THE News Shopper Christmas card competition looks like it is going to be even closer than an X Factor sing off and there are just a few days left to get creative and enter your design.

From now until noon on Friday (November 23) we want you to get creative with glitter, paint, charcoal, felt, pencils, colouring pens - and any other materials you want - to design a great card.

When you have finished your design, scan it into a computer and send it to us by email either as a jpeg or pdf attachment.

There are three age categories (four to six years; seven to 10 years and 11 to 14 years) so make sure your email clearly states your name, age, address and telephone number.

Email christmascards@newsshopper.co.uk

JUDGING

All entries for the competition must be received by noon on Friday so our judging panel can pore over your hard work and come up with a top 12 for each of the three categories.

Once we have come up with the shortlist for each category it is time for your mums, dads, grandparents, friends and neighbours to get involved.

The top 12 designs in each group will be published online and readers will be asked to vote for their favourite on a special Christmas voting phoneline.

PRIZES

The card which readers vote as their favourite will be used as the paper’s e-card.

And the young artist who designed the card will win a Kindle Fire e-reader as well as a box of 100 cards featuring their design to send out.

Two runners up will each receive an iPod Shuffle.