Good morning lovely friends! As it always goes during the holiday season, so much to do and not enough time. I hope today finds you smiling and ready for the cheer the season brings. I have new dies on my table and that always puts a skip in my step. I took a break from some of my crafting to lay out a new card and I must say that I adore the border strip that I picked up to play with – Spellbinders Fabulous Fretwork.
Several months back I did a small series on how easy it is to take a filigree border and parlay it into a background. That’s a technique that I love doing – just a little bit of toying around and it clicks whether a die is going to be stackable or not. You can see cards from the series HERE and HERE and HERE. These backgrounds do all the heavy lifting – they are so easy to put together and lickety split your card is complete! Just add a sentiment panel and you are on your way.
On top of a card base with some matted layers I added three cuts from Spellbinders Fabulous Fretwork. For my sentiment I used the circle from Spellbinders Blooming Collection and Spellbinders Arched Swallowtail Pennants. The snowflake is from Spellbinders Create A Flake Six. The If Snowflakes Were Kisses sentiment is new from Quietfire Designs and is so sweet, sweet, sweet.
About Day of Giving Friday
For new readers, every Friday it’s my pleasure to give away a card. The card goes to a randomly picked reader (worldwide) who leaves a comment in our conversation. Want to know more about Day of Giving, here’s a link to my FAQ’s just check out #11. You can check to see if your name is on the list of winners HERE! For your comment: What’s your favorite Christmas ritual?
Stamps: Quietfire Design – If Snowflakes Were Kisses
Craft Paper: Neenah Classic Crest – Solar White – Cover – 80lb smooth, The Fine Touch Silver Poster Board, Bazzill
Ink: Amuse Studio – Gypsy Blue
Accessories: Spellbinders Fabulous Fretwork, Spellbinders Blooming Collection, Spellbinders Arched Swallowtail Pennants, Spellbinders Create A Flake Six, Recollection Pearls, buttons from my stash
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Sending hugs! Thanks so much for stopping by!
What a beautiful card Becca. I love the new Fretwork die and will add it to my “must have” list.
For years we’ve always enjoyed a glass of mimosa after opening our gifts and while fixing breakfast.
Hello Becca,
This is so beautiful, I love what you’ve done with the die.
My favourite Christmas Ritual is the Vigil Mass on Christmas Eve, then back home for a beanfeast!!!!
Maureen xx
Christmas eve when we open 1 present and then head out to mass. this card is so beautiful.
Such a beautiful card! I just love the Fretwork background. Thank you for always providing inspiration.
See, only you can think of using a border die as a full background. That is way to out-a-the-box for me. But now that you have revealed it, I’m all in! My favorite ritual is hanging stockings on the fireplace. Don’t fill them with anything anymore; just like them there……
So beautiful and elegant. I love the fretwork die and the sentiment!! My favorite ritual is Christmas Eve afternoon opening gifts with family, a special meal and Christmas Eve church service.
If kisses were snowflakes and Hugs were pearls,
I’d kiss you and hug you till the end of the world….
Sorry, just went off on a tangent…. : )
Love your beautiful card as usual….
Merry Christmas …. Everyone….
Hi Becca….thank you for your lovely card today…we just had a snow storm so I am snowbound for a few days! Couldn’t help but think of Jim sending me those snowflake kisses from Heaven….sweet memories Becca – thank you! My favorite Christmas ritual is listening to Christmas music throughout the season – a definite reminder that Jesus is the reason for the season!!!
Paper Hugs,
Jan
Oh Becca, this is so you and I dearly love the fretwork die, such a stunning background. Your work always brings me such inspiration and some days I really, really need it to keep my day going, each day is a new journey for me as hubby has ALZ and I never know what the day will bring. But I am taking it one day at a time.
Hugs
Gretchen
What a beautiful card! My Christmas ritual is watching a Christmas movie on Christmas Eve. Hugs xxx
What a beautiful card! You are amazing! Love to watch the kids and now the grandkids open gifts.
