Tim Holtz Stamper's Anonymous Christmas 2024 - Modern Tree Stencil Christmas Cards

Hello Everyone! Wasn't that Tim Holtz Stamper's Anonymous Christmas Release Live excellent?!! It's always amazing to me that so many sample makes can be so different even though we all used the same stamps and stencils. Blows my mind every time. On these two cards the only stamping is the sentiment. The rest is paper design and stenciling with the Modern Trees Layering Stencil. I love how they came out. Enjoy!

 

Using the Legder and Gold Stars paper as well as the Tree Line with Music Notes paper from the 2018 Christmas Paper Stash, cut both in half length ways to make 2 - 4 cards. Both papers have line space right down the middle so cutting is easy. To figure out where you need to add the tape, stencil in the Modern Tree Layering Stencil, centered and 1/2 inch from the top, using Frayed Burlap Distress Archival Ink from Ranger and an Ink Blending Tool. Archival Ink is better to use with the tape so it sticks better, and Frayed Burlap is light but dark enough to see the design. 

 

 

From the Rose Design Tape Collection (2017) there is a roll of tape with Ledger Numbers that matches the paper. Tear the end like an arrow point and add the tape the length of the tree and about 3/4 inch further for the trunk on the Ledger paper. The only Music Note tape I found that matches the notes on the paper is old school Merriment Tissue Tape. It was a little too wide and the white background blended in too much with the paper despite the red writing, so I added a strip to a few strips of Cello Sticker Tape (widest) which made the background a nice soft vintage yellow, so I inked over it with more Frayed Burlap for a deeper vintage look. I cut it in half so I can use it for both parts of the Tree Music Note Paper (I am making 4 cards) place it like the other one, pointy arrow on star and down past the tree about 3/4 inch for a trunk.

 

 

Using the Cello Sticker Tape (thinnest) add strips to the Ledger trunk going from shortest to longest to mimic branches, applying them at different angles for a wonky imperfect look, from the star to the bottom of the stencil area only, leaving the trunk bare. (FYI...I feel I didn't make my branches long enough, and you can't really see them like I wanted in the finished cards, so if you think so as well, make your branches longer.)

 

 

Using different designs of Design Tape in green tones, apply strips of tape to the Music Note trunk, applying them at different angles for a wonky imperfect look, from the star to the bottom of the stencil area only, leaving the trunk bare. 

 

 

Add two sided tape to the back of the Ledger paper so it doesn't buckle for this next part. Pounce an anti-static pouch over the paper very liberally especially over the tapes. TRUST ME! You need to do this or there will be embossing powder stuck to everything as I learned on the first one. Blow off the extra dust (I think it's actually corn starch.). Add the Modern Tree Layering Stencil over one of the papers and line it up with the ink you already did. Have all your Distress Embossing Glazes and Embossing Powder ready, as you will need to work fairly quickly, not rushed but quickly. I used Antique Linen, Frayed Burlap, and Vintage Photo glazes and Gold Embossing Powder. Take the SNOWFALL Grit Paste and spread it over evenly and fairly thick (you can't see the circles under) with a palette knife, and then remove the stencil and place it in water with the palette knife to clean later. Quickly pick up one of the glazes either pinching it up with your fingers or using a mini spoon like I do because I can control it better, and randomly sprinkle the glaze over some of the circles so that it is evenly distributed. Then take another color and repeat, and then repeat again with another. Finish up with Gold Embossing Powder on the star and any little circles you didn't get before. Take the paper and swirl it a bit to make sure all the paste is covered and then pour it off onto a paper. If you have an empty jar save this new color of powders mixture for a future vintage project as all these blend nicely together. Double check to make sure no powders are stuck to the tapes. If they are use a tiny brush to brush them away. Set this somewhere to dry for a bit, and clean your stencil. Repeat with the other paper. Keep in mind it is probably impossible to keep colors separated on the circles so you will probably have multi colors on some of them, but to me that just adds to the artsy look. 

 

 

 Add two sided tape to the back of the Music Notes Tree paper so it doesn't buckle for this next part. Pounce an anti-static pouch over the paper very liberally especially over the tapes. Add the Modern Tree Layering Stencil over one of the papers and line it up with the ink you already did. Have all your Distress Embossing Glazes and Embossing Powder ready. I used Bundled Sage, Rustic Wilderness, Candied Apple, and Lumberjack Plaid glazes and Platinum Embossing Powder. This time take the SPARKLE Distress Texture Paste and spread it over evenly and fairly thick (you can't see the circles under) with a palette knife, and then remove the stencil and place it in water with the palette knife to clean later. This paste is much thinner than the other so the spreading goes much quicker. Quickly pick up one of the glazes and randomly sprinkle the glaze over some of the circles so that it is evenly distributed. Then take another color and repeat, continuing with the rest, and finishing with the Platinum Embossing Powder on the star and any little circles you didn't get before. Take the paper and swirl it a bit to make sure all the paste is covered and then pour it off onto a paper. You can save this new recipe, but it will probably make brown, so keep that is mind for another project. Double check to make sure no powders are stuck to the tapes. If they are use a tiny brush to brush them away. Set this somewhere to dry for a bit, and clean your stencil. Repeat with the other paper. After about an hour or so heat emboss all the papers. Despite being dry both pastes will probably bubble up some, which just adds to the texture.

