Peace on Earth Christmas Challenge #108

Hello friends. Trying to behave and keep up with my Christmas card making, so Peace On Earth Christmas Challenge  to the rescue!!  A beautiful mood board featuring skating and sledding for inspiration this time around...

I have an older PB sledding bear that worked perfect for this challenge...

After coloring up the bear (heart be light) with Copics and then fussy cutting him out, I set him aside while I stamped the background which is also a PB stamp (traverse). I used Smokey Slate ink (SU!) to keep the background a little more muted and then lightly added glitter to the trees and snowy areas.

I added foam dots to the back of my sledding bear to lift him away from the background a bit, and then simply finished with a sentiment from PTI (Think Big Favorites: #20) in Real Red (SU!) ink. 

Lots of inspiration from the DT that you can find right HERE, so check it out and play along!  This challenge is open till Thursday, April 2nd @ 8:00PM.

Also going to add this card to the Christmas Kickstart Challenge where the theme is Out of the Woods...I think a bear and the woods definitely go together here!!

  

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

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #105

Hello friends.  My Christmas cards are all done and sent out last week, but I'm still loving making new ones that I can use for next year.  The Christmas Kickstart Challenge is looking for anything "Christmassy" and I think my 2 cards and tags will definitely fit in here!

I've been having so much FUN using new product from The Greetery...I don't think you could make an ugly card with all the new products if you tried!  Here's my first card...

OK, I know this one isn't a Christmas card, but people do have birthdays either on Christmas day or around Christmas.  I used the Capsule Basics die for the scalloped piece, and then the Capsule Filigree Borders die around the edge of another Capsule Basic die that I stamped with an older SU! background stamp called Print Pattern.  I used that same background stamp on the Cherry Cobbler panel too, although it's harder to see in my photos.  The die cut Holly is also from The Greetery (Bigger Holiday Botanicals Holly No. 1) and was inked with DOX inks and then splattered with water.

I stamped my sentiment (PTI's Think Big Favorites: #22) in Versamark ink and heat embossed in gold on a strip of vellum and wrapped it around the front and Cherry Cobbler layer before adherring it all to a card base.  The gold bow is also from The Greetery (Regency Bow No. 1) and was added to the top along with a few gold gems to finish off the card.

This card was done basically the same as the first except that I used a different background stamp (SU!'s En Francais) and also used The Greetery's Bigger Holiday Botanicals: Poinsettia die.  

I just love the filigree border and bow in the matte gold cs...makes these cards so elegant.  Also finished this one off with a few gold gems.

And last but not least, using the same supplies PLUS the Capsule Quick Tags stamp set to make a few tags for some of my gifts this year.  It's hard to tell in my photo, but the berries under the To: and the From: have red glitter Stickles on them for just a POP of color.

Jo is running solo this month (no guest elf), but there is still oodles and oodles of inspiration from Jo and all the entries in the gallery...check it out right HERE.  This challenge does run till the end of the month, so still lots of time to post a card or two to the gallery.

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

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #104 - Just Add Antlers

Hello friends.  Playing along with the current Christmas Kickstart Challenge where they are looking for Antlers to be added to our Christmas cards.

As soon as I saw this challenge, I knew right away which stamp I was going to use...MFT's Reindeer Games!  This little Pure Innocence girl hasn't seen ink in quite some time, and this challenge was a perfect time to bring her out again.  Take a look at this cutie...

Don't you just love her headband with the Antlers and the strand of colored lights?!  I stamped her and then colored her with my Copics before using the coordinating die to cut her out.  Next I used Glossy Accents to the light bulbs and her nose before setting her aside to dry.  I added a bit of light turquoise shading to the left and bottom of my card base, and then added the 2 scalloped frames from PFS's Stitched Scalloped Rectangles.

To finish I added the sentiment (also from the Reindeer Games stamp set), a few Disco Ball sequins (Gina K) and a bit of red & white baker's twine tied around the outer scalloped frame.  Pretty simple, but so cute and sweet (IMHO!)!!

Cute inspiration cards from Jo and her Guest Elf Vicki Ruta to get you started and lots more already in the gallery!  You can find them all right HERE.  This challenge is open till the end of the month.

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

Market Place Christmas

Hello friends.  I've been a little obsessed this past week (I know...hard to believe me being obsessed about anything, right?!! Haha!!) about The Greetery's Market Place Dies!  It took me awhile to make the 1st one (lots and lots of die cutting!!), but I was totally head over heels in LOVE with how it turned out that I just HAD to make a 2nd one...and then a 3rd, and a 4th, and even a 5th!  Am I done? I honestly don't know! These little European Market Place buildings all decked out for the holidays are so addicting, and once you get going it's kinda hard to stop!!

 Don't they look so pretty all standing next to each other?!  Makes me wish I had a fireplace mantle to line them up on to decorate for the holidays!!  I have lots of close ups so you can see all the details better, so sit back and enjoy!

