Whimsical Gnome Santa

Hello friends and followers! Happy Sunday!

Whimsical Gnomes was one of my favorite stamp sets

released this year from Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps. 

I decided to color one of the adorable gnomes up like

a Santa gnome and make a fun Christmas card.

I was kind of proud of myself because I used two 

die cut trees and the snow hills that I had laying on my 

table from a previous card.  I love when I actually use 

some stash and/or extras laying on my craft desk!  

One of the trees has an embossed pattern on it which I

was going to leave just as it was and then somehow I

got black ink on my finger and on the tree.  So...

then I grabbed a sponge dauber and added a little green

ink to cover up the black boo boo.  Crafters are so

good at thinking of plan b :o).  The sentiment

is from "Shake It Up!" also by KKS.

This card is being shared on the 

KRAFTIN' KIMMIE STAMPS BLOG

as my DT card for 12 days of Christmas.  

I would also like to enter this in the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenges - Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenges - O' Christmas Tree

Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #222 Make Your Mark

52 Christmas Card Throwdown -December Pick a Previous 2016 Challenge

( I chose June 2016 - Christmas Landscapes)

Christmas Cards All Year Round - December Anything Christmas/Holiday

The Alphabet Challenge Blog - T is for Trees

The Brown Sugar Challenge Blog #227 - Anything Goes

Crazy 4 Challenges #365 (C4C365) STAR

S = Snow, T= trees, A=aqua (the paper is a light aqua) R= Red, 

Just Us Girls - JUGS 372 Word Week "Christmas Tree"

Sweet Stampin' Challenges - Let it Snow

Thanks so much for stopping in to visit me today! 

Hugs to each of you! D

Kraftin' Kimmie Challenges #352 - Make it Sparkle

Hello sweet friends and followers!

I'm so glad you are here to visit me today!
As you may have heard, this past week marks the
7th Birthday of Kraftin Kimmie stamps!
There are several things going on in the
KKS Friends FB group, including a super fun
B-I-N-G-O game today!  Click the link above to check out the deets!

In addition to the fun birthday celebration, there's another
weekly challenge at KRAFTIN' KIMMIE CHALLENGES

and the theme this time is "Make it Sparkle".
Oh my goodness the fun possibilities that are encompassed

in this theme!  I LOVE things that sparkle!

Come join us this week for a chance to win some
Krafty Kash to spend in the KKS store (see main
blog for details). You too can create a card, scrapbook page 
or altered item with a Kraftin' Kimmie Stamp or any other stamp 
and use our THEME as a starting point for your creation!  
You have until October 14th at 11:55 pm EST to get your entries in!

Pull out those fabby stamps and play along!  

Each month we will post a Sketch for some extra inspiration.
The Sketch will last  all month long and if you use it in ANY
of our Challenges or Wonderful Wednesday's during that month
you will get an additional chance to win a store gift card!
You do NOT have to use the sketch, it's just a little extra boost
for your mojo if ya need it!  Here is October's sketch (which I used)


I grabbed some awesome patterned papers with a

gold sparkle and some gold glimmer cardstock 

and inked up this adorable jolly image from

"Dear Santa" by artist Cheryl Grant. Ta dah!

I added some sparkle to his boots and buttons with 

wink of Stella in gold but it's not showing up so

great in this photo.  Didn't I tell you he's ADORABLE?!

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:

Crafting with Friends Challenge #29 - anything goes

Creative Fingers Challenge Blog #117 - anything goes

Jo's Scrap Shack Fun Friday Challenge #159 - anything goes

That's Crafty Challenges - All of a Sparkle Challenge

Cute Card Thursday Challenge 446 - anything goes

Star Stampz Challenge - Layer it Up

Thanks so much for stopping by today! 

I hope to be visiting  you too soon to

see  your own SPARKLY creation!

Christmas in July at Catch the Bug Challenges {Bugaboo Stamps} - Photo Inspiration

Hello again and welcome back to my blog

for DAY FIVE of the fabulous week of FUN

challenges to celebrate Christmas in July 

at CATCH THE BUG CHALLENGES!!!

Today we have a Photo Inspiration challenge for you

Take whatever you wish from this BUT make it a 

Christmas creation.  After all it is CHRISTMAS in JULY.

