Challenge Me Monday #88 Holiday Cards (a tad late)

Hi there,

It's another Fantabulous Challenge Me Monday (okay, it's actually Tuesday, but let's just pretend, shall we? ;0) ) over at FCCB, which means you are invited to join in!  This week's project is easy peasy -- create a holiday card with at least one Cricut cut on it.  We have an awesome sponsor this week who provided some of us with their amazing embellishments.  If you haven't been to the Creative Charms store, OMG, you are totally missing out!!!  They have very unique embellishments at really awesome prices.  Their customer service is just the best, btw!!!  Please stop by their shop and check out their goodies.  Of course they have an amazing blog as well and you can check that out HERE!  They are also our giveaway sponsor this week so be sure to join in our challenge.  I'm sure EVERYONE has a holiday card they can enter right?  Who knows... You might just be the lucky winner!

Alright, onto my project...  I decided to go all crazy and try the new Cricut Craftroom Software, which is FREE, btw!!!  OMG, if you don't have this yet, what are you waiting for???  Especially if you have an Imagine.  You can move your images all over and print them where you want now!!!  However, this is a beta program so they are still working out a few bugs.  When they get it all straightened out, it's going to be absolutely awesome and completely necessary if you own an Imagine or even an Expression and E2.

First I designed my layout on my computer with the CCR software, then I saved the file to my gypsy in order to cut, since one of the cartridges I used came preloaded on my Gypsy and I don't have the actual (Christmas) cartridge, but I do have Elegant Edges, which I used as well.  If you have the actual cartridges, you just put them in whatever machine you're running, hook up your computer to that machine and it will prompt you when to switch your cartridges so you can use multiple cartridges for one layout.  Pretty neat huh?  :0)

This is my 2nd Christmas card of the season.  I know, I'm waaaaayyyy behind as usual... ;p  I really wanted to show off the embellishments from Creative Charms so I used the Joy & Noel Christmas Glitz & Glimmer, Make the Season Shimmer package.  They are multi-layered and are backed with holographic sticker material, topped with chipboard, and accented with rhinestones!!!  These are better than just "stickers"! :0)  Also, if you look at the bottom of the card you'll see this cute little tiny star, which is from their Seasonal Sparkles set.  So cute!

 Joy stickers were placed on ornament backgrounds from the Christmas cartridge.  I used twine from Archivers for the bows.  See how the angel shimmers and the border too?  Details below...

 This sticker from Creative Charms was just perfect for this project.

 The rhinestones in the middle of the stickers are actually made that way!  Leave it to Creative Charms to think of these things.  Wish the picture showed up better, cause they really sparkle, as does the holographic background.

Side view (3 layers on Angel, 2 layers for border)

The background paper is from the Imagine Cartridge - Imagine More (fabby isn't it?), the blue patterned paper is called Brrr, from Fancy Pants, the other beigey-paper is from my stash and the cardstock I used is from Recollections.

I wanted to make this one really layered as so many of our girls do on FCCB.  I haven't really done this technique, but I've received some cards like this from friends and decided it just makes the card really pop and adds so much more to a simple card.  For this technique, I just used small pop dots and larger pop dots.  I inked my edges with some Martha Stewart ink, as well as Studio G ink pads.  The beigy paper, I decided to sparkle up a bit so I added some glue and some Perfect Pearls by Ranger gold shimmer powder.  It was messy, but I like the effect.

Thank you all for stopping by to see me today and just to let you know, I haven't forgotten that I need to do some blog candy drawings and to my girls who won previous drawings, I am so sorry for being soooo late.  I promise I have not forgotten about any of you.  My health has been getting worse and worse in different ways and unfortunately, I spend most of my time sleeping.  Thank you all for your patience and please know that I will never forget about my followers for it is you all who keep me grounded and give me a reason to get out of bed.  I appreciate each and every one of you and I LOVE reading your comments.  There are so many that I want to respond to, but just haven't been able to, so please know that I think of you when you send me comments.  I check out your blogs whenever I can and I do have the goal of eventually getting to every one of you.  Please don't be offended if you don't hear from me right away.  It doesn't mean I didn't read your comment or don't appreciate you, because I do appreciate each and everyone of you!

XO ~ Amy Jo