A Christmas Carol

This is one of my very old Stampin' Up! sets.  It just is one of my favorite Christmas movies - Scrooge from 1971 with Albert Finney. 

 I watercolored both images - the card front, and candle on the inside.  I love the look watercoloring gives.  It doesn't take a long time to do and gives wonderful gradients of color on the image.

The card base and mat are both Stampin' Up! Cherry Cobbler cardstock.
I also added Wink of Stella to give the light some sparkle.

Christmas in July - Holly Swag Merry Christmas

 I made six cards using this image.  I haven't used it before, but I thought it would be good with the Merry Christmas banners I needed to finish using up... and I knew it would look amazing with some watercolor pencils.

 I took this picture below because the pic above looks muted.  I thought this card needed some sparkle so I got out my pearl Shimmer Mists and sprayed each of the 6 images.  It's not shiny like Wink of Stella or sparkly like rhinestones or Stickles... it gives the paper a glow. 

On another post I talked about options for using this embossing folder.  Here I wanted the bulk of the snow towards the bottom, and little falling flakes towards the top.  How?  Turn the paper in the embossing folder.

I really like the watercoloring effect on this image.   I think next time...a purple ribbon!
Now all 12 banners are finished.  I have a set of circles to use - stay tuned!

Christmas in July - Merry Christmas, Santa!

 I really enjoy this Santa image.  I got out some country/woodsy DSP and cut different length banners to give Santa a background.

The new Stampin' Up! Pretty Label punch is perfect for my very favorite Merry Christmas stamp!  It also looks great backed by the Layering Ovals. 

Of course, Santa is watercolored.  I tried using the blender pen with  ink pads and I'm just not happy with the look so I stick with the watercolor pencils. 

Christmas in July - French Horn in Watercolor

I made 12 of these Merry Christmas banners.  If you've been following my posts all month, you'll see that I used them earlier - BUT they just didn't quite work.  I've been keeping them in a safe place until I found the perfect spot for them!

 Here we go.  I stamped and watercolored the ivy and ribbon then used gold Wink of Stella to color in the french horn.  SO sparkly!

In addition to using the Merry Christmas banner, the card just needed something.  I used my Softly Falling embossing folder and added some snow.

Please enjoy!  I have a few more cards that will pop up here. 

Stop by my Stampin' Up! blog to see a card each day. 
search for: Susan Vilar Stamps!

Follow me to see my daily creations in July, and my other creations during the year.

Christmas in July - Bouncing Here Today!

I really LOVE this Noel stamp.  It has a wood cut look that for some reason really speaks to me. 

I used a Cherry Cobbler base for this card, and some of the new Stampin' Up! DSP called Be Merry.

Click HERE to return to my Stampin' Up! Blog.  Check back tomorrow for the new Christmas Card.

Christmas in July - July 31, 2015

MADE it finally!  July 31st.  Another month of Christmas cards done.. 

I do so love this technique.  I call it Triple-Double stamping.  It's a double layered stamp, on a triple layered card.
Please enjoy... it's one of my very favorites.

Christmas in July - July 30, 2015

There is one NEW product on this card!  I used the Washi Tape Label Punch for the sentiment.  

It's true that in my Christmas in July stamping of 31 cards in 31 days I dig into my Christmas stamp stash - which by this time you must know is quite extensive... but I used one new punch on this card.

The embossed background is the poinsettia background, and I also used another favorite stamp set "Watercolor Winter".  Love that stamp set!

Christmas in July - July 29, 2015

 Yes, I used the Composer's Dream stamp on the background of a LOT of my Christmas cards this year.  I associate Christmas strongly with music....  movie musicals, all the great albums my parents keep in their back living room.... 

This stamp starts off with "O Holy Night"  how can you not sing it in your head for a bit after you read the beginning of the stamp?  I do it every single time. 

Christmas in July - July 28, 2015

 Silhouettes of any kind remind me of a book series I read as a child...  "The Boxcar Children".  I always get that nostalgic feeling when I see them.

This verse is one of the pieces we had to memorize for our Christmas Eve program.  The younger children had little sentence verses to say, but when you got to be older, you got to say the narration pieces.  I looked forward to those for YEARS.  This is one of the verses I received one year in the program.  It has wonderful memories for me.
Please enjoy.

Christmas in July - July 27, 2015

In person, this card does not look like a Union Jack!  It's funny how the photo really gives that impression!

The music stamp is called Composer's Dream - the rest of the stamps are SU!
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas!

Christmas in July - July 26, 2015

 Here's another example of a 'simple' card with lots of great details.

I really love the sentiment and wanted to highlight it.  Lots of works all crowded together with meanings of the Christmas season, with Christmas showing right through.
I'm using more of the Be of Good Cheer (ret.) DSP I love so very much.
I also added some red/green flowers and foliage to the side.
Simple, but very nice in person!

Christmas in July - July 25, 2015

Hello Santa!
July 25 it is, and this is one of my very favorite Santa images.  I've seen this before in a coloring book from years ago of "A Night Before Christmas".

He is a CTMH stamp I've had for quite awhile and will always use.  It's such a great image! 
I used lots of techniques on this card.  Water color, marker work, and Stickles!  Santa has to have some sparkle!

Christmas in July - July 24, 2015

 This has to be one of my very favorite cards!  I've made this before.  It uses my favorite DSP Be of Good Cheer (ret.) and has so many fun images!

This card isn't difficult at all to make, it just looks like it!  I tell people that the card really are easy - but I understand it surely doesn't look that way for all the details!

Christmas in July - July 23, 2015

 I added some fun embellishments to this card.  I didn't add too much (as per usual) because I wanted to keep the card clean, but the make-your-own brad and Washi tape added to the card nicely.

 On both the card front and inside, I used some 'over' stamping to give the trees some more interest.
I really like the verse that fits so perfectly over the tree.

Christmas in July - July 22, 2015

This card has some of my absolute favorite Christmas pieces on it.
I'm using retired DSP - Be of Good Cheer.  I went crazy over it the year it was out, and when I found it on the Stampin' Up! clearance rack, I ordered MANY packs of this paper.  To me, it's the perfect Christmas themed paper I've seen.

 I also added some images from Jolly Bingo Bits, my favorite Merry Christmas stamp, and a bow using the Bow Builder punch.  FUN!!! :)