Be Merry Collection - Inspiration with Andrea Shell

Hello!  It's Andrea Shell here with you, and I'm super excited to be guesting on the Spellbinders blog again. I got to play with the amazing Be Merry Collection, and I'm totally smitten with it! These stamps and dies are so much fun, and I think you'll agree with me.

Family & Friends Shopping Spree Card

My first card features the Shopping Spree Dies, which I cut from a combination of cardstock and Deco Foil Flock. To cut the flock details, I first adhered the flock to white cardstock and then die-cut it with the Shopping Spree Dies. For the gifts I used the Christmas Wishes Paper from the November 2019 Kit of the Month.

After adhering my die-cut elements together, I added layers of white cardstock behind the present stack so that the back of it was level with the body of the shopper. To create the gold, pom-pom bow on the red gift, I off-set two flowers cut from gold foil paper and trimmed the piece in half. I added flower centers to the two looped bows to create the knot.

I trimmed a panel of white cardstock to 3.5" x 6" and foiled a sentiment from the Gifts of Christmas Sentiments Glimmer Plate with Champagne Foil.  After adhering the panel to a white card, I affixed my shopper on top and finished with gold enamel dots.

Snowmen and Gnome Cards

For my second card, I paired the adorable Friendly Snowmen stamp with the Chill Bear Dies. After stamping that cute snowman, I colored him with Copics and fussy-cut him.  I cut the elements for my polar bear and added ink to his body and legs before assembling. I used a white gel pen to add stripes to his scarf so that he matched his snowman friend.

To create a background for my characters, I added Opal Glimmer Foil to pale blue cardstock with the Twinkle Lights Glimmer Plate. I absolutely love this plate for creating a snowy backdrop! I cut a snowy hill from white cardstock with my scissors (the new Color Block Scenic Shape Dies would do this so much better, but I don't have them yet).  After adhering my sky to a white card, I attached the hill on top. I die-cut several trees with the Chill Bear Dies, added snow with a white paint pen, and tucked them under the hill.

I cut the snowflakes from glitter paper with the Chill Bear Dies and scattered them across the sky. I stamped a sentiment with the Mini Christmas Greetings set and die-cut it with the accompanying die (I did some partial diecutting to get it the length I wanted). I popped up my characters and sentiment with foam squares, and my card was done.

My third card combines one of the fun gnomes from the Holiday Gnome stamp set with the trees from the Dancin' Gnome Dies. I colored that cute gnome with Copics and cut him out with my scissors.  I die-cut the trees from colored cardstock and the snow from glitter paper and layered them together.

To create a scene for my gnome, I die-cut light blue and white cardstocks with the Essential Ovals Dies. I cut a snowy hill from the white oval with my scissors. I repeatedly stamped a snowflake from the Friendly Snowmen set onto my blue oval before adhering the hill on top.

I adhered the trees with liquid adhesive and popped up the gnome with foam, adding shading underneath them with Copics. I stamped a sentiment from the Home for Christmas Sentiments set in black. With the Essential Rectangles Dies, I die-cut plaid paper and affixed it to a white card.  I attached the blue oval to the card with foam tape.

Dancing Gnome Card

I may have saved the best for last with my final card because I just love the Dancin' Gnome Dies! I mean, can this fella be any cuter?!! I cut out all of the elements, including two tunics and two hats. I added a bit of gray ink to the edges of the tunic and hat and gray Copics to the beard and mustache before adhering everything together.

To make my gnome dance, I put a foam circle onto the bottom tunic, placed the opening in the legs around it, and secured it in place with the top tunic. In order to keep the dimension consistent, I placed foam circles onto the bottom hat and attached the assembled gnome on top. I adhered my gnome to an oval created with the Essential Ovals Dies.

I die-cut red cardstock with the Essential Rectangles Dies and embossed it with the Love Stripes Embossing Folder. After attaching the embossed panel to a white card, I affixed the oval with foam tape. I stamped a sentiment with the Mini Christmas Greetings set and trimmed it with the accompanying die. I popped up my sentiment with foam and finished with a sprinkling of clay peppermints.

Other Supplies

Pink & Main paper, Sprinkletz - Very Cherry mix, Deco Foil Flock in White Latte, Teal Waters and Blue Sky, Echo Park paper, white glitter cardstock. Thanks for stopping by!  I had a blast with this collection and hope I've inspired you to check it out if you haven't already.  If you'd like to see more of my creations, please visit me on my blog or Instagram account.  Have a wonderful day!