puzzle adventures

You have probably noticed that I like Christmas any time of year - I especially like to make Christmas cards all year, so they're ready to mail at the beginning of December without being more of a project than assign, sign, address and stamp (which is really kind of a big project, anyway).  I also really like challenges - they give me a place to start - and I like combining challenges, it's fun to make them all fit together, like a puzzle.  This week I started with the prompt from Christmas Card Challenge to use stencils; it was easy to fit in the photo inspiration/color combination from Merry Monday, and then I found sketch #19 from 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown to really put it all together:

stamp set - More Merry Messages; ink - White Craft, Encore Silver; card stock - Coastal Cabana, Silver Glimmer; designer series paper - Winter Frost (retired); other tools & supplies - Simply Scored borders plate overlay, Big Shot with Holiday Collection framelits (retired), Candy Dots, Stampin' sponge, sponge daubers    

 

The first puzzle I had to solve was that I don't have any stencils in my active craft supplies and I didn't have time to drive over to the house and go searching through the inactive supplies in the basement.  I started by cutting an outline stencil in a piece of scrap card stock and then I revisited my earlier inspiration of using the Simply Scored borders plate overlay, again the wavy lines, for the garland.  My next puzzle was adding touches of color, but the Candy Dots solution was right under my nose!

To celebrate all those puzzles, I'll share my solution to the ICAD prompt "puzzle", which I made fit with the text theme for my #4 card:

stamp set: Really Good Greetings; punch - 3/4" circle

The puzzle piece itself was a puzzle, which I solved with more scrap card stock.  I was thinking "all things work together" or "all things fit together", which then led to this stamp - it may be my all-time forever favorite!