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9/04/2015

HLS Christmas September Christmas Challenge - Holly

Hello and welcome to the HLS Christmas Challenge for September...this month our theme is Holly.



Our challenge Sponsor is Happy Little Stampers


 and the winner of this month's challenge will receive one free stamp set from HLS. So we hope you'll find time to play along with your Holly ideas, have some fun and perhaps win a lovely free stamp set.


 - MFT Pierced Oval die cut a forest green cardstock. Applied a Starform holly outline sticker. Used Wink of Luna (WoL) markers to color in the motif. Have used these markers on black, with a pretty result, so decided to try on a dark green this time. I rather like how this turned out, but it was not very easy to shade the leaves. These markers are opaque, don't blend, but overlay the previous layer. Finally decided on sort of a 'flick' stroke to try to achieve some blending. After using the 2 shades of green that are available, and not getting quite a nice look, tried the blue marker. (well, some holly does indeed have a blue undertone!)...I liked it a bit better. WoL gold did nicely on the stems (it looks brown, but the label says it's gold). The red on the berries did not show well, even with many layers of WoL, so got out some of the red Starfoam glitter dots, and that did exactly what I'd hoped. While I like this look, I think the darker the background that WoL go over, the more stunning the resulting look is.

- Sue Wilson Frames & Tags Dainty Oval Frame diecut the mirror gold filigree mat behind the green oval. This layer has very thin dimensional foam under it.

- White layer has been embossed with a Holly Embossing folder...and used a piece of white fun foam cut slightly smaller to life it up from the green mat. All layers adhered with tape to the white card base.

The sentiment is one of the lovely calligraphy fonts from Kylies Mixed Christmas Sentiments. This card needed just a simple small design, and this particular one seemed perfect. Stamped on a snippet of white using Delicata gold, then heat embossed with Ranger's Queen's Gold. Punched with a small SU oval punch, and put some dimensionals behind it. I'll say it again: These new sentiment sets are going to be so versatile for me.

I had a lot of ideas when I saw the Holly theme for this month. Gathered many holly motifs - dies, folders, stamps, etc. Then I happened to think of these Outline stickers - which I've used with Ritz Glitter - and decided to try the dark green with the WoL markers. Now I can go put all the other 'stuff' I didn't use back where it belongs! Do you waffle on like this when you're trying to make a card???? :=0

Check out how my fellow HLS Christmas Teamies have shared for September and do join in to show us your Holly cards...and maybe win that nifty free stamp set!

Thanks for popping by. Have a wonderful day, and Big Hugs.




38 comments:

  1. Love this card Mary, at first I thought you had gold embossed the image, till I read the write up.

    Kath x

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  2. Gorgeous, gorgeous,gorgeous!! So lovely to see peel off stickers being used, I keep rediscovering mine when I'm looking for something else!! Doc Martin starts on Monday...I will watch it for you!! xx

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  3. Oh so pretty! I think the leaves look great Mary. Going to have to try some of that Wink of Luna I think. Love that Sue Wilson frame and it's so pretty in the gold. Also like the font on the sentiment - will check that out too now. A beautiful card for the holidays!
    Lynn

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  4. Gorgeous card mary, I like the holly and the frame
    Kevin xx

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  5. This is lovely Mary, love your holly. Carol x

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  6. This is such a pretty card with a touch of elegance! I love the gold-edged holly leaves and the delicate oval you placed them on! Beautiful creation!

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  7. This is a beautiful and elegant card Mary and the WOL markers give a fantastic finish to the starform outline stickers. The oval die cut is so pretty in the gold too. It is a gorgeous colour combination too. x

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  8. Love so much the touch of blue on the holly leaves!!! Gorgous! And the glittered foam for the berries has a great look! Lovely gold frame and outline! It's a very beautiful Christmas card!

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  9. So pretty! And nicely designed! Makes me want to go check out what stickers I have!

