Occasionally I manage to get my act together to participate in a challenge during the week that it is active. I enjoy participating in many different types of challenges: color combination, sketch or something else. Even if I don't make the deadline, I love referring to the wide variety of challenge sites out there for a starting point for a project (typically a card). I have done a few challenges from the site Always Playing with Paper, and I'm excited that I completed this one in time (barely) for the deadline.

The theme for this challenge is to create a card with a music or a Christmas Carol theme. I decided to do both with mine. The music note paper from the Modern Medley paper pack was perfect, and the Joy to the World set added the Christmas Carol aspect to the card. I'm pretty pleased with how this one turned out! I do enjoy the variety of cards that I create when I use different challenges for inspiration – I really enjoy the challenge (so to speak) of following a guide put out by someone else. It gives me a different way of looking at things and gets my creative juices flowing.

I used the following materials to make this card:

• Stamps: Joy to the World, Joyful Christmas
• Cardstock: Coastal Cabana, Smoky Slate, Very Vanilla, Basic Black
• Ink: Coastal Cabana, StazOn Black, Smoky Slate
• Accessories: Modern Medley DSP, Pretty Print embossing folder, Corner Rounder punch, Finishing Touches Edgelit, Basic Black 1/8" Taffeta ribbon, Coastal Cabana 3/8" Ruffle Stretch trim, Basic Rhinestones, Stampin' Sponges