NOEL

 Happy Monday and welcome to another Monday challenge!

Challenge #200: Pick a Holiday

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$10.00 Gift Certificate

To qualify for the prize, be sure to use at least 1 Cricut cut on your project and if it's not obvious, let us know what cartridge you used.

I am so thrilled to be presenting this card as part of the Design Team for the Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog.  Join us in the fun. This week the challenge is Holidays.

Last Christmas I ran out of cards. This year, I'm starting now on my cards so that I'm ready to go when holiday time comes around. I started this card with the embossed frame and the word Noel. Then I chalked it in reds and greens. The patterned paper is from a DCVW mat stack. Using the Joys of the Season Cricut cartridge, I used pearlescent paper to cut the mistletoe. I wanted to break up the green with a little yellow, so I added a bit of bling and the flowers.

Christmas Sled

I'm in the homestretch on finishing holiday cards. For this card, I suddenly thought about the driveways in our neighborhoods. While it's about 70 degrees in GA today, my friends in the north are talking about their snowy yards. What would be in a snowy front yard.... snow, snowmen, sled.... I stuck with the "S" theme... 

I tore the snow from white card stock and embossed it with a swirl folder. The snowman was cut using the Snow Friends Cricut Cartridge, and the sled from the Joys of the Season Cartridge. A `simple sentiment finished the card. 

Challenges Entered: 

Pumpkin Spice: Anything Holiday

Crafty Hands: Winter Theme

Exploring Cricut: It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. 

Paper Playtime: Winter Fun

Christmas Vintage Santa

Crafting with vintage elements usually stretches my creativity, especially with color choices. The patterned paper on this card is cut from one sheet of 12 x 12 glittered patterned paper by My Mind's Eye (Lost & Found Christmas). 

I wanted to get both of the images in, so I cut them into different sizes. The red, cream, and brown provided a challenge for adding elements, I wanted to keep away from too much green, but also have some brightness, so I used white mats and a deep blue glittered base. When I added the bird die cut, I used a soft blue glitter paper and added the pop of green in the tree die cut. All of the red on the top layer is glittered. Both cuts were made from Cricut's Joys of the Season cartridge, a new favorite of mine. A little "Noel" pop sticker finished out the card. 

Challenges Entered: 

Happy Campers: Christmas

Cards Galore: Christmas 

Crafter's Cafe Challenge: Sparkle

The Male Room: Celebration

The Sisterhood of Crafters: Christmas Sparkle

Papertake Weekly: Last Christmas

Christmas Dog

Here it is... finally... my Christmas card for one of my BEST friends. The main inspiration for this card was using this cute Christmas dog from the Create a Critter 2 Cricut cartridge. Since she and I have dogs that compete in various sports, it felt especially important to have a Christmas dog on the card. I hope she likes it!!!

Challenges Entered:
2 Creative Chicks: Christmas
Die Cut Divas: Let's Celebrate
Feeling Crafty Challenge: Christmas
Exploring Cricut: Christmas
Always Playing with Paper: Christmas with an animal

Christmas Holly Color Splash

Talk about a color splash!

I wanted to capture the bight colorful lights and decorations of Christmas in this card.
I started with the Holly stamp from Eureka Stamps, and used my Copic markers and glitter pens to color the holly image. Once those colors were established, it was easy to work my way backwards adding patterned paper. When I add that many bold colors, a good pop of black separating sections makes a dramatic difference.

Challenges Entered:

Mojo Monday: Sketch.
Through the Purple Haze: Christmas.
Created with Love: Christmas.
Party Time Tuesday: Merry Christmas.

Challenge #4: Christmas Thank You (with a die cut)

It's time for Challenge #4, Christmas Thank You (with a die cut). But first... 

Challenge #3 Top Three for Christmas Without Green or Red:

Leona

Holly

Sandy

Challenge #3 Design Team Pick: Winner and Random Winner for Christmas Without Green or Red. (Email us at scrapbookerphd@gmail.com to claim your prize.)

Design Team Choice: Winner

Shery Russ

Random Choice: Winner:
Julie Reed

Thank you to everyone who participated. This was a very successful challenge, and I am looking forward to see what you come up with for the next round. 

Challenge #4

Christmas Thank You (with a due cut). 
Want to be a guest designer, put GDT next to your name in your entry.

Sponsors:

Eureka Stamps

The Paper Nest

Remember you can create any paper craft - card, layout, tag, etc.

Codes: 2W, 3E, C5.

Review Challenge Rules for this blog.

Review Challenge Helpful Tips.

Mutiple Ways to Win: 

•   The Top 3 Picks will be listed with links to their blogs. The Winner will receive 5 digital stamps from Eureka Stamps. 

•   If we have 15 or more entries, there will be a Random Prize winner. You will receive 5 digital stamps from The Paper Nest. 

To claim your prize, email scrapbookerphd@gmail.com. 

Need inspiration: 

Christmas, Many Thanks. 

Cricut Cartridges: Elegant Edges, Artbooking. 

Christmas Vintage Thank You

Cricut Cartridge: Artbooking

Christmas Many Thanks

How many Christmas cards have you made so far? How many more do you think you need to make? It's a good thing we have challenges that stretch our imaginations. This Christmas thank you card was created as an inspirational example for ScrapbookerPhD's Challenge #4, Christmas Thank You.

Thanks to my Cricut Cartridges Elegant Edges and Artbooking, this card came together fast. I used traditional papers and a little bit of bling. Presto.

Challenges Entered:

Exploring Cricut: Christmas Cards.
Party Time Tuesday: Christmas Projects.

