What's in your Stocking?

I'm checking in with a big Holiday Mini sneak peek today, and I hope you'll love it as much as I do.  Stampin' Up! is all about stockings this year, and I couldn't be happier, since stockings feature prominently in my Christmas celebrations.  When I was little, I had stockings at both of my grandparents' houses for Christmas--lined up on a couch (and overflowing) at Grandma Esther's, and hanging from a fireplace that magically appeared only at Christmas, so Santa could get into Grandma Helen's house.  And they always, always, always had at least one candy cane peeking out the edge--just like the one I made for today.  So how could I not love this great Holiday Stocking die and coordinating Stocking Accents die for the Big Shot?

Now that we're older, Christmas has changed, but the stockings remain.  A few years ago, we changed format so that stockings are the main event, and we don't pile presents under the tree.  It was supposed to be a trimming back of the holidays, but as piles appeared under everyone's stocking, a third way was found--and we've traded our simple stockings from long ago for jumbo versions that are nearly as tall as we are.  Ok, maybe that's an exaggeration, but the point is that stockings loom large in my holiday celebrations, and they easily can in yours too!  Sneak peek number two is this great new embossing powder in Pewter, which is available in the Holiday Mini.  It's a little richer and more golden than silver and I am IN LOVE.  Who knew that I could prefer another over silver embossing, my old standby?

Finally, you might remember the flowerpot cards that Kiran and I had so much fun with a few years (!) ago--so long ago that I can't even find them on this blog.  As soon as I saw these dies, I knew that I wanted to "stuff" my stocking with a holiday card, the way we had "planted" a flower card in the pots.  So I adhered two stocking dies together on the sides, and if you pull the candy cane out of the stocking, you'll also get this card that's ready for a holiday message.  I won't be writing those messages for a few months still, but I can start getting them ready now.

I have more great ideas for these stockings, so keep coming back for more.  How would you incorporate the stockings into your holiday celebrations?

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Four the Holidays
Ink: VersaMark
Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green, White Naturals
Extras: Holiday Stocking die, Stocking Accents die, Big Shot, Pewter embossing powder