Some cards happen all at once, and some take a more winding path.
This one sat on my desk for a week, slowly telling me what it wanted to be — and in the end, it turned into one of my favorite holiday cards thus far this year.
It all started when I did something that didn’t work.
The First “Fa La La” That Didn’t Quite Work
Back in the 2022 Black Friday sales, I picked up the Love, Santa set from The Stamp Market. There’s a little stacked “Fa La La La La La” stamp in there that I’ve always liked, so I snipped off the “yum!” part (don’t judge) and heat embossed it in clear glitter powder.
And then…hmmm. Eh. It just wasn’t doing what I wanted. It sparkled, but it didn’t show up enough on the cardstock. Instead of being special, it just looked faint.
So I did what any reasonable crafter does.
I went digging through my stash to see how many fa la la pieces I already owned. Evernote reports twenty-four, counting stamps, word dies, and foil plates!
If part of my goal is using what I have, this seemed like a very good place to start. It also says a lot about the range of my Christmas craft collection.
And then I didn’t know what to do with it.
So the panel sat on my desk for a week.
Enter the Memory Box “Cheerful Penguin”
A few weeks ago I bought this adorable new penguin die from Memory Box — the Cheerful Penguin — because every year I make a penguin card for a friend. I had been waiting to open this one, and when I finally did… what a delight.
Some die sets are fiddly.
This one isn’t.
It cuts cleanly, layers easily, and comes together fast.
And he’s absolutely adorable (read: I already have two more from the series sitting in my cart for Black Friday sales).
I tried placing him over a vellum panel, but the vellum dulled that central glittered fa la la, and that sparkle was part of the whole point. So I got brave and adhered him directly onto the stamping.
Giving the Penguin a Role
Once I committed to placing the penguin directly on the fa la la background, I realized he needed a role on that busy panel. A speech bubble felt like the right way to give him presence and make him part of the scene instead of something sitting on top of it.
Adding the Sparkle
Once the layout was in place, I wanted to echo the glittered fa la la in other parts of the card. I added a little Wink of Stella to his scarf and scattered a few clear sequins across the panel. I love sparkle, so adding a little more shine felt like the right direction.
But when everything was finished, I realized the white speech bubble wasn’t standing out enough. That’s when I swapped it for a red one embossed in white, and it tied the whole design together.
I can’t wait to give this card to my friend this holiday season!
Supplies Used
Dies and Stamps
• Memory Box “Cheerful Penguin”
• The Stamp Market “Love, Santa” (2022 Black Friday) — original fa la la
• SSS CZ “Tabbed Sentiments Holiday” — “SO JOLLY” sentiment
• Assorted fa la la stamps from my stash (Penny Black, The Stamp Market, Papertrey Ink)
• Poppystamps “Word Balloons” dies (speech bubble)
Cardstock and Papers
• Neenah Classic Crest Solar White (cover weight)
• Red cardstock from my stash
Inks and Embossing
• Brutus Monroe Clear Glitter Embossing Powder (center fa la la)
• Brutus Monroe Alabaster White Embossing Powder (speech bubble)
• Assorted dye inks in soft greens, blues, and red (various brands)
Embellishments
• Wink of Stella Clear Glitter Brush Pen (scarf)
• The Stamp Market Clear Sequins (small size)
MakingMyWay 