Hi there!  It’s the second Saturday of the month, which means it’s time for another color challenge at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown!  Since I’m hosting the challenges there this month, I got to choose the colors for this week’s challenge.

I went with a color scheme that I consider to be “vintage traditional”.  Instead of the typical bright red and green with white, I’ve chosen deep cherry red and dark leafy green with ivory.  Instead of black, I’ve opted for chocolate brown.  I originally had a completely different idea in mind for my sample card, but thanks to an Amazon.com dealer’s failure to send my order within the estimated delivery time, I was forced to come up with another idea.  I flipped through my Lawn Fawn stamps for inspiration and realized that even though I have a gift image in the Bows and Holly Christmas-themed set, I’ve only used it on birthday cards.  So I started thinking of how I could use some of the other Lawn Fawn images with it, and figured out that the gift fit on the postcard image, and then the whole card idea took off from there.

I ended up using the layout from last week’s 52{C}CT sketch challenge but turning it on its side.  The postcard image is an excellent size to fit the sketch.  I stamped the gift, masked it, then stamped the tag, masked it, and then stamped the postcard around them.  I wanted the ribbon to extend beyond the edge of the postcard, but I also needed to make sure the tag wouldn’t cover up the lines for the “address” part of the postcard.  I finished the stamping with the sentiments and the postage stamp, and colored the images with my Copic markers.  The designer paper for the background of the card was a late decision.  I hesitated because of the color challenge, but the swirls look like ivory to me and the background would have been too plain if I just left it as the card base, so I decided to use it.  And finally the card all came together.

I’m going to enter this card in the Merry Monday challenge and in this week’s ‘ABC’ Challenge, too.  Like all the other Christmas cards I’ve made this year, this one is going to be sent to Operation Write Home.

Now it’s your turn to show us what you can make with these colors!  If you need more inspiration first, go visit the 52{C}CT site and see what the rest of the design team has created.  Be sure to link your card at the 52{C}CT site by 1:00 p.m. Eastern time on Friday, July 19.  We look forward to having you join us!

Supplies:
Stamps: Bows and Holly, You’ve Got Mail (Lawn Fawn)
Cardstock: Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip, Cherry Cobbler (Stampin’ Up); Pure Luxury Ivory (Gina K. Designs); designer paper from “Very Merry Christmas” 6″ x 6″ paper pad (Echo Park)
Ink: Chocolate Chip (SU)
Other: markers (Copic)