Category: Christmas Cards

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!!

Featured Products:

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

Cardstocks:

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

Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission on sales at NO EXTRA COST to you. Thank you!

#stampendous #christmascards #coloredpencils #kraftcardstock #minislimlinecards