Pure Sunshine

Hi everyone.  Today's card is honoring Cindy (frienziedstamper at SCS).  She is this week's Queen for the Day (QFTD181).  Congrats Cindy!!

I CASE'd (copy and share everything) this card from Cindy's fabulous gallery.  I sponged the background using different shades of the colors she used, and added two stencils:  Tile Texture from Crafter's Workshop; and a stencil I made using my Little Leaves die from Sizzix.  I placed the sponged and stenciled panel on my card base and added a card front with the circle die-cut.  A simple sentiment finishes the card.

Here's a close-up:

Stamps:  Sunny Sentiments (Amy R)
Paper:  White (C.C. Designs); Whisper White (SU!)
Ink:  Daffodil Delight, Tempting Turquoise, Bermuda Bay (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders); Tile Texture stencil (Crafter's Workshop), Little Leaves die (Sizzix), sponges, adhesives, and dimensionals

Card Candy Giveaway # 7 - Winner

Thanks to everyone that commented on my latest Card Candy Giveaway - #7 (Christmas Trees).  I used the True Random Number Generator to pick the winner of the Card Candy:

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 16 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

... and the winner is ...

Donna Przybylowski (Donna's Den)

Congrats Donna :)

Autumn Maple Leaf

Hi everyone.  Today's card is for a couple of challenges.  This week at SCS, the Free For All Challenge (F4A186) is to use gold on your card ... with extra points if it is an autumn theme.  After seeing the Color Challenge at SCS last night, I realized that this also fits for it (although a couple of the shades are not exact).  And I used CAS - Colours and Sketches - Sketch Challenge #42 for my layout ... I just moved the focal point lower on the page and made my card the standard size, rather than square.

Edited to Add:  I just saw that the challenge at Simon Says is Emboss it! ... so I'm entering this card there also! :)

I hardly every heat emboss anymore ... it makes such a mess ... correction - I make such a mess! :), when using the powders.  But when I saw the challenge to use gold, I knew right away that I wanted to emboss the outline of the maple leaf in gold.  I don't remember the manufacturer of the gold embossing powder I have, but it has specks of other colors through it and is really pretty.

I first randomly sponged Whisper White card stock with yellow, green, orange and rust and then stamped the leaf outline with Versamark and heat embossed with gold.  Then I fussy-cut the leaves ... I am so happy with how it turned out.  I sponged a quarter sheet, so I decided that since I already had the embossing powder out, I might was well stamp and emboss as many leaves as possible from the sheet.  I managed to get three maple leaves and two oak leaves  - bonus!  I've used two maple leaves on the card above (one on the inside) and will save the other leaves for later projects.

Here's a close-up:

I used some twine that I got for as a gift a while back from my friend Debbie.  It has a gold thread wound through it and it matches the embossing perfectly.  A simple sentiment in Soft Suede ink finishes the card.

Stamps:  Gently Falling (SU!); Be Happy Sentiments (Amy R)
Paper:  White (C.C. Designs); Whisper White (SU!)
Ink:  Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze, Soft Suede, Versamark (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  sponges, gold embossing powder, heat tool, gold twine, Stamp-a-ma-jig, adhesives and dimensionals

Glittery Poinsettia

Hi everyone.  It's Monday again and time for the Merry Monday Challenge.  This week we have a color challenge ... and a beautiful photo to inspire you.

I used vanilla colored watercolor paper for my card base, and two panels of embossed card stock (Early Espresso and Gold) to anchor my glittery Christmas Poinsettia.  I used a paint brush to add gold glitter glue to all the petals for the added shimmer. :)

Here's a close-up:

Stamps:  Christmas Greeting (SU!)
Paper:  Watercolor; Early Espresso, Gold, Real Red (SU!)
Ink:  Early Espresso, Real Red (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Blooming Poinsettia (Poppy Stamps), Square Lattice embossing folder (Sizzix for SU!), Musical Flourish embossing folder (Cuttlebug), gold glitter glue, stylus and mat, Stamp-a-ma-jig, glue, adhesives and dimensionals

I hope you'll pop by and check out the challenge on Lesley's blog ... and see all the lovely cards made by the rest of the Design Team ... lots of inspiration there!! :)

A Frugal Christmas Challenge

Hi everyone.  Nessa (The Crafty Laydee) is one of the blogs that I just started following recently, and today, she has added a challenge to her blog - A Frugal Christmas Card Competition.  A few days ago she mentioned that she had given away most of her Christmas stamps and dies a few years back, thinking that she wasn't going to make Christmas cards anymore.  Well, this year she is inspired again so wants to get started on her Christmas stash ... problem is that she doesn't want to go and spend a lot of money buying new supplies.  So she has put out a challenge to her friends and blog followers ... create a Christmas card using everyday stamps and tools.  You can see her original post here with all the info about how this came about.

I created the card above by ripping two layers of white card stock for my snow ... and then using a scallop circle punch to create my tree.  I'm really happy with how it turned out.  I punched out circles from three different scraps of Christmas designer papers and then cut them into a triangle shape (the largest has five scallops, the middle has four scallops and the top has only tree).

Using scraps also qualifies me to enter this into the Pixie Crafty Snippets Playground Challenge #90 ... and I'm also entering this into Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #142 - cut something and also Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Extra Challenge for September - Anything Goes.


Here's a close-up of the tree:

Thanks Nessa for the fun challenge.  I'm hoping I can come up with other ideas to enter again.

Stamps:  Christmas Sampler (Paper Smooches)
Paper:  White; Be of Good Cheer - retired, silver glimmer (SU!)
Ink:  Real Red (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Star die (Simon says), scallop circle punch, clear stickles, Maraschino twine (the Twinery), glue, adhesives and dimensionals