SSC377 Christmas Mushrooms ~ The Magic of Winter

Hey-ho, and welcome to the first Sunday Stamp challenge of the new year!  Today I'll share what I put together for holiday cards.  I can't stand the hustle and bustle run-up to Christmas.  It steals my joy, so I always target creating New Year's cards instead.

When I was a kid, we had a beautiful hand-blown glass mushroom ornament on the tree. 

That memory led me down the path in search of the lucky Christmas mushroom. With either nature or good luck themes, Christmas mushrooms (fly agaric) under fir trees are associated with northern European (German) or Asian winter solstice celebrations, symbolizing luck for the coming year and the magic of winter.  Here's another interesting reference to Christmas mushrooms.

I tried to keep the card relatively simple since I had to make a bunch, and of course I didn't have the paper I wanted for the juniper berries.  Had to wait for an order from eBay to show up for a little bit of sparkle.  The inside sentiment for my card is, "Wishing you a magical New Year."

The mushroom in the background is a previously unshared wood blank I decorated last year with Sale-a-Bration goodies: Toadstool Garden DSP, Fresh Freesia Seam Binding, Purple Adhesive-Backed Sequins, plus Ladybug Trinkets.

This week's sketch is by Lisa.

Stamps: Terrific Toadstools, Christmas to Remember; Paper: Evening Evergreen, Basic Black, Whisper White, Toadstool Gardens DSP, 2022-24 In Color Glimmer Paper; Ink: Real Red, Gray Granite, Versamark; Accessories: White Embossing Powder, Subtle Embossing Folder, Christmas Greenery Dies, Die-Cut Machine, Dimensionals.