Wreathed in Joy

Have you ever tried using a stamping platform to build up a circle from small images? It's great for producing a wreath like this.

First of all you need a template for the size of card you are planning to stamp on. I like to make 14cm x 14cm toppers for 14.5cm square cards, so that's  the size of my template. Rule lines from corner to corner diagonally, and across the middle horizontally and vertically, all crossing in the centre.

Now choose a stamp -  I started with the holly stamp, which came from a set I won in one of the first challenges at Christmas Kickstart.  Place your template in the platform with one corner butted right into a corner for accurate positioning -if you have a set of Creative Corners you can use them to ensure accuracy.

Choose a stamp and place it  in one of the segments so that it almost touches the lines on both sides. Close the platform to pick it up, then remove the template and replace it with your piece of 14cm square card in exactly the same position.

Stamp one image, then, leaving the stamp in place, remove your card, turn it through 90 degrees  and replace it. Do this until you have stamped 4 images.

Now remove the stamp from the platform, clean it and dry it well then position it between two of the already-stamped images so that it lines up between the two. I find it better to do this on the stamped piece rather than going back to the template,  so you can make sure the alignment is just how you want it. Repeat the stamping process rotating as before. 

I then  stamped the sentiment using the platform and the pine sprigs by hand, to give a less rigid look to the wreath. Then I coloured the holly with Promarkers and added the topper to the base card. 

I am sharing this with 

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Anything goes/ trees  

CAS Christmas - Winter Berries 

 

Fezziwig's Festive Frolics - Anything Festive Goes  

Christmas Kickstart - Wreathed in Christmas Smiles