Tim Holtz Christmas Colorize Dies Series Post 5 | Mixed Media Christmas Cards Featuring Harvey and Glitter Texture Paste.

Featured Card

Harvey takes centre stage on tartan patterned paper in this mixed media Christmas card, with glitter texture paste adding sparkle and Festive Gatherings foliage tucked under his arm. A layered bow from The Greetery’s Fit to Be Tied dies, machine stitching, and warm gold cardstock bring the whole design together

Behind the Feature Card and More

For this card, Harvey is standing on tartan patterned paper, which instantly adds a cosy, traditional Christmas feel. To introduce some texture and sparkle, I used glitter texture paste through the Tim Holtz Mini Layering Stencil Set 54, creating a subtle but eye-catching background detail.

I tucked berries and twigs from the Tim Holtz Festive Gatherings die set under Harvey’s arm to give him a festive flourish, then added a bow in the top right-hand corner using Fit to Be Tied dies by The Greetery. A little machine stitching adds extra interest and helps frame the design.

To finish it all off, I layered the card with gold cardstock by Spellbinders, which brings warmth and a touch of elegance to the overall look.

For the second card, Harvey is resting on Tim Holtz’s layered stripes, and I love how the red and gold work together to create a rich, festive base. A layered candy cane appears again, along with a light dusting of snow and a beautifully detailed branch from the Festive Gatherings die set by Tim Holtz for Sizzix.

Once again, standing Harvey on a sentiment helped to ground the design and bring all the elements together.

If you would like to see the other posts in this series, please see the links at the bottom of the page.

Links to more cards in this series.

Creating Mixed Media Christmas Cards with Harvey

Mixed Media Christmas Cards Featuring Harvey in the Snow

Bells, Bows and Wreaths: Handmade Christmas Cards withTim Holtz Colorize Yuletide Wreath Dies

My Favourite Cards in My Tim Holtz Colorize Dies Christmas Series – Harvey & Yuletide Wreath

Tim Holtz Colorize Dies Christmas Cards Series | Harvey & Yuletide Wreath

I still have many more Harvey cards to show you, but sadly I became a little over-zealous when adding the snow and wasn’t happy with the results. With time pressure looming to get my cards posted, and after making 36 Harveys, I’ll admit I was feeling a bit over Harvey at that point.

Those cards have now been carefully tucked away in my cupboard, ready to be resurrected… hopefully sooner rather than later.

Materials and Supplies Used

Card 1

Tim Holtz Colorize Die, 'Harvey' by Sizzix

Tim Holtz, 'Festive Gatherings Die' by Sizzix

Tim Holtz Collection, Mini Layering Stencil Set 54 for Stampers Anonymous

Glitter Texture paste

Gold Cardstock by Spellbinders

Card 2

Tim Holtz Colorize Die, 'Harvey' by Sizzix

Tim Holtz, 'Festive Gatherings Die' by Sizzix

Tim Holtz Colorize Die, 'Yuletide Wreath' by Sizzix

Tim Holtz, Layered Plaid' dies by Sizzix

Fit To Be Tied' by The Greetery.

Gold Cardstock by Spellbinders

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Christmas Tree Card made using Paper Inlay Technique. | Concord and 9th Tree Lot Inlay Die

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What a beautiful field of Christmas trees you can create using the Concord & 9th Tree Lot Inlay Die. The paper inlay and pierced details create a clean, graphic design with flat elegance — a modern, minimalist look without bulk.

Behind the Featured Card and More

 

Paper inlay is a lovely technique. I find it quite meditative, and it’s so satisfying watching all those little puzzle pieces come together. You do need to be mindful not to throw any of the tiny pieces away when die cutting, but before long you’ll recognise exactly which bits need to be kept. All I can say is that making these cards is very addictive.

