Christmas greeting card illustration, vertical composition, whimsical winter fairy-tale style: a group of cute Christmas elves in handmade knitted outfits (green/red wool coats, striped tights, felt boots, tiny bells), rosy cheeks and warm smiles, standing on a snowy path in a quiet winter forest. Tall pine and fir trees covered in heavy snow, frosted branches, sparkling ice crystals, soft falling snowflakes, warm lantern glow hanging from branches, cozy golden light contrasting with cool blue twilight shadows. In the background: a small wooden cabin with warm window light, subtle smoke from chimney, distant silhouettes of deer. Foreground: detailed snow texture with footprints, holly, pine cones, candy-cane accents, wrapped gifts with ribbons. Add decorative border elements like subtle Scandinavian patterns and snowflake filigree around the edges, leave clean negative space at top for “Merry Christmas” text. Ultra-detailed, crisp linework + soft painterly shading, rich color palette, high resolution, sharp focus, magical atmosphere, highly detailed environment, professional holiday card design, no photo, no 3D, no blur, no watermark, no logo, no text artifacts --ar 9:16
