Non-traditional Christmas Colours!! (oh, and how about a sneak peek??!!)

Good morning stampers! I've got my post for today scheduled as I'm currently at Scrapfest with Kimmie, her hubby Al, her daughter Emileigh and some of the other Krafty Girls (Krista, Vicki and Tara)!! If you're attending, make sure to stop by the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps booth to say hello and to do some Krafty shopping!

We've got a great challenge today at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog... "Non-traditional Christmas Colours"! So, resist the urge to reach for your red and green supplies, and let's get creative using something unexpected!

As an extra treat, the Krafty Girls have all used stamps from the upcoming October release!! We all fell in love with these stamps as soon as Kimmie showed them to us, and we've had a great time creating with them! The official release day is set for this Tuesday, October 19th, and we'll of course be having a Blog Hop that day to celebrate! In the meantime, you will be able to see sneak peeks each day by the Krafty Girls and Krafty Guests leading up to the release...just make sure to check out the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog for a list of all the participants in the previews each day!

For my card today, I used the adorable "Christmas Clara" by artist Annie Rodrigue. I was thrilled to see this stamp, as The Nutcracker Ballet holds a special spot in my heart. For two years, my daughter Ainsleigh performed in a local production of the ballet. Both those years, intense rehearsals began in August. It was such a high quality production...we even had two professional dancers from the National Ballet of Canada come to dance the roles of the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Cavalier. What a fantastic opportunity for our girls to meet and dance with professionals. Actually, I got to play the role of the maid during Ainsleigh's second year. It was so much fun! Now, Ainsleigh did not actually play the role of Clara, but one of the roles she played both years was a "party girl"...all dolled up in a Victorian gown, with lots of ringlets in her hair (well, that was really courtesy of a hair piece worn over her bun, lol) and beautiful bows. So, my heart melts just a little when I look at this stamp!

Ok, back to the card! Christmas Clara was stamped with Memento Ink on Neenah smooth cardstock and then coloured with Copic markers. These gorgeous papers are from Bo Bunny...definitely not "traditional" Christmas colours. Ok, well, there is green on them, but not the same dark shade of green that we usually think of at Christmas. I love these papers...think I'm going to buy a few more sheets! I used a Martha Stewart border punch on the white layer, just to add a little visual interest. The bow was tied with my Bow-Easy and I of course had to add some Stardust Stickles to the Nutcracker's attire. The sentiment I used comes with Christmas Clara, and I think it's just perfect for her.

Copics: Skin: E0000, E000, E00, E11, R20 Hair: E31, E33, E35, E37, E50, E59 Dress: BG000, BG10, BG11, BG72, BG75, BG99 Nutcracker: YG00, YG11, YG67, YG99, RV000, V01, V12, V09, E50, E41, E42, E43 (the colours for the Nutcracker are from memory as I forgot to record them, so chances are I left a few out...sorry about that)

We'd love to have you join in with our Non-Traditional Christmas Colours Challenge this week...just make sure to use a Kraftin' Kimmie Stamp on your project (find them HERE) and you just may be the lucky winner of one of the fabulous brand new October stamps! For some great inspiration, head on over to the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog to check out the fabulous projects by the Krafty Girls and Krafty Guests...you can also link up your entry there.

Don't forget to visit the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog over the next few days to see more sneak peeks...and the official release day is Tuesday!! You know what that means, right?? Blog hop time!

Have a wonderful day stampers!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Christmas Clara"

Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, Bo Bunny

Ink: Memento, Copic markers

Embellishments: Martha Stewart Punch, Stardust Stickles, ribbon