A cute Christmas mouse on the front, a whole festive scene inside! This week’s card has a little surprise waiting beneath its baker’s twine bow.
Welcome to Week 22 of the Art With Heart Team’s Colour Creations hop. We’re exploring the Stampin’ Up! colours in alphabetical order, and this week it’s Early Espresso.
This rich chocolate brown makes a beautiful base for my Christmas shadow box card, created using the A Little Christmas Suite Collection. Paired with crisp Basic White, festive reds and greens, and touches of soft blue, it gives the card a warm, cosy feel.
The shadow box frame is constructed from basic white card stock, sitting inside a card base made with Early Espresso Two-Tone Card stock.
A mouse with Christmas on its mind
How cute are these mice!
On the front, a little mouse looks up beside a stack of presents and an open red box filled with tiny candy canes. I love how the detailed die cuts bring these simple shapes to life, right down to the folds in the box and the ribbon on the gifts.
The Basic White panel, cut using the Perennial Postage Dies, provides a clean backdrop for the scene. A “Merry Christmas” sentiment and three Christmas Epoxy stars finish the panel, while the Multicolor Christmas Baker’s Twine ties the card closed like a little gift.
Untie the bow for a Christmas surprise
Open the card and there’s a miniature Christmas scene tucked inside a white shadow box frame.
The Christmas tree image is from the A Little Christmas Designer Series Paper and makes a lovely backdrop for the scene. I fussy cut presents from the same paper, arranging them around the tree and along the front of the frame to create extra depth.
Another little mouse, wearing a cosy hat and holding a gift, sits at the front, with a candy cane peeking up behind it. A wreath with a soft blue bow decorates the top corner.
I love the way the mouse, wreath and presents overlap the white frame. It makes the scene feel as though it’s spilling out of its little Christmas box!
On the inside cover, red bow-patterned Designer Series Paper surrounds another Basic White postage-edge panel. The sentiment, “Sending little moments of joy & cheer”, feels just right for this little Christmas world, with plenty of space left for a handwritten message.
Colouring the Christmas mice
I coloured the mice using light and dark Stampin’ Blends in Barely Blush, Old Olive, Crumb Cake and Pecan Pie, together with the Deep combo pack.
For the hats, candy canes, presents and other festive details, I took my colour inspiration from the A Little Christmas Designer Series Paper, using Lost Lagoon, Old Olive, Pool Party and Real Red.
Taking colour cues from patterned paper is one of my favourite ways to create a coordinated project. Here, the paper does double duty, providing both the Christmas tree backdrop and little presents to fussy cut and layer.
A suite full of little details
This project uses all five products from the A Little Christmas Suite Collection:
*Christmas Mice Photopolymer Stamp Set
*Christmas Mice Dies
*A Little Christmas Designer Series Paper
*Multicolor Christmas Baker’s Twine
*Christmas Epoxy Shapes
From the tiny candy canes to the cheerful mice, there are so many details to enjoy in this suite. And Early Espresso provides a lovely, warm foundation for them all.
Wouldn’t this be a fun little Christmas surprise to receive?
Take a look at some more Early Espresso inspiration on our Insta Hop!
Our blog hop is now an Instagram hop but the good news is that you don’t need to have an Instagram account to view all of the other projects!
Simply go to my Insta handle in a new search engine window to follow the Instagram hop: @whatcathymade.
Next week we are showcasing the dark brown neutral, Early Espresso.
I hope you can join us then.
