Guest Designing for Festive Friday!!

I was thrilled beyond words when I got an e-mail from Ardyth asking if I'd like to be Guest DT for this week's Festive Friday Challenge -  I quickly replied a resounding "YES  - I'd LOVE to!"   So here I am -- with my card for this week's Festive Friday Inspiration photo - isn't this a wonderful Christmas scene??!  

This is how Christmas looks in New England where I live. (accept for the once in a while years when we don't have snow - which is SO depressing!!)

I knew right away - that I'd pull out my Papertrey Ink stamp set and die - Enjoy the Ride to create my card..  

And then I went searching for my old SU set Loads of Love Accessories (that goes with the cute pick up truck from Loads of Love)  I've sold most of my SU sets on Ebay -  but I knew I had kept this one - and the presents and dogs stamps (that go in the bed of the truck) were the perfect scale for the VW!   And don't worry  - the dogs are not driving -  this is the back window of the car!! 

I stamped the dogs right in the car window - using a sticky note along the bottom to be sure it didn't stamp outside the car. I colored 2 of them with a tan Copic and colored their noses with a Spica black pen so they have a little sparkle (like a dogs wet nose!) I stamped the presents on white card stock, cut them out and colored them with a red Copic.  The wreath, berries and tiny snowflakes (see one just above my name on the pic above?!) are stamps from Twas the Night Before Christmas by Waltzingmouse.  I stamped the wreath and berries, cut around the outside edges and punched a hole out of the middle.  I stamped the snowflakes in Distress Antique Linen randomly on the snowy field and in the sky - very subtle!  I also sponged the edges of each piece and the background panel with the Antique Linen. 

The trees and rocks are a red rubber stamp called Lakeside Reflections from StampScapes - I stamped it 3 times to fill the background panel (and I only inked the top half as the bottom half shows a reflection in the lake!).  Then I layered the car onto the panel, the presents on the roof and the wreath on the back of the car with foam dots.   I added red enamel dots over the lights on the car and finally stamped the Merry Christmas from Nutcracker Sweet by Waltzingmouse along the top.

I hope the challenge photo inspires you to make a Christmas Card in August and get ahead of the holiday rush when December rolls around!!  I already have a box full of cards ready to send out because I participate in the Festive Friday challenges!

Please check out all of the lovely Design Team's inspiration over at Festive Friday - and I hope to see your card linked up there.

 You have until Midnight EST on Wed 8/13 to link up!

And thank you to Ardyth and all the DT ladies from Festive Friday for allowing me to join you as Guest DT for this week's challenge!

Stamps:  Twas the Night Before Christmas and Nutcracker Sweet - Waltzingmouse; Enjoy the Ride - Papertrey Ink; Loads of Love Accessories - Stampin' Up; Lakeside Reflections - StampScapes.
Paper:  White - PTI
Ink:  Ranger Distress Antique Linen, Memento London Fog, Archival Red Geranium, Tree Bark and Fern Green.
Accessories:  Copics E31, R05, foam dots, Circle Punch - EK Success, Spica Black Pen, enamel dots - home made from Perler beads, car die - Enjoy the Ride/PTI.