Rudolph Days - November - 2019

I suddenly remembered it was coming up to the last Rudolph Days Challenge of 2019 over at Scrappy Mo's. I haven't missed a single one this year and didn't aim to start slipping now, so I did a little batch of six of these:

I used:

- 5.5" x 4.25" white card blank, side opening

- Stampin' Up's 'Real Red' card stock, cut an eighth of an inch smaller on all sides and set aside for now

- a 'pre-loved' but brand new/unused matching set of stamps and dies (from a Facebook De-cluttering group), made by Sizzix and called 'Fairisle Stocking'

- first used SU's 'Real Red' ink pad to stamp the stocking onto white card and then used a Dewdrop Brilliance ink pad in 'Pearlescent Ivy' to stamp the holly sprig

- die cut the stocking and holly sprig using the dies that came with the set

- then die cut the aperture into the 'Real Red' layer, using the MFT 'Peek-a-boo' Window rectangle die, having checked using the little die cuts for what I thought was the best position on the piece of red card

- glued the red layer of card complete with aperture onto the card front, using Collall All Purpose glue

- then stuck the holly sprig onto the top of the stocking using a teeny piece of narrow red line tape, before adding the whole stocking into the aperture using thin sticky pads

- the sentiment is from a Clarity Stamp Word Sticker Collection called 'Clarity Christmas & Celebrations'. A great idea and a huge time saver as well

- finally, added some tickles of red sparkly Stickles to the holly berries. I generally add my Stickles using a very fine pointed brush, which is better as I'm a bit clumsy and also it allows me to mix two colours of Stickles together on a scrap of paper then pick it up with the brush (deep and a bright red in this case)

Once again, I forgot that the double stitching on this lovely aperture die doesn't show up so well on dark coloured card, sigh. And, although it doesn't show up in real life, I think that in future, when I'm using the black background Clarity stickers it would be worth gently running a black marker round the cut edge just to hide any smidgen of the white backing before adding them to cards etc. Little Miss Picky strikes again :) But I do so love the stickers anyhow!

I keep telling myself to just stop making new Christmas cards and concentrate on actually doing the inserts for a bundle of Christmas cards still not totally finished and then get cracking to get them in the post. It's a bit hard though, all the more as I plan to run our Grand Christmas Draw again this year and need to make all bar a couple of the samples for when it runs! Having said that, I guess finishing and posting what I have should take priority - certainly for Overseas.

I'd also like to join in with Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #465 - so sorry I haven't been along to play for a while Hazel! It's always anything goes, with an optional theme, which this time is 'something beginning with the letter R' - so my red qualifies there, wahoo!

Of course, tomorrow is the start of Dudley's 'Little Adventure', as explained on Sunday's Snippets post  - wish us luck.