What's Gray and Cream and Red all over? (JB23)

Hey all! Another card made in the wee hours this morning, but I gotta say, I always end up thinking that I sometimes do my best work then! LOL!

Don't forget about the super-cool SMASH book I'm giving away as a blog candy on June 12. Go to this post to see the deets and enter!

So, Jingle Belles is another challenge I've been MIA from for the last few weeks, another one I've missed! The challenge this week is "let it sew!" STITCHING on your pages, whether it be faux, real, or stamped.

This is another one of my long cards that I've given you the dimensions for before... Here is an older post with the dimensions on the bottom if you want to make one. I designed one of these YEARS ago and have been making them ever since! A unique spin on a traditional long card. Anyhoo, for the inside/back, I used a piece of charcoal cardstock and a piece from a die cut pad. I stamped the sentiment on the bottom in a dark red ink and added a glitter photo corner. For the red card front I stamped a snowflake stamp in a darker ink on the red piece and sponged the edges.

Then I (I fully admit to grumbling, I hate getting my machine out and threading it....) sewed along the bottom some wavy lines, trying to get a horizon effect like the reindeer was prancing on the ground. Then I quit grumbling because it really DID look cool! I don't know what it is about that darn sewing machine. I might feel differently if I had enough space to just leave it set up all the time, but sadly, I do not. I LOVE the way stitching looks though, and I'm never disappointed AFTER it's done, just grouchy as I thread the machine! ;) Probably good that stitching was a requirement for this challenge, and my gut feeling was that for this card, faux stitching was just not going to cut it. I'm glad it turned out cool :)

So, then I added my reindeer sticker. and decided to do another "stitched" look at the top of the card by punching holes along the top and weaving ribbon in and out of the holes. The final touch was a glittery star I actually peeled from another embellishment, but it was too perfect, I had to use it! Inside I added a few strips of border sticker to cover the back of my sewing.

Well, that's it for today, I will be back soon though, as I am looking forward to a fun craft day with some awesome friends on Sunday. Have a stellar day! :)

-Noelle

supply list: patterned paper (die cut pad) and border sticker: K& Company; star and reindeer sticker: Jolees; glitter photo corner: Martha Stewart Crafts; stamps: Inkadinkado; solid cardstock in Real Red and Basic Gray & inkpad in Cherry Cobbler: Stampin' Up!; red ribbon: Ribbon Boutique by Hobby Lobby

DUST IT OFF! Who say that piece of an embellishment can't be used separately? Don't feel badly peeling off a gem or a star or a flower from another multi-layered embellishment. Use it however it works for you! :)