Cards und More Challenge No. 122 - All About Christmas

I'm linking up to the Cards und More All About Christmas Challenge with this card. I think this penguin is adorable! I don't usually make "cutesy" cards but this guy could definitely grow on me. I've been searching for penguin stamps and dies for a large project I will be creating and have finally found a few that I like. 

I used PaperTrey cardstock for the base card. I diecut the penguin using a die called "Bitty Penguin" by Die-Namites. The sentiment was cut from Recollections glitter cardstock using Tim Holtz Alterations Holiday Words: Script. I embossed the white and black panels with an embossing folder from Sizzix. That's it, pretty quick and simple!

Cards und More Challenge No. 122 - All About Christmas

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Holly Jolly Christmas - Anything Goes Christmas Challenge

What it difference it makes when I can take a photo by natural light....and not even with any sun out! I've had the worst time lately trying to get decent photos of the cards I'm creating. It's been so gray and depressing out. I have to get the photos on the weekend since it's dark before I leave for work and almost dark when I get home. I do try to take some in a couple of different areas in the house at night but they definitely don't turn out as good as this one. Being off work today made it a great day to take photos!

Today's card is being linked up to the Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge. This challenge is an "Anything goes Christmas challenge". Those are my favorites. I do like sketch and/or color combination challenges, but I also like challenges where you have a theme and can just do whatever works for you. I do tend to stay away from challenges that require the use of a certain brand of stamp or having to use digital images. 

For this card I used a stamp that I've had for quite awhile. It's called Dad's Truck and is made by Printworks. A few years back my late husband and I stopped in a store called The Stamp Shoppe in Schofield, WI which is where I found it. I remember loving the large selection of ribbon that this store carried. I used Tim Holtz distress ink in black soot on the stamp, spritzed it with water and then stamped onto watercolor cardstock. For the greenery I diecut one of the Tim Holtz dies from the Holiday Greens set, cut it apart and adhered it to the back of the truck with glossy accents. The bow is something I had in my stash. Base cardstock is from PaperTrey Ink. The watercolor cardstock is matted with paper from Colorbok and the patterned paper is Silent Night by October Afternoon. The headlights are glitter dots by Dress It up. For my sentiment I used a stamp set from Hero Arts called A Very Merry Christmas. 

Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge

Take time to stop by and check out all the beautiful cards that everyone has created.

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The Glory of Christmas Challenge #49

Today my card is for the challenge The Glory of Christmas Challenge #49. Anything goes as long as it's Christmas. Christmas cards are my favorite cards to create. Thank you and sympathy cards come in second and third. 

I've been checking around to find challenges that do Christmas all year round. I think I've found a few so don't be surprised if you see more Christmas cards on my blog in 2015.

The patterned paper I used is Silent Night by October Afternoon. This paper is just so cute, I love it! I bought a couple of these pads when I went to the their warehouse sale. For my ornament I die cut the image using a set of dies called Ornament Dies by Sweet 'n Sassy. They have two different stamp sets that also coordinate with this die set. I then ran the die cut through my Big Shot using an embossing folder from Darice. I don't have the name of it. I had some snowflake buttons in my stash so I cut the shank off the back and adhered it to the die cut with a glue dot. My little bow is made out of jute. The sentiment is by Inkadinkado. I've used this sentiment a lot through the years. 

Believe it or not, I've made all these Christmas cards and haven't even sent out one yet and it's December 23rd! Anyone on my card list will be getting their cards late this year!

Be sure to stop by The Glory of Christmas and check out all the cards!

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CAS(E) this Sketch #104

Another wonderful sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch! I just love the simplicity of their sketches and how they are so easy and fast for me to create. I've really struggled a bit lately and their sketches are getting my creative juices flowing again. 

I used an embossing folder from Sizzix for my card. Since I only needed a small piece I decided to make three cards using the same sketch. I embossed distress cardstock from Tim Holtz & Ranger, cut it into thirds and sanded it. 

