Christmas recipe - Holly ...

.... Morning all!  This is a scheduled post - as you may have gathered I'm on holiday in Cancun!!  The theme that Sarah has picked for this week's challenge at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown is to feature holly on your Christmas card(s).  I had lots of ideas for my card, but finally settled on a clean, simple design in traditional colours:

Stamps: WMS - Festive Foliage, Around Christmas Time, Compliments of the Season; Stampin' Up! - Christmas Messages
Inks: SU - Real Red, Old Olive; Versamark
Dies: Spellbinders - Pinking Circles Lg (S4-170) #3, Pinking Circles Sm (S4-172) #4, Circles Lg (S4-114) #3
Accessories: SU Card - Old Olive, Real Red; White Lustre Card; Black embossing powder; SU Marker Pen - Real Red

I used a sketch from a previous CAS Colour & Sketch challenge - CASC&S37, it works perfectly!  I randomly stamped the trio of holly leaves, the outline holly leaf and holly berries.  I cut the strip to size and edged it with a red marker pen (very subtle), mounted it onto some Old Olive card and adhered it to the card.  I stamped the holly leaf stamp in Versamark, heat embossed it with black powder, cut it out and mounted it on some pinking circles to make a rosette.  I finished the front with an ornate Christmas sentiment.  For the inside I cut a mat layer in Old Olive and on the white panel I stamped a few more holly leaves and added a simple verse for the greeting.

That's all for today - I do hope to get to see your creations this week, but that sort of depends on how much time I lie out in the sun on the golden sand, by the sea!!!  Don't forget to check out the blog to see inspiration cards from the rest of the team.  See you soon.