Tropic of Santa Christmas

I'm back today with a Christmas card that exposes Santa's little secret: he's a Tropics Guy! Think Equator instead of Pole, lol. I've done a few tropical Christmas cards this year and I'm becoming a Believer! {grin}

No sketch for this A2 (5x7) card this time, just paper pieced collage using my paper scraps, dies, stamps and my over-active imagination, lol.

I began with a digital stamp image called Warm Weather Santa that I really like from Free Drearie Dolls blog. The artist Mary Ellen Smith ran the blog for 6 years and offered her images for free. She needed to move on and so stopped posting last year but the blog is still up and the images still there for the taking in the posts. I followed her blog faithfully for those 6 years and have approximately 500 images drawn by her, including Santa here. Had I to do it over again, I would just buy some coloring tools and use her images!

I printed him on my laser on Office Depot 110# index stock, colored him up with my ProMarkers and fussy-cut him out. Now what? I found these scraps and gathered my Avery Elle Signature ZigZag Circle die, My Favorite Things waves die, Tim's Tropical palm tree die and Stamplorations Warm Winter Wishes greeting die. (That's a lotta dies for a card front!) I die cut and stamped on my white OD index stock and then colored with my ProMarkers.

For the sun, I used an Inkadinkado dotted circle stamp (the biggest stamp in the set). After I layered on my base paper and sand/beach I stamped and heat-embossed with Ranger Mustard Seed Distress EP, and die cut it using my Avery Elle Signature round die with zig zag edges. Then  I used my Copper Smooch ink to paint on the paper I used for the beach, trying to give it some interest and texture and a little tree shade. I die cut the tree and colored it up. The watery waves was the only cut that I used as is, using a scrap of water patterned paper I'd been saving.

 Inside my card, Avery Elle, Hero Arts and Lawn Fawn sentiments stamped with VersaFine Clair Warm Breeze ink.

The card back has more of the beach paper with scrap strips from the front.

And a close-up of my siggie stamp cut out with one of my circle punches.

Close-up of my die cut front sentiment greetings. I used my 3M spray adhesive for a no-fuss application.

Here you can see the shine coming off the sun and the glimmer of the beach "sand". Ok, the beach isn't really apparent, but it is in real life. I also made little line marks on the tree bark with a white wax pencil after coloring it. I enjoyed making this card. Felt looser and more artistic. I need to remember to include this style more in my card making.

CHALLENGES:
1. PaperBabe Stamps Challenge #99: Photo Inspiration - I used the colors.

2.  Pixie's Snippets Playground #358: AG with a Snippet - Yes, please include me in the draw and thank you!
3.  CCAYR August: Add a Tree
4.  MLCCB #13: August Anything Christmas Goes
5.  Sweet Stampin' Christmas: Anything Christmas Goes + Opt. Christmas In The Sun - I played the option.
6. Outlawz Festive Fridays July 26 - Aug. 8: Christmas Theme
7. Crazy4Challenges #C4C496: Sandcastles, Sand or Beachy
8. Time Out Challenge #141: Relaxation - Santa is Chillin'  

9.  Ike'sworld Challenge #123: H is for Hats or AG - Santa is wearing a hat.
10.  More Mixed Media August: AG + Opt. Brights - I've used Bright colors.
11.  Colour Crazy Week 29: AG with Colouring - I colored  with ProMarkers and Smooch ink.

Thanks for dropping by. Until next time, stay crafty! XOX