For each card I matted each embossed & sanded piece with glitter cardstock by Recollections, added sentiments from Hero Arts, a little bling and the cards were finished! Base cardstock is from PaperTrey Ink. 

Be sure to check out all the fabulous cards from their DT and participants here!

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CAS(E) this Sketch #103

Loved this sketch challenge from CAS(E) this Sketch! I know I'll be using it over and over. I already have some other cards earmarked to create using it. 

My card uses PaperTrey Ink cardstock for the base in Pure Poppy. I love their cardstock. It's so perfect for cards! The patterned paper is from Craft Smith called Timeless Holiday. I picked this up at Michael's and I love the patterns that are included in the pack. I love it so much I bought a second pad thinking I might make a mini album with it. I used a Hero Arts sentiment from the clear set called Very Merry Christmas. Gems are metal stickers from Mark Richards. 

Be sure to stop by and check out all the other great cards using this sketch!

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Simon Says Bling It On! - Simon Wednesday Challenge

I created this card yesterday from some scraps I had on my table. I saw a Facebook post that Simon Says Stamps had a "Bling It On!" challenge going on right now. They are showcasing Kaisercraft products this week. While they would love for you to use their products, this card unfortunately doesn't use any. However you can still join the challenge and since this was spur of the moment and it has bling, I decided to go for it.

Products used for this card: PaperTrey Ink in Vintage Cream for the base, Memory Box Claremont Ornaments Die, Mark Richards Metal Sticker Gems in Gold Metal Metallique, Recollections Christmas Noel Glitter Paper, Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Mini Holidays Stamp Set, Stampendous Jeweled Gold Embossing Powder.

Be sure to stop by their blog and see all the gorgeous cards using bling! Thanks for stopping by!

CAS - Colours and Sketches: Christmas Sketch Challenge #104

My card today is for the CAS - Colours and Sketches Blog: Christmas Sketch Challenge #104. The challenge is to pick a sketch from their previous sketches in the archive. The one I chose is below. It's from sketch #31 from June 27th, 2013.

I decided to go with a snowflake theme for my card. I used an embossing folder by Provo Craft for Cuttlebug called Snowflakes. The very cool rustic snowflakes are from Favorite Findings. The Christmas sentiment I chose is from Hero Arts called Celebrate Everyday. I used the Cork Solids DCWV as a mat for my snowflake background. Inked edges and ink for sentiment is Memento's Lady Bug and Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Barn Door. Card base is White and Kraft from PaperTrey Ink. Metal Stickers by Mark Richards. I do LOVE those wood snowflakes!

Be sure to stop by and see the sketches that other participants have chosen.

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Virginia's View Challenge #10 - All Things Distressed

Here's my card for Virginia's View Challenge #10. I'm always drooling over the cards that are entered in Virginia's challenge. They are always so gorgeous! 

The theme is All Things Distressed. I never have an issue with creating anything and distressing it. I love the look. For this card I went a little out of my comfort zone. I always see all these beautiful cards that are colored. I will never be able to do that. I have maybe four markers to my name. However, I do have the Tim Holtz Distress Markers. The stamp I used is called Christmas Truck by Stampendous. Using distress markers on the stamp itself, I then stamped the image onto my paper. I know this is something people have been doing forever, but I don't generally do it. I'm happy with the way it turned out. The colors I used are: pine needles, vintage photo and barn door. I used a regular distress pad in vintage photo to ink my edges. All the gems on the tree and wreath are from TPC called Holly Jolly Mini Jewels. Base cardstock is Vintage Cream from PaperTrey Ink. Sentiment is by Hero Arts called Very Merry Christmas. 

Definitely make it a point to stop by the challenge and check out all the awesome cards!

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PP225: Black Tie Theme Challenge

I've been creating cards for challenges today. The card I'm sharing is for The Paper Players Black Tie Theme Challenge #225. You are to create something that has sparkle, shine and/or texture. My instinct was to use some black. I held myself back since I normally use so much black in my cards.  I decided to do red sparkle since that seems to be what I've been doing a lot of with my Christmas cards this year. 

