Card Design: 12MoC Ch. #15...Opt. Theme--Holiday Decorations

Surprise, Surprise!  I actually managed to create a card for one of my own challenges for a change.  I'm not keeping up very well with my Christmas cards so far this year so it was high time I actually get one made.  Tonight the March challenge and link up begins over at The 12 Months of Christmas Link Up. 

Don't forget that this link up is basically two-fold.  First of all, you have the opportunity to link up any number of Christmas and December holiday themed cards throughout the month with an anything goes theme. At the end of each month, every person who has linked up a MINIMUM of two (2) Christmas or holiday themed cards will be eligible to receive a specially designed Christmas themed digital paper created by moi. That means that if you submit two cards each month, by the time that the year is done, you will have received 12 free digital papers, all for the low cost of linking up cards you need to create anyway. You do not need to use the digital paper you receive each month in your cards in order to get the next paper. They are strictly meant as incentive to participate.

While team members had the option of working with any of my Décosse's Dynamite Doodles papers, I did create a special set called Holiday Decorations, based on the theme for this challenge. Check out the preview...
 

Everyone who links up a minimum of two cards during the month of March will earn ONE of the digital papers from this set.  The specific paper up for grabs will be shown during the winner announcement post.  If you would like to have a say in determining which paper will be offered, you can answer the poll we've set up in the sidebar on the top right hand side of The 12 Months of Christmas Link Up blog.

The second part of the challenge provides even more incentive to play. Each month there will be an OPTIONAL theme to follow. This month the optional theme is Holiday Decorations.  In order to have a chance to win the prize from our wonderful guest sponsor this month, make sure that your card has a holiday decoration on it in some form or other (i.e. lights, wreaths, ornaments, etc.).  The decoration can be in the image, part of your papers or even as a separate embellishment.   You can find more details over on the Challenge #15 post. You can find that post and the link up by clicking HERE. 

Also, be sure to check out all the rules and details on the Challenge Details Page. We have provided examples of a few different scenarios to help explain things and make them a bit clearer, in case there is any confusion. 

This month our wonderful guest sponsor is A Day For Daisies...

 Check out the great image I got to work with this month for the start of the challenge...

Christmas Tree Time

 Isn't it adorable?!!  Click on the watermark above to find this image in the ADFD store.

This card makes...

Christmas Cards to date for 2016:  3

 ...and here it is...
 
General Info:

• This card has been created mostly digitally and then printed and assembled.
• I followed an old sketch from Crazy 4 Challenges.

FRONT

Digital Image Details: 

• Christmas Tree Time:  Details and link above.  The image was coloured in with a combination of Fine Markers and Copic Markers. 

 
Digital Embellishments: 

• The bird embellies are digital images created by Julia's Dreams and the star is a watercolour element from Cornercroft.  All of these items are freebies that I picked up at The Hungry JPEG.
• I created the accent piece using a combination of a rectangle shape along with an edge template created by Marisa Lerin, Pixel Scrapper.

 
 
INSIDE

Digital Sentiment Details: 

• This great sentiment was created by Paulette from Create with TLC.  I picked it up as a freebie a while back.   For more great freebies and inspiration be sure to click HERE to go to Paulette's blog and for awesome sets for purchase, click HERE to go to the home page of the store.

OVERALL 
Paper Products: 

• Card base: Michael's Recollection's Cardstock, white.

 

Digital Paper Products: 

• I used one of the papers from the Merry Mix 1 mini set.

Digital Embellishments: 

• The star shapes used for matting in behind the image, and sentiment are shapes created by Elif Sahin, also with Pixel Scrapper.
• The shadows to give each element some depth were created with a layer style from Sheila Reid, also with Pixel Scrapper.

 
Challenges I am hoping to enter...

• http://wordartwednesday.blogspot.ca/ -- Always Anything Goes
• http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge2.blogspot.co.uk/ -- Always Anything Goes:  Christmas
• http://kraftinkimmiestamps.blogspot.ca/ -- Wonderful Wednesdays: Always Anything Goes
• http://www.hidinginmycraftroom.com/ --Any Holiday
• http://christmascardchallenges.blogspot.ca/ -- Anything Goes or Optional Photo inspiration (I have stars and a tree in my image and of course stars in my paper)
• http://scrappers-delights-challenge-blog.blogspot.co.uk/ (UL) -- Always Anything Goes
• http://craftyhazelnutspatternedpaper.blogspot.ca/ (UL) -- Always Anything Goes with Patterned Paper
• http://artbymiranchallenge.blogspot.ca/  -- Anything Goes (hand coloured)

So what are you waiting for? It is time to link up your Christmas and other holiday cards for March.  Whether you choose to link up two Anything Goes themed cards simply to earn your free paper this month, or you choose to also follow the theme to have a chance at the sponsor's prize, it is completely up to you!  Cards for this challenge will be accepted from 6:00 p.m. (18:00 hrs), March 1st - 11:55 p.m. (23:55 hrs), March 31st, 2016.   You can find out all the details for this challenge including the link up by heading HERE.  Monica, I and the design team hope to see you there! 

Until next time!