12 Kits Of Occasions Nov. 2019 - All Is Calm

Hello friends.  Hard to believe it's the end of the month (AGAIN!), but I hope all of you who celebrate Thanksgiving had a wonderful day on Thursday (and maybe are enjoying a 4 day weekend??!!) and now are gearing up to celebrate Christmas!

Lindsey Larsen is our hostess this month at 12 Kits Of Occasions and she sent out the most incredibly BEAUTIFUL kit entitled All Is Calm for us to enjoy this month!

Just look at all the gorgeous papers and die cuts Lindsey included in her kit!!  I could have created for days and days if I'd had more time!  But I do have 5 cards to share with you today, so sit back and relax, and enjoy!

I think this is probably my favorite card of the 5...probably because I absolutely LOVE the word JOY and Lindsey die cut it from the most wonderful copper and shimmery paper!  I added some white acrylic paint to the leaf die cuts included in the kit, and then adhered to the lovely stamped geometric paper along with a strip of the darker green cs and a thin strip of the copper paper.  A simple copper bow completed this card.

Lindsey did all the work on this card with the die cutting...I simply added the stamped sentiment, a red scarf to the snowman, and adhered all to a CAS white and black card base.

This is probably my next favorite card...I love red, black, and white together!!  Although this card is whimsical with the reindeer, I just love the embossed sentiment on the circle ornament and had fun combining the two!  Can you see the shiny gems on the reindeer's noses?!

I loved this simple strip of trees that Lindsey stamped and also the lovely piece of vellum she included in the kit...I think they paired up just beautifully!!

I'm sad I didn't have sunshine this week to photograph this card especially, as it's once again using the beautiful copper paper Lindsey included in the kit, and IRL, this whole card just shimmers!!

And here's a photo of all of them together!  I can't wait to see what my teamies made with this kit, and I know you will enjoy seeing all their creations too!  You can check it all out right HERE and click HERE to see a list of all the supplies Lindsey used in her kit.

Thanks so much for stopping by today and a BIG thank you to Lindsey for her lovely, lovely kit...it truly was a piece of calm creating with it!  :0)

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

Christmas Gnomies - Gnome Pun Intended

Hello friends.  Just a quick post to wish all my friends in America a very blessed, happy, and safe Thanksgiving tomorrow...I truly am thankful for each one of you!!

Also wanted to quick show you a few more tags I made using the new Simon Says Stamp kit (HERE) Gnome For The Holidays.  I got hooked on Gnomes last Christmas and now I feel like everything that has a Gnome on it I have to have!!  Haha!  Yup, I'm addicted!

Anyway, the kit (which is sadly sold out now) came with the dies and papers, and I just spent an hour last night cutting multiple Gnomes out of several of the different papers and then fashioned them all into tags this morning!  Easy peasy and oh so fun and CUTE!!

Here's the first three I made, also using the stick tree stamps that came in the kit and some light blue (Salty Ocean DI) ink blending directly onto the tag.  I added a small torn strip at the bottom for my snowbanks, added a little glitter and stamped the "Merry Christmas" which is also part of the stamp set in the kit.  Added the Gnomes with pop dots and finished off with some sheer red ribbon and black & white bakers twine.

Here's the 2nd set of three...aren't they SO cute?!!  I mixed and matched the DSP that came with the kit for the bodies and the hats, and then the beards are all die cut from a sort of grayish metallic cardstock that also came with the kit.  The little noses were all cut with some scraps of Sweet Blush cs.

Again, I hope all of you that celebrate Thanksgiving will have a wonderful day tomorrow celebrating with family and friends.  It will be a small celebration at our house this year with just my mom and our 2 younger daughters...our oldest daughter and grandbabies will be celebrating with her hubby's family this year.  But we will be eating like kings and queens with lots of favorite dishes, and I am definitely looking forward to a turkey sandwhich on Friday with leftovers!!  :0)

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #24 - SANTA

Hello friends.  Playing along with the Christmas Kickstart Challenge where they are looking for Christmas cards with the BIG guy himself...SANTA!!

