For the these two cards, I started with Simon Says Stamp’s Wednesday Challenge – Christmas Critters and one of my favorite stamp sets is Hero Arts’ Color Layering Cardinal. I then looked at Stay Crafty with Hero Arts Challenge and went on the hunt for an inspiring card for my cardmaking. I chose Shari Carroll’s card, shown below, from this post. Lastly, I picked an icy inspired background for use Simon Says Stamp’s Monday Challenge – Ice Cold.
I was inspired by the white textured background with the bright pop of color from the cardinal. I used embossing folders to create a similar textured background for my cards. For my first card, I used stickles to make icy branches for the cardinal to rest on and be surrounded by. For the second card, I used white shimmer cardstock for a ice cold backdrop for the cardinal, a bit more subtle style when compared to the first. I was really happy with how the cards turned out! Hope you get some time to craft during the holiday season! Supplies for each card are listed in the captions.