Penguin Christmas Set

The hubby took vacation most of last week so I didn't get any crafting done. We didn't do a whole lot but run around town mostly for funsies and eat out a lot more than usual. I did have hibachi for the first time at a new restaurant in the next town and it was soooooo gooooood. Now every time the hubby asks what I'm cooking I always answer with let's go eat hibachi! Let's just say I end up cooking. Lol! I love that man.

Anyways on to my cute card set! I wanted to make a note card sized set but decided 3.5" squared is better than 3". The smaller size just seemed too small.

I started with a white card base, then a dark blue mat the size of the base. I had this cute light blue snowflake DPS I had bought last year from Hobby Lobby so I used as a mat (3 3/8") and also as the liner for my envelopes. The image is from Sweet n Sassy Stamps' Christmas Penguins set. I also have the die cut set for these stamps and used them to cut out the penguin and his cute little present after coloring them with Spectrum Noir markers. I also hand cut the little snow mound out of white card stock and then using the sentiments from Sweet n Sassy Stamps' Beary Christmas, I heat embossed the sentiment in black on vellum.

I made one extra card front for the box and created a flip top box using THIS tutorial (adjusting the measurements to fit the card size I used). I found the tutorial on Pinterest. Love love love Pinterest.

The measurements I used for my card box since my cards are 3.5x3.5" are:
Card stock 6 1/4" x 11"
score on short side @ 1" & 5 1/4"
score on long side @ 1", 5", 6" & 10"
Then follow cutting and taping instructions from the tutorial linked above. All 8 cards and handmade, lined envelopes fit comfortably inside. There may even be room to add one or two more but I I haven't tried it.

Challenges I'd like to enter:
Loves Rubberstamping #159 Anything goes

Freshly Made Sketches

Usually I struggle with sketch challenges but it seems this week I'm finding a lot of inspiration with them. This card was inspired by Freshly Made Sketches #192.

I've also noticed I've been going for mostly simple layered looks. I used to try and make them very embellished and beautiful like some of those really girly cards I see with tons of die cuts and flowers etc. For my personal tastes I find that those cards are just a little too ... busy. So I'm really starting to like just a clean layered look with a pretty background l ike the colorful present dps I used here. The silver layer is also a shimmer paper. The camera picked up a little of the shimmer but it's rainy here today so not a lot of light.

This cute little bear is from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps and he's called "Beary Christmas". I colored him with spectrum noir markers.

To finish up the card I just stamped the sentiment with black ink on to a strip of vellum and poof.. done! This set has some other really cute sentiments that come with it other than the Beary Merry Christmas. And you can even purchase the die cut set to go with it. I was going to die cut the wreath part and use foam tape but I decided to use some fun foam under the entire image to pop it off the busy background.

I hope you enjoy this wintery card in this awful summery heat.

Other challenges I'd like to enter:
Simon Says Stamp Wed. Anything goes
Inspiration Destination #39