I hesitated a bit too long for MFT's Christmas sELFies stamp set, and now they're out of stock!  Luckily for me, my sweet friend Michele helped me out and sent a few for me to color up, and one of the images had SANTA on it and was perfect for this challenge!

Isn't this image with SANTA, Rudolph, and one of his elves just the cutest?!  Michele stamped and embossed the image on water color paper, so using my Aqua Painter and various inks, I water colored the image up and then added the frame with the sentiment that Michele also included for me.  (Aren't stamping friends just the BEST?!!)

I finished my card by adhering my image to a piece of Smoky Slate cardstock that I embossed with Michele's Lil Inker Cover Plate die, and then mounting to a white card base.  I also added a few die cut snowflakes from Impression Obsession.  FUN and sweet card all thanks to sweet Michele...thank you, thank you Michele!!

You can find all the info to play along with this FUN challenge right HERE, so check it out and get going on those Christmas cards...time is running out my friends!!  

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

CAS Mix Up Challenge - Nov. 2019

Hello friends.  I'm playing along with the CAS Mix Up Challenge where this month they are looking for cards with OXIDIZED METAL on them!  So many BEAUTIFUL cards from the DT for inspiration, and lots of videos on how to achieve this look too over at their site HERE.

I admit it took me a few tries to come up with a piece that I actually liked, but here's what I came up with:

I started with a black piece of cardstock and ran it through my favorite FSJ (Fun Stampers Journey) embossing folder and then LIGHTLY ran my versamark pad over the raised part of the embossing.  This is where I messed up my first 2 tries by pushing a little heavily with the versamark pad and then when you add the embossing powders, it sticks to the background as well as the raised images.  I used a much lighter hand on my 3rd try and that was the charm!  I used gold, silver, copper, and WOW Virdigris embossing powders to bring out all the leaf shapes.  Here's a closer up:

I love the look and think it makes for a great masculine card!  And since my younger brother has a birthday next month, I thought this card with the wonderful sentiment (Impression Obsession C5679) would be a perfect card for him!  I also added a die cut maple leaf and that finished off my card.

Only a few more days to play along with this challenge (ends on the 24th), but it's a fun one, so check it all out right HERE and play along!

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

CAS Stencil Nov. 2019 - MONOPRINTS

Hello friends.  It's all about MONOPRINTS at the CAS Stencil Challenge this month.

This is one of my favorite techniques to do with a stencil, and since I have a new stencil from FUNKY FOSSILL DESIGNS, I had to have a play with it!

 

I apologize for my lighting, but IRL the colors are much brighter!  I used the Leafy Mandala stencil as a snowflake and used Ocean Mist and Applemint inks from Gina K to ink up the stencil before misting with water and then pressing into my cardstock.  Once it was dry, I attached a white frame (PTI's Pierced Feature Frames) and adhered both to a white card base.  Lastly I stamped my sentiment from SSS/Gina K Festive Flower stamp set and was done.

I was inspired to make this card from a ink blended card that Gina K did, and I shamelessly CASE'd her card, just using a different stencil and sentiment...

Once I made this card, I got to thinking how cool it would look as a monoprint too, and that's how my STENCILED MONOPRINT card evolved!

Make sure you check out all the BEAUTIFUL cards from the DT and then play along right HERE...this challenge is open till the 24th.

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

CAS Watercolour Reminder - Monochromatic

Hello friends.  Just a friendly reminder that there's still time to play with our last challenge of the year at CAS Watercolour and we are looking for MONOCHROMATIC cards.

I used water coloring and a stencil to come up with my background for this card...

I used a technique that Betsy Veldman used HERE (scroll down to the 3rd video) with The Greetery's Frosty Flakes Stencil and distress inks in Stormy Sky, Faded Jeans, & Salty Ocean.  Here's a closer up of the background:

Once my background was dry I added my line of die cut trees using Memory Box's Evergreen Window (I trimmed the window part of the die cut off so I was only left with the trees) along with a strip of white cardstock that I tore to mimic the snow hills.  A simple matting with Blueberry Sky cs and my stamped sentiment (PTI's Christmas Blessings) in Blueberry Sky ink mounted on a white card base finished off my card.

