Sketch Challenge Brings in the New Year at the 12 Months of Christmas Link-Up

Happy Winter, crafters! Well, it finally happened! After a warm, wet, unusual winter, we finally got the snow we had been hoping for Christmas. It was a scene right off of a post card, pretty shimmery flakes of frozen wet stuff silently falling, dusting the bushes and branches with a powder sugar-like coating. It was beautiful! But not so much fun to drive in!! Evidently, we cannot have our cake AND eat it too.
Speaking of cake,I have a sweet card for my DT make this month for the 12 Months of Christmas Link Up blog. This month's sponsor is Ike's Art,and I just can't get enough of her images. And she gives a freebie every month on her challenge blog!! Actually, I have two cards to show off for this midway challenge post. 
First, my Christmas card following the optional theme of the sketch below. As you can see, I turned the sketch 90 degrees to the left. The image I colored up is called Holly. After creating my card, I played with it in Photoshop, giving it a pop of glittery pink color in the sentiment and the strip with Pink paper from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles Glitterati pack.

In order to have a chance to win the prize from our wonderful guest sponsor this month, we want to see you use this sketch on your Christmas or other December holiday card.   Monica has provided the inspiration for the basis of your design, now you just have to run with it.  You can flip it on its head if you like but we must be able to see all the elements of the original sketch in your card in order to qualify for the prize.  If you do follow the optional theme, be sure to add FT after your name so that we include you in the draw.

Remember, you don't need to follow the theme to link up your cards and earn a free paper each month, and have your name thrown into the year end draw for some extra digital goodies.  You only need to follow the theme if you want a chance to win this month's sponsored prize of a $15 gift certificate to Ike's Art.

My second card doesn't follow the sketch. It uses one of my fave Ike's Art images, Santa Hunk. I colored him up with Copics before playing with him in Photoshop. Don't you love the papers I used?  They are all from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles. From the 2014 12 Days of Christmas Patterned Paper pack - December Tree & Checkered, and from the Grungy Christmas paper pack - Green. I even embellished using another paper from the 12 Days of Christmas pack - Stars.
Whether you create with paper and ink, digitally, or make a hybrid card using both techniques, you have until January 31 to link it up for your chance to win several different ways. 

 Don't forget to check out Ike's Art. There's a lot of eye candy there! LOL

 
Challenges I am Entering:

Come & Get It challenges - Baby It's Cold Outside

Eclectic Ellapu - 12 Days of Christmas

Card Mania - Winter Fun

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Christmas Goes