As I tend to make cards for personal use only, I have found a good way to get ideas, and a reason to make cards, is by using ideas and themes from card challenge blogs. This card was inspired by the 52 Card Christmas Throwdown – and what a good idea to make Christmas cards throughout the year, ensuring there are plenty for giving away when the time comes.

This entry into the challenge is an 8” x 8” white base card. I then used a smaller layer, and edged it in ‘Be Creative’ double sided sticky tape, added Cosmic Shimmer Detail Embossing Powder ‘Bright Gold’ to the tape – and heat set it. The sticky tape is amazing, and doesn’t burn when using a heat tool, so it is easy to add embossing to the edges of cards. I like to heat emboss from above, as I like the uneven look of it. I edged a couple of layers in this way, to give the focus elements a bit of a lift.

The main white of the card was embossed with Creative Expressions ‘Twinkle Twinkle’ embossing folder. I also used the image from Creative Expressions Sue Wilson Stamps to Die For ‘Christmas Night Bauble’, stamped in Perfect Medium, and heat embossed it with the same Cosmic Shimmer  embossing powder, and die cut it with the matching set of dies ‘Festive Collection – Sentimental Bauble’. I added that to another matt and layer, raising both elements with foam pads.

The sentiment I used was from Sentimentally Yours by Phill Martin, a set a bought last year, also stamped and embossed, and layered with another edge of the bright gold embossing powder.

The poinsettias are from an X-Cut die set, and I used the second size down, two layers on each, slightly curved the leaves with my pricking tool, and cut from the card I also embossed with the ‘Twinkle Twinkle’ embossing folder for a little more interest. The finishing touch is a couple of white flat back pearls to the centre.