Yesterday a Lily, Today, Poinsettias - Week 26 Christmas Card

Evening All,

A huge welcome to my new follower, Chadsgirl510, sorry, couldn't find your real name. I hope you enjoy visiting this blog and feel free to comment on my posts - I really appreciate the feedback. Now onto this evening's card.

This card had me thinking  - yes, I know, not much of that going on usually but this card triggered the thought that we must all have design papers in our stash that we find difficult to use. This double-sided 12"x12" sheet was one such for me. The problem was that the big flower image, gorgeous as it is, covered about two-thirds of the surface so what to do with it. I couldn't cut it down to make several cards. I couldn't scrap on it - it would have been a tragedy to cover up the image with photos and embellishments. Periodically, I took it out, stroked it, admired it, then put it back in it's folder and on the shelf again. However, this weekend, during a visit to the garden centre, I found a pack of 8"x8" kraft card blanks - a card size I've not made up to now - and it was then I had a light bulb moment, this size of card would be just right base for my treasured DP.

After the card base, matting and layering card, and DP edges were distressed with a combination of  Fired Brick and Black Soot DIs, I stamped the Christmas Wonder stamp (this is fast becoming one of my favourite sentiments) to the left, where there was less of the pattern . . . on reflection I think I could have stamped a little higher.  For the flourish around the top and left edge I just inked up the handle on the Candle Holder image . . . stamped with both the first and the second 'generation' of ink to add more interest.

The flowers are from the reverse side of the paper, I just cut them out, inked the edges with Fired Brick and layered them up using glue gel. I gilded the centres of the flowers using a Zig 2 way glue pen, leaving the glue to become tacky and then adhering the gilding flakes to it and, finally, I sprayed them with Spray & Shine to give them a lovely gloss finish. Black gems were added in the corners for the finishing touch.

I've finished off the inside and the back with strips of the leftover DP, using the reverse side, edges brushed with the red DI. I'm not sure I would want to write on kraft card so I will probably add a rectangle of smooth white card inside for my message.

Materials:
Card: 1 x 8"x8" docrafts Papermania kraft card blank; 1 A4 sheet each Papermania textured card, dark red & smooth card in black for matting and layering 
Design Paper: 1 x 12"x12" sheet docrafts Papermania Poinsettia Duo patterned paper
Stamps: Claritystamps, Christmas Wonder (No.50) & Candle Holder (No.56)
Ink Pads: Archival Ink, Jet Black; Tim Holtz Distress Inks, Fired Brick & Black Soot
Other materials: Ink Dusters; Zig 2 Way Glue;Crafty Notions Gilding Flakes, Sunshine; Crafter's Companion Spray & Shine; black gems from stash

I'm submitting this card to the following:

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Week 26: Anything Goes
Deep Ocean Challenge Blog - Challenge #2: Flowers
Just For Fun - June's Fifth Week - Anything Goes
Hooked on Craft - Challenge #2 - Show us Your Flowers

So a card with a story and a question - how many of you, like me, have gorgeous paper tucked away in your stash simply because you can't bear to cut it up, or can't think what would be the best way to use it? I bet there is more than a few of you.

I look forward to hearing your precious paper stories.

Happy crafting,