Joy!!

I am already working on Christmas cards for nest year.  This was the first year that every card we sent was handmade, and that felt really good.  Since I would like to do that again next Christmas, I thought I better get started!!

The Paper Studio Away in a Manger paper, Lawn Fawn Scripty Words die cut in gold, Clearly Defined sentiment stamped in SU! Pacific Point ink.   I'm sharing this with the Cards in Envy Celebrate the Season challenge.  Coem join us at the Words 2 Craft By Winter is the Time fro Comfort challenge!

Winter Thank you

I was super blessed by my family this holiday, and wanted to say thank you in a special way - by using some of their gifts!

Lawn Fawn Scripty Words die (a Christmas gift!), foiled Recollections Christmas Pastel paper accented with Lawn Fawn snowflakes die cut in silver paper, and edged with Krylon gold leafing pen (another gift!).  I am sharing this with the Shopping Our Stash Winter Wonderland challenge.  Still time to join w=us at Words 2 Craft By Winter is the Time for Comfort challenge!

Winter Birthday

The Shopping Our Stash challenge is to make a winter themed project that is not Christmas.  I always need more birthday cards:

DCWV Winter Basics Stack, Martha Stewart snowflake punch, Cuttlebug embossing folder.  Come play along with us at Words 2 Craft By for our Winter is the Time for Comfort challenge!

A very different project...

I usually only post cards, but I HAD to post this super easy, super inexpensive holiday gift I made today. 

In my husband's family, we draw names.  I got one of the most difficult people in the mix.  Within minutes of buying something online for her, she asked me for wooden hangers.  Hangers?!?!  OK, I'm game.  I can always return the necklace ordered, which she may or may not like. 

Off I trot to WalMart.  And I find the deal of the year.  I bought 15 wood hangers for $2.97!!!!!!!!!  How amazing is that?  The wood is unfinished, so I thought I could dress them up a bit. 

I used three different monogram stamps, mounted them on a drinking glass (the hanger is concave at the top), and inked using Staz-On.  I did have to to fill in a few bits with a micron pen,.   I am super happy with how they came out, and for less than $3, I can give these in addition to the necklace!!  Yay me!!

Come play along with our "Winter is the Time for Comfort" challenge at Words 2 Craft By!!!

Time for Home

Edith Sitwell said "Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire:  it is the time for home."   

Home is a little different for everyone, perhaps a neighborhood, a house or condo, or circle of friends.  Come play along with us at Words to Craft By and show us how you see "Home".

Snowflakes heat embossed in clear, white and silver.  The image was colored with Inktense pencils. 

Pretty Packaging

The Shopping Our Stash Pretty Packaging challenge motivated me to get moving on holiday candy for my co-workers.  While we don't exchange gifts, but I do like to do something for the many people who make my work life easier. 

The small ones are Hershey Miniatures and the large ones are Ghirardelli Squares.  I cut scraps 5 1/2" x 2", and scored at 2 5/8 and 2 7/8 for the Ghirardellis.  The Miniatures are cut 3 1/8" x 2", and scored at 3/8", 1 3/8", 1 3/4, and 2 3/4".  I linked back to the blogs where I found the measurements.  I punched the embellishments from vellum and metallic scraps, and topped some off with crystals and Stickles.  

Come back Wednesday for the next Words 2 Craft By challenge!!

Merry Christmas

I think that the best craft purchase I made this year was a MISTI.  It allows me to stamp the same image more than once in the exact same place.  It is super-helpful for reverse image stamps like this one:

I have never been able to come up with a usable image form this stamp.  With the large red background, it never came out complete.  With the MISTI, I was able to re-ink the stamp multiple times and come up with a complete image.  I trimmed the image and layered it on matte silver paper.  I edged the red card base with a silver Sharpie. 

I'm sharing this with the Mod Squad challenge Trees and Snow and Creative With Stamps Christmas Challenge. 

Lovely as a Tree

I broke out my favorite set and played today!  Not much time for fun lately, between work, holidays, and family.

I heat embossed the tree in silver on purplish paper that looks more blue in the photos, I layered with matte silver paper, and added pearls as ornaments on the tree and as accents in the corner.  The sketch is #233 from OWH.

I am sharing this with the Can You Case It #142 color challenge for eggplant, silver, and neutral, and with the Mod Squad's Holiday Dimension challenge.  Wednesday is the deadline for the Small Heart Large Gratitude challenge over at Words 2 Craft By!!

Lovely Notes Wreath

I pulled out my Lovely Notes collections, and came up with this:

Three colors of green ink for the wreath.  I fussy cut the bird ornament and hung him with stash twine.  Stampin' Up sentiment.  Ahhh!  My kind of Christmas card!  Plenty of time to play along with our Words 2 Craft By Small Hearts, Large Gratitude challenge!!

Ombre Sympathy Card

Distress Ink background, Unity sentiment.  Anyone know whose images!?!

Sharing this with Addicted to CAS Ombre challenge.

Come play along with us at Words 2 Craft By for our Small Hearts, Big Gratitude challenge. 

W2CB #35: Small Hearts, Large Gratitude

Welcome to Words 2 Craft By Wednesday!

This month's inspirational words come to us from the Hundred Acre Wood.

Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, 

it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude. ~~ A. A. Milne

I try to be grateful for the myriad of little things that make up my blessed world.  This one of for a generous friend who loves frogs, but loves his martinis even more!

 Froggy colored with Derwent watercolor pencils and layered using Spellbinder die cuts.  The sentiment is an older Megan Elizabeth stamp.  Come play along with us at W2CB!!

Trees!!

Shopping Our Stash has a Three Trees challenge this week.

Unity image and sentiment, Intense watercolor pencils. Just a few more days to play along with us at the Words 2 Craft By Happiness is a Warm Puppy challenge!!!

Happiness is a Warm Puppy - Charles Schultz

Did you know that October is Adopt a Shelter Dog month?  We are Words 2 Craft By have proud moms of a variety of shelter dogs and cats.  We want to use this month's challenge to encourage the adoption of pets from shelters.

I made this Z fold card using the Paper Cut's Triple Circle die.  Come join us in our challenge - Annie has a great set of the Tim Holtz Crazy Dogs up for grabs!!!

Purple and Green Halloween with Lawn Fawn

I love this Lawn Fawn holiday raccoon!

 In the first version, I thought the sky was a bit too light.  I like the darker one much better.  The background was inked with Distress Inks, then stenciled with the Memory Box Garden Floral Confetti and silver Delicata ink.  I used a regular graphite pencil to color the raccoon, and Derwent watercolor pencils for the pumpkin.  The sentiment was computer generated and printed on vellum.  I' sharing this with the Cards in Envy Purple and Green and the Mod Squad Halloween Fun challenges.   Come play along with us at Words 2 Craft By Happiness is a Warm Puppy challenge - Annie has a great set of Tim Holtz Crazy Dog stamps as the prize this month!!!

Gatefold Card Redo

While I liked the gate fold card that I made a week or so ago, I thought I could do better.  

Yes!  I like having more layers of the stars, and this sparkly paisley paper works well.  I am going to share this with the House of Cards gate fold challenge also.

Come play along with the Happiness is a Warm Puppy challenge over at Words 2 Craft By!!

Gatefold Card

The House of Cards challenge this month is to create a gate fold card.  I haven't made many of these cards, but I really enjoyed making this one.  I used my die cutting machine a LOT, and I have more than one fold so I can enter the Scor-Pal seasonal challenge.  I do love my Scor Buddy!

The patterned paper was embossed using Darice Assorted Stars,  The "latch" was cut with Spellbinder nesting stars.  The sentiment is from Kaisercraft and stamped in Delicata silver. 

Come play along with us at W2CB!  Our October challenge is Happiness is a Warm Puppy!

ABC, Anything But A Card

The Mod Squad Challenge this week is Anything But a Card.  Some years ago, I made boxes of gift tags for my friends and family members.  Every year since, I fill their boxes with new tags.  This challenge prompted me to get going on this year's batch.  Here are a few:

Come play along with us at W2CB Happiness is a Warm Puppy challenge.  We have a Set of Tim Holtz Crazy Dogs up for grabs!

(gah!) Pink Christmas

The Jingle Belles October challenge is Pink Christmas.  The Belles will donate $2 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation for each card that gets linked up.  Here is mine:

MAMBI papers, Favorite Findings snowflakes colored with a pink sharpie.  In addition to Breast Cancer Awareness, October is also Adopt a Shelter Dog month.  At Words 2 Craft By, our challenge is "Happiness is a Warm Puppy", and Annie has generously provided the Tim Holtz Crazy Dog stamp set as our prize!!

W2CB - Happiness is a Warm Puppy

October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month.  We at W2CB are proud Mamas of a a number of rescue puppies. Here are mine:

Both Labs are from different Ohio rescue organizations.  For me, happiness truly a warm puppy!!  On to crafting fun!!

 

 CTMH stamps, fussy cut and Bo Bunny paper.  Join us at Words 2 Craft By, and show us your warm puppy!  Please welcome Marty to the I-Team beginning with this challenge.  Her projects are amazing and will make you bark with joy ~ please leave some love on her blog to welcome her to the pack :-)

The Rainbow Connection....

I have been seeing a video on Facebook and Pinterest about a rainbow Spirograph doodle.  When the Can You Case It Rainbow of Color Challenge came out Sunday, I knew I had to try it!!  I tried to post their inspiration image, but kept getting http errors.  Sorry CYCI!

I LOVE THIS!!!!  My dear friend Annette gifted me with her kids' old set, and I have had much fun playing with them.  Thanks, Annette!!  I used some fun Papermate gel pens to make the doodle.  I die cut and layered it on some embossed paper, added twill tape, a jewel, and done!  The blue paper is very glossy, and works well with the rhinestone center.  If you decide to play around with one of these, plan to either punch out the center, or add a jewel.  The ink will smear, and the centers never come out clean! 

Jingle Belles Christmas Bells

This week's challenge over at the jingle belles is Christmas Bells. 

While I love working with metallic paper, I hate photographing it!!  MFT letter dies, Sizzix bell.  Love the embossed snowflake paper with the shades of blue snowflakes, really sets off the letters and ribbon. 

Happy Fall!

I love fall, the football, the leaves, the evening chill.  I just try to forget that winter isn't far behind.  Cards In Envy is celebrating fall this week!

Darice Tree Trunks embossing folder with heavily sanded Core'dinations paper and TPC Studio sentiment. 

A Big B!

The Fusion challenge looks like this:

 

Here's my version:

 I love this payout, and the colors were cool, too!  B for BDay or Bobbi, whatever you decide :)!  Paper Studio teal paper layered on a grey card base.  Same grey paper used in the horizontal element and the  monogram layering.  Gold letter cut in gold foil with my Zing.  Happy dance!!

Hospitality Pineapples

Always Playing with Paper has a photo inspiration this week:

I don't know about you, but pineapples always make me think about the warmth and generosity of visiting a friend. 

Painted Thanks and Friend from Catherine Pooler's Lovely Notes.  I layered the Paper Studio foiled paper with orange and metallic gold. 

One in a Million!

The Male Room Challenge #44 is Star Trek or Other Space Series. 

This sure doesn't look like much, but there is a lot going on here!  Stormy Sky and Chipped Sapphire inking, Garden Floral Stencil from Memory Box with Viva glitter-paste.  I'm sending this to my son, a college freshman needing a little encouragement. 

Butterfly with Stitched Flourishes

This week's code word at Addicted to Clean and Simple is STITCHED!

I used an old Bazzill Basics piercing template, and stitched the flourishes with twisted green twine.  The butterfly die cuts are from Spellbinders and the wings are popped up, the sentiment from Above Rubies Studio. 

Die Cuts, No Stamping

This week's challenge at Shopping Our Stash is to create a project using die cuts, but not using any stamps.

