12 Days of Christmas - Day 9!

Hello all! Hope these 12 days of Christmas the Power Poppy way are just making your heart bubble with holiday inspiration! I am popping on the Power Poppy Blog today for DAY 9 to share some clean and classy creations from Christine Okken. We all know that Christmas cards can prove challenging when it comes to layers and postage and just getting a larger creation in the mail. So, Christine is peeling the layers back, literally, to show us you can have a "WOW" creation without a ton of extras. And, to make it even easier, she used one stamp set --  Cuddle in the Cabin -- to create 4 different and beautiful cards.

Let's first take a peek at this beautiful set! Its imagery is so serene with a retreat in the woods just sitting and waiting for you to enjoy! What's wonderful about this set is that there are so many interchangeable scenes that you can create with just this ONE set! 

For those who love digital sets instead of clear, GOOD NEWS! These images are available in digital format as well HERE! 

So, let's get right to the magic that Christine created! 

CARD 1

In this creation, Christine stamped the tree from the set multiple times using Rustic Wilderness Distress Ink on watercolor paper. Now, here's the fun part. She used a water brush to drag down the color from the ink to ground the images and give it so much depth. Brilliant! Add a little torn-edge on the paper, a wee bit of bling and you have a card that just screams classy! 

CARD 2

This creation is not only a breath of fresh air with those cool tones, it just underscores Christine's artistic talent. First, she stamped the sentiment from the set onto watercolor paper, added some color to the open block letters with some watercolor and then, added the watercolor pine branches to form a wreath by hand. I have never done this myself, but seeing how beautiful it is, I am tempted to try freehanding like she did! I am pretty sure I'd need to lightly trace a circle first before I started the handpainting. She used Daniel Smith Watercolor paints and then embossed the sequins to serve as the "berries" on the wreath from the Let it Glow stamp set. If you aren't brave enough to try hand painting, you could use the elements from the Enchanted Branches Nativity to try crafting a wreath with stamps! 

CARD 3

Well, it really doesn't get more simple than this beautiful creation above! Christine stamped the Be Still scene, colored with Copics and Prismacolor pencils and... ta-da! Fini! I love the visual effect she created by coloring in the sky to create that round effect above the mountainscape. 

CARD 4

I don't know about you, but I think there's something whimsical about stamping on dark papers and using light pencils or even bleach (as Christine did) to help create contrast. This card is the perfect example of that! Christine stamped and embossed the cabin from this set on navy card stock, painted bleach into the highlights and light sources for the moonlight and lamplight glow and then used white acrylic paint splatters to serve as her snow! She then used white ink for the sentiment (from the Let it Glow stamp set). The whole effect is soft and inviting! Christine did want to point out when using bleach, sometimes the bleach reacts differently with different papers. It's not a bad idea to test drive the bleach on a scrap before you begin. In this case, the effect is not white but more cream or light yellow, which is perfect for the glowing moon!

I hope you've enjoyed these clean and classy and easy to replicate creations using, for the most part, just one stamp set! So creative and fun! 

If you missed any of the days of our fun little Power Poppy 12 Days of Christmas extravaganza, just click HERE to scroll through all the days and.... get ready to be inspired! 

Thanks for stopping by!