And Now ... Back to Christmas Future

Greetings, Stamplings!

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to comment on the STAMPlorations Blog Party on my last post. I'll announce the winner of the $25 GC on November 30th, so there's still time to get in on the action if you'd like!

It must seem strange to bloggers from other countries to see us American bloggers flip-flopping back and forth between Christmas posts one day and Autumn/Fall/Thanksgiving posts the next. But what can we do with the two holidays literally just four weeks and three days apart?! And, of course, we have to mail our cards, don't we, so that means ...

Oh, pother, never mind. We'll just soldier on as best we can! I have more Autumn/Fall/Thanksgiving cards in the curlieque, but today's featured cards are for Christmas:

This card was designed around a piece of Brusho art I made. Can you see the sort of "shattered" lines that look like frost on the window? They came from scrunching cling wrap on top of the Brusho paint while it's still wet. You let it sit for an hour or so and then when you lift the wrap, you get this cool effect. I hated to even cut the piece, but I do like how it looks like an icy frost through the window frame. The window frame was cut with a Poppystamps die called, "Small Madison Window." The heat-embossed MFT sediment is from "Season's Sentiments."

When your embossing powder puckers, does that mean it's old or is it just crappy powder? This one is old and I haven't used it for a while, but I don't think it ever melted smoothly. I just pretend I meant for it to do that.

ETA: I've had an inquiry about the white cardstock from someone who has not left me a way to contact them. It is from England and I first fell in love with it when I was gifted some by my friend Anita. Another friend and I went in together and purchased some from a company called Handy Hippo Crafts. You may be able to find other sources for it. If you have any other questions, please email me or leave me your email address in your comment. Thank you!

Challenges

• City Crafter: Beach colors for Christmas.
• Sweet Stampers: (Brand new, challenge #1!) Christmas.

 

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Next up is a Christmas critter you might be familiar with:

Hammy is being represented today by a stamp by Big Red. He is fussy cut and you may just be able to see that the photographer gave him a liberal coat of Perfect Pearls "Biscotti" because the spray tan that human celebrities use is too harsh for Hammy's fine fur. 

The NBUS sediment was free from Whimsy Stamps and Hammy is posing in shimmer paper holly leaves cut from a Memory Box die called, "Glowing Candles" (sans the candles). The plaid Santa hat is NBUS from Tim Holtz Bird Crazy Accessories. I told him he looked quite dashing in it, so now he refuses to take it off! Hammy, I mean, not Tim! 

Challenges

• CAS on Sunday: Pets.
• The Heart Desires: Photo Inspiration: photo and colors. (Check out the Hammy in the photo!)
• Pixie's Snippets Playground: Use your snippets. Scrambling under the gate tonight!
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Christmas critters.
• Virginia View Challenge: Stripes or plaid. Just missed it.

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I leave you with a "Yule" camellia closeup from the garden.

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Enjoy the weekend! 
No, seriously, enjoy! LITS!*

As always, thank you for coming by to visit the Playhouse and special thanks to you if you take the time to join as a follower! Please let me know you came by so I can be sure and return the flavor!

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