Merry Christmas

Hero Arts is having a holiday challenge at their blog. I created this card with that challenge in mind. I'm entering it in 2 categories: "Mad About Metallics" & "Anything Goes."

I began by choosing this sketch by Operation Write Home:

I chose a patterned paper from my scrap stash, and die cut it with the scalloped frame from Mama Elephant's "Femme Frames" set. To create the mats, I cut pieces of white cardstock, inked around the edges with Versamark, and sprinkled on Ranger Gold embossing powder. After melting the powder with my heat tool, I had to apply more Versamark and embossing powder, since I'd missed some spots. I glued the patterned paper piece to the larger mat, and set that under a book to dry and flatten, since the heat from the heat tool had warped the cardstock significantly.

After printing the tree from this Hero Arts digital set onto white cardstock, I die cut it with one of Spellbinders' "Classic Ovals" dies. I inked the edges with Delicata Golden Glitz pigment ink, to tie in with the gold from the patterned paper and embossed mats.

I laid the die cut oval over the now-dry background, and positioned the green cardstock strip, without adhering anything down. I just wanted to see exactly where to stamp my greeting. I chose a greeting from Hero Arts "Merry Christmas Message" set, & stamped it in Versamark onto the green cardstock. I heat embossed it with Ranger Super Fine Detail White embossing powder.

Finally, I matted the green cardstock with the other gold embossed piece, and glued that to the card front. I glued the focal panel on top, & added dots of Christmas Red Stickles to the tree for ornaments. After inking a scrap of white cardstock with more Delicata ink and zapping it with my heat tool to set it, I die cut the star using one of My Favorite Things' "Blueprints 13" dies, and glued it to the top of the tree. I will be sending this to this year's Caring Hearts Card Drive.

I'm also entering this card in a2z Scrapbooking's November challenge: "Anything Goes."