welcome to day one of the october papertrey ink countdown to new stamps - and a first look at my newest pieces of confetti set, merry kiss-mas. which, along with the rest of this fabulous release will be available on october 15th. first of all, i thought i'd share a few of my inspiration images. in drawing this set, i really wanted to be true to traditional european mistletoe, with it's interesting branch structure, symmetrical leaves, and white berries nestled into the joints of the branches. (photo sources + cool info: mistletoe matters, the mistletoe pages, and mother earth news.) from a symbol of fertility in ancient druid times to kissing at christmas and offering peace and luck into the new year, mistletoe has a long history. i'll touch more on that during the week, but for now, how about a card or two?!
as always, i wanted to ease into my week of stamping with something quick and easy. a sprig of mistletoe in new leaf "tied" to the top right of a panel with the wrapped jute image, balanced by a double sentiment to the lower right in pure poppy. a little glitter pen keeps the berries white while adding a touch of interest and shine. the result? clean and simple, just the way i like it!
here, i decided on a centered sprig, tied up with the pretty bow and hanger, layered on red to match the bow. again, clean and simple. but these berries got my favorite shine treatment: glossy accents! i was very cautious with my squeezing so that my berries maintained their individual shapes. (a little dab will do, as i always tell my first graders!) i love the translucent gloss - they look so much like the real inspiration!
and finally, the inside of the second card - the phrase that nichole included in the peek was a perfect addition to "meet me under the mistletoe." it's a great inside type of phrase, but it can be used on the outside too. i love versatility - pun intended! if you stopped by yesterday, you might wonder if i used my trusty rhyming dictionary on this verse - and the answer would be a definite yes! what do you think so far? i'll be back with more projects tomorrow, so don't forget to stop by. until then, be sure check out nichole's blog for all the scoop - she and ashley are showcasing merry kiss-mas! meliss, dawn, erin, and melissa all have posts up as well...
enjoy!
:) lexi