Here's my DT card to share with and inspire you today.
I was inspired by the beach/ocean aspect - and
of course the blue flip flops.  I had to add a tiny
pair of my own as an embellishment :o).

This adorable image is called Tropical Santa - surfboard.
He's on SALE this month at Bugaboo Stamps
along with a ton of other fun digis (the whole store)!
Now is a great time to stock up on some of
your favorite images.  What a great deal!

There's only a couple more days left so I hope you

are playing along with us!  There are some awesome

daily prizes and a GRAND PRIZE opportunity for

those of you who play along each day!
Check out the details HERE.

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:
Addicted to Stamps and More Challenges #202 - Make Your Mark
ABC Christmas Challenges - N is for No Rules (Anything Goes)
Christmas Cards All Year Round - July "Anything Goes"
City Crafter Challenge Blog #320 - On the Border

Thanks for stopping in to visit me today!
Have a wonderful day! Hugs D

Bugaboo Stamps - Freebie Friday

Happy Friday friends!!

Today at Catch the Bug Challenges we

have a fun freebie digital image 

from Bugaboo Stamps to kick start 

your Christmas spirit and the 

Christmas in July celebration that 

starts tomorrow!! 

This cute image is called AKV Santa-tree

and if you click the link you can add it to your cart

for FREE (limited time offer so hurry!) :o).  

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:
Addicted to Stamps and More #201 Anything Goes
Come and Get it Challenges - Christmas in July
Crafty Creations Challenges #319 - CAS
Crafting from the Heart Challenges #119 - anything goes
Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenges #285 Anything Goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas challenge Extra - July - A.G.
Christmas Cards All Year Round - July- anything goes
Winter Wonderland Challenges -
Let us see a Christmas Tree/Make it Cute

Thanks so much for stopping in to visit me today!
Hope you have a great crafty day! Hugs D

Catch the Bug Christmas Chaos - Theme: Santa

Whoo Hoo Christmas Chaos is upon us at

CATCH THE BUG CHALLENGES!!!

It's a whole week of daily challenges that celebrate Christmas!

 In addition to helping you get a few more cards (gifts) ready

to send to family and friends, you also get a chance to WIN

some fabulous Bugaboo images just for playing along.

How cool is that?  Pretty stinkin' cool if you ask me (big grin).
In addition to the Grand Prize and other Christmas Chaos
prizes there is a special set that will be given to one lucky
winner each day and it's adorable!!

Check out the main CTB Challenge page for more deets on
how to play and what the prizes offered are.

Let's get the fun started with a theme challenge of SANTA.

We want to see your Christmas creations featuring that jolly

old elve himself - or something that has to do with Santa. 

Here's  my card using an image called "Santa big ornament":

Oh oh...looks like someone was naughty LOL! 

Hmmm.... I wonder who I will give this card to :o)

the Doodlebug papers from SugarPlum are so perfect

with this fun image. Love the bright colors.

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps and More #173 - Holiday

Brown Sugar Challenge Blog #175 Anything Goes 

Creative Knockouts #118 'Tis the Season
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenges #256 Anything Goes
Cute Card Thursday Challenge #402 Festive Colors
Sketch Saturday #390


I hope that you will go visit the other Bugaboo designers and
see what they have made to inspire you to play along with us.
Did I mention you can win some great Bugaboo prizes??

I'll be back tomorrow with another card for the next challenge.
Stay tuned!  Hugs D

Sketch Saturday #389 - The Paper Shelter

Good Morning everyone!
It's Saturday, so time for another sketch challenge
at SKETCH SATURDAY - whoo hoo!
It's the last weekly one for the month of November.
My how time flies!!

This week the challenge sponsor is The Paper Shelter!

And they are offering the winner a $10 gift certificate. 

I used one of the sponsor images called 

"December 26th" for my DT creation today

and of course the fabulous weekly sketch #389

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps and More #172 - Make Your Mark

The Challenge #52 - Make Christmas card

The Concept #44 - Festive Glory
I used a Clean and Layered style

Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenges #255 - Something from your craft stash
(mine is the holly leaves and enamel dots)
Simon Says Wednesday Challenges - Anything Goes
The Outlawz Challenges - Friday Coloring "Anything Goes w/twist of Christmas"
Fab N Funky Challenges #283 - Christmas
The Paper Shelter #229 - "A Christmas Card"

Thanks so much for stopping in to visit me! I hope that you will
go visit the rest of my lovely teammates to see what they've 
created for your inspiration this week too!  
Til next week...hugs and happy crafting! D

Catch the Bug Challenges -Christmas in July {Oldie but Goodie & Photo Inspiration }

Hello lovelies - Happy Thursday!
It's Day 6 of the Christmas in July event
at CATCH THE BUG CHALLENGES.

