Hello! Welcome to my blog! Today I have three Christmas cards to share with you. I used colored pencils on kraft cardstock. It’s one of my favorite techniques. The pencils look so charming and vibrant on the brown cardstock. It’s been a while since I pulled out my colored pencils.
I actually pulled out 3 of my favorite sets of colored pencils, and I used a different brand of kraft cardstock for each card. I had so much fun creating these cards! The stamps are from Stampendous and the images are meant for mini slimline cards.
You can check out my process video below! I also have all of the links to the products listed below as well.
Card #1: Mini Birdie Banner
On card #1 I used Prismacolor pencils. These are lovely wax based pencils and the most affordable of the three sets I’m using today. I build up my scenes slowly–trying not to press too hard with the pencils. If you press too hard with your pencils, your hand will tire quickly and you won’t be able to blend the pencils and build up layers.
To make the ribbon look a little more satin-like, I used Gamsol. Gamsol is an odorless mineral spirit that breaks down the wax and smoothens it all out. However, on the rest of the piece, I didn’t use Gamsol. I love the look of the colored pencils, and I want people to be able to tell that I used colored pencils on my piece. Below is a list of the exact colored pencils I used on this card.
I stamped out all of my images using a stamping platform–mine is a Misti. I left the stamp on the door of the Misti so I could re-stamp it after I was done. This freshens up the lines of the image which can be dulled from the colored pencils. It really helps to make the image pop!
Paper: Dune Cardstock
Prismacolor Pencils:
Red Banner: Orange, Permanent Red & Tuscan Red
Leaves: Chartreuse, Apple Green, Dark Green
Berries: White & Sap Green Light
Bird: White, Orange, Blue Violet Lake, Cool Grey 20%, Cool Grey 50% & Cool Gray 70%
Card #2: Mini Snowman Reach
I love this image of the snowman and the cat! I used Faber Castell Polychromos pencils on this card. These are oil based colored pencils. Again, I started with my lightest colors first and slowly built up the colors and the shadows. I don’t have a sentiment on this card yet–today I’m mostly focusing on the coloring.
Paper: Desert Storm 100 lb Cardstock
Faber Castell Colored Pencils:
Snowman: White & Light Cobalt Turquoise
Striped Scarf: White & Light Cobalt Turquoise,
Light Cobalt Turquoise & Cobalt Turqoise
Light Green & Permanent Green
Cobalt Turquoise & Helio Turquoise
Orange Scarf: Dark Chrome Yellow, Dark Cadmium Orange & Light Cadmium Red
Pink Scarf: Medium Flesh, Alizarin Crimson & Middle Cadmium Red
Hat: Medium Flesh, Alizarin Crimson & Middle Cadmium Red
White Polka dots: White & Light Cobalt Turquoise
Fur at bottom & Top of Hat: Ivory, Light Yellow Orchre & Brown Ochre
Cat: Warm Grey III, Warm Gray V & Warm Grey VI
Card #3: Mini Tree Cottage
This little cottage scene is so cute! You could color this really simply with a limited green color palette; however, I used 4 different color combinations to color in my trees. (They are listed below.) I used Caran d’Ache Luminace colored pencils on this card. They are a wax based pencil and the most costly of the three sets. After I finished coloring the trees and the house, I added a pale pink and purple colors around my scene to indicate a pretty sunset.
Paper: Stonehenge Kraft
Colored Pencils: Caran d’Ache Luminance
Cottage: Herculanum Red & Burnt Sienna 50%
Windows: Bismuth Yellow
Chimney: French Grey 10%, French Grey 305, French Grey (Darkest of the 3 pencils)
Tree Combinations:
Middle Verdigris & Chromium Oxyde Green
Spring Green, Grass Green & Dark Sap Green
Light Malachite Green & Malachite Green
Beryl Green & Dark English Green
Snow: White & Light Malachite Green
Background: Herculanum Red & Hibiscus Pink
So, after completing all three of my cards, I definitely enjoyed using my Faber Castell Polychromos pencils the most. Second, would be the Prismacolors. My favorite paper was the Stonehenge Kraft. It has some nice texture to it, and allows my pencils to blend beautifully. I was able to put down a lot of layers on this paper.
