Up On the Housetop!

Good Morning everyone! I have yet another card for the Sugar Hollow challenge--dots and stripes-- this week,,,,

I tell you what, I can NOT stay away from that challenge. I think I SQUEALED when I found it online LOL. Vintage is probably my favorite style. I love tons of styles, but vintage is what my heart goes to over and over again. Please consider stopping by and participating if you love vintage, shabby chic or primative cards and paper crafts! Here is the link!

Now, on with the card. I used Recollections Christmas Traditions paper pack for this one (I am seriously in love with their paper this year!),,,,,,the red is rich, deep and vibrant! It's just stunningly gorgeous all on it's own!

first I matted with the red, green and gold plaid (stripes) paper onto Kraft card stock, then cut a smaller mat out of the "Up on the House Top" paper and cut the top with a fancy border punch. I then used my Banners 2 to cut some kraft cs into the fancy border shape I've adhered to the top,,,,,but first, I embossed the entire thing in gold embossing powder. I tell you, if you've never tried gold embossing powder RUN, do not walk, to the store and buy some! it's messy as heck, but OH BOY, the sparkle. Unfortunately, I do not think my camera did the sparkle justice!

Then I adhered the negative cut of the border punch on top of that and gemmed it up (bling bling!), coloring my gem dots with copic markers.

next, I embossed (again with gold!) some snow flakes, and set more gems (dots!) in the centers of all the snow flakes and embossed the SEASONS GREETINGS stamp (both the sentiment and the snow flakes are Crafty Secrets stamps).

I printed this gorgeous vintage santa and colored him with copics cut him out with classic circles Large and antiqued it with sepia ink. I embossed some gorgeous branch punch outs with more gold, a fancy gold button and a North Pole ticket, and she's done!

I just LOVE it! It sparkles so much, and nothing is more classy than red and gold for Christmas, I think.

I hope you enjoyed, and REALLY, pop over to the challenge and try your hand at some vintage goodness!

The Saddest kind of card,,,,,

I think my least favorite card is the sympathy card. I love to give them because I want to let the recipient know my thoughts and prayers are with them. But I think they're just so sad to have to give, that I get no true pleasure from making them.

That said,,,,they are a necessity,,,,,,,,unfortunately. In life, there comes death,,,to everything there is a season,,,,and so occasionally, I must make one.

This particular card is for a lovely on-line friend (fake friends we always joke!) Unfortunately, her dear brother passed away recently. When I heard the news, of course, I started a sympathy card. I knew she was sitting shiva (the Jewish tradition of 7 days--sometimes 3, depending on the movement of Judaism--formal mourning in which loved ones come to call on the mourners.) and I wished so badly that I could be there for her in person.

I used DCWV paper (The Main street Stack) for this 5.5x5.5 card.I put one paper on the top portion,and another paper on the bottom portion. I used an EK success edge punch to punch the bottom of the top portion and lined above that with lace. A few nesties to cut out the sentiment, a stick pin, fancy gold corner embellishments, and some flowers, and it's done. Easy,,,,but not on the heart.

I hope you enjoyed,thanks for looking, and I sincerely hope that I have a happier card for you tomorrow!