So thankful

{Pin}spirational Challenge #30 inspiration photo

 Don't you just love this time of year!?  I love leaves and pumpkins and the warm fall colors.  So there are lots of all of those things in this post.  Lots of pictures because there are a lot of components to this project.

 And I love that both the {Pin}spirational challenge and the JUGS challenge are these gorgeous inspiration photos.  My project is something I haven't ever done before.  I have recently seen a couple of these little tag books made out of toilet paper rolls and thought they were really cute.  Well, yesterday, we had a ladies craft time at my church and we made these little tag books.  Mostly, we just learned how to make the "pages" out of the rolls and cover them with paper.  Some people embellished theirs with a few embellies that were there, but I had a plan in mind and hadn't brought all my "toys" along.  So, I came home and played some more and this is the result:

 Cover page.  Just imagine that there are two binder rings in the holes on the left.  They didn't have enough for everyone at the craft event, so I am waiting to get mine.  But you can still get the idea of what it will look like.
Supplies:DCWV paper; SU! pumpkin cs; PTI alphabet and leaf die; Clear Dollar Stamps "Elegant Flourishes" stamped on leaf; Kaiser Kraft rhinestones; all ribbons in project are American Crafts

 Supplies: DCWV paper; Clear Dollar Stamps "Elegant Flourishes" stamp; Verve "Tall Oaks" pumpkin and sentiment

 Supplies: DCWV paper; Verve "I Chronicles 16:34" plain jane; black embossing powder; PTI "Mat Stack 2" flourish set on each side of the verse.

 Supplies: DCWV paper; PTI "Through the Trees" sentiment, "Mat Stack 2" flourishes; Verve "Tall Oaks" acorns

 Supplies: DCWV paper; Clear Dollar Stamps "Elegant Flourishes"; Verve "Tall Oaks" pumpkins and sentiment

 I am going to use this book as a "We are thankful for . . . this year" book, so the last "page" has the year and each tag, as you will see in the next picture, has a space for each family member to write what they are thankful for.  Then there is the potential to make another each year and have a great reminder of the things were are thankful for throughout the years.
Supplies: DCWV paper; PTI "By the Numbers" dies

Each tag is the same with the phrase "So thankful" and a couple lines on which to write.
Supplies (tags): Clear Dollar Stamps "Elegant Flourishes"; Verve "So happy"; the tags were cut out using a cricut machine the woman leading the craft time brought with her.

Challenges:
{Pin}spirational Challenge #30--inspiration photo
Do You Stack Up #95--embossing (page #3)
DRS Designs #48--Autumn greetings
JUGS#160--inspiration photo

A new monthly challenge blog

If you have been a fan of Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge blog or even if it is a new challenge to you, the fun is being doubled with a new monthly challenge blog.  I'll let Crafty Hazel herself tell you about it:

"This blog is a 'spin off' from my Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge blog that has now been running successfully for nearly two years.

Starting at the beginning of 2013 I challenge you to add any Christmas card to this blog - challenges will be monthly, with a prize at the end of the month for a randomly chosen winner.

Bugaboo Stamps have very kindly agreed to sponsor every monthly challenge with a $21 prize of the winner's choice of digitial stamps.

Weekly challenges will continue on my Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge blog, so please continue to support them.

To launch this new extra blog, I'm giving away some Christmas candy:

2 'the red line' topper & paper pack, each containing:

1 topper sheet & 2 coordinated papers

2 C5 blank cards and envelopes

6 x 6 pad of 36 Berry Merry Christmas papers

6 x 6 pad of 24 My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Christmas papers

A pack of 10 A6 red card blanks with square apertures

S et of Classic Christmas Promarkers

Anyone can take part - I'm willing to post to anywhere in the world. The draw for the winner (randomly chosen) will take place at midnight UK time on 30 November, which will allow time to send them ahead of the Christmas mail - and, of course, the winner will have some lovely goodies to play along with the challenges in the new year.