Such a beautiful and loving card. I enjoy your posts very much Becca. Teaching full time, it is rare to have the luxury of leaving a comment for you but please know what a lovely oasis within chaos, to view your elegant creations! Merry Christmas and blessings, Rebecca
I always look forward to the Christmas services. Especially since then my husband will go to the services with me. He’s what my daughter-in-law calls “a Christer” He only goes to Easter and Christmas services! So I really look forward to that. I really love this card and especially the fretwork – it really is fabulous! You do an amazing job of putting all the right dies together and coming out with a real work of art! Thank yuou for sharing your talent with us. And for a chance to win this beautiful card.
The card above is beautiful Becca – good job! I’ve purchased a few of your designs from Spellbinders but haven’t had chance to work any of them – but I am excited and promised myself after the holidays I will get to it. Hoping you and your have a wonderful Christmas and a very healthy and prosperous new year.
Hugs Dianne
Our ritual is eating oyster stew, going to Christmas Eve Mass and opening presents. Our children all live away from here so it depends when/who is coming and whether there are little ones.
We had so many – photos with Santa, hiking out and cutting our tree, frosting cookies, dated ornaments. But, now that both are married and one lives far away, it is more more difficult to carry on with these. We try as much as possible. My fave is the photo with Santa. I bought my husband a suit so he can dress up and I still take photos of my grown up married couples!
Another beautiful card and sentiment Becca, I love this die and I will have to add it to my ever growing list of dies I must have. You always give me inspiration and I thank you for that.
Christmas here in Yorkshire UK is spent with our daughters and their families and we like others everywhere have created our own traditions that we look forward to every year even though the grandchildren are all grown up now, nothing changes.
Hope you have a beautiful Christmas with your family & I look forward to seeing your creations in 2017.
Oh wow! Another really pretty card Becca! Favourite ritual apart from meeting with God’s people to celebrate the most wonderful Gift of God’s Son, a good afternoon snooze after a lovely meal ;)
I like how the fretwork looks so delicate.
Favorite Christmas tradition: on Christmas Eve we read Luke 2 while the kids place the appropriate figures into the nativity, then eating the Christmas cookies for the first time w/eggnog.
Hi Becca. Fab card as always. So filigree and lovely. A fave Christmas ritual is on Christmas eve. Watching the carol service on TV from Kings College, Cambridge . Done this for years. Happy weekend.
It is making candy. When I worked I took it to work and gave to family and friends. Now my husband takes it to work.
Hugs to you, dear Becca,
Last week I came across a quote by Thoreau, “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” Thank you for always seeing something beautiful!
I so appreciate you sharing your ‘secrets’. Today’s card is so delightful and so were the others that illustrate the use of overlapping border dies. I’ve added the fretwork die to my ‘must have’ list, as well.
I’m a choral singer and the Christmas season wouldn’t be complete without the special Christmas Eve services at my church. Later, I get together with family and friends for an annual tamale feast. This blend of sacred and socializing is warming and joyful.
Love and blessings,
Sandy
Hi Becca .. your card is beautiful as always!
We have so many Christmas rituals .. I think the best one is one I started with my kids a few years ago – we go out for Chinese on Christmas Eve. Gives us a rest from all the Christmas prep and we enjoy each other’s company and anticipate Christmas. Will you tell us your favorite Christmas ritual?
Christmas Eve service and lighting our candles as we sing Silent Night are my favorite parts of Christmas.
Many favorite rituals,hard to choose. I do love taking each individual ornament out of the box and remember when I got it.
Carol b
Hello Becca,
I always enjoy your “Day of Giving Friday” and look forward to each Friday because of it. I was hoping to receive your Collection prior to having to make 6 Birthday cards this month, but since I had the Tuscany Strip, decided to use that instead. OMG! I was so happy with the results. So, the border you display here makes me happy that I, too, chose to do that.
