MFT Creative Challenge: Christmas in July

 Welcome to this month's MFT Creative Challenge post featuring Christmas in July. We've had some sweltering heat here in western Wisconsin, so I was much obliged to think about a much cooler time of year - Christmas!  I've got three cards to share with you today, each featuring a way to stretch your stamps by using your MFT stamps and Die-namics that aren't necessarily "Christmas-y" in nature to make Christmas or holiday cards. Each of my cards would also make a more elaborate gift tag for those special people on your list measuring in at 3.5 x 5.5 inches.  Here's a closer look...

First up is Wish BIG using my favorite diagonal Washi Patterns stamp in conjunction with a sentiment from Big Greetings in Black Licorice.

A Rectangle STAX forms the base of Santa's Red Hot coat embellished with elements from Blueprints 5 to form his Primitive White beard and Blueprints 2 to form his Black Licorice belt.

Next up is Season's Greetings from the traditionally Christmas set, Seasonal Sentiments, combined with Christmas tree branches cut from Gumdrop Green and Sour Apple card stock with the Chalkboard Frame Builder Die-namics.

My Christmas tree is positioned atop a trunk cut from the Sheltering Tree Die-namics and set in a Primitive White snowbank cut from the Snowdrifts Die-namics.

Last up is a card I've wanted to attempt since I laid eyes on the balloon (stick straight) string from the exclusive Party Balloons set just released this month. After stamping the balloon string in a random fashion in Gumdrop Green ink, I embellished it with mini red rhinestones and irridescent white sequins for an abstract Christmas tree. I love to stretch my stamp sets by thinking outside the (gift) box, lol!

The sentiment is a cluster of stamps from LLD Document It - Days & Dates and Document It - Decemeber in Gumdrop Green, Red Hot and Black Licorice inks. The circle from Document It - December was clear embossed but I love how it shines gold after giving the entire card front a spritz of Mix-ables Sheer Shimmer Mist.

 

I hope you've enjoyed my take on Christmas in July using both traditional and non-traditional Christmas holiday stamps and perhaps inspired your future holiday cards in some little way! I find that I'm often inspired by just bits and pieces of things I spy on Etsy, Pinterest, magazines and of course, all of the cool papercrafting out there on the web!

Remember, you'll find links to the rest of the gals playing along with this month's theme at the MFT blog, and thanksa ton for stopping by today! Finally, click on the links in the body of my post or in the InLinkz portion below to take you directly to shop at the MFT Boutique!
~Amy

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