I used six different colours for each card and constantly seemed to have pieces left over. I’d cut more to finish the next section of trees, only to end up with extras again—and so the process continued on and on. That’s how I ended up with 17 cards when I’d only really intended to make eight. I’ve shared nine of my favourites here; the others, which feature larger amounts of gold cardstock, were tricky to photograph due to the reflections—so I’ll leave those to your imagination.

✂️ Paper Inlay Tips & Tricks

🧩 Keep every tiny piece

Those little off-cuts matter! Don’t clear your desk too quickly—some shapes look like scraps but are essential later.

🗂️ Work one colour at a time
Finish all the pieces in one colour before moving on. It keeps your sanity intact 😄

📦 Use a scrap tray or lid
Pop tiny die-cuts into a shallow dish, lid, or tray so they don’t vanish into the crafting abyss.

🧷 Tweezers are your best friend. Needle nose tweezers are my favourite.

🧴 Use adhesive sparingly – A fine-tip glue applicator or glue pen helps prevent ooze and warped paper. Even better, skip glue altogether. Apply double-sided tape to the back of your coloured cardstock before die cutting. This ensures all the edges of your inlay pieces are fully adhered, sitting beautifully flat and secure in place

⏳ Be patient and slow down
Paper inlay is meditative 🧘‍♀️—rushing can lead to misalignment. 

❤️ Embrace the addiction

Paper inlay is oddly satisfying—and yes, it will multiply your card count!

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Making Dinosaur Christmas Cards for boys | A Pocket Full of Happiness, 'Happy Rexmas' Dies'

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Making dinosaur Christmas cards for boys using the A Pocket Full of Happiness “Happy Rexmas” dies — a fun, playful design perfect for little dinosaur lovers. I love that the T-Rex is wearing a Christmas tree complete with twinkling lights, and the clever play on the word “Christmas”.

Behind the Featured Card and More

By chance, I came across the company A Pocket Full of Happiness, and I instantly fell in love with their dies. The “Happy Rexmas” set especially caught my eye—it’s funny, clever, and I can never resist a Christmas tree wrapped in lights, particularly when it’s perched on a T-Rex. What a treat to find a die set designed specifically with dinosaur-loving children in mind.

I kept these cards quite simple, placing the assembled dinosaur onto cardstock that had been pierced using a background plate. As someone who doesn’t often make “boy cards,” it was refreshing to finally dip into the olive greens, deep greens, and warm greys that usually sit unused in my stash.

Materials and Supplies Used

All cards -  Pocket Full of Happiness, 'Happy Rexmus Die Set and Glossy Accents

Card 1-  Pretty Pink Posh Chevron Pierced Plate Die

Card 2 - Pink Fresh Studio Kailtlin Sheaffer - Festive Grid

Card 3 and 5 - Lawn Fawn - Lawn Cuts - Dies - Stitched Snowflake Backdrop

Card 4 - Pretty Pink Posh, Pierced Star Plate Die

Foiling with Etched Dies | Pink and Blue Christmas Cards made using using 'Christmas Joy' and 'Christmas Blooms', Dies by Spellbinders

 from a Featured Card

Pink and blue handmade Christmas cards created with Spellbinders Shapeabilities “Christmas Joy” and “Christmas Blooms” dies. Pink and blue florals from the Christmas Blooms die are layered onto matted pink, white, and blue cardstock, resting on gold foiling created with the Spellbinders Stitched Joy Die against a flat blue background.


Behind the Featured Card and More

After loving the blue versions of these cards—which I shared in a previous post—I decided to try one in pink, and I loved it just as much. This time, however, I used the Spellbinders Stitched Joy Die to create the background. I purchased this die quite some time ago by accident and never used it, as hand stitching isn’t something I usually include in my cards.

