Neutral "Noelle" ;)

Hey all! I am the Guest Star at Jingle Belles for their current challenge! 

Hope you can come play, the theme is "Neutral Noel" to create a 'neutral colors only' holiday card. Lauren was so cute about asking me if she could make a joke incorporating my name! LOL, *of course* it was totally fine! I believe the day I lose my sense of humor will be the day I die, because life isn't worth living without laughter! :D Here's the challenge scoop:

***Create a holiday card which embraces the neutral colors:  white, cream, ivory, ecru, black, grey, charcoal, obsidian, brown, tan, kraft, oatmeal, sienna; use them all together, or choose one and rock the monochrome!  in whatever way you desire, if it's NEUTRAL, it's *IN*!!!  and yes, for the record, we consider gold and silver to be the "bling" equivalent of neutrals, so you may use them all you like!  

When I came up with this prompt (as the Guest Star we have the option to choose the challenge), I was really thinking about how I *love* color and normally use as much color as possible on my cards. However, recently I've found myself really digging on all-neutral cards. When you lose one of your "go-to" tools for adding interest (in my case, color) then you are forced to look elsewhere for ways to add interest. Texture, pattern, metallics, and glitz are all ways to do that without adding color.

Here's my "take one" for this challenge! I'll be back with my second card in a week. I hope you can jump in on this challenge, I really had fun with my cards.

This was a simple card made with scraps of DP, and a dry embossed strip of gold cardstock as well. Simple stamping is used, and a glitzy paper-pieced ornament for the "o." I love adding some sparkle to an all neutral card. It really gives it the POP that I'm missing from no color. I added the die cut snowflake topper in sparkly silver to give this card that wow factor. Some silver gems are the perfect accent and help draw your eye down to the bottom of the card as well.

I used TCP stamp set J*lly H*liday for this card, and also the Holiday Toppers. The banners are all scraps and are all hand cut, no dies used. A small library clip in black and some glittery gems are the finishing touches. I also stamped a little stitching, since I'm so bad about actual stitching, I have to fake it! ;)

That's it for me today! Come check us out at Jingle Belles sometime in the next two weeks? Please? Thanks for popping by my blog! 

big hugs, Noelle