All I ask is that you spread the word of my new blog and the prize I'm giving away to the winner, by becoming a follower and create a blog post and, if possible, also put my pink button in your sidebar, telling people that the extra monthly challenges will begin on 1 January 2013.

When you've become a follower and created a blogpost and/or put my blinkie in your sidebar, please leave a link to your blogpost in the linky below."


So, there it is.  Help spread the word and you could have some new goodies to play with.

Gingerbread House

 Happy Friday!!  It's time for another challenge on the Christmas Stampin' All Year Long blog: Use Circles.  Our sponsor for this week is Meljen Designs and the winner will get to choose 4 of their adorable images.  How great is that?!

The Meljen's image that I got to use this week is this adorable Gingerbread House.  Their images are all so cute.  I love all the ones I have.  It was really fun to color and then to glitter.  Yep, I got a bit carried away with the glitter, but it's so sparkly and beautiful.  So, I started off with the idea to glitter the green gumdrops because gumdrops are glittery.  Then it just went on from there--it even carried over to the snowflake.  I just couldn't help it. : )

Remember that I said the challenge this week is to use circles?  Well, I had to stretch a bit on this one, but my card does contain circles: the lollipops and mint "wreath" in the image; the rhinestone on the snowflake and even the ends of some of the embossed snowflakes.  So how do you interpret this challenge?  I would love to see your take on it.  Hop over to the CSAYL blog, check out the other DT projects and play along.

Challenges:
Christmas Card Challenge #47--bows
House of Gilli #44--emboss it
Sweet Stop Sketches #181--sketch with a twist: be inspired by a book or movie (My inspiration is Hansel and Gretel with their yummy candy house)

Supplies:
Stamps: Meljen's Designs "Gingerbread House" digital image; Verve "Ornamental Christmas"
Paper: Basic Grey
Embossing folders/punches/dies: Cuttlebug snowflake embossing folder; Martha Stewart Snowflake punch; spellbinders label 4 die
Ribbon, aluminum tape, rhinestone (Kaiser Kraft) and lots and lots of glitter!!!  Martha Stewart (orange, blue, purple, green) SU! dazzling diamonds

Recycled gift bag

 I needed some gift packaging for the cards I made for my pastor's wife (see this post for details) and none of the templates I had seemed to fit the bill.  But, I have used the clear boxes that the Papertrey Ink stamps come in (hmmm . . . maybe that is a good reason to buy some more) as gift "bags" before and it seemed to be a good idea this time, too.  It's kind of fun because the gift becomes part of the packaging.  And it's reusing something that would otherwise be thrown away.  I already had the card made (see this post), so I decided to coordinate the packaging with both the card and the cards (confusing I know).  I stamped the flower cluster and then stamped it again and cut it out to create a mask so I could stamp the pumpkin below the cluster and make it look like a flower arrangement in the pumpkin or flower decorations on a pumpkin.  Anyway, I think it came out super cute and was a brilliant way to tie the two cards together.

Challenges:
CRAFT Challenge #177--use metal (I used aluminum tape on the label I used as a tag)
{Pin}spirational Challenges #30--inspiration photo (I was inspired by the pumpkins, and black and orange colors)
Our Daily Bread Designs #127--use at least three supplies/technique that begin with the letters L.E.A.F. (I used L--labels die and leaves, E--eyelets, A--acetate, F--flowers)

Supplies:
Stamps: Skipping Stones Design "Timeless Textures"; Verve "Tall Oaks" and "for you" phrase; Flourishes "Summer Blossoms"
Dies/punches: Spellbinders label 4, classic circles and scalloped circles, large; Fiskars Upper Crest border punch
Organza ribbon, eyelets, aluminum tape, twine, recycled stamp packaging

Give Thanks

hmmm . . . in the fading evening light, white cards photograph kinda blue.  October is Pastor Appreciation Month and I thought I would give a small gift to our pastor's wife, since there isn't a Pastor's Wife Appreciation Month and she does a lot behind the scenes at our church.  So, I wanted to give her some handmade notecards. I even stamped the image on the envelopes.   I used the 10 Minute craft dash challenge colors orange, pink, and turquoise and I actually made this card in under 10 minutes!!!  yep, 9:45!!  It can be done and with quite beautiful results if you ask me.  I did have to add a little tiny bit of green to outline the leaves.  They looked to plain without anything.  I think it still fits the challenge.

