A SugarPlum Christmas

Welcome to another Showcase Monday at The Town Scrapper! I was going through my stamps, wondering what I should work with for today's Showcase when I came across this adorable CC Designs SugarPlum stamp called "Ornament Trevor " and he had yet to be inked up... gasp!!! I think I acquired him last year, just after Christmas, so little Trevor has been waiting patiently in his package for a chance to come out and play! It was a bit of a treat for me too, as I completely forgot that I had him...kind of like finding some money in a coat pocket that's been put away since last season. Gotta love finding "treasure"! :)

The pretty paper on my card today is from Imaginesce. The ribbon and jingle bells are dollar store finds. I decided to use some X-Press It Blending Cardstock in place of my beloved Neenah Smooth Cardstock. Everybody in "blogland" seems to LOVE this new paper...including my 10 year old daughter Ainsleigh! (she has actually requested that I keep buying this paper for her, even if I choose to stick with my Neenah, lol) I've had a few sample sheets kicking around for a while now, but personally I've not been thrilled with my previous attempts at colouring on it...I found that I just was not achieving the same depth that I did with the Neenah paper. However, I'm determined to give this paper a fair chance...I usually take a while to adjust to change. So, I think I'll keep playing around with the X-Press It on occasion before I make any final decisions...as of right now, I'm not ready to make the big switch. I'm still a "Neenah girl". :) Paper really is a personal preference...I have friends who love Beckett, Bristol, Canson, Wassau and X-Press It. You really have to try out different papers to find out which works the best for you. I did find that it was easier to create texture in the hair on this paper...since it is not as soft and absorbent as Neenah, the marker strokes tend to remain a bit crisper or more defined. Sometimes, it's easy to over-blend on the Neenah, which is something you want to avoid when you are looking to create texture with your marker strokes.

I used some Distress Ink in Bundled Sage to sponge around the edges of the paper. Phebe has a great selection of Distress Inks at The Town Scrapper...I love these inks, and I rarely make a card without reaching for them. Stardust Stickles were applied to Trevor's ornaments.

Copics: Skin: E0000, E000, E00, E11, R20 Hair: E50, E30, E31, E33, E37, E59 Clothes: G20, G82, G85, G99, B91, B95, B97, B99, E40, E41, E42, E43, E47 Shoes: E50, E5, E21, E25, E47 Ornaments: Y00, Y11, Y21, Y23, YG00, YG11, G14, G05, BG0000, BG10, BG11, BG72, BG75, R20, R22, R27, R46, R59

Make sure to check out what the other Scrapettes have created for today's Showcase on The Town Scrapper Blog...these ladies always make such gorgeous projects with the product lines available at The Town Scrapper.

To arrange a visit to The Town Scrapper or to place an order, you can contact Phebe via telephone at 519-882-0623 or by email at info@townscrapper.com.

Have a wonderful Monday...and thanks for stopping by!!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamp: CC Designs "Ornament Trevor"

Ink: Memento, Copics, Bundled Sage Distress Ink

Paper: X-Press It, Bazzill, Imaginesce

Embellishments: Ribbon, bells, Stardust Stickles