So we’re on the home stretch now and for some of us elaborate Christmas cards aren’t an option now that it’s almost December.

Here’s a card I whipped up this morning while the kids were having breakfast.  There’s no stamping, no fancy techniques, just a quick yet elegant Christmas card.

Please note that the ribbon, paper and adhesive die-cut used on this card are from the Australian Spring Mini Catalogue which is finishing in a couple of days on the 30th of November.  So if there’s something you’d like from the Spring Mini catalogue, today is the day to call me!

Here’s the products I’ve used and reasons why I specifically chose them to make a quick card:

Naturals Ivory cardstock – this is for the base of the card, it’s a nice strong card with flecks through it, I chose this as my base as it as has enough ‘interest’ in itself and I didn’t need to stamp or sponge it.  Not as stark as white and great for a variety of occasions.

Purely Pomegranate Satin Ribbon – this ribbon is wide and rich looking so that it becomes the focal point – makes my card look ‘gift wrapped’.

Hand Selected Die-Cut Adhesive – the word “Joy” is a sticky die-cut, that means it’s much thicker than a sticker so it says “elegance” rather than “kids craft”.

Designer Label Punch and 1″ Circle Punch – these two punches work well together and as far as I’m concerned, punch add a professional look to your card nice and quickly.

Holiday Harmony Designer Series Paper - I know that because all these papers are double-sided and coordinate that I’ll be able to throw some together and my card won’t look busy or patchworky (is that a word????).  I was able to use the striped paper on the base of the card, and two other coordinating papers punched with the Designer Label and 1″ Circle punches to give a uniform look yet have my sentiment stand out.

Pretties Kit – I’m constantly using the Pretties Kit to enhance my card.  This time I’ve used the small ivory flat-backed pearls which I’ve adhered to my card using Mini-Glue Dots.  The pearls not only add elegance but give the card that “touch me” reaction which I love the recipient to feel when they receive my cards.

Glue Dots - I love Glue Dots!  I used to use all sorts of glues to stick down my embellishments over the years but Glue Dots have replaced the glues for pearls, buttons, other small embellishments and also for securing ribbon that just needs one glue dot to keep it in perfect position.  So much faster to whack on a glue dot than to apply glue which has the tendency to seep out of the sides of pearls and buttons.

Stampin’ Dimensionals - I go through heaps of this stuff.  The punched label at the bottom of my card has been mounted onto the card using Stampin’ Dimensionals.  The great thing about Stampin’ Dimensionals is that they’re already cut out into little hexagons, so I just have to pop one off and onto my embellishment.  If I need something a little extra on my card I find that just raising one element can make a huge difference.  Try it yourself today… make two cards, one flat and one with a raised element and see the difference