My first card challenge!

Last month I prepared 2 cards for my first challenge, the July Monthly Mix one on Gina K. Designs blog. The topic was “Christmas in July” and the only rule was to create a card or a project with a Christmas/Winter theme. In my June order to GKD I had included some Christmas stamps, “Christmassy” ink colors and the Wreath Builder, so this challenge seemed the perfect one for me!

For the first card, I cut a 4" square from GKD white heavy card stock and stamped around the border some of the elements (pine cone, Poinsettia, greenery and holly) from the Holiday Wreath Builder set, using GKD ink in Dark Chocholate, Red Velvet, Fresh Asparagus and Jelly Bean Green. For the sentiment, I stamped in Black Onyx "Merry Christmas to you" from the same set and then I cut it using the oval shape from GKD Master Layout I. I glued the oval sentiment to a bigger black oval scalloped shape, again cut from Master Layout 1, and then on the card using foam squares to give some dimension. The finished panel was added to a larger black rectangle and finally on GKD Red Velvet card stock.

For the other card, I used GKD wreath builder to create a wreath by stamping multiple times a pine cone in Dark Chocholate, a Poinsettia in Red Velvet, and the same branch in Fresh Asparagus and Jelly Bean Green. Then I added to the wreath a decorative element stamped with Versamark watermark ink and embossed using GKD Detail Gold Embossing Powder. All the elements were from the same Holiday Wreath Builder set. For the sentiment, I stamped and embossed in gold "Merry and Bright" from the Scripty Holiday mini stamp. I glued the white panel on a larger one cut from gold card stock and then on a white heavy card stock A2 card from GKD.

I liked the final results, but the cards made by the other participants looked so much prettier than mines that I thought to have absolutely no chance at winning…so you can imagine my surprise when today I opened the blog and found out that the first card had been selected as a winner!!!