Trimming the tree

Yikes!  It's Friday again already!  And it's April, too!  Boy, does time fly.  Anyway, it's time for another challenge from Christmas Stampin' All Year Long: List to Santa (use your 3 favorite products: cardstock, dies, etc.)  I have so many favorites, it's hard to narrow them down to three.  But here are my top picks: Stamps (though I am getting more proficient with digis, I still prefer actually stamping), die cutting machine/dies, and ribbon.  The Design Team was also asked to tell the three items we would put on a new {Paper} crafter's list.  I would say buy a big assortment of colored cardstock, an all occasions sentiment stamp set (super versatile and can go with any image sets you pick up later on), and ribbon (it's such a versatile embellishment and almost any card is better for having ribbon on it, I think)

Our Sponsor for this week is the super-talented Melissa from Meljen's Designs

and the prize will be 4 non-colored images of the winner's choice!  How awesome is that?

 I got to play around with this image: Bitty Christmas tree.  Aren't those bears cute?!  And I created a little gift card holder.  It's super easy because you use an A-2 sized envelope, fold it in half, adhere a slightly large piece of cardstock to the back and decorate the front half.  You can see a picture of the inside down below (sorry for the brightness).  It's a bit difficult to see, but the left side is where the gift card goes.  I cut off that half of the envelope flap and the gift card slides right in.  Now that I think about it, I should have taken a picture with a gift card in it, so you could actually see how it works.  Note to self for next time.

 On the snowbank and the snow on the tree I used a snow marker (you color it on and when it is dry, or mostly dry if you are impatient like me, heat it with a heat gun and it puffs up all nice) to create a snow-like texture.

Now, it's your turn.  Head over to the CSAYL blog for the full details and more inspiration from the DT.  Then, play along.  I'd love to see what is on your "favorites" list and maybe what you would recommend to a new {paper} crafter.

Challenges:

Creative Craft World: Beat the Christmas Rush--anything goes as long as it is a Christmas Card (runs for the whole month)

Crimbo Crackers #38--No papers (no patterned papers were harmed in my card)

Sweet Stop Sketches #204--sketch

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #118--based on a carol or song (mine would be "O, Tanenbaum" or "We Wish You a Merry Christmas"

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra--anything goes as long as it is Christmas related

52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown--anything BUT a card, tag or ATC

Supplies:

Stamps: Meljen's Designs "Bitty Christmas Tree" digi; Verve "Merry and Bright" sentiments

Dies: spellbinders "Address Book" die

SU! ribbon

rhinestones and snow marker; A2 envelope