Pine Branches

Hi everyone.  I made a reminder card for December's Sketch Challenge at Happy Little Stampers.  I love this CAS sketch ... so easy to use.  I hope you'll play along and join in the fun.  The challenge is open until the end of the month.

Here's December's sketch challenge ...

I simply stamped a pine branch three times in dark green ink, and stamped a second, smaller branch, three times in light green ink.  I coated the sprigs with clear glitter glue for sparkle (hard to see in the photo, but it's very pretty in real life).  I splattered more of the two green inks over top and stamped a sentiment. Fun and easy card to make! :)

Come join in the fun ... the challenge runs for the whole month, so there's lots of time to join in.  There's two ways to enter ... on HLS Blog  ... or on HLS Forum (or both!). :)

If you upload your entry to the forum, you will be in the running for a randomly drawn prize --- don't miss out!

Also wanted to mention Happy Little Stampers is introducing a new challenge at the beginning of January.

We hope you'll check out the challenge at the beginning of January and play along!! :)

____________________

And just a few more pics.  On Saturday, I hosted a High Tea for some friends and wanted to share a few pics.  I used to work with these lovely ladies and have known them for over 30 years.  Sorry for the poor quality of the pics ... my living room/dining room is very dark.

Here's the food (all made by me!) ... first the savory tray (chicken and cranberry croissants, egg salad sandwiches, Borsin cheese and sun-dried tomato pesto crostini)

Here's the sweet tray (raisin scones with devon cream and raspberry jelly), cherry winks, shortbread cookies, mincemeat tarts, brownies, gingerbread tartlets with pumpkin mousse filling)

... and we had an appearance by a very special guest (and his daddy) :) ...

Stamps:  Watercolour Winter (SU!), Branches (Inkadinkado); Christmas Greetings (SU)
Paper:  White (Neenah)
Inks:  Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint (Tim Holtz Distress Inks)
Accessories & Tools:  Dazzling Details (clear glitter glue) from SU!, paint brush for splattering, Stamp-a-ma-jig

Joyful Wreath

Hi everyone.  I made this for the current challenge at Uniko Studios.  My friend, Sandie (London Days) has just joined their design team and so wanted to join in.

Here's the challenge ...

Today I'm using a beautiful wreath stamp I bought after seeing this beautiful card made by Sandie.  I just HAD to have it :)

I had trouble photographing this card.  It's hard to capture a good photo when the card has lots of glitter.  The wreath is stamped in gold ink and then heat embossed with an iridescent powder.  I do love the shimmer and colours this embossing powder adds, but it's almost impossible to get it to show in the photos.  I'll include a close-up below and hopefully you can see more ...

I used gold stickles for the berries which gives this even more sparkle.  And I used a gold metallic pen to go over the bow and sentiment to make them darker.  A quick and easy card ... if you don't add in the time it took to photograph :)  And it's almost a one layer card ...  :)

Stamps:  Adornment (Penny Black); Joy sentiment is from Holiday Sketches:  Christmas Candles (STAMPlorations)
Paper:  White (Neenah)
Ink:  Gold (Colorbox)
Accessories & Tools:  Iridescent embossing powder (Ice from SU!), heat tool, gold metallic pen, gold stickles

Brushos and Butterfly --- Part 2

Hi everyone.  Today is the latest challenge for ATS&M (#124 - CAS).  Of course, you know that this is my favourite style of card, so I had fun! :)

This challenge is being sponsored by

Prize:  5 digital images

There's something about butterflies with the Brushos backgrounds.  Am loving them together! :)  I'm not one to use butterflies very often, but it just works :)

I continuing having fun with my Brushos colour crystals and used them again today for the main panel on this birthday card for my friend Frances ... it was her birthday a while back, but I have only recently given her this card (didn't want to mail it and have the butterfly crushed) :)  I kept the die-cuts simple, even adding vellum for the solid butterfly so nothing would cover up the gorgeous colours of the background.  I used glossy accents to attach the butterfly and lift the wings.  I hope you like it!

Please join us for the ATS&M #124 - CAS challenge.  Come check out the rest of the talented Design Team cards and the rules for the challenge.  We'd love to see your CAS cards in the gallery!

Stamps:  A Little Sentimental (Clearly Besotted)

Paper:  White card base and die-cuts (Neenah); Watercolour (Arches 140 lb. cold press); Vellum (40 lb. Bazzill)
Ink:  Brushos colour crystals:  Turquoise, Emerald Green, Purple; Smoky Slate for sentiment (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  water mister, Flourish #6 die (Crafty Ann); Moonlight Butterfly and Kaleidoscope Butterfly dies (Memory Box), glossy accents

From Our Home to Yours

Hi everyone.  Time for the next challenge at Mixed Media Card Challenge #6 (Home ... with optional element of lace).  Still working on Christmas cards and having a lot of fun ... they are my favourite cards to make. :)

I used a very old stamp from SU! call Neighborhood (it's a wheel stamp).  I removed it from the wheel, added foam backing and use it as a regular stamp ... so much easier, in my opinion.  I stamped the houses in black ink onto white card stock twice.  I fussy-cut one set out (just from the white paper, leaving the houses attached at the bottom.  On the second set, I coloured the house with Copics, and the fussy-cut them out and paper pieced them individually on top of my white row of houses.  I popped them up for added dimension over top of the card front which was coated with Sparkle Texture effect over a polka-dot stencil ... looks like a pretty crazy snow storm to me!! :)

I ripped more white card stock for the snow bank and printed off a digital sentiment onto the piece.  I then added dazzling details (clear glitter glue) to the ripped edges and glued it to the bottom of the houses.  Fun card to make! :)

Also wanted to mention that when my hubby saw the card, he said he knew which home was his ... can you guess ??!! :)

I hope you'll join in our challenge.  There's lots of time to play as it's open until Dec. 25! Please come check out the challenge HERE and you'll see all the amazing creations by the rest of the talented Design Team.

Hope to see you in the gallery! :)


I'm entering this card (third entry) into the current challenge at Time Out (#19 - embossing with an optional twist of sparkle).  I embossed the falling snow with sparkle texture effect.

Stamps:  Neighborhood (SU!); Traditional Christmas Greetings (Pink Petticoat)
Paper:  White (Neenah)
Ink:  Black (Memento); Copics :YG69, R29, W4
Accessories & Tools:  Sparkle texture effect (Martha Stewart), polka-dot stencil made with my Cameo and cut file, palette knife, dazzling details