Keeping Christmas {Thank you for the gift}

Well friends, here we are at the very last Keeping Christmas Blog Hop of 2018! It sure has been fun and I am thrilled with all of the cards, tags, and gifts I have ready to go! I decided to take an actual inventory of what I have so that I could decide what I needed to make this month. Here are the totals: 17 treat boxes, 8 "sweets" favor boxes, 10 mug mixes, 16 gift card holders, 10 wristlets and gift card holders, 48 cards, and 111 tags! Oh my! I still haven't even finished the last few days of the 25 Days of Christmas tags! So...once I'd taken inventory, the only thing I felt that I needed was Christmas gift thank you cards! LOL! I usually  hold off until after Christmas to get these made because I feel sad putting all of the Christmas stamps away, but since I've started creating Christmas things all year long, I don't really care! Before I dive into the details on today's cards, don't forget to hop along to the rest of the designer's blogs to see what inspiration they have for us! And, we're welcoming Nancy Guse as a permanent member of the team! Yay!

Kelly Lunceford (you are here)

Anita Madden 

Broni Holcombe 

Claire Broadwater

Julee Tilman

Kim Heggins

Lori Tecler

Nance Salkeld

Nina Forsyth 

Rachel Bergfeld

Vicki Finger

Nancy Guse

 I always get excited when a stamp set includes a "Thank you for the gift" sentiment, especially when it is as gorgeous as the Blooming Amaryllis Stamp set that came out last month. I have been dying to use it and it was perfect for these cards! I love that you see Amaryllis blooms during, and of course after Christmas, which makes this the perfect set for those Holiday thank you cards!

I used my MISTI to stamp the blooms using Pale Peony ink, Pure Poppy ink, and Scarlet Jewel ink. The centers are black for some contrast. I googled "Amaryllis" to see some realistic color combos and this, of course, was one of them. The possibilities of colors are endless, but since I was in "mass produce" mode using my MISTI, I just kept them all the same.

The leaves are stamped in Ripe Avocado ink and Olive Twist. The pot is a separate stamp and I really like how the Blooming Amaryllis Dies have a slit in the pot so that you can slip the stem down inside for added realism. I just used a piece of clear tape to secure it in the back.

 The pot is stamped in Hawaiian Shores ink and then the details are stamped using Tropical Tea ink. This color combination is one of my favorites at Christmas, but I really like it for these cards. It looks fresh, yet festive!

I made 4 cards, 2 of each design. I used the Shape Shifters: Oval 3 die for the two on the bottom and I used the Pierced Feature Frames Oval dies matted onto a panel that has been die cut using the Scallop Stackers: Large dies. I love the added depth and dimension it gives to the design.

The "Thank you for the gift" sentiment is stamped in grey ink onto a strip of Aqua Mist cardstock. The "thank you" portion is separate from "for the gift" so it is even more versatile. I really love all of the beautiful sentiments included in this set! I added a few sparkling clear sequins here and there for some sparkle. I also spritzed them lightly with Shimmer Spray for even more sparkle and shine!

Thanks for fluttering by!

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