If you need more inspiration, make sure you check out what the rest of the DT has come up with (HERE) this month...you will be blown away by their BEAUTIFUL cards and also from our Special GD Birgit.  This challenge is open till the 24th, so come play along with our MONOCHROMATIC theme...we'd love to see YOU in the gallery!!

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

Twofer Challenge #22 - WITH A TWIST

Hello friends.  This month's Twofer Challenge is all about HOLIDAY GREENERY!

I used a little bit of artistic license this month and instead of using GREEN greenery, I used mostly WHITE greenery on my two cards.  Darnell has also given us permission for this month only, to make our two cards for the same occasion if we'd like, and so I took her up on this one time offer and made two Christmas cards!  

I'll apologize up front for my terrible lighting, but we in Michigan are in the NO SUNSHINE time of the year (November - April), and since I still struggle with using my light box (shadows, shadows, shadows!!!), my pictures are what they are!  

I fell in love with a shadow box card that Kay Miller had made a few weeks ago and wanted to try my hand at one.  My photos don't do this card justice, but in real life there is so much depth and dimension, and I was really pleased with the way it came out!  I started by making my background which uses The Greetery's Frosty Flakes Stencil and blending with Salty Ocean Distress Ink.  It's very soft and subtle, but sets the tone for my wintery landscape.  Next I added 3 pine trees directly to the background (The Greetery's Christmas Eve stamp set).  My third step was creating the branch (The Greetery's Blooming Branch) by stamping and die cutting it, and then scoring the one end of the branch so I could adhere it to the side of the box.  (2 pieces of cardstock cut at 4 1/4 x 6 and then scored at 4 1/4 and 5 1/2.)  Next I added a few stamped and die cut greenery branches (The Greetery's With Love At Christmas) to make it look a bit more wintery, and also added my red bird from The Greetery's Robin & Wren stamp set.  To finish this card off, I added my WHITE greenery to the framing using Tim Holtz's Holiday Greens die set.  Here's a close up for you to see more detail...

My greeting is on the back of the card, and it does fold flat and fits into a regular A2 size envelope.  This card definitely took a bit of time, but was well worth the effort and FUN to make!

My 2nd card was definitely a bit simpler to make, but I love the way this one turned out too!  I used the same Tim Holtz Holiday Greens dies on the top half of my card...I'm loving the simplicity of white on white lately!!  For the bottom I simply added a piece of plaid DSP (Tim Holtz also!) and a strip of gold mirror cardstock (can you see my reflection taking the photo??) to ground all my white greenery, and then finished by adding my die cut sentiment (PTI's Wonderful Words: Holiday Die Collection) in white to balance out my card.  Easy peasy and very striking (IMHO!).

Make sure you check out all the BEAUTIFUL inspiration from Darnell and her talented DT, and then play along right HERE.          

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

The Flower Challenge #38 - Add Dots or Stripes

Hello friends.  I'm playing along with The Flower Challenge today and they are looking for DOTS or STRIPES along with our flower images.

I started with PTI's Bold Borders: Polka Dot Die and Altenew's Handpicked Bouquet and came up with this:

I started by die cutting the Bold Borders: Polka Dot Die in white and then adhered it to a white card base...I love the white on white look this gives!  The flower image was stamped and embossed using Versafine Black Onyx ink and clear embossing powder, and then I stamped with Gina K inks for all the color (Lipstick, Red Hot, Cherry Red, Grass Green, & Fresh Asparagus).

I finished with a sentiment from the Handpicked Bouquet set and a piece of crochet thread across the top.

Make sure you check out all the BEAUTIFUL cards from the DT and already in the gallery using DOTS or STRIPES, and then play along right HERE.

