Hello Deer

It seems that it has been forever since I last entered any card challenge.  I miss challenges!  I miss my craft desk!  There has been quite a few impromptu visits from friends and relatives and thus I have not been able to sit at my craft desk and create.  I'm back, even though it will be a short window between now and Thanksgiving.  Are you ready for the holiday season?

I have not got everything ready but I have decided that that if I can't finish everything, everything will still be just fine.  This season is about being thankful for what we have, not about focusing on what we forgot to prepare.  I am thankful that everyone in my family feels the same way.

Now onto today's card.  I wanted to make a Christmas card and started with the sketch from Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge:

Do you see the subtle stars in the background?  That got me into thinking what to do for the longest time.  I first wanted to use a stencil but most of my stencils are too small.  I thought about using patterned paper but I couldn't decide which one to use.  Finally I thought I could use one of the overlays in the Cricut Artbooking cartridge.  I tried out the star overlay and it worked very well!

I've added a deer die cut from Maggie Holmes Open Book collection.  When I bought it I could never imagine that I would be using it at all.  I like everything else in the die set but that deer.  How nice I could put it on a Christmas card!  That reminds me to go through my stash again because what I didn't like before could make me feel different now.

I tied the ribbon in a way that there wasn't any knot.  I punched two holes on the front then loop the ribbon through from the front, and criss-crossed it at the back, then thread it through to the front again.  I used to do it a lot on invitation cards but I doubt that I ever did it on other cards.  I guess I will do it more often though, I really like that I adds quite a bit of dimension but not as much bulk as a regular knot or bow.

In addition to entering my card to Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge, I'm also entering it to the following:
Crafty Calendar - It's all about Christmas
CHNC - Getting Ready for Christmas
We Do Doobadoo - Christmas
My Perfect Life - Christmas
Stamping Sensations - Simply Christmas