Easy One-Layer Watercolor Christmas Cards: Yippee for Yana
Hi friends! Please join me in welcoming back the oh-so-talented and amazing Yana Smakula! (Please note: our dear friend Yana is Ukrainian. To show support to our brothers and sisters in Ukraine, please see Yana’s post HERE.)
Hello, crafters, this is Yana Smakula for Simon Says Stamp! Welcome back for another Yippee For Yana video! Today I’m doing something I never thought I’d say… we’re making one-layer cards! I know — who even am I? But sometimes it’s fun to revisit classic design ideas, and this nostalgic Christmas project truly made me fall in love with simple stamping all over again.
I’m working with the absolutely charming Simon Says Stamp Nostalgic Christmas stamp and die set. This set is packed with beautiful holiday imagery, and honestly, if you’re still looking for that one “must-have” Christmas stamp set this season, this one might be it. The coordinating dies are available as well — although today I’m sticking to stamps only to keep everything clean, flat, and wonderfully simple.
I wanted to watercolor my images, so paper choice was essential. I couldn’t find my watercolor paper (holiday-season chaos is real), but I did have Spellbinders BetterPress Cardstock on hand — a 100% cotton paper that behaves beautifully with water-based mediums. Perfect substitute!
I stamped the images in VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink on 4.25″ x 5.5″ panels using my MISTI. I’ll trim the panels slightly before assembling the cards, but this size gives me plenty of room for coloring.
For coloring, I reached for a small but mighty set of Karin Brushmarker PRO markers. I show each cap color in the video if you want the exact shades.
My goal? Simple, traditional Christmas colors — reds, greens, and soft neutrals. One of my favorite things about this nostalgic image is that it’s already packed with detail: shading, highlights, texture. That means:
- you don’t need perfect coloring
- white gaps are totally fine
- it still looks amazing
Each image took about 10 minutes to color. These cards practically mass-produce themselves!
I even mixed greens right on the image when I didn’t have the shade I wanted — a bright green here, a deeper green there, and a third shade to pull the whole tree together. Don’t be afraid to layer and experiment.
For a touch of grounding beneath the tree, I used Polychromos pencils in two brown shades to add soft shadows.
For the sentiment, I stamped “Very Very Merry” at the bottom of each panel using the CZ Design Tree Plate Sentiments set. The word Christmas is stamped inside the card for a sweet continuation.
If you prefer a popped-up sentiment, you can absolutely die cut and foam-mount one — but I wanted to stay true to the one-layer theme.
To finish the design, I added a tiny red cardstock strip at the base of each A2 top-folding card. These are less than ¼” wide and trim the edge beautifully without adding bulk.
I wanted these cards to be lightweight for mailing, but that little pop of red ties all the coloring together and gives the layout a polished intention.
I trimmed each panel slightly and adhered it to the card bases with a tape runner. And that’s it — clean, classic, festive cards that look far more involved than they actually are.
I ended up making four cards, but honestly? I could have made twenty. This design is easy to mass produce, relaxing to color, and perfect for last-minute holiday crafting.
It also felt wonderful revisiting watercolor — it’s been a while, and this was the perfect low-pressure way to get back into it.
Thanks so much for joining me today. I hope these easy one-layer Christmas cards inspire you to pick up your stamps, grab your favorite coloring medium, and enjoy the creative process.
See you soon with more inspiration!
WATCH THE VIDEO:
SUPPLIES:
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Ways to support Ukraine:
If you are looking for ways to support Ukraine, we encourage you to visit this page on Yana’s blog:
A big thank you to YOU, our reader — and to Yana for being our guest!
PSST! Don’t miss this great sale! (going on now!)
DieCember® Blog Hop 2!
Hello, friends, and welcome to day two of our DieCember® release blog hops! If you missed yesterday’s hop, be sure to circle back and check it out HERE.