Every Christmas Eve whoever is with us that night, we warm up a pot of Corn Chowder Southern Style and talk of the year behind and ahead. We all love this ritual! Merry Christmas Becca to you and yours. May 2017 be a year of fulfillment and of HOPE! Love, Sara
Love, love the sentiment. The card is gorgeous, love the background you put together. My favorite annual Christmas ritual is to make new homemade ornaments to add to our collection. Happy Holidays to you!
WOW, love it, your card is gorgeous. As my Christmas tradition, I loved collecting snowmen, and decorating the Christmas tree all by myself (of course I wanted it perfect, ha ha ha).
No fret about this beautiful card. Thanks for reminding us to think outside the box. My traditions are to set up my manger collection and then on Christmas Eve, go to the evening service.
Have a blessed holiday season. Much happiness and peace in the New Year.
Our family tradition was Christas Eve mass, dinner, watching claymation video Carol of the Bells and then exchanging presents.
Lovely card – love how you stacked the border die. Going to have to pull out some of my border dies and play with them! Love the sentiment, too.
My favorite Christmas ritual — at home, decorating the tree with family and Christmas dinner with everyone. Personally – Christmas Eve service at church.
Blessings,
Joni
Beautiful card as always. Truly Beccalicious! My favorite ritual is gathering with family on Christmas Eve and bringing in the morning light.
Hi Becca
Beautiful card. Love the sentiment.
My favorite now that the kids are grown is a Christmas eve 8 a.m.
5K run called STRESS BUSTER & FUN RUN which I have chaired for the past 3 years. The city is the benefactor for a new kids playground. Then Christime Day at 9 a.m. Eddie & I host a Christmas breakfast for about 25-30 friends. Got to get rested up! Lots to do.
Hugs
Mstgane
Ann R.
What a beautiful card, and sentiment! We lost a son in law to suicide earlier this year, and that sentiment is so special! Thank you for sharing your beautiful creations!
BEAUTIFUL CARD BECCA! I’ve been seeing this sentiment all about & I LOVE IT! ;) My favorite Christmas ritual is setting the table for our Christmas Dinner & cooking too! Making the table look AS PRETTY AS I CAN! This year, I’ve made SPECIAL PLACE MARKERS for a something-different touch! ;)
Love how you used borders as a background the card is stunning. My Christmas ritual is listening to Christmas music and enjoying the Christmas lights. Christine S.
This is the most beautiful card. Thank you so much for sharing the idea of how to use our filigree boarders. My Christmas ritual for the past 45 years is to have a beautiful buffet for my family and friends. I pull out all my good china, silver and crystal. All the children who came as little ones now bring their babies. What a wonder evening. My new Christmas ritual also is my son, wife and baby come over very early Christmas morning to open our gifts and spend a fun morning together.
Beautiful card!
Your cards are just stunning!!!!! My favorite ritual is going to my Mom and Dads on Christmas Eve for barb b que and opening presents! I think my dad really believes there is a Santa Claus and he is 87 years old…..Christmas wouldn’t be the same without them!!!!!!
Becca love how you use border dies to make such a lovely delicate background. My favourite ritual is putting up the Christmas Tree and also putting out my little village that I made. then I know its Christmas.
Hugs Trish.
Beautiful card, and can be used year-round, just change the sentiment! Love it! We don’t have a ritual, per se, but my hubby and I (and family if they are in town) always watch at least one Christmas movie and play games while dinner is cooking. Dinner is usually a simple casserole made the day before that just needs to cook in the oven. Easy-peasy, so everyone can enjoy the holiday! Have a wonderful one, Becca! Thank you for sharing your gift of inspiration to us all year long!
Good morning Becca. Your latest card is amazing Am loving the Fretwork background it really sets off the card.Favourite time for Christmas is having Family round or to SKYPE them to see and hear their voices as we don’t live close by all of them as they have moved on. Christmas cards keep us in touch with friends who are also away.
Because,
I just started following your work by accidentally finding you on YouTube. I can only describe your cards and other ideas as stunning and innovative. I love getting your e-mails each Friday to see what you’re creating. Thank you so much for all your inspiration.
