Super Cool Pals

Hello friends!  How's the weather in your neck of the woods?

Today was very cold but no snow.  I'm hoping that the

snow holds off for a couple more weeks until both my

kiddos are home for the holidays.  I'm generally not a fan

of snow UNLESS it's at Christmas AND I can build a

snowman.  Speaking of snowmen check out this adorable

fella from the UBER Cute stamp set called SUPER COOL PALS

from Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps.  I LOVE this set!

Those sweet sparkly snowflakes were made using the brand 

spankin' NEW Sparkling Snowflake Stencil  and some 

 BoBunny glitter paste in Torquoise.  The strip of snow along 

the bottom was made using Liquid Applique (all can be found in    

the Kraftin' Kimmie Shop  - follow the links to get your own).   

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

Cardz 4 Guys - Challenge #209 Snowman

Kraftin Kimmie Challenges #459 SNOW 

Stinkin' Inkers Challenge Blog - Winter Wonderland

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #42 - Anything Christmas Goes

Try it On Tuesdays - Winter Wonderland at TioT's 

4 Crafty Chicks Challenge Blog #431 Crazy Egg Anything Goes

Sweet Stampin' Challenge Blog - Team Abi Snowmen and Snowladies

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenges - Anything Goes

and last but certainly not least

{PIN}spirational Challenges #230 (see photo below)

My inspiration is the snow and the scarf

Thanks so much for visiting me today!  

Have a wonderful rest of your week! 

Bugaboo Stamps - New Release Tuesday - Snowmen Family

Hello - happy you are here to visit me today!

Tuesday's are New Release days at Bugaboo

and Jodi has created another adorable digital stamp for

all of us called "Snowmen Family" - take a look: 

I colored this fun group with my copic markers, added 

them to an embossed panel and finished with a swirly

snowflake corner die and some sparkly rhinestones. 

Didn't I tell you... they are ADORABLE - right?!

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

Crafty Calendar Challenge - Sparkle, Bling and Embellish

Papertake Weekly - Let it Snow

Come and Get it Challenges - Winter Holiday

I hope you are having a fabulous day! 

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

Catch the Bug Challenges - July BINGO

Hello! Wow what a FUN week it was last week 

at CATCH THE BUG CHALLENGES! 

The Fifth Annual Christmas in July  generated 

so many amazing creations that my head is still spinning

for all that gorgeous inspiration.  So glad that so many of 

you decided to play along!!   

Today is the start of another regular weekly challenge 

and it's the ever popular BINGO.

For my Guest DT card I've chosen the middle column
of Texture (frantage), No Square and BLING (glitter).

This is one of my favorite snowman images from Bugaboo

called "Snowman polka scarf" but there are lots more

that I'd like to add to my collection too.  Who doesn't LOVE 

a cute snowman?  There's still time for you

to scoop up some awesome Bugaboo digital stamps
of your own during the 50% off July sale.


My time as a Guest Designer is rapidly coming to an end -
just one more challenge to go next week.  I've had such a
wonderful time creating with the Bugaboo team and
amazing whimsical images.  I hope you've enjoyed the
inspiration I've provided to you this past 4 months
because I've sure loved doing it!

Thanks so much for stopping in to visit me today!
I hope that you will join us this week for BINGO.
Til next time....hugs and happy crafting! D

Christmas Charm - 52CCT November Sketch & MTTC #265 "Charmed"

Happy weekend sweet friends and followers!

This week the stars aligned for me creatively and 

I was able to combine my two DT challenges into

one card. Kind of nice when that happens :o)

I'm in a Christmas mood and getting very, very close
to having my stash of Christmas cards done
and ready to go for 2014 - yay me!

If you are just getting started on your Christmas cards
for the season these two challenges might give your
creativity a jump start. 

The challenge this first week of November at

52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown (52CCT)

is this fabulous sketch

and the challenge at My Time to Craft (MTTC)

is "Charmed". So for MTTC #265, We want to see 

a charm on your beautiful creation.

Are you ready to see how I combined these two challenges?

Here it is:

Digital image by Sassy Cheryl's Stamps - "Snow Much Love"

If this image doesn't make you say "awwww" 

I'm not sure what's wrong with ya' - JK :o)

Seriously though I came across it and just couldn't resist it.