Challenges:
10 minute craft dash #5--orange, pink, turquoise under 10 minutes

Supplies:
Stamps: Verve "I Chronicles 16:34" plain jane; Flourishes "Summer Blossoms"

Fall elegance

Ok, so this card was quite the challenge for me.  I was trying to use the Fab n' Funky color challenge: orange, black and your color of choice.  I don't celebrate Halloween so I didn't want to create something that looked too "Halloween".  Not as easy as it seems.  Plus, I really wanted to use this adorable pumpkin and I wanted it to look somewhat elegant.  But I finally found this beautiful baby blue that looked super elegant when I stamped it with an orange craft ink.

Challenges:
Skipping Stones Design #150--sketch
Fab n' Funky #143--orange, black, and color of choice (mine is light blue)
Clearly Inspired Challenge #62--all tied up (use ribbon or twine)
The Squirrel and the Fox #29--Use a Ribbon

Supplies:
Stamps: Skipping Stones Design "Timeless Textures" and sentiment from the shoe set; Verve "Tall Oaks"; Clear Dollar Stamps "Elegant Flourishes" (stamped on the background)
Dies/punches: Fiskars "Upper Crest" border punch; spellbinders classic circles and scalloped circles, large

snowman

Time for another challenge at Christmas Stampin' All Year Long.  We had so many entries for last week's "Anything Goes" challenge!  Yeay!!  I've been trying to get to all the blogs to view all of your beautiful creations, but there are so many I haven't made it around yet.  That's a good thing, though, 'cause that means lots of people are playing along.  This week's challenge is "Traditional Colors".  Pretty easy, I think.  Our awesome sponsor this week is Limited Runs Stamps.

The prize is  . . . hmmm . . . I wasn't told exactly; but I'm guessing it is going to be a couple of their fabulous images.  And boy do they have a lot of them.  My cutie snowman is one of them.  So, hop on over to the CSAYL blog and see what the other DT members have been up to and then play along with us.  I love visiting your blogs and getting inspiration from all of you.

Challenges:
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge#94--snowflakes
House of Gilli--Anything goes
Seems a Little Sketchy--sketch
Timeless Tuesday #191--Winter
Sparkles Christmas Challenge--traditional

Supplies:
Stamps: Limited Runs digital image; Verve "Ornamental Christmas" (sentiment)
Punches/dies: Martha Stewart snowflake punch; Fiskars scalloped border punch; spellbinders labels one die

Make a Wish

The House Mouse stamps are always so adorable!  This image is so fun with the popcorn popping right out of the spoon.  I added to the effect by stamping a second image, coloring the popcorn kernels, cutting them out and adding them to the colored image with foam tape.  It totally looks like they are popping right at you.

Challenges:

Sweet Sketch Wednesdays #175--sketch

Celebrate the Occasion #83--Popping by (use popcorn)

Stamping with Dragon--animals

Supplies:

Stamps: House Mouse; Verve "Birthday Phrases"

Dies: Verve "Charming Ovals"

Give Thanks

Challenges:
Our Daily Bread Designs #125--fall colors with a verse of Scripture
Pretty Patterns #73--sketch

Supplies:
Paper: DCWV (who would have known, but this leaf paper is perfect for fall!)
Stamps: Verve "I Chronicles 16:34" plain jane; PTI "Places, Please" (leaf)
Dies: PTI leaf die (cut out with cardboard and cardstock glued together for dimension and the edges inked with red)