It had been sitting in my “to sell” pile until I pulled it out again to experiment with foiling. I think it worked surprisingly well—perhaps not quite as striking as the “Christmas Joy” die—but I was glad I gave it a whirl. I may even die-cut it properly and create at least one stitched card before deciding whether to sell it

More cards using these dies

Foiling with Etched Dies | Christmas Cards made using using 'Christmas Joy' and 'Christmas Blooms', Dies by Spellbinders

Featured Cards

Christmas card created with the Shapeabilities Christmas Joy Dies by Spellbinders. Deep blues and rich reds are softened with touches of white and pink flowers from the Spellbinders, Christmas Blooms etched dies. The background features foiled etched dies with a smooth ink-blended gradient from dark to light.

A second Christmas card created with the Christmas Joy   Dies by Spellbinders. Pops of white and monotonal flowers feature in this card. Foiled etched dies and a smooth ink-blended gradient from dark to light, makeup the background.



Behind Featured Cards and More

When I first saw Yana Smakula’s Christmas Joy card, it was love at first sight. There were so many elements I admired, but what really stood out was the stunning foiled background she created using a standard etched die—such a clever and inspiring technique.

Yana has also created a wonderful video demonstrating how she achieved this effect, and it’s absolutely worth watching if you’re interested in trying something a little different with your dies.

My cards are, in part, inspired by Yana’s beautiful design, with my own twists and elements infused along the way. Thank you, Yana Smakula, for your incredible talent and ongoing inspiration.

If you would like to see more, please see my blog post where I make this card in pink.

All supplies used are listed at the end of this post.

Supplies used:

 Cards 1-4

'Shapeabilities Christmas Joy' dies by Spellbinders. 

 'Christmas Blooms' etched dies by Spellbinders

 

Card 5

'Stitched Joy' by Spellbinders 

Christmas Blooms' etched dies by Spellbinders

Candy Cane from Temu

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#Goldfoiling
#FoilingWithEtchedDies
#InkBlending
#CardmakingTechniques

Santa Greetings Series Post 4 | Handmade Christmas Cards using Tim Holtz Colorize Dies and a Splash of Turquoise and Blue.

Christmas card using the Tim Holtz Colorize Santa Die by Sizzix. A festive cherry-red Santa pops against plain blue cardstock, finished with gold stars, a candy cane, and blue bows.

Behind These Cards and More

I created this series of Christmas cards using the Tim Holtz Colorize Santa Die by Sizzix, and I absolutely love how the cherry-red Santa pops against the turquoise cardstock. Red and turquoise is one of my favourite Christmas colour combinations—it always feels fresh, cheerful, and a little bit fun.

Nestled on a bed of delicate snowflakes, Santa is finished with two candy canes that add just the right touch of festive charm and colour.

If you’d like to see more Santa cards made with this die, please take a look at my other adjacent posts—he’s clearly become a bit of a favourite around here! As always, all of the materials used for this card are listed at the end of the post for easy reference.

Cherry-red Santa pops against turquoise cardstock in this Christmas card, created with the Tim Holtz Colorize Santa Die by Sizzix. Finished with candy canes, bows, and a string of charms and bells — I love hearing him jingle.

Ruby-red Santa pops against turquoise cardstock in this Christmas card, created with the Tim Holtz Colorize Santa Die by Sizzix, nestled on a bed of snowflakes and finished with two candy canes

Links to other cards in this series.

http://www.jennygarlick.com/2025/12/blog-post_66.htm

http://www.jennygarlick.com/2025/12/blog-post_47.html

http://www.jennygarlick.com/2025/12/blog-post_81.html

http://www.jennygarlick.com/2025/12/blog-post_71.html

 

Products used in the cards:

'Santa Greetings Colorise Die Set' by time Holtz for Sizzix.

'Waffle Flower Snowflake Cluster Die' by Waffle Flower.

Snowflakes and Candy Canes from Temu.

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#TimHoltzSanta  

#SizzixColorize  

#ChristmasCardMaking  

#SantaGreetingsColorizeDieSet 

#SantaCardsBrightCardstock  

#SantaWithBowSnowflakes  

#TimHoltzDies

Santa Greetings Series Post 3 | Handmade Christmas Cards using Tim Holtz Colorize Dies, the Fun and Sparkly Way

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The Santa Greetings Colorize Die Set by Tim Holtz for Sizzix creates such a gorgeous Santa. This time he’s dressed in blue, giving this bright and fun Christmas card a fresh twist as he stands out beautifully against festive Christmas tree patterned paper. See below for other cards in this series.

