Christmas - that time of year when we smile at strangers, when we share fellowship with those outside our usual circles, when we exchange greetings with family and friends around the world. Many exquisite vintage cards are available, as well as fun modern designs, but my favorites, purely for their personal touch, has always been unique, handmade greeting cards.

When I worked in retail, part of my job was to dream up ideas for seasonal crafts - Halloween crafts, Easter crafts, Christmas crafts. I loved developing Christmas card ideas. I used to teach how to make all manner of Christmas cards: paper tole cards, embroidered cards, paper appliqued cards, and one of my favorite classes, Ink & Wash Christmas cards.

Not everyone feels comfortable creating their own greeting card designs, so I always provided a selection of "patterns" for the cards we would then complete over the course of the evening.

A few weeks before the class, I would gather my stash of designs, culling them for the clearest pictures. Then I reduced the nicest ones to line drawings and carefully created the tracing-paper patterns for my students to use.

Once the pattern is ready, it is quite simple to make these beautiful cards. All you need are a few simple materials - card stock, a waterproof pen, watercolor paints, newsprint or craft paper, an electric iron set on low heat, and a cup of strong, black coffee.

The card stock I prefer is sturdy and has a slightly pebbled surface. I like the way it "grabs" the pen. Strathmore makes an excellent product, with approximately the same feel as 300 lb cold press paper, but a lighter, smoother card stock will work equally as well.

For the "antique" background, any good coffee will do, just make sure it is well-cooled before using it.

Select the number of cards you wish to antique, and spread several layers of newsprint on your work surface to contain any spills. Splatter the coffee over the card stock. The coffee will dry much lighter than it appears when first applied, so let the card stock dry between each application to check the effect.

You may wish to add some more splatters here and there for an artistic effect. Once you have achieved the desired intensity of color, iron the card stock on the back until it it is nicely flat and dry, using low heat to prevent scorching.

My favorite pen for this type of project is an inexpensive Sakura Microperm in size .03 to .05 which is readily available in the scrap-booking section of most craft stores.

These inexpensive pens are excellent for this kind of project. They contain waterproof ink, and usually last through a number of projects. I always kept a few spares available for students to use during class, but most purchased their own so they could make more cards at home.

After tracing the pattern onto the card stock using black graphite paper and a pencil, any extra lines or smudges are carefully erased.

Outline the image in pen, referring to the original drawing for exact line placement. Then, using a soft flicking stroke, begin building up the layers of ink until the desired darkness is achieved,

A common error is to try to lay in the dark areas too quickly. It is always better to build up the intensity in stages, because an area can always be darkened somewhat, but removing or lightening an area that is too dark can be almost impossible.

Take your time, and build up the dark areas slowly.

Once you have achieved the desired intensity (darkness), set your card aside for a few moments to let the ink "set-up". You may want to start inking another card now - I often have several on the go at the same time.

Shown sketched on plain white card stock, the ever-popular Black-cap Chickadee is a welcome visitor to the back yard bird feeder.

His distinctive, cheerful "chick-a-dee-dee-dee" call can be heard here throughout the winter, and he is a favorite subject for painters and photographers alike.

Note how the pen strokes depict the slight fluffing of feathers on his crown and under-belly, and how the crosshatching on the branch indicates its twists and bends.

Once you card is dry, you can begin adding the colored washes. Keep several pieces of paper towel handy, and if the wash is too strong or you accidentally blob on too much at once, simply dip a corner of the towel into the color to remove most of it.

To make a color wash, place a very small puddle of water in a clean area of your palette or china plate. Pick up the color you desire with your damp brush and add it to the puddle.

Always rinse your brush and wipe it clean before going into a new color to avoid transfer. As well, I like to test the strength of the wash on a piece of scrap paper first to ensure I have not added too much or too little color.

Once you have the right hue and intensity of color, use a fine, pointed brush to wash the areas in which you want that color. You may want to use a larger, fat-barreled  brush for mixing, and a much finer one for applying the color to your card.

Continue mixing and applying the washes to your image in this manner until you have achieved the depth of color you desire.

Do not overwork your paper. You are applying color in a very small area, and it is easy to erode the finish and roughen the paper with repeated painting and blotting. To avoid this "pilling" effect, let the card dry in between color applications. You can speed it along by heating it with a dryer, but take care not to get too close to avoid scorching or curling the card.

Once the tinting process is complete, let the card dry completely before adding any finishing touches, such as the stamped greeting on the example.

Tube of watercolor paint are highly economical, but for a beginner, or for a simple project of this nature, a set of pan colors is probably the best way to start.

Should you desire to learn more about painting in this rewarding medium, you may wish to invest in a slightly more expensive set.

Many watercolor sets contain a tray and mixing wells, which are most useful for isolating colors, but a plain white china plate works beautifully. A reusable mixing palette is certainly friendlier for the environment.

When I am working out-of-doors, my kit includes a water bottle of fresh water for painting and two lidded tins, one for brush cleaning, and the other for painting.

Once the painting water becomes too colored, I add it to the contents of the brush cleaning tin.

I also carry paper towel, some painters rags, and one or two a old, clean towel for blotting the brushes - a compact version of the kit I set out for working indoors.

I love the Cotman Watercolor sets. Their field sets are so light and easy to carry for outdoor work. I have several, different sets and tend to alternate them.