Robin's Happy Holidays

Hi there,

It's been a while since I posted anything on my blog (almost 3 months actually) and today I'm posting my first Christmas card!  2018 was an extremely busy year for us and I had to take a leave of absence from Sparkle N Sprinkle, while I endeavored to catch up on life. I hope to be back in the stamping saddle by the beginning of the year.

I went back to Scotland to visit my Mum and Dad at the beginning of 2018 and while I was there I took photos of this gorgeous wee robin, who was singing at the top of his lungs, around the back of the train station. My Dad really liked it - so much so that it is his screen saver.  He e.mailed me a month back and hinted that it would make a good Christmas card. I've been pondering what I could do with it, and so here it is:

I also wanted to use the gorgeous Sparkle N Sprinkle Stamp Set 897, designed by a dear friend, Donna Ellis. I managed to incorporate all three stamps from the set on my card! I began by die cutting the wreath from some green cardstock.

This was then covered with Versamark and heat embossed with a bit of Moss and Pear Star embossing powders.

Next I die cut my robin photo and kept the inlaid bits intact, as I wanted to use them in the card. I then added some sparkle to the photo with the Quickie Glue pen and some Sparkling Snow Glitter and Twinkling Clouds Flocking.

I then layered a piece of Super Adhesive Sheet on to a 5 1/2" square piece of red cardstock. The wreath and photo were placed on top of the adhesive and then the various inlay pieces were added to the wreath.

Cherry Sparkle Flocking was added to the remaining sticky surface. I then stamped the sentiment and the little ivy leaf in Versamark on vellum using the Stamp Platform and heat embossed with Moss.

The green cardstock that the red piece was going to be layered on was die cut with the small wreath and three sprigs from the Sizzix Holiday Greens Mini dies.

These were also heat embossed with Moss and Pear Star. Glitter Accents Winter Cranberry was added to the holly sprig and set aside to dry.

I stuck a piece of 2 1/2" Tear-ific Tape on a piece of scrap white cardstock, removed the backing and then attached the vellum sentiment. This was die cut with the small wreath and then fitted in to the prepared wreath.

I used the pretty saying from the stamp set on the inside of the card. I stamped with Hybrid Safari Green ink, using the stamp platform, stamping twice to get a good crisp image. I then ran a piece of 1/4" Tear-ific Tape along the bottom of the inside of the card, removed the backing and added some of the Cherry Sparkle Flocking.

The card was then assembled. Red front layered to the green and then card base. The little wreath was attached with foam pads and the three sprigs were attached using little bits of 1/8" Tear-ific Tape. Below you can see the sparkle of the Sparkling Snow and Twinkling Clouds on the branches.

 .. and here you can see the sparkle from the Glitter Accents:

Here is the inside of the card.

I hope you've enjoyed my share today.  Here is a list of the products I used:

Happy Holidays Set 897

Versamark Ink

Hybrid Ink Safari Green

Pear Star (EP432)

Radiant Moss (EP271)

Quickie Glue Pen

Super Adhesive Sheet

2 ½” Tear-ific Tape

¼” Tear-ific Tape

⅛” Tear-ific Tape

Cherry Sparkle (FL200)

Sparkling Snow (G1003)

Twinkling Clouds (FL207)

Nuvo Glitter Accents Winter Cranberry

Spellbinders Wreath die

Sizzix Holiday Greens Mini die

Today I'd like to join in the following challenges:

Craft Stamper Challenge: Take It Make It - December

Scrapy Land Challenge 103: Use a die

Christmas at Sweet Stampin': December

World Wide Open Design Team Challenge: December

Classic DT Open Challenge #12

Hope to be back to blogging on a weekly basis in the New Year. In the meantime, I hope you all have

a wonderful Christmas, full of love and fun and I wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year!

Shona