Branching Out!

LOL - by the post title, you'd think I was doing something other than Merry Monday. Nope - it's time for Debbie's challenge to use twigs &/or branches on your Christmas card. Fun theme & be sure to check out all the wonderful inspiration from the Design Team!

The first thing I thought was to use the cute Lawn Fawn birdies I used on a card a couple weeks ago, putting them on their branch this time. As I was flipping through my stamps, though, I spotted a Pink & Main set I bought in Arizona back in 2015 - I couldn't resist the sweet cardinal.

Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts Grass Layering Paper; Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Pop-tone Red, Green and Aqua; American Crafts Christmas from Target's Hot Spot bin (patterned)

Dies -  MFT Die-Namics Blueprints 20 (stitched rectangle); Impression Obsession Pine Branch; 
Pink & Main Hollydays Dies; Spellbinders Classic Ovals Sm 

Stamps - Hero Arts CM100 Christmas Messages (sentiment); Pink & Main Hollydays

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black; Tim Holtz Distress Ink -Pine Needles
Other - Copic Markers, googly eye, Michael's gems

After doing Kathy's latest 30 Day Coloring Challenge, I've been trying to do better shading and texturing. I hope I succeeded with my cardinal on branch! Since I still had a set of ovals out from the weekend, I decided to pop a horizontal oval behind the cardinal to showcase him; the patterned paper would've been a bit overwhelming otherwise.

While I was still thinking of this week's Merry Monday, I realized I didn't make two versions of last week's card (which, by the way, got an Honorable Mention!!). I'm really trying to do that each week so I have enough for charity donations. So, I whipped up a card with a smaller poinsettia and a twist to the frame.

Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts Foliage Designer Layering Paper & PS766 Decorative Woodgrain Vellum; Authentique Green; Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Recollections (Michael's brand) red and green; Tim Holtz Kraft Metallic

Dies - Spellbinders S5-055 Layered Poinsettia & Elegant Ovals & Classic Ovals Sm; Hero Arts DI199 Circle Infinity Dies
Sentiment stamp - Hero Arts CM100 Christmas Messages

Ink - Hero Arts Red and Green Inks, Tim Holtz Distress Ink -Pine Needles

Smaller poinsettia because I had mangled the largest flower layer when I was inking! Instead, I cut it in green and used part of it for leaves. The centers were die cut with the teeny circle in the Hero Arts Infinity Circle set. When I made last Monday's card, I die cut a second elegant oval but part of it got mangled when removing it from the die. So I die cut an oval out of it thinking I'd pitch the exterior. Turns out it was just mangled on the edge where I'd put the poinsettia so I decided to use it. I die cut a vellum oval to replace the part I cut out and then put the smaller elegant oval on top. Interesting thing about the smaller oval - along the edge it has some triangles - most of the time a bunch pop out so I poke out the rest. This time none popped out so I have a dry embossed look around the edge - very cool. Anyway, I'd be interested to hear which version of the poinsettia card you liked better.

So that's it for today. I have another Easter card I'll share tomorrow but for now, as usual, I'm off to practice chorus music. Thanks for stopping and have a Merry Monday!!