A Joyful Card

I recently got Newton's Holiday Mischief Stamp and Dies set (you will see more of that set in a bit - I love those kitties!) from Newton's Nook, and I wanted to try something new.  I try to "stretch" my stamps, find other ways to use them other than their intended use and as soon as I saw the adorable little holly stamp and die I had an idea - now as some you know having an idea and executing it are two very different things - but, I think I did ok with this one! 

What I Used to make my Card:
White Card Base
KaiserCraft Yuletide Decorative Paper, #PK484
Newton's Nook Newton's Holiday Mischief Stamps
Newton's Nook Newton's Holiday Mischief Dies
Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black
Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Paper
Blender Pen
Distress Markers in Festive Berries and Pine Needles
Red Glitter Gel Pen
Red Glitter Cardstock
Tim Holtz/Sizzix Alterations Holiday Words:Script, #660058
Tim Holtz/Sizzix Movers & Shakers Magnetic Die Mini Wreath & Bow, #658267
Hand Punch - 2 1/2" Circle

Close Up 

First, I stamped (on watercolor paper) and die cut a bunch of the holly leaves and berries and then I colored them in with Distress Markers, first washing the Pine Needles color over the leaves, by scribbling the color onto my craft mat and then picking it up with a blender pen.  Once they dried, I  sort of outlined them, in a scribble kind of way - I hope this close up makes it easier to see what I'm talking about. The berries were just colored in direct to paper with Festive Berries, then colored over with a red glitter gel pen to give them a bit of sparkle. I tried to maneuver the holly leaves into a circle, but,

static cling had other things in mind and they kept moving.  So I punched out a circle from some scrap paper using one of those old Marvy punches (remember when that was all we had to make shapes with!?!? - how did we ever make anything? 😉) and glued each section onto the circle - Ta Dah! The little holly sprigs couldn't move all around once they were glued! There was a teeny gap that was too small for another sprig so I cut the bow from the Mini Wreath out of red glitter cardstock and covered the gap.  

Next I cut "joy" out of red glitter card as well (here is a tip - when you cut out a word that has an "i" in it, use removable tape or washi tape to keep the dot from the i with the i - they are teeny tiny and NOT fun to try to find.  At least not fun to try and find on my desk) and adhered that to the center of the wreath made from the holly leaves and berries.  I then glued the wreath onto a piece of decorative paper from the KaiserCraft set called Yuletide.  I love how this card is simple but festive and this idea is going on my card making list for next year. Thanks so much for visiting and I hope your holiday season is a happy one ~ Christi

I would respectfully like to enter my Joy card in the following challenges:
The Artistic Stamper, December - Christmas
Card Mania Challenges - December, #87, Anything Goes
Christmas Cards All Year Round - December, Anything Christmas/Holiday
Country View Challenges - December, Christmas
Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge - Christmas (month long)
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Make it Sparkle

Alphabet Challenge Blog - U is for Use Something Red
Cards in Envy - Celebrate the Season
Southern Ridge Trading Co. - December, Christmas and/or New Years
Happy Little Stampers - December, Anything Goes with Dies