Today's challenge is a photo inspiration -
you can take whatever it is about this photo that
inspires you and make it into a Christmas creation.

Thursdays are usually the Oldie but Goodie theme so I
found an image that goes fabulously with the photo inspiration
for today's challenge and qualifies as an oldie but goodie.


Oh just once I'd love to spend Christmas in a warm and tropical
area.  It would be odd not to have snow but the warm weather
and water would be so wonderful I'd get over the fact that
there's no snow in a hurry - LOL!
This fun image is called "Tropical Santa - surfboard" and you can
get him and lots of other fun images this month for 50% off
in the Bugaboo Stamps store. It's a good time to stock up
on those Christmas images for all those Christmas cards
you're gonna be making :o).

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:
Sweet Stampin' Challenges - Christmas in July (my 2nd entry)
Cute Card Thursday Challenge #382 "Water"
Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #153 - Holiday

So that's it for me today friends.  I'll be back tomorrow with
another Christmas card for Christmas in July.
I hope you are enjoying this week of inspiration and
that you will be joining us too.
Til tomorrow...hugs and merry crafting! D

MTTC Challenge #262 - Santa

Hello friends and followers, hope each of you are doing well!

I'm excited to share my DT card for My Time to Craft (MTTC)

Challenge #262 - "Santa" because I finally used a stamp set 

that a dear friend gave me a few years ago (thank you Patrice!)

but it had gotten stuffed in a basket only to be forgotten until now.

Take a look:

I'm just so excited over  how this turned out.  I used my Stampin' Up

markers to color the stamp and get the variation in the colors

Then I ran the image through my Big Shot using my new

Lawn Fawn stitched rectangle dies and cut the image into 

3 layers.  After gluing the first layer to the cardstock base

I then used dimensional dots to pop up the second layer. 

Ohhh...oops.. before all the adhering I used a sponge dauber

and ran it around all the edges using Baked Brown Sugar ink (SU)

to give it an aged look and more dimension.  The last piece of 

the three I dropped down inside the frame I had created with the

other two pieces and viola!! LOVE it :o)  

I used a Qtip to give Santa his rosy cheeks and lips. 

Here's a look at the very simple inside

I hope that you will join us this week at MTTC #262 and show us

your rocking Santa creations! My lovely and talented DT pals

have also made some fabulous creations for your inspiration.

Please pop on over and say "hi".

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps and More! Challenge #116 - Anything Goes

Papertake Weekly Challenge - Anything Goes

Festive Friday Challenge #42 - Photo Inspiration (colors and bow for me)

Loves Rubber Stamps Challenge #121 - Anything Goes

Thanks so much for stopping in to visit me today!

Til next time...hugs and happy crafting! D 

52CCT - Pick a Previous Challenge - Santa Claus

Hello friends! Here it is the very last Saturday of the November, 2013.  When there are five Saturdays in a month the 52CCT Week 5 Challenge is to Pick a Previous Challenge - as specified by the hostess.  This time Louise (our November hostess) has selected 

Pick A Previous - THEME.   

To see all the previous themes that we have done at 52CCT - just look in the Themes Archive.   

I had several favorite themes this past year so it wasn't easy to choose - ultimately I picked the April 2013 Theme - Santa Claus/Father Christmas.  Here's my DT card (hope you like it):

Isn't he just a jolly guy?  Every once in a while I get the bug to do some distressing and this was one of those occasions.  I used a Kraft scallop circle base and added a whisper white circle to layer on.  To get the list to go over on the sentiment just a tad, I stamped the hand and list a second time, fussy cut around it and then placed it on top of the original image in the circle.   

Fortunately through the 52{Christmas} Card Throwdown Challenge  (52CCT),  I have plenty of cards to send out this year.  Now I need to get some serious shopping done - eek! Most of the people on my list have been nice this year :o)  I won't specifically mention the naughty ones - you already know who you are - LOL!  I do think Santa allows "do overs" though as I've gotten a couple myself in the past :o) (slightly naughty grin).   

