Watercoloring – Stampin' With Candice

Day 25 – Yule Be Amazed – Color combo

Playful Woodland Critters + Witty Wordplay + Color Challenge #5

Today’s challenge brought together two fun themes: Yule Be Amazed—full of playful woodland critters and witty wordplay—and Color Challenge #5 using the Concord & 9th palette of Wildberry, Lakefront, and Harbor.

To match this with Stampin’ Up! colors, I chose a bright, cheerful combination of Lost Lagoon, Balmy Blue, and Melon Mambo. At first, I wasn’t sure how to bring both themes into one card. Woodland critters made me think browns and greens… not exactly what this color combo offers!

So I turned to my wall of retired stamp sets in search of inspiration—and that’s when the answer practically jumped off the shelf.

⛄️ When Snowmen Become Woodland Critters

I spotted the retired Spirited Snowmen Set (#148072) and instantly thought of one of my favorite children’s books—
“Snowmen at Night” by Caralyn Buehner, illustrated by Mark Buehner.

In the story, the snowmen come to life and play outside in the woods after dark. And that’s when it hit me:
If snowmen can play in the woods at night… why can’t they count as playful woodland critters?

With that little spark, everything fell into place.

A handmade card featuring a whimsical snowman skating on ice, surrounded by a soft, snowy background with blue hues. The snowman is wearing a colorful scarf and a hat, and there is a sentiment that reads, 'your friendship warms my heart.' The card is adorned with a sheer ribbon and decorative elements inspired by a playful woodland theme.

A greeting card featuring the phrase 'winter cheer' in bold red text on a light blue banner, surrounded by decorative snowflakes.

🎨 Coloring the Scene

To get a soft, playful look, I stamped the snowman in Black StazOn (#101406) on Watercolor Paper (#149612).

Then I used my Water Painters (#168253) and the ink pads in my three challenge colors to bring him to life. Watercoloring gave the image a gentle, whimsical feel—perfect for the theme—and made it easy to blend shadowing under him so it looks like he’s skating on ice.

For additional details, I used:

Pumpkin Pie (nose)
Pecan Pie (arms)
Basic Gray (skates)

A touch of Wink of Stella on the snowman and skates added the perfect shimmer.

❄️ Building the Background

To create the snowy nighttime feel, I used the Snowy Delights Decorative Masks (#165808) with a blending brush. The soft Balmy Blue and Lost Lagoon inks blended beautifully behind the snowman and tied the entire color combo together.

🎀 Finishing Touches

The final details pulled everything together:

Balmy Blue Sheer Ribbon (#165767)
Three Banner Punch (#167050) for the sentiment
A soft matting layer in challenge colors

The finished card is sweet, whimsical, and full of playful charm—perfect for sharing a little holiday cheer.

A whimsical snowman with a pink and teal scarf and a carrot nose, smiling while skating. The image is outlined with glitter for added shimmer.

A promotional image for the 30 Day Christmas Card Making Challenge, featuring color challenge #5 with swatches of Wildberry, Lakefront, and Harbor.

👉 You can shop current Stampin’ Up! supplies and tools here:
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A beautifully crafted Christmas card featuring a window scene that displays a peaceful nativity setting on one side, while the inside is adorned with cozy holiday elements like hanging stockings and warm colors.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Contact me today to place your order!
435-232-2655 Cell ( Call or Text)
andersoncandice@hotmail.com

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November 25, 2025

CandiceLeave a comment

Day 19 – Hope & Light Meets North Pole Workshop?

Today’s Christmas Challenge brought two themes that couldn’t be more different: Hope and Light and North Pole Workshop. Instead of trying to force both themes into one design, I decided to lean into the contrast and create two separate cards—each with its own mood and message, but both built using the same layout and the same product focus:
Watercolor Pencils (#161700 & #149014) paired with Water Painters (#168234).

This turned out to be such a fun creative experiment—one layout, two techniques, and two completely different looks!

The Shared Layout

To keep a unified feel between the two designs, I started with a simple, versatile layout:

Horizontal card base: 8-1/2″ x 5-1/2″, scored at 4-1/4
Accent strip behind the focal point: 1-3/4″ x 5-1/2″
Focal image panel: Die-cut using the Textured Notes Dies (#165555) — a perfect little frame for any image
Layered background: 4-1/2″ x 4-1/4″ with the sentiment stamped along the bottom

It’s an easy formula that works for just about any stamp set or technique, which made it perfect for today’s theme split.

⭐ Card 1: North Pole Workshop

For my first card, I reached for a fun retired favorite—Christmas Crowd. It’s full of cheerful, whimsical North Pole characters, and it was the perfect set for a bright, playful look.