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  10. Absolutely gorgeous, Mary!! The holly looks amazing!! Wow!! So beautiful!! Have a great weekend :)

    Lisa
    A Mermaid's Crafts

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  11. Hello Mary,
    I just love your beautiful card, very elegant.
    Have a great weekend
    Patricia x

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  12. lovely card Mary...love the gold edge to the holly really makes it pop xxxx

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  13. Gorgeous and lush looking Holly Mary, those markers look to have worked their magic beautifully. I have wink of stella and am thinking these are perhaps similar and have some glitter in them.

    This is a card any of us would be delighted to have on our mantle piece.

    Hope you have a good weekend, I bet your weather is a but warmer than here in the UK where it's rain all the way yet again and here we are only the beginning of September with heating back on in the evenings to stave off frostbite.

    B x

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  14. Lovely card.

    Hope you have a good weekend. Sue

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  15. I love this card Mary. It's a lovely card. I like the way you've used the blue on the leaves with the green. It works really well. Barbxx

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  16. Hi Mary, beautiful card with elegant dies, love the holly image, Kate x

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  17. Hi Mary
    Wow- wee!! your card is simply stunning - love it!!
    Eve xx

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  18. So beautiful, Mary!!! Such creative use of the outline stickers and the WoL markers!!! The delicate gold frame around the oval is so lovely and I love the dry embossing!!!! Really lovely!!!
    Hugz

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  19. Oh Mary, this is so pretty. I love everything about it. Their is so much detail on this card and it looks so nice displayed on the gold stand. Hope your driveway is finished and you are happy with it.

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  20. Very pretty! Christmas will be here before we know it. You will be ready! Have a wonderful weekend.

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  21. A fabulous Christmas card Mary, a pretty die cut frame around your lovely ivy.
    Pauline
    x

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  22. Beautiful Mary, who'd have thought stickers? your colouring is lovely, blue or green LOL and you gold looks gold even though you say it's brown! your blending certainly made it ALL work beautifully. And yes! I waffle too, people who receive these cards think they are put together in a twinkle of the eye, not realizing the thought and the hours it can take.

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  23. Beautiful Christmas card Mary, know what you mean about "Wink Of Stella" trying to blend, I usually scribble on my glass mat and add a touch of water, makes them less opaque..My Favourite is the "Clear" one.
    Hugs Pam x

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  24. This is gorgeous, Mary! I love the dark green background and the holly is colored beautifully! The little noel fits perfectly! I waffle too. The more I have that will work, the harder the decision is of what to use.

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  25. Gorgeous card Mary. LOVE the blue added along with the green to the holly leaves ... so pretty! Have never used stickers before ... these are so pretty in gold. As for waffling with a desisgn, uh - YES ... just about every card I make. :) xx

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  26. This is just so sweet....love all your wonderful and festive holiday holly! Hope you are doing well, wishing you a wonderful holiday weekend.

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  27. You can't go wrong with holly on a Christmas card and I love how you have designed yours, Mary! I love that it is the new challenge theme!! Hugs, Darnell

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  28. Gorgeous Mary - the leaves are wonderfully coloured to my eyes :-) the red berries are the perfect foil.
    Blessings
    Maxine

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  29. Lovely holly card, Mary, with lots of pretty shading and golden accents! hugs, de

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  30. This is gorgeous Mary! Love the look of the leaves, they look so realistic! Love the dainty, elegant gold die cut too. A beautiful Christmas card for sure.

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  31. Love this design. Fabulous shading on the leaves - very festive. xx

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  32. I've got some really old peel off stickers. It's been some time since I last used one, but next time I do I will try and color it in, like you did with your hollies, that's a great idea. A lovely traditional design, very elegant.

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  33. What a wonderful holly spring, Mary ... your colouring and shading on it is just splendid ... it really pops! Bon dimanche! Anita :)

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  34. The final result is beautiful! I really like this add-blue color. So real.
    Regards, BozenA

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  35. Gorgeous card, love how you have created the holly. xx

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  36. This is so pretty Mary and I love that you used an outline sticker for it!
    Hugs
    Carol x

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  37. Beautifully composed card, Mary. I love the leaves with the touch of blue. The Noel is beautiful embossed and die cut in the oval. xx

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