Christmas card adventures

Our Lucky Dip challenge at Less is More this week is *STARS* and I found a great sketch at clean & simple stamping so I combined them:

The base is a piece of textured Very Vanilla that I found, already cut to size, while searching for something else.  It inspired me to order more textured card stock since the texture adds so much to a clean and simple style.  The designer series paper is Deck the Halls (retired) matted on Cherry Cobbler.  The sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes is stamped in Always Artichoke on Always Artichoke, punched with the Modern Label and matted on the coordinating Movers & Shapers punch window die in Brushed Gold.  The Brushed Gold star I cut with the Stars #2 die on my Big Shot and matted on the coordinating Movers & Shapers punch window die cut from Always Artichoke.  Now I understand why the star punches were retired - the Stars #2 die cuts both of those stars plus two additional sizes - it just took me this long to figure that out.

The Jingle Belles prompted us with "Not a CREATURE was stirring" - so many creatures from which to choose!  I wanted to do a snowman - they're creatures, right?  But I've been trying to think of a swap card to make for my Watercooler Llama friends, so I was searching for an idea that would work for both purposes.  My snowman stamps pretty much all look like they need to be colored or paper pieced, and the swap is due tomorrow, so that just wasn't going to come together.  Then I remembered my newest punch - stocking builder - and the cute little reindeer stocking stamp in Gift Givers, and this is what happened:

Meh.  I don't love it.  When I went to bed last night, it didn't have glitter, and I didn't even like it, really.  I was awake for hours trying to decide what would improve it.  I was pretty sure sponging wasn't the answer, since I couldn't decide which color to use.  I finally decided on glitter, and I did not allow myself to get out of bed right then and try it; I eventually got some sleep, although it woke me up again later.  I added the glitter after work and after dinner with my friends this evening and it is better, now, and qualifies for a Jingle Belles entry.  But I wasn't convinced I wanted to glue glitter on 20+ swap cards, especially after I noticed the dog and I were both wearing glitter.  Besides, I still don't love it.  

I gave it some thought - maybe if I used the other medallion (from the Perfect Pennants die, cut with Big Shot) and the Scallop Trim border punch that matches it?  Maybe if instead of the stocking punch I used the ornament punch (since the Letters to Santa designer series paper features ornaments)?  Maybe if there was textured card stock in one of the layers, or if I switched some of the layer and ink colors?  So today I stamped and punched 22 ornaments, die cut 44 pennants and 22 medallions, and border-punched 22 Early Espresso layers.  I don't have a new prototype yet, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to like the new version better - stop by again for an update!