I know it’s only October but…and I can’t believe I’m actually saying this…but I’ve made my own Christmas cards! Sorry! It’s most unlike me.
Moving swiftly on, if you have always been put off by the time and effort that making your own cards usually entails, then perhaps you should reconsider.
There is an abundance of inspiration and tutorials online. This is the one I used.
First you make a triangular stencil and place it over the centre of the card. Then, using water on a brush, paint small squiggles within the triangle and follow through with a small brush containing green watercolour paint, once again, squiggling loosely. I decided to splatter as well.
The photos are a bit pants but you get the idea.
The card paper didn’t react well to wet-in-wet watercolours as does proper watercolour paper, but once the triangular stencil was removed, the overall effect was still pleasing.
Craft stores sell economically priced blank cards with matching envelopes and everything else required – just don’t get carried away and buy up the entire store as I did. In this case, less is more effective. I used some self-adhesive glitter stars and tiny gem embellishments. I already had some gold ink for writing “Happy Christmas” inside, but you can even buy stickers for that.
This was a really simple, fun thing to do.
Apologies again for mentioning Christmas so early – I find nothing more soul-crushing than walking into a store and seeing Christmas supplies on the shelves at this time of year. I’m not sure what came over me.
PIGMENTS OF MY IMAGINATION 
Hi June!
I don’t think you are getting going on this too early. Making your own Christmas cards requires a lot of time! I really like the idea you came up with for mass production homemade cards. Your tree works really well. I know what you mean about getting carried away with all the cool things you can decorate cards and don’t even mention the art supply wish list! Great post!
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I like the simplicity of this! Nice gestures!
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I would hate you if I wasn’t such a June Malone fan! A few days ago I went into a Home Depot and saw the Christmas display right next to all the BBQ grills. I was confused. It’s not even Halloween. Or our Thanksgiving. But time marches on and I’m sure I will be thinking June was right on the money by making her cards so early.
Love the swirly brush strokes with the glitter and spatter. I was inspired by you and by the video. I’ve already cut out a triangle. But I think I will wait a little before making Christmas cars. I want to enjoy autumn.
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This was a first tentative step towards my plan to make images for greeting cards – to sell on websites that provide all the bothersome stuff like admin, printing and mailing for me. Doubt there’ll be much money in it but anything is better than nothing, right?
I’m glad you think the tree works well because you’ll be receiving one in the post. Yikes! the art supplies? (sorry to mention them) I have to enter wearing blinkers and try to stick to a definite list.
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Thank you very much. Simplicity is exactly what I was aiming for – it’s always so difficult to stick to the ‘less is more’ rule.
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I’d hate me too! Fall should be stunning where you now live – you’ll have to give me your new postal address so that I can send you one of these cards. Do have a go Carol, they were great fun to do.
Probably time I started on the Easter cards….. :-D
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