Guest Designer for Merry Monday #23 and Some Bling for CFC55

Hello and Merry Monday to you!  I'm so excited to have been asked to be a guest designer for this week's Merry Monday #23 challenge!!!  I have been participating in this great challenge for many weeks now and have quite a stash of neat Christmas cards for this next season.  I am always so impressed with the design team's creations and have gotten lots of inspiration from many of the others who are also participating in this challenge.  So its really and honor and priviledge to have had my card chosen as the Top Honor for Merry Monday #21 and to be able to share my card this week with you as a guest designer.  Today's card is based on yet another great sketch from our hostess Leslie (see below).  I chose to make my any shape a small rectangle and to move it down toward the bottom of the card instead of at the top. I am also participating for the first time in the CAS-Fridays Challenge CFC55 - Put a Bling on It!  My bling is all the pearls.

I designed this card with several of my friends and family members in mind who absolutely live for the day after Thanksgiving shopping to get their Christmas shopping started or done.  Me... not so much, the crowds really flip me out.  I remember one year (several years ago) I got brave and was out with a friend.   I was really checking out a big Christmas wreath and was about to pick it up to put in my cart and this lady swooped in an literally snatched it right out from under my nose!  Can you believe that??? LOL.   I do love shopping though for gifts for my loved ones and if I keep this advise in mind it will be even more fun :o) 

Thanks for stopping by today and sharing in my good news of being the guest designer!  I know the design team would love for you to play along too.  It's a great way to get your Christmas cards done early so you have more time for shopping.  Hugs!

Supplies (all from Stampin UP!):  Cardstock - Melon Mambo, Gumball Green (NEW) and Whisper White.  Stamps - sentiment is from a NEW hostess set called Carry On and the polar bear is from a set called Polar Party.  I used Gumball Green ink (a NEW 2012-2014 In-Color) for the sentiment and colored the Polar Bear and her package with blender pens and Melon Mambo, Pool Party, Gumball Green (NEW) and Raspberry Ripple (NEW) inks.  I used lots of pretty pearls from the Basic Pearls and the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch.