When is a "Winter Holiday" a "Summer Holiday"?

Well as the title of this blog suggests not all things are equal for all people. The challenge starting today at Di's Digis has the theme "Winter Holiday"... now when most of the world thinks of a Winter Holiday they think of Christmas, here in Australia Christmas is in the height of summer; but as this cute image is PERFECT for "our" Christmas I decided to make a Christmas card ... and the "Holiday" can be the holiday from "Winter" that Santa (and his little penguin mate, lol) is having on that surfboard :-))
 

The image is called Surfing Santa and you can get it here.  I coloured with Copics, adding some extra shadows with Inktense pencils, Ranger's Glossy Accents to the water drops and HEAPS of Stickles to the fur trim and buckle - 
I've taken a pic in low light to at least TRY to show how much sparkle and shine it has... one day I'll work out how to photograph sparkle... then I'll patent it and make my fortune, rofl

I used the "Stella Says Sketch" this time, turning it at right angles.  The papers are from Kaisercraft, the baubles on the background paper have a gloss finish too - though of course you can't see it in the pics, sigh.  I cut the image panel with Nestabilities Labels 12, cutting the first mat from gold foil and the red mat freehand, the border at the bottom was cut with a couple of the dies from the Nestabilities Classic Borders set... I've had these for years and hardly ever use them.  I embellished them a little with some faux stitching in gold and some gold Stickle dots.... not that you can really see it, but it IS there, honest :-)

The sentiment is from Create with TLC, one of the many freebies Paulette has offered over the years; I coloured the "Jolly" with an Inktense pencil.  I cut it out with the smallest Nestabilities Labels 3 die, hand cutting the gold and red mats. The Card Candi is from my stash - I didn't even realize until I'd finished the card that I'd used different dies for the image and the sentiment, oh well, it looks okay.
I finished the inside of the card very simply... the only way to go with Christmas cards really, in the interest of getting the required amount readyin time!  What I did on this occasion was to make a red frame that was cut from the centre of the background panel on the front of the card, the square cut from the middle of THIS piece I used for the mats on the front... no waste at all!
I'd like to enter my card in the following challenges:

Clear It Out Theme: Holiday - Christmas Stash: Glitter

Fab'n'funky Challenges Santa Claus is Coming to Town (Use a Santa image)

Little Red Wagon Traditional Christmas Colours -I've used red and green AND aqua is appropriate to an Aussie beach Christmas :-)

Creatalicious Challenges Merry Christmas

Card Mania Challenges Christmas

Crafty Hazlenut's Christmas Extra Challenge Anything Goes Christmas

Cute Card Thursday Festive Colours

Pile It On Use Red and Green

Inky Chicks Merry Christmas

Bunny Zoes Crafts Sparkle

Whimsy Inspirations Challenge Anything Goes

Hiding in my Craft Room Anything Goes

The Crazy Challenge Anything Goes

Addicted to  Stamps Anything Goes

Papertake Weekly Anything Goes

Craft Your Passion Anything Goes

Through the Craftroom Door Anything Goes

I hope you get a chance to enter the challenge... like I said MOST of you would find this a particularly Seasonal theme... for the rest of us, we improvise, lol.  There's a great prize on offer as always, and if you use one of Di's cuties (digi or one of the Candi Bean rubber stamps) you go into an extra draw, woohoo!!
Hopefully I'll be back soon with something out of my drafts... even if it's one of the few cards I've still got in there from last Christmas.
My crafting time has been at a premium because, while my lovely Mum is now home from hospital, there are the usual litany of follow up appointments and diagnostics going on.  Her problems are compounded by the fact that she weighs 38kg which is just UNDER 6 stone (83lb) and so doesn't have much in reserve... unlike her daughter, lol 
Anyway, until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna