Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Yummy Birthday Card

After a month making daily holiday cards, I have a birthday card to show you.  It's relatively simple in design.  I rescued the patterned wrapping paper from a gift.  It's looks pretty good on a card!
Stamp is by CTMH
Challenges
Fresh Brewed Designs November Challenge - Pastels and/or Friendship 
 

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Beccy's Place Day #30

This will be my final post for Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards Challenge, 2016.  It has been a lot of fun, watching for the daily post with challenge theme, making and posting 30 different cards.  (Actually 31 cards, because Day 15 the challenge was opposites and we made 2 cards that day.)  Some of the cards will be going to friends and relatives.  The rest are already on their way to Send a Smile 4 Kids.  

As I type this, there are 393 cards entered in the challenge. 
Kudos to Beccy who certainly put in a lot of work.
I thank her for the wonderful comments she has left 
on each of my cards, and imagine she has commented on the other 363 cards as well. That's a lot of comments!
Thanks, also, for all the generous prizes, tutorials, and inspiration.
Beccy, you rock!

For the final card the theme is Do What You Love.
I love trying new and different layouts, folds and techniques.
Quilt cards have recently caught my eye, especially 
this pattern from Splitcoast Stampers.
Patterned papers and preprinted tag are from ODBD.

Additional Challenges:
Craft Your Passion Challenge #340 - Always Anything Goes
Use Your Stuff Challenge # 243- Make a Christmas Card or SB Page 
Allsorts Challenge #391 - Anything Christmas
Pile It On Challenge #122 - Use 2 Patterns (I've used a gold patterned paper and a red patterned paper.)
 

Beccy's Place Day #29

This digital stamp is new in the shop at Beccy's Place 
(for a limited time only).  
I really, really, really wanted this image in digital form and am so very happy that Beccy added it to her shop.
It didn't take long for it to appear on this Christmas card, my entry for Day #29, Digital Stamps, at 
Additional Challenges:
Crafty Creations Challenge #329 - Christmas 
Sweet Stampers Challenge #1 - Christmas 
Sparkles Forum Monthly Challenge #86 - Christmas is Coming
Digi Stamps 4 Joy Challenge #130 - Anything Goes; optional Christmas is Coming
Crafty Girls Creations Challenge #30 - Always Anything Goes 

Monday, November 28, 2016

Beccy's Place Day #28 & Mojo Monday

First up is a square card for the  
Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge # 476.
My niece will find this card in her mailbox.  She loves owls!
The stamps are from CTMH.  Once again I used from cotton from a q-tip for the hat trimmings.  I know there are cotton balls somewhere in this house, but I haven't a clue where!
Challenges being entered are:
Allsorts Challenge #391 - Anything Christmas
Dragonfly Journeys Challenge #80 - Christmas Critters
Crafty Ribbons Challenge #177 - Christmas with ribbon
 
*************
Today, participants in Day #28 of Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards are Copying And Selectively Editing, also known as CASEing, one of the cards they made previously for the challenge.  I've decided to CASE the card I made on Day #16 using the digi stamp freebie Beccy very generously supplied. 

I used the same layout but changed the color scheme and background embossing.  I always print 2 digis in case I decide to pop a portion of the image, so the extra copy of this fun Christmas stocking was on standby waiting to be used.  And for yesterday's white on white card, I embossed 4 pieces of cs trying to decide which to use.  This card uses one that I didn't choose.  Using up bits and pieces is always great, by my book. 
Additional Challenges for this card
Christmas Card Challenge #50 - Anything Goes 
Time Out Challenges #71 - Christmas w/ optional Glitter/Shimmer 
Craft Your Passion Challenge #340 - Always Anything Goes

Well, the To Do list doesn't Do itself.
TTFT
Thanks for stopping by!


Sunday, November 27, 2016

Beccy's Place Day # 27

The first time I ever made a white on white card at one of Joyce's CTMH card classes I was amazed at how stunning it was.  Since then, I've made several for weddings, baptisms, confirmations, Christmas, and winter.
Here is a White on White card for Day #27  Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards Challenge.