I decided to do something a bit unusual for me

and use neutral and warm colors rather than the

bright and somewhat non-traditional

colors I seem to favor.  

 I used a new embossing strip that I got free

recently with my purchase of a cardmaking magazine.

Really love how this turned out! 

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Christmas Card Challenges #49 - Anything Goes

Creative Card Crew #73 - Bows

Festive Friday #43 - photo inspiration

Jingle Belles Challenges - Not a Creature was stirring 

Penny's Paper Crafting Challenges #201 - Anything Goes

The Outlawz - Friday Coloring Challenges - AG w/Christmas twist

Sassy Cheryl's Neighborhood - November Challenge - AG

I hope that I've inspired you to play along with us this week

at either/or 52CCT November Sketch Challenge 

& MTTC #265 - Charmed.

My lovely and talent DT pals at each of these challenges 

have made some amazing creations to further inspire you.

Won't you go visit them and see?

Thanks so much for stopping by - I'm sure glad that you did.

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

52CCT May Recipe Challenge and Catch the Bug BINGO

Hello dear friends and followers.  Sooooo happy its the weekend. How about you?  

This week at 52{Christmas}Card Throwndown Ruth has a recipe challenge for us.  

It's a C.A.R.D. recipe and she is asking us to:

COLOUR something in (an outline image or sentiment)

ADD RHINESTONES and/or RIBBON (use rhinestones or ribbon or use both)

DEBOSS (the recessed side of a piece of CS you've embossed with a folder)

I think this is a wonderful challenge! 

How very creative, it brings together my loves of cooking and card making :o)

We also have a wonderful Guest DT this month - Judy V of Created Just 4 You.
So happy to have her with us - LOVE her work!!

Here's my DT card for this challenge - hope you like it:

Digital image by Bugaboo Digi Stamps: "Make it Snappy - Ssnowman"

I also designed this card for the current BINGO challenge going on at Catch the Bug Challenges 

where I have the honor of being May's Biggest Fan.  I apologize if you are tired of hearing that. 

I'm just so stinkin' tickled to be named this that I can hardly help myself :o)  

To see the BINGO Board click here.

I used a horizontal line - stripes (scarf), Starts with S (snowman) and Kraft (panel)

and

I also used the middle column - Bugaboo image, Starts with S and flowers.

As Min would say, I was a bit of a BINGO Overachiever :o)

  

The fabulous 52CCT DT have made some wonderful Christmas recipe creations 

for your inspiration this week. Please pop in and visit them to see.

The talented DT at Catch the Bug have also made some fabulous BINGO creations 

to get your creative juices flowing. Go check them out!

I hope that you will decide to play along with these two great challenges this week. 

I'll be coming by to visit you and I can't wait to see what you make!

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

ATS&M# - Addicted to Holidays - Challenge #73

Hello friends.  Thanksgiving is just around the corner and I can't wait for the turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie. YUM!  Going to try a new brussel sprout recipe on the family this year.  There's also a couple movies that start this weekend that I want to see.  Not taking any extra time off from work though so I can save up my time for when my son is home from college for Christmas break (can't wait!).  What's your favorite Thanksgiving meal, tradition or activity? I'd love to hear.

This week at Addicted to Stamps and More! ATS&M Challenge #73 is our new HOLIDAY challenge. The Holiday challenge means we want to see your creations for any Holiday - Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, 4th of July... you get the idea :o).

You might think that I would have chosen Thanksgiving with it being just around the corner, but I just couldn't resist using this darling digital image from our challenge sponsor this week- Deedee's Digis to make a Christmas card.

The other lovely ladies on the ATS&M DT have made some wonderful creations to share with and inspire  you as well.  Please go visit them and say "hi".  I hope that you'll join us this week for ATS&M #73.  Our Top Addict will win a fabulous prize from Deedee's Digis this week.

Updated to add the following challenges I am also entering:

City Crafter Challenge Blog Week 187 - Snow White (where white is the main color).

Christmas Cards All Year Round - November Challenge - winter wonderland (snow themed)

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!!

