More Nutcracker Parade Inspiration!

Hello, everyone! I hope you all had a safe and happy Halloween. I wanted to pop in today with some more Homespun Holiday: Nutcracker Parade Kit inspiration since I didn't have time during the introductions to use all of the new Color Stories with the kit. I figured, since I'm sharing a fresh project, maybe it would be fun to invite a friend to come along for the ride! So I asked Kelly Lunceford if she might be interested in bringing her creativity to the table today.

 

Kelly and I worked together on a couple of design teams a few years back and I have always been so impressed with her work. She creates such flawless beauty, with seemingly no effort at all. She layers textures and colors brilliantly, giving her projects warmth and dimension without making them feel overdone or fussy.  She is truly talented and I am so grateful she is joining me today!

Today, Kelly has shared a gift tag and ornament set with the Make Merry Color Story and Nutcracker Parade Kit. She also put the new Pocket Tag II Die to wonderful use. You'll definitely want to take a closer look at her projects. You can find her blog HERE or her Instagram HERE for more information.

Like I said, I didn't have a chance to use all of the new Color Stories with the kit during intro week, so I got to work with Rich Tradition shortly after the release (this Color Story is available either independently or as one of the kit options). I just love these colors together so much!

I made another set of ornaments with this palette. I think my goal is to make a set with each of the palettes. Three down, one to go!

This first nutcracker uses the cross body uniform style. I also used the optional cheeks to give his face some extra interest. I used single, tiny stitches to attach them, but you could also use glue if that is your preference. I just can't get over their teeth. It may seem like a silly thing, but this is one of my favorite details.

I decided to add some flair to his hat, too. I used single strands of floss to stitch some free-hand details to the plume of his hat and then added some sparkle with embellishments. The details on his boots are also free-handed, but I used two strands of thread instead of one or three (my typical go-to for almost everything is three).

This next one uses the banded jacket and the crown to dress up the hat. The points on the crown got a little fuzzy because I took these ornaments on the road while traveling. I could have kept them looking sharper if I hadn't been repeatedly shoving the project bag into a tote halfway across the United States, but I still think he looks great. You could always glue down those points if you really wanted to protect them though. I may ultimately do that.

Otherwise, I really love the details on this ornament. The beads are fantastic for creating jewels in the crown and buttons on the straps. And large sequins make wonderful belt buckles. I also used the tiny ovals to look like buckles on his boots. I simply glued those into place after he was all sewn together.

This last ornament uses the open jacket uniform. I sort of wanted him to give the impression of working at the North Pole, so I went with a Red Currant Jacket with Tundra trim and an Inkwell belt and boots.

I embellished his hat and boots with small sequins and added gold buttons with beads. He looks very official, doesn't he? The buckle on his belt was glued on once he was all sewn together too. Easy peasy. 

I am so tickled with these fellas! My dining room tree is an unlikely mix of Halloween, Day of the Dead, and Christmas ornaments, but I'm just enjoying all of the color, texture, and sparkle. These guys fit right in! I hope you've enjoyed today's post and I hope you will check out Kelly's blog post to see her beautiful creations. I intend to check in at least once a week with new projects while we're between releases, so I hope to see you again soon. Have a great weekend!