This is a spanking new Sizzix embossing folder.  
(I love embossing folders!) 
I tried 4 differenty folders before deciding this was 'the one'.  The nativity stamp, by Prickly Pear, was heat embossed in white; die cut with a La La Land stitched circle; which was then embossed with glitz embossing powder; and finally popped into the center of the "O".
Just 3 simple white pearls finished off this 
White on White card.
Additional Challenges:
Southern Girls Challenge - Anything Goes
Moving Along With the Times Challenge #34 - Anything Goes with Christmas
Allsorts Challenge Week 391 - Anything Christmas

 

Saturday, November 26, 2016

Beccy's Place Day #26

It was wonderful of Beccy to use Sweet as the theme for Day #26 of the Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards Challenge.
It just so happened that I had the perfect digi stamp already printed and ready to color for the  
Additional Challenges:
Allsorts Challenge Week 391 - Anything Christmas
Send a Smile 4 Kids Challenge - Anything Goes 4 Kids
Brown Sugar Challenge #226 - Anything Goes 
Aud Sentiments Challenge #169 - Anything Goes + a sentiment
Moving Along with the Times Challenge #34 - Anything Christmas Goes 
 

Christmas Cheer to Great Impressions

It was so nice of Great Impressions to ask me to be their Guest Designer for the month of November.  It was a privilege to "play" with some of their awesome stamps. My last card features a happy penguin and a Christmas Cheer sentiment.
 

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Beccy's Place Day #25

Happy Thanksgiving!

Unbelievable as it seemed, I actually had a few minutes to relax after the bird was in the oven and before my family arrived for dinner.  Enough time to create a card for today's
Extend Your Stamps challenge at Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards

The digi is from the Bugaboo Cutesy  Halloween Block set.  I had printed it to use for a Halloween card and never did.  Instead of filing it away until next year, I decided to change the witch's hat into a Santa hat for a Christmas card.   I used the cotton from the tip of a Q-tip for the brim and ball. 
The sentiment stamp is from Great Impressions. 


 

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Beccy's Place Day #24

This free digi image,  Mouse Delivering Christmas Present by Tlc Creations, was waiting for me in my inbox this morning.  You can get it, too, if you hurry over to their blog.  I didn't waste much time printing and coloring it for the Day #24, Use a Freebie Challenge at Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards.
The chipboard piece has "Merry Christmas" on it in silver, but it didn't photograph so well.
Additional Challenges
Crafting by Designs Challenge - Get Ready for Christmas 
Craft Your Passion Challenge #339 - Always Anything Goes 

 
If I don't get a chance to post anything tomorrow in between cooking the bird and entertaining,
I hope you all enjoy a lovely Thanksgiving.

 

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Beccy's Place Day #23

Most of my craft supplies have been banished upstairs in preparation for Thanksgiving dinner.  Alas, I am way too addicted to card making to wait until Friday to make another card.  
The title of Beccy's post for Day #23 of her Month of Holiday Cards Challenge is A Little Help From My Friends
as in Santa's Helpers.
Without dragging out my stamps, inks, etc., which I had just put away,  I decided to make an elf punch card using shapes cut on the Cricut.
 Oh my, I forgot to add a twinkle to his eyes.  I'll do that quickly before this card is added to the pile headed to Send a Smile 4 Kids.

Challenges
Send a Smile 4 Kids Challenge - Anything Goes 4 Kids 
Use Your Stuff Challenge - chipboard (the sentiment is on chipboard) 


Monday, November 21, 2016

Beccy's Place Day #22 & Mojo Monday Challenge

Normally, I would have made my card for Mojo Monday first thing this morning.  But, today I was up and out with nary a minute to spare.  The delay has worked out well.   I was able to combine the Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge #475  with Day #22 of Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards Challenge, where the theme is No Sentiment.
Stamps and papers are CTMH products.  I hope you can see the little snowflakes I stamped (2nd generation) on the background, otherwise you might wonder about the random bling. 