Sending Christmas Wishes for Clean & Simple #217, Color Throwdown #218, CAS-ual Fridays CFC79, and Sweet Stampin - Snow People

Hello friends - last post for tonight, I promise!  I can't tell you though how productive and relaxed I have felt today to have the luxury of making 3 cards.  I also managed to do several loads of laundry - and overcook the chicken that was for dinner tonight (oops!) and... it looks like I'll be in bed earlier than I usually do. Yep - this was a good day :o).   My card this time is based off of the following terrific challenges:

Clean & Simple Stamping #217 (see sketch below)

Color Throwdown #218


Sweet Stampin' - Snow People
and 

CAS-ual Fridays CFC79 - Winter Blues: Create a CAS winter project featuring blue

 

 

So... how did I do on combining all those challenges?  I LOVE when the stars align and I can get 3 or 4 different challenges elements to work all at once.  The color challenges where there are more than 2 colors to use are especially challenging for me - but I like how this turned out.  I hope it does qualify as CAS as well (another concept I struggle with). 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by - I'm so glad when you come to visit and leave me notes. Til next time - Hugs and Happy Crafting!!



FMS#61, and DD#29

Hello friends, hope you are all doing well.  I'm excited today because I managed to make two cards for a couple different challenges that I haven't been able to participate in for a while.  The first challenge is Freshly Made Sketches #61 (see sketch below).  I just couldn't resist this sketch.  The second challenge is Dynamic Duos #29 - which has one of my favorite color combos of Marina Mist and Black with the dessert option of a snowman (my card has two snow people on it).  I wanted to us a snowflake charm but didn't have one so I thought the heart worked well with the saying of kind words warming the winter months.  I am not typically a winter person (too cold for me) - but making snowmen with my kids is one activity I enjoy :o)

I had fun making this card.  I used my blender pen and some Marina Mist ink to color in parts of the image.  Pretty pleased with how it turned.  Usually CAS is hard for me - but this sketch really helped me.  Oh and I also did something fun on the inside where I used a couple different snowflake punches...

Hope you enjoyed this card! Thanks so much for stopping by to visit.  Til next time... Hugs and Happy Crafting!

 

 

Supplies (Stampin Up!): Cardstock - Basic Black and Whisper White.  Ribbon - 1/8" tafetta ribbon in Basic Black.  Charm is a retired product from a previous holiday mini.  Stamp and sentiment  - Winter Memories. DSP is from the Patterns Designer paper stack (subtles).   Other - scallop edge border punch, basic rhinestones, corner rounder punch.

52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown - Color Challenge #7

 

Happy Saturday friends!  It's time for another great 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown Challenge.  The 52CCT Color Challenge #7 uses White, Black and SPLASH of blue.  So grab those supplies and get started on your colorful creation. We can't wait to see what you come up with!!  

 

I am also playing along with the Merry Monday July Challenge which is to create 4 cards during the month of July (basically one each week) based on any past sketch so far.  I have once again used my favorite tall and skinny snowbuddy and based the layout of my card on a past Merry Monday Sketch #2 ( I previously missed that one so thought I'd give it a try now).

I stamped my snowman with Staz On black ink and then colored in parts with a blender pen and basic black, indigo island and tempting turquoise inks (oh and a teeny bit of calypso coral for his carrot nose). I first outlined the sentiment frame from the bitty banners stamp set (NEW) and then ran it through the Big Shot using the coordinating Bitty Banner framelit die (NEW). I trimmed the excess white off around the sentiment and then made one more banner with basic black cardstock and layered the two pieces. My sentiment was too long and covered up part of my snowman's body so I decided to be creative and snip it in two. I kind of like how it turned out (but wish I had centered the saying a bit better within the banner).  Here's a close up of my snowman:

 

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit - I'm sure glad that  you did.  I hope I've inspired you in some way to go create something fun!  Hugs! 

Supplies (all from Stampin Up!): Cardstock - Whisper white, Tempting Turquoise and Basic Black. Stamps - Snow Much Fun (snowman), Bitty Banners (sentiment outline) and Teeny Tiny Wishes (sentiment).   I used a retired snowflake embossing folder for the background texture, and the Northern Frost Sizzlit strip (retired) for the snowflakes.  I used the scalloped edge border punch for the bottom strip. 

