Creating With Layers: Red Rustic Christmas

I’m not one to shy away from layers. In fact, most of my designs do rely on an excess of foam adhesive. Today’s card is all about layers of medium as well as elements. But don’t you worry, there’s still an abundance foam adhesive!

As I’ve said before, I’ve been taking a journey into mixed media the last year or so. I do still love a good clean and simple design, but there is something to be said about the freedom and exploration of mixed media. One can really lose themselves in the process while finding themselves as well. I decided to dive deeper into really layering those mediums on this one.

We’re going to break this card down into pieces. Let’s start with the basic panels. I created a red panel, green panel and brown panel, and all three were created with the same basic steps. I placed a piece of Vicki Boutin Foundations paper (cut to 4×6”) into a box (a splat box or empty shallow shipping box is perfect) since I wanted to experiment with some sprays. I spritzed the cardstock a few times with water using the Tim Holtz Distress Sprayer, and then spritzed a little Barn Door and Hickory Smoke Oxide Sprays and PURE COLOR Spray Mist in Silver Lining. I added a few sprays of water here and there anywhere that I needed to break up or lighten the color. Once it was dry, I added some Candied Apple and Festive Berries Distress Ink using the smooshing technique. I smooshed the pads onto a craft mat, sprayed with water and then dipped the panel into it to pick up the color. Again, I spritzed more water or used a paper towel to break up or dab off color anywhere I felt it need adjusted.

I repeated the same steps on two other panels. I did one with Rustic Wilderness and Mowed Lawn and another with Pumice Stone, Hickory Smoke, Gathered Twigs, and just a bit of Vintage Photo. I was very selective with the Vintage Photo, adding just a few splatters, because I wanted the browns to have an overall cool tone.

Now, I’m not gonna lie, as a full panel, the red was looking a little murdery, or crime scene-ish – if you will – not to mention, pretty bold and heavy. I decided that another layer with lots of white space would tone it down. I used another panel lightly smooshed with Pumice Stone Oxide and water, then stamped with a few images from Vintage Ephemera for the job. I adhered it to the red panel using a zig zag stitch.

From the green panel, I die cut some greenery using the Under The Mistletoe Die. From the brown, I cut a deer from the Stag Trio Die and from the leftover red, I cut the 2 and 5 using the Modern Numeral Dies. These are all fantastic staple dies that are truly timeless and can be used for so many different styles.

I wanted to jazz up the deer up a bit, so I added a few splatters of metallic using WOW! Perissa embossing powder and a bit of Clear Rock Candy Distress Glitter that I colored using Alcohol ink.

I chose a sentiment for our Joyful Poinsettia stamp set, stamped in Candied Apple Oxide Ink and clear embossed. I added just a little Vintage Photo ink around the edges and a few watered down spots of the same. I mounted the sentiment onto a piece of Kraft cardstock that ran through the Fiskars Crimper Tool. If you’ve been here long, you know she comes out to play every holiday season!

With so much color and darker tones, white was really the key to brightening things up and separating some of the design elements from each other. I used the banner from our Peace Banner Die to tuck behind the 25 and added a little “snow” to the numbers using WOW! White Puff Powder embossing powder. I used the dauber for a targeted application of embossing ink, but you could use a paint brush as well to control where you want the embossing.

Finally, I used a Kraft tag to ground my little vignette of elements. I treated it with the same techniques using the WOW! White Puff Powder and Perissa embossing powders to tie it all together. The warm tones of the Kraft contrast beautifully with the cooler tones of the deer and the white background panel. And remember that selective application of Vintage Photo? It ties the two together perfectly.

I hope you enjoyed today’s card. I sure did enjoy creating it! This is another one that we created Live in our Facebook group, so if you’d like to see it in real time, be sure to head over and join.

Featured Supplies

Here is a list of the featured supplies used in today’s project(s) along with links to purchase for convenience. Please Note: this list contains affiliate links.

Tsukineko Versamark EMBOSS INK PAD Shop at: SSS | EH	Precision Heat Embossing Tool Gun Hero Arts Shop at: SSS	EK Success CRAFT TWEEZERS Precision Tip Shop at: SSS	Tim Holtz Distress Glitter CLEAR ROCK CANDY Shop at: SSS
Hemptique NATURAL Bamboo Cord Set Shop at: SSS	Tim Holtz Tonic GLASS MEDIA MAT Shop at: SSS	Gemini Junior Shop at: SSS	Under the Mistletoe Die Shop at: WP9
Tim Holtz Distress Sprayer Shop at: SSS | EH	Gina K Designs Connect Glue Shop at: SSS | GKD	WOW! Embossing Glitter Perissa Shop at: SSS	Peace Banner Die Shop at: WP9
WOW Embossing Powder White Puff Shop at: SSS | EH	Joyful Poinsettia Shop at: WP9	Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Spray Hickory Smoke Shop at: SSS	PURE Color Spray Mist Silver Lining Shop at: WP9
Scrapbook Adhesives Foam Squares mix Shop at: SSS	Scrapbook Adhesives Thin Foam Squares mix Shop at: SSS	Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 110lb cardstock Shop at: SSS	Vicki Boutin Foundations paper Shop at: SSS
Tim Holtz Oxide Ink Pad Rustic Wilderness Shop at: SSS	Stag Trio Die Shop at: WP9	Modern Numerals Die Shop at: WP9	Vintage Ephemera stamp set Shop at: WP9
Wow! Clear Embossing Powder Shop at: SSS	Ranger Clear Embossing Dabber Shop at: SSS	Neenah Kraft 100lb Cardstock Shop at: SSS	Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink Pad Mowed Lawn Shop at: SSS
Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Spray Barn Door Shop at: SSS	Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Spray Festive Berries Shop at: SSS	Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad Candied Apple Shop at: SSS	Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink Pad Pumice Stone Shop at: SSS
Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Spray Hickory Smoke Shop at: SSS	Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink Pad Gathered Twigs Shop at: SSS	Tim Holtz Distress Spray Vintage Photo Shop at: SSS