Hello … bonjour! Welcome to our first Time Out Challenge of June, where we have a theme for you to play with … it’s Holidays … with the optional twist of making a one layer card. I didn’t twist this time around … 
I was going to make a card about holidays (as in vacations) … couldn’t find the right combination of stamps in my stash … so adapted … and made a Christmas card. I don’t use the term holiday for Christmas, although many of my US friends do, so I felt most everyone would understand the adaptation! I gold heat embossed the Simon Says Stamp sentiment onto a white card panel, sponged on some Distress Ink in Squeezed Lemonade, Tumbled Glass and Blueprint Sketch and splattered/spritzed Shimmer Spray over it. The dove was cut with a Poppy Stamps die in gold foil card and white … I adhered the gold outline flat to the card, added glue to the spaces, used Press N Seal to pick up all the white inner pieces (it worked a treat!) and pressed them all into place at the same time. The finished panel was attached flat to a card base …. and I was done. My inspiration for the background colours, gold and dove came from Pam A who is Guest Designer at Muse Christmas Visions … thanks, Pam!
How will you interpret our Holidays theme … and will you use our optional twist? We’d love to see what you create in our gallery. This fortnight, we’re sponsored by Seven Hills Crafts (thanks, Tara!) … there’ll be a random winner, drawn from those who use the optional twist, of a goodie bag of stamps and dies from the store. As usual, our overall winner, as voted for by the DT, will be invited to guest design with us in a future challenge. All the details are over at the Time Out blog … along with heaps of inspiration from our brilliant DT … and from our talented Guest Designer, Ishani from Quillish. Why not pop over and have a visit with Ishani … you’ll have a splendid time exploring all the inspiring and fabulous cards on display … and you can leave her some love while you’re there!
I’m playing along at …
Muse Christmas Visions – Inspiration below
Clean and Simple on Friday – Embossing
Happy Little Stampers Christmas – Anything Goes … No Joy Option
Simon Says Stamp Monday – All Things Bright and Beautiful (how bright is that gold!)
Thanks so much for coming by, your visits and comments are always a joy! Anita 🙂
My Papercraft World 
This is such a powerful image and I love how you softened this with the distress sponging. Your technique of using the die like this, really did work a treat and as always, super creative x
This looks so beautifully soft and dreamy! Great how the colours seem to float! Hugs, Gerrina
Love the beautiful gold embossing…so soft and serene!
So elegant and beautiful!
Anita, isn’t it a treat to get to use that gorgeous dove… and NOT just at Christmas time!? She is so very lovely – you’ve created a wonderful place for her to perch!
=]
My goodness, this is beautiful, Anita. Adore the subtle background color. That die is stunning in gold and so is the sentiment. Wow. Have to remember that as I do own that sentiment stamp set. Thank you so much for sharing this lovely. Hugs!
Anita, this card is a showstopper! Your soft background is beautiful and so ethereal. Thanks for playing along at MCV this week.
Such an elegant dove in gold and white, Anita! Note to self: put Press ‘N Seal on the grocery list! Your background glows beautifully behind the dove, and you couldn’t find a more perfect sentiment!
This holiday card is stunning Anita! I love that dove, so beautiful and with the inks even more beautiful. As pure looking as the driven snow! I don’t like the word “holiday” either, I much prefer Christmas, but so many use it and I occasionally will too. Glad you went with this direction for this challenge Anita because it is stunning, elegant and heavenly! Hugs, Brenda
What and beautiful and elegant one layer card Anita! xo
Just gorgeous, Anita! Love the pretty image and that perfect font on the sentiment!
So very elegant and so peaceful. Love the gentle blending of the colours on the background and that die cut dove and the sentiment are wonderful. x
Quite the holiday pick for the challenge. This is exquisitely wrought. Your meticulous work is always a joy to behold and this one is the perfect example. Actually it took my breath away. Love how you used that sentiment (one of my favorites) to further accentuate the beauty of the gorgeous dove. (Insert heavy sigh of delight here.)
your card is a real jaw-dropper, anita! love that beautiful dove done in the gold foil and white!!
This is lovely Anita! The gold embossing adds a wonderful touch of elegance!
What a lovely delicate card Anita. Your work is so inspiring..full of elegance. How sweet of you to write such lovely words for me, Thank you very much! and Bonne Nuit 🙂
Ooooooooo Anita, this is fabulous. I think it’s funny that in the US, we call holidays, vacations, and we call Christmas time, holidays. Anyway, I love that ever so subtle addition of color and the awesome gold embossing and die cutting. A beautiful composition.
This is stunning and pretty much what I set out to do with mine originally, but when the gold pieces all stayed in, I went for the higher drama. I love seeing this though and knowing how beautiful it would have looked! So great to see you at MCV my friend (notice we don’t call it MHV, even though we love to see any winter-themed cards. LOL!)
Oh, so beautiful!!!
Wow…this is such an elegant creation! Anita. Love your great inspiration! 🙂
What a beautiful Christmas card, Anita ! Im the same way with Holiday. I love the dove and sentiment of Peace, such a pretty soft background too!
You know I love this card, Anita! So glad you shared it at Happy Little Stampers June Christmas Challenge!
Great take on the Muse card
Simply glorious, that dove. Like that you used gold foil for the dove, it suits her. The subtle sponging makes her stand out even more. A holiday card for me is always a Christmas card – we say vacation here. I think Holiday as in vacation is more a British thing. But what do I know, I am not the expert when it comes to language….But I am really glad you played with MCV rather than a different challenge 😉 – thanks, my friend!
Oh, Anita…this is absolutely gorgeous! Your gold dove is perfect with your beautifully sponged background and I love your sentiment! Such an elegant and perfect one layer Christmas card!
Well, I’m glad you couldn’t find the stamps for your first idea, as this is absolutely gorgeous! Love the dove & that wonderful sentiment!
Beautiful card Anita. Love the soft colours in the background … just perfect with the dove image. This is such a serene and elegant Christmas card. xx
Your card is awesome, Anita! It looks so delicate and fragile with this subtil colors!
….and this gorgeous dove, whose beauty is even more accentuated by this superb sentiment!! – I’m completely blown away!
Hugs, Rosi
Winner, winner, chicken dinner. You really did it for MCV! Congratulations.
Congrats on your win! Your card is just lovely. Doves signify love, don’t they and peace, so a Christmas card is just wonderful. Hugs to you!
I haven’t visited for a bit; I just got back from CA, and am catching up on my visits and comments. What a lovely card, the soft inking behind your spectacular dove is perfect highlighting.
I missed this glorious card somehow, Anita, so I’m delighted to have seen it as the winner at MCV! Congratulations and well-deserved! Your soft coloring is simple perfection to back light that uplifting and serene dove!! LYAMYMA! DYEYFI? Love and hugs, Darnell
Sorry for commenting so late on your cards, Anita… Life has been on the way!! I LOVE this bird die. It’s on my wishlist from Poppystamps… The card you created has such wonderful detail. I love the shine and the style of the sentiment works super well with the dove. Wonderful design!
Such a beautiful card, Anita. Thank you for joining us at CAS on Friday. Luv, Wilma
Simply beautiful Anita…sorry to be so far behind on leaving you comments. The dove of your card is really breathtaking! Hope you are doing well!
Such a soft and serene background for your beautiful inlaid dove – “peace” is the perfect sentiment!
That simple dove is just fabulous – perfect against the soft wash of background colour!