Our very first DieCember® was in December 2013, and it’s hard to believe that we’re celebrating our 13th DieCember®! Die cutting has changed the way that we create. To celebrate all things die cutting, we are hosting a month-long DieCember® celebration. Throughout the month you will see special features, sales, education, and inspiration that focus on die cutting.
Before we hop, let’s take a look at some fabulous inspiration from Shari Carroll and Susan R. Opel:
We love our customers! And we love your enthusiasm for our exclusive releases and blog hops. To celebrate, Simon has set aside a free gift just for you! Our not-yet-released Simon Says Stamp Exclusive Bundled Snowman die is automatically added to your cart that contains any purchase from our DieCember® 2025 collection! Check out the details on the banner at the top of this post for information about claiming your gift.
Ready for even more DieCember® inspiration? Hop along with these talented designers! You’ll be inspired AND for every comment you leave on each blog, you’ll earn a chance to win a $25 Simon Says Stamp store shopping spree. YAY!
- Simon Says Stamp Blog <<YOU ARE HERE!
- Nina-Marie Trapani
- Laura Bassen
- Suzy Plantamura
- Nichol Spohr
- Mindy Eggen
- Sandi MacIver
- Keisha Charles
- Melissa Phillips
- Emma Williams
- Lorraine Aquilina
- Rachel Alvarado
- Barb Engler
- Dana Joy
- Carol Hintermeier
- Trina Pham
Please share some feedback with these creative artists who work hard to inspire and excite us! Your comments mean so much to them.
Thanks again for joining us today!
We hope you will join us on Instagram on Monday, December 8, for an Instagram Hop featuring our DieCember® release! We are excited to share awesome ideas from several creative minds using these fantastic products.
You’ll love browsing our DieCember® gallery on our blog for loads of additional inspiration, and you can add your projects to these galleries as well!
Shop the NEW collection:
Can’t pick a favorite? Shop our New Bundles:
DieCember® Blog Hop 1!
Happy DieCember®! Welcome to day one of two special release blog hops celebrating our DieCember® release! Come back tomorrow for more amazing inspiration!
Our very first DieCember® was in December 2013, and it’s hard to believe that we’re celebrating our 13th DieCember®! Die cutting has changed the way that we create. To celebrate all things die cutting, we are hosting a month-long DieCember® celebration. Throughout the month you will see special features, sales, education, and inspiration that focus on die cutting.
Let’s get a sneak peek of what’s in store for our blog hop today with inspiration from Nina-Marie Trapani and Beth Opel! They used products from our DieCember® release to make these fantastic projects:
We love our customers! And we love your enthusiasm for our exclusive releases and blog hops. To celebrate, Simon has set aside a free gift just for you! Our not-yet-released Simon Says Stamp Exclusive Bundled Snowman die is automatically added to your cart that contains any purchase from our DieCember® 2025 collection! Check out the details on the banner at the top of this post for information about claiming your gift.
Ready for even more DieCember® inspiration? Hop along with these talented designers! You’ll be inspired AND for every comment you leave on each blog, you’ll earn a chance to win a $25 Simon Says Stamp store shopping spree. YAY!
Please let these talented designers know how much you appreciate their designs. They work hard to inspire and excite us!
- Simon Says Stamp Blog <<YOU ARE HERE!
- Heather Hoffman
- Barbara Tarayao
- Cathy Zielske
- Jennifer McGuire
- Emily Midgett
- Amy Rysavy
- Heather Ruwe
- Lisa Addesa
- Miriam Prantner
- Cheiron Brandon
- Kath Stewart
- Caryn Davies
- Bonnie Crane
- Rosemary Dennis
- Heejung Hunsberger
Thanks again for joining us today!
We hope you will join us on Instagram on Monday, December 8, for an Instagram Hop featuring our DieCember® release! We are excited to share awesome ideas from several creative minds using these fantastic products.
You’ll love browsing our DieCember® gallery on our blog for loads of additional inspiration, and you can add your projects to these galleries as well!
Shop the NEW collection:
Can’t pick a favorite? Shop our New Bundles:
