green & red & glitzy (Crafting for All Seasons, SSS)

Kids are out of school.  Tree is up and decorated (finally).  Had a bit of a light fiasco this year.  Not to worry, these cards are already in the mail too.  Just sharing them with you today :)

My packages are all wrapped too and this Santa is actually gift wrap.  After seeing him for a good hour while wrapping, I decided he was worthy of adorning a card.  The background of the paper is matt gold and these little embellies were part of a cardmaking pack I picked up at Aldi (yep!).  They were perfect for this card.

Actually modelled my card on Retro Sketch #41 which I unfortunately didn't get to participate in.  I'm joining these challenges:
Simon Says Stamp - Merry Christmas
Crafting for All Seasons #42 - Green and Red plus Glitter/Sparkle

Happy Friday eve.

Supplies for Merry Christmas:

Paper: cardbase Papermania, CS  American Crafts, PP ?

Stamps: , sentiment Hero Arts

Ink :Jenny Bowlin

Tools: square die Sizzix

Other:  gift wrap, embellie Aldi

chilly coffee cup (Passion for Papertrey, Deconstructed Sketch, BGC)

A project for ya inspired by this wonderful photo from Passion for Papertrey.

So much yummy old fashioned goodness for your eyes to feast on.  I just received some goodies I won from their site including the coffee cup stamp set and die from PTI.  Put it to use on this coffee cup which DD is giving one of her riding pals.  How appropriate, eh?

I modelled my snowflake on the Deconstructed Sketch #81 - roughly.   The banner is the cuff of an old sweater I used as my base.  I have two layers of snowflake, offset.  Just added the little coffee cup to it.

 

Also hooking up to Basic Grey Challenges #83 - Christmas.  Used one of my fave BG PP.  The basic pack.

Thanks for visiting.

Supplies for coffee cup tag:

Paper: CS American Crafts, PP Basic Grey

Stamps: PTI

Ink : Memento

Tools: dies:  snowflake Sizzix, coffee cup  PTI

Other:  wooden button, twine, old sweater

score one for christmas (CFC, Retro, Cupcake Inspirations)

This is what I came up with after seeing Angie T.'s cool card for the current CASual Fridays challenge to use scoring on a card.

I used the sketch from Retro Sketches #42.

And was totally inspired by that great CAS cupcake in the front of the photo from Cupcake Inspirations #191.

Thanks for looking!

Supplies for merry christmas:

Paper:card base Papermania, CS American Crafts, PP Doodlebug

Stamps: sentiment Hero Arts

Ink : memento

Tools: score board

Other:  washi Rayher

tag a la maile b., sorta (Ellen Hutson, Artful Delight, PDC, SSS)

If you haven't jumped on, you should.  The chalkboard bandwagon, that is.  I jumped on, thanks to some motivation from Betsy V. here.  And boy is it fun.  But I twisted it into a tag based on Maile B.'s tag for Day 10 of 12 Tags with a Feminine Twist over at Ellen Hutson's Classroom.


Now maybe not everyone gets into chalkboards.  Created by me, on a card, I'm a fan.  But let me tell you, in my stint as a teacher, chalk became my number one enemy.  First off, there's never a good sized piece at the board.  Second, some kids take pleasure in throwing it across the room.  Third, no matter how often you rubs your hands to get the chalk dust off, you always end up with chalk dust on your clothes.  And when you're fighting dry, chapped hands in the winter it's the last thing you need.  Nuff said.

May I say, however, that making a card with this technique is FUN.  Inky fingers are OK.

At first glance you might not "see" Maile's tag.

But it's there - the BG stamped with white images, the washi strip, the pink/green sentiment panel, the white ribbon.  My additions - a touch of bling and a gift card pocket on the back.  Again.

Playing at the Cafe again:

And at Artful Delight:

And at Simon Says Stamp - What's Your Favorite? cuz I love me some heat embossing.
Have a wonderful week before Christmas.

Supplies for You better not pout:

Paper: manila tag, black paper Bringmann, book page

Stamps: 7 Gypsies

Ink :  Versamark, Adirondack pigment, white pencil

Tools:

Other:  embossing powder, twine, washi, ribbon, bling

happy christmas (CTS, TAWS)

Rudolph with your nose so bright...

Saw this inspiration photo at The Alley Way Stamps and it was love immediately.  Such an abundance of gorgeousness.

I've always been an avid magenta fan, but rarely use it.  Time to change that.  And use up some bling.

Recognize sketch #9 from CAS(E) this Sketch?

Must be the shiny-ness of the holiday season, but I feel like I've been doing more heat embossing than normal stamping these days!  The reindeer are bright green, the sentiment gold.  I heat embossed "Christmas" in gold on the inside - homage to Charles Dickens.

