Jill's First Annual Christmas in July Challenge!

Welcome papercrafting friends to my first blog challenge! Much as I'd like to, I don't have the time to do regular challenges, so I thought I'd do a doozy when I do get the chance! I've decided to hold a "Christmas in July" challenge because I really, really, really want to make all my holiday cards this year, and I don't want to leave it to the last minute. I thought that with this challenge, I could motivate myself to get an early start, perhaps benefit someone else out there in blogland by doing the same for them, and make two readers very, very happy by awarding them PTI gift certificates!

So, here are the rules:
1) Make a Christmas card (Hanukkah counts too). If you don't celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah, perhaps you have a friend who does and you can make a card for him/her.

2) Upload your card to your blog or an online gallery (with a link back to the challenge please) and add your info to Mr. Linky at the end of this post.

3) Leave a comment after you've added your link. If you choose to become a follower of my blog, or are already a follower, leave another comment and you will have two chances to win! Blog about the challenge and you can leave a 3rd comment for three chances!

The challenge runs from July 1-31, and the winners will be announced on this blog on August 1. There are no limitations as to design, stamp company(ies), colors, techniques, etc.. The card can be religious or secular and any size.

The winners will be chosen in two ways: One winner will be from a random draw of all comments left after linking/following/blogging. The other will be chosen by me from all the cards entered--my favorite card gets a prize! The prizes are both . . . drumroll please . . . $24 gift certificates to Papertrey Ink! Yes, you can get a wonderful quality, highly creative, gorgeous stamp set from PTI just for entering my 1st Annual Christmas in July Challenge!

To start us off, I made a cute little card for my 3-year-old nephew. [I can't believe I actually have a Christmas card checked off, and it's only July 1st!] I chose a snowman since they are special to me and he has picked up on this--he made Christmas cards last year for family (including my dog, lol!) and they all had a snowman on them. At least that's what I'm told. The three balls of snow aren't actually touching, but it's totally the thought that counts, right?! What a sweetie! I used Holiday Button Bits for the main image, and tried to keep the style & colors in the "boy" range. Adrian's favorite color is green, as he has reminded me a few hundred times, and I thought the background paper looked like a sweater and snowballs at the same time. I also thought there was a sweater-y pattern to the button. I love the gold twine I used to tie the die cut to the card--I just got it from Michelle at Stamper's Dream and it's great because it's twine/cording but it holds a knot really well, unlike the stuff sold in stores for Christmas wrap. (FYI--she has several colors, I recommend it if you're in the market.) I made sure to listen to a few Christmas songs on my iPod as I made the card, to get into the spirit! I hope this challenge brings you a little bit of Christmas cheer in the middle of summer!

Supplies
Stamps: PTI--Holiday Button Bits & Polka Dot Basics II (on the scarf--hard to see)
Paper: PTI--Vintage Cream & Simply Chartreuse; Zoe Pearn Bloom & Grow; watercolor
Ink: Versafine--Onyx Black; PTI--Spring Rain & Simply Chartreuse; Ranger--Tumbled Glass & Brushed Corduroy Distress Inks
Button: PTI--Spring Rain
Die: Spellbinders
Distress Tool: Heidi Swapp
Fun Flock: Stampendous--Cotton Ball White (on ball on top of hat)
Twine: Stamper's Dream--gold
Pens: Copics--R27, R59 & Colorless Blender; atyou Spica--clear, peach