Paper Players #104, Christmas Stampin All Year Long #19 and Addicted to Stamps

Hello friends - so happy you've stopped by to visit me!  This card above represents a real challenge for me as you will see when you read more.  I used a stamp that I have had for quite a lonnnggg time and never - that's right NEVER - used.  In fact - I have only used the sentiment from this set and none of the other beautiful stamps.  I really liked this set as soon as I saw it, and I saw so many gorgeous creations that people made with it that I just had to have it.  Then when I got it I felt completely intimidated with what to actually do with with it!  Does that ever happen to any of you? I think part of it is that this is a very elegant set and most of my cards are not in the "elegant" venue. 

In any event... along comes this perfect challenge to help me - Christmas Stampin All Year Long #19 - No Inky Yet!  This challenges asks us to use a stamp that has never been used (or rarely been used) and get it inky to make a creation.  How perfect is that? I knew immediately what stamp set I would use.  But...I sat and stared at it for the longest time, struggling with what to do with it. Walked away from it for a day and then decided that I wanted to keep this as clean and simple as I could so I wouldn't be overwhelmed with what to combine with it (paper, embellishments, layout, etc.).  Clean and Simple does not come naturally to me either - but it seemed like a good choice.  A couple days later... Still looking at it and still creatively blocked!! 

So today I looked to see if there were some other challenges that I could combine to help inspire me in using this set.  And...lucky for me I did find two other challenges:  The Paper Players #104 - CAS using words as the focal point of your card (a sentiment, poem or verse as the main element)

and Addicted to Stamps - Clean & Simple (CAS) Challenge #1.  Suddenly the light bulb came on and I got an idea (LOVE when inspiration strikes!).  What you see above is the finished product - Whew!! 

If you are still with me, here's a close up of my sentiment and main element:

I first colored my stamp with SU markers (twice) and stamped in each corner, then I pulled the color out on the leaves and berries using a blender pen.  I stamped the sentiment and then used my Spellbinders small oval to cut it out.  After positioning it where I wanted it on the card, I then used the coordinating Spellbinder large oval and punched holes around the outer edge of that die.   I did manage to keep it CAS with lots of white space and minimal  layers and embellishments (just a few small red rhinestone berries).  You might have thought by now that you would have just chosen another stamp - I thought about it, believe me, but I really wanted to see if I could do it.  I'm so proud of myself - I kept it CAS and I used an elegant stamp that I have been intimidated by for quite a while!  Hope you like this card - and thanks for staying with me during this long post!  Hugs!!

Supplies (all from Stampin Up! except the Spellbinders): Cardstock - Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler and Riding Hood Red.  Stamp - Bells and Boughs (holly), colored with SU markers in Always Artichoke and Cherry Cobbler, and More Merry Messages (sentiment - new!) inked up with Cherry Cobbler.