Velvet Stocking Merry Christmas Card

I just couldn't resist the new Sizzix Stocking die that came out recently - with the bonus of a free embossing folder included!  It's SO lovely, the embossing detail is gorgeous.  I wondered what it would be like cut out from velvet paper and I also wondered if velvet paper embosses well or not.  Oh.  My.  Goodness.  The velvet paper embosses BEAUTIFULLY! 

The stocking is quite large so I started off with a 7" x 5" Riding Hood Red card base and added a simple layer of dotty paper.  I cut the stocking from crimson and cream velvet papers and embossed both parts.  I brayered SU! Crumb Cake lightly over the cream part.  I stamped the sentiment in VersaMark ink and embossed with Brown Sugar embossing powder.  I was so taken with my velvet stocking I wondered if I could punch some velvet holly - and I could!  So holly was added to the stocking and the sentiment strip.  I added a Chocolate Chip bow to the stocking, used a jump ring to attach a small gold jingle bell and popped the stocking up.  Red pearls act as holly berries on the sentiment strip and punched photo corners at the top left finish off the card front.

I glued a Very Vanilla panel inside the card and stamped a gorgeous Stampendous sentiment.  I added a strip of holly patterned paper and drew lines on either side with a marker.  I did the same for the front of the envelope.

Here's a close up of my velvet stocking in all its embossed glory!  I love it - and can't keep from stroking it and jingling the bell LOL!

Supplies:
Stamps: 'Merry Christmas' from SU! Four the Holidays set, Stampendous 'Snow Brackets' cling stamp
CS: SU! Riding Hood Red & Very Vanilla, crimson, cream & dark green velvet papers
Patterned paper: Three Bugs in a Rug Deck the Halls 'Best Time' & 'Holly Jolly'
Ink:  VersaMark & SU! Riding Hood Red & Crumb Cake
Tools: Sizzix Stocking Bigz die & embossing folder, SU! Photo Corners punch, Martha Stewart Holly Branch punch, brayer
Embellishments & accessories: Zing Brown Sugar embossing powder, SU! Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon, gold brads, jingle bell, jump ring, red pearls, 3d foam tape