52 Christmas Card Throwdown Challenge

Hello! For the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown Challenge, I crafted a Christmas card that feels both festive and fresh, using the challenge colors of pink, green, and white (the challenge colors). Featuring Memory Box dies, I created a serene forest scene with a cozy A-Frame house nestled among snowy trees.

Working on this card brought back a childhood memory. As a tween, I was convinced that green and pink didn’t belong together—especially when my mother insisted on dressing me in a spruce green sweater and a pink turtleneck for school photos. Now, years later, I see the charm of this unexpected pairing.

Memory Box Christmas A-Frame

    • To begin, apply embossing paste through the Snow Flurries stencil on a light green cardstock panel. Once dry, add to an A2-size card base. Cut a 1 1/2″ strip of Snowdrift cardstock for the snow and add to the background panel.
    • Cut the pieces of the A-Frame house from Snowdrift and Dahlia cardstock. Apply glue and Rock Candy glitter to the top of the chimney and to the roof. Once dry, assemble the house.
    • With dies in the A-Frame house set, cut the wreath from dark green cardstock in the Greenery pack. Apply White Puff embossing powder to create a snow effect.
    • Cut the trees with dies in the Layered Narrow Pines set from dark green cardstock in the Greenery pack and Snowdrift cardstock. Apply glue and Rock Candy glitter to the Snowdrift pieces. Once dry, assemble the trees.
    • Press the Merry & Bright sentiment in Spruce ink on Snowdrift cardstock. Cut with the die in the sentiment set.
    • Add the house, trees, and sentiment to the card with dot and foam adhesive.

Memory Box Christmas A-Frame

To create the effect of snow on the trees and roof, on the wreath, and on the background, I used different techniques, adding dimension and realism. Adding snow to paper creations is a fun way to bring a wintry feel, making your holiday scenes even more magical.


52 Christmas Card Throwdown | Winter Countryside

Looking for the Spellbinders Blog Hop post? Head HERE.

Hello! A few weeks ago, I won the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown Theme Challenge. As the winner, I was invited to be a guest for the November Theme Challenge Winter Countryside.

The sight of a winter countryside evokes feelings of nostalgia with childhood memories of playing in the snow, building snowmen, and/or sledding. It offers a serene and idyllic backdrop creating a magical atmosphere that many people find irresistible!

52 Christmas Card Throwdown | Winter Countryside

To create the challenge card, I eagerly dug through my supplies. One of my favorite aspects of participating in card challenges – they provide an excuse to pull out favorite supplies and those that have never been used or used infrequently.

  • To begin, I stenciled and A2-size panel of Taylored Expressions Blue Corn cardstock with white paste through the Lawn Fawn Snow Flurries stencil. You can read more about stenciled backgrounds in my post HERE.
  • While the stenciled background dried, I cut the Memory Box Country Landscape (now retired) from Snowdrift cardstock. I used the Spellbinders Silent Night Make a Scene set to cut the red house and Santa and his reindeer. (The set is retired, however, I see that it is in stock at Frantic Stamper HERE. As I have mentioned before, Fran offers terrific customer service and has a large inventory.) I backed the houses with Blue Corn cardstock as I was depicting a nighttime scene.
  • With Hero Arts white powder, I heat-embossed the Essentials by Ellen Santa’s Flight set sentiment (released in 2015 and now-retired) on Pomegranate cardstock and cut it with a banner die.
  • I cut the frame from Snowdrift cardstock with the largest die in the MFT Stamps A2 Rectangle Frames set.
  • Once dry, I added the stenciled panel to the card base. I added the countryside landscape to the background, and then added the frame. Finally, Santa, the red house, and the sentiment were added.

52 Christmas Card Throwdown | Winter Countryside

I hope you are inspired to craft your own Winter Countryside card for the challenge!


School of Fish Hello

Hello! We have summer-like weather in the Pacific Northwest, and I was inspired to create an ocean-themed card. I am sharing a colorful friendship card showcasing the Memory Box School of Fish die set.

Memory Box School of Fish Hello

  • Heat-emboss, with white powder, the sentiment in the Lawn Fawn Simply Sentiments set on Bristol.
  • Mask and apply yellow and orange inks over sentiment. Mask to apply blue inks for ocean. Mask again to apply yellow and orange inks above ocean. Trim panel.
  • Ink Bristol in a variety of colors and cut with School of Fish die.
  • Add fish to ocean with glue and foam adhesive.

Memory Box School of Fish Hello

Memory Box – Adventure Awaits

Hello! A more apt title for this post might be “Summer Has Sailed Away”!  I created this CAS, nautical-themed card with a Memory Box die set, a Memory Box stamp set, and a Reverse Confetti frame die. I previous used the Marina Sailboats on this card.

Memory Box - Adventure Awaits

  • I cut the Marina Sailboats from red, white, and navy cardstock. I trimmed pieces to change the color of the hulls.
  • I applied Distress Oxide inks to a background piece and set it aside.
  • I cut the frame and stamped the You Anchor Me sentiment using a stamping tool.
  • I added the Distress Oxide panel to the back of the frame and the sailboats to the scene.

Memory Box - Adventure Awaits

Supplies: Memory Box YOU ANCHOR ME stamp set; Memory Box MARINA SAILBOATS die set; Reverse Confetti Double Stitch Window Cover Panel Confetti Cuts


Nautical-themed Die-cut Card

Hello (or should I say ahoy?)! I am always enthusiastic about crafting anything nautical-themed. I’ve been interested in all things nautical my entire life, even though I didn’t spend my childhood anywhere near the water.

Today’s card features the Memory Box Marina Sailboats. I chose a favorite color scheme of red, white, and blue for the boats.

Nautical-themed Die-cut Card

  • I cut the sailboats from red (SU Real Red), white, and navy (SU Night of Navy) cardstock. I trimmed pieces in order to change the color of the hulls.
  • To create the background, I applied white embossing paste to SU Daffodil Delight cardstock through the MFT Radiating Rays stencil. I used Dreamweaver white embossing paste.
  • I created the sentiment by cutting the letters twice, once in white and once in red (SU Real Red), with the Cole’s ABCs dies. I offset the letters when I adhered them.
  • I used the Lawn Fawn Ocean Wave Borders to cut the ocean from Memory Box cardstock. The wave die set includes three wave patterns (three different sizes of the waves); I used all three.

Nautical-themed Die-cut Card

Supplies: Memory Box MARINA SAILBOATS die set; My Favorite Things RADIATING RAYS stencil; Reverse Confetti Polar White cardstock