Frosted Pinecones Christmas Card in Unexpected Colours
Who says pinecones need to be brown? For this week’s card, I stepped away from traditional Christmas colours and used the Stampin Up Frosted Pinecones Bundle with Cloud Cover, Secret Sea and a touch of Strawberry Slush. The result is a crisp, contemporary Christmas card filled with beautiful texture and detail.
Creating the Layered Frosted Pinecones
The Frosted Pinecones stamp set features a wonderfully large pinecone and foliage image, along with versatile sentiments including “Joy”, “Thinking of You”, “Winter Wishes” and “May the beauty of the season fill your heart”.
Because the main image is so large, I used my Stampin’ Positioner rather than trying to stamp it with a large acrylic block. This made it much easier to apply firm, even pressure and achieve good coverage across the entire image.
The coordinating decorative masks add the colour and detail in layers. I began with a light application of Cloud Cover ink, then added Secret Sea through the remaining pinecone masks. Each layer gradually deepened the shadows and brought the pinecones to life.
When working with layered masks, I recommend securing both your cardstock and masks to your work surface. It prevents them from shifting as you blend and makes it much easier to align each layer correctly.
Small blending brushes are particularly helpful for the detailed sections of the pinecones. They allow you to push ink into the smaller openings without adding colour to areas where you do not want it. I left the foliage mostly uncoloured, allowing the stamped outline and blue-grey pinecones to create a slightly wintry appearance.
Once the blending was complete, I used the large coordinating die to cut out the entire arrangement.
Letting One Large Image Do the Work
The Frosted Pinecones image is generously sized, so it does not need a complicated card layout around it. This makes it ideal when you want to create several Christmas cards in one sitting.
I embossed the white background layer with the Softly Woven Embossing Folder. Its fine checked texture fills the open space without competing with the detailed focal image. I also stamped the small speckled image lightly around a few of the edges, rather than creating a complete border.
A Strawberry Slush sentiment added an unexpected pop of colour and gave me a reason to introduce a little pink elsewhere on the card. Some fine twine tucked behind the pinecones and a scattering of silver sequins completed the design.
More Ways to Use the Frosted Pinecones Masks
The set includes five decorative masks, giving you plenty of room to experiment. One of the additional masks can be used to add a frosted effect over the finished image. Try applying shimmery embossing paste through it or brushing Wink of Stella over selected areas for a softer sparkle.
You could also change the card completely simply by choosing more traditional colours such as brown pinecones with green foliage. The large image could be coloured with Stampin’ Blends, watercolour pencils or inks, making this a very versatile design for Christmas, winter-themed cards and thoughtful occasions throughout the year.
The Frosted Pinecones bundle combine stamping, decorative masks and coordinating dies in one striking design. With the main image doing most of the creative work, it is a lovely choice for producing an impressive batch of handmade Christmas cards without needing a complicated layout.
Before You Go:
September is my Birthday Month, so I thought we’d have a little fun this month!
For every $100 you spend with me (after rewards and before postage), you’ll pick a number off the Lucky Number Board. If your Number is Lucky, you’ll receive a Stampin’ Hot Foil System.
Now, you do need the Cut & Emboss Machine, so if your number is the lucky one, and you need a Cut & Emboss Machine, I’ll have a special price for you 🙂
The Lucky Number Board Game will run until the 30th September. I’ll draw the Number on the 1st October. Only offered via me (Alisa Tilsner).
Cheers for Now
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Absolutely gorgeous!!!!