ABC Christmas Challenge - A & B are for?

It's the second Wednesday of a new month, so that means it's time for a new ABC Christmas Challenge...and today, we are starting our fourteenth trip through the alphabet! I'm the host, and the themes are:

'A is for Anything Christmas Goes

&

'B is for Bear'

Here's the prize on offer for the lucky winner:

On my first card, I used a couple of new (to me) Woodware 'Twiggy Tree' stamps that I picked up in a post Christmas/closing down sale. I stamped them on to a kraft card blank using a couple of colours of Distress Ink (Forest Moss & Rustic Wilderness). I then stamped a little star (from the 'Many Blessings' set by Hero Arts) at the top of each tree, then coloured it in using a gold glitter gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Wintertime Messages' set by Hero Arts).

For my 'Bear' card, I used a Penny Black stamp called 'A Present' that I received for Christmas. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, then coloured the bear using watercolour pencils. I paper pieced the gift,  bow and tag using snippets of papers from the 'Christmas' pad by Craft Sensations. I used larger snippets of paper for the background of the card, distressing all of the edges and adding faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Wintertime Messages' set by Hero Arts.

I'm also entering these cards into the following challenges:

• Creative Inspirations - Something New (The stamps are new)
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Something New (The stamps are new)

For more inspiration, please pop over to the ABC Christmas Challenge.