A Merry Christmas

 Merry Christmas, Sweet Friends!

This past year has been a different (and difficult) year for all of us with the social distancing and staying home due to the pandemic.  While we may not be able to celebrate Christmas in person with our family, our thoughts and prayers are with them, and hopefully, we will be able to get together in person soon!

The card I am sharing today has two versions- one that is very shabby and vintage and the other style, while still vintage due to the image, is more of a clean and layered style. 

I started with the vintage version, but since it was so time consuming to distress all the paper, color the images, etc. I only created one vintage style, lol!  

Thus, the black and white version was designed, and I did create 25 of this simpler style:

 My shabby chic heart normally prefers the vintage style, but I think I may like the black and white one better.  So, which one do you prefer? 

I am linking a version of this card to the Make My Monday #138 "Create Your Own Inky Background" Challenge along with the Word Art Wednesday Christmas Blog Hop #470-#472 and the Watercolor Wednesday #302 "Marsha's Special 3 Week Anything Goes" Challenge.

Stamp Sets: Christmas Collage, Bells and Boughs

Ink/Medium: Versafine Onyx Black, Stampin’ Write Markers- Black and White version- Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler; Vintage version- same as B/W plus Tim Holtz Distress Ink- Vintage Tea, Walnut Stain; Extra Fine White Paint Pen, Clear Glitter Pen, Silver Paint Marker

Paper/Cardstock: Whisper White, Basic Black

Tools/Acessories: Gemini, Jr., Stitched Circle STAX Dies (My Favorite Things), Circle Dies (Sizzix), Distressing Tool, ½” Black Seam Binding

I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas day reflecting on the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!   We are so amazed at His love for us and the free gift of salvation!  He willingly came to earth to be born of a virgin, died on the cross for your sins and mine and rose again on the third day (the reason for Easter) and is seated at the right hand of God in Heaven.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  John 3:16 NKJV

Jesus wants all of us to to believe in Him and receive forgiveness for our sins.  This is the reason He came to earth- without His sacrifice on the cross, sins could not be forgiven.  Have you trusted in Him as your Savior?  We are not guaranteed tomorrow, today is the day of salvation!   

I pray that if you have never accepted Christ as your Savior, today will be the day of your salvation!  It is as easy as A, B, C- Admit that you are a sinner  (Romans 3:23 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God), Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and Confess (Romans 10:9  "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord  Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved")- it is that easy and you just have to accept the gift!  

If you have not accepted the free gift of salvation, I pray that this will be your prayer today.