Love this card, Becca! Just gorgeous. I love everything you post, though.
My favorite Christmas ritual…worshipping at church. And decorating the house. Now that I’m getting, um, older, I have toned the decorating down a bit, but I still love to make the place festive for the Day.
Absolutely gorgeous card, Becca. Now that the kids are grown with families of their own my husband and I enjoy watching Christmas movies on TV during the entire season.
One of my favourite Christmas rituals is to dress the tree :-) Especially now I have so many handmade ornaments.
Love your card Becca, the blue is the perfect foil for the die cuts and gold accents
Blessings
Maxine
I love your card!! My favorite christmas tradition is cutting the tree!
What a beautiful card Becca, love the color combo.
Hello Becca,
The fretwork background is so crisp and bright like a winter’s day. The touch of silver just adds to the elegance. Another glorious card. My favorite ritual is just spending time with family and friends.
My favorite ritual for Christmas to have my tree up and house decorated by Thanksgiving night. then i sit back and watch all the lights on the tree my tree is the best part of Christmas.
They card is gorgeous sure would love to win it and send it to someone I love very much
What a gorgeous, gorgeous card!. We kiss baby Jesus and put Him on the manger and play “Feliz Navidad” from José Feliciano
Your cards are always Amazing and very special. Our family favourite tradition is Prime Rib and King Crab for Christmas. Wishing you and your family a blessed holiday season. Merry Christmas.
Gorgeous card, love the blue and white together
On the day we decorate, both inside and outside, I bake the season’s first batch of cookies for my guys. We enjoy the tree and the special ornaments collected on vacations. We usually end up reminiscing about the trips we took and memories of previous Christmas seasons.
Becca, your card takes my breath away! We make appetizers together as a family and eat them together Christmas Eve.
Beautiful card Becca! I would have to say that decorating and all the great food that is made at Christmas time.
Hi Becca. I had to look twice at your card to check out that you’d die cut the border three times. I thought it was one die!! Amazing. Gorgeous card.
On Christmas Day morning, we light the fire, open our stockings after breakfast and then have a glass of champagne.
I wish you and your family a very happy Christmas and healthy New Year. Xx
Beautiful card Becca! Christmas Eve my daughter and her husband and 4 grand children come over. We have dinner and eat lots of my baked cookies and goodies. The fun then begins with the first grand child opening up his present and then an explosion of wrapping paper and everyone is laughing and enjoying each other.
Wow! What a fabulous card!
My favorite ritual is getting together with family, eating snacks on Christmas eve and everyone opening one present. We’ve done that every since I was little and now my kids are grown and we’re still doing it.
Good morning Becca, what an amazing gift you have!!! Thankyou for another beautiful card it’s just stunning!!!
My favourite tradition is Christmas Eve we prep the Christmas Day Dinner, bake mince pies and lemon tarts it makes the whole house smell of Christmas yummo!!! Just being together!!!
Wishing you and yours a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!
And to everyone else too!!!
Have a good one!!!
Loopy Lyndaxxx
HAS TO BE THE TREE GOING UP .
FABULOUS CARD
Driving around to see all the Christmas lights. You always have the best sentiments. Love the card as usual!
Such a lovely card!You make such lovely cards! I don’t, actually,have a favorite Xmas ritual.
Thanks for the opportunity to win yet another gorgeous card. My favorite tradition is the my annual holiday cookie “bake-athon” with all the kids in my family…. including the ones who aren’t really kids anymore!
A delightful creation! My favorite Christmas ritual is going to midnight mass on Christmas Eve.
Well one of our favorites is to make gingerbread and sugar cookies. We always have fun decorating them and after we have done SO many we start decorating them in very goofy ways!! LOL! Such sweet memories!! Beautiful card as yours always are!!! Hugs!
Oh wow such a beautiful background that makes, love the silver with the white and blue!
Beautiful holiday card!
My favorite holiday ritual is baking several kinds of cookies, packaging them up and delivering to friends and neighbors!
