Victorian Christmas Card

     The Pink Team is posting this week for the Eclectic Ellapu Challenge and our theme was chosen by this week's marvelous Hostess, Berni.  She wants to see creations done in Pink and Cream.  Since she didn't limit it by saying "and no other colors", I had to have a bit of Christmas green.

     That incredible heart-shaped image is a freebie I found over at Graphics Fairy.  I printed it, then fussy cut it with scissors, and added the lace and pearls.  Quick note:  I bought two little containers of those beaded pearl strings simply because they were on sale, with no idea how I might use them.  I'm sure you've never done any impulse purchases like that, right?  Uh huh.  But now that I've used them here with lace, I see all kinds of possibilities.  I used liquid glue and they seem to be pretty permanently affixed.

     Since the sentiment in the image says, "With Best Christmas Wishes,"  I chose holly leaf paper in cream, pink, and green, and a complementing deep pink CS (which I distressed slightly by sanding it) for the background.  I added the corner holly leaves and berries, and felt it just didn't need more embellishment than that.  I didn't want to take away from the heart and the lace.

     I think this is deliciously vintage, though others may feel it doesn't have enough embellishment for true vintage.  I'm very pleased and satisfied, however, and I know just who will receive this card for Christmas.  :-D  Nope, don't ask -- I'm not telling!  She might read this blog post.

     Challenges:
ABC Christmas -- V is for Vibrant colors
Bearly Mine -- Anything goes
Creative Craft -- Special occasion NOT a birthday
Digi Haven Monthly -- Anything goes
Ooh La La -- C is...Christmas
Papertake Weekly -- Anything goes
Shopping Our Stash -- Had to buy it, it was on sale!
Stamp & Create -- Lace
Sweet Stamps -- Christmas
Whoopsi Daisy -- Christmas cards

     Less than 2 weeks until Thanksgiving (for those of us in the US), and I wish I could tell you I was totally ready.  NOT!  But, most of my cards are done and ready to mail.  In fact, those which are destined for Japan went in the mail yesterday.   The rest of them will be mailed this week for delivery to their various locations around the States.

     Enjoy your weekend and Happy Stamping.  (Edited:  Thank goodness this one was scheduled before I got so sick!)  NanaConnie

Eclectic Is Finally Here!

     I know you've all seen the Eclectic Ellapu DT badge on my sidebar and probably wondered why you hadn't seen me posting cards for their challenges.  After all, that's what we do when we serve on a design team, right?  Well, today begins the first challenge and I have the honor of serving on the Pink Team which is posting this week.  We have two teams, Pink and Purple (yes, I know, I know, a purple freak on the Pink Team!) and we will have weekly challenges, with each team serving every other week.

     Our new challenge blog is all about FUN, FUN, FUN.  We are purely a badge awarding challenge blog rather than being sponsored.  That means the DT members, and anyone wanting to join in our weekly challenges, have the autonomy to create whatever they wish just as long as it fits the theme for that week.  What freedom! Our challenge this week is "Anything Goes" and that means you have no restrictions on what you create.

     This being the birth of a new challenge, I've done a birthday card and I did it in purples!  lol

Sketch by My Time Made Easy, leaving off the vertical strip, which just took away from that wonderful background dp.   Apologies to MTME.  :-D

     Everything on or about this card came from a drawer, pile, or stash with forgotten or hoarded items.  Can you believe I used a rubber stamp and not a digi? Yep.  I've had this "Cherry Blossom" stamp by Rubber Stampede for at least three years and have never used it.  I colored it with Copics, and added Stickles to the flower centers.  The Stickles bottle was in my drawer of glitters, and had been used only once before.

     The purple paper was in the dp stash and I can't even tell you how long it had been there, unused, but it was in my 12 X 12 scrapbooking papers so that means at least 3 years!  The neutral dp onto which I stamped the cherry branch is an old scrap piece left over from another project long ago (from SU.)

     The round rhinestones I've had since I got them at an estate sale and I've always thought they would be just too big to use on a card.  Now that I used them, I think they're perfect.  The bow is one I made from ribbon scraps and put in my stash several months ago, probably last spring.  Finally, the butterfly gem -- I had several of those in different colors but I keep hoarding the purple ones!   What's the point in having them if they are never going to see daylight?  The sentiment is also a rubber stamp, this one from Sparkle n Sprinkle.

     Challenges:
C.R.A.F.T. -- Monochromatic
Craftymess -- Anything goes
Delicious Doodles -- Monochrome
Divas by Design -- Anything goes
Hiding in My Craftroom -- Super Scraps Saturday
My Heart Pieces -- Monochromatic
Outlaws Paper A La Mode -- Use what you don't (hoarded or forgotten items)
Paper Crafting Journey -- Add some bling
Whimsy Inspirations -- All things sparkly

     Now, we really want to see you play along with us at the Eclectic challenge this week.  You are completely unfettered as to what you can create and enter since our Anything Goes theme leaves it wide open.  Hope to see you there.  Happy Stamping. NanaConnie