Handmade Christmas Card Gallery 2023

This year I created 40 cards using several different craft kits and themes. I tried different techniques with the sets and really had fun crafting them for family and friends!

I love the vintage look of this craft kit from LDRS. I added some tearing, twine and glitter to play up the layered look of the background papers.

This die cut set from My Diamond Press is my favorite from this season. It brings me back to the 80s with the look of clove studded oranges, potpourri, and dried flowers. I cut a bunch of the foliage in different greens and browns, then assembled them in little bouquets on the card fronts. The sentiment stamps in the sets also have beautiful fonts and phrases, and fit perfectly on one of the die cut shapes.

Something about this Crafter’s Companion snow globe stamp with the nativity scene inside spoke to me, so I stamped it multiple times and colored them with alcohol markers in different color combinations. I paired it with their Vintage Christmas papers from a few years ago and a few other embellishments like tag and ticket shaped die cuts. Don’t you love the pretty lace edge die cut along the side that lets the inside of the card to peek through?

This My Diamond Press Holiday Village Stamp and Die set is so cute with multiple houses and mini street scene details. I stamped a bunch and watercolored them in bright colors. It took some time to stamp, color and die cut all the shapes, and I was a little concerned if the cards would come together. Then I had the idea of adding some faux snow from Crafter’s Companion! The snow is little fine varying grainy shapes in a matte white, which gives the scene a different look than glitter. I drew on lines, snow flake dots and topped all the little shapes with dabs of glue, so the snow looks like it’s falling on a wintery day – love it!

I got a few new stamps that fill the card fronts and also have perfect spaces to add shaker bits. I practiced more of my watercoloring skills and painted each color on several at once – a good way to make lots of cards in less time.

I also crafted many cards with the nativity as the focal point. They came together pretty quickly by sticking with a jewel toned and nighttime sky color palette, and minimal embellishments. I tried some unique folds to add interest and places to layer in background papers and even a little acetate.

These papers are from the Crafter’s Companion Inspiration magazine #3. I love all the little scenes like the wise men on their camels, buildings of Bethlehem, and angels blowing their trumpets. It also comes with an embossing folder, sentiment stamps, and a pretty nativity die cut (in gold metallic paper above.)

I hope you enjoyed my Christmas card gallery and wishing you all a Happy 2024!