Adding a Personal Touch to Your Betterpressed Christmas Cards

Hey everyone, this is Martina from @fraupony and I am truly excited to be a guest on the Spellbinders Blog again. Today’s post will be focusing on the BetterPress Christmas Collection – A wonderful collection filled with so many different options for your Christmas cards. I have been thinking that it could be a fun idea, to create three different cards using some of the BetterPress Christmas Collection plates and Distress Oxides. I have been using the same three colors of Distress Oxides on all cards, just on two I have been adding an additional red and brown tone. For the first card, I have been covering the Holiday Foliage Joy BetterPress Plate with Black BetterPress Ink and then sent it through the Spellbinders Platinum Six to press the image on a piece of the Bisque Better Press Cotton Card.

Using a ruler and a craft knife (you could also use a Hexagon Die!), I have been cutting a hexagon-shaped frame into the card. Using Festive Berries Distress Oxide Ink, I have been carefully coloring in the poinsettias and the berries in the frame. On a second piece of the BetterPress Cotton Card, I have been adding the “smooshing” of the green Distress Oxide Inks. I have been using Shabby Shutters, Bundled Sage, and Rustic Wilderness. As soon as the Distress Oxide has been dried, I have been BetterPressing the “joy to the world” plate (which is included in the same set as the frame), onto the colored piece of BetterPress Card. To finish the card, I just had to glue the ink-smooshed piece from behind, making sure it was centered in the hexagon frame before I adhered it to an a2 top fold card. For the second card, I have been -again- using the Bisque Better Press Cotton Card where I have been using the same Distress Oxide Ink colors as in the first card, but this time I have been creating an ink blended, vertical ombre look.

I have been using the BetterPress and the Evergreen Branches Plates to create beautiful accents on the side where the darkest color has been applied. To create this image of “rich greenery” I have sent the card through the BetterPress two times. Before I sent it through the second time, I made sure to relocate the plates with the branches to the spots that were blank after the first pass. A simple, BetterPressed sentiment using the Christmas Icons BetterPress Plate makes this card complete. Of course, I had to use the Bisque Better Press Cotton Card for my third card too. For this card, I have been using the Christmas Greetings BetterPress Plate. This plate has two pieces – the cute birdie on a branch and a “Christmas Greetings” sentiment. I have been using them both for this card.

As I absolutely love the look of a BetterPressed image that is colored in, I have been thinking that I should be doing this for the last card. I have been using the same three green Distress Oxide Ink colors as before. For the berries I have been using “Festive Berries” and for the branches/pine cones “Gathered Twigs”. And these are today's cards. When I am looking at this BetterPress Christmas Collection, I see many more options and versions of these cards.. Why not fussy cut some of the elements and add them to a card?Or create a card with one of these fabulous, big scripture plates pressed on an ink-smoosed background? That could also be a good idea for a series of cards if you are looking for ideas for those Christmas cards! You see – the options are endless! I hope you are inspired to get creative! Thank you so much for stopping by! With love, Martina

Other Supplies

Distress Oxide Inks: Shabby Shutters, Bundled Sage, Rustic Wilderness, Gathered Twigs