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Christmas Critters 
Winter Wonderland Challenge - Poinsettias or Snow is Falling 
Inkspirational Challenge #122 - Word Prompt: Chill 

 

Beccy's Place Day # 21

Ornaments is the theme for Day #21 at Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards Challenge.  I was busy preparing for the card class I taught this morning, and quickly put this together last evening with bits and pieces on the table.  Washi tape is a great help when you are in a hurry!  

The stamps I used at CTMH. 
 

Sunday, November 20, 2016

Beccy's Place Day #20

This Naughty Puppy Digital Stamp, designed by Gerda Steiner, has been buried on my craft table just waiting to be colored and to find a home on a card.  Since the challenge theme for Day #20 at Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards is Pencils, he's finally wagging his, now colored, tail.
And he's finished just in time to join some more Christmas cards in the box headed to Send A Smile 4 Kids!


Challenges
Send a Smile 4 Kids Challenge - Anything Goes 4 Kids
Cute Card Thursday Challenge #452 - Christmas/Holidays

Saturday, November 19, 2016

Beccy's Place Day # 19

My, oh my, is this darn machine sticky today!  
And, I'm really excited to share another card with you for the November Guest Design Spot for Great Impressions Stamps.
(Have you played in their November Anything Goes Challenge, yet?
You still have time!)
Using GI Country Snowman and GI Joy and Wonder I created a fun easel card.  Well, I had fun making it.  


This guy needs to bulk up a bit before I attempt to fussy cut his arms.   So, I stamped him on the background paper first and again on white CS before coloring, fussy cutting, and popping him into the frame. 

Challenges I am entering today.... 
Brown Sugar Challenge #225 - Anything Goes 
Fussy and Fancy Challenge # 177 - Different Folds or Shaped Cards 
Winter Wonderland Challenge - Poinsettias or Snow is Falling 
Crafty Ribbons Challenge #176 - Blue (+ribbon or lace)
Star Stamps Challenge - Fold It More Than  Once Fancy Folds
 

Friday, November 18, 2016

Beccy's Place Day #18

Four boxes of holiday paper.  
I searched through them all sheet by sheet, trying to find that one piece that I knew was there and would be perfect for today's Softly, Softly Challenge at Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards.
But it wasn't there.
After going through 2 boxes a second time, it dawned on me....
...and there it was, right by my craft table waiting to be used.  
I only used the upper right corner for this card.  It such pretty paper.  Underneath, the card base is colonial white topped with a piece of pale green velum.  The die cut ornament is also velum.
The sentiment is a CTMH stamp.
A very simple make.

Additional Challenges:
Just Add Ink Challenge # 337 - Just Choose Two (Die Cut & Patterned Paper)
Fresh Brewed Designs Challenge - Pastels and/or Friendship


Enough dawdling on the computer.  
I teach a card class on Monday and I am far from ready!

 

 

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Beccy's Place Day #17

Every so often, when I get to card class, one of the gals has a goodie for me.  Not so long ago, Judie asked me if I could use a negative she had left after cutting trees on her cricut.  I quickly snatched that baby right up and tucked it safely into my craft bag.  With a dauber, some ponderosa pine ink, a snow flurry stamp, versamark and snow embossing powder, I had a background for this card in no time at all.
Oh, I forgot to mention that Day #17 at Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards Challenge is all about Backgrounds.
(Stamps are CTMH; animals are colored with Promarkers and fussy cut; sentiment is embossed.)

Additional Challenges:
ABC Christmas Challenge - W is for Wishes 
Double D Challenges - Traditional Christmas Colors
I Love Promarkers Challenge #322 - No Patterned Paper 
Shopping Our Stash Challenge #278 - Front and Center (Gee, this was easy!  You should see my craft table right now!  The frame I used is my sos item, leftover from when I die cut the center from a piece of glitter paper I was using under something else. )

Now, I must get busy. 
 I have all of 5 hours before we must collect our grandsons off the school bus.

