It may get boring to start every blog post that I write with the fact that I love Sarah Kay’s images but I can’t help myself. I love each and every one of the new Noel 2009 collection and chose to use Noel Stocking for a special Splitcoaststampers monthlychallenge for the Dirty Dozen/Dirty Dozen Alumni.  The challenge is  paper piecing and the darling girl standing at the fireplace checking out her stocking was just perfect to build on. I wanted to share my project with you.

I stamped the image a few times with black craft ink on burgundy designer paper, white cardstock and watercolor paper and embossed them all with  clear embossing powder.  I painted the fireplace opening on one piece and the stone on another, clear embossed and then cut them out and pieced them together.  I painted and cut out an additional burning wood and grate to pop up over the original. I cut the girl’s dress out and popped it up over the original image, painted and cut out an additional head and apron and popped them up as well.   I created the stocking with designer paper and painted the toys and candy cane on watercolor paper and pieced together to hang from the mantle.  The tiny little cat was popped up in front of the fire and I intended his little tale to hang out of the frame.  I painted a wood panel background to build the scene up on and then finished the scene by attaching a frame.  The perfect finishing touch to me was to add an old fashioned Christmas tree complete with gold bows and tiny ornaments.  Well…..in truth….the ornaments were added as I somehow got a puncture wound on my finger without realizing it and bled on the beautifully finished tree.  I was not going to start over due to a couple drops of blood.  I punched out several ornaments with my 1/8th circle punch and attached them with Crystal Effects.  I love the gold bow on the bottom of the tree.