52CC Throwdown & Simply Stampin'

Hi everyone! How was your weekend?

I have a card to share with you tonight that fits in with two challenges.

The first challenge is a sketch from Simply Stampin'

The second challenge is at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown.

It's a Theme Challenge this week.

I used non-traditional colours again but really wanted to incorporate silver. The image was my main dilemma. I couldn't decide on which way I wanted it coloured. After a couple of practice runs, I didn't like them in the least. In the end, I decided to just stamp the image with Versamark ink and emboss it with Silver Powder. Here is a close up of the image - hopefully you can see the embossing.

Now, this stamp set fits in wonderfully with the Christmas Carol - "God rest you merry, Gentlemen". Now I must admit that I always thought it was called "Oh tidings of comfort and joy". Whoops...

Here is a little background information about the Christmas Carol I chose

Like so many early Christmas songs, this carol was written as a direct reaction to the music of the fifteenth century church, in Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas. However, in the as-yet earliest known publication of the carol on a circa 1760 broadsheet, it is described as a "new Christmas carol," suggesting its origin is actually in the mid-18th century. It appeared again among "new carols for Christmas" in another 18th-century source, a chapbook believed to be printed between 1780-1800.

And for those of you who would like to see the lyrics and have a sing-a-long... Here they are!

God rest you merry, gentlemen,

Let nothing you dismay,

For Jesus Christ our Saviour

Was born upon this day

To save us all from Satan's Power

When we were gone astray

O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy

O tidings of comfort and joy

From God our heavenly Father

A blessed Angel came

And unto certain shepherds

Brought tidings of the same,

How that in Bethlehem was born

The Son of God by name

O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy

O tidings of comfort and joy

The shepherds at those tidings

Rejoiced much in mind,

And left their flocks a-feeding

In tempest, storm and wind,

And went to Bethlehem straightaway

This Blessed babe to find

O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy

O tidings of comfort and joy

But when to Bethlehem they came,

Whereat this infant lay

They found him in a manger

Where Oxen feed on hay

His mother Mary kneeling

unto the Lord did pray

O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy

O tidings of comfort and joy

Now to the Lord sing praises

All you within this place

And with true love and brotherhood

Each other now embrace

This holy tide of Christmas

All other doth deface

O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy

O tidings of comfort and joy

Thanks for looking xx