Silent Night, Holy Night

How often does that happen, you make a card using a particular card and then get hooked and make more in the same way. For me it's meant the rediscovery of some ancient, treasured DPs that really needed to come out of their packet and be used. Today, I've used a DP for the challenge at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown

In my head the paper was for Silent Night, but when I found it it featured the words from another carol, We Three Kings. It still fitted and my inspiration was still Silent night so I used it anyway.

I cut out the paper, die cut the row of houses in black cardstock to create the silhouette and then used gold mirri card behind some of the tiny doors and windows

The gold card adds sparkle and shimmer. Then I added some very small punched stars, also made from the mirri card, you can see them better on the photo below. I used a light shade of purple for the mat which I think really brings out the colours in the paper. The mat was layered up on foam on the card front.

Then I got carried away and continued decorating the inside of my card with more paper and more 

stars plus a sentiment from an old set, I think it's called Wonderous Gift.

I do hope you are inspired by Jane's theme. I am also entering this card in this week's challenge at Crafty Haselnuts Christmas Challenge where the theme is Christmas a Music. The Silent Night challenge is great for that one too, it's  a chance to use papers, images, stamped or digital with perhaps a leaning towards the real meaning of Christmas. Looking forward to seeing the gallery this week

Christmas on Mars?

I may have pushed the boundaries too far this time folks! Danielle, our lovely hostess and setter of challenges for the month of February at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown has chosen felt embellishments for this week. I looked in the shops and in my boxes of stash and couldn't find anything that I thought would make a Chistmas card. Look at these wonderful embellies Danielle found to inspire you

I had felt cupcakes, and moons, stars and sheep, and aliens. So I had to think a bit more laterally - Hey I can do aliens!!

So this is my Christmas card, a heat embossed silver tree, trimmed with blue and red gems and a little felt alien, matted onto some very martian green dp. Oh, you need to see inside -

It's a different style for me and I'm going to have to think hard who I will send it to, not aged aunts or well respected community members, but I have lots of friends who like a laugh and I'm sure it will end up in appreciative hands! So go on, push your creativity too, there are lots of challenges out there.

CAS Squirly Tree

Now here's a Christmas card that for once has not been made for the 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown challenge - this time it's for  St Lukes Charity Cards Challenge where they are asking for Simple Christmas this month.  This card started out as something completely different when I stamped the green frame by using my Lucky Limeade ink pad as a stamp.  This has been the technique which I've been messing around with today, I just love it's simplicity and yummy texture.
Then, I came by this gorgeous Christmas Tree stamp, quite by surprise when I went round to a friend's house and she was having a clear out.  Wasn't I in luck? I double heat embossed it in gold and then added a few bits of red bling.  Done, one CAS Christmas card, I am rather pleased with it!