Hello crafty friends! Today we’re celebrating one of my favorite crafting traditions… Christmas in July!
I know it may seem a little early to start thinking about holiday cards, but I’ve learned that making a few cards now means a lot less stress when December rolls around. Plus, it’s the perfect excuse to pull out some festive stamps and spend a little extra time creating.
For today’s project, I challenged myself to stretch my supplies by turning one gel print into three different Christmas cards.
🎨 Starting with a Favorite Gel Print
I began by digging through my stash and found a colorful gel press print that had been waiting for the perfect project.
One of the things I love about gel prints is that every section has its own personality. Cut your larger gel prints into smaller panels and let each one become the background for a different design.
It’s a great way to get more from a single print while creating a coordinating card set.
🎅 Coloring the Gnomes
Next, I reached for the adorable PaperArtsy Kate Crane 017 stamp set and colored each of the whimsical gnomes with colored pencils.
I love how relaxing colored pencils are. Building soft layers of color and adding subtle shading gives each little character its own personality.
Once they were finished, I paired each gnome with the section of the gel print that suited it best.
It almost felt like matching ornaments to the perfect Christmas tree.
✨ Adding Texture & Shine
To give the backgrounds a festive touch, I used the PaperArtsy Kate Crane PS427 stencil with gold texture paste.
The raised metallic texture catches the light beautifully and adds just the right amount of holiday sparkle without overpowering the colorful backgrounds.
Sometimes a little shimmer is all a Christmas card needs.
💌 Finishing Touches
To complete the cards, I added:
- Sentiments from the PaperArtsy JOFY 117 and Kate Crane 007 stamp sets
- My signature hand-drawn frame
- Simple layering that lets each gnome remain the star of the card
Three cards finished… and a few more crossed off my Christmas list!
💡 A Little Creative Challenge
If you’ve been putting off your holiday crafting, here’s your challenge:
🎄 Pull out one background from your stash.
🎄 Stamp several holiday images.
🎄 Turn one background into multiple cards.
You’ll be surprised how quickly your Christmas card stash starts to grow.
After all, a little crafting in July means a lot less rushing in December.
Thank you so much for stopping by today! I hope these cheerful little gnomes inspire you to get a head start on your holiday cards and remind you that even one background can become several beautiful projects.
Have a wonderful weekend, happy crafting, and Merry Christmas… just a little early! 🎄✨
 PaperArtsy – JOFY 117 Shop at: TP |
 PaperArtsy – Kate Crane 007 Shop at: TP |
 PaperArtsy – Kate Crane 017 Shop at: TP |
 PaperArtsy – Kate Crane PS427 Shop at: TP |
 WOW! Embossing – Clear Shop at: WOW US | TP |
 WOW! Embossing – Clear Embossing Pad Shop at: WOW US | TP |
 Tsukineko – Versafine Clair – Twilight Shop at: TP |
 Gel Press – Reusable Gel Printing Plate Shop at: AZ | TP | Misc |
 Speedball – 2″ Brayer Shop at: TP | |