Oh my goodness what a drive home I had yesterday. At 5pm it was pitch black and, much to my surprise, a snowstorm had developed. At some points visibility was near zero, fortunately there were very few cars on the road. I barely managed to get over 50kms an hour the whole drive home! Still, I made it, and now we have a pretty white blanket on the ground. Of all the occasions I create cards for Christmas is the busiest, but I’ve definitely had enough of snow for now.

PRETTY POINSETTIAS

This card was number 9 of the 24 I designed during my personal 24 cards in 24 hours challenge. I created cards for lots of different occasions, but of the Christmas ones this has to be my favourite.

I began by choosing the smaller of the two all-over poinsettia patterns from the Boughs of Holly 12″ x 12″ Designer Series Paper (DSP) pack. All I needed was a 6″ x 6″ piece to decorate the card front, inside and envelope.

First I cut a 2-1/4″ x 6″ strip and fixed it to the flap of a Basic White Medium Envelope using Multipurpose Liquid Glue (Tombow). Then I trimmed off the excess paper with my Paper Snips using the edge of the flap as a guide.

Next I cut a 3/4″ x 5-1/4″ strip of the DSP along with a 4″ x 5-1/4″ piece of Basic White Card. Using liquid glue again I fixed the DSP along the right-hand edge of the card and set the assembled piece aside.

For my A2 card base I decided to use Cherry Cobbler card. After cutting a 5-1/2″ x 8-1/2″ piece I scored it at 4-1/4″. Then I folded it along the scored line and sharpened the crease with a Bone Folder. With that done I glued the Basic White layer on the inside, which just left the front of the card to do.

VERY BEST OCCASIONS

Picking up what was left of my 6″ x 6″ piece of DSP I trimmed it to 3″ x 5-1/2″. Then I cut a 3-1/4″ x 5-1/2″ piece of Real Red Card and glued the DSP on top.

For some eye-catching shine I cut two pieces of Gold 3/8″ Shimmer Ribbon. Then I wrapped the ribbon around the layered DSP and secured the ends on the back with Tear & Tape Adhesive. The first piece of ribbon ended up 1-3/4″ from the top edge, with the second one 1/8″ below the bottom edge of the first piece.

For my sentiment I turned to the aptly named Very Best Occasions Stamp Set. I chose one of the larger sentiments “With a little more sparkle and a little less stress. Let’s make this Christmas the very best”. Using Evening Evergreen ink I stamped the sentiment onto some Basic White Card. Then I coloured in the leaves using a light Shaded Spruce Stampin’ Blends alcohol marker.

For the berries I decided to use four Red Rhinestone Basic Jewels which come mounted on tiny glue dots. Once I’d pressed the rhinestones firmly into place I added the sentiment to the layered DSP with liquid glue.

Finally I attached the completed panel to the card front with Stampin’ Dimensionals. and just like that my simple card was complete.

I have to say I love how this card turned out. It really is very simple to make and the combination of red, gold and green really says Christmas to me. But what do you think?

For a very different look using the same sentiment from the Very Best Occasions Stamp Set, see my earlier blog post Christmas thoughts.

PRODUCT LIST

BUNDLE BONUS – I bought the Very Best Occasions Stamp Set in a bundle with the Very Best Trio Punch (not used today). Using the single ‘bundle’ item number on my order meant I saved 10% off the cost of buying the two items separately. I’ve included a link to the bundle below in case you want to explore that option. Just be aware that while the stamp set and punch in this bundle are being carried over from the July to December 2022 Mini Catalogue, the bundle discount will end on January 4th, 2023.

RETIRING SOON – The Boughs of Holly DSP and Gold Shimmer Ribbon wil be retiring soon. Once the Last Chance Sale begins on December 1st you’ll be able to get the ribbon at 60% off. The paper is not currently showing a planned discount (possibly because stocks are already low). Just be aware that all retiring products will only available while stocks last.