In the midst of all the fancy schmancy tags I've been making lately, feels good to see lotsa white space on a card again ;)

Thanks for looking.

Supplies for happyChristmas:

Paper:card base Papermania

Stamps: Alley Way Stamps

Ink : Versamark

Tools: 

Other:  embossing powder Zing, ribbon, bling

dahoo doray tag a la ellen H. (Ellen Hutson, Catered Crop, Stamping Sensations, Craft Room)

OK, I'm dating myself here, but I grew up with the original red-and-green-cover copy of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas".  And the TV show (the animated version) only came on once a year.  So you planned your life accordingly.  Just sayin'.

Well, thanks Ellen Hutson for stirring up those wonderful memories.  Check out her tag on Day 12 of 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist over at The Classroom.  It's totally Whoville.  And all I could think of was the end of the movie when all the little Whos stand around the Christmas tree singing "Welcome, Christmas" while the narrator reads "Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.  Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."  Yep.  I think it's a girl thing.  The guys probably remember hottie Martha May's line from the movie:

Martha May Whovier:   Did I have a crush on the Grinch? Of COURSE not. 
Cindy Lou Who:   Uh... I didn't ask you that. 

Enter my gnomes-turned-Whos.  And a crepe paper Who tree.

What did you do with your Friday evening?  With the exception of a couple interruptions, I spent mine making a tag!  I'd venture to say there isn't a technique I didn't use on this tag!

Heat embossing - BG, sentiment
Distress Inking - BG
Homemade PP - polka dots, banner
3D die cut and stitching- tree
Fussy cutting - gnomes
Selective inking - sentiment
Banner building - banner
Washi tape - tree trunk, star
Beads - heart (cuz you know the Grinch's heart grew two sizes that day!)

Other little tidbits... vintage pink yarn from MIL for the top of the tag, the teensy ornament from my bestest Hero Arts Christmas sentiment set cuz it looks so Whoville-y, the gnomes out of some funky PP from Aldi, the glitter CS hole reinforcer for sparkle. And I used a Penny Black BG stamp which I won in a Simon Says Stamp giveaway.  Thanks PB.  I kinda like the retro look of it.

Yeah that's what your life is like when you play at The Classroom.  And I won't mention that it took 84 photos shot at three different times (thanks to lousy weather) to get an OK photo.  TIP:  3D elements create shadows.  No matter where your light source is!  Oh well.

Put a gift card pocket on the back of this tag like I did here.  It's popular to give someone a bouquet as a gift in Germany and I think this special tag with a gift card hung on the bouquet will make for an extra special touch.

This is the HS CL343 clear stamp set I used for the sentiment and ornaments.  Ellen Hutson is having a contest where you can win some of the 2013 HA cuties.  Check it out here.

Let's hear it for Dr. Seuss's take on Christmas.  And Ellen Hutson's.  Warning:  I think there's one more tag in the making (special request from DD) but then I'm tagged out.

Joining the fun at:
Stamping Sensations - Treemendous
Craft Room Challenge - Make a Tag
Catered Crop - Tag, You're It

Appreciate your visit.

Supplies for welcome Christmas:

Paper: CS  American Crafts, Neenah, linen texture copy paper, crepe paper

Stamps: sky BG Penny Black, banner BG CHF, dots PTI, sentiment Hero Arts

Ink : Distress Ink, Jenny Bowlin, Versamark

Tools:die Sizzix

Other:  twine, washi, bead, vintage yarn

tag a la sharon h. (Ellen Hutson, Color Q, Craft Room, Catered Crop)

If you love new techniques and have a bit of time you really should check out the 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist over at Ellen Hutson's Classroom.  Ellen does a take on Tim Holtz's 12 Tags.  But there's lotsa pink!

My tag is inspired by Sharon H.'s tag on Day 1.  Hers is elegant and shiny and really girly.  Mine is... well mine.

I must thank this challenge for getting me to ink up my brayer (bought one awhile back - everyone has to have a brayer, right? - hadn't used it til now).  TIP:   Distress Inks are marvelous for lots of things.  Brayering is not one of them apparently.  Notice the spottiness to my BG.

I used the colors from Color Q #167:

Sorta.  Used DI Evergreen Bough cuz it's kinda green/gray for my BG.  Brayered it onto a Sizzix embossing plate and dry embossed the white CS.  See why I wouldn't recommend using DI for this???  Spritzed with copper Perfect Pearls mist to give it a little sheen.  Cut the top of the tag with a Spellbinders die for interest. TIP:  Don't do this if you plan to stitch around the edges.  Note the word "plan"...

Well the stitching happened cuz I decided to make this a gift-card-holder-tag (Ellen did this on her tag for Day 12 - Duh!  What a super idea!)  I had dry embossed a piece of red CS for the poinsettia petal strips and used the rest of it for interest on the front and a pocket on the back of the tag.

