Defi/Challenge Magenta Card

I'm baaaaack!  2015 has been a very rough year for our family.  My last blog post was in July.  Shortly after that post my husband, Dan, had stents put in three of his heart arteries.  Several others have some blockage, but they only "stent" the ones that are 70% or more blocked.  We are very grateful for the technology that had probably saved his life.  We have been on a whirlwind of doctors visits, cardio rehab therapy, and insurance company dealings.  
As we were going through this, his mom had taken a bad fall (second one in three months), and ended up in a nursing home for rehabilitation.  She never did recover, took a turn for the worse, and died this past October.  A very sad and stressful time for all of us.
Needless to say, we are looking forward to putting 2015 behind us, and looking forward to a more peaceful 2016.

This post is long overdue, and I'm happy to say that I have my "mojo" back after a long, dry spell.  I made this card for the Magenta Defi/Challenge for December http://www.magentastyle.com/search/label/Défi%20%2F%20Challenge.  You have to use two Magenta products, and the theme is winter.  I have a lot of Magenta stamps (they are in my top three stamp companies), however, I don't have many winter themed stamps.  I used the poinsettia stamp for the focus panel, and one of their holly stamps in my background.  
The background is done with the "smoosh" technique.  I used Tim Holtz distress inks on acetate, spritzed it with water, then applied it to watercolor paper.  When dry, I stamped the holly stamp randomly on the watercolor background.  For the image panel, I "inked" the stamp with Tim Holtz distress markers, lightly spritzed with water, and stamped onto watercolor paper.  I used a brush and distress inks to watercolor the image.
Layered up with red and green and gold papers, and added soem gold cording and red ribbon, with some beads for interest and dimension.  Die cut phrase on gold paper finishes off the card.  
I did manage to make and send Christmas cards this year, somehow.  This card, however, I am dedicating to all of those wonderful friends and acquaintances who have been our support over this past year.  The love and concern and caring you have all shown has helped us through.  
Many blessings to all for the new year.  
God bless,
lynda