Countdown to Christmas

I am not at all convinced that I am ready to be doing Christmas cards.  But Merry Monday has their first challenge up and I strongly remember the feeling of relief at the beginning of this past December when I realized I had enough Christmas cards already!!

I also wanted to play along with Fab Friday.

 

And, as a final inspiration for this card, I had already planned to spend some time with Stampin' Up's My Digital Studio (MDS) today.  I recently recognized that I would likely never scrapbook again - I don't have the space or time and I really prefer the mini "works of art" that come out of card making.  I even gave away all of my scrapbook supplies to a charity that supplies craft kits to kids undergoing chemo.  BUT, I love my family so much more when I have spent time with photos of family fun, events, holidays or just goofy faces!!  So, I want to move toward digital scrapbooking.  At the beginning of the year, I started reminding myself of how MDS works and organizing what downloads I already own.  

So, the strip on the above card is a practice MDS strip.  I used the downloads "Days to December" and "Owl Occasions" to put together the countdown.  The 4 and the 9 are punches that I paper-filled.  I just wanted to try a few techniques to refresh my memory!!

• Stamps: Stampin' Up's My Digital Studio downloads Days of December and Owl Occasions
• Paper: Stampin' Up Island Indigo, Real Red
• Accessories: Stampin' Up Real Red ribbon, embossing folder, snowflake punch, white baker's twine and a misc. button that matches Pool Party