They were basically all made the same with the Market Place Die No. 1 (There's also a No. 2 and a No. 3 set of dies) and I just switched up the colors on all of them. I used the Market Place Holiday Sentiments stamp set for the names on each of the shoppes (aren't they fun?!) and used the Market Place Holiday Festoons die set for all the wreaths, bows & garlands.

On the North Pole Ice Cream Shoppe and the Kringle's on Main Shoppe I used a brick wall stencil to make it look like the shoppes were made from brick before adding all the window and door frames and decorations...I'm loving that look!  

  The ice cream shoppe was the first one I made and it took the longest as I learned what to do (and not do!) as I went along.  I love the door on this one using more of that sandable cs I've been hooked on lately...it really gives the door an old time feeling. I did place a very light yellow cs behind all the windows and doors to give that soft warm glow from inside the shoppes.

 Most of my shoppe names were embossed in white and adhered to the buildings with foam tape for dimension.

I also did lots of splattering with white acrylic paint to make the buildings look like it was snowing, and yes, I have LOTS of white splatter everywhere in my craft room, but it was worth it!!

I made each building into a shaped card by folding a piece of cs and then laying the open large frame die a little bit off the folded edge to create a card base that would stand up, and then glued the decorated shoppe front to the card base.  Just in case I decide to mail a couple of these out, the recipient can stand the card up. That's still up in the air though as I just don't know if I'll be able to give any of them up!  Of course I could make a few more...

And here they all are again so you can see them all at once!  I really think I might NEED the No. 2 and No. 3 dies now so that the buildings aren't all the same!  Yes I am addicted, but who cares?!!!!!  There are certainly a lot worse things to be addicted to, right?! 

I'm going to send these fun little shoppes over to the NBUS #79 challenge as these dies and stamps have never been used before last week, and also over to the Christmas Kickstart Challenge #103 where they are doing a "Snow Alert" challenge, and with all the snow splattering I did, I definitely think these little shoppes will fit right in!

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

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #103 - SNOW ALERT

Hello friends.  Trying to finish up the last of my Christmas cards and playing along with Jo and her Special Guest Elf Loll over at the Christmas Kickstart Challenge where they are looking for SNOW!!

I automatically think of snowmen when I think of snow (although I try not to think of the real white stuff!!) and this was the perfect opportunity to use my SB's trio of caroling snow dudes (The Snow Notes) again!  Here they are singing their hearts out...

 

Aren't they just the cutest trio of singing snow dudes?!!  I started with a piece of dsp from my sweet friend Michele (can't remember the maker??) that looked like the perfect Winter scene to place my trio.  Next I die cut all the pieces and only used the polka dotted red dsp for a POP of color on the card.  I did some tearing with plain white cs for the snowy hills at the bottom of the card and added glitter to the edges before placing the snowmen behind the hills.  (I also added glitter to all the little snow dots in the background of the dsp but of course it doesn't show...grrrr!!

I did do a bit of gray ink blending on the snowmen and also the caroling notebook to add just a bit of dimension, and then finished with a simple sentiment at the bottom in Cherry Cobbler ink (SU!) from PTI's Stylish Sentiments: Holiday.  

So there's my SNOW ALERT card for the Christmas Kickstart Challenge and you can click HERE to check out all the info to play along.  This challenge is open all month long, so lots of time to play along and get those Christmas cards finished before it's too late!  It always comes much quicker than we think it will!!

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

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #102

Hello friends.  Playing along with Jo and her special guest elf Leslie at the Christmas Kickstart Challenge where they are looking for Santa in September.

I have many Santa stamps that I've collected over the years, but I do have one that is my all time favorite from a company that is no longer in business (sigh...) called Flourishes and the name of the set is Santa I Believe.  Here's what I came up with this year using this sweet Santa face...

Isn't that just the sweetest Santa face?!  This year I added a silhouette of Santa (enabled by Leslie I might add!!) using Cottage Cutz Santa's Naughty/Nice List die to the card and I love the way it looks next to Santa's face!

 I cut off about a half inch on the right side of the card front and then added some red & white striped dsp (PTI) to the inside of the card where it shows from the front of the card when it's closed.  The sentiment on the both the outside and the inside are both from the Santa I Believe stamp set.  I added a few red gems (PFS) to the holly berries on top of Santa's head and a piece of black & white baker's twine to the side of the card.  Easy peasy and done! 

You can check out Jo and Leslie's cards right HERE for some inspiration and then play along...Christmas really will be here before we know it!  This challenge is open till Tuesday, Sept. 30th.

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

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #101 - Let's Wreath It Up

Hello friends.  Still very HOT & HUMID in my neck of the woods, so I'm going to try and stay cool with Christmas cards this week.  The Christmas Kickstart Challenge is looking for WREATHS this time around and I have a PFS stencil set that hasn't seen ink in quite a while, so...

Using the Thrill of Hope Wreath stencil set, here's what I came up with...

