The little things that make me happy here on Bliss Road~~Emily Keaton

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Yuletide Fireside

I really had fun creating the card I made yesterday! The Free for All Challenge on Splitcoast was "Tail Waggin' Greetings," which was to make a project (any theme) using something that has a tail. Well, Speedy the Cat has a tail and I think this image of him wearing a Santa hat is adorable, so I decided to use him for a yuletide greeting as he gazes into the fireplace!!
This card gives you a sneak peek of two different Mark's Finest Papers stamp sets that will be released next week: Christmas Postage Due (Speedy) and Brick Wall. Last Saturday I made a different sneak peek card for Brick Wall using only the butterfly and flowering vine images from this new set. After seeing my sample, my friend Colleen was puzzled by the set name, and I then realized how provoking it was to sneak peek a set without its titular image! So, Colleen, this sneaky peek is for you. :)

This card was kind of a departure for me. I'm not sure that I've ever created a scene like this, but I sure did have fun!! The problem is that I could probably have spent the rest of the day adding more and more little details. It's like decorating a doll house!! Some of the details:
  • I white embossed the brick wall image on red card stock to create the fireplace. After adding a scrap of black for the opening and scrap of kraft for the mantel.
  • Creating a somewhat realistic-looking fire gave me pause. In the end, I sketched a rough flame shape on white card stock, colored in some orange flame centers, and cut it out. Then I used vellum to cut out a slightly larger, similarly shaped set of flames. After sponging the vellum shape with yellow ink and drying it with a heat tool, I attached it as on overlay with a glue pen.
  • The rug in front of the fireplace is from a piece of embossed card stock that I found in an SU scrap pack from Colleen. (Thanks, Colleen!!!) The texture was just what I was looking for to make it look like something woven! I sponged it with some old olive ink to match my "decor."
  • Like my mantel decorations? I added a swag of tinsel using a tube of Studio G Sparkle Writer. I found the tiny stocking image among some ancient mini stamps from The Angel Company.
  • I knew I needed something to hang on the wall above the fireplace. I thought about making a wreath somehow, but didn't have any good images for one. While I was mulling over making a wreath with punches somehow, I suddenly remembered that I still had a few items left on an awesome card of decorative brads from Making Memories. Some have the coolest little home-dec-like frames and I thought that a trio of these would be perfect as wall hangings!
As you would suspect from me, I incorporated a few challenges as well:
  • Cute Card Thursday: Gently Does It, to use vellum or tissue paper on your project. I used vellum to make my fire flames.
  • 4 Crafty Chicks: Challenge #10, to use the color combo Riding Hood Red, River Rock, Old Olive, Pink Pirouette, plus a neutral. I had to substitute a bit, but I think I came pretty close.
  • Caardvarks: to create a new holiday card using die cut(s). Check out the oval rug and the photo corner in the upper left.
Thanks so much for checking out this holiday creation of mine. I had the best fun making it! See you back here soon :)

Card Recipe:
Stamps: MFP Brick Wall, MFP Christmas Postage Due, TAC (stockings)
Paper: SU old olive, PTI kraft, SU basic black, The Paper Company scraps, Pink Paislee Tinsel Town DP, vellum
Ink: Palette noir black, Versamark, SU old olive, Palette paris lights
Accessories: photo corner die cut, oval die cut, scissors, white EP, heat tool, Studio G glitter glue, dimensionals, sponge, Making Memories brads
Techniques: embossing, sponging

17 comments:

jovialjudi said...

Oh my gosh Emily! This is the cutest Christmas scene ever!! What a brilliant use of the brick wall stamp!! FABULOUS!!! I understand the urge to keep adding as I did have dollhouses we built. :-) Thanks for sharing and have a beautiful weekend! Hugs, Judi

Kristy Smith said...

I just love this little fireplace! =) It's so cute and festive! Your techniques look really awesome as well! This just makes me wanna take the hot cocoa from my card and the fireplace from you card, put them together, grab a good book and call it a day! =)

Meg said...

Oooh, what a fun living room you've made! I love every detail!

Marisa said...

Darling stockings and I love how Speedy made it into the picture :) Makes me want to curl up in front of that fireplace with a good book.

Harriet Skelly said...

Oh Emily this is fantastic - awesome scene you've created!!

Unknown said...

This is such a cute card.. What a great creation.. Hugs, Linda

Joanne (jojot) said...

wow, Emily...this is so awesome...what a sweet little scene...so clever and cute

Tamie said...

Emily you rocked our color challenge this week and boy oh boy your card is a very cute christmas card. I love all of your little details. Thanks for the great inspiration for 4 Crafty Chicks. We always love seeing what you create! Have a super Sunday!!

Lori Turner said...

Oh wow, Emily - this is AMAZING! So, so cute and full of juicy details! Thanks for playing with us at 4 Crafty Chicks this week! :)

Lori - 4 Crafty Chicks DT

Benzi said...

What a knock-out of a card! So many details in your scene. Love every inch!!

Colleen Dietrich said...

This is absolutely one of my fave cards from you ever!! I saw it on SCS first, and whooped out loud. It is AWESOME! I can see how you would have wanted to keep decorating it like a doll house. I still have a miniature doll house, and it is so fun to tend to.

And you are welcome for that embossed piece that you used as a rug - I KNEW you'd come up with something clever for it!

Also, thanks for actually *showing* a brick wall from the upcoming set! I love it, I really do. It's a must-have.

Great job, Em, really great.

Melissa said...

I am totally loving this card, Emily! That brick wall is fabulous and all the little *extras* really do make it even more fabulous! Thanks for joining us at the 4 Crafty Chicks!

Carol Hurlock said...

Emily I just love that card with the cozy fireplace. It evokes images of Christmas gone by with my family back in Connecticut. The little stockings are adorable! Great job on this one.

Bear Hugs,
Carol :O}

Leanne said...

Love it, very cute...I like the stockings...too cool. thanks for playing with us!

Leanne DT 4 Crafty Chicks!

Colleen Dietrich said...

Congrats on your award from Crafty Chicks for this most-awesome card! I knew it HAD to win something; it's just too cute not to!

Unknown said...
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fireside sets said...

I'm not good in arts and that makes me I admire people who has talent in it. This card was so fantastic. Every time I see this card it makes me feel that it's Christmas season.