Season's Greeting Santa

I am trying to make a few Christmas Cards.  I don't have many done and I know I will need them in December.  If I was really smart, as I finished a card, I should sign it, place it in an addressed envelope - it would be all ready to go.  Unfortunately, I am not that smart.  I also do not like to do duplicates/multiples of cards.  This would make it so much easier if I would do that - but the fun for me in card making, is the creative process.

I am combining two challenges for this card.  The first challenge is a weekly Christmas card challenge (so you are not rushed at the end).  Jingle Bells has a tic tac toe challenge.  I chose to do the diagonal:  Santa, Die Cuts, Gold.  The Santa is a piece of chipboard.  The Die Cut is the Green edging alongside the plaid paper.  The gold is in the embossed sentiment and gold enamel beads.

The second challenge is a monthly challenge from House of Cards.  The challenge for September is to use stitching.  It can be fake or it can be real.  I chose to dig out my sewing machine and do some contrast stitching on several layers of my card.  The main creamish colored layer is stitched all around the edge of the mat.  I stitched the plaid strip also.

The creamish mat of my card is cardstock with a dictionary page adhered to it with gel medium.  A layer of gesso was added on top.  I then dabbed on a creamish color of acrylic paint to just give it more depth of color (of course not much show so why did I go to all this work).  The chipboard was distressed with Brushed Corduroy distress ink to give it an aged look.  The sentiment was gold embossed.  The bow is made from strips of forn muslin that was tea died.  I think this adds a more rustic/antique look to a card especially since the papers and the Santa have an old fashioned flare to them.  As I mentioned above, I stitched some of the layers.  The sentiment is pop dotted for some height.  A couple gold enamel beads were added for a little contrast.  The card is about 6.5 inches by 4.5 inches.

The paper and chipboard are My Mind's Eye and the sentiment is from a very old Hero Arts set (I think).  

Thanks for stopping by.  Hope you enjoyed my Christmas card.  One done - too many more to go.