Build a Batch of Christmas Cards!

I love making small batches of Christmas cards throughout the year. I find making 6 cards is fun but making 70 is not (unless i am making them at a crop while gabbing away with friends, then I don’t mind the tedium). For this easy card I die-cut label shapes and embossed them. I stamped the holly frame from the Holly & Mistletoe set from Pink Persimmon, then I cut a mortise mask (a sticky note with a circle in the center of it) so I could stamp the Deer Outline and Deer Silhouette without messing up my card. I love the deer sets because there is no coloring involved so it is quick and easy and great for “real-life” Christmas cards:

You might recognize the ribbon on these cards. I bought a massive roll of this printed twill ribbon for $5 a few years ago and I have used it on hundreds of cards and I still have so much left, I think it reproduces as night when I leave my craft room! I colored a clear rhinestone with a marker and glued it on the deer’s nose to make it more Christmasy!

Quick Tip! Get the embossed edge look of “nesties” with a Cricut:

This will work with any electronic die cutter as well, I just happen to have a cricut and SCAL software but Cricut Design Studio or the Gypsy should work as well.

1. In your software select a shape (I am using a file from Penny Duncan Creations), resize it to the size you wish for your mat. Copy and paste that shape and resize it a bit smaller and center it in the middle of your first shape. Ta-da! You have made a frame! Cut that from cardstock ans set aside.

2. Delete the inner shape so you are just left with the larger outer shape and cut as many as you need for your batch of cards.

3. Place the frame shape over your cardstock and run it through a big shot, cuddlebug, sizzix or any manual die cutter with a sheet of rubber. Use this sandwich and shim with cardstock if necessary: spacer plate, cutting pad, rubber sheet or embossing pad, die cut shape, die cut frame, cutting pad. If this does not emboss then add a sheet or two of cardstock between the spacer and the cutting pad. Do this to the remaining shapes reusing the same frame. Viola!

And an easier method using a cartridge (it uses more paper but you don’t need software or a manual machine):

1. Cut a shape selected from a cartridge.

2. Press the shadow button on your keypad and cut it again, do not touch the size.

3. Glue the smaller shape centered on the larger one. How easy is that!

You can see all of the stamps I used in the Pink Persimmon shop!

Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!