Christmas Blessings

Hi everyone!  More Christmas since we have another day of Christmas shows.  Today's shows are with Julia at noon, 4pm and 7pm so be sure to tune in.  This card is a vintage styled card using the new JustRite Christmas Holly Background stamp.  I stamped it in Walnut Stain distress ink and used a bit of water on my brush to pull the ink into the image, giving it a softer old fashioned feel.  I like this technique as it doesn't require a lot of time to be spent colouring too. I stamped the sentiment in the centre using clear perfect medium and embossed with gold powder.  The sentiment is actually part of two different phrases.  The "from our family to yours" is supposed to go to another sentiment, but since they are unmounted, you can cut them apart and use them however you like.  It seemed to suit to oval area better!   I cut four poinsettias for the corners, each consisting of several of the same size dies in the two smallest sizes.  I wanted to distress them a bit so I used an old gold pigment ink pad on the edges of all the petals and leaves.  I stamped the cut out dies with the matching Heartfelt poinsettia stamps too.  Since there were so many of them, I did the cheater method of pressing the die cut piece into the inked stamp while it was inked side up.  If you want an absolutely perfect match, you need to stamp your poinsettia on your choice of card.  Cut the poinsettia out of copy paper and register the negative piece over your stamped image.  Tape it into place, then place the die back into the cut out area of the negative.  Tape the die in place also and cut.  This will give you as close of a match as possible.  I mounted all the poinsettias in the corners, then matted my focal element on brown card.  I cut a larger piece of milk coloured card and embossed it with the new Holiday Magic embossibility folder.  I moved the folder to do the remaining part of the background too.  It's not a perfect pattern match but it is quite swirly so you don't tend to notice that the alignment isn't perfect.  I added a piece of duchess lace for a more vintage feel.  I matted it another piece of brown card and used the pearl PVA glue dots around the edge to finish it.  I hope this will appeal to the more traditional or vintage lovers out there.  All for now, Sue x