Merry Monday #258 - Penguins!

Merry Monday everyone - it's time for a new challenge! This week Colleen asks for a penguin on your Christmas card! Woo Hoo - love penguins!!

I'm still trying to use some lovely supplies that have never seen any playtime. I found this sweet penguin at a craft expo years ago and couldn't resist him - made by a Minnesota company too - bonus!! Here's my card:

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White and Bright Blue, Heidi Swapp Marquee Love glitter,

Pop-tone Black Licorice & Snow Cone, Stamp-on-it Iridescent vellum,
Lawn Fawn Winter Perfectly Plaid 6x6, December 2015 Simon Says Stamp card kit (red text)
Stamps - Stamps by Judith & Heather F-284-HK Sm Fat Penguin
Hero Arts DC165 Polar Set by Lia (ice floe) and CL368 Create Your Own Snowman (cap - retired)
Dies - Hero Arts DI337 Nesting Oval Infinity Dies;
Lawn Fawn Forest Border and Stitched Hillside Borders (part that didn't get the stitching)
Other - colored pencils, Copic Marker (BG0000), washi by unknown, foam tape

I started by stamping & coloring the darling penguin. He sat there for awhile then I decided to add a winter cap. I actually cut & colored several different ones so there was a bit of a fashion show - LOL. Then I remembered a stamp set with an ice floe - perfect! In my crafty clean up I found this yummy iridescent vellum in the stash (another stamp expo find) - it coordinates much better with the card base in real life. I knew it would make a perfect pond. I created the background and then cut it into an oval and layered onto a black oval mat, then added the blue frame cut from 2 oval dies. I decided to anchor the oval on the side with a paper strip - the hunt was on! I wanted something red and white and I tried many, many different ones before finding an unopened pack of paper. It had no label but I recognized a reindeer on one of the pages and remember making a card with a puffy sticker. Sure enough - found the card made for a 2015 Merry Monday challenge and learned it was paper included in the 12/2015 SSS kit. Oh well, at least it didn't sit around for 2 whole years! A strip of narrow black houndstooth washi finished the right edge of the red & white paper. When thinking about a sentiment, I decided to try a bit of the patterned paper - it cuts perfectly into little sentiments & I tried a few of those too, before picking Happy Holidays. Just love this font!!

Be sure to stop by and check out the rest of the Merry Makers' cards for even more Christmas inspiration! How are you doing on cards for your Christmas list?? I'm totally done and will have plenty of cards to donate to charity - yay!!

Thanks for stopping and thanks for the kind comments! I'm enjoying my stint as Guest Designer at Merry Monday!!