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #23 - SNOW

Hello friends.  Playing along with the current Christmas Kickstart challenge where the prompt is SNOW.

Snow can be so beautiful, but as I get older I'm not as much a fan of it anymore...pretty when I'm looking at it from the inside of my nice warm house or creating cards with it, but not so pretty when I have to be out in it!  That being said, I'm happy to create a card with SNOW, and loved using The Greetery's Drifting Die again, and also a new to me stamp set from SugarPea Designs called Hey Winter.

Something about this bear with the hat that just cracks me up...I love him!!  But anyway, I started my card by softly blending some Aqua Mist ink on the card base and then splattering white acrylic paint for some SNOW flurries.  Next I added 3 layers of SNOW banks using the Drifting Die and then added my Polar bear and SNOW covered trees.

I embossed my bear (and hat) with WOW Silver Pearl embossing powder to give him more of a glistening SNOW appearance and pop dotted the top of the hat to give a bit of dimension.  I added no coloring to the bear (except for his snout and cheeks...they're rosy because it's COLD out there!!) or his hat to keep with the appearance of the cold and chilly SNOW.  It may seem like a pretty stark card (but hey, Winter is really cold and stark!), but I think the bit of Aqua sky and the bears rosy cheeks add a sweet bit of color to this SNOW-y card!  :0)

There's still time to play along with this SNOW-y challenge, so check out the inspiration and then play along right HERE.

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #22 - Jingle All The Way

Hello friends.  Nothing like getting in at the very last minute of a challenge, but that's exactly what I'm doing for the current Christmas Kickstart Challenge which is titled JINGLE ALL THE WAY.

I had such great intentions of getting my card done earlier, but when I saw someone use the same idea I had, I kinda deflated, and there sat the stamp set for a week and a half!  So anyway, I have a much simpler card, but it still fits the bill!  Take a look...

I started by using Lil Inker's Jingle Bell Dies with silver glitter paper, and added them to my card front that uses some PTI Bitty Big DSP in Pure Poppy and a white and Aqua Mist card base.  I also added SSS's Falala die using red glitter paper and Aqua Mist cs for my sentiment.  And since I couldn't use my original idea on the front, I added it to the inside of my card...

Yep, Bonnie had the same idea to use one of the elf's from MFT's Santa's Elves holding the jingle bell instead of the ornament, and since I didn't want to copy her (well, kinda I did!), I just used the elf on the inside of my card, so it's all good!

Lots of CUTE cards in the gallery HERE already, but unless you're speedy quick at card making, you've only got a few hours left to enter this challenge!  I'll try to be more prompt with the next challenge!!  :0)

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!

CAS Watercolour Nov. 2019 - Monochromatic Challenge

Hello friends.  It's a new month and time for a new challenge at CAS Watercolour!  Our hostess this month is Karen and she would like to see MONOCHROMATIC cards.

A while ago my sweet friend Michele came over for a play day and brought a beautiful wreath die from Pinkfresh Studios that I had to play with!  I ended up using a piece from my stash box that I had water colored using Lindy's Magicals in Autumn Maple Crimson that has beautiful deep reds all the way to light pinks...and perfect for this monochromatic challenge!!

This wreath die is so full of delicate and fancy cuts that I left my card pretty simple to let all those magical colors shine!  Here's a closer up...

I wish my camera had picked up all the shimmer and shine that is part of Lindy's Magicals, because this card really comes to life with all the sparkle!!  I added a strip of Scarlet Jewel cs that I ran through my SU! Subtle embossing folder to ground the wreath that I added off center on the white card base.  My sentiment is from the Stamptember SSS/Gina K Festive Flower stamp set and I also added just a few iridescent jewels from Lucy's Little Gems.

Check out all the BEAUTIFUL cards from the DT and our special GD Birgit for some awesome inspiration, and then show us what YOU came up with using a MONOCHROMATIC color scheme!  Remember to keep your card CAS, use Watercolouring, and a Monochromatic Color scheme...we can't wait to see you in the gallery!  This challenge is open till the 24th.

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!