For my card base I used PaperTrey Ink cardstock in New Leaf. The patterned paper is from a paper pad called Timeless Holiday by Craft Smith which I matted with PTI's Pure Poppy. I used a die from Taylored Expressions called Jingle All The Way to diecut my sentiment. I adhered it to PTI's Vintage Cream cardstock. The glitter paper is from Recollections called Christmas Noel. The gemstones are from Hero Arts. 

Over the next few days I'll share other cards I've made for various challenges.

Be sure to stop by and check out all the other beautiful cards in the challenge!

Thanks for taking the time to stop by!

Glitter Christmas Trees

I don't think I've ever used as much glitter cardstock on my cards as I have this year. I really don't consider myself a big glitter crafter. Maybe it's due to some of the dies I've been using for my Christmas cards this year. I don't know, but I do like the look of it for some reason, so I'm just going to go with it for now. 

All four cards that I've created are using the same Memory Box die called Flowering Christmas Tree. The only difference between the card above and the other three below is that I diecut a second tree in red,  cut the larger flowers off and added them to the gold tree.

Cardstock used for the all cards is from PaperTrey Ink.

I used four different embossing folders for the embossed panels. All are by Darice with the exception of one of them. I'm not sure who that one is by because the name was worn off. I think it was from Lifestyle Crafts. 

All the gems and pearls are from my stash. 

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look!

{CASE'd} Glittery Reindeer

I'm still working on my Christmas cards for this year. I really should have started earlier. I'm bound and determined to get them finished even if that means that they arrive after Christmas. 

When I received my newsletter from Right As Rain I was inspired by this card. So these are my CASE'd version! Both are identical with the exception of the doily. I used two different Prima Metal Dies to create each one. For my card base I used PaperTrey Ink cardstock in white. The patterned background paper is from Heidi Swapp. I used the Hero Arts Stamp & Cut Reindeer Pair that I used for this card. The glitter paper is from Recollections. 

Hoping to share some more of my cards in the few days! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Merriest Wishes

Here's the second card I created using the same die and almost all of the same products as the card I blogged about yesterday. You can see that card here. The only thing I did differently is that I didn't cut off the top part of the die and I added some pearl bling. For the sentiment I didn't emboss it with black embossing powder. After the fact I wish I would have. It would have stood out more with the striped background.

I have really come to love all of the Memory Box dies that I've purchased. I have a few more that I've picked up and will be creating some cards that I will be sharing. I think they are becoming a favorite.

Have a great day and thanks for taking time to stop by!

Peace Love & Joy

Happy Monday! It sure is cold outside this morning. Listening to the weather on TV, I think just heard  that it's -2° below. The only way for me to get through winter is to remember that everyday is one day closer to spring!

The card I'm sharing today uses a die from Memory Box called Clairmont Ornaments. I actually cut the top part of the die off and decided to use the Tim Holtz Sizzix Alterations Holiday Greens die with it. I'll share another card tomorrow that uses the complete die. 

I stamped a sentiment from Hero Arts with black ink from Memento and embossed it with black embossing powder. The glitter paper is from Recollections. I'm not sure about the patterned paper since I have quite the mess going on in my craft room right now with paper everywhere. I'm going to take a guess and say it's Recollections. My card base uses paper from PaperTrey Ink. 

Stay warm today if you're somewhere cold like I am! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Stencils, Embossing Paste + Distress Markers = Fun!

This was my first attempt at coloring embossing paste after it had dried using Distress Markers. I've colored the embossing paste before spreading it on the stencil with Distress Ink and I like that effect, but I wanted to use several colors this time. The card above was my first attempt. After I let the embossing paste dry I laid the stencil back on top and colored with Distress Markers. I then used the Tim Holtz Water Brush and went over the areas for a watercolor look. I think it has a rough look, but I like it. 

For this card I did the same as the card above except used the green cardstock. I like the look on the colored cardstock.

