These Simply Sent Card Elements Kits are so adorable in the catalog! I took one with me to Founder's Circle a couple of weeks ago, thinking I would make up all the cards and have them ready for display when I got home. These kits are sold separate from the coordinating stamp set shown in the catalog, so I didn't purchase the stamps, Home for the Holidays, thinking I would be happy with just what I could make with the kit. Boy was I wrong! You REALLY NEED the stamps to make these cards, otherwise you end up with cards like this:

The only words are either printed right on the focal points or are 6 separate little strips that say "merry & bright", "happy holidays", and "tis the season". These were super easy to assemble, but pretty BOOOOOORING!

Fortunately for me, one of my new Founder's Circle friends, Pat Chastain, just happened to have the "Home for Holidays" set with her. Bless her, she let me borrow her stamps and I made these:

 
These were better, but I am all about the backgrounds, so I was yearning for some wheels to spice things up! I had to wait until I got home to add the really cute stuff (AND of course I ordered my own "Home for the Holidays" set right away!)

Here is the result of adding wheeled backgrounds, taffeta ribbon, dimensionals, buttons, and felt flurries!

I stamped the big snowflake from the new Holiday Mini set, Winter Post, in Riding Hood Red, then added a Riding Hood Red Little Felt Flurries snowflake and a Earth Elements & Neutrals Close to Cocoa button (which looks red in this picture, but it really IS Close to Cocoa!) I threaded the button with a tiny 1/16" wide strip of Chocolate Chip cardstock that I made with my  Stampin'' Up! Tabletop Paper  Cutter. It was extremely easy to cut that tiny strip, then thread through the button's holes, tie in a knot, and clip off! I attached the flurry and button to the card with a mini-glue dot.

Bold Snowflake Jumbo wheel with a Versamarked uninked jumbo cartridge and Vanilla taffeta ribbon:

Riding Hood Red taffeta ribbon and the Snow jumbo wheel with the same Versamarked Jumbo cartridge:

Snow Swirled jumbo, Versamark cartidge, and Moss taffeta ribbon:

So Swirly Jumbo, Versamark cartridge, Vanilla taffeta:

Bold Snowflake jumbo, Versamark jumbo cartridge, Riding Hood Red taffeta:

Snow Jumbo wheel, Versamark cart, Moss taffeta:

Snowflake standard wheel, Very Vanilla Craft pad, Little Felt Flurries, Riding Hood Red taffeta:

I tied the ribbon through the center of the Little Felt Flurry sort of like one of the Styled Silver Ribbon slides in the Hodgepodge Hardware:
I think my favorite is the Riding Hood Red Ribboned ones. They really "pop" for me! Let me know what you think!

Here's a contest: Everyone who leaves a comment about which ribbon they like best on these cards will have their name put in a drawing to receive an assortment of Little Felt Flurries and taffeta ribbons. (Click on this link to  look at them in the Holiday mini if you need to know what the rest of the Flurries look like: Holiday Mini You have from now until Saturday, October  4th to leave your comment and get in the drawing. I will announce the winner (which will be by a random drawing) on Sunday, October 5th!

 Oh, and the other great thing about this and all the other Simply Sent Kits on pages  176 & 177 of the Fall/Winter 2008 Catalog: From October 4-11, the kits (but not the coordinating stamps) will be on sale! Check back with me here on Saturday, October 4th for details!

Here's my promise for tomorrow: I will be posting another pennant banner, this time for Christmas!