The Wicked Witch of the West
by Janet Katz

The first time I saw the new Witches Shoe die from Poppystamps, I immediately thought of the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz. I didn’t like that movie as a small child and I would hide behind the TV every time the witch came on TV. I figured she couldn’t see me that way. Fast forward to now.

 

I toyed around with the idea of creating the famous image of the house on the legs and then I dove in to see if it would work. I chose a slimline design that measures 3.5″ x 8.5″. I knew I needed legs to make my design and there are no leg dies. I printed a simple illustration from the internet and did that old trick many of us learned in elementary school. I scribbled with a pencil over the backside of the image and then put it scribble side down on a piece of 110lb. white cardstock. Then I traced over one leg. When I lifted my image from the cardstock, I could see a faint line that I could cut along. I cut out two legs. Next, I cut strips of 65lb. black cardstock to create the look of black and white striped tights. I glued them on the legs and then cut off all the excess along the edges of both legs. I inked the bottom edge of the legs just a tiny bit to provide a shadow.

 

 

I die cut two Witches Shoes with the new Poppystamps die from red glitter cardstock from the Memory Box Glitzy Glitter 6 x 6 pad. I decided to leave off the extra “collar” piece at the top edge of each shoe. I created the buckle from red and black glitter paper. To make the whole stocking and shoe ensemble work, I had to trim the feet on my legs just a little to fit it behind the shoe (ouch!). When it looked right, I adhered them together.

 

I used some yellow ink, yellow cardstock, and an embossing folder I had in my stash to create the yellow brick road. Next, I cut up strips from a sheet of cream Woodgrain Paper to create the siding of the house. I inked the edges with a brown ink and then glued one to the next by overlapping each piece just a little.

 

 

 

I struggled with what to use for the whole card base and decided on green for grass. I used the brand new Pine Needle Shoots die in a slightly darker green to make grass shoots, adhering some with foam tape for dimension. What a flexible die!

 

Finally, I put everything together to create my Wicked Witch Scene. My sentiment was computer printed and die cut with the largest Word Balloons die.

 

I was thrilled to be able to shoot my photos on a vintage copy of the Wizard of Oz, owned by a relative many years ago.

 

When did you first see The Wizard of Oz?