This post was sponsored by Simon Says Stamp. Thanks, Simon!
Hi friends! Today, I have what might be my favorite project that I created for this month’s new release (click HERE to see the entire release!) using the new Nutcracker Christmas stamp set. One of my favorite holiday memories from my childhood was attending the local production of The Nutcracker Ballet, performed with a live orchestra at a local theater. This was one of my first experiences with live music at a performance, and while my educated musical sensibilities might now recognize that the amateur local philarmonic group was perhaps not entirely up to the task of Tchaikovsky’s incredibly complex composition, and that the ballet group was from a local youth dance studio, the effect on my childhood self was nothing short of magical, watching with wonder as the lights dimmed and the first notes began to sound. The colors, the costumes, the intricately woven musical parts for each instrument… it was one of many musical experiences that led me to my love of music and the performing arts. The absolutely darling Nutcracker Christmas immediately conjured those memories with their sugarplum color palette, sparkles, and drifting snowflakes!
*I have gathered links to all of the products used at the bottom of the post for your convenience, using affiliate links at no extra cost to you. Thank you for shopping with my links! I truly appreciate your support for my work!*
To begin, I stamped the sweet Clara image from Nutcracker Christmas onto some white cardstock using no-line coloring ink. I then used my OLO Markers to color her gown in a lovely shade of lilac, which while not completely accurate to the typical white nightgown that she wears during the ballet, provides a vivid pop of color for the card! The Nutcracker costumes are synonymous with sparkle in my view, so I added plenty of shimmer pen to the folds of her gown, her shoes, and her headband. I wish you could see the sparkle in the photo, for it is gorgeous in real life!
For the background, I ran a panel of white cardstock through my die cutting machine using the new Snowy Hillside Embossing Folder. The scene in which Clara rides off into the wintry forest with its shimmering snowflakes and dense trees is etched in my mind, and so I tried to capture it with this beautiful, peaceful embossing folder image. I lightly blended Pawsitively Saturated Inks in shades of Ballerina, Lilac, and Morning along the top of the textured panel to create my ethereal winter sky. After completing the ink blending, I splattered glittering watercolors to add some sparkling snowflakes to the background, then used Multi Medium Matte glue to add Rock Candy glitter to the trees and the snow drifts.
Once i had completed the background, I stamped the sentiment from Nutcracker Christmas onto a separate panel of white cardstock with Lilac ink, then stamped directly over the top with sticky embossing ink with the help of my MISTI and added Hero Arts Iridescent Lavender embossing powder, adding a magical shimmer to the sentiment. I popped up the Clara and greeting die cuts with foam adhesive, then added a few final touches of sparkle with some Opal Pawsitively Dazzling Gems!
Well, that’s all for my project today! I love how each of the elements work together to try to recreate that Christmas magic of my youth. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and have a marvelous day!
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