Catered Crop Washi's Up? Merry Christmas!

This week's recipe at Catered Crop is Washi's Up?  (Don't you just love the names of the challenges?!)

I most definitely jumped on the Washi Tape trend.  I have an entire shoebox size container of Washi to prove it.  What I don't have are many cards that actually use it?!  So I am definitely not the creative Washi person from which you will get a new idea. When I do use it, it's just a strip of color.  Sometimes that torn end is just the unique touch that a card needs.



My attempt at creativity is the button - it's covered with Washi!!  And the leaf is Washi adhered to white cardstock and then I used the die to cut a leaf.
I definitely chuckled at myself when I was putting this card together.  First, I swore up and down that I did not need every color of sequin and/or enamel dot out there.  Now it's been pointed out to me that they are on virtually every card that I make..and often in multiple colors like above.  Yes...I have every color made!!  I find them perfect in sets of threes to highlight a sentiment - it's like the sentiment is in a spotlight with sparkles of colored light around it!
Second, check out the big, loopy, Stacey Schafer-style bow - especially in black!  Mine isn't quite as dramatic as Stacey's, but it's a whole lot more dramatic than my usual twine or bow.  I had adhered the strips of Washi.  After some experimentation, I decided that I liked the poinsettia die. Then I got stumped with the sentiment.  I didn't like it in black because it seemed so stark, but it got lost in red or green.  Then I saw the roll of black twine from Hemptique.  Why not try a big loopy blow to ground the poinsettia and to bring a little black to the card so that a black sentiment wasn't so stark?  It makes me happy!
There's another week on the Catered Crop Washi challenge.  As always, Linda has curated a Pinterest board of ideas.  Tomorrow, you will get some extra inspiration from the design team (probably a little more unique than my strips!!)  I hope you play along!

• Stamps: Paper Smooches Christmas Sampler
• Paper: Stampin' Up Real Red
• Ink: Memento Black
• Accessories: Queen & Co. Trendy Tape, Paper Smooches Poinsettia Die, Doodlebug Sprinkles in Ladybug, Limeade and Beetle Black, Hemptique black twine