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Beccy's Place Day #16 & CTMH Card Class 11/15/16

If you haven't played in Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards Challenge yet,  you really should hop over and play today!
Beccy has very generously supplied this digi stamp freebie to use on your Day #16 card.
 Before fussy cutting, I colored the stocking and 2 Christmas ornaments with Promarkers, the bells with gold Wink of Stella, loose glittered the ribbon and the 2 remaining ornaments.  Then I added washi tape, shimmer trim and a bow to the embossed background and popped the stocking on top.
 Thank you, Beccy, for the fun digi!
 
Additional Challenges:
Digi Stamps4Joy Challenge #130 - Anything Goes w/ optional Christmas is Coming 
Sparkles Forum Challenge #86 - Christmas is Coming
12 Months of Christmas Link-up Challenge #23 - optional Bingo (I followed the middle row: tree, ribbon, red, and washi tape)

 
 
 
************** 
As promised, here are the cards I made yesterday 
at Joyce's CTMH card class.

 
 
 
(I collected everyone's tiny diamond cut outs from the snowflakes.
They 'look good on a card'.  Don't you think?
  

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Thank You Card Set

My DH and I started off our day with a visit to our great granddaughter's child care center for Grandparents' Day. 
Here's a photo I took this morning of our little, Laila who will be 3 in February.  
 I'm sure most of us would love to have her eyelashes!

This afternoon was another of Joyce's CTMH card classes.
On the way home I stopped for some groceries, broke 2 fingernails handling the 25 lb turkey I purchased, and ran another errand before getting back home.  I'll have to wait until the sun returns tomorrow to take and post pictures of the
4 lovely Christmas cards we made.

In the meantime, here is a
set of monochrome cards I made using a rather old and retired CTMH stamp set. 
 

Challenges:
The Crazy Challenge #235 - Thank you is the magic word.
Come and Get It Challenge - Use ribbon or twine
Pile It On Challenge #121 - Thankful/Thank you
Sunny Day Challenge #23 - Always Anything Goes

Monday, November 14, 2016

Beccy's Place Day #15

Whew!  
I finally finished my sewing project - 
25 
microwavable bowl holders.
The sewing machine has been removed from the craft/dining room table - Step #1 in clearing the entire table in preparation for Thanksgiving dinner. 

I took a little break from my sewing this afternoon to make my cards for Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards Challenge.  It's getting dark an hour earlier with Daylight Savings Time, which makes it hard to get good photos after 3pm.
  Did you notice I said cards, plural?
The challenge for Day #15 was to make 2 cards with something opposite. 
The sentiment stamp is by Great Impressions.


Gotta run!  Cookies are almost ready to come out of the oven!
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip
YUM!

How's Your Mojo Today?

With a lot of sewing and a bit of cookie baking on my To Do list,  I don't really have much time to "play".  But, making and posting a Mojo Monday card comes first!
This is my favorite turkey stamp from CTMH.
Challenges:
 
Pile It On Challenge #121 - Thankful, Thanks, Thank You 

 

Sunday, November 13, 2016

Beccy's Place Day #14

Fussy cutting and popping elements of a card to add dimension is something I do frequently.  
And that's exactly what is required for Day #14 of 

This digi image wasn't the easiest to fussy cut, especially when I decided to remove the areas of the lantern where the glass would be and substitute a layer of clear acetate.  
I am fairly certain that this is one of Beccy's digis.  Normally, I try to supply a link to actual digi, but I just can't find it in her digi shop.
While searching my stash for some BG paper for this card, I came across the chipboard Christmas sentiment and 'popped' it onto the card. 

Additional Challenges:
QKR Stampede Challenge #217 - A Touch of Gold 
Aud Sentiments Challenge #168 - Anything Goes + a sentiment 
ABC Christmas Challenge - W is for Wishes 

 

Saturday, November 12, 2016

Beccy's Place Day #13

Are there some things that just make you go 'over the edge'?  
Today, for the challenge at Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards, something on your card should be over the edge.
The colored digi image and sentiment are from the set Milton Catching Snowflakes available at Beccy's Place.  I random stamped a few extra snowflakes (CTMH) and added some punched ones, too.  
Additional Challenges:
Allsorts Challenge Week #389 - Feature a Creature 
Crazy 4 Challenges #362 - Add some form of sewing
Unicorn Challenge #15 - Snow/Snowflakes
 

Hope you are enjoying your weekend!