Behind the Cards and More

This set of cards were designed to be bright, friendly, and joyful, using Christmas-themed patterned papers, bows, glitter, and shiny gold cardstock. The same Santa die feels fresh and playful just by changing the colour palette and background materials.

Santa’s wide-open arms are so inviting that I couldn’t resist pairing him with the sentiment:

“Santa Loves You This Much.”   

Inside the card, the message continues with:“And so do we.”

For my daughters and grandchildren, I took it one step further and personalised the sentiment to read:

“Santa Loves You This Much,
But We Love You So Much More.”

It’s such a simple message, but it was very well received making people feel very special.

If you enjoy these Tim Holtz Santa Christmas cards, you can see how versatile

e this die set really is by exploring my other Colorize Santa projects—proof that one die can produce very different looks.

If you want to see more cards in this series, go to the links at the bottom of this post. The supplies and materials used are there too. 

 

Links to other cards in this series.

http://www.jennygarlick.com/2025/12/blog-post_66.htm

http://www.jennygarlick.com/2025/12/blog-post_47.html

http://www.jennygarlick.com/2025/12/blog-post_81.html

http://www.jennygarlick.com/2025/12/blog-post_71.html

 

Products used in the cards:

Cards 1-4 

'Santa Greetings Colorize Die Set' by Sizzix and Tim Holtz.

Card 3

Sizzix - Tim Holtz -Thinlit Dies - Layered Plaid

Card 4

Sizzix - Tim Holtz - Christmas - Thinlits Dies - Layered Stripes 

Thanks so much for calling by.

#TimHoltzSanta  

#SizzixColorize  

#ChristmasCardMaking  

#SantaGreetingsColorizeDieSet 

#SantaCards  

#Tim HoltzLayeredStripesDieSet

#Tim Holtz LayeredStripesDieSet

#TimHoltzDies 

Santa Greetings Series Post 2 | Handmade Christmas Cards using Tim Holtz Colorize Dies, Snowflakes and Kraft Cardstock

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Doesn’t red look great on kraft cardstock—especially when it’s Santa? This cheerful Santa was created using the Santa Greetings Colorize Die Set by Tim Holtz for Sizzix and layered over the Snowflake Cluster Die by Waffle Flower. Keep reading below for more details.

How can you possibly resist the Santa Greetings Colorize Die Set by Tim Holtz for Sizzix? Santa has such a retro, slightly funky personality, and I absolutely love him. 

After making many Santa cards, I was well and truly on a roll, knowing exactly what I liked and how I wanted this design to come together. The sentiment on the front reads “Santa Loves You This Much”, with “So Do We” inside—simple, warm, and perfect for Christmas.

I especially love the rich red of Santa against the kraft cardstock, paired with the crisp contrast of the snowflakes in the background. To add a playful finishing touch, I pulled out some Christmas charms and threaded them onto Santa’s string. It was such a fun detail to include, and I had so much fun making these cards.

These cards are part of a series. Links to the rest of the series, along with the materials and supplies used, can be found at the end of this post.

Links to other cards in this series.

http://www.jennygarlick.com/2025/12/blog-post_66.htm

http://www.jennygarlick.com/2025/12/blog-post_47.html

http://www.jennygarlick.com/2025/12/blog-post_81.html

http://www.jennygarlick.com/2025/12/blog-post_71.html

 

#TimHoltzSanta  

#SizzixColorize  

#ChristmasCardMaking  

#SantaGreetingsColorizeDieSet 

#SantaCardsKraftCardstock  

#CardMakingInspiration  

#TimHoltzDies

#ChristmasCharms  

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