Christmas Card Throwdown: Holly & Joy

 I was thrilled to be a winner at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown with this card for their masculine card challenge. Now I am honored to be their guest for the current challenge: Holly andor Ivy.  Here's how I was inspired.

After I decided on the Holly Ring, I happened to have the pad of mirrored pastel cardstock out on my desk for another card. It was a happy coincidence because it got me thinking that maybe I'd take my card in a slightly different color direction than red and green. I went with soft pastels and a variety of neutrals - white, ivory and that soft plaid in the background. 

I experimented with a variety of sentiments for this card.  I thought about stamping but I didn't want it in black and white embossing wouldn't show up well on that light colored background and I didn't want to add cardstock back into the center (I like the dainty look of the Holly Ring without filling it in.)  So then I looked at sentiment dies. I'm a "rule-follower" so I started looking at dies that fit inside the frame - because that's what a frame is, right?!   I don't really know what made me try the big "joy" but I knew right away I liked it even though it didn't fit and should have made me a little twitchy! I found some regular cardstock that matched the mirrored berries, then I added the mirrored ivory on the edges to accent it.

Thank you so much to the group at the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown for giving me this opportunity. I love the challenge they give me each week and I love inspiration that I get from their design team.

SUPPLY LIST

Dies: Poppystamps Holly Ring and Double Joy

Paper: Memory Box Vintage Pastel Mirror pad, Lush Green Collection and Garden Folly (for the background), Stampin' Up Petal Pink