 

For even more texture and glitz, more paste will be stenciled over the circles this time using the Sparkle Fade Layering Stencil. It's hard to see in the photos but the sparkles are on top of the circles. Take the neutral and gold tree paper first, and lay the Modern Tree stencil back on and push it over the circles to get it as flat as you can. You will hear little pops as the stencil gets pushed down and that is good to prevent paste from getting underneath. Take the Sparkle Fade Layering Stencil and find the teeny tiny sparkle hole that is just about an inch below the hanging hole of the stencil, and make sure this part is right over the very first circle under the star and the sides match up perfectly with the sides of the tree stencil so all should be covered up except the openings for the tree of course. Take the SNOWFALL Grit Paste and palette knife and hold the stencil as flat and tight as you can and stencil in the paste in a light layer over all the openings. Lift the Sparkle stencil first and then the Tree stencil and place them in water. You will be able to see the grit paste sparkles well now until they dry. If any paste got between the circles use your palette knife to carve it away carefully. Let this dry naturally for at least an hour. Take the Music Notes and Trees paper and do the very same but with the SPARKLE Texture Paste this time, keeping in mind it's viscosity so really hold the stencils down tight so you won't get any spillage under. If you do, just carve it away. Remember that the pastes are translucent and you will only be able to see the sparkles under light while moving it around. This is what is going to make these cards so fun, is all the different things to see while moving it around in light as well as touch all the wonderful texture...a delight for the recipient I think.

 

Cut and fold a Kraft Cardstock base card to 4.5 x 8.5 inches. Cut Gold Metallic Kraftstock mats to 4 3/8 x 8 3/8 inches from the Metallic Classics Kraftstock, and adhere onto the front of the Kraft card base for the Ledger card. Cut Platinum Metallic mats to 4 3/8 x 8 3/8 inches and adhere those to more Kraft Cardstock for the Music Notes card. Cut dark green Kraftstock to 4 1/8 x 8 1/8 inches and just have two sided tape on the back and set aside for the Music Notes cards, and keep two 1 x 3 inch pieces for the sentiment.  Cut Vintage Photo colored Kraftstock to 4 1/8 x 8 1/8 inches and just have two sided tape on the back and set aside for the Ledger cards and keep two 1 x 3 inch pieces for the sentiment. Take the sentiment pieces and add the red music notes Tissue Tape to the green Kraftstock down the center, one for each card. Do the same with the Vintage Photo pieces using the Ledger Design Tape. Pounce an anti-static pouch over these, so the powder doesn't stick. Select sentiments from the Home For Christmas Stamp Set and place them in the center of the strips in the stamp platform and close to secure lid. Stamp these in any color ink...I used Frayed Burlap Distress Ink as that is what I used to ink everything remaining...onto the pieces, and quickly add Gold Embossing Powder to the Vintage Photo ones, and Liquid Platinum to the dark green ones, and then heat emboss. Using a Distress Tool, distress the top and bottom edges of the sentiments and then ink those edges with Frayed Burlap. 

 

 

 Ink around the edges of the card fronts with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink and then flick water on them for a mottled look and pounce with a paper towel to remove excess. Let dry. Distress the edges of the card front with the Distress Tool, and ink the edges with Frayed Burlap. Mount the card fronts on the dark green and Vintage Photo pieces. Distress those edges and ink just like before.  Add the sentiments below the trees with two sides tape. Use a mini hole punch to make holes on each side of the sentiments as well as in the middle of the star. Gather Star Fasteners, one for each star, and two long fasteners for each sentiment. Shake up Gold and Silver Mixatives. Color the star and long fasteners for the Ledger card with the Gold Mixative  and let dry. There is no Mixative that is Platinum colored so you can make your own, which I have done on many occasions. Use a small throw away cup for your mixture and a toothpick for stirring. Add a few drops of Alcohol Ink Blending Solution to the cup, then 2 or three drops of Silver Mixative and then about 4 drops of Gold Mixative and stir. You should get a Platinum color, but you can add more of either color to get the exact match as the Platinum Embossing. Dip your fasteners into this a few times and let dry on the craft sheet. Add all the fasteners to the holes where they go and close to secure. Then add the paper to the Kraft card bases. Ink the edges of the Kraft with more Frayed Burlap.

Supplies:

(Trimmer, Ink Blending Tool, Scissors, Two Sided Tape, Anti Static Pouch, Palette Knife, Heat Tool, Stamp Platform, Water Mister, Distress Tool, Mini Hole Punch)

-Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Christmas Paper Stash (2018), Cello Sticker Tape, Merriment Tissue Tape, Rose Design Tape, Christmas Design Tape (2017, 2018, 2022), Christmas Trim Tape, Trims Design Tape, Neutral Kraftstock, Cool Kraftstock, Metallic Classics Kraftstock, Star Fasteners, Long Fasteners

-Stamper's Anonymous Tim Holtz Layering Stencil (Christmas 2024): Modern Tree, Sparkle Fade 

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Archival Ink: Frayed Burlap

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Grit Paste: Snowfall

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Glaze: Frayed Burlap, Antique Linen, Vintage Photo, Bundled Sage, Rustic Wilderness, Candied Apple, Lumberjack Plaid

-Ranger Embossing Powder: Gold, Platinum

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Texture Paste: Sparkle

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Frayed Burlap

-Stamper’s Anonymous Tim Holtz Stamp Set (Christmas 2024): Home For Christmas  

-Ranger Surfaces: Kraft Cardstock

-Ranger Tim Holtz Alcohol Blending Solution

-Ranger Tim Holtz Alcohol Ink Mixative: Gold, Silver

-Small Cup, Toothpick

 

I thank you so much for stopping by and for commenting! Thanks as well for all the comments and likes on social media. I'll be back again next week with another make from this release. Until then, I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!