Christmas card binge adventure

This morning I awoke with visions of stamping projects dancing in my head - so sweet!  And, I completed several cards to add to my Christmas 2012 collection in the last several days, so let's get right to them, shall we?

I want to start out with the last card I made, because I used the Merry Monday sketch which ends today:

stamp set - Open Sleigh; ink - Riding Hood Red; card stock - Naturals White, Riding Hood Red

I'm not sure whether this is an August or a September challenge at Merry Monday, but I'd like to try to enter a card for every September challenge so I don't want to take a chance!  This may be the shortest supplies list I've ever typed - I was going for truly Clean and Simple with this card, and didn't even raise the focal point on dimensionals.  I think the narrow mat border adds to the clean, simple lines as well, and I'll also be linking this card at Addicted to Stamps.

The other two cards I've made since I last posted were Pinterest inspired - are you surprised? The original link for this card went to Stampin' Connection and won't work for you unless you're a demonstrator, but I searched her blog and found this sample (the version I was inspired by was done in red and green on white).  I loved Diane's creative layering and wanted to try a monochrome version:

stamp set - Joyous Celebrations; ink - Garden Green; card stock - Certainly Celery, Garden Green, Wild Wasabi; punch - Extra-Large Oval;  Big Shot with Holiday Frame and Designer Frames textured impressions embossing folders, Labels Collection and Apothecary Accents Framelits; Basic Rhinestones, Stampin' Dimensionals  

I wish I'd pierced the corners, as Diane had, but I didn't notice the detail until after it was glued together, and didn't want to chance taking this one apart.

My favorite and Tom's this week, which I admired for weeks on Pinterest:

stamp set - The Sounding Joy (retired); ink - Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Versamark; card stock - Champagne Glimmer, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla; Big Shot with Tasteful Trim die and Petals-a-Plenty textured embossing folder; Basic Pearls, Crumb Cake 1/2" seam binding ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, glue dots, clear Stampin' Emboss powder, stamping sponge

This is the second time I used a retired stamp set that I thought was still available.  I must be slipping.  Or maybe it's simple disbelief that this one wasn't as well loved by everyone as I thought it deserved.  If you didn't purchase this set and wish you had, this can serve as your warning - be sure to get the new ones you love this year!