Fresh Vintage Christmas!

Out of all the free stamp sets available as part of the Sale-a-bration promotion, Fresh Vintage was the first to catch my eye. And, after making cards with it this week, I have to report that it's fulfilled all my expectations and more! Is there anything it isn't good for?! It didn't make the tea for me this morning but I'm wondering if that's because I didn't ask! So I thought I'd give it an extra challenge today...

I've noticed lots of Christmas Card challenges in blogland as part of a brilliant campaign to make cards for 2012 in advance. The 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown has the theme of Christmas Flowers, while my friend Sandra is calling for Christmas card for her monthly Rudolph Day challenge. I decided to use this sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches and settled down to see whether Fresh Vintage could come up with the goods. What do you think?

I moved my 'any shape' to the left hand side - not because I thought there was anything wrong with Jen's sketch, but because I made an ink smudge there! Hope it still counts...

I started by masking the bottom of the card base with a piece of scrap paper I'd trimmed with my scallop border punch and sponging Old Olive ink over the top of the card. I used the long decorative image in Fresh Vintage to stamp a border below my scallops and topped it with a strip of designer paper from my Holly Berry Speciality designer paper. The topper is made by stamping the gorgeous label from Everything Eleanor with the large plant image from Fresh Vintage. I layered on punched leaves, stamped for extra texture, and Fresh Vintage flowers that I cut out with my sharp paper snips and finished with punched glimmer paper centres.

The full-on glittery flower centres are gorgeous and I liked the way the different texture of the designer paper strip contrasted with them. Here's a close-up of the strip - it's shiny, like embossing, and less glittery than the glimmer paper. Isn't that decorative border stamp gorgeous?! I can see it coming in handy for all sorts of projects!

I always like to show you the sentiments I use. This one's from Contempo Christmas and is probably my favourite Christmas sentiment - I find the shape of it very pleasing to my eye!

Supplies needed for this card:

Stamps: Fresh Vintage, Everything Eleanor, Contempo Christmas (sentiment)

Ink: Old Olive, Real Red, Crumb Cake

Card stock: Naturals Ivory, Very Vanilla, Old Olive

Punches: 2-step bird punch, 3/4" circle punch, scallop border punch
Other: Glimmer paper, Holly Berry speciality designer paper, paper snips, stamp-a-majig

I'd be delighted to order any of these supplies for you and can have them delivered to your address in the UK. I am committed to providing excellent customer service and am always happy to help and advise. Just send me an email or give me a call on 01280 820593. Click here to see all the free Sale-a-bration sets and don't forget to let me know which free Sale-a-bration set or sets you'd like - remember, one item for EVERY £45 spent!

When my daughter saw that this was a Christmas card she wondered if I was feeling quite the thing! I explained that these challenges were set up so that people could make cards in advance. "It's to take the stress out of getting ready for Christmas," I explained. "Well it won't," she said roundly. "You'll just find something else to stress about!" Oh my daughter - how well she knows me!

Thank you so much for coming today. I really do appreciate your visits and your comments and emails and support. Have a great weekend and I'll see you very soon!

Hugs,