Watching our Granddaughter open gifts them make a special breakfast and then all the family comes over for Dinner but we will be missing my Dad because he passed 2 yrs ago and is still hard. Thanks
Hi Becca
Christmas eve is spent with family playing board games, and eating finger foods. Just quality time spent together before everyone arrives for a busy christmas day.
Dee
Becca, the card is absolutely stunning. I think I will be adding this die to my stash for sure. The Quietfire stamp is so precious. Our family favorite ritual is early Christmas morning we gather at my daughter’s house to have hot chocolate and monkey bread right out of the oven. Then we dig in and open gifts.Later in the evening we gather at Grandma’s house, mine, for a good meal some laughs and perhaps a few more gift openings.
Blessed Christmas to All!
What a beautiful card! Love the Fretwork. I would love to see this card in person to see how you have lined up the die without cutting the design. I want to be a fly on your wall just to watch you create! Our sons, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren join my husband and myself and we all go to Christmas Eve services at our church. Christmas morning we all gather at my nephews home for a LARGE Christmas breakfast. My two sisters and their families and all my kids & grandchildren continue this tradition after our parents passed away. This is the way we keep the Christmas tradition going and get to see all the nephews and nieces and their children. What a crazy time but most enjoyable. Then back home for my sons, daughter-in-law and grandchildren’s Christmas. We celebrate Christmas traditions for two days.
Well, I don’t have a lot of Christmas rituals. I just go with the flow. But we do have Fettuccine Alfredo for dinner on Christmas Day. Thanks … Merry Christmas!
Just looove seeing your work. Wish I could do them but am not that clever. I just love making my Christmas cards which I start in September and hearing the response from the recipients. I have some friends who use them as Christmas decorations the following year. I make 3D cards mainly. Wish I could do the type that you make.
Have a wonderful joyous Christmas Becca.
Mez
B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L Becca!!! One of my favorite Christmas rituals (there really are so many) is going to worship on Christmas Eve; carols, candle light, the babe in Bethlehem, Emanuel… and if we’re lucky, snow! Christmas Blessings to you and your family, Becca!
I think one of my favorite things is to try and wrap the presents in a new and beautiful way, nice paper, beautiful ribbon and embellished tags. That and the decorating of course. Found an old top hat last year and cleaned it up and decorated it for the tree topper and ordered 10 bundles of babys breath for the tree and everywhere else there is a garland or a wreath needing snow or a little something.
LOVE this classy card! When I was young – like about 6 years old – my mom had us make our own Christmas stocking to hang by the front window ( we don’t have fireplaces in Hawaii ) with left over fabric or newspaper. We continued this ritual until I left for college. Of course by then we had refined ourselves using felt or elaborate designed fabric. I continued this ritual with my own children and now have my grandchildren do the same. We use felt or fancy cardstock. Notice the carry over using paper? The children enjoy making their own stockings and they have their collection of ‘old’ stockings to remember and reminisce.
Hi Becca
A very beautiful card , love the fretwork and verse .
When the children were young ,we always looked forward to our Midnight Church Service , then the opening of the children’s main present on Christmas morning, all other presents were opened after Christmas dinner, happy , happy days .
I wish you and your family a very Happy Christmas and a most healthy New Year.
God Bless
Elaine
What a stunning card and beautiful sentiment.
My favorite Christmas ritual is making frined almonds that my dad taught me and my brother as young children how to make them!! It’s like apiece of my father lives on in my heart as I make these.
Hi Becca hun,
Sorry I have been so absent for so long, where on earth has the tie gone!!! An amazing creation, I so love seeing these dies used as a background they just work perfectly. My Christmas ritual we do every year apart from Midnight Mass is a Christmas treasure hunt for an extra present after Christmas dinner, I have done it since my children were both little and they still love it today.
I hope you and your family have a very special Christmas
Love & hugs
Jacquie Jacobs xxxxxx
Hi Becca, Stunning !! I hadn’t realised, until I clicked your link, that this background die-cut was in fact a ‘border’, I thought it was a complete die, how effective this looks and very pretty too.