Got the idea for the poinsettia here at Basic Grey.  Obviously not mailable, but this is a tag.  It works.

Used two colors of green for the die cut snowflakes for the center of the bloom (and on the back pocket) and a cool brad too.  Mounted it on a die cut PTI green bloom for a bit more interest and "hold".  TIP:  Always have a bottle of Glossy Accents on hand.  It dries shiny (guess that's the point of "glossy" accents, eh?) but holds better than any other glue I know.

Whew, long post.  I'm joining the fun at:
Craft Room Challenge - Make a Tag
Catered Crop - Tag, You're It

Appreciate your visit.

Supplies for Merry Christmas:

Paper: CS TPC Studio, American Crafts

Stamps: sentiment 7 Gypsies

Ink : Distress Ink, Jenny Bowlin

Tools: brayer, dies - snowflakes Marianne Creatables, border Amuse, tag top Spellbinders, sewing machine, embossing plate Sizzix

Other:  pearl, sheer ribbon, glue dots, brad 

tag a la Kelly A. (Ellen Hutson, Cupcake Inspirations, YCU)

Take a ride on the good ship lollipop!  Check out Kelly A.'s tag at Ellen Hutson's Classroom on Day 8 and you'll see what I mean.  Wouldn't expect anything else from Lawn Fawn, would you?

Well I combined Kelly's sweet feeling tag with the inspiration photo from Cupcake Inspirations #190 - Frosting the Snowman.  No kidding:

Amazing.  I'll spend 1+ hour creating a tag but can't imagine putting so much work into cupcakes.  DS would devour these - all of them - in under five minutes...

Here's my creation.

Blue polka dot BG and snow.  White heat embossing and watercolors.  Bonbon colors and sweets.  LOVE Kelly's addition of a snowflake on the tag hole - definitely a trick to remember.

Also sneaking in one more entry at Young Crafter's Unite #16 - Happy Holidays.

Happy weekend.

Supplies for Merry Christmas:

Paper: CS DCWV, white linen texture printer paper

Stamps: snowman Alley Way Stamps, BG kars, American Crafts, sentiment Hero Arts

Ink : Versamark, watercolors

Tools: circle punch

Other: Stickles, twine, eyelet, fun foam snowflake sticker

tag a la Jennifer M. (Ellen Hutson, CUYL, SSS, SS)

Give me Peacock Feathers and Broken China Distress Ink and an ink applicator and I'm a happy camper. That's what first came to mind when I saw Simon Says Stamp's challenge to use one of your Favorite Things (tool, product, stamp).  Add a couple of challenges to the mix and I'm a really happy camper.

On Day 4 Jennifer M. created a work of art over at Ellen Hutson's Classroom for the Feminine Twist on 12 Tags.  You should check out those mirrored pieces she used - now there's one thing I don't have in my stash.  I had to go with what I have.

So I took inspiration from Challenge Up Your Life's #84 colors

and Stamping Sensations "Treemendous" challenge and this is what I came up with.

You'll probably never see a reed bird perched on an evergreen bough anywhere but here!  Or lilac snowflakes!  But I've got the distress inked BG under a StazOn stamped piece of acetate (cool effect BTW, Jennifer), a bird, a branch and snowflakes.  Even used a "Joy" sentiment.  And if you look closely you might catch the Stickles on the flakes and birdie's head and the glitter CS for the bough.

And purple, lilac, teal and light blue?  Check.

And a tree?  How 'bout a branch - will that do?

Happy Friday, friends.

Supplies for JOY:

Paper: CS Neenah, glitter CS DCWV, recycled acetate, purple CS Papermania

Stamps: dots BG CHF, text (on bird and fllakes) 7 Gypsies, sentiment Hero Arts

Ink : Distress Inks, Versacolor, StazOn

Tools: dies - bough Marianne Creatables, bird Memory Box, snowflakes Sizzix

Other: pearls, ribbon

a little goes a long way (10 min Craft Dash, SSS, Dream Valley)

Nothing like a little stress to help a card along.  Promised DD I would make a Christmas card for her riding instructor.  Forgot.  Today she has riding lessons.  So I peel out from the dining table, head to my craft room and make a card.  And I did it in 8 minutes and 43 seconds.  Unbelievable!

OK, so I had the idea in my head all along.

And the embossing supplies were already out thanks to yesterday's tag.  When I had seen the 10-Minute-Craft-Dash challenge to use red I knew the sentiment would be heat embossed red goodness - thus the "a little goes a long way" title of my post.  Even made the decision to round the corner at the last minute - just did it without standing there contemplating it first ;)  Would have liked to add red glitter glue to the berries but didn't have time to go hunting for it and DD wouldn't have waited for it to dry.  She nearly killed me when I said I wanted to take a quick photo before she could leave... the joys of having a Mom with a blog, eh?

