A Christmas Story: JOY!

It's the 15th of December and time for another duel with the Dueling Darling Divas and Dazzlers.  Our team leaders for this month, Kelly for the Divas and Jeanette for the Dazzlers, choice the theme A Christmas Story.  Each team leader set their team members a kit including stamped images, designer papers and lots of embellishments with the challenge to create a card celebrating the December theme.  

I'm part of team Diva and received this awesome, beautiful, colorful kit including the following supplies:
-Stamps: inky antics
-Paper: designer paper from Carta Bella's "Winter Fun" and Bazzill opulent glitter cardstock
-Embellishments: Martha Stewart pearls; Bead Landing cord rope; ribbons from Simplicity, Stampin' Up, Offray, American Crafts; Co'ordination tags and twine; K&Co. brads; glitter buttons "frost" by Favorite Findings; snowflakes "Snow Storm" by f f; dewdrops by Robins Nest, clear

Here's my interpretation:

Outside

 

I embossed the Bazzill opulent glitter cardstock with a Cuttlebug snowflake embossing folder and attached this panel to SU kraft cardstock panel which was mounted on SU Cherry Cobbler cardstock base.  Kelly gave us two different images to use and chose to use the angel Gabriel image that I die cut with a circle Nestability, colored with Twinkling H20s, highlighted with stickles, and other glitter and then mounted on a Cherry Cobbler die cut circle.  I cut a 2 inch strip from one of the Carta Bella "Winter Fun" dsp, and layered it on Cherry Cobbler and Kraft cardstock panels.  I used 3 of the ribbons in the kit to create those vertical banners.  To finish the front of the card I used the blingy snowflakes fro the kit.  The layout was based on this sketch from " Freshly Made Sketches 116":

 



Here's the inside of the card:

 

   On the inside I added a panel of white cardstock topped with a strip of the dsp used on the front of the card. The sentiment included in the kit was cut with circle Nestability and mounted on Cherry Cobbler cardstock panel. 

 

Kelly asked us to share a Christmas memory.  I couldn't choose just one. Christmas has always been a special time for me and is an important part of my earliest memories.  First Christmas memories bring to mind time spent with my mother's family: mom and dad, sisters, grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins.  My mother was one of nine siblings so it was always a BIG gathering on Christmas eve.  When I was very young it was at my grandmother's home and in later years most often in my parents home.  I remember wonderful Christmas programs at our church and, in particular, one year with an outstanding youth minister who directed a group of young girls choir I was part of to sing a number of Christmas carols, each in a different language.  I met my husband when he was home for Christmas and by the next Christmas we were married and spending Christmas with his family in Hawaii and again with his family when our sons were seven and two.  Almost every year we made the 50 mile trip from our home south of Seattle to spend Christmas Eve with my family in my hometown of Everett and the following day we traveled another 60 miles to spend Christmas day with my husband's family in Bellingham.  I have wonderful memories of celebrating Christ's birth with my church family in Christmas Eve candlelight services.  Sweet, sweet memories!

 

I hope all your Christmas memories are sweet and filled with Hope, Love, Joy and Peace!!!!

 

Check out the rest of the Diva's creations here:

Kelly: http://www.sandcastlestamper.blogspot.com/

Barb: http://inkingintoretirement.blogspot.com/
Carol: http://lostinmycraftroom.blogspot.com/
LJ: http://buckygirl.blogspot.com/.
Tami: http://blueinksdesign.blogspot.com/
Kadie: http://mymindseyecreations.blogspot.com/

And the Dazzlers here:

Jeanette http://creativeplayischeaperthantherapy.blogspot.com/

April: http://aprilsalley.blogspot.com/Darlene: http://accordingtobijou.blogspot.com/

Debbie: http://theinkigloo.blogspot.com/
Melina: http://me-craftyscrapper.blogspot.com/
Paola: http://paola-sama.blogspot.com/