The other ladies on our fabulous 52CCT DT have also made some beautiful Christmas cards using past themes to share with you as well.  I hope you will go visit them and then decide to join us this week. 

I'm also entering the following challenges:

MOJO Monday 321 - Round or Square

ABC Christmas Challenges - X is for Out of the Box (NO square shapes)

4 Crafty Chicks Challenges (4CCC) #170  - Christmas

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit me today - I'm sure glad that you did.  Til next time friends...hugs and happy crafting! D

Christmas Cards All Year Round - August Challenge - Kids , Christmas Stampin all Year Long - "Anything Goes" and Just Keep on Creating - Christmas is Just Around the Corner

Hello friends!  Yesterday I shared a card with you that I made using this great  new Santa and kids stamp set called Wondrous Wishes.  That card had muted colors and only part of it was colored in to spotlight Santa.  This card is fully and brightly colored.   Doesn't this image just make you smile?  I love the little girl on Santa's lap with her list - too cute!  I loved Santa as a kid - couldn't wait to take my long list to share with him.  My daughter absolutely refused to get close to Santa - she preferred to worship him from afar.  She always had a list though and said that since he could see the little kids all the time then he already knew what was on her list even if she didn't go talk to him. 

I'm entering this in two fun Christmas card challenges today - Christmas Cards All Year Round - August challenge which is to make a card suitable for a child, and Christmas Stampin' All Year Long #23 - "Anything Goes".  I think any kid (even a pre-teen or young adult) would love to get this card with its bright colors and fun image.  I am also entering this in a challenge that I stumbled upon  called Just Keep on Creating - Christmas is Just Around the Corner challenge.  Here's the inside (notice the DSP inside too - I'm giddy with pleasure that I finished the inside right away and with matching DSP):

The finished card size is 5 1/4" square and will fit just perfectly in a square envelope.  I hope you enjoyed the two different ways in which I colored this stamp.  Thanks so much for stopping by to visit today - I'm sure glad that you did! Til next time - Hugs!

  

Supplies (all from Stampin Up! except as noted):  Cardstock - Garden Green, Glimmer Paper - red, Real Red and Solar White (Neenah). Stamp and sentiments - Wondrous Wishes (NEW) colored with copic markers.  DSP - Frostwood Lodge (retired).  Glimmer Brads - brights.    



CAS-ual Fridays (CFC65) - CAS Square Card , Christmas Stampin' All Year Long #23 - Anything Goes, and Just Keep on Creating - Christmas is Just Around the Corner challenge

HoHoHo - have you been naughty or nice this year?  I know... that's none of my business... but "you know who" is keeping a list and checking it twice.  Hope you on the nice list!  Most days I'm on the nice list but sometimes I slip - LOL!

I made this card for three challenges - CAS-ual Fridays #65 (CFC65) - Make a Clean and Simple Square Card, and Christmas Stampin' All Year Long #23 - "Anything Goes" and Just Keep On Creating - Christmas is Just Around the Corner challenge.

I love to make Christmas cards (maybe you've noticed this?) and square cards are on of my favorite to make so I couldn't pass up the CFC65 challenge.  I've also been challenging myself to get better at the CAS style, so another reason for entering the CFC65 challenge this week.  

Most of my cards use bright colors and images - but I wanted to try something a bit different with this one.  I wanted the focus to be on Santa and the kids' faces as they are looking at him - so those are the parts I colored in and left the rest uncolored.  I absolutely love how this card turned out if I must say so myself!  The copper paper behind the image gives everything just the right amount of subtle attention.  Here's a close up of the image:

My finished card size is 4 3/4" square.  I kept my layers minimal and with clean lines.  No embellies on this card either. 
I made two cards right away with this new set - the one you see here with just a spotlight of muted colors and a full color, bright version.  I don't think the second one would be considered CAS so I'll share it with you in a separate post.  Thanks so much for stopping by to visit me today - I'm sure glad that you did!  Hope you'll come back soon to see the other card too.  Til next time - Hugs!

Supplies (all from Stampin Up! except as noted): Cardstock - Bravo Burgundy, Solar White (Neenah) and Champagne Glimmer Paper (NEW).  Image and sentiment - Wonderous Wishes (NEW) colored with copic markers.  Textured embossing folder Petals-A-Plenty.  Punch - Decorative Label.