No poinsettias for me!

During the Christmas season, I can admire the poinsettias at the garden centers or in other peoples houses. I can appreciate their unique beauty and it is always interesting to look at the different colours and hybrids that are available.

But that is exactly where I like to see them...at places other than my own!

I don't like owning one. They look so warm and inviting and healthy when they arrive. Sometimes they have a shot of glimmer dust and are all sparkly and inviting. Well, at my house that first blush of beauty soon fades!  Mine start wrinkling up their leaves shortly after arriving...let me tell you it is not a pretty site.

Quite quickly, they begin dropping their leaves. It then becomes a fight to keep them alive and frankly, I enjoy all the beauty of Christmas too much to spend it nursing something sickly. Nursing is probably a poor choice of words...you see mine never revive...I am the Nurse Rachet of poinsettias!!!

I purchase them to give as gifts to those that love them, treasure and let them live...holding them for those few moments from the store until we deliver them, is enough for me.

Invariably, someone gives us one at Christmas, some years we have been given 3!  Usually the giver announces with a beaming smile "I got you a poinsettia, I know how you LOVE them".    ahahahahaha

I like to keep my poinsettias to cards and those found in silk flower arrangements. In that spirit, here is my lastest Christmas card creation.  My poinsettia is a new tricoloured hybrid, all glimmery in kraft, taupe and ivory. I used one of the shiny card bases that I mentioned in my last post. I don't mind this box of bases as the sheen is sort of embossed over the kraft and is not too offensive.

Here's the card assembled...

I decided that it was a bit too plain looking...it is for Christmas after all...so I pulled out the stickles and some pearl bling and gave it a little more pizzaz!

Card base - Michaels Recollections Kraft cards and envelopes
Ivory, taupe and kraft shimmery cardstock - Dollar Giant 6 inch paper packs (a couple of years ago)
Sentiment - TP Studio Christmas Greetings from Dollars and Sense ( I just used the word Peace from Peace On Earth) I turned the shimmery paper over as the sentiment would not stamp clearly on the textured shimmer side.

I am submitting this card to the following challenges:

1. Pixie's Crafty Workshop - use up your snippets http://pixiescraftyworkshop.blogspot.ca/
The snippets of shimmery cardstock were so small for this card that I had to cut each layer individually as the scraps of paper were only big enough for one of the layers each. Hence the tri-coloured flower. teehee
2. Rudolph Day http://stampingforpleasure.blogspot.co.uk/
3. Crafty Calender Challenge -  browns and creams http://craftycalendarchallenge.blogspot.ca/
4. Holly Jolly Christmas - Sentiment only  http://hollyjollychristmaschallenge.blogspot.ca/
5. Sparkles Christmas Challenge - sparkle and bling (I used stickles and pearl bling on this card)   http://sparklesforumchristmaschallenge.blogspot.ca/
6. Going Buggy - non traditional Christmas colours http://going-buggy.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/september-challenge.html