STAMPlorations inspiration #155

Welcome back! Time for another Tuesday inspiration from the STAMPlorations inspiration team . This month it's anything goes for the DT gals and I've chosen to make a couple tags. Ready?

ATC Tag Builder die, Layered Holly stamp 

ATC Tag Builder die, Gift Builder #1 die

Decided to make tags from patterned paper for a change. Gussied them up with some gold and silver embossing. And with 3D die cuts (love that technique).

Got my inspiration at:
Ellen Hutson 12 Tags of Christmas with a feminine twist - 3D Die Cuts (Jennifer's tree tag)
Ellen Hutson 12 Tags of Christmas with a feminine twist - Silver and Gold (Julia's gold holly)

You could win yourself a $10 GC to the STAMP store by leaving comments on the December inspiration posts. Check out today's post here. As well as the sale going on in the shop. 30% off most items - check it out. Glad you stopped by :)

CUTplorations december

image source: weihnachtstrend

Have you seen the December CUTplorations challenge at STAMPlorations. I love it. I get a retro vibe from it somehow even though it's not a shiny silver or pink tree ;)

Had to pick up on the tree itself by stamping Joyeux Noel die with a pine bough stamp and heat embossing it green. Then I gussied up a die cut Trendy Trees cut from silver mirror CS like I'd seen Lisa S. do recently. A strip of washi along the bottom finished off my CAS design.

Hope you'll find time to join us for some die cutting fun this month over at the CUTplorations challenge. Maybe you still need a couple last minute Christmas cards?!? Just make a project based on our inspiration using at least one die cut. Be sure to use at least one STAMPlorations product too and hook up to the gallery. Your project might be chosen as a winner. You can see how the CUTplorations DT was inspired by this month's photo here.

And visit the STAMPlorations shop for a holiday sale happening during December. 30% all items (excluding new release and retiring items). And don't forget about my STAMPlorations discount code for 20% off in the sidebar if you miss the sale ;) Happy holiday crafting!

tags for 25 days of christmas - part 4

Well I went and missed the deadline, but here are four more tags to top my neighbor gift Christmas card sets. Inspired by Tracey M's 25 Days of Christmas Tags. So much inspiration in gallery to check out if you haven't yet.

For Day 21 with Uniko I was inspired by Bev's simple but oho red tag and Tracey's holly leaves.

WPlus9 Timeless Tags, MFT Hand Lettered Holiday

MFT Tag, STAMPlorations Layered Holly, Klartext Frohe Weihnachten

For Day 22 with STAMPlorations maybe it's not surprising that I was inspired to make two tags - first inspired by Lynne's, then Tracey's.

 STAMPlorations Luggage Tag and Christmas Flower, Klartext Frohe Weihnachten

(Used Gansai Tambi watercolors to color it, shading where the darker areas of the image are. Easy Peasy!!)

MFT Tag, Charlie und Paulchen Kleiner Weihnachtsgruss, Klartext Frohe Weihnachten

I'm taking this last one over to Addicted to Stamps and More - notice the deer peeking in at the right side of the photo? Once again, thanks for the wonderful inspiration from Tracey and all her guests!

christmas card set - tim holtz

I believe today's is the last card set made for this year's neighbor gifts! Unless I get more ideas I have to try out ;) Using Tim Holtz today (Christmas Memories and Mini Holidays #2) and an old technique.

I revisited the brayering on glossy cardstock technique. Although I used photo paper and it ain't glossy cardstock. Watch for the cracks that happen when the heat embossing tool heats the coating too much and it suddenly sounds like you're making popcorn. Not to mention the not-yet-melted embossing powder that then flies off the panel you're holding in your hand ...

Note to self: Invest in glossy cardstock. Or don't heat emboss with this technique. BUT HEAT EMBOSSING  AND THEN BRAYERING OVER IT WAS THE WHOLE IDEA. If it looks like I was shouting, I was. It was an interesting crafting session, let me tell you. I have a neighbor who's all about blue so I really wanted to do this set for her. Oh well, I'm callin' it the vintage look...

Thanks for looking! If you've stuck with me through all this you're a real trooper. So now it's on to the other TO DO list items. What's next on your list? Mine's cookie baking.

I'm joining these challenges:
SSS Wednesday - Anything Goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - AG with optional doily

spotlight on pretty feathers

I'm over at STAMPlorations with a spotlight project for this card. Check it out here.

simon says joy to the world

"We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming"... again.

A teensy break from Christmas card sets today, though there's one more coming...

Have to share three cards I made with the delightful Joy to the World set from Simon Says Stamp special Cyber Week release. You can check out Kelly's Michaelangelo version here. I had to keep it a bit more CAS, ya know?

So without further ado, here's the first. The stamp set reminded me of those Precious Moments statues that were around when I was younger. Very pastel. Remember? So I tried to capture that feeling with some gold embossing and pastel watercoloring.

Next I concentrated on Jesus in the manger. And what better way to concentrate than to spotlight? So after some masking and stamping, I colored the die cut circle with Copics and gave the sky a good coat of Wink of Stella for sparkle. Popped it back into the B/W scene and voila!

Now for a bonus card! To tell you the truth, the first stamp from the set which caught my eye... ready for it... was the little sheep! So I channeled my inner Ksenija and this happened. Well, and thanks to Altenew Bold Alphabet die too. The heart is SSS Large Holiday Shapes.

I'm taking these cards to:
SSS flickr challenge - #85
SSS Wednesday challenge - Anything Goes

AAA Cards - Christmas

CU tomorrow with the last of my neighbor gifts. I heard that sigh of relief ;)

christmas card set - layered holly

Another card set I made for this year's neighbor gifts. Using Shirley's Layered Holly again. Love this set.

I revisited the "sentiment in the middle, masked and stamping all around it" technique! Not much variation. Changed up the sentiment. And stamped more leaves on some cards than others.

Thanks for looking! Tomorrow's the last set! I think.

I'm joining these challenges:
Winter Wonderland - Red and Green

AAA Cards - Christmas

HLS November CAS Challenge