A festive holiday card featuring Santa and a group of cheerful North Pole characters, adorned with a vibrant color palette and playful design elements.

A graphic promoting Day 19 of a 30-day Christmas card making challenge, highlighting the theme 'North Pole Workshop' with decorative winter elements.

Technique: Coloring In the Image

For this card, I used the watercolor pencils in the most traditional way—coloring the entire image before blending it out slightly with my Water Painter. This gave everything a soft yet vibrant finish without overwhelming the line art.

Finishing Touches:

Cherry Cobbler Baker’s Twine (#164051)
Real Red & White Peppermint Embellishments (#164050)

These little elements really pull together that Santa’s-workshop, peppermint-candy vibe.

⭐ Card 2: Hope & Light (Silent Night Style)

For the second theme, I chose the retired Come to Bethlehem (#120591) set—a beautiful, solid-image stamp that has always felt powerful and peaceful to me.

A handmade Christmas card featuring a watercolor silhouette of three camels journeying across a hillside, with a bright star above and a village in the background, paired with a black accent strip and black twine.

Graphic promoting a card making challenge for Christmas featuring the title 'Hope & Light' and 'Day 19' with a snowy background.

Technique: Background Shading with Watercolor Pencils

Since the main image is a silhouette, I used the watercolor pencils differently for this card. Instead of coloring in the image, I lightly shaded a glowing backdrop behind the figures. With a soft wash from the Water Painter, it created a beautiful halo of color that makes the silhouette pop.

Finishing Touches:

Black Baker’s Twine (#155475)
Rhinestone Basic Jewels (#144220)

A little sparkle keeps the “light” theme present while keeping the card simple and serene.

⭐ The Result: One Layout, Two Techniques, Two Totally Different Looks

It always amazes me how using the same basic card design can produce completely different moods depending on the stamp set, colors, and technique.

North Pole Workshop → bright, fun, colorful
Hope & Light → soft, meaningful, peaceful

Both simple.
Both beautiful.
And both incredibly easy to create with supplies you already have.

👉 You can shop current Stampin’ Up! supplies and tools here:
Shop with Me Here

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Contact me today to place your order!
435-232-2655 Cell ( Call or Text)
andersoncandice@hotmail.com

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November 19, 2025

CandiceLeave a comment

Thrifty Thursday 2-5-09

These are some fun cards that I’ve made using the Level 2 hostess set. Echoes of Kindness. I just think these flowers are beautiful. Becoming a hostess is always a great way to save money. You have the chance to earn exclusive hostess sets like this one as well as Hostess dollars that can be spent of what ever product you like. Plus you will have a great time with your family and friends. You can check out my available party dates by clicking here.

This card was one that I actually created for one of my parties. The guest really love learning how to use the blender pens to create easy water-coloring.

Products used:
113230 Echoes of Kindness Level 2 Hostess
114484 Elegant Thank You $6.95
114319 Whisper White Organza Ribbon $5.95
114512 Stampin’ Up!® Backgrounds 1 Textured Plates $11.95
Sizzix™ Big Shot and Accessories
102845 Blender Pens (3) $9.95
105110 Stampin’ Write® Marker
101406 Jet Black StazOn™ Ink $7.95

Colors- Pale Plum, Elegant Eggplant, Whisper White, Mellow Moss

I created this card for 2 different projects. One was for my creative challenge for bootcamp and then I used it for my Card Swap that I was in.

Products used:
113230 Echoes of Kindness Level 2 Hostess
109521 En Franςais $17.95
115060 Short & Sweet $18.95
114319 Whisper White Organza Ribbon $5.95
105019 Watercolor Paper (20) $6.95
103954 Aqua Painter (2) $16.95
101406 Jet Black StazOn™ Ink $7.95
Colors- Pale Plum, Elegant Eggplant, Whisper White, Mellow Moss

This is a card that I created for a Shoebox swap that I did. A shoebox swap is where you create a card and then cut out enough for all the guest. Then you go around the room and make each others cards. It’s really fun.

Products used:
113230 Echoes of Kindness Level 2 Hostess
114978 Happy Heart Day $23.95
109039 Elegant Eggplant 1/4″ Grosgrain Ribbon
114512 Stampin’ Up!® Backgrounds 1 Textured Plates $11.95
Sizzix™ Big Shot and Accessories
103954 Aqua Painter (2) $16.95
101406 Jet Black StazOn™ Ink $7.95
112454 Styled Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware $29.95
107590 Designer Label Punch $15.95

Colors- Pale Plum, Elegant Eggplant, Very Vanilla, Mellow Moss

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