Christmas Time Is Here...

Well, not quite Christmastime but this card makes me think of A Charlie Brown Christmas.  Particularly the scene when Charlie Brown and Linus go shopping for a Christmas tree and the tree lot is filled with oddly colored, artificial Christmas trees.  

This card was inspired by the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches. The matting for the trees and the sentiment I made with my wonderful and amazing Brothers Scan n Cut!

I'm going to donate this card to MD Anderson Cancer Center so I am entering again in the HTCCT challenge No Extra Postage.  

STAMPS: Peaceful Pines
INK: Whisper White
PAPER: Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise
OTHER: Perfect Pines Framelits, Christmas Greetings Thinlits, white EP, Snowburst EF, Champagne Mist Glimmer Paint, Tempting Turquoise 1/4" grosgrain ribbon

Stampin' Up Wondrous Wreath

Thank you Sweet Sunday Sketch for your sketch challenge this week!  The sketch works perfectly for one of the stamp sets I want to use in my upcoming Christmas card class. 

I also wanted to make a card that would work for the HYCCT challenge- No Extra Postage.  So, I did not add any bulky bows or baubles that might require extra postage for first class mail.  

STAMPS: Wondrous Wreath, Jolly Jingles jumbo wheel (to the world)
INK: Gumball Green, Garden Green, Cherry Cobbler, Versamark
PAPER: Gumball Green, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla, Be of Good Cheer DSP, Gold Foil
OTHER: Petals-a-Plenty EF, Cherry Cobbler EP, Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details, Wonderful Wreath Framelits

A Thankful Bunch of Leaves

TGIF Challenges has a theme challenge this week and the theme is Thankful.  So I made this cute little envelope with Stampin' Up's Mini Treat Bag Thinlit, adorned it with a bunch of leaves, a die cut "thanks" and inserted a little note card to write a message.  There is also enough room to add a little candy treat, YUM!  This project was also inspired by the Hope You Can Cling To Challenge, Thanks Bunches, which is to add a bunch of something to a thank you card.  Let me know if you have any questions. 

Before you ask, the beautiful paper used for the bag/envelope is from a kit Stampin' Up sold two years ago called Thankful Tablescape Kit.  They called the paper, birch paper ribbon and I so wish they sold this in sheets! It has such a nice texture to it. If anyone knows where I can get more of this paper or something comparable please let me know. 

STAMPS: Vintage Leaves
PAPER: Hello Honey, Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze, Mossy Meadow, Confetti White, Adventure Bound DSP stack, Birch Paper Ribbon from retired Thankful Tablescapes Kit
INK: Hello Honey, Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze, Mossy Meadow
OTHER: Mini Treat Bag Thinlits, Leaflet Framelits, Top Note Die, Early Espresso Cotton Ribbon, Antique Brads, Little B Handwritten dies

Fresh and Centered Wonderland

Look! I made another Christmas card!  Now only 80 or so more until I can send them! Actually, I won't be using these past few cards I've made because they are being donated to the Hope You Can Cling To card drive and challenge.  You can read about it HERE. 

This card and it's green and evil sister (I just saw the musical Wicked) were made for two challenges.  The Hope You Can Cling To challenge HTCCT1525 is titled Stay Centered. We are challenged to "Make a card by only using the center for your image, sentiment etc.". Well, that challenge just happens to be the sketch this week at Freshly Made Challenges.

STAMPS: Wonderland

PAPER: Soft Sky, Midnight Muse, Whisper White, Vellum

INK: Whisper White Craft, Midnight Muse, Soft Sky, Versamark

OTHER: White EP, Irridescent Ice EP, Clear EP, Rhinestone Jewels, Snowburst EF 

I stamped the trees with Whisper White Craft ink  and embossed with white EP.  I then sponged the sky with Soft Sky and Midnight Muse ink.  The snowflakes were stamped with Whisper White Craft ink and embossed with Irridescent Ice EP.  While I had the Irridescent Ice EP out I used it to give my Whisper White panel an edge of glitter by inking just the outer edges with Versamark ink and embossing with the powder.  

Here is the green sister. I do like this color combo but I think the center focal panel is too dark. I used Mossy Meadow, Elegant Eggplant and Wisteria Wonder

Reason for the Season

I planned to make a card for the Hope You Can Cling To challenge called Split the Difference - A full card front scene, split into two with a sentiment strip. That layout is also the challenge sketch at Pals Paper Art.  Perfect!

