Retro Santa, Tim Holtz

Hey crafty friends! 👋 I’m popping in to share a card I made using some of my favorite Tim Holtz stamps and stencils from Stampers Anonymous.

Fun fact: Stampers Anonymous doesn’t retire their Tim Holtz designs—so there’s a huge library of awesome stamps and stencils you might not have seen in a while (or totally forgot you had 😉).

Hope this project sparks some inspiration to dig into your stash and get creative! ✨

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Retro Santa, Tim Holtz

This card is all about letting Distress Ink and water do the work, and I love how much texture and interest you get from such a simple process.

I started by ink blending an ombre background with Distress Inks onto Distress White Heavystock. Once the blending was complete, I misted the large background stamp from the Seasons Silhouettes stamp set with water and stamped it directly onto the inked panel. Because Distress Ink is water reactive, this creates that soft, oxidized effect that adds instant depth and movement to the background, no extra layers needed.

After the background dried, I trimmed it down to 4” x 5.25”. For the focal image, I stamped the retro Santa from Tim Holtz’s Mini Holidays 4 stamp set using VersaFine Onyx Black. I love how bold and crisp this ink is for solid images, it really helps Santa stand out against the softer, water-reactive background.

For the sentiment, I stamped “Merry Christmas” from the same Mini Holidays 4 set and white heat embossed it. I then ink blended Festive Berries Distress Ink over the embossed sentiment, letting the emboss resist technique do its thing. Once dry, I fussy cut the sentiment and popped it up with foam squares for a little dimension.

To finish the card, I added Distress Rock Candy Clear to the trim on Santa’s suit for a touch of snowy texture, and sprinkled Distress Rock Candy Chunky along the frame of the background for extra sparkle and interest.

This is such a fun way to combine ink blending, water-reactive techniques, and classic holiday imagery. The result feels playful, a little vintage, and perfectly festive. 🎄✨

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Cardmaking Supplies Used

Supplies I used are linked throughout the post. Click on the picture and you will be taken to the product. I use affiliate links when available which means if you make a purchase I get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!