Also joining:
Simon Says Stamp - What's your Favorite?  (I love that Hero Arts branch stamp)
Dream Valley #47 - Christmas
Cupcake Craft Challenge #222 - Merry Christmas (that was my room number freshman year in college!)

Go make a card in 10 minutes or less.  You'll be pretty proud of yourself!  I have to go clean up my kitchen.

Supplies for Merry Christmas:

Paper: PTI

Stamps: branch Hero Arts, berries WMS, horse Artemio, sentiment 7 Gypsies

Ink : Versamagic, Versamark

Tools: corner rounder EKS

Other: embossing powder 

tag a la Teri A. (Ellen Hutson, CFC, PDC, Ribbon Girl)

I've really enjoyed the Feminine Twist on 12 Tags of Christmas over at Ellen Hutson's Classroom.  Here is my first take on Teri Anderson's tag for Day 6.

Heat embossed the trees and fussy cut.  Created snowy hills.  Distress Inked tag for a fun pinky sky.  Attached trees and knotted bows.  Heat embossed sentiment.  Added pearly accents to hills and the sky.  Used washi and a fun foam snowflake at the top.

Also playing at the Cafe:

And CASual Fridays:

And The Ribbon Girl - Ho Ho Ho December challenge.

Thanks for visiting.

Supplies for winter wonderland:

Paper: manila tag, scraps

Stamps: tree Bella Blvd,  sentiment Prima

Ink : Distress Ink, Versamark

Tools:

Other: embossing powder Zing, twine, washi, pearl glue pen, foam sticker

trapped sequins (IamDoe, Basic Grey, Ribbon Girl, TPE )

It started with a sketch.  This one from Basic Grey.

Add sequin inspiration from this December Daily binder over at I am Doe.  And the cue word from CASology, sparkle (yeah, I know, the challenge is over - story of my life).  Let it mull around in my mind for...well, too long... and this is what I get.

Was kinda stumped by the, count 'em, 12 items on the sketch.  Loved the idea of sequins trapped in the plastic binder page so decided to trap them on my card front in 12 squares.  Tricky part was finding a "sentiment" to fit the 12 squares.  As you can see, I didn't.  But I went with C-h-r-i-s-t-m-a-s cuz I think our brains "get" that word at a glance.

Thought I would use tissue paper but it was too opaque to see the sparkle of the sequins.  Used a separator page from a photo-album-turned-art-journal and pretty much got the result I wanted.  Glued the die cut letters and a couple sequins before stitching.  Left a few sequins free to float around.

Could be tweaked, but I'm likin' the result.

Hooking up to these challenges:
The Ribbon Girl - December "Ho Ho Ho"
The Pink Elephant - #178 Photo Inspiration

Happy Day ya'll.

Supplies for merry christmas:

Paper: CS American Crafts, Neenah

Stamps:  sentiment WMS

Ink : Jenny Bowlin

Tools: sewing machine, die Memory Box (alpha), MFT

Other: sequins

sledding snowman (CTS, SSS)

This little guy graces my take on this week's sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch #8.

 Decided to go with die cuts down the sides of the front panel mimicking the sketch.  To keep the little guy from looking too lost in the middle I stamped some cream colored (Amuse Lemon Whip) snowflakes in the BG and some glittered snow hills and flakes.

 Also playing at Simon Says Stamp where the challenge is "Snowflakes".  Thanks for looking.

Supplies for happy holidays:

Paper: CS American Crafts, Neenah

Stamps:  American Crafts

Ink :Jenny Bowlin

Tools: die Memory Box

Other: glitter, glue, foam adhesive

shiny baubles (Moxie Fab, ATCAS, JayGees)

Remember those shiny baubles... in the wine... make me feel happy... make me feel fine... What was his name - the singer???  Anyhoo, this makes me happy:

Including this pretty little guy, aparently called a European Robin when translated (Rotkehlchen):

It's what I saw when I looked out my window while photographing today's card.  Happy winter!  Just in time for our Christmas tree cutting tomorrow.

Now back to our regular programming.  And the card on the chair in front of me.  Here she is.

Love of my life - negative die cutting with inlays.  Notice I didn't remove all the little pieces from the gold piece.  And I backed it with black (notice the black star in Jay Gee's inspiration photo).  A piece of washi, a piece of gold twine and a heat embossed sentiment with bling.  Voila.

Entering these challenges:

Tuesday Trigger - Shimmer and Shine

Addicted to CAS - Challenge #2

Jay Gee's Nook - Challenge #26

Happy weekend all!

Supplies for Celebrate the Season:

Paper: CS PTI, gold and black scrap

Stamps:  sentiment Hero Arts

Ink : Versamark

Tools: star Sizzix, Memory Box

Other: cord, washi, bling