Christmas Greetings!

Hello friends!

After I finished my chores last night I sat and did some

browsing through my favorite challenge sites to see what I've

been missing lately.  I came across a couple that I just couldn't 

resist this week - so I quickly put together this card to play along:

Please ignore the crooked sentiment - arghh!! 

I stamped it the first time and it was way off - so I flipped the 

panel over and tried again and I still got it a bit off.

I even used my Stamp-m-Jig but I must have been had my head tilted.

 In any event - I didn't want to waste the cardstock

so I decided that the crooked sentiment would just have to 

add some "homemade" charm to the card - ha ha!

As soon as I saw the sketch at The Paper Players Challenge #215,

I remembered that I had these left over snowflakes from a previous class project.

They were just perfect for this - take a look

 

I also used the colors from The Challenge #15 (Always Playing with Paper)

which is one of my favorite color combos - especially for Christmas!

 

And last but not least...I'd like to enter this at 4 Crafty Chicks - 4 CC #213

where they want to see a Trio of Pairs (3 pairs of snowflakes).  

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

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

F is for Friend

Hello dear friends and followers!  A quick post today to share a card I made using a Lacy Sunshine digital image that I got for free from the wonderful Heather - just for playing along in her Facebook contest at Lacy Sunshine Crafting and Design Group (there is a tab and link to this on the Lacy Sunshine Challenge Blog site).  Here's my card using "Mayde's Puppy Bathtime" - hope you like it!

I love this image because it reminds me of my little doggies. One of them especially loves to dig in the yard and often comes into the house with a very dirty face and paws.  It drives me crazy I tell ya', especially since they are mostly white - or should be if they aren't diggin'.  But... then they look at me with those big dark eyes and suddenly it's hard to remember why I'm irritated at their dirty faces. 

They are just so stinkin' cute and such great cuddly company.

Anyway...as I mentioned, a shorter post today as I need to get my taxes done.  I've been putting off this task as long as I possibly can, but am now feeling like I better "get em done".  

Oh..and go grocery shopping, visit my Grandma and maybe give the dogs a bath too :o)

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

    The Paper Players #188 - sketch

Lacy Sunshine Challenge Blog - #49 "anything goes"

Sister Act Card Challenge #50 - Anything Goes

Crafty Girls Challenges - Challenge #14 "Anything Goes"
Digi Galore - Anything Goes

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

Chillin' with my Snowmies - PP178. MM91 and MOJO328

Hello friends - a quick evening post and then off to bed I go to get my beauty rest.  I'm so glad that tomorrow is Friday - whoot whoot! No big plans - just looking forward to chillin' with my children and a little crafting time (if I'm lucky).  Anyway, I've been rolling this card around in my head for a few days now but hadn't had time to get it all together til tonight - please take a look:

I saw the color challenge from LeAnne at The Paper Players and was just instantly in love with that vibrant combo.  LeAnne has spring in mind but I immediately thought of bright colored scarves, hats and mittens. I guess spring still seems too far away for me and I'm in winter mode. Here's the great colors from PP178.

Lucky for me the Merry Monday Challenge #91 is to use a snowman or snowpeople on a Christmas card. So I quickly decided that these colors would make a terrific non-traditional Christmas card.  Love me some snowman with bright happy colors!

Once I had the colors and the image in mind, I needed a great sketch to finish the card.  Its been quite a while since I've played along with the MOJO Monday challenge so I decided to try that.  Here's the sketch (MOJO328):

So there you have it - done, done and done :o)  Really happy with how it turned out. Hope you like it too and thanks for popping in to visit me today and see my card.  Til next time...hugs and happy crafting! D

RetroSketches #84 and The Paper Players #166 - Halloween

Hello again - a double post for me tonight. I can't remember the last time I did that!  I was completely inspired by the sketch this week at RetroSketches #84 - I actually even dreamed about it before I got up and made it (crazy right?).  Take a look at what I made:

And here is the sketch I used:

 

I saw this sketch and just knew that it would be perfect for using some of my Halloween washi tape. It would also be great for stamp borders, or those little strips of patterned paper (that are so hard to throw away).  I used my grid paper to help me keep my strips straight.  I put the orange and black ones down first and then added the word strip last.  Pretty easy and quick! The hardest part was deciding what to put on for stamps, elements or sentiments (so many ideas).  Since most of my halloween stamps are more along the lines of "cute" not spooky, I had to hunt a bit for what would work well with the slightly dark and spooky tape (skulls) - somehow cute didn't totally cut it.   So I grabbed my retired bat punch and came up with a good mix (I think) between cute and spooky.  Of course I had to add a little glitter - couldn't help myself :o).

I am also entering my card in The Paper Players Challenge #166 - Nance's Theme: Halloween.  It's been a while since I've made one of their challenges so I was glad to be able to pay along for a change.  

