An Angelic Heavenly Host Comes to Visit!

I wanted to finished the third and final Pre-Virtual Stamp Night Mini, which required a Christmas card made with the traditional colors of red and green, because these are the colors that Dr. Seuss' Grinch dislikes intensely.  I also wanted to play my personal "catch-up challenges" some more as well!  So, I went in search of what else I could put on my card beside red and green that would meet other challenges.  I found that winged things worked, and if it was a winged angel, formally called a heavenly host, my card would fulfill even more.

Last year while attempting to make my Christmas cards, I printed a darling pre-colored vintage digital image of a sweet little angel and two wee birds singing together, but it did not get used.  I was stoked...my winged creatures from my pre-made stash works for the VSN with no time against me!  I had three glittery frames in white, green, and red that I also made for last Christmas and did not get used when my Christmas crafting was cut short with my hand strain issues.  I found if I framed my image, another challenge could be met, and on it went.  I found some inspiration from the current Inspiration challenge, which is what prompted me to use the angel image.   Now, my mojo was really simmering!

An older Featured Stamper and Sketch challenge both helped with decisions regarding the layout.  Now that I had a basic layout idea in mind, it was time to gather all my materials and tools that I might possibly need.  My first step was to find the perfect paper that would work with one of my pre-made glittery frames, plus embellishments, ribbon, dies, punches, etc.  I find I always gather more than I end up using, but at least it is at my fingertips if I do need it as time is of essence in the Virtual Stamp Night challenges.

I set my timer for one hour, and let the fun begin!  I started to get nervous when I had used 40 minutes to cut my paper layers, complete the ink distressing, adhere the layers, add my ribbon band, cut my die-cuts, punch snowflakes, make my bow, and prepare my framed image and pop it up.  I still needed to make a computer sentiment layer to fit my red tag die-cut.  Fortunately, I had another sentiment saved in my computer that fit a one-inch circle punch.  I copy/ pasted it, changed the words and ink color, and it was good to go!  Thank heavens my printer did not give me fits as it can do from time to time!  

That was a close one...I used 55 minutes!  I used my extra five minutes to add some Wink of Stella glimmer to my pre-colored image angel and birds, which does not show up too well in the picture.  Take a peek at my finished card. . .I think I'm pretty happy with it.

I didn't like how much time it took to make the sentiment tag using the computer; it cut the deadline time too close for comfort.  Since I do like to use sentiment tags, I've decided to make a bunch in different colors and sentiments and pre-punched them for my stash.  They just might come in handy for the VSN main event in December.  If not, I am sure they will get used eventually.  

In addition, I plan to download, size, and print more pre-colored Christmas images that might come in handy, plus die-cut some additional frame styles using different types of paper and colors.  I punched more bitty snowflake in more colors.  I had white ones pre-punched, as well as silver, lime green and aqua, but no Emerald Green or Red...can you believe that!  Not sure why I had lime-green. . .that was interesting!

Ingredients:  Papers~  Stampin' Up cs--Chocolate Chip (retired); Recollections Glitter Paper--Cherry, Evergreen, Snow;  Stripe--Recollections Signature Sugar Plums Pad.  SU Ink: Soft Suede (edge ink distressing).  Dies~ Spellbinders: Triple Floral Squares (frame), Delightful Circles (tag back).  Punches~ EK--1-inch Circle; Recollections--5/8" Snowflake.  Ribbon Stash:  5/8" Emerald Sheer.  Pre-made Stash: Angel & Birds pre-colored digital image (3 in.), Green Glitter Frame.  Wink of Stella--Clear & Gold.  Stash: Acrylic Sheet (stablizing framed image).  Chatterbox verse/ sentiment.  Size 4-3/4 x 6 inches.