Christmas Vintage Thank You

Are you running out of red and green card stock and patterned papers? It's a good thing we have challenges that stretch our imaginations for color combinations. This Christmas thank you card was created as an inspirational example for ScrapbookerPhD's Challenge #4, Christmas Thank You. I knew I wanted to go black and white and vintage thanks the the Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog's Christmas Beyond Red and Green. My Cricut Craft Room saved the day here since I was able to size everything to perfectly fit the card in one try!

Cricut Cartridge: Artbooking.

Challenges Entered:

Exploring Cricut: Christmas Card Challenge
Creative Moments: Anything Goes Vintage

Christmas Pixie

If you haven't already purchased the Copic Skin Tones set, you really should. It takes the guessing out of which colors to use. Another great set from Copic are their glitter pens. I used these pens to highlight everything on my Christmas Pixie.

The bow on the bottom corner is actually a child's hair ribbon. I love to use these. They are cheap, and they are perfectly tied.

Challenges Entered:

Through the Purple Haze: Christmas.
Mojo Monday: Sketch.
Paper Playtime: Anything Goes.
Created with Love Challenges: Christmas.

Christmas Tree

I found this darling star banner from the Cricut cartridge, Joys of the Season and used it on my Pink  Poinsettias card. I decided to use it again on this Christmas Tree card.

I started with Mojo Monday's Sketch #321. This is an extremely versatile sketch that let's you play with patterned paper.

Instead of a circle, I cut an scalloped oval and inked in olive green. The Christmas tree is stamped with a forest green and them embossed for some shine. A small red jewel is at the top of the tree.

Here's a tip: always look at the dollar bin in your craft store. You will never believe what you can find. The bow at the bottom of the card is a hair ribbon from a pack out of the dollar bin.

Other challenges entered:

Through the Purple Haze
Bitten By the Bug 2: Christmas Card.
Paper Playtime: Anything Goes.
The Crafter's Cafe Challenge: Anything Goes.

Pink Poinsettias

This is my second Christmas card using the Cricut Cartridge, Joys of the Season. I remember when this cartridge was brand new, and I barely used it. For this year's round of holiday cards, I've challenged myself to use Joys of the Season more often.

The poinsettias here were cut at 2.5, and I took Copic glitter markers to line and detail the leaves. The raspberry layer is glitter paper from DCWV so is the classic glitter patterned paper from the Linen Closet mat stack.

I don't know how I ever lived without my Cricut Craft Room. I was able to size the banner perfectly to fit the card in just seconds. I tried different colors for the banner, and decided on the yellowish gold to pick up the center of the poinsettias.

Challenges Entered:

The Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog: Sparkle and Bling.
Bitten By the Bug 2: Christmas Card.

Christmas Caroling

For ScrapbookerPhD's third challenge, Christmas without Green or Red, I decided to go with white and blue, with lots of sparkle. The background of the stamp is dusted with Perfect Pearls for a shimmery look.

Christmas Believe

For ScrapbookerPhD's third challenge, Christmas without Green or Red, I knew I wanted to use various shades of brown and cream with a vintage feel. The fairy image is courtesy of our Sponsor, Craffiti Direct Stamps. It is the Flower Fairy Princess stamp set. Visit their site today!

Challenges Entered:

Vintage Stamping Challenge: Traditional Christmas.
Oldie but a Goodie: CAS Christmas.

Christmas Hen

It's time for a traditional Christmas card.

I went back to an oldie but a goodie, Cricut Joys of the Season. This French hen just jumped out at me, and it worked perfectly with Reflections, Garden Harvest, patterned paper.

The basket is embossed with a chicken wire folder, and the sentiment is tied with a variety of bright orange and brown textured fibers. Two vintage photo corners are popped up at the corners of the second layer.

Challenges Entered:

Fantabulous Cricut Challenge: Animal Crackers.
Creative Moments: Anything Goes CAS.

White Christmas

I am in love with my Cricut Cuttlebug especially for holidays. For this card, I used two different embossing folders to create a White Christmas CAS card. I added a touch of green and red to break up the white. Brads work as ornaments on the Christmas tree, and the silver snowflakes compliment the embossed snowflakes.

Challenges Entered:

Oldie But a Goodie: CAS Christmas.
C... is for Challenge: Winter is Coming.
Clear it Out: Snowflake.
4 Crafty Chicks: Snowflakes.

Snow

Is there snow in the air?

Not in Georgia.

This CAS card uses the Cricut Cartridge, Artbooking to make the snowflake border. It's cut with thick glitter cardstock, so I used the multi-cut function and cut 4 times. 

The patterned paper is gorgeous. It shines!

Challenges entered: 

Less is More: Designer Paper (CAS).

Creative Creations: Sparkle and Shine. 

Paper Playtime: Sparkle. 

4 Crafty Chicks: Snowflakes.

Mistletoe Kiss

First, I have to brag on my Spectrum Noir alcohol markers.  My stamping has come so far with the aide of these markers. I love the fine details and wide choices of color that I can use to make my stamping so vibrant. I took advantage of my markers on my Mistletoe Kisses card.

When coloring this stamp, I really wanted her hair to be glittery, so I used a silver glitter marker (not Spectrum). I chalked all of her skin in a light pink. For her coat, I used a combination of blue Spectrum colors. Jewels in the corners really added to the sparkle.

Challenges Entered:
Through the Purple Haze: Winter with Delicious Doodles Digi Stamps.
ABC Christmas: Winter Wishes.
C...is for Challenge: Winter is Coming.
Creative Creations Challenge: Winter is Coming.
Paper Playtime: Sparkle.