Great Impressions Guest Design Spot #2


Today, I am sharing another card featuring

I wanted to make a card that wasn't just suitable for Christmas. Great Impression's Elegant Berry Branch (8162) stamp is perfect for making your own background paper.  The barn red random stamping was done  on colonial white cs, and then the Holidays (8150) sentiment was stamped in colonial white on barn red cs.  All the edges are distressed in the barn red, including the cricut cut bow before it was folded. 

 Have you entered the current Great Impressions Anything Goes Challenge yet? 
 
 That's how I got to be this month's Guest Designer.
And, let me tell you, it's a great gig! 
Happy crafting!
and
Thanks for stopping by!

Friday, November 11, 2016

Beccy's Place Day #12

The challenge theme for Day #12 of Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards is Poinsettias.  
I didn't look too closely at Beccy's card before heading for my favorite poinsettia stamp and getting to work on a card myself.
It wasn't until I went back to her blog to link it to this post that I noticed we used the same stamp from Sparkle n Sprinkle.
It does make a pretty card, especially when fussy cut and layered.
I also used a sentiment stamp from the same SNS stamp set.  The flower is embossed with Glitsy Gold EP, and for the embossed sentiment I used Black Detail EP, both from SNS.
 
Additional Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps Challenge # 135 - Banners, Flags, Pennants 
Aud Sentiments Challenge #168 - Anything Goes + a sentiment 
Winter Wonderland Challenge - Add ribbon or lace and/or Christmas flowers
Brown Sugar Challenge #224 - Anything Goes 
Crafty Catz Challenge #346 - Anything Goes 
Sparkle n Sprinkle November Challenge - Anything Goes with EP, glitter or flocking 

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Beccy's Place Day #11 & CTMH Card Class 11/8/16

It's in the Stars at
This Christmas card is a combination of 
 CTMH and Stampin' Up products. 
Additional Challenges:
Aud Sentiments Challenge #168 - Anything Goes + a Sentiment
Christmas at Sweet Stamping - Anything Christmas Goes 
Craft Your Passion Challenge #347 - Always Anything Goes 
 
***********
 So sorry the weather wasn't conducive to photographing cards yesterday.  Here are the cards we made at Joyce's CTMH card class on Tuesday.





Scroll down to the post below to see the wonderful CTMH creations in this month's Joyful Stars Blog Hop.

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Joyful Stars Close to My Heart November Blog Hop

 photo JoyfulStarsBlogHopBadge3_zpsa824a544.jpg
Welcome to the Joyful Stars November blog hop, where a group of talented Close to My Heart consultants, and me, gather to share ideas with you in a fun blog hop. 
My card this month is a variation of the double curtain fold.
For some reason, every time I put adhesive on the back of a double curtain fold my eye saw an evergreen tree.  Now that it's time to put Christmas trees on cards, I thought I'd give a double curtain fold tree a try.  
Actually, I had no choice.  My stupid brain was not going to let me create anything else until I did! 

What do you think?


The card above was made using some CTMH retired paper.  
Here's a version using the current CTMH Oh Deer Paper and some of the beautiful Sea Glass glitter paper.

 Looks like a tree to me!

Now, since this is a blog hop you might have arrived here from Andrea Sherman's blog.
Your next stop is Marie Flayer's blog.   The hop is circular. So if you are just starting here, simply continue hopping until you find your way back, making the full circle.  If you get lost, the complete list of participants is on Joyce's blog.  


Challenges:
Scrap from your Heart Challenge #3 - Christmas 
Simon Says Monday Challenge - Shine Bright Like A Diamond
Love to Scrap Challenge #89 - Fancy Fold
Try it on Tuesdays Challenge - Trees
Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge #84 - Trees
Crafty Gals Corner Challenge #97 - Use a Sentiment