Santa is Tired

 Hello, blogging lovelies. We are now fully into the Dog Days of Summer down here in Texas. I'm aware that the origin of that phrase goes back to ancient Greek and Roman times and the Dog Star. But what the American Southern colloquial phrase means is that any outside activity will leave you panting like a dog. And don't get too active inside, either, lol. But Honey and I do make sure to spend time outside every day to acclimate ourselves to the heat. Believe it or not, it does help.

This Christmas card began with the image and wanting to make a CAS card. It was Gecko Galz's March image for their Christmas blog challenge. I printed it out then but did not get to it in time to play. If I print it, I'm gonna use it, and I also wanted to use my SeeD's Santa Sleigh stamp and sentiment, so when I found a sketch that would work with all that I went to it.

 

I used this Splitcoaststampers sketch, but rotated it clockwise and then resized it to 6x6 in PSE. In that orientation I could use the sleigh stamp. I've included my card so you can see how I followed it.

I embossed the background with white card and a Crafters Companion Vintage Decor folder, keeping it white for the CAS white space. Santa's sleigh was stamped in Versamark on a blue paper scrap and white heat-embossed, then cut with a Little B's scalloped circle die. I used DCWV gold foil card as the base mat (cut with Spellbinders 6x6 Matting Basics die), to cut a frame for the image (Spellbinders Classic Scalloped Rectangle cut into fourths and arranged like photo corners), and then I used my Coluzzle circle cutting tool to cut that big circle behind the sleigh. Finally, after stamping and white heat-embossing the sentiment, I cut it with a Lawn Fawn banner die.

Inside, a mashup of stamped sentiments by SeeD's, Pink Persimmon and Papertrey Ink.

And the back of the card along with the front for continuity check. The gold foil-dotted paper is by The Paper Studio. The blue mat was colored by me:

I didn't want to cut into a whole sheet of SU blue card for the back base mat, so I colored me some, and a Q-tip was the perfect "brush". It blended right in with the front blue and that was my goal.

Final view. About the focal image: It's an illustration by Haddon Sundbloom which appeared on the 1928 premiere cover of Country Gentleman Magazine. 

It's called "Sleeping Through Santa's Visit". Sundbloom was the famous creator of the Coca-Cola Santas, as well as creating images for other iconic American product brands. In 1931 he created his first of many Santas for Coca-Cola. Click on his name above to read a good bio of him. I love American illustrators of the 20th century (Norman Rockwell, etc.). One thing I learned is that the proper art world treated them like step children and refused to call them real artists. That means in Rockwell's career, for instance, he could never reap the critical respect he earned and was worthy of. Who does not consider him an artist of the highest caliber today? 

Thanks for visiting and I hope you manage to stay cool and keep your mind off the heat with some fun art playtime! XOX

MY CHALLENGE PLAYLIST:

Splitcoaststampers Sketch Challenge SC105

Splitcoaststampers CCC22NOV: Santa's Sleigh

CAS Christmas July Challenge: Santa

Happy Little Stampers July Christmas Challenge: ACG + Opt. Gold

CD Sunday Plus Challenge #89, Hosted by Jocelyn

I've used a digital image from Gecko Galz

Paper Dragonfly Creative Challenge #7: Christmas In July

Crafty Gals Corner Challenge #233: Christmas In July

ABC Christmas Challenge: N is for New, O is for Old

Everything I used on this card is OLD

Can You Handle the Pressure Challenge: Anything Goes Embossing

I used a Crafters Companion 6x6 Vintage Decor folder on the white background

613 Avenue Create July Challenge #202207: AG

12 Months Christmas Card Link Up: July ACG

Peace On Earth Christmas Challenge #20: Anything Christmas

CHNC Challenge #603: ACG + Opt. Die Cut

Spellbinders scalloped rectangle die to frame image; Little B scalloped circle die to cut Santa's sleigh.

Creatalicious Challenge #239: AG + Opt. Christmas In July

Try It On Tuesday Challenge: Make It Magical

Santa is magical!

MTTC Challenge #486: Christmas In July Theme

Creative Fingers Challenge #235: AG

Happy Little Stampers CAS July Challenge: Christmas

Happy Little Stampers AG with Dies July Challenge

Die Cut Divas Challenge: Christmas In July

Dies Used: Spellbinders, Lawn Fawn, Little B's

Aud Sentiments Challenge #295: AG + A Sentiment

Pearly Sparkles Challenge #75: Clean and Simple