So here it is the end of my weekend and time to get myself off to bed.  Have a very busy week coming up at work so I need my beauty rest and brain re-charge.  Thanks so much for stopping by to visit me - I'm sure glad that you did.  Til next time...hugs and happy crafting! D

   

A snowman for Crazy 4 Challenges (C4C165) and the Paper Players #124

Hello friends - so happy that you've stopped by today to visit me.  The gals over at Crazy 4 Challenges have a fun challenge this week. They want to see our creations with a snowman on it.  Thankfully we don't have snow here yet.  I'm hoping it will hold out til closer to Christmas.  I don't mind the snow if I can sit and watch it fall while I'm snuggled up under a blanket with my cocoa or latte. But..I'm just not ready for it yet :o)   The theme challenge this week at the Paper Players #124 is "Snowmen" also - they must be wishing for snow too :o). 

Anway... I had just found these fun snowglobe type stickers at my local craft store.  Purchased them because they were so stinkin' cute that I just had to have them - even if I wasn't sure yet what to do with them.  So how perfect is the timing of the challenges at C4C#165 and Paper Players #124?  When you shake this card the snow flies around in there - soo cool! I put that fun sticker on one of my Sizzlit Framelit labels to help it stand out a bit more on the card.  I used my Northern Flurry textured embossing folder on the card base.  When I first made this card I left the rhinestones off - and it was pretty (see below) but then I got the idea that I needed to add the red rhinestones.  I like it both ways - but I do think the rhinestones add a bit of fun to it.  Here's what it looked like pre-rhinestones (a more CAS look):

Well... better get going for now. Got some Christmas shopping to do while I have a couple hours to myself.  Til next time...Hugs and Happy Crafting!!

ATS Theme Challenge #3 {Some Exciting News!!} and PP114

Hello to all my wonderful blog friends and followers!  Today I am so excited to share some wonderful news with you all - I have been selected to be one of the newest Design Team members on the Addicted to Stamps and More! Challenge (formerly Addicted to Stamps).  This is a fairly new and rapidly growing challenge that I have been playing along with almost from the start. I've been enjoying the great inspiration from the existing DT and it's also been fun to watch their numbers of followers and participants grow rather quickly.  I'm really quite honored to now be part of this team.  Whoo Hooo!!!  I think with this new expanded team we are going to have even more fun and I know all of the DT will be doing our best to inspire you each week and keep you crafting.  I won't be officially participating as a DT member until the first October challenge - but I do have a card to share with you for this current challenge - ATS Theme Challenge #3 {Spring}. 

This card was really quite quick to make as I already had the flower banners made up from a previous idea. I knew someday I'd have another reason to use them and viola! along comes this great sketch from Anne at The Paper Players Challenge #114 . I love to combine theme and sketch challenges for my cards - it makes it so much easier to come up with an idea and a finished card to share.  I do have a slight variation from the sketch with the added flowers.  Since the flowers were already stuck to the banners, I had to tear the purple one off and cover the mark with my rectangle - but it worked just fine :o).  Here's Anne's sketch: 

Thanks so much for popping by to visit me and share my great news!  Looking forward to seeing all your great creations at ATS in the near future.  But don't wait - grab your crafting supplies and give each of these challenges a go! Til next time - Hugs and happy crafting!!

 

Details: The flowers and banners are from a retired SU kit called Build a Blossom (if I remember correctly) and the sentiment is from Stampendous.  The DSP is called Twitterpated (from SU - current).  Cardstock is Lucky Limeade and Rich Razzleberry (two of my favorite colors together).  The large pearl centers are also from Stampin Up! (current).   

 



The Paper Players #108 - Ann's Color Challenge and Simply Stampin' Challenge #72 - "Let's Hear it for the Boys"

Hello friends - I have a confession to make... I hate housework!!  I spent the majority of my day doing it - urgh!! But I did finally get up to my craftroom and was able to create a couple cards to share with you tonight.  The Paper Players #108 - Ann's Color Challenge is a fun color combo of Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler and Not Quite Navy.  I love red and blue together!

 

I decided to make a masculine card using those colors and the theme challenge at Simply Stampin' Challenge #72 - "Let's Hear it For the Boys" to create this card.

As you can see, there is very little stamping on this card.  I didn't have the right size of heart stamps for my idea so I turned to my Fashionable Hearts Embosslet sizzlit.   I love to use punches and die cuts whenever possible to add depth and texture.  The letters are from a retired SU Sizzix alphabet set.  The chevron strip (from the NEW Border Banter set in the Holiday Mini) in the background was stamped with versamark ink on the Crumb Cake cardstock and then I adhered the letters and hearts over the top of it.  I like how it calls extra attention to the recipient and sort of points you to open the card to see what else it might say.  I broke the balance of the 4's in each row, but I didn't like having the letters spaced apart so far - so I decided that a bottom row of 6 would be ok since its still an even number :o). 
So that's it for now - thanks so much for stopping by to visit today - I 'm sure glad that you did.  If you need someone to come clean your house... Don't Call Me!  LOL.  Til next time - Hugs! 

