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Thursday 9 September 2010

...Nutcracker Sweet!


Good morning!! (well it was when I started writing lol!)

We're launching 5 new clear Photopolymer stamp sets here on Sunday! There will be samples between now and then on all the DT blogs, you know Christmas is on the way...you can feel it in the air...LOl, don't miss the inspiration over the next few days! On Sunday the sets will be revealed at 7pm my time, there will be a DT Blog waltz and maybe a prize or two?...you won't know if you don't pop in to check us out!

Before we start did you see the ladies!!??? Wowness!! get on over to the DT blogs if you haven't!
Lisa, Julia, Mona, Carly, Jennifer, Bonnie, Lynn, Anya, Belinda, Laurie

So now, I'd like to introduce you to St Nicholas! He is one of the two nutcrackers featuring in our new set Nutcracker Sweet. Scroll down to see the other guy, the Nutcracker Prince.

Years ago I went to Salzburg to see the Christmas Markets, I already had a predilection for nutcrackers and my visit just concentrated my addiction!!

Been thinking about this set for a long time and here it is at last!!

There are loads of images in this Christmas set, two nutcracker style figures, Christmas trees, tag designs and accompanying bits and bobs! Can't wait to show you...in fact I might just spend all week on this one set!!!


I went for a St Nicholas figure, rather than a generic Santa for this one for lots of reasons, partly because historical stories about the Saint fascinate me, partly because I love the whole tradition of Christmas, the idea that the Saint was the model for Santa, I find it all very fitting! lol!

I went for strong colours with this, I love rich deep colours! I coloured with copics, trimed the image out and mounted him on a textured background. I cut a circle out of the background to emulate those old icon paintings where you see a halo painted around the heads of saints and religious folks. It is so much easier to colour if you clear emboss your black stamped lines!

The wee pinked circle frame was made with my Spellbinders pinked circle dies.


I used a fine detailed font for my sentiments in this set, in the pic above you can see that it looks fabby stamped with Versafine black ink, this is a fabby ink to use for highly detailed stamps. With a 'looser' ink on a more porous paper the font looks more relaxed, you can see what I mean if you scroll down to the last pic, the 'God Jul' sentiment is slightly softer on the more absorbant paper.

Which brings me to the point where I mention that this sentiment contains several sentiment stamps, 16 in all that may be used alone or combined with others. Three of the sentiments are in other languages!!

We have:
God Jul - which I believe translates as Merry Christmas in Danish, Swedish and Norwegian
Zalig Kerstfeest - Merry Christmas in Dutch
Fröhliche Weihnachten
- which I believe is the formal version of Merry Christmas in German

It just didn't seem right not to have these options in a set so obviously European in inspiration!!! And now you can send your Christmas greetings out in 6 languages! what fun!



OOh and did I mention music??? We got music stamps coming!! yep, we can print our own sheet music at a scale to suit our cards!! In fact there are several sizes of music stamps, including weeny music!! can you see it stamped in red on the panel just behind the Nutcracker Prince! You likey?


Right that's it for now, I'll be posting again tomorrow hopefully, gotta go pamper myself for an hour or so, I feel a cold coming on...LOL! It must be autumn or something!

30 comments:

  1. Claire this is your best release EVER! I've only seen 4 sets so far, and I am 4/4 on the wish list, heee!

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  2. Claire!I LOVE how you have portrayed this set! Absolutely gorgeous!

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  3. Hi Claire,

    I've been having a lot of fun visiting the blogs from the Design team and they made such wonderful cards and these are also very very fabulous! Love the colors!! And can't wait for the sets to show!

    Hugs,
    Wendy

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  4. Incredible! These are so gorgeous, Claire! I love, love, love them! Is it Christmas yet???

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  5. Not sure if my previous comment was saved...but Wow, Claire! I LOVE this Nutcracker set, so very beautiful. You have illustrated the nutcrackers perfectly! And that music background, hope you ordered a whole house full---gorgeous!!!!

