Warm and Toasty - All the Cute Animals!

 Hi Stampers!

I'm back today with one of my favorite subjects - animals! I have to admit I don't like non-furry animals generally, like alligators or snacks or even birds that much but I theoretically like the ones you can pet and cuddle! In real life animals aren't always cuddly, but sometimes a sketch artist takes some artistic liberty and makes them appear to be very lovable and huggable.  I think that's what happened with a fun stamp set in the Aug-Dec Mini Catalog called "Warm and Toasty"! I have several ideas for you today featuring these adorable animals, all ready for the holiday season! Let's take a look!

I'm just going to suspend reality while I talk about these projects, okay?!! First of all, music is certainly a big part of Christmas and those rabbits are all tuned up and ready to go with three-part harmony! They must be singing their favorite Christmas carol, right?! The mice are joining in with a cute dance and obviously you can tell by the smiles on their faces, they are as joyful as can be! I used some paper from the "Tis the Season" 6" x 6" Designer Series Pack (on sale tomorrow!) and colored my stamped images with Stampin' Blends alcohol markers. If you haven't tried them yet, why not? They are the best coloring tool out there!

I am sure one of a polar bear's favorite past times is ice skating and this guy is just about ready to launch a double spin move of some kind! Blue seemed to be a good theme so I used some paper from the "Snowflake Splendor" DSP (on sale tomorrow!) and again, some alcohol markers for coloring. I made a pop up frame from the DSP by cutting out an oval shape with my new Stampin' Cut & Emboss machine. I raised it up using dimensionals, creating a shadow box effect. 

This cute reindeer seems to be so happy that he's mellow! This card was designed for a class featuring many of the new Specialty Papers in the Aug-Dec mini catalog, including Balmy Blue Glimmer paper and the flocked Vellum paper.  This card ended up on my "Make a Card Wednesday" video today and you can see how I did it here:

I thought I was done playing with this set but then felt bad that the cutest little polar bear didn't get any attention. Almost at the same time, I looked up at another stamp set on my desk and thought this sentiment would be perfect for the little guy. It's from the "Heartwarming Hugs" suite and called "Wrapped in Christmas". The whole stamp set is full of beautiful sentiments to add to any project. I went back to the "Tis the Season" DSP for my background paper!

I hope you've got a smile on your face and some joy in your heart after checking out these cute critters and how I incorporated them into some card ideas. It isn't always easy to get from the stamp to the card process but it's very fun and rewarding. I would love to help you partake of some stamping therapy when you need some "down" time or "me" time! Let me know how I can help you dive into the fun world of stamping. It doesn't have to be overwhelming or expensive and I'll help you navigate until you are good to go! You can leave a comment if you'd like to hear more or visit my website for more information. Here's a link to that:

Big Sky Stampin' website

Thanks so much for stopping by! My supplies are listed below and clicking on any of them will direct you to the online store for an easy shopping experience. I'll be back tomorrow with all the details of the Designer Series Paper sale, starting Oct 1st and lasting all month!

Until then, Happy Stampin'!

Sarah