Who says Christmas cards have to be red and green? Sometimes it’s fun to step away from traditional holiday colours and try something a little unexpected!

This week, I’m playing along with the Hand Stamped Sentiments Inspiration Challenge #HSS501, and I couldn’t resist giving my Christmas card a fun, retro twist!

A Little Retro Christmas Cheer!

The inspiration board features beautiful Christmas greenery, ornaments, soft colours and touches of sparkle. I was especially drawn to the hanging ornaments, which immediately made me think of those colourful vintage Christmas decorations.

To capture that retro feeling, I chose Flirty Flamingo, Coastal Cabana and gold, with just a dash of black to make everything pop!

I love how these colours work together. The Flirty Flamingo polka-dot background gives the card a playful, vintage feel, while the Coastal Cabana ornament adds a bright pop of colour. The gold ornament brings just the right amount of Christmas sparkle.

And those little black bows? They’re one of my favourite details! They tie everything together beautifully without taking away from the colourful ornaments.

Stampin’ Up! Supplies Used

You’ll find my complete supply list below, with clickable links to shop the products.

Join the Hand Stamped Sentiments Challenge!

Now it’s your turn to get creative!

Our HSS501 Inspiration Challenge is full of wonderful Christmas ideas. Whether you’re inspired by the ornaments, greenery, colours or festive details, we’d love to see what you create.

Head over to Hand Stamped Sentiments to see what the rest of the design team has created and share your own project.

You don’t need to recreate the inspiration board exactly. Just choose something that catches your eye and make it your own!

Challenge #HSS501 runs November 10–23, 2026.

More Christmas Cardmaking Fun — Join My Festive Cheer Class!

Love making handmade Christmas cards? I’d love to have you join me for my Festive Cheer Christmas Card Class on Saturday, November 28 at 9 AM Pacific!

We’ll create 8 beautiful Christmas cards (4 designs, 2 of each), and you’ll receive a prepared cardmaking kit and step-by-step instructions so you can craft along with me from home.

The class is $55 CAD, with the Festive Cheer Bundle available as an optional add-on.

Registration closes Thursday, November 12, so there’s just a little time left to reserve your spot!

Visit my Current & Upcoming Classes page for all the details.

I’d love to craft with you!

And if you enjoy sharing ideas and crafting with others, you’re always welcome to ask me about joining my Ink Pad Pals Stampin’ Up! team!

I’d love to have you join my crafty community! Sign up for my Stampin’ With Leah newsletter for card-making ideas, tutorials, upcoming online events, and the latest Stampin’ Up! news.

What’s your favourite non-traditional Christmas colour combination? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments!