Merry Christmas

Yummm!!!  Doesn't that cake look delicious?!  It is the inspiration photo for this week's Christmas Stampin' All Year Long challenge.  I can't wait to see how you interpret it in your Christmas project.

 Here's my take on it.  I went with the colors in the picture and sort of the striped effect with the multi-colored letters.  And I have 4 layers to go with the layered cake.  Isn't this image adorable?  It's from our sponsor this week: Bugaboo Stamps.

Their images are super cute.  And guess what? . . . If you join in the challenge and are chosen as the winner (there will be 2 this week), you will receive 7 (yes, seven!) images of your choice!  What an awesome prize! So, head on over to the CSAYL blog to check out all the details and to see the awesome projects by the other Design Team members.

Supplies:
Papers: DCWV (Christmas pack)
Stamps: Bugaboo stamps "Ava and Deacon Merry Christmas" digital image

Happy Birthday

For some reason, the Viva La Verve CAS sketches inspire me to be anything but clean and simple.  I don't know why, but they do.  Once I started thinking about stamping on the bottom layer, I envisioned the curved layer as a skirt with a petticoat and it all went from there.

Challenges:
Viva La Verve September week 4--sketch
Pretty Palette #70--melon, blue, lime (although, my melon is more pink; when I started I thought it was melon)
Creative Inspirations #182--bingo (my column is ribbon, pearls, and stamp)
Stampin' Sisters in Christ #158--something handmade (I handmade the ruffle)

Supplies:
Stamps: Skipping Stones Design "Shoes" and "Dandelion Dreams"; PTI "Damask Designs"
Punches/Dies: Martha Stewart scalloped border punch; spellbinders circles and scalloped circles, large
Cuttlebug embossing folder

Celebrate Fall

Don't ya just love pumpkins?!  I sure do and these guys paired with the sunflowers are super cute!  And the leaves paper I have had FOREVER and that I thought I would never use, fit the theme perfectly.  Love it when that happens!

Challenges:
Viva La Verve September week 3--sketch
Clearly Inspired Challenge #60--fall into Fall
Timeless Tuesdays #188--Fall theme
The Squirrel and the Fox #27--celebrate
{Pin}spirational Challenge #26--inspiration photo

Supplies:
Paper: DCWV
Stamps: The Pixie Cottage; PTI "Damask Designs"
Dies: spellbinders Labels Five

Happy Anniversary

Haven't quite decided if I like this one or not.  It didn't turn out quite like I had envisioned in my head.  Ever have those cards?

Challenges:
Viva La Verve September week2--sketch
House of Gilli--2 favorite embellishments and use them at least twice (mine are ribbon and pearls)

Supplies:
Paper: DCWV
Stamps: PTI "Damask Designs"
organza ribbon and pearls

To everything . . .

So, I tried my hand at the 10 minute Craft Dash challenge again, and this time I almost made it!!  This card took me 10 minutes and 26 seconds.  On my next try I might get under the 10 minute mark.  Who would ever think that less would be harder?!  And I'm not even one of those load it all on type of people.  For my fun butterflies, I inked them up in yellow and then rolled the edges in pink.  I know a lot of people do this all the time, but I forget how pretty it is.

Challenges:
Fab n Funky #139--things with wings
10 minute Craft Dash #3--under 10 minutes and the colors deep pink, yellow and green
Skipping Stones Design #146--sketch
Our Daily Bread Designs #123--stamp your own background

Supplies:
Stamps: Skipping Stones Design "Timeless Textures" and "Dandelion Dreams"; Flourishes "Line Lines"
Ink: SU! Pink Passion, green galore and barely bannana
Dies: spellbinders Labels One

Kitty

 Hi!  It's Friday once again, and that means it is time for another challenge from Christmas Stampin' All Year Long.  This week, the challenge is "All Sewn Up"; use stitching--real or faux--on your project.  The sponsor this week is Fred She Said and the prize is a $15 gift certificate to the store!  You'll have to check it out, 'cause there are some seriously cute images.  On my card I used this adorable kitty with ornament image. I added the tree branches with Verve's "Ornamental Christmas" set; I thought the ornament needed something from which to hang. Now you may be wondering where the stitching is on my card.  Well, check out the close up picture below: I did some hand stitching (anything not to have to pull out the sewing machine!).  I stitched the ornament string/bow and added a snowflake to the ornament itself.  Then I also stitched the kitty's whiskers and added French knots for the eyes.  Just a little bit of fun detail to add some interest.

Go check out the CSAYL blog to see the projects from the other designers and link up your project, too (make sure there is some stitching somewhere on it!).

Challenges:
Pretty Pattern #71--sketch
Pretty Palette #71--pink, wasabi, red and gray
Creative Inspirations #181--Christmas in September

Supplies:
Paper: DCWV Christmas pack
CS: PTI ripe avocado
Stamps: Fred She Said "kitty with ornament" image; Verve "Ornamental Christmas"
ribbon: PTI ripe avocado

Happy Birthday

Today is my husband's birthday and I was going to pull out a card from my stash, until I saw that Verve is hosting a Fanspiration Diva Dare this week.  The challenge is to create a card based on inspiration from a project in the Verve Fan Gallery.  As I was looking through some of the cards, I found this one and was totally inspired by the horizontal stripes and the dotted paper.  I would have used a smaller dot pattern if I had it, but didn't so I had to use larger polka dots.

Challenges:
Fanspiration Diva Dare--inspiration from fan gallery
Do You Stack Up#89--kraft & twine
Celebrate the Occasion #80--birthday + buttons and twine
Our Creative Corner--a project for a male + the sketch
Lollipop Crafts #98--use two (or more) punches or dies

Supplies:
paper: DCWV
CS: ripe avocado from PTI; kraft from SU!
Stamps: Skipping Stones Design "Dandelion Dreams"
Dies: PTI Button die; Verve Charming Oval die

Baby

 Ok, everyone.  This week's challenge at Christmas Stampin' All Year Long is a fun one: Winter Wonderland!!!  All you have to do is include snow on your project.  It can be stamps, paper, punches, etc.  Our sponsor is the awesome Creations by AR and the prize is two(!) templates of the winners choice.  If you have never checked out the shop, do so, her templates are amazing!  I chose to work with the Baby Onsies template.  It is not what you would normally think of for Christmas, but my first niece was born two weeks ago and, therefore, this Christmas will be her first!!  Yeay!  I don't know what I will put in this little box, but I'll think of something.  And imagine it as a favor for a baby shower!!!  Too cute!!

 Here's a side view.  And the following picture shows how the bib lifts to open it.

 The template also includes two separate onsie styles for cards.  I chose to make one that looks like my box.

 And this next picture shows how the card opens.  Isn't it so fun?!  Now get to work and make your own creation involving snow.  And don't forget to head over to the CSAYL blog for all the details and to see what the other designers have created.

Challenges:
House of Gilli #41--more than one fold
Celebrate the Occasion #79--shaped card
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #89--for a child
Sparkles Christmas Challenge #20--sparkle and bling
Stampin' With the Dragon--It's all about babies

Supplies:
Template: Creations by AR "Baby Onsies"
Paper: Basic Grey
Stamps: Papertrey Ink "Places, Please"
Other: blue rhinestones, silver brads, glitter pen

Birthday Wishes

Have you ever tried to create a card in under 10 minutes?!  They assure me it can be done; but I'm just not so sure.  It's hard and I don't even have a lot of detail on this one!  Maybe I'll just have to stick to a one-layer cad and then I'll be able to pull it off.

Challenges:
Pretty Patterns #70--sketch
Craft Dash #2--create a card in under 10 minutes with the colors light blue, turquoise and green (mine took 13:48--see I told you it was hard.)
Do You Stack Up #88--birthday

Supplies:
Cardstock: Hot Off the Press
Paper: Basic Grey
Stamps: Skipping Stones Design "Timeless Textures"; Verve "Birthday Phrases"
Dies: spellbinders labels 5 and standard ovals, largehttp://www.prettypinkposh.com/2012/09/10-minute-craft-dash-2.html

basketball

If you read my last post, you know that today is Grandparent's Day (or maybe you know anyway, 'cause you're smart like that).  Along with a lot of you, making "man" cards is hard for me.  And I was trying to combine it with the Viva La Verve September week 1 sketch which had me stumped too.  But then, it came to me: Basketballs.  Yep, don't all circles make you think of basketball?  Well, my father-in-law loves to play and watch basketball (as do my husband and I), so it was a perfect conclusion.  I made these super-cute balls with a Spellbinders standard circles, large die.  I was then very brilliant (for me) and drew on the lines before I embossed they with a cuttlebug dots embossing folder.  Then, I inked the edges and the dots with a brown ink to bring out the detail.  Genius, no?

Challenges:
VLV Sept week 1--sketch
Eureka Stamps#4--go team, go (sports)
The Squirrel and the Fox #26--Anything goes

Supplies:
Stamps: Sweet 'n' Sassy "Special"; SU! basketball set, I don't know the name
Dies: spellbinders: labels 4, labels 5, and classic circles, large
Other: cuttlebug dots embossing folder; gold brads

Holiday

Did you know today is Grandparents Day?  Yeah, I wouldn't have either except it was mentioned in our announcements segment at our church last week.  So, being a good mother of grandchildren (and of course "needing" to make cards) I set to work to create a special card for my mother-in-law (and father-in-law, but his will be in my next post).  She's a card maker, too, so she doubly appreciates it.

Challenges:
Skipping Stones Design #144--sketch
JUGS#153--stamped line art (no-coloring)
Stamping Sisters in Christ #156--bright colors only
Just Add Ink #134--just add polka dots

Supplies:
papers: DCWV (Christmas stack)
Stamps: Papertrey Ink "Menhdi Medallion" (stamped in white kraft ink, SU! and embossed with white embossing powder); Sweet 'n Sassy "Special"
Punches: SU! scalloped border punch

CASE

Ok, so this week's challenge from Christmas Stampin' All Year Long is a good one, but it might be a bit of an embarrassing trip down memory lane.  Because, the challenge is to CASE (copy and share everything) the first Christmas card you ever posted to your blog!  The sponsor for this challenge is Bunny Zoe and the winner will receive a 10.00 pound gift certificate to the shop!

Now, luckily for me, I only started blogging at the end of 2010 and that was only a few cards; I started for real in October 2011.  As I scrolled back down through my posts to find the first Christmas card, I was afraid of how primitive it might have been.  But I was pleasantly surprised with the style--I don't think I have changed my style a whole lot.  Unfortunately, the first Christmas card wasn't too stunning, but it's not bad.

If you want to check out the original post, you can find it here.  I decided to keep the sketch and kept the background mostly white but tried to add a bit more glamour to it.  So, take a look in those dusty old archives, find your first posted Christmas card and show us what you can do now!  Go over to the CSAYL blog and check out the other DT's projects.  Then, link up your own for the chance to be the winner.

Challenges:
House of Gilli #40--favorite color combo (it's not traditional Christmas, but I love pink and green together)
Christmas Cards #40--3 of something (three dps, three sets of three pearls)
Cutie Pie #26--no flowers
Tuesday Alchemy #30--Anything Goes
Our Daily Bread Designs #121--you leave me in stitches (I actually pulled out my sewing machine for this)

Supplies:
Paper: DCWV
Stamps: Verve "Richly Blessed"
Dies: spellbinders scalloped ovals and classic ovals, large
Other: Pink Pearls, pink liquid pearls, ribbon