Christmas in JULY!

On Tuesday I said I would have a special TREAT for you...Everyone Loves GIFTS right?  Nothing better than a gift of RUBBER right???  Well, today I'm finishing off Christmas in July with a little card and a gift for one lucky reader...You'll have to follow some directions though...

When coloring this little girl, I was thinking about how I was going to display her.  She needed some sort of Christmas scene for sure.  Since there was nothing in the set that spoke Christmas (more spring flowers in the set), I decided I needed to doodle my own scenery...Sooooo...Got out my Copic .35 Multiliner pen (works perfectly for Copic coloring afterwards) and doodled some cartoon-like images. 

*  First something to ground this little girl...grass.  Colored that with my Copics then cut it out.  Added some pop dots and set it aside. 

*  Then I made the thinking bubble.  I thought the card wouldn't speak "Christmas" without some sentiment...So the little girl "SPOKE".  Every cartoon needs a thinking bubble, right?  Doodled that and cut it out.  Used my Copics to add some contrast.  Added a pop dot and set it aside. 

* After preparing my images, I started moving them around on a white background...I liked the little girl in the position she's in on the card, but I felt there was a lot of space to her left so...I HAD TO FILL IT IN!  I doodled a Christmas ball, colored it in and cut it out.  Placed it in position (without glue) and surveyed the look...I LIKED IT. 

*  The white background was WAY too bright so I decided to do my favorite sky coloring technique to tone the white down a bit.  LOVED IT!!! 

* Finished...NO...Something wasn't right....I thought about cartoons and decided to outline the image like a cartoon frame.  Worked perfectly for these cartoon-like images.  OK...So cut the whole thing out. 

* In selecting a card base, I knew I wanted the image to be the focus...that's all the card needed...So put it on some black cardstock and the whole scene just POPPED!  LOVED IT!!!!

Details: 

Stamps:  T-3263 Brighten Your Day, T2144 Trendy Greetings

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic .35 Multiliner Pen

Copics: 

Skin:  E00, 01, 50

Hair:  E21, 34, 35, 57

Dress, bows, ball stripes: R02, 14, 22, 24

Ball holder:  Y15; YR23;

Grass/Ball/Dress:  G24, 40, 82; YG 06, 21

Sky:  BG0000, B0000

Paper:  Copic Xpress It Card, Bazzill Raven Cardstock

DON'T BE AFRAID TO DOODLE.....I doodle because the images I stamp start to build a story...I doodle to share that story and to make it come to life...

So there's my process...Now the GIFT...I'm giving away this stamp set to one lucky person!  In the comment section, share your thoughts about doodling...Do you do it?  Why do/don't you doodle?  When do/don't you doodle?  I'll pick one lucky winner and on the last day of July, I'll announce the winner.  It's that EASY!!! 

Coptic Stitch Christmas Book...

Well, I had all intentions of posting my completed project today but...AHHHH....It's not done yet.  The book itself is made, just kinda blank...So...Tomorrow's another day. I'm making a video tutorial of the stitching technique so I had to practice stitching on camera-BLURRRRRRYYYYY...I need a good zoom camera. 

As promised, my final project (not including my Coptic Stitch Christmas Book) will be posted tomorrow.  There's a TREAT so make sure to check it out!!! 

Kerry

Christmas in July...More for my Box!

 Hello again!  I'm so having fun with Christmas In July.  My box is making me HAPPY!!! I'm so thrilled that I am getting a head-start on my Christmas Cards this year.  This card is pretty simple and easy to mass produce, for sure!!!  I used one of my new favorite background stamps to create the bottom border with my Kaleidacolor pad.  The sentiment was stamped in Memento Danube Blue.  When my card was finished, I thought it looked a bit flat so I added some Crystal Stickles to give it more POP! 

Stamps:  T3495 For Everything, Trendy Greetings

Ink:  Kaleidacolor Memento Danube Blue

Caboodles cardstock

Colored Cardstock: The Paper Company:  Aegean Sea

Ribbon:  Offray

Stickles: Crystal

Now here's another take on the same design...Just added a Spellbinders/Martha Stewart Snowflake and colored/cut the lady from Who Am I.  I'm not sure I like it or not, but maybe it'll grow on me...
The sentiment comes from the new set Dotted Peony by Nina Brackett.  That verse always makes me think of the songs we sing at Christmas Eve Services.

I stamped the skirt onto the blue cardstock then colored to shade it with Copics.  I also added Stickles to her shirt.  Oh, yeah...I added a nose too...I didn't like that she looked like her nose froze off!!!

Details: 

Stamps:  T3495 For Everything, TB3488 Who Am I, RN-2 Dotted Peony

Ink:  Kaleidacolor S017 Blue Breeze, SC900 Memento Tuxedo Black

Caboodles Cardstock

Copic Xpress It Card

Copics:  B00, 02, 28, E00, 01, 50 

The Paper Company:  Aegean Sea

White Ribbon:  Offray

Spellbinders Snowflakes and Martha Stewart Snowflake

Making Memories bling brad

Diamond Stickles

I'll be back tomorrow with another card for my Christmas Box...Stay tuned!

Christmas in July...

Hey Savvy Stampers!  This week is all about CHRISTMAS IN JULY...So get ready to FILL YOUR CHRISTMAS BOX FULL OF CARDS!!!!

I'm hosting the Savvy Projects Blog today so head over there to find out more about the three Christmas cards I created using NEW sets from our catty...Gotta love going to Seminar and coming home with a LOAD of stamps...I'm in inky heaven!!! 

Card #1:  Boughs of Blessings

My goal for all three cards was to use non-traditional sets for Christmas cards.  I love to create cards with particular family and  frends in mind. so these cards were created for some special people in my life.  When you really know someone, you can create something extra-special!   I'm really excited that I'm getting a HEAD START on my Christmas Cards this year too!!!

Stamps Used:  RN-13 Beautiful Lace, TA-3480 Circles of Love, T-2144 Trendy Greetings

Inks Used:  SD703 Memento Pear Tart, SD400 Rose Bud, SD404 Angel Pink

Other:  Ribbon:  Offray, Ribbons and Bows Oh My, MM Brad, Martha Stewart Microfine Glitter, Bling/Button Michael's, Twig:  My tree!

Card #2:  HANGING WREATH?  It can't be! 

I first thought of this idea when I saw this set at Seminar.  I had envisioned a clean and simple design. Again, this card was created for a family member who is very traditional yet LOVES clean and simple lines.   

Stamps used:  TA 3478 Dotty Flowers

Ink:  SD301 Memento Rhubarb, SD707 Bamboo Leaves

Ribbon:  Offray, MM mini brads, Bling:  Michael's

Card #3: HO HO HO...OH NO!

I selected just the top portion of the Santa hot air balloon...Perfect for this CAS card. I loved the formality of the sentiment, so this is for a special "Sophisticated"child at heart... 

Stamps Used:  TC-3489 Love This Day, T-3490 Love Lines
Memento Tuxedo Black Ink

Copics:  E01, E50; R02, R14, R24; BG0000, C00, C02 

Bazzill Red, Raven, Copic Xpress it Card
Ribbon:  May Arts

Check out Savvy Projects Bloggers (Design Team sister's blogs) for additional Christmas Inspiration: 

Angela Kelley (Monday)

ME (Tuesday)

Rita Kegg (Wednesday)

Paula Kay Bourland (Thursday)

Michelle McDaniel (Friday)

I'll be back tomorrow to pull a few more projects out of my Christmas Box...I hope you find some time to stop by!