A Watercolored Starry Holiday with Dina Wakley

Hello friends, I’m Lorena Wakefield, and I’m so happy to be back on the Spellbinders Blog as a guest designer. Today I’m sharing a trio of festive projects featuring the absolutely gorgeous Dina Wakley Starry Holiday Collection. This collection is filled with whimsical, hand-drawn designs that translate beautifully into holiday cards, and it was such a joy to pair them with some of my favorite Spellbinders tools.

I worked with BetterPress plates for the focal images and then added soft washes of color using Distress Inks as watercolors. The combination of crisp letterpress impressions with loose, painterly coloring gives these cards an artistic, heartfelt touch. Let’s take a closer look at each of them:

Merry, Merry, Merry Christmas Bird

This sweet bird design on the “merry merry merry bird” registration plate completely stole my heart. I pressed it with the BetterPress system, then watercolored in soft brown and red tones for a warm and rustic look. I went over the beak and feet with gold watercolor for a bit of shine. The sentiment was completed with a die-cut “Christmas” from another Spellbinders set, layered onto a deeply textured background created with a Spellbinders embossing folder. The extra dimension adds so much richness without overwhelming the delicate art style.

Holly Wreath Merry Christmas

This card was all about layering details. I began by pressing the sentiment “Starry Merry Christmas” in the center of a panel using copper ink. Next, I embossed the panel with the Stars and Fronds 3D Embossing Folder from the same collection for extra dimension. From the BetterPress plate set, I also pressed several holly sprigs in bright green ink, die cut them, and arranged them around the sentiment with small foam squares for a raised, wreath-like effect. To finish, I added rose gold flatback pearls over the berries for just the right amount of festive sparkle.

Starry Reindeer

This reindeer image feels so magical! After pressing the design, I added soft brown and golden watercolor washes for the reindeer, and a wash of gray for the snowy ground. I kept the background minimal by pressing the delicate stars and half moon in versamark ink, then sprinkle them in silver embossing powder and heat set it.  The sentiment “cheer and good tidings to you” says it all. It’s peaceful, serene, and just right for sending holiday love.

Working with the Dina Wakley Starry Holiday Collection has been such a joy. The artwork is playful yet timeless, and paired with Spellbinders’ embossing folders and sentiment dies, the possibilities for creating heartfelt handmade holiday cards are endless.

Thank you so much for stopping by today, and I hope you feel inspired to give this collection a try in your own holiday crafting.

Happy creating,

Lorena Wakefield

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