Hey everyone.  I’m so glad you’ve hopped over to my little world here at Jules Jewels.  I’m excited to be part of the Sweet ‘n Sassy Stamps Christmas in July Blog Hop! Not only are you hopping with some fabulous members of our design team, but also some brand new affiliates.  (Did you know that Sweet’n Sassy recently opened up an affiliate program through shareasale.com, which means that anyone can promote Sweet’n Sassy Stamps and be rewarded? Maybe you want to consider that too?)  Since Christmas is a time of giving, we thought Christmas in July should be too! We’re hosting a drawing for a fantastic $50 gift code to the Sweet’n Sassy Stamps store from all of the comments at all of the stops along today’s hop. So be sure to leave a little love as you hop about!

My project for this Christmassy hop challenged me–I live in Florida, and creating a winter scene while it was in the upper 90’s outside felt quite paradoxical! But once I began the crafting process, my creative side took over, and the inner angst was gone!  I loved creating this sunset scene in my hymnal on the page with the Christmas carol “The First Noel”.

I used Ranger Distress Oxides for the colorful background. I began with Wild Honey at the bottom, then worked my way up, blending Ripe Persimmon, then Barn Door, and finally Dusty Concord for the combination of colors.  I used Ranger Blending tools to get the deep rich hues of the inks.  Then I spritzed water over the page to get a slight oxidation and spottiness.

I stamped the tree silhouettes at the bottom of the page using the “Thrill of Hope” stamp set.  I also stamped around the page the moon, the deer, and the small word “NOEL”, also from that same set.  Next, I used the Script Outline Alpha set to stamp “NOEL” in the center of the page.  I colored the letters in with a black Pitt Big Brush Marker, and then shadowed them with a white gel pen.  I finished the page by lightly splattering some watered-down white acrylic paint over the trees to create a snowy effect.

Nothing gets me more in the Christmas spirit than a good, old-fashioned Christmas carol, and this project did just that!

We’re also kicking off a Christmas in July sale today! Through July 31, all stamp sets in our Christmas and Winter categories are 25% off. No code is needed! Now’s the perfect time to get a jump start on those holiday projects!  You can pick up the Thrill of Hope set that I used, or any number of other beautiful Christmas or Wintertime sets.

Here are the other blogs for your hopping pleasure.  Make sure to comment at each one in order to enter to win the $50. The deadline to comment is July 31 at 11:59pm.  Happy hopping!

Sweet ‘n Sassy Blog
Julee Tilman
Bev Gerard
Ceal Pritchett
Dina Kowal
Gayle Bond
Giovana Smith
Jane Bosi
Jeanne Streiff
Lee Ann Barrett
Lyn Tomlin
Monika Davis
Sheri Gilson
Stephanie Serrano