Winter Joys (YNS Sneak Peek)

Winter joys, you ask? Didn't it just turn fall, like, last week? Yes, especially when you live in my part of the world, where it's still warm enough that no jacket is required (shout out to Phil Collins!). Still, we papercrafters have to be ahead of the actual calendar so that we can that we can show fellow enthusiasts what they NEED in time to create their seasonal projects. In real life, though, I'm still firmly in early November. Case in point: last week, I stood in line behind a woman who was telling the clerk that she had already completed her Christmas shopping. I was very restrained. I did not say a word, and I fought the impulse to stab her in the neck with the stylus attached to the credit card reader. I took a deep breath and told myself, "Self. You have plenty of time left to shop. You are a good person, even if there are gifts in your closet that you still haven't delivered from last Christmas. The holidays have not beat you. Yet."

Back to my crafty non-real-life... Tomorrow YOUR NEXT STAMP is coming out with its November release. Huzzah! As it is YNS Release Day Eve, I've got a sneak peek for you of an ADORABLE (<--- when I all-cap, you know I mean what I say) new stamp and die set, ICE SKATING PHOEBE. Phoebe is the latest recurring character from YNS's original flagship illustrator, the fabulous Fhiona. Everything Fhiona draws is darling, and Ice Skating Phoebe is no exception. Check her out:

Ain't she sweet, as she glides along her amazingly symmetrical, tree-lined frozen pond? Here's a fun-fact for you to know and tell: see that silvery-blue cardstock I used to create Pheobe's pond (die-cutting it with good ol' Nestabilites Labels 14, which are now offically 'vintage' as I don't think you can buy them but from a third-party seller these days)? I scored it from the packaging of a set of Sonicare toothbrushes I bought at Costco last week. It was a big, 12"x12" sheet; so pretty and shiney - I couldn't let it go to waste.

As always, Ice Skating Phoebe has a coordinating die set. Here's a look at the complete stamp set. I love the font selected for all the sentiments, don't you?

Here's a close-up of Sweet Miss Phoebe (she wanted me to let you know that those little brown 'hairs' are low-lights):

YNS is releasing two new collections of sparkly Gumdrops tomorrow. Here, I've used the new ICE ICE BABY Gumdrops. (Saying that makes me smile. It's all I can do not to type "Stop. Collaborate and listen...") Other YNS products used on this card include Banner - Piercing Holes Die Set; it's what gives the sentiment layer that marquee look.

For those of you interested in card-making details: I used the Ice Skating Phoebe die set to cut out Phoebe and her trees with Copic X-Press cardstock. I stamped the images onto the die-cuts with Momento Tuxedo Black ink, using my handy-dandy MISTI. Next, I outlined the snowcovered branches and colored the tree trunks with Copics, before tracing the snow outlines with Stardust Stickles. I set those aside to dry, then got to coloring Phoebe. The background patterned paper is from Doodlebug Designs' Frosty Friends 6"x6" paper. The sentiment and cardbase are made with MFT's Smooth White cardstock, and the sentiment is stamped in SU!'s Brilliant Blue ink. Various layers and images are popped up for depth and dimension using Jody Boosters.

Okay, friendlies. That's it for me today. Be sure to check out all the other sneak peeks the YNS designers have created for your viewing pleasure. A link-list of participating designers is on the YNS Blog. I'll be back tomorrow with more to share. Thanks for stopping by to visit me!

Posted at 12:35 PM in YNS Sneak Peeks, Your Next Stamp | Permalink