Glory to God

This card was definitely a challenge!  One of the challenges for Sweet 'n' Sassy's newest release celebrations was CAS: sentiment only.  Now, I'm all for clean and simple, but to use only a sentiment and no images was HARD!!!  So, then I thought of those cards and tutorials I've seen where people have embossed everything but a circle/oval/whatever which is left flat to allow a sentiment to be stamped.  So, I thought, yeah, I can do that, how hard can it be.  Let me tell you, it's not easy.  But, as you can see, I did manage to do it, although my center section did get embossed ever so lightly.  Then, I thought it wasn't defined enough so I would embossed the die itself into the center.  That came out great, but while embossing it, the pressure flattened out the snowflake embossing a bit.  So, if you are going to give it a try, I recommend embossing the die first and than using the embossing folder.  After that, I stamped and heat embossed the sentiment, swiped white ink around the edges of the embossed panel and added a dot of glitter pen to the centers of the snowflakes.

Challenges:
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #94--snowflakes
Tuesday Alchemy #35--Anything goes

Supplies:
Cardstock: PTI enchanted evening
Stamps: Verve "Richly Blessed"
Dies/embossing folders: spellbinders label 4; cuttlebug snowflake embossing folder

Friendship

Isn't this such a beautiful sentiment?  Friends are such a special blessing

Challenges:
Stampin' Sisterhood--use Rubbernecker stamps
Skipping Stones Design #149--sketch
{Pin}spirational Challenges #28--inspiration photo
Just Add Ink #139--just add something new (I have never used the set this sentiment is from and I just got the rose stamp and die last week)
Fab n' Funky #142--vintage (the lacy die gives it a vintage look to me)

Supplies:
Paper: DCWV
Stamps: Rubbernecker stamps "Garden Phrases"; Skipping Stones Design "Timeless Textures"; Papertrey Ink "It's a Sweet Life"
Dies/punches: Papertrey Ink "It's a Sweet Life" die; EK Success fleur de lis border punch
Glitter glue and rhinestones

Birthday Wishes

Another beautiful Fall weekend, and I spent most of the afternoon inside making cards.  Sounds like lots of fun to me, although I know lots of people would think it a waste of a gorgeous afternoon.  Kind of like "beauty is in the eye of the beholder."  Anyway, I had a brain lapse this week and totally forgot my sister-in-law's birthday!  Luckily, I had a card in my stash that worked for her, but the pickings were pretty slim.  So, this card has no specific use except that it's a birthday card for a guy.  Gotta have those, too.

Challenges:
The Squirrel and the Fox #28--Things with wheels
Do You Stack Up #93--wheels
Viva La Verve October week 3--sketch
Crafty Ann's Challenges #76--black & white plus 1 other color

Supplies:
Stamps: Clear Dollar Stamps "Trans Am"; Verve "Birthday Phrases"; background stamp from Michaels
Dies: Spellbinders ovals, large; scalloped ovals large
Cuttlebug embossing folder (on the black layer)

Chubby Snowman

So, it's Friday again (yeay!) which means it's time for another challenge from Christmas Stampin' All Year Long!  And this one is a super easy one: Anything Goes!!  It doesn't get any easier than that.  The sponsor is Bugaboo Stamps and the prize is 7 images of your choice.

I think it would be really hard to choose just 7 since they have so many adorable and just plain hysterical images.  The image I got to work with this week is the Chubby Scarf Snowman and he is soooooo cute!

 I had so much fun playing with him that I got a little carried away and made THREE cards!  Now, I have a confession: I'm not a huge fan of digital images.  Mostly it's because they are stored on my computer and not right by my work table (I'm an instant gratification type of girl), and I have a hard time judging what size they should be printed out.  But that is also a big advantage of digital images: they can be any size you want.  So, I printed this little guy in three different sizes and figured why not use all three to show off some of the different sizes and colors that he could be.  On this first card, he's just a little bitty guy on a Christmas ornament in soft soothing sea greens and blues.