For the pop up flower I stamped with White craft ink on Blushing Bride cardstock and embossed with Iridescent Ice embossing powder. I then sponged Cherry Cobbler over the embossing, punched out the petals and sponged a bit on the edges. For the background I stamped with Versamark on Blushing Bride cardstock and embossed with Iridescent Ice embossing powder.  Then stamped the shading with Cherry Cobbler and Old Olive and used a Crushed Curry marker to ink the center of the flowers.  

STAMPS: Reason for the Season, More Merry Messages
PAPER: Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Blushing Bride, Trim the Tree Paper Stack
INK: Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Versamark, Whisper White craft ink
OTHER: Festive Flower Builder Punch, Gold Dazzle Marker, Silver 1/8" ribbon, Pearls, Iridescent Ice EP

Flippin' Embellished Ornaments

Another Christmas Card for two challenges.  This time a sketch challenge from Stamp Ink Paper Challenge.  This sketches is similar to the sketch in my last post.  Instead of making another difficult with shaker card I decided to make a "simple" swing/flip flop card!  Wanna learn how to make this card? Let me know.  Here is the sketch from Stamp Ink Paper. 

The second challenge is from Splitcoast Stampers Hope You Can Cling To Challenges and Card Drive.  The card theme challenge is to TRASH Cancer, use the word T-R-A-S-H to include elements in your card that begin with each letter.  The elements I used are:
T- Tree branch and Thinlits
R- Real Red and Ribbon
A- Action card and A2
S- Sparkle and Swing card
H- Heat emboss and Holiday

STAMPS: Embellished Ornaments, Sweet Essentials, Ornamental Pine
PAPER: Garden Green, Real Red, Whisper White, Old Olive, Very Vanilla, Champagne Glimmer Paper, Red Foil Paper
INK: Garden Green, Real Red, Versamark, StazOn Black, Soft Suede
OTHER: Delicate Ornaments Thinlits, Christmas Greetings Thinlits, Clear EP, Gold EP, Glimmer Brads, Dazzling Diamonds, Garden Green 1/8" striped ribbon

Tis the Season for Christmas Cards

I'm back with a mission to create a Christmas Card out of all of the new stamp sets and dies I bought from the new holiday catalog....stay tuned, this could take a while.  

My first Christmas card I made for two different challenges.  The first is a sketch challenge at TGIF Challenges.  I made the focal element a shaker window because the second challenge was to make a card depicting your least favorite weather. 

Speaking of the second challenge, it is over at Splitcoast Stampers. They are recognizing Breast Cancer Awareness Month with daily challenges in their sixth annual Hope You Can Cling To Challenge. And it's more than a paper crafting challenges, it is also a card drive.  After creating a card and posting it for one of the challenges you are asked to donate your card to UT MD Anderson Cancer Center.  The cards are then available for anyone at the cancer center to use.

As I said the challenge was to make a card representing your least favorite weather.  Now, I love snow, I think it is beautiful and love to look at it from the comfort of my heated home.  If I could hibernate and stay in my pajamas all day sipping hot cocoa it would be my favorite season.  I just hate being cold.  Actually, my least favorite weather is really in early spring when the snow has melted enough that all that remains is the blackened, dirty snow piled in parking lots and the edges of streets.  It's still cold and not at all pretty!  But, that would not make a very pretty card, would it?

STAMPS: None!
INK: Whisper White
PAPER: Night of Navy, Whisper White, Bashful Blue, Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper
OTHER: Circle Framelits, Sleigh Ride Edgelits, Christmas Greetings Thinlits, Softly Falling EF, Snowflake Wooden Elements, Window Sheets, Silver Elastic Cord (retired), Chunky Glitter (retired)

Happy Scene for the Paper Players

There are so many wonderful new products in the Stampin' Up! holiday catalog and I have been itching to play with this combination. It is the Happy Scenes stamp set along with the Hearth and Home Framelits and The Paper Players sketch this week (found HERE) works perfectly for this set.....what do you think?

STAMPS: Happy Scenes, Reason for the Season

INK: Basic Black, Soft Sky, Olive Olive, Tango Tangerine, Crushed Curry

PAPER: Hello Honey, Chocolate Chip, Tangerine Tango, Very Vanilla, Sweater Weather DSP

OTHER: Expressions Wooden Elements, Autumn Wooden Elements, Boho Chic EF, Hearth & Home Thinlits, Scallop Edge Border Punch, Linen Thread