GENTLE FOX

In looking through the Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalog, did you happen to notice the precious stamp set Cozy Critters available as a hostess perk on page 3? 

That wide-eyed owl and the eyes tight shut fox struck me especially. And, the best part is that they are both weating scarves. You know what that means, right? Yup. I stamped the scarves on bits and pieces of Christmas-colored Designer Series Paper that I had in my stash. While riding in the car for long distance trips, I cut these teeny tiny little scarves out.

For an upcoming project, I stamped out a bunch of the owls in Early Espresso. I dug through all my reddish inks for the perfect fox color. I settled on three possibilities: Cajun Craze, and the retired colors of Really Rust and Cranberry Crisp. Truthfully, I wasn't crazy about the Really Rust ones, but Cajun Craze and Cranberry Crisp were very foxy colors! So I stamped a bunch of them. (My Stamp-In girls will be making projects using either the owl or the fox and their coordinating scarves, all of which I have already fussy cut for them.)

Anyway, I was excited to use one of the foxes, so I stole one from the bunch that are ready for the workshop, and went to work.

First, to get some inspiration, I grabbed into my box of Project Life cards, and randomly drew one. I looked at it with absolutely no sense of inspiration whatsoever, and even started to move to put it back in the box. No, Linda! That is the point. A random pick is meant to challenge. So, I reluctantly laid it on my work table and sadly gazed down at it.

I had a few Project Life cards left over from other projects that measured 2" x 2". I sifted through them, and discovered one that would be a perfect complement for this uninspiring background piece. 

Do you all remember the old In Color Cranberry Crisp? I wish they hadn't retired it, because I'd always felt pretty attached to it. 

Having ribbon, paper and ink left over in that color, I used it throughout this card, along with white and Old Olive. Even my foxy fox is Cranberry Crisp. 

And this is what I came up with:

Basically this is the Project Life card I'd randomly picked to work with. The squiggly background lines against white and the cute pointed piece of plaid on the top of it. But then the 2x2 piece of Old Olive polka dots against white was just what I needed to make a happy card.

Foxy

Smiles.