    How did you make that gorgeous textured background in your first card?

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  6. Oh wow Claire, these are just lovely - absolutely spot on for Christmas cards!! I've never seen anything like these - they are truly unique. Both cards are wonderful - can't wait to see the rest!!

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  7. Holy cow...awesome, Claire. I especially love all the fussy cutting around the nutcracker in the second card.

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  8. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!! YOu had me at MUSIC STAMPS!!!!!!! I'll just send you my CC now....lol

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  9. Wow! Absolutely gorgeous Claire! Love the beautiful bold colors and that little nutcracker is so darn fabulous!!! Love it!

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  10. Wow... Stunning Cards! They both look great!

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  11. Acckkk! I just knew you would color St. Nicholas and the Nutcracker Prince - what a gorgeous job you did on them!!! Love the pinking circle framing old St.! Two beauties Claire!

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  12. Wow....that's all I can say is WOW! All of projects today, by you and the DT are fabulous. You have completely sold me on every set featured, but of course I'm going to have to choose. Rats! Can't wait for tomorrow.

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  13. Oh my! Such amazing images! I am in love! I can't wait to play with these! With a strong German heritage (we even celebrate St. Nick's Day with our kids), I am super excited about the sentiment!

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  14. Oh my Claire! You did an amazing job coloring both St. Nicholas & the Nutcracker Prince! I love all the detail & that distressed music background looks fabulous!

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  15. Oooh, I love your coloring on these two beautiful nutcrackers! You've made them come to life! I can hear Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies in my head now!

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  16. I am loving these and the music background is great!

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  17. Omgosh, LOVE these stamps. The music ones are a fantastic idea. Roll on Sunday!!

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  18. Beautiful! They look like fun images to color too. Love the sheet music background too! And yay for fun languages!

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  19. Absolutely gorgeous, love them both!!!

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  20. Really wonderful !!!
    I love that you seem to love Christmas as much as I do. I remember when you you pretty much made Christmas creations year round. Seeing how this is the first day of the reveal and these creations are so great, I can't imagine what you have in store the rest of the week. So excited!
    thanks for sharing.

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  21. Cab't wait to see the rest of the sets....
    I hope you've not missed Joyeux Noel (merry Xmas in French), Claire ;-)

    Have a good evening

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  22. Claire, you are sooo talented! All of the sneak peeks are beyond fab! They are phenomenal! I have Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies going thru my head right now.

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  23. gorgeous nutcrackers...this will round out my CHristmas collection of stamps!!

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  24. Always so inspiring when I visit...wonderful images and can't wait to see what's new : )

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  25. so what happens when you combine the nutcracker stamp set with the music stamp set? you get the Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite, Op . 71a.
    Ok, pun aside, you and the WMS DT have really outdone themselves. Your bold color choices, your music sheet (i think this is the one i'm most excited about). i also love how you took the more European tradition of Christmas and created a marvelous set (i want i want). I'm a nutcracker nut too - those Christmas markets in Germany bring back fond memories. Which brings me to the part in your post that made me squeal - a german sentiment. Woohooo! Ok i can't contain myself. I'm going to go sit in the corner and patiently wait for Purchase Day.

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  26. wow! such beautiful designs on the Nutcrackers, Claire!!! love the details!! gorgeous cards! i think i NEED that music background!! =)

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  27. Stunning indeed! These graphics are incredible! So much talent!!!

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  28. Claire, you know I am a fan of ALL your work, but if you are forcing me to choose, I am in love, coincidentally, with all three of the sets you showed here! My absolute fave, though, is the Half Pint Heroes...ADORABLE! XOXO

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  29. LOVE the nutcrackers and the music! Can't wait to see the whole release! It will seem strange to move from Christmas with the new release and back to Halloween for the customer blog hop. . . of course I AM easily confused! ;-)

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Thanks for taking the time to comment, :) I read them all and I appreciate you taking time to visit!