Lots of love from Patricia xx
Love this background and how the sentiment is laid off to the side! Gorgeous card (as always)! Favorite Christmas ritual: Opening gifts on Christmas Eve, then having private time with husband on Christmas Day while daughters and significant others are doing their activities elsewhere!
Beautiful Becca, just beautiful. Love the colors.
Merry Christmas
Wanda
Love love love the quietfire sentiment! This card is gorgeous and got my imagination roaring! I like the way you use one die in so many ways. It’s hard sometimes to imagine different ways of cutting them but you have helped so much to get more use out of them. Beautiful card becca!
Wow !!!! what a truly stunning card !!! you never cease to amaze me
Our family tradition is for the ladies in our family to go to a BIG house that decorates for Christmas and visit and get into the spirit of the season
Sending you seasons wishes from GB
Ang xx
Your card reflects you! Warm and loving! I love the music ?
Hello Becca – I hope you are enjoying the Christmas season. I’m trying to get things done but it feels like there’s always more to do. I enjoy Christmas morning with my grandchildren, Noah and Emma. Even though they are both teenagers now (16 and 13), they still are fun to watch open their gifts. Emma is so funny and once gifts are opened, she always gives a fashion show with her new clothes. I’m still smiling over last year’s show.
I love this beautiful card and that you used a border die to create the background. I just received my collection of your border dies I ordered from Create and Craft. They are even better than I imagined! I can’t wait until I have the opportunity to see what backgrounds I can create using them. I definitely hope this is just the beginning of your relationship with Create and Craft.
Blessings to you.
Sandra
Another gorgeous card and another die to add to my wish list. We are get new PJ’s to wear and has been a tradition for over
50 years.
It is just too dangerous for me to visit your blog! I am just now going through my fabulous Graceful Borders set and now I have to add Fabulous Fretwork to my wishlist. Seems like every time I come I add something. Lol! Love that sentiment, too! There’s no special ritual. If I can, I like to get up early and go watch sunrise at the beach… so calm and relaxing, it makes for a peaceful start to my day!
My favorite is having my husband read the story of Mary and Joseph.
Hi Becca a bit late !! had the Grandchildren after they were in
their Aunties wedding and their Mummy was a bridesmaid yesterday.
They had a sleep over with us it was magic …..they are 3 and 5 and
these two little boys make everything so worthwhile they are so exited
about Santa . Love this card it has everything hugs Pamxxxxxxx
This is a seriously beautiful card! I just love it!
Midnight Communion on Christmas Eve is my favourite tradition, especially when joined by our children.
Hugs
Anne (UK) x
After Christmas dinner, we sing few songs, say a prayer and each person share what he/she is thankful for (alway ways needed Kleenex around)
I had just purchased Spellbinders fretwork die last week as I thought it was beautiful, I must have had a sixth sense.Thank you for the inspiration of your gorgeous card. I look forward to viewing them each week. Happy holidays!
Hi Becca what a beautiful card . I love the Fretwork to die and have ordered it after seeing this card. The sentiment is also lovely.
Would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a Very Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.
Wendyx
BECCA,
I missed Friday so sorry but I love this card, especially the sentiment!!! I bought the damask and bell borders now I really want this one too. However I want your new dies first. Our Christmas ritual is to get up when the kids get up, say prayers and say happy birthday to Jesus! Then start the fun stuff!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS BECCA!!!!
HUGS
KAY
Awesome, love it, but who doesn’t love your work…baking cookies with my mom…
Gorgeous Becca! LOVE this sentiment and the icy colors you’ve used here!
Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. This card is absolutely gorgeous Becca I lost the link to your blog for some reason and then I saw you on our craft channel and was determined to find you again.
Nancyd xx
Absolutely gorgeous. I love how you create your amazing cards!
This is stunning!
I love the Christmas Eve services together and then Christmas morning waffle breakfast and the slow relaxing time spend opening gifts and sharing memories.
Beautiful card
Kathleen