Jingle those Bells!

Hi everyone.  Today is the newest challenge from Merry Monday (#88).  I think you're going to have a lot of fun with this challenge ...

I used a sweet digital image from Bugaboo, paper piecing him and adding a couple of jingle bells around this neck.  I just LOVE the expression on his face!  I had a lot of fun making this card and was smiling the whole time :)

Stamps:  Plush Reindeer (Bugaboo); Signature Christmas Sentiments Too (Pink Petticoat)
Paper:  White, Baked Brown Sugar, Early Espresso (SU!)
Ink:  Baked Brown Sugar, Early Espresso, Basic Black (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  sponges, Maraschino Twine (The Twinery), Jingle bells ($1 Store), glue, adhesives, and dimensionals

I hope you'll join us for this fun challenge.  Pop by Lesley's blog (Always Playing with Paper) to see the amazing cards from the rest of the Design Team.


I'm entering this card into the SCS CAS challenge (CAS251 - bling it up).  The reindeer is all blinged up with his jingle bells and ready for a Christmas party! :)

Merry Christmas Special Friends!

Hi everyone.  Today I'm sharing two special cards that I made for two special friends that I met through Splitcoaststampers.  The first card is for Nancy ... we met while both on the CAS Design Team Winter 2011 and have been on-line friends every since.  We chat on-line most days ... sometimes several times a day! :)  We have A LOT in common - we are kindred spirits!  One of the biggest things we share is the love of making cards ... and we have a similar style - both CAS girls at heart.  I made this special card for Nancy and mailed it several days ago.  I waited to post until she received it, which she now has.  I wish you could see this in real life.  The wreath is made from lots and lots of glittery green pine sprigs, all layered together and then placed over the gold foil background - so shimmery and glittery.  The sentiment is heat embossed in gold to match the paper.

Here's a close-up, followed by an angled shot so that you can see all the dimension of the wreath:

Stamps:  Christmas greetings (SU!)
Paper:  White, Green Glitter (Michael's); Gold Foil (SU!)
Ink:  Gold
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Wreath Strip die (Cheery Lynn), Circle nesties (Spellbinders), 1 1/4" square punch, gold cording, gold embossing powder, glue, adhesives, and dimensionals

I do love this wreath strip die as it cuts out seven sprigs at a time ... a lot easier than punching (or die-cutting) each one separately.  In fact, I love this die so much, that I included it as part of Nancy and Debbie's Christmas gifts (see Debbie's card below).

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Here's the card I made for my special friend, Debbie.  We also met on Splitcoaststampers and have become good friends, chatting most days (and as the same with Nancy, sometimes several times a day).  I love Debbie's outlook on life.  She has the most amazing sense of humor and keeps me laughing.  We also share a passion for card making and have a similar style.  Debbie loves red ... so I wanted to make a beautiful poinsettia card for her.  This one has sponging around the outside of each petal to add depth, then it was shaped with my stylus and the layers were glued together.  I added a gold foil center to match the background paper, which was embossed for added interest.  The same sentiment as the first card, also heat embossed in gold.

Here's a close-up, followed by an angled shot so that you can see all the dimension of the poinsettia:

Stamps:  Christmas greetings (SU!)
Paper:  White; Real Red, Gold Foil (SU!)
Ink:  Real Red (SU!); Gold
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Blooming Poinsettia die (Poppy Stamps), Square nestie (Spellbinders), Musical Flourish embossing folder (Cuttlebug), gold embossing powder, stylus and mat, glue, adhesives, and dimensionals

A very Merry Christmas to my two special friends and their families - love you both!

I'm entering these two cards in the following challenges:

CAS on Sunday (#23 - Christmas)
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge (#154 - make a card for someone special)
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Extra - December
Snippets Playground (Week #102)
ATS&M - #75 - photo inspiration

Warm and Cozy Wishes

Hi everyone.  Time for the latest Merry Monday challenge (#87).  Hope you've had some fun playing along with our challenges this year.  Just a few more weeks to go and then we'll be celebrating Christmas! :)

Today's challenge is a theme ... check it out ...

I don't have any mitten stamps, so I googled digi images and found the one above.  It's a freebie on the Newton Nook Designs site.  I love the fun and whimsical patched mittens and sweet sentiment.  Paper pieced the mittens, adding some sponging around the outside edges to create depth.  Super CAS card that makes me smile ... and hopefully brings a smile to the person receiving as well. :)

Here's a close-up:

Stamps:  Mittens (Newton Nook Designs)
Paper:  White; Seasons of Style DP, Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler (SU!)
Ink:  Black, Crumb Cake (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  sponge, glue, adhesives and dimensionals

I hope you'll join us for this fun challenge.  Pop by Lesley's blog (Always Playing with Paper) to see the amazing cards from the rest of the Design Team.

Season's Greetings

Hi everyone.  A few days ago, hubby took me to Scrapbook Warehouse in Vancouver.  This was my first time there and I had fun looking around.  They have lots of papers, dies, and lots of beautiful cards made and displayed.  When I picked out this die, I was shown two sample cards made using the same die - so great to be able to see an example of what the die-cut will look like before buying!

Lovely women working there that were so helpful ... already looking forward to going back!

Hubby picked up my Christmas present ... but I'll have to wait until after Christmas to tell you what it is! :)

I had also seen a card made by my friend Pam Sparks on her blog using this die.  She layered different colors and I thought it was so beautiful and wanted to give it a try.  After watching her video instructions, I started cutting.  In the end, I used a different system, but the results are fairly similar.

I kept the card very CAS so that the beauty of the die was the star ... just a simple sentiment was added.

This card is for a very special person.  Some of you may remember that my DSIL Moe, passed away earlier this year.  Moe was originally from Ireland and had many sisters and a brother ... she was especially close to her sister Anne who lives in England.  I know Christmas this year will be very difficult for Anne, so I am sending her this card along with my love and support.

Stamps:  Signature Christmas Sentiments (Pink Petticoat)
Paper:  White, Silver, Pear Pizzazz, Daffodil Delight (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Glowing Candles die (Memory Box), red half pearls, glue, adhesives and dimensionals

I think I'll have fun trying out different combinations of colors and patterned papers with the gorgeous die!

I'm entering this card into four challenges:

• SCS Free For All Challenge (F4A198 - Holly Greeting - use holly or greenery on your card)
• ATS&M #74 - CAS
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge (154 - make a card for someone special)
• Less Is More (LIM#149 - Metallic element plus one color).  I have two metallic elements (the silver outline and the red pearls with the plus one color being pear).  Hope that's OK! :)

ETA:  will also be entering this for CAS on Sunday (#23 - Christmas).