Sweet Christmas

Christmas in January? Why not? If you make Christmas Cards all year long, it's will be a no stress December when it comes time to mail them. Jingle Belles Challenge has a Getting Fit Challenge for 2022:

"Since the New Year often brings resolutions to eat less sugar and get fit, and paper sweets have no calories, we're asking you to add candy, cookies, cake or any other favorite holiday sweet to your cards for the next Jingle Belles prompt."

You know I like to begin with a sketch and I loved this vertical sketch from the Paper Craft Crew Sketch Challenge:

I used Taylored Expressions' Stencil Masks in both Squares and Circles to keep with the sketch theme. I ink blended with my Scrapbook.com Foam Blending Tools using Ranger Distress Ink Kitsch Flamingo and for the square and for the circle Simon Hurley Over the Moon ink.

The images are from Lawn Fawn's A Creature Was Stirring Stamp Set & Coordinating Dies:

This was really a fun set to to color and die cut. I used my various alcohol markers in my stash to color - Altenew, Spectrum Noir and Copics. Die cut all the little images (many more than I used here) out while I was watching TV with hubby using my Altenew Mini Blossom Die Cutting Machine:

Why a small die cutting machine when I have a Big Shot? A couple of reasons: one it is very portable, so I can travel with it, even it that means from upstairs to downstairs in our home! That means I can still be with the family while crafting. In that same theme I can use it right on my work station...the Big Shot I have over in another part of my craft room. The Altenew mini machine cuts 2" wide piece of paper and goes through like a breeze! 

For "Bells and Whistles" I used Trinity Stamps Glass Slipper Shimmery Glossy Transparent Confetti on the Sweet Wishes card. Something a little subtle so they don't distract from the sweet images.

Here is a second card I made and I have just the friend in mind for it! She always brings us an assortment of handmade cookies at Christmas, so this will be perfect for her:

The sentiments come from a retired set by Power Poppy called Frosted Gingerbread. I did see that Power Poppy has it available in a digital stamp, but does not include all the sentiments that the stamp set did.

Thank you to Jingle Belles and Paper Craft Crew Challenges for the inspiration and the start of my 2022 Christmas Cards!

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