 This second card shows him off in a medium size and kind of rustic, homey colors.  I added 4 little stitch marks to his heart to give him more of the homespun look.

 And on the third card, he's nice and big; the real focal point of the card in some nice masculine colors.  This time I added a little bit of clear stickles to his heart to match the sparkle of the rhinestones.

Remember, this week's challenge is easy.  We should have tons of entries.  Why not hope on over to the CSAYL blog, check out the creations by the rest of the Design Team, get the details, create your own card, link up, and have a chance to win some awesome new images?!

Card #1
Challenges:
Verve World Card Making Day Challenge--sketch
Creative Inspirations #184--anything goes
Supplies:
Stamps: Bugaboo Stamps "Chubby Scarf Snowman" digital image; Verve "Ornamental Christmas" (ornament image and sentiment)
Paper: Basic Grey Christmas pack; Papertrey Ink Ocean Tides cardstock
Other: Cuttlebug snowflake embossing folder; PTI Ocean Tides dotted ribbon

Card #2
Challenges:
Christmas Crafting #15--buttons and twine
52 {Christmas} card throwdown--sketch
Supplies:
Stamps: Bugaboo Stamps "Chubby Scarf Snowman" digital image; Verve "Ornamental Christmas" (sentiment)
Dies/punches: Spellbinders standard circles, large; Sweet 'n' Sassy heart die; Martha Stewart snowflake punch; Papertrey Ink Button die

Card #3
Challenges:
Christmas Card Challenge #45--color inspiration (navy, mustard, tan, gray)
Supplies:
Stamps: Bugaboo Stamps "Chubby Scarf Snowman" digital image; Clear and Simple Stamps "Holly Jolly"
Dies/embossing folders: spellbinders Label 5 die; cuttlebug snowflake embossing folder

Hope

I'm sure you are well aware that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.  Although it is not Breast Cancer, cancer is a very real threat in my husband's family.  His Grandmother died from cancer 9 years ago. An aunt has battled breast cancer and a second aunt is now fighting bone cancer, and his grandfather and great uncle have both fairly recently had skin cancer removed.  May we all join together in praying that a cure will soon be found.

Challenges:
Timeless Tuesdays #189--Think Pink
Celebrate the Occasion--Breast Cancer Awareness
 JUGS #157--sketch
Flourishes Think Pink Challenge
Clearly Inspired Challenges #61--sentiments

Supplies:
Stamps: Verve "Hebrews 11:1" Plain Jane; Clear Dollar Stamps "Elegant Flourishes"
Punches: Martha Stewart scalloped border punch

Let's get together

Don't you just love this little coffee cup!!???  I just got it this week and I think it's the cutest thing ever! Specially with the matching die that makes it a breeze to create a little 3-D image.  I made this card for my husband.  He loves coffee and I just had to use this image!  I'll stick it in his lunch box tomorrow.  He has to work 'cause the unions in Connecticut don't get Columbus Day off.  He's a bit bummed about that.  Maybe this will help cheer him up.

Challenges:
Seems a Little Sketchy--sketch
Flourishes' World Card Making Day Challenge--use your five senses (sight: colors; taste and smell: I hate the taste of coffee, but I think it smells so yummy!; sound: I used a die cutting machine which is quite noisy and how about the sound of coffee brewing; touch: I used foam tape to pop up the coffee cup and the middle heart and the center of the banner is popped up as if it were waving in the breeze, plus grosgrain ribbon is really fun to touch)

Supplies:
Stamps: Papertrey Ink "Heart 2 Heart #2"
Dies: Papertrey Ink "Heart 2 Heart #2" die; Sweet 'n' Sassy heart die; spellbinders classic circles, large

Thank you

I had so much fun yesterday for World Card Making Day!  I actually made 6 cards.  Pretty impressive for me for one day.  I even had my Mother-in-law come over and play for a while in the evening.  Were you able to be creative?

