A different kind of Christmas

Hard to believe, but it looks like between recovering from practise (i.e. sleeping most of the weekend) and packing before visiting my sister I managed to create another Christmas card - probably the last one for 2015.
It's a different kind of Christmas card, but so is this Christmas. 

When I visited my aunt in Vienna, it was the first time I've seen masses of refugees sleeping on the streets around the main train station. I can never imgagine what they've been through and what lies ahead for them, but certainly life is something that can turn upside down in a moment. As if losing everything wouldn't be enough, being faced with hate and suspicion everywhere you go is something nobody should ever experience. 
Then, one day my aunt showed me a text that has spread in the social media recently: 

The Christmas story

without Arabs

without Jews

without Africans

without Palestinians

without refugees

is a story of an ox and a donkey.

It might be fun at the first sight, but I think it brings the message across very clearly. Who are we to lock our doors and celebrate the miracle of Christmas, which in its central part is the story of a young family having no place to go?

As I've been thinking about how to use it on a Christmas card, another viennese memory came to my mind. During a mass in St. Stephen's cathedral that was celebrated by different nationalities living in this wonderful city, and Francesco Montenegro (archbishop of Lampedusa) as a special guest, lifebelts were brought to the altar during the offertory procession. 
I thought of using the image of a lifebelt in my Christmas card, too, but then decided to go with the abstract version of it, using red and white punched flowers. Definitely not your typical Christmas wreath, but then again, neither is this Christmas.
In the center of the circle, I put the Christmas story sentiment. 

Around the text, I places a silver sticker, which I combined with a shimmering gemstone in each of the flowers.

For the background I used part of a map that came from my favourite copy shop.

chalenges: 
- craft-alnica: wreath
- 613 avenue create: ATG
- as you like it: favourite Christmas colours (red and white - red because it's a Christmas classic that can never go wrong, and white because Christmas isn't "real Christmas" to me as long as there's no snow outside)
- christmas cards all year round: keep it simple
- crafting from the heart: ATG
- craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge: ATG as long as it's Christmas
- creative card crew: ATG
- deep ocean: ATG
- holly jolly christmas challenge: ATG
- that craft place: ATG
- the glory of christmas: ATG
- through the craftroom door
- tuesday throwdown: ATG
- word art wednesday: ATG
- papertake weekly: fave challenge ever (ATG)