Welcome back to the craft room and today’s Christmas Rose Card for a Holiday Birthday. As someone with a December birthday, I know how easy it is for the celebration to be overshadowed by the holiday season. While my parents always made me feel special, it’s not uncommon for birthdays to take a backseat this time of year. That’s why I designed this project to bring the spotlight back to every December baby. Let me show you how I made it!
The Christmas Rose
The star of today’s card is the stunning Helleborus die set from Susan’s Garden Club. Known as the Lenten or Christmas Rose, the Helleborus flower is a meaningful choice for celebrating December birthdays. The die I’m using for this project is from Susan’s time at Tonic Studios. While she’s since moved on to new collaborations, you can find a refreshed version of this die set with Spellbinders. I’ll link it below so you can add this timeless Christmas Rose to your collection.
To start, I cut the pieces for the rose from Recollections 65lb white cardstock. For this flower, you’ll need one of each petal, as many leaves as you’d like, two circular stamens, and one straight piece for the flower’s center. The most challenging part of the process was deciding how to color the flower. With so many stunning natural variations, it took me some time to settle on the perfect combination.
Coloring the Flower
I ultimately chose a violet color palette for my flower. Using Copic Markers, I began by accenting the outer edges and centers of the petals with RV66 Raspberry. Next, I filled in and blended the petals with RV63 Begonia for a softer transition. To add depth and natural variation, I created speckles by applying a small amount of RV66 onto my Teflon sheet and pressing each petal into the ink. While the speckles might look a bit unusual at first, once the petals are shaped, they take on a beautifully realistic appearance.
Coloring the Greenery
For the leaves, I started by adding G99 Olive at the base to create depth. I then blended and filled in the rest of the leaves with YG63 Pea Green for a soft, natural gradient. The stamens were brought to life with a mix of G20 Wax White and Y11 Pale Yellow, adding a delicate, vibrant touch to the flower’s center.
To enhance the design, I included a die-cut from the Tim Holtz and Sizzix Holiday Greens Mini set. The addition of these evergreen branches gives the card an extra festive touch. I colored the branches with G28, being careful not to apply full coverage. Leaving some white space adds a natural look and, in my mind, suggests a hint of frost or snow—perfect for a winter-inspired card.
Shaping the Flower
Creating realistic paper flowers takes some practice, but with Susan’s techniques, even I can achieve lifelike results. Today, I’m using the McGill Flower Shaping Tool Kit, though Susan has designed an excellent tool kit of her own, which I’ll link below. While I’ll include a few images to guide you, I highly recommend watching Susan’s video to fully grasp the process. You can find her tutorial here: Spellbinders Helleborus (Christmas Rose) by Susan Tierney-Cockburn – How-to.
Shaping the Flower Petals
Start by softening and gently cupping the flower petals with the loop tool. Next, use a pair of tweezers to grab each petal and pinch the base between your fingers. While holding the petal, roll the edges with the tweezers to create a natural curl. Finally, use a small ball stylus to press the center of the petal set, giving it a delicate cupped shape for added dimension.
Shaping the Leaves
Start by using the loop tool on the foam pad to gently shape the back of the petal. Next, move to the Leaf Pad and use a 1mm ball stylus to draw a central stem line. Lightly fold the leaf along the stem line and enhance its definition by applying a touch of light green chalk. Add additional vein lines to mimic the natural texture, then pinch the leaf ends together with your fingers. Finally, while holding the leaf, use a medium ball stylus on the back to gently shape the tip for a realistic finish.
Shaping the Stamen
Start by using a pair of thin scissors to carefully trim each arm of the die cut in half, as shown in the first photo below. Next, place a small amount of glue on your Teflon sheet and dip the ends of the stamen into the glue, ensuring only the tips are coated. Immediately dip the wet glue into yellow flower pollen, then gently tap off any excess. Once the glue is dry, use a stylus to cup the stamen centers for added dimension.
For the very center of the stamen, trim the arms as before, then grasp the tail end with tweezers. Add glue to the bottom of the die cut, then roll it into a tube. Fray the ends of the tube slightly using tweezers or your fingernails, and finish by dipping them into glue and pollen for a realistic touch.
When planning this card design, I wanted to make sure it would fit into a regular envelope for mailing. To achieve this, I initially planned to modify Susan’s original design by leaving out the very center of the flower. However, this left the flower looking unfinished, so I decided to go back and add the center with a few adjustments. I trimmed the top of the piece to shorten it, then shaped and added it to the flower’s center for a more polished and complete look.
Building the Card
I began assembling the Christmas Rose card by cutting my card base from 110lb Recollections cardstock to 8.5″ x 5.5″ and scoring it at 4.25″. I then cut a piece of Rose Gold Metallic Card to 4″ x 5.25″ for a mat layer. For the card front, I used 65lb white Recollections cardstock, cutting it to 3.75″ x 5″. I also cut an oval shape from the same cardstock using my Nestabilities Oval die. The sentiment itself is stamped with Distress Archival Ink in Hickory Smoke using the Kaiser Craft Occasions stamp set.
To create the floral element on the card, I started by adhering the two evergreen branches around the oval with Art Glitter Glue. Next, I attached the Christmas Rose and surrounded it with a few leaves for a full, balanced look. In the image below, you can really see the stunning dimension achieved with Susan’s dies, which add such depth and realism to the flower arrangement.
The Finished Christmas Rose Card
I hope you enjoyed creating this Christmas Rose card with me today! Whether you’re celebrating a December birthday or simply looking for a beautiful way to send holiday greetings, this project is sure to impress. With Susan’s incredible floral dies and a few thoughtful embellishments, you can create a card that’s both elegant and full of dimension. Don’t forget to check out the links below for the supplies used and additional inspiration. If you’re a fan of Susan’s designs, be sure to check out another card I’ve created using one of her dies, which you can find here: Happy Birthday Shasta Daisy. Happy crafting, and I look forward to sharing more creative projects with you soon!
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