'Christmas in your country'

............that's the theme over over Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge this week. A quick rootle through my 'box of Christmas cards to upcycle' produced a few typically British images, village scenes, red post boxes and LOADS of robins. The robins were chirping calling to me so I picked one out and this is the result:

I know robins aren't exclusive to the UK, we've seen them in sunny Spain in the middle of Summer and no doubt they live in many other places too - but, for me, they're synonymous with Christmas here. 

I used:

- 6" x 6" square white card blank

- red satin mirri card and a sheet of robins backing paper from a pad of My Mind's Eye 'Snowed In Winter Papers' - free ages ago (2011 is the date on the pad!) with Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine

- the main image was die cut using a Nesties oval die then layered onto white card cut using the largest die in the Spellbinder Floral Ovals set

Quite a quick card to make once I found the backing paper, and the image itself is so lovely I didn't want to detract too much from it. 

I'd also like to enter this into Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra where it's always 'anything goes'.

I tried out the new Spellbinders Tool 'n One for the first time to clean the bits out of the Floral Ovals die. Verdict? I really like it but be prepared to possibly still have to poke a couple of stubborn pieces out of the die at the end - and (despite me thinking I was being a bit extravagant) I also like the foam pad you can get to go with it. Had wondered if the back of a mouse mat would be just as good but I'm converted to both the tool and the foam mat.

Sorry if I'm tempting you to spend your pennies - you can live without it, after all it's been a long time coming anyhow! It's just a time and sanity saver really.

Di

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