The holiday season is the perfect time to get creative, and share a little handmade joy. Today, I'm sharing a festive gatefold holiday card filled with classic seasonal charm. Adorned with beautiful poinsettias, delicate florals, and sprigs of holly, mistletoe and berries, this design captures the warmth and elegance of Christmas while showcasing a unique gatefold front with a scalloped-edge belly band that opens to reveal a heartfelt holiday message inside.
I'm using the newly released, "Wrapped in Blooms" Card Kit by Honey Bee Stamps. It's the perfect card kit to make your cards this year! From A2 to A7 card sizes, this kit can do it all! I made my featured card using the kit in a 5" X 7" size to share today. The kit includes, dies, stamps, glues, foam tape, sequins, cardstock and more to make multiple cards for the holidays! Watch me assemble this card on my Instagram REEL!
For the basics... All of the black ink stamping was done using Honey Bee’s Bee Creative Intense Black Ink. I use Honey Bee Stamps Bee Creative Precision Glue and for when I want more dimension, Bee Creative Foam Honeycomb Foam for adhering my elements together. My blender brushes (large and small) are a must for ink blending color on the background, too. For white highlights, I use my white acrylic pen. My card is 5" X 7" in size.
This card uses all the elements of the new "Wrapped in Blooms" card kit that makes an A2-sized card. However, if you are like me and prefer to send a 5" X 7" holiday card, you can adapt the kit easily to make this larger style card. I used a white 5" X 7" piece of white cardstock to be the backing for the folded card. I also adapted the belly band by making it a stationary band that is adhered in the back to the white cardstock backing and opens on the side with a Velcro closure. Open the band and the message inside is revealed!
To make this card, I cut all the elements to make the card using the Hive Hues cardstock and the Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 80# cardstock that comes in the kit. I used my blending brushes (large and Worn Lipstick Distress Oxide Ink to color the pink cardstock for a variegated poinsettia bloom. I blended the edges of the mint colored cardstock with Rustic Wilderness to create the darker green holly. I kept the leave's veins in the mint color for layered contrast. The berries were cut from white cardstock in the kit and colored using shades of red Copic Markers: R89, R46, R27, and R14. I made the mistletoe more aqua by using a Lucky Clover ink over the mint cardstock. Different greens add more interest to the bouquet. Other leaves were ink blended using Mowed Lawn and branches in Ground Espresso.
I die cut the belly band using the die in the kit. Because the die is very long, I ran it through my die cutting machine twice, once from each side to cut the entire piece.
I also die cut the scalloped circle sides and backing from twos shades of blue cardstock in the kit. I stenciled the front sides of the half circles using Unchartered Mariner Distress Oxide Ink. Note: There are two stencils in the kit. I used only one for this card. I attached the two half circles to the darker blue backing using double-sided strip Scor-tape on the side flaps. I placed the flaps on the back of the backing. This will be covered in a later step.
Watch me assemble this card on my Instagram page REEL!
I cut the inside scalloped rectangle from white cardstock and stamped one of the beautiful sentiments included in the kit's stamp set, "Filled With Wonder Stamps." Before attaching it, I splattered a little white paint over it for a speckled snow finish. I attached it inside the folded card. I also folded the belly band and attached it to the back of the card, centering the band over the vertical center of the scallops and keeping the tab to the right side. Lastly, I attached the band, and card base to the 5" X 7" card backing using glue.
I attached all the die cut florals and leaves to the white belly band as shown. I used foam tabs to elevate the florals including the star of the show, the poinsettia blossom. This makes it easier to tuck in the leaves and mistletoe around the center piece. Once everything was in place, I splattered the front with white acrylic paint for a snowy look on the front. I let it dry while I worked on the next step.
I added a circular Velcro self-adhesive closure (not included in the kit, but available at Honey Bee Stamps) to the belly band tab on the right side tab and the front. I also added sequins that come in the kit to the holly leaves and at the top and bottom of the white backing for added holiday sparkle!
You can shop the entire Honey Bee Stamps store here, If you decide to place an order, please use the links in this post so that Honey Bee knows which ideas inspired you! When you spend $100 or more, you are eligible for a FREE BEE, too! (While supplies last!)
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