Celebrate

Here is my card for the CAS Design Team Winter 2011 Final Challenge (Round #3).  Round #3 Challenge is a photo inspiration.  I loved the green & white and the red & white striped candy in the photo and used that for my card below.  I stamped a tree image onto green cardstock and then pierced holes along both sides of the tree.  I zigzag stitched green & white twine down the tree, using every other hole.  I repeated by zigzag stitching red & white twine down the tree, using the alternate pierced holes.  I love how it turned out ... hope you like it too!

Photo Inspiration:

"Celebrate"

Stamps:  Holiday Cheer (Hero Arts); Season of Joy (SU!)

Paper:  Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, Garden Green (SU!)

Ink:  Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green (SU!)

Accessories & Tools:  Maraschino & Peapod Twine from the Twinery, paper-piercing tool, embroidery needle,  Sizzix die-cut, Big Shot, Stamp-a-ma-jig, mini jingle bell, corner rounder, adhesives, glue dot and dimensionals

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I stamped the tree in Garden Green ink onto Garden Green cardstock (subtle).  Using a paper-piercing tool, I pierced holes along both sides of the tree, 1/8" apart.

I threaded a length of the Peapod Twine onto the embroidery needle and stitched in a zigzag down the tree, using every other hole.  I threaded a length of Maraschino Twine onto the embroidery needle and stitched in a zigzag down the tree, using the holes that were left earlier.

I ran the cardstock through my Big Shot with the matching die-cut tree from Sizzix (Holiday Cheer).

I dry-fit the tree on my front card panel of Whisper White to determine where the sentiment should go.  I used my Stamp-a-ma-jig for placement and inked the stamp with Cherry Cobbler and Garden Green Stampin' Write markers.

I rounded the top right-hand corner of the card front and adhered it to a card base of Cherry Cobbler (also top right-hand corner rounded).

I mounted the stitched tree to the front of the card, popping it up with dimensionals.  I threaded a piece of Maraschino twine through the mini jingle bell and tied a bow.  I mounted it to the top of the tree using a rolled glue dot.

Jump for Joy!

I'm posting late tonight ... I spent the afternoon watching The Grey Cup ... and our BC Lions won!!!  Woohoo!!  I'm actually not a big football fan, but always watch the Grey Cup every year.  Today's game was sooooo exciting!!

That wasn't the only excitement today ... I found out late last night that I made it into the final round for the CAS Design Team Winter Challenge!  I'm so excited that the judges liked my cards enough to advance me into the finals!!  There are seven other finalists (a VERY talented group of crafters) that will be making cards for the final challenge which is due this coming Wednesday.  I had trouble sleeping last night, with design ideas floating around in my head ... I just couldn't rest.  Hopefully I can get some rest tonight and get a fresh start tomorrow on my next entry for the contest.  

I made this card yesterday for the SCS November Fan Club - this month's theme is "Child's Play".  I made a CAS card that highlights one of my favorite toys when I was growing up.  The sentiment was computer-generated.  Hope you like.

"Jump For Joy"

Stamps:  none (sentiment is computer-generated)

Paper:  Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake (SU!)

Ink:  none

Accessories:  Maraschino Twine from the Twinery, two ball-chain key chains, corner rounder, Tombow glue, adhesives and glue dots

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I ran a full sheet of Crumb Cake cardstock through my printer to add the sentiment.  I cut the cardstock to size and rounded the top right-hand corner.  I mounted it on a card base of Cherry Cobbler cardstock (also with the top right-hand corners rounded).

I took the end off of each key chain and threaded twine through the ends.  I tied a knot and then pulled it tight to hold it in place - voila, a skipping rope.

I added a rolled up glue dot onto each handle of the skipping rope and secured it to the card front.  I used three or four tiny drops of Tombow glue to attached the rope to the card.

Lone Winter Tree

I haven't made a brayered card for a while ... so yesterday afternoon I went surfing the 'net for inspiration.  There are wonderful photography sites that have hundreds of pictures of nature scenes, some of which would translate nicely into a brayered card.  I found a picture of a lone winter tree in a snow-covered field.  The coloring of the sky turned out very close to the picture ... and definitely conveys a cold, winter day.  Stampscapes has incredible stamps and I used two for the card below (Leafless Limb & Old Fence).  Hope you like.

"Lone Winter Tree"

Stamps:  Leafless Limb, Old Fence (Stampscapes)

Paper:  Basic Gray, Whisper White (SU!)

Ink:  Sahara Sand, Basic Gray, River Rock, Basic Black (SU!)

Accessories & Tools:  Speedball Rubber Brayer, post-it notes for masking, sponge, Stamp-a-ma-jig, and adhesives

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I ripped a mask from the post-it note and used it to cover the snow area.  I inked my brayer with Sahara Sand and brayered from the post-it note edge, upwards ... creating a gray haze above the snowline.

Next I brayered in River Rock, starting at the top of the sky and moving downwards until it reached the gray area.  I used a small sponge dauber to add Basic Gray ink along the horizon line.

I removed the mask (keep for later use) and stamped the leafless limb tree in Basic Gray ink just off-center.

Using the Stamp-a-ma-jig for placement, I inked the Old Fence stamp in Basic Black and stamped it a couple of times.

I placed the post-it note mask from earlier along the bottom of the fence and sponged more Basic Gray ink to create a shadow under the fence.  I also sponged a little at the bottom of the tree.

To finish, I sponged more Basic Gray ink along the bottom, top and sides of my main panel.  I mounted the panel onto a card base of Basic Gray cardstock.

Woven Ribbon Ornament

Yesterday I spent some time outside, potting up a huge whack of bulbs that I bought about a month ago.  It's getting late in the year and I should have had them done by now ... but I am a procrastinator!!  Anyways, I was determined to get them done yesterday ... and I did!  Happy with myself ... but I know that I really overdid it for my back.  Not much sleep last night and lots of pain today ... makes for one grumpy girl!!  Hubby is heading out to spend the day with his mom and I think he's thankful to have an excuse to get out of the house :)  If only I could get away from myself ... :)

Today's "Ways to Use It" challenge is a fun one!!  The challenge is to use ribbon in a new way ... no bows ... no straight lines of ribbon.  I decided to weave two different Christmas ribbons together to make an ornament.  Hope you like.

"Woven Ribbon Ornament"

Stamps:  Season of Joy (SU!)

Paper:  Real Red, Whisper White (SU!)

Ink:  Real Red (SU!)

Accessories & Tools:  Christmas ribbon, silver cord, ornament punch, Stamp-a-ma-jig, sticky strips, and glue dot

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I cut several pieces of ribbon and wove them together.  I mounted the woven ribbons onto a scrap piece of cardstock using lots of sticky strips to keep everything secure.

I punched an ornament from a piece of Whisper White cardstock.  I used the Stamp-a-ma-jig for placement and stamped the sentiment in Real Red ink.  I took a piece of silver cording and tied a knot at one end to create a loop.  I secured the loop with a rolled up glue dot onto the front panel of my card, above the ornament cut-out.  I fed the ends through the cut-out and secured them at the back with sticky strips.

I dry fit the woven ribbons behind the cut-out until I was happy with the placement.  I used more sticky strips to secure the two pieces together.

I mounted the front panel onto a card base of Real Red cardstock.