Christmas Cards and Other Holiday Card Ideas

Figure A

4. Rub over the back side of the tracing paper, rubbing and pressing lightly on the drawing, to transfer the drawing to the block (figure A). The image will be reversed on the block (from the way it looks on the original drawing). When it prints, it will print like the original drawing.

5. Using the linoleum knife with the #1 V-blade, "draw" on the block, outlining the areas you wish to have filled with color.

Figure D

6. Using the knife with the #2 V-blade cut away the areas you do NOT wish to print. This blade is larger and will remove more of the plate material. You can also use the #2 U-blade to remove background or large areas of the block you do not want to print or contain color (figure B).

7. After cutting the block, fill in the raised areas with selected gel marker colors. (figure C)

8. Position the block with color on the surface of the paper. Press down, being careful not to move the plate while pressing (figure D).

9. Carefully lift the block to see the relief print.

10. Re-ink and continue stamping.

Wire Sun Catcher Gift Cards

Cut, stamp and create basic relief-print card.

1. Assemble the following materials to make the wire sun catcher:

• 18-gauge and 20-gauge black wire
• beads with holes large enough so they will string on the wire
• raffia
• small piece of wood
• small nails
• hammer
• needle-nose pliers
• pencil or small piece of dowel rod

2. Trace around the printing plate on the wood block to see the size of the image.

3. Draw or trace the selected image onto the wood block within the plate-size rectangle.

Figure F

4. Hammer the nails in the wood at the points of the image where you want the wire to bend to create the image with the wire (figure E).

5. Bend the 18-gauge wire around the nails, forcing it into the selected shape (drawing) using the nails to form the shape (figure F).

6. Add beads as you bend the wire or add wire/bead enhancements after you form the wire shape.

7. Remove the wire figure from the nails/wood block.

8. Twist the top to secure and string a bead onto the top to cover the twist.

9. Using the needle-nose pliers or a dowel rod, twist the top of the sun catcher into a hanger, stringing on beads.

10. String beads onto 20-gauge wire, twisting the wire between each bead, to make a beaded strand.

11. Use the beaded strand as hangers or decorations on your wired shape.

Figure G

12. Cut raffia and tie a bow and place onto card, string beads onto the tails of the bow for enhancement.

13. Insert the sun catcher onto the stamped card (figure G).

Figure L

Santa Card

Assemble materials:

• printing-plate stamp
• printing or fabric ink
• brayer
• inking plate
• 2"x 3" fabric
• beads
• glue
• card
• envelope

1. Create stamp as previously prepared (figures H and I).

2. Cut a 2" x 3" piece of fabric.

3. Pull strings from the edges of the fabric to fray (figure J).

4. Squeeze out ink onto the inking plate and spread a thin layer of ink on the plate with a brayer.

5. Ink the printing plate with a thin layer of ink.

6. Stamp the plate onto the fabric (figure K).

7. Glue beads for eyes onto the Santa.

8. Sew or glue the fabric onto the card.

9. Line the border with marker pens (figure L).

Snowflake Cards

Assemble materials:

• printing-plate stamps
• white printmaking ink
• gold acrylic paint
• brayer
• inking plate
• cards (dark paper)
• envelope
• toothbrush

1. Squeeze ink onto the inking plate and spread a thin layer of ink on the plate with a brayer.

2. Ink the printing plate with a thin layer of ink.

Figure N

3. Stamp the plate onto the cards. Tip: You can usually get more than one impression from the stamp when making snowflakes (figure M).

4. Change stamps to different sized snowflakes and ink them. Stamp the snowflake images onto the card until you have a card full of snowflakes.

5. Carve a star stamp and ink it with gold acrylic paint. Stamp several stars between the snowflakes (figure N).

6. Water down some of the white ink.

7. Dip the toothbrush into the watered-down ink and hold the inked toothbrush over the card.

Figure O

8. With your finger, rub along the toothbrush, splattering ink-drop snow over the image (figure O).

9. Let the cards dry.

10. Squeeze out a little gold acrylic paint and using a paintbrush, paint lightly over the star stamp.

11. Stamp it down randomly through the snowflakes on the card.

E-mail: gbryant@gbryantstudio.com

Website: www.gbryantstudio.com