Building my Christmas card stash

Hi everyone.   It's already the beginning of November and usually I am writing my cards by this time so I can get them into the mail.  But I still need to make over a dozen Christmas cards, so I spent yesterday making several using the same colours and sentiments on all of them.  I also used three different background stamps heat embossing two of each design before sponging over top with different stencils.  I am loving the current technique at Group of Seven, and I managed to get seven cards made in an afternoon.  You gotta love that!! :)

The first one above is a nod to my dear friend Bonnie.  She used the same stencil (Layering Poinsettia - Tim Holtz) and maybe even the same background stamp (En Francais - SU! retired), embossing her card with gold (I used silver).  Thank you for the inspiration, sweet friend!!  

I recently bought some small detail sponge brushes and was able to make my cards without masking.  Saved a lot of time! :)  

Here's a close-up ...

I'm sending this first card over to Just Us Girls #704 - Colour Challenge.

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And here are more cards using this great combination of Stenciling over Heat Embossing ...

The background is again En Francais, this time heat embossing in white.  The stencil is from Magenta, it's branches and berries - sorry don't know the name.

I'm sending the above card to Merry Little Christmas Challenge #53 - Anything Christmas Goes.

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The card above uses Snowflake Background (Hero Arts - retired), heat embossed in white before stenciling just the tree and star from the Farmhouse Tree Stencil (Honey Bee Stamps).

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This time I've used the Crackle Background Stamp (Simon Says Stamp) stamp, heat embossed in white and then partially sponged over top with Christmas Wreath stencil (Simon Says Stamp).  I made two of these.

The above card is heading to the Simply Clean & Simple November Challenge - Anything Goes.

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Card#1:

Stamps:  En Francais (Stampin' Up! - retired); Merry Messages (Lawn Fawn)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Silver Metallic card stock (SU!)
Ink:   Unicorn white pigment ink (Hero Arts); Distress Inks:  Fired Brick, Mowed Lawn, Wild Honey (Tim Holtz); Distress Oxide Ink:  Fired Brick
Accessories:   Silver embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool, sponge brushes

Card#2:

Stamps:  En Francais (Stampin' Up! - retired); Merry Messages (Lawn Fawn)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:   Unicorn white pigment ink (Hero Arts); Distress Inks:  Fired Brick, Mowed Lawn (Tim Holtz); Distress Oxide Ink:  Fired Brick (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:   White embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool, sponge brushes

Card#3:

Stamps:  Crackle Background (Simon Says Stamp); Merry Messages (Lawn Fawn)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:   Unicorn white pigment ink (Hero Arts); Distress Inks:  Mowed Lawn, Wild Honey (Tim Holtz); Distress Oxide Ink:  Fired Brick (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:   White embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool, sponge brushes

Card#4:

Stamps:  Snowflake Background (Hero Arts); Merry Messages (Lawn Fawn)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:   Unicorn white pigment ink (Hero Arts); Distress Inks:  Fired Brick, Mowed Lawn, Rustic Wilderness, Wild Honey (Tim Holtz); Distress Oxide Ink:  Fired Brick (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:   White embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool, sponge brushes

Challenges:

Just Us Girls #704 - Red and Green Colour Challenge

Merry Little Christmas Challenge #53

Simply Clean & Simple November Challenge