Challenges:
Pretty Patterns #72--sketch
Pretty Palette #72--saffron, orchid, navy
Fab n' Funky #141--no patterned paper
Frosted Designs--doilies

Supplies:
Stamps: Flourishes "Summer Blossoms"
Dies: Verve "Charming Ovals"; Spellbinders "Floral Doily Motifs", Classic circles, large

Autumn splendor

To me nothing says Fall more than pumpkins!  I don't know what it is about them, but I love 'em.  And here in New England we've got the best Fall foliage, so of course, you have to add leaves.

Challenges:
Creative Inspirations #183--sketch
Do You Stack Up #92--warm colors
DRS Designs #45--fall leaves

Supplies:
Stamps: Verve "Tall Oaks" (pumpkins and acorns)
Paper: DCWV (finally using some more of that "unusable paper"!)
Dies/punches: Marvy Uchida corner punch; Papertrey Ink leaf die

Thanks

I love quick and simple cards!  And I actually completed this one in exactly 10 minutes!  And that means I finally finished one in under 10 (ok in 10, but that's close enough)!!!  Yeay!  I haven't used this flower punch very much and I don't know why because it makes such gorgeous graphic flowers.

Challenges:
Viva La Verve October week 2--sketch
10 minute Craft Dash #4--under 10 minutes plus color combo: red, bright blue, and kraft

Supplies:
Stamps: Verve "Tall Oaks" (partial inking of the sentiment "Give Thanks")
Punches: SU! scalloped border punch; Large Flower punch
Blue Rhinestones

Celebrating you . . .

As soon as I saw this week's Mojo Monday sketch, I KNEW that the offset, partial circle needed to be a cutout backed with acetate.  It just screamed to me!  And can I say, I absolutely LOVE how this card turned out?!  Unfortunately, it is raining today and I had to switch to my old camera because the battery on mine died and it just will not charge, so the picture doesn't do the card justice.  But who am I kidding, my pictures are all kind of dark anyway.  Anyway, I don't always love the way ideas in my head translate into actual cards, but this time I do!  The card is so elegant and the acetate is a really neat touch, even if it did make writing on the inside a little difficult. : )

 This second picture shows the acetate a little bit better.

 Challenges:
Mojo Monday #261--sketch
Lollipop Crafts #91--something old, something new (old: Damask Designs stamp set; new: Sweet Life stamp set and dies)
Just Add Ink #138--gray/yellow/white color combo

Supplies:
Stamps: Papertrey Ink "Damask Designs", "Sweet Life"; Verve "Celebrating You"
Dies: Papertrey Ink "Sweet Life"; Spellbinders floral doily motifs and classic circles, large
Other: Dotted ribbon, grey and white pearls

Tag it

It's Friday again!  Can you believe it?  That means it's time for another challenge at Christmas Stampin' All Year Long: Tag you're it.  I don't make a lot of tags--I just don't use them--so this is actually quite a challenge for me.  Other people (like the other awesome DT members at CSAYL) can do them so well, but I don't know . . . maybe I'm just intimidated by the small size?  Anyway, this one is kind of fun and it's quite glittery in real life.  I glittered the snowflakes and the edges of the tag.  And I used red glimmer mist on the tag base, so that's a little glittery, too.
There is no sponsor this week, but there is still a prize: Guest Designer with CSAYL for a week.  Doesn't that sound fun?  So, hop on over to the CSAYL blog for your chance to win a week to play along side us.  I'd love to see your tags . . . maybe I can pick up a few pointers. : )

Challenges:
Viva La Verve October week 1--sketch
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge--All wrapped up
52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown--Anything But a Card
Our Daily Bread Designs #124--musical
Stampin' Sisters in Christ #159--music

Supplies:
Stamps: Skipping Stones Design "Timeless Textures" (musical score); SU! "Tag Alongs"; Clear and Simple stamps: sentiment
Dies/punches: Spellbinders circles, large and labels 4; Martha Stewart snowflake punch