Paper Players #104, Christmas Stampin All Year Long #19 and Addicted to Stamps

Hello friends - so happy you've stopped by to visit me!  This card above represents a real challenge for me as you will see when you read more.  I used a stamp that I have had for quite a lonnnggg time and never - that's right NEVER - used.  In fact - I have only used the sentiment from this set and none of the other beautiful stamps.  I really liked this set as soon as I saw it, and I saw so many gorgeous creations that people made with it that I just had to have it.  Then when I got it I felt completely intimidated with what to actually do with with it!  Does that ever happen to any of you? I think part of it is that this is a very elegant set and most of my cards are not in the "elegant" venue. 

In any event... along comes this perfect challenge to help me - Christmas Stampin All Year Long #19 - No Inky Yet!  This challenges asks us to use a stamp that has never been used (or rarely been used) and get it inky to make a creation.  How perfect is that? I knew immediately what stamp set I would use.  But...I sat and stared at it for the longest time, struggling with what to do with it. Walked away from it for a day and then decided that I wanted to keep this as clean and simple as I could so I wouldn't be overwhelmed with what to combine with it (paper, embellishments, layout, etc.).  Clean and Simple does not come naturally to me either - but it seemed like a good choice.  A couple days later... Still looking at it and still creatively blocked!! 

So today I looked to see if there were some other challenges that I could combine to help inspire me in using this set.  And...lucky for me I did find two other challenges:  The Paper Players #104 - CAS using words as the focal point of your card (a sentiment, poem or verse as the main element)

and Addicted to Stamps - Clean & Simple (CAS) Challenge #1.  Suddenly the light bulb came on and I got an idea (LOVE when inspiration strikes!).  What you see above is the finished product - Whew!! 

If you are still with me, here's a close up of my sentiment and main element:

I first colored my stamp with SU markers (twice) and stamped in each corner, then I pulled the color out on the leaves and berries using a blender pen.  I stamped the sentiment and then used my Spellbinders small oval to cut it out.  After positioning it where I wanted it on the card, I then used the coordinating Spellbinder large oval and punched holes around the outer edge of that die.   I did manage to keep it CAS with lots of white space and minimal  layers and embellishments (just a few small red rhinestone berries).  You might have thought by now that you would have just chosen another stamp - I thought about it, believe me, but I really wanted to see if I could do it.  I'm so proud of myself - I kept it CAS and I used an elegant stamp that I have been intimidated by for quite a while!  Hope you like this card - and thanks for staying with me during this long post!  Hugs!!

Supplies (all from Stampin Up! except the Spellbinders): Cardstock - Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler and Riding Hood Red.  Stamp - Bells and Boughs (holly), colored with SU markers in Always Artichoke and Cherry Cobbler, and More Merry Messages (sentiment - new!) inked up with Cherry Cobbler. 

Paper Players Challenge #103 - Colors from Anne Marie

Hello friends!  The Paper Players Challenge #103 is a color challenge from Anne Marie that calls for some really fun colors - Daffodil Delight, Calypso Coral and Lucky Limeade - how fun is that?!? 

I chose to leave lots of white space on my card this week which is very unlike me as I am such a patterned paper fan. My initial thought for these colors was flowers or popsiscles, but then I noticed that the City Crafters Challenge theme was to use doilies on your creation (Note:  I had also planned to enter this card in the City Crafters Challenge #116 - Hello Doily, but missed the deadline by minutes - drat!).  I've had these doily stamps for quite some time and and never used them so this was the perfect opportunity for me to use those poor neglected stamps! I stamped from the lightest to the darkest colors to achieve a nice overlapping of the colors.  I created a faux embossing by using dimension dots to pop the first white layer up just a bit from the card base.  And of course... I just couldn't leave it totally "flat" so I added some brads to the center of each doily. 

This card took me about 5 minutes to make and it turned out very lovely (the picture doesn't show the daffodil delight very well - my apologies). I decided to make this an anniversary card because I remembered that tomorrow is my parents 48th anniversary (and my aunt and uncle's anniversary too).   I think while I still have these stamps and inks out, I'll make a few more cards like this but for different occasions such as Thinking of You, Happy Birthday or Thank You to have on hand.  Thanks so much for stopping by to visit - I sure am glad that you did!  Hope you like today's card too.  Hugs! 