Colored pencil is my favorite art medium! I love them! I’ve been using them since I was a teen–I still have the old tin box my Prismacolors came it, even though the pencils are all used up. I highly recommend giving this medium a try. If you’re uncertain, purchase a small set of pencils–they don’t have to be the most expensive brand, but I wouldn’t use a cheap, hard wax brand either. Prismacolors are great to start with. They’re creamy and blend with ease. Have fun coloring!!
Mini Birdie Banner Stamp: http://shrsl.com/3o4vp
Mini Snowman Reach Stamp: http://shrsl.com/3o4vr
Mini Tree Cottage Stamp: http://shrsl.com/3o4vt
Mini Slimline Envelope & Nested Card Creator Dies: http://shrsl.com/3o4w2
Mini Slimline Dainty Scallop Die Set Trinity Stamps (Similar to the die I used): http://shrsl.com/3o4we
Brass Bullet Pencil Sharpener: http://shrsl.com/3o5im
White Signo Gel Pen: http://shrsl.com/3o5iq
Gamsol Odorless Mineral Spirits: http://shrsl.com/3o5mx
Colored Pencil Sets:
Prismacolor Pencils:
Set of 150: http://shrsl.com/3o5kw
Set of 12: http://shrsl.com/3o5l2
Set of 24: http://shrsl.com/3o5l9
Set of 36: http://shrsl.com/3o5lf
Set of 48: http://shrsl.com/3o5li
Set of 72: http://shrsl.com/3o5lm
Faber Castell Pencils:
Set of 120: http://shrsl.com/3o5lp
Set of 12: http://shrsl.com/3o5lq
Set of 24: http://shrsl.com/3o5ls
Set of 36: http://shrsl.com/3o5lu
Set of 60: http://shrsl.com/3o5ly
Caran d’Ache Luminence Pencils:
Set of 76: http://shrsl.com/3o5m8
Set of 12: http://shrsl.com/3o5mc
Set of 20 Assorted: http://shrsl.com/3o5mk
Set of 20 Portrait: http://shrsl.com/3o5mr
Set of 40: http://shrsl.com/3o5ms
Adhesives:
Kokuyo Dot Liner: https://amzn.to/3zV06jA
Kokuyo Dot Liner Refill: https://amzn.to/3AlLX08
Best Ever Craft Tape: http://shrsl.com/3nrms
Precision Craft Glue: https://shrsl.com/2w0lu
Jackie’s Craft Table Glue: https://etsy.com/shop/JackiesCraftTable
Dune Kraft Cardstock: http://shrsl.com/3o60u
Neenah Desert Storm 100 lb: https://amzn.to/3KjNrv3
Stonehenge Kraft: http://shrsl.com/3o70j
Poppy Field: http://shrsl.com/3o70m
Wild Berry: http://shrsl.com/3o1fb
Lagoon: http://shrsl.com/3o70n
Neenah Solar White 110 lb (Cardbase): https://amzn.to/3JUasEZ
Embellishments:
Glossy Accents: https://amzn.to/3PQgQhz
Frosted Lace Stickles: https://amzn.to/3AlW1F8
Tools:
Blending Brushes: http://shrsl.com/3nrnh
Magnetic Sheets: https://amzn.to/3w2Ob20
Storage Pouches: https://amzn.to/3w3VaHL
Universal Plate System: https://shrsl.com/3l8fc
Platimun 6 Aqua Limited Edition Machine: http://shrsl.com/3l8gj
Mini Misti Stamping Tool: http://shrsl.com/3ldhf
Diamond Shaped Magnet: https://shrsl.com/2d1i3
Detail Tweezers: http://shrsl.com/2ydxg
Reverse Tweezers: http://shrsl.com/2ydxi
6 ax 6 Glitter Cutting Plates: http://shrsl.com/2ydxk
Standard Glitter Cutting Plates: http://shrsl.com/2ydxn
Magnetic Pick-Up Tool: http://shrsl.com/2ydxo
Grid Paper Pad: http://shrsl.com/2ydxr
Spellbinders Craft Pick Tool: http://shrsl.com/3ldhg
Jackie’s Craft Table Sequin Trays: https://etsy.com/shop/JackiesCraftTable
Jewel Picker: https://amzn.to/2XtZLoT
#stampendous #christmascards #coloredpencils #kraftcardstock #minislimlinecards
Jackie's Craft Table 