christmas card set - cas heat embossing on dark cardstock

So it's back to more of the card sets I made for this year's neighbor gifts. Instead of cookies. Which I now think might have taken me less time!

Today's set was inspired by various dark colored cards with gold embossing. So simple but so pleasing - to my eye at least. And with a MISTI, so easy too.

I used Waltzingmouse Poinsettia (you know Claire B is designing for Gina K these days) and sentiments from Concord and 9th O Christmas Tree and Klartext Frohe Weihnachten.

I'm joining these challenges:

Sparkles Monthy Challenge - White Christmas
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - AG with the option of blue
Cards and More - mood board

Addicted to Stamps and More - Clean and Simple

HLS November CAS Challenge

christmas card set - charlie und paulchen

So it's never too late to add a new stamp set to your Christmas arsenal, right?

Who has the sweetest face in the animal kingdom? I've always thought Labrador puppies and fawns with their big, round eyes. So can you understand how when I saw this precious fawn from Charlie und Paulchen, a new-to-me company in Germany, he/she just had to come live at my house?

I'm back today with a set of cards for my neighbor gifts that just happened. I kept trying out ways to use an image like this, not your typical stamp. Not all results are great, but I'll share them with you anyway ;)

 multicolor inked with Altenew ink cubes

heat embossed - Lil Inker Stitched Rectangles,  Klartext Frohe Weihnachten, pine punch

 masked and stamped with tiny golden dots 

 stamped with Distress Oxides and clear heat embossed, Klartext Frohe Weihnachten

and stamped off with the leftover Distress Oxides, Winnie and Walter Audrey Cutaways and topped with a punched bow!

 and while I was embossing, why not a gold one on black CS?

So whaddyasay? Are you a fawn fan? Do you have a favorite design from my lineup? I think I might like the first and last ones best.

I'm joining these challenges:
Inkspirational - Designers Choice

Addicted to Stamps and More - Clean and Simple

HLS November CAS Challenge

guest designing at inspired by all the little things

Very happy to be joining Tracey M (of 25 Tags of Christmas fame) and the great team over at Inspired by all the Little Things this week. How do you like this inspiration photo?

When I saw that fabulous wooden star I couldn't not go with the wood plank idea to make my own star. And then of course, gold heat emboss a sentiment onto it to recreate those gaps where the planks come together! And well, why not put a loop of twine behind it?  Geez, I really had good intentions to come up with something original! The only thing I actually changed up a bit were my pine branches.

Hero Arts Pine Bough, Sizzix Star, MFT Hand Lettered Holiday

Created a spray of branches with my favorite wooden stamp and added some snow with strokes of a white gel pen.

Hard to see, but I actually stamped a wood pattern (Winnie and Walter Into the Woods) onto the black CS after I'd scored it but you barely see it. You see that some stray embossing powder stuck to some of the still-damp Versamark woodgrain when I embossed the sentiment. Rather than brushing it off before heating, I decided to leave it so that it would accentuate a bit of the woodgrain pattern.

Hope you'll play along. I'd love to see how the photo inspires you. I'll stop by next week. We are celebrating Thanksgiving this Sunday since it's not a German holiday, so I'm busy in the kitchen right now! Hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving if you celebrated. And thanks for having me, Tracey!

papertrey november blog hop

It's that time of the month over at Papertrey! And that time of the year - the holiday season has arrived. How about this lovely table setting?

Needing tags for this year's neighbor gifts (card sets) I chose to make a tag based on the inspiration. The things that jumped out at me were the leaves, the golden word, the orange plaid and the colors of the swag. (The feathers too, but I couldn't make that happen ;)

PTI Enclosed Present die, leaf punch

We are actually celebrating our Thanksgiving tomorrow here in Germany. I've got lots to do in the kitchen right now, but I look forward to seeing your creations later too!

tags for 25 days of christmas tags - part 3

Three more tags to top my neighbor gift Christmas card sets. Inspired by Tracey M's 25 Days of Christmas Tags.

For Day 10 with Winnie and Walter I was inspired by Lindsey's simple but oho red tag and made one just like it.

MFT Traditional Tags, Papertrey Wonderful Words Holiday, Avery Elle Winter Wreaths

For Day 11 with Studio Katia I totally loved Tracy's gold-embossed-on-dark-CS tags cuz I made a set of cards just like it (which you'll see soon).

MFT Blueprints 4, WMS Poinsettias, Create a Smile Schone Bescherung

For Day 15 with the MUSE Christmas challenge ladies, I was inspired by Kimberly and Cornelia to make a white on white tag to accompany my marbled trees set.

Papertrey Tag Sale 1 die, Diemond Die Pine Tree, C9 O Christmas Tree

Once again, thanks for the wonderful inspiration Tracey and all her guests!

tags for 25 days of christmas tags - part 2

Another break from Christmas card sets to bring you three more tags I made to go on the wrapping of my neighbor gift Christmas card sets and what luck that Tracey M's 25 Days of Christmas Tags is happening right now.

So without further ado, here are my tags.

For Day 12 with Lawn Fawn I was totally inspired by Nichol's wreaths and had to run right out and make one just like it, right down to the black gingham ribbon. This one's gonna go on my Fa La La set of Christmas cards.

Papertrey Rustic Wreath, MFT Beautiful Bows, WPlus 9 Timeless Tags

For Day 13 with Neat and Tangled I combined Elena's plaid-bottomed-tag and Lindsey's colored angel for my tag.

STAMPlorations Luggage Tag die, N &T Little Angel

For Day 18 with Avery Elle, Michele had me at wreath. I made this to accompany my gnomes card set.

Papertrey Tag Sale 4 die, Avery Elle Winter Wreaths stamp and die

Three more tomorrow then it's back to card sets. Thanks for the wonderful inspiration Tracey!

tags for 25 days of christmas tags - part 1

"We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming"...

A little break from Christmas card sets today, though there are more coming...

I decided to make tags to go on the wrapping of the Christmas card sets and what luck that Tracey M's 25 Days of Christmas Tags is happening right now.

So without further ado, here are my first three tags.

For Day 6 with Lil Inker I was inspired by Laura P's pastel ornament shaker and made this shaker tag to accompany my Flora and Fauna card set.

Technique Tuesday Magic Circle die, Flora and Fauna Holiday Terrarium, pine punch

For Day 7 with Birch Press I was inspired by Tracey's layered snowflakes and made this sparkly tag to accompany my sparkly card set.

Kesi Art Flocons die

For Day 14 with Concord and 9th, in the very first trio of tags I fell in love with the kraft tag and made this to accompany my Lasse and Peer card set.

Papertrey Tag Sale 3 die, Concord and 9th O Christmas Tree

I'll be back with three more tomorrow. Still monkey clapping that I started working on my neighbor gifts early so Tracey's challenge spurred me to create "matching" tags to decorate my packaging. Thanks Tracey!