After stenciling the wreath in greens and eggplant inks, it still looked a little plain to me, so I ran it through with a SB's embossing folder called Holiday Floral Swag that has empty space in the middle and seemed like it would be perfect for the wreath.  I love how that worked out!!

I added my sentiment using PFS's Christmas Sentiments stamp & die set (die cutting 3 times for a little extra dimension) with the eggplant ink to coordinate with the berries.  A few Disco Ball Sequins (Gina K) and a piece of eggplant ribbon from my stash finished off my card.

If you need to add to your Christmas stash, or even get started, check out Jo and her guest elf Greta's cards for a little inspiration, and then play along right HERE.  This challenge is open till Sunday, August 31st.    

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

Christmas Kickstart #100 - SPOTS, DOTS & CIRCLES

Hello friends.  It couldn't feel less like Christmas outside (more 90's today in my neck of the woods!), but I couldn't let Jo's 100th challenge over at the Christmas Kickstart blog go by without playing along, especially since it involves SPOTS, DOTS & CIRCLES!! 

I've got a SWEET little card to share using a new to me die from Cottage Cutz called Santa Cupcake that I was enabled to buy after hearing about the BIG sale at The Scrapping Cottage from Leslie...thanks Leslie!!

Doesn't Santa look so CUTE perched on top of that yummy looking chocolate cupcake?!!  I die cut all the pieces from cardstock scraps including the cupcake liner, which came from PTI's Pure Poppy Pattern Pack DSP.  I used a CIRCLE die to make an opening on my background layer that was also embossed with an older Cuttlebug ef with lots of DOTS.

This closeup shows a bit more detail including all the glitter and my SWEET die cut sentiment (The Greetery - Sweet Tooth).  Also added a sub-sentiment that was embossed in white on a black strip (Gina K).  Pretty simple but colorful and pretty cute IMHO!

If you need to get a kickstart on those Christmas cards, this challenge is a great place to start and you can find all the info to play along right HERE.  Congrats on this BIG milestone challenge Jo and a big thank you too for helping us all keep ahead with our Christmas cards!!  :0)

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

Warm & Feathered Hugs

Hello friends.  I really slacked off making Christmas cards earlier this year, so it's time to get crankin' here, and I'm playing with an oldie but a goodie from MFT called Warm & Feathered Hugs.  I stamped the 3 main images in the set and planned to include them all in one card, but just couldn't seem to come up with a layout that I liked.  I ended up making a trio of cards and am happy now that I have 3 more cards to add to the stash...YAY!!

I colored all 3 images with the same Copic colors and Boho Blue cardstock (SU!) and just changed out the embossing folders on each card.  This one uses SSS's Icy Snowflakes, and after embossing it I ran my brayer and white pigment ink lightly on the top to give a bit of a frosty look.  I even used the same ef to emboss a piece of vellum that I placed behind the circle opening before adding my sledding owl.  The Merry Christmas die cut is from Waffle Flower's Merry Christmas Print Die and silver glitter cs and vellum.  

 My 2nd card uses a book-binding fold and SSS's Forest Border embossing folder. (Also did a bit of white ink splattering to mimic snow on this one.)  My sentiment strip is from Gina K.

My 3rd card uses SSS's Filigree Snowflakes embossing folder and I also ran white pigment ink over the embossing to give that frosted look once again.  My sentiment is another pre-printed one from Gina K and I also added a tiny scalloped border around the oval for a little somethin, somethin extra.  

And here they all are together.  Do you have a favorite?  I ended up loving them all!!  I'm going to add all 3 of these cards to the Christmas Kickstart Challenge where they are looking for ANIMAL ANTICS...animals playing in the snow!  I think I definitely covered the SNOW with all 3 cards and the different embossing folders, and my first little guy is having a blast on his toboggan in the snow, and the 2nd & 3rd little owlets are definitely dressed for Winter time fun!

This challenge is open till the end of the month, so join Jo and her Special Guest elf and play along to get going on those Christmas cards...it really will be here before we know it!!

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

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #85 - Santa and his Sidekicks

Hello friends.  Playing along with the current Christmas Kickstart Challenge where they are looking for Santa and his Sidekicks.

I had fun coming up with a card with Santa and Blitzen...or is it Comet or Donner or...well all I really know is it's NOT Rudolph!  But anyway, here's what I came up with using MFT's Christmas sELFies...

I colored up my image with Copics and then placed it behind a piece of Real Red cs (SU!) that I die cut a square from to frame the image, and also ran it through with an older Cuttlebug dotted embossing folder.  

I used a Gina K Sentiment Strip and then added a few Impression Obsession snowflakes and finished with some PFS Iridescent Clear Drops in the centers of the snowflakes.  

Jo and her elf Helen have some awesome inspiration for you that you can check out right HERE and then play along to get a head start on those Christmas cards.  This challenge is open till the end of the month, so plenty of time to play along!!

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