies Christmas Words (Hero Arts)

* Embellishments - Glitter Gems (retired)

* Adhesive, adhesive sheets

Cover plates do not need to be specifically for Christmas. I used Garden Green cardstock for the die cut, and adhered it to a Real Red cardstock, added the greeting and a few gold embellishments. It looks very festive, don’t you think?

SUPPLIES I USED

* Cardstock - Real Red, Garden Green, Basic White

* Dies - Cover Plate (Alex Syberia), Happy Holidays (Scrapbook.com)

* Embellishments -  Gold Swirls (retired)

* Adhesive

EMBOSSING FOLDERS

An easy way to create cards in a hurry is to use embossing folders. Like the cover plates, there is no need for them to be specifically for Christmas. A general design makes a great background for a Christmas image, or a greeting, or both!

SUPPLIES I USED

* Cardstock- Azure Afternoon, Basic White

* Ink - Azure Afternoon

* Embossing Folder - Snowflake (retired)

* Stamps - Itty Bitty Christmas

* Embellishments - Rhinestones Basic Jewels + Stampin’ Blend - Azure Afternoon - dark

* Adhesive

SUPPLIES I USED

* Cardstock - Garden Green Basic White

* Stamp - Warm & Toasty Wishes

* Ink - Garden Green

* Embossing Folder - Sweater Weather (Spellbinders)

* Dies -  Anne’s die (retired)

* Embellishments- Green Rhinestones (retired)

* Adhesive

SUPPLIES I USED

* Cardstock - Basic White, Rich Razzleberry (retired)

* Embossing Folder - Dainty Diamonds (retired)

* Ink - Tuxedo Black (Memento)

* Stamps - Come to Bethlehem 

* Die - Retro Mod (Whimsy Stamps)

* Embellishments - Rhinestones Basic Jewels + Berry Burst Stampin’ Blend

* Adhesive, foam tape

CARDS IN A HURRY

I made 13 of these cards in 3 hours. The other two cards are from last year, but they are good examples of how great a card can be made in just a few minutes. Stamping the greeting in patterned paper was definitely quick. The embossed snowflake card was super quick! The sweater card took about 7 minutes, but remember the sweaters came from my premade box of images. Having that box of images turned out to be a real time saver. The card that took longest to create was the sheet music card. It took about 12 minutes to make. Using large greetings stamps, background stamps, cover plates, and embossing folders truly speeds up the card making process. So . . . if you still need some cards, why not give these ideas a try?

Thanks for stopping by today. I appreciate it. I hope you all are enjoying all the activities associated with the season. Until next time . . .

Stamp Happy!

Kim

I use mostly Stampin’ Up! products, some are retired, and are noted as such. Products from other companies are also noted as such. I encourage you to use supplies you gave on hand to create your versions of the sample cards.