A Glitzy Joy to the World!

"Christmas in July" is a common cardmaking theme during the month of July.  If we haven't already started our Christmas stash by July, many of us feel July is a "must do" month to start making Christmas cards in order to have enough finished without frenzy setting in later in the fall because time has run away from us and we'll never get it all done!  Since I saw numerous challenges involving Christmas cards throughout July, I became curious what inspired the theme "Christmas in July."  Lo and behold, there really are people who celebrate Christmas in July and there really is a tradition!

It turns out the very first Christmas in July was celebrated 88 years ago at an all-girls' summer camp at Keystone Camp in Brevard, North Carolina.  This first July Christmas happened in the summer of 1933 and was celebrated with carolers, a Christmas tree, fake cotton snow, a gift exchange, and even a surprise visit from Santa Claus!  As "Christmas in July" took place each year thereafter, a movie was  actually made in 1940 with that title.  Throughout the years, the tradition is becoming more and more popular each year in various places throughout the world, and a strong tradition is firmly in place. 

Australia has a British and European heritage, so there is a strong attachment to celebrating Christmas in cold weather.  "Christmas in July" is known as Yulefest or Yuletide in Australia, and it is celebrated on July 25th.  It is also celebrated in the UK, New Zealand, South Africa, and even parts of the U.S.   I even noticed some sales in my area this year in July entitled "Christmas in July!"  Heaven help us...another reason for a sale...another reason to shop!

I wanted to make a "Christmas in July" card, and I had an idea for it.  I decided to use a design from an October 2020 card by Luci Kirschbaum, which was included in a Covid Christmas Card kit that she and her Stampin' Up partner, Dar Peterson, made available to purchase by their Stampin' Up friends.  As many of you know, my "edit mode" switches on whenever I'm completing a card from someone else's design, and this card was no exception as lots of ideas percolated in my brain as I made her original kit card.

I wanted to kick in my "Challenge Catch-up" cardmaking as well, so I research old and new challenges at Splitcoaststampers that I had not participate in and came up with a number of changes I could make to fit the challenges, plus add my own percolated thoughts for changes/ additions to Luci's design.  Thus, I've adapted and jazzed up Luci's original design and posted my changes below. 

For more color, I added two card layers below Luci's red cardbase in Garden Green and Copper foil.  I made my red panel edges smaller than those on the original card.  I added a white designer punched border to the left of the patterned paper panel and a horizontal ribbon band.  I dropped my cascading snowflakes down about 1/2-inch, starting below the ribbon band.  I also added a copper and white layered fishtail panel with a snowflake embellishment for my sentiment.  I was really please with the details added, which made the card more interesting, colorful, and eye-appealing in my humble opinion.  Take a peek below:

Ingredients:  Stampin Up products: Cardstock--Garden Green, Real Red, Whisper White, Copper Foil.  Patterned paper--Brightly Gleaming Specialty dsp. Stamps--Itty Bitty Christmas. Dies--Christmas Layers. Ink--Mossy Meadow. Punch--Pinking Hearts Border (ret.). Ribbon--3/8" Red Double-Stitched Satin.  Other: Recollection Bitty Snowflake punch.