52CCT - Theme Challenge #6 "Snowmen" and CCCC13 Easy as 1-2-3

Hello friends!  Just returned from a business trip in Orlando so I have been silent for about a week and boy did I miss making cards and sharing with you all.  I did have some fun while I was gone though too.  I got to see some friends from Texas whom I so enjoy spending time with, got some Florida Sunshine vitamin D and got to see Harry Potter World at Universal Studios. I've been thankful to have such opportunities.  I admit though that as soon as I got back to my hotel room each night I'd quickly get on the internet and check out my favorite challenges (I think I have a slight sickness  and may need counseling LOL). 

I didn't want to miss the current theme challenge at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown - Theme Challenge #6 "Snowmen".  I LOVE snowmen even though I'm not particulary fond of winter - sort of odd isn't it? 

I also saw another challenge that I can play along with the same time from Creative Card Crew Challenge #13 Easy as 1-2-3 which is to  use 1 of something, 2 of something and 3 of something.  My card uses 1 snowman, 2 different patterned papers and 3 circles and birds. 

Here is the inspiration for the 52CCT challenge:

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit - I'm glad to be home hugging my kids and puppies and creating cards to share with you. Hugs!

Supplies (all from Stampin Up!):  Cardstock - Whisper White, Poppy Parade and Pool Party. Stamps - Petite Pairs (sentiment) and Snow Much Fun. DSP - Attic Boutique and Pocketful of Posies (both retired). I colored the images with a blender pen and Pool Party, Poppy Parade and Basic Black inks. 

52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown #6 - A White Card

A very Merry Hello to you my friends!  Color Challenge #6 at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwndown is to make a card using White - preferably all white, but a small touch of color is acceptable.   I have to tell you that when I first saw what the challenge was I was completely freaked out!  Although I very much admire the beautiful all white cards I have seen, I personally haven't had a great lot of sucess with mine turning out.  But... I am so excited to share this Christmas card with you today because I really, really love how it turned out!!! Is it okay to say that about your own card?? I sure hope so - LOL! Please click on the picture to see it better and I have also put a couple more views in for you too.  Not only is it very challenging to make a White on White card - it is incredibly difficult to photograph it!

After a couple days of intense thinking over how I was going to make this card, I decided the best way would be to add lots of detail and layers.  So I sponged a little Sahara Sand ink around the outer edge of my snowman to help him stand out a bit against the rest of the white snowflake embossed background and then popped him up with dimension dots. The white scarf was scrunched up to add some depth and movement and the corregated cardboard #s also add some more dimension to the main image.  I used a retired Stampin Up color called Going Grey for the sentiment so that it didn't appear too harsh against the rest of the background, but it seemed to just float out there until I added the glittery snowflakes behind each word to help pull it all together. I do feel like I cheated a tiny bit on the challenge with my touch of silver in the snowflakes, but Mynnette did say we could use just a touch of color and it just really helped the sentiment to pop so I had to keep it on there.  Hope you like this card and that it has inspired you in some way!

Thanks for stopping by to visit - and thanks so much Mynnette, Jacqueline and Ruth at 52CCT for this challenge that has helped me to stretch creatively yet again. Here is the inspiration photo for the challenge.  Pop into this site and check out the amazing samples the Design Team has put together for us. Jacqueline's embossed trees are awesome.  Mynnette's embossed background and bow are gorgeous and Ruth's card is truly all white and WOW! 

Supplies:  Whisper White cardstock from Stampin Up!. Snowman is a Tim Holtz Sizzix called Winder Wonder.  The 25 is from Jilly Bean Soup - white corregated cardboard.  The snowflake embossed background is a retired Stampin Up Sizzix texture embossing folder (first time I have ever used it).  The glitter snowflakes were cut using the Northern Frost Sizzlit die from Stampin Up (retired) on the Silver Glitter paper.  The sentiment is from the Pennant Parade Stamp set and each word is punched out using the 3/4" circle punch.  The White tafetta ribbon is also from Stampin Up.