Poshta Design {Nutcracker Parade}

Hello friends! I'm popping in today with something a little bit different, but oh, so fun! Lizzie Jones from Poshta Design reached out to me to see if I would like to create with her fabulous Homespun Holiday: Nutcracker Parade Kit! My childhood Christmases were encompassed with felt, stitching, homespun creations, sequins, and beads, so it was such an honor to be able to create with this beautiful kit!

The kit comes with everything you will need to create this adorable nutcracker and the kit is so beautifully put together; just pulling everything out was a treat in an of itself! Lizzie also sent me the Pocket Tag II die so I had some fun with that as well!

I chose to use the head of the nutcracker on this tag.

I particularly love the color scheme for this kit; it's just the right blend of traditional and whimsical that allows you to create beautiful  heirloom pieces.

The beads are used for the eyes, but you can also gussy up the hat with sequins and beads as well, like I've done here.

I've most likely mentioned it, but my cute daughter performed in Ballet West's The Nutcracker when she was younger, so this kit has a special place in my heart! Each of the dancers in her cast/number would receive a gift from Emma, my daughter, and I have a feeling, these would DEFINITELY have been one of the gifts!

Once it is all assembled, these nutcrackers are a nice, sturdy weight!

I used my Gemini Jr. for all of the diecutting, which worked beautifully to get crisp pieces.

Lizzie emailed me an assembly video that was SO helpful for putting this guy together! Once you get down how to do it, you can do it without the video!

Once I finished with just the head for the tag, I thought nutcracker earrings could be a lot of fun! ha ha !

Here's a final look at the three projects using the kit! I will post again when I get a chance to whip up some additional nutcrackers! Thanks for fluttering by!

 

Papertrey Ink September Release Day 1

Hello friends! It's day 1 of the Papertrey Ink September release countdown! I have a fun Christmas project to share with you today, but please note, I will not be back for the rest of the countdown, but I will be sharing projects made with this release a bit later! My cute felt gingerbread gal was made using the new In Stitches: Gingerbread die. The die collection includes everything you need to make this girl version, but there is also some accessories to make a cute Santa or just a regular gingerbread boy!

To begin, I die cut the basic gingerbread shape twice from Classic Kraft Felt and then used DMC floss to stitch the two pieces together. I left an opening to add the stuffing, but if you want to stitch any of the additional pieces TO the gingerbread person, you will need to do that before you stitch the two pieces together. All of the accessories on my cute gingerbread gal are just glued down using liquid glue.

The ric rac icing trim and her smile were cut using Vintage Cream Felt. Please note, this trim does have holes that you can actually stitch it down, but I found that the felt was too delicate and would tear if I tried to remove the holes, so I just left them intact and just glued them down.

Her cute apron and bow were cut using Pure Poppy Felt. The heart, cheek blush, and peppermint swirl piece are all die cut from Sweet Blush Felt and the eyes from True Black Felt. When I was getting near the top, I was running out of floss, so it was the perfect time to create a loop to make her into an ornament or to attach to a package. I would definitely decide ahead of time what materials and strategy you will use to create a hanger if you are going to! I love how she turned out and I can't decide if she will be added to a package for someone else or if I will keep her to add to my kitchen tree with all of the other felt ornaments my mom made me a few years ago. She was so much fun to make and I hope to get some time before the holidays come roaring in to make a few more! Thanks for fluttering by!