Cheery Lynn butterfly die, Cuttlebug sentiment.  Check back on Wednesday for a new challenge from Words 2 Craft By!

What's That You Say?

This week's challenge from the Mod Squad is, What's That You Say?, to use a sentiment as your focal point.

 I love the soft grey ink, card base, and sequins.  Bundled Sage and Stormy Sky Distress Ink. 

CAS-ual Fridays Dimension and Bling

I tried this one a few times, and am not entirely happy with the outcome, but I can live with it!  :)

I don't often make square cards, but this wreath panel screamed for one!  I stamped the Lovely Notes wreath in Venetian Orange and Sepia, then embellished with gold, silver, and copper nail heads.  I die cut the Thanks 3x in gold and pumpkin, edged the panel with gold leaf, and popped it up with dimensionals.  I added the rhinestone leaves to the corners for balance.

I'm sharing this one with CAS-ual Fridays!

Oh Little Town of Bethlehem....

The Jingle Belles prompt is Oh Little Town of Bethlehem - use at least one building on the card.

Neat & Tangles Winter Wishes stamped in VersaMark, heat embossed in silver, and inked in Stormy Sky Distress Ink and CTMH Smoky Plum.  The snowflake paper is also heat embossed in clear.  The shaker is filled with silver and white beadies. 

Hip to Be Square

The Cards in Envy challenge is Hip to Be Square.  Sadly, I needed another sympathy card.

Magenta Style stickers.  I used both the positive and the negative parts of the stickers, and layered them on gold and black.  There are still a few days left to join the Words 2 Craft By Just Keep Swimming challenge!

By the numbers.....

I love this Hero Arts background stamp - perfect for birthday cards. 

Paired up with this Unity sentiment and some taffeta ribbon - great masculine card!  Sharing this with Shopping Our Stash #266 - use a number.  Still a few days left to join us at Words 2 Craft By's Just Keep Swimming challenge!!

Twine, Ribbon, and Fibers

I am a collector of all things crafty.  I have a seemingly unlimited supply of pretty ribbon, twine, and other various fibers.  The House of Cards challenge is month is perfect for breaking some pretties out and playing around. 

I pierced the paper using a ruler and a triangle stencil for guidance.  The green fuzzy fibers are from my punch needle days.  The white paper is linen weight and is mounted on a dark green card base.  Star is a brad from my stash.  There are a few more days to play along with our Just Keep Swimming challenge over at Words 2 Craft By!!

Dogs!!!

This week's challenge over at the Mod Squad Challenge Blog is Teacher's Pet - use a pet or an animal. 

The paw print paper is dry embossed with paw prints.  Inka Dinka Do images, die cuts from Spellbinders, stash ribbon. Come play along with us at Words 2 Craft By - Just Keep Swimming!

You're the Cat's Meow!

This week, Can You CASE It has a dual challenge - sketch and theme!

I turned the sketch on its side, and used some hoarded DCWV Pet Stack glossy embossed paper.  I added a Lawn Fawn sentiment, and a cute paw print die cut.  I varied the widths of the matting for interest.

Love this as an encouragement card.  My son left for college this past weekend.  Huge life changes for him with his first taste of "adulting", and for us as empty nesters.  As my friend Sybrina says, a new chapter!  Come join us over at Words 2 Craft By for our Just Keep Swimming challenge!!

What's the Word?

OK.  Epic fail on this one.  I made the BEST card - then realized I didn't follow the Shopping Our Stash instructions correctly.  My sentiment was the focal point, but it was stamped, not die cut.  Round 2 - nailed it!!

 

Love the Paper Studio foiled pineapple/hospitality paper, the die cut from Simon Say is cut once in pink, and offset with the gold.  Lots of time to join us at Words 2 Craft By's Just Keep Swimming challenge!!!

More Lovely Notes

One more from the Catherine Pooler Lovely Notes Collection:

Love the greys with these colors.  White embossing powder on white paper, inked with Distress Inks.  Sharing this with the HOC inspiration image:

Come play along with our Words 2 Craft By Just keep Swimming Challenge!!