Supplies (all from Stampin Up): Cardstock - Whisper White.  Classic Ink - Daffodil Delight, Calypso Coral and Lucky Limeade.  Stamps - Delicate Doilies and Something to Celebrate (retired hostess set).  Brads - In color 2011-2013 and brights.

Paper Players #102, Retrosketches #18 & Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge

Happy Tuesday friends!  If you've popped into my blog tonight and said "hmmm... another Christmas card..." then you are not alone.  My daughter said "I really, really like this Mama but what's up with all the Christmas cards lately?  Aren't you going to make any other kinds any more?"  I do seem to be making a lot of Christmas cards lately and not so many of the other kinds - but here's the thing...I've discovered that I LOVE to make Christmas cards - LOL.  By the time Christmas gets here I will be done with the cards and can concentrate on the other fun things of the holiday - like baking cookies.  Oh, and of course, there were three great challenges that I wanted to participate in today of which 2 are specific to Christmas themes so how could I resist?!  Not to worry though, I am working on a few non-Christmas creations too which I will be sharing with you soon.  But for now, thanks for visiting and I sure hope you like this card that I am entering into the following challenges:

The Paper Players #102 - "Christmas in July" theme

Retrosketches #18 (see below)

and
Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge - Acrostic Christmas Challenge

The idea behind the Acrostic Christmas Challenge is to use at least two different letters from the word ‘CHRISTMAS’ to create a project.  My card uses the letters C for Cookies, H for holiday, R for red and ribbon, and S for Sweet.  Too bad there is not a Y in Christmas cause I would say YUMMY  (I love cookies - they are my favorite treat) :o)

This card uses a mix of old and new products.  The darling gingerbread cookies are actually cardstock stickers that I've had in my Christmas stuff "stash" waiting for me to make a scrapbook page.  They no longer had any stick to them so I used my trusty tombow adhesive and viola! The white ric rac ribbon is also from that same stash of Christmas stuff :o) The blog post from Ann at Paper Players reminded me that I still have some of rub-ons from a past Stampin Up! purchase (actually I have a lot of them) and was delighted to find the perfect saying to go with my card - whoo hoo! Unfortunately these rub-ons are quite old and they didn't go on as smoothly as I would have liked :o(  Note to self - "use your stuff - don't just hoard it!" 

I made the cookie sheet with brushed silver cardstock.  My card base is Crumb Cake cardstock and I ran the Poppy Parade cardstock strip through the Adorning Accents embossing folder (hearts).

I am pleased with how this card turned out - making Christmas cookies is a favorite tradition for me and my kids so it has a special meaning to me as well.  We make the frosted cut-out sugar cookies and gingerbread people.  We give each family member their own specially decorated cookie.  I know that Christmas has arrived when we start making those cookies. 

Til next time - Hugs!

Paper Players 100th , DP2 Masculine and PPA137

Hi again!  I think I was having serious withdrawals while I was away from my cardmaking because I'm feeling like I just want to lock myself in my craft room ALLLLLL day and play!  But the sunshine is calling so I finished up one more card to submit in three great challenges today and then I'm out the door.  I'm really excited to share with you that this is my first attempt at paper piecing (used on the chair)! I have been wanting to try this for quite some time and finally found the perfect image to use as a newbie (not too much fussy cutting to mess up).  I really am tickled with how it turned out :o)

The Paper Players 100th Challenge is to use any past challenge to make a card.  I didn't start playing with the Paper Players until the challenges were in the 80s (and I started following this challenge when it was in the 50s) so I wanted to do an earlier one and what better place to start than the very 1st (see below)!

I also love to particpate in the weekly Mo Manning DP2 Challenges so I can practice with my copic markers with super cute and fun digital images.  The DP2Challenge #140 is "Masculine"  how perfect is that?  I grabbed this great Mo digital image as soon as I saw it because it fits my husband to a "T" - this would be one of the ways he would be happiest - in his comfy chair with remote and Diet Coke in hand.  Doesn't this fella look like he is having his best day too? You can find this digital image at Mo's Digital Pencil Store and its called "King for a Day".  I was traveling for Father's day this year so this is a late gift to my husband.

And last but not certainly not least I am also entering the Pals Paper Arts #137 Sketch challenge by Margaret Moody.  After all it's hard to make a great card without a great sketch to inspire you and this sketch certainly inspired me.    

Thanks for stopping by to visit - I'm sure glad you did!  Hugs!

Suppies:  Cardstock - Midnight Muse (NEW In-color for 2012-2014) and Very Vanilla.  DSP - Comfort Cafe (NEW!).  Image from Mo Mannings Digital Pencil Shop "King for A Day" and colored with various Copic markers.  Sentiment is from a retired Stampin Up! set called "Its Your Day" stamped with Early Espresso ink.  Self adhesive brads that look like rivelets are from Close to My Heart (don't they kind of look like the fabric nails you would find on a piece of furniture?)