For this card I didn't use the water brush. Instead I just colored with the Distress Markers. I like how vibrant the colors turned out. I'm definitely going to use this technique again with other stencils. For all the sentiments I stamped the sentiment with Distress Ink and then embossed with clear embossing powder. After I was finished with the cards I thought I could have added some bling or sequins. I opted to just leave them plain as I thought they looked fine. 

Products used for these cards include: Golden Gel Medium Light Molding Paste, Tim Holtz Distress Markers, Tim Holtz Water Brush, Tim Holtz Festive Layer Stencil, Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Handwritten Holiday 1 & 2 Sentiments, Recollections Christmas Noel Glitter Paper, Craft Smith Timeless Holiday patterned paper, PTI for the card bases, Tim Holtz Distress Ink, Embossing Powder. 

I really LOVE playing with this stuff! I reminds me of icing.

 It almost looks good enough to eat when you are spreading it on the stencil!

From the three panels I created I was able to cut them in half and make six cards. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Embossed Reindeer

I really have a love/hate relationship with embossing, but I keep trying it because I like the look. If the image is larger I have a hard time stamping it because I have arthritis and no strength in my hands. I usually stick to smaller images and use sentiments more than anything else. 

It took me three tries and finally I pulled out my Darice Rubber-stamping Surface Mat. That did the trick. I always forget that I have that mat and how great it works for stamping! I've even tried the rocking stamp blocks. Sometimes they work for me and sometimes they don't. 

For both of these cards I used patterned paper from Pink Paislee called Snow Village. I'm almost embarrassed to say that the stamp and die set I used is a Hero Art's Stamp and Cut set called Reindeer Pair that I bought at Scrap Fest in 2010! I've never used it til now! Maybe I have too much stuff and don't even know what I have? I've just pulled out all Christmas stuff and I have a complete mess in my craft room. I'm just grabbing anything that looks like it might be fun to work with. 

I used Recollections Christmas Noel Glitter Paper, Tim Holtz Sizzix Alterations Holiday Greens Die and gold embossing powder. The card base is from PaperTrey Ink in Vintage Cream. Those cute little bows are from my stash. I have no idea where I bought those from!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Snowflake Cards

For both of these cards I used a stencil by Memory Box called Winter Large Snowflakes. I used translucent embossing paste from Studio 490, Wendy Vecchi to add dimension. I sprinkled Great Impressions glitter sparkling ice over the embossing paste while it was still wet and then set both pieces aside to dry.

I can't remember who the manufacturer of the patterned paper is. I'm leaning toward Recollections. This patterned paper was in my scrap pile and since they were a decent size I just went ahead and gave them some life! The gold glitter paper is from Recollections. 

For the sentiments I used a stamp set from Technique Tuesday called Jingle All The Way. I stamped the sentiments with VersaMark and heat embossed them with gold embossing powder. The bling is from my stash. Card bases are PaperTrey Ink.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Joy To The World Christmas Cards

 Isn't this Holly Cutting Plate from Taylored Expressions just so cute?! I don't remember where or when I picked it up. For both of these cards I used Papertrey Ink cardstock in New Leaf, Pure Poppy and White. I die cut the sentiment from Bazzill cardstock. This die is called Stacked Words: Christmas by Sizzix, Tim Holtz Alterations.

The patterned paper is by Recollections called Botanica Noel that I picked up last year and barely made a dent in using. I did pick up a small amount of Christmas paper this year, but decided not to go crazy since I have enough holiday patterned paper to probably last a lifetime. Lastly, for the berries I used a Viva Perlen Pen.

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Merry Monday Christmas Challenge

I've slowly been making a complete mess in my craft room creating cards and tags. When I saw today's email from Merry Monday Challenge I couldn't help but participate. I had just finished the perfect card that fit the qualifications of their challenge: Red, Green & White!

For my mittens I used the negative from a die I had cut for another project. The die is from Memory Box and is called Precious Mittens. 

I used cardstock from Paper Trey Ink called New Leaf and Pure Poppy. Gems are from DCWV. The sentiment is a stamp by Judith. 

Check out all the beautiful cards from the Design Team and all the others in the challenge:

Merry Monday #136 {Red, Green & White!}

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