How Distressing!!

Can you believe it's already November 6th??? Have you all started your Christmas shopping yet? I say this every year, but honestly my goal is to be done by the end of November. I almost met that goal last year. I only had a couple of things left to get in December. I would prefer to avoid the chaotic stores as much as possible in December...and to get in a little Christmas crafting with Ainsleigh. Dean and I actually went to a Christmas party last night...crazy, huh?? LOL, friends of ours always hold theirs the first week in November in order to beat the upcoming rush of get-togethers. Their house was decorated, carols were playing and we even had a few snowflakes falling outside to boot! We had a great time. :)

Our new challenge over at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog is courtesy of our lovely Krafty hostess this week, the very talented Tara!! Her challenge is called "How Distressing"...I love to add distressing to my cards, whether by ink or by physically distressing the edges of the paper...it really adds such a nice finishing touch to your project.

For this week's card, I inked up "Willard" who was just released a couple of weeks ago...what a cutie! When I saw him all bundled up like that, he made me think of the little brother Randy from the movie The Christmas Story. Remember when his mom had layered him up in all his winter outerwear??...and then he fell out in the snow, and couldn't get up?? LOL...."Ralphie...I can't get up. Raaaalphieeeeee....!!!" (You know, that's a movie that I both love and hate at the same time. We used to watch it EVERY year in elementary school. I can remember piling into the library with the other classes to watch Ralphie on his quest to acquire a Red Ryder BB Gun. His mother didn't want him to have one of course...she just told him "you'll shoot your eye out", hehe. I still giggle about the hideous leg lamp from "Fragile"!! Halmark actually made that into an ornament...complete in it's crate marked "Fragile"...almost bought that one! lol)

Anyways, lol, back to stamping!! I used some great Christmas papers from My Mind's Eye (Holly Jolly) and distressed all the edges with a pair of dull scissors. I also sponged around the paper edges with Bundled Sage Distress Ink. The snowflakes were cut with Spellbinders, sponged with the white ink and given a coat of Stardust Stickles. (um, in real life the red snowflake really does match the papers!) The "Warm Wishes" sentiment comes with Willard...he also has a little Christmas Tree accessory stamp.

Willard was stamped on Neenah smooth paper with Memento Ink and coloured with my Copic markers. I used some fun Perfect Puff on the trim of his hat...Krista and I both picked up a bottle of this fun product while shopping at Scrapfest a few weeks ago. I've been itching to play around with it, especially since I've already seen some great samples by Krista!! (she totally beat me to playing with our new "toy", lol) I love the texture it creates when heated, and it's quite fun to watch it "puff" up! (yup...doesn't take much to amuse me I guess, lol) I just used my hairdryer as I don't even own a heat tool.


Copics: Skin: E000, E00, E11, R20 Hair: E50, E31, E33, E37 Clothes: R20, R27, R46, R59, G20, YG91, YG93, G99, BG0000, BG000, BG11, BG72, BG75, BG78 Mug: C9, C5, C3, C1 Hot Chocolate: E25, E50

Have you visited the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Challenge Blog today to check out the amazing distressed projects by the rest of the lovely Krafty Girls and our November Krafty Guests?? Make sure to take note of the stamp that Tara used on her card this week, because that's the stamp you could win if you play along with our challenge...but only if you make sure to use a Kraftin' Kimmie Stamp on your submission! In need of some new Kraftin' Kimmie rubber? Well then, head on over to the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Online Store to do some Krafty shopping!

Have a wonderful Saturday friends!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps: "Willard" and coordinating sentiment "Warm Wishes"

Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, My Mind's Eye

Ink: Memento, Copics, Bundled Sage Distress Ink

Embellishments: Dollar store pearls, Stickles

Tools: Spellbinders