Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse: House Mouse Sleepy Stocking

Hi and welcome to my Blog :-)  I was going to upload this card yesterday, but the weather turned all dark, windy and stormy so I couldn't take a photo until today.

I decided to start a Christmas tradition a few years ago that I would read the poem by Clement C Moore - 'Twas the Night Before Christmas - to my DD just before bedtime on Christmas Eve in the loungeroom where we have our (real!) Christmas Tree with just the Christmas tree lights on.   Ahh, it makes me feel so happy just thinking about it!!   The first part of the poem reads (which probably most people would know):

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

So when another Design Team Pack arrived in the mail this week from Fat Cat's Card Corner - including one of the cutest Christmas stamp sets - this House Mouse 'Sleepy Stocking' set - I immediately thought of this poem.   Isn't this set just adorable?!!  It comes as unmounted rubber which you simply attach to EZ Mounting Foam then cut out.  These stamps are very finely detailed and stamp beautifully, plus they come with a colour picture which is helpful for colouring.  The stamps aren't up on the Fat Cat's website yet, but they will be very soon - there are other House Mouse stamp sets already listed - check them out here.

I coloured the image with OMS and Prismacolor pencils as well as Derwent Coloursoft Pencils.  Upon the advice from an on-line buddy that these Derwents blend with OMS like Prismas, I bought myself a set - and they blend beautifully.  They don't feel as 'waxy' as Prismas when you are colouring, but they blend just as well as Prismas with the OMS, and it has been nice to fill in some of the gaps in my colour range of Prismas.  Plus I have a few Prisma pencils that don't blend very well at all - don't know why - but I'm a happy camper now.  Anyway, enough waffle, and onto the card.........

I added some yellow chalk around the image to simulate the 'glow' from the Christmas light, then lightly shaded around the image.  I also added some Crystal Lacquer (same stuff as Dimensional Magic) to the light to make it shine - see this closeup.  Doesn't it look cool?!!

The holly and berries in the top LH corner were cut out from the Designer Paper.  I LOVE this new Kaisercraft 'Be Merry' paper - LOVE the colours.

The sentiment tag was diecut with my Cuttlebug using one of the Tiny Tags dies, then layered it onto scarlet cardstock.  The tiny hearts are the leftover punchies from my EK Success Arrows border punch - if you are a regular visitor to my Blog, you know I always have to add them to my cards somewhere..... LOL!

The bottom holly border was made with a Martha Stewart Holly Leaves punch (comes as a Punch Around the Page combo set).  Not sure if you can see, but I added a score line just above the holly using my Martha Stewart Scoring board. 

Both panels are up on mounts (dimensionals). 

Thanks again for stopping by - and thanks for all your encouraging comments - they really make my day :-)

Jocelyn

Card Recipe:

Stamps:  House Mouse 'Sleepy Stocking' JSHM006 unmounted rubber set

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo black

Designer paper:  Kaisercraft 'Be Merry' Collection 6" x 6" paper pad

Accessories:  Cuttlebug, Tiny Tags die set, green ribbon, Bow Easy, mounts (dimensionals), red button, red sewing thread, Martha Stewart Scoring Board, Crystal Lacquer, OMS, Prismacolor pencils, Derwent Coloursoft pencils, paper stumps, Kaisercolour chalks, Cardstock:  green grass, scarlet, KW Doggett 'Knight' white

Punches:  Stampin' Up corner, Martha Stewart Holly Leaves Combo Around the Page, EK Success Arrows Border