25 Days of Christmas w/ Paper Sweeties

Hello, dear blog friends and welcome by today.  It's already Day 8 in the 25 Days of Christmas with Paper Sweeties.  I always choose to post on this date (December 8) in this special event.  That's because, well, for one thing....I love Paper Sweeties AND also because this is a very special and memorable day for me.  On this date, 37 years ago, our precious identical twin boys, Nicholas and Benjamin, were born (stillborn).  While it was terribly difficult to go through (especially at such a young age), it's become a beautiful experience that has drawn me (my husband and others) even closer to God.  Every experience we go through, every valley we're asked to walk through, is an opportunity for God to bring us closer to Him.  PRASIE GOD, that's precisely what this tragic experience did for me.  It's my sincere prayer that when you go through life's valleys and trials that you, too, will draw close to God for the strength and hope you need.  He, in return, will draw close to you and give you the comfort and strength you need.  Those are promises straight from His precious holy Word - the Bible.

This COOL looking card is SO easy to make.  The reason I'm sharing this particular card is to show you how SIMPLE it is to create something delightful using products from Paper Sweeties.  This adorable stamp set is also on CLEARANCE at just $6 - what an incredible bargain.  It's called You Better Not Pout and it has some darling images, #believe and other super sweet sentiments.  This is a great time to pick up some bargains at Paper Sweeties before they're gone forever.  They're all just SO CUTE, and you won't want to miss the opportunity to grab them now.  You can find adorable Rectangle Scalloped Frames Sweet Cuts here, and they also come in Square Scalloped Frames, Circle Scalloped Frames and Oval Scalloped Frames.

To create this card, I used white watercolor paper and rubbed on several different colors of Oxide Inks to make that groovy background.  You can use any colors you choose, but I wanted to give it a retro tie-dye appearance.  As I mentioned, I used the You Better Not Pout Stamp Set to stamp that cute sentiment which is the focal point of the card.  I added several of Paper Sweeties' ADORABLE little flower or cup-shaped Sequins to create a shaker element.  These Sequins come in several sweet colors and are so different from any other Sequins I've ever encountered.  Darling!

I used the inked scraps from this card to make a matching gift tag.  I cut it from the leftover paper pieces using the For You Sweet Cuts (tag die).  The sentiment I used (Ho, Ho, Ho!) is also from the You Better Not Pout Stamp Set.  I added a length of Robin Egg Seam Binding to the top of the tag, and I attached more of the adorable Sequins to it.  I used the rest of the inked paper scraps to stamp and cut the gnome using the Build A Gnome Stamp Set.

There's lots of great inspiration every day in the 25 Days of Christmas at Paper Sweeties; so be sure to stop by the Paper Sweeties Blog for the links.  If you're not sure what to ask for this Christmas, a Gift Certificate to Paper Sweeties would be a great idea.  It's so easy and convenient, and then YOU can pick out something extra SWEET.  Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed week.

I'm sharing my card in these FUN challenges:

Dare 2B Artzy Challenge - December: CAS (Clean and Simple) - As I mentioned in my first entry, if I'm being completely honest, I don't make much of anything that's truly "clean and simple" (LOL); but this card is very CAS (for me anyway).

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Holiday Cheer

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Add Some SPARKLE - I added lots of pretty sequins to make my shaker element that would SPARKLE; especially when the light hits those gorgeous sequins.

Time Out Challenge Blog - Challenge #228 - Winter or Holiday Season

Happy crafting,

Karen