The Hamilton Christmas Extravaganza was yesterday and we had so much fun!  Take a look at some snapshots of this fun, crafting day on the Creative Stamping Facebook Page.  This simple, fun-fold Christmas card was the project that I taught everyone who attended.  It uses products from the stunning Season of Elegance Suite...

Bundles: Peaceful Season Stamp Set + Peaceful Season Dies (photopolymer: 164021), Peaceful Evergreens Stamp Set + Peaceful Evergreens Dies (cling: 164025).  Ink: Mossy Meadow (147111), Old Olive (147090), Pretty Peacock (150083), Cherry Cobbler (147083).  Card/Paper: Basic Beige (164512), Mossy Meadow (133683), Pretty Peacock (150886), Cherry Cobbler (121681), Basic White (159228), Fluid 100 Watercolor Paper (149612), Season of Elegance 12" x 12" Specialty Designer Series Paper (164144).  Tools: Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine (149653), Silicone Craft Sheet (127853), Heat Tool (129056), Stampin' Spritzer (126185), Mini Stampin’ Dimensionals (144108).

Season of Elegance Product Suite (164030) - $327.75
Includes: Peaceful Season Bundle (10%-off), Peaceful Evergreens Bundle (10%-off), Season of Elegance 12" x 12" Specialty Designer Series Paper, Cherry Cobbler & gold 1/4" Satin Ribbon, Gold Textured Adhesive-Backed Dots, and Painted Trees 3D Embossing Folder.

The soft, wash effect on the front of this elegant Christmas card was created using a messy and inky watercolour technique.  You start with a piece of Fluid 100 Watercolor Paper and stamp the three sizes of trees from the Peaceful Evergreens Bundle in Pretty Peacock, Old Olive, and Mossy Meadow inks.  Then the fun part... use a Stampin' Spritzer filled with water to saturate the stamped Watercolor Paper (a Silicone Craft Sheet is your best friend here as it keeps your workspace clean and dry and makes for easy cleanup).  Spritzing the stamped Watercolor Paper will make the ink bleed and create a soft, moody effect.  At this point, you can either blot and leave it to dry or quickly dry the inky cardstock with a Heat Tool.  Then re-stamp the same tree images in the same inks over the top (they don't need to line up with the first images).

I have die-cut trees from Pretty Peacock and Mossy Meadow cardstock and created more forest-fullness by adhering them over the stamped trees.  The "Christmas" is from the Peaceful Season Bundle, stamped in Cherry Cobbler ink onto Basic White cardstock, die-cut out, and adhered along the bottom of the panel with Mini Stampin' Dimensionals.  Underneath the "Christmas" is a fabulous banner created using more stamping and die-cutting from the Peaceful Season Bundle.  The finished panel was then added to the front of fun-fold card design.

The inspiration for this fun-fold Christmas card design is from Heidi Collins and is a play on the traditional z-fold and book-fold card designs.  It folds flat for posting and opens beautifully for standing on a mantlepiece.

This festive fun-fold card was just one of five inspiring paper-crafting projects we created at the Hamilton Extravaganza on Sunday.  We hold this fabulous event three times a year and, if you want to join us for the next Hamilton Extravaganza in March, click HERE and subscribe to my email updates to be notified when registration opens.