Very Merry

So, here it is: November!  Can you believe it's here already?!  It is time for another challenge from Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra.  As always, it is anything Christmas-related goes all month long.  We'd love to have you join us.  It is time to get working on those Christmas cards if you haven't already.  As it is every month, our sponsor is Bugaboo Stamps and the winner will receive 7 images of their choice.  Here is my card:

I had purple out for the card I made for my previous post and decided to use it again.  I really love purple for Christmas cards; it's so regal looking (purple is the color of royalty after all).  The purple dotted paper reminds me of falling snow and I played up that theme with all the die cut snowflakes.  I really like the look of the vellum snowflake.  Unfortunately, it doesn't show it's true softness in the photo.

Challenges:

Love to Scrap Challenge Blog #40--seeing dots

Time Out Challenges #17--birds of a feather flock together (penguins do have feathers, I think)

Lacy Sunshine Challenge #45--include a hat

Tuesday Morning Sketches #273--sketch

Holly Jolly--bingo (I used the diagonal row glitter, 2 dp, diecuts)

Word Art Wednesday #156--anything goes with uplifting sentiment

Crafter's Cafe #88--things with wings

Paper Pretties #334--polka dots

The Stamping Chef #53--anything goes

Fab n Funky #235--Christmas

Divas by Design--anything goes

ABC Christmas--V is for Very Merry

The Paper Shelter #180--Is it too early for Christmas

Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Wonderful Wednesday--anything goes

The Cutie Pie Challenge #80--Perfectly Purple and Completely Cute

Supplies:

Stamps: Bugaboo Stamps "Little Penguin Winter" digi; Verve "Merry & Bright" (Have a very) and "Ornamental Christmas" (Merry Christmas)

Dies: PTI "Fancy Flakes" "Snow globe Shaker die" (I used the little snowflakes that are meant to go in a shaker); spellbinders Matting Basics A2 rectangles

Papers: DCWV (ooooollldddd)

Two hedgies

Good morning, all.  It's Friday again and that means it's time for another challenge from Christmas Stampin' All Year Long.  This week we have a fun sketch for you:

I love a good sketch and this one has so many possibilities.  We don't have a sponsor this week, but the winner will get to be a Guest Designer with us sometime during November.  How fun!

Here's my take on the sketch:

Aren't these two little hedgehogs cute?  They are not a Christmas image, but by adding some holiday colors, I think it works.  I've had the set for ages and this is only the second time I have pulled it out and inked it up.  I might have to try it again soon..  I tried using some frantage for the first time around the edges of the image panel.  I love the look when others do it, but I think I need to practice a bit.  I also added some to the gold snowflake hoping to give it just a bit of texture, but it mostly covered the whole thing.  Oh well, it helps with the gold accents.  I also colored my pearls with a gold paint pen .

Challenges:
Christmas @ Sweet Stampin--snowflakes
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #200--if you want to get ahead get a hat (image with a hat)
Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps #235--Let it snow!
Sentimental Sundays #230--purple, green, black with a touch of gold
Christmas Card Challenge #45--anything goes
Lacy Sunshine Challenge #45--include a hat
Paper Nest Dolls #22--anything goes
Holly Jolly--bingo (I used the column: texture, 2 dp, punches.  I also used diecuts, glitter and pearls)
Word Art Wednesday #156--anything goes with uplifting sentiment
Fab n Funky #233--Christmas
The Paper Shelter #180--is it too early for Christmas

Supplies:
Stamps: old SU! hedgehog set; Verve "Merry & Bright" (We wish you a) and "Ornamental Christmas" (Merry Christmas)
Punches/dies: Martha Stewart snowflake punch; PTI "Fancy Flakes

Time

October is Pastor Appreciation month.  Nothing like waiting until the last week of October, but here is my card for a wonderful pastor.

 And here is the inside:

Challenges:
Raisin Boat #28--thankful
Fussy & Fancy #25--orange & black
Pattie's Creations #102--autumn colors in the image (my image is very small, but it has autumn colors)
Our Daily Bread Designs #216--Scripture Inspiration: Ecclesiasted 3:1--I was inspired by the "season" theme in the verse and also by the following verses which talk about a "time" for different things in our lives
Tuesday Throwdown #218--Halloween colors (I hope orange and black count as enough)
Shopping Our Stash #174--Halloween colors (I hope orange and black count as enough--there is also a tiny bit of green)
Sugar Pea Designs #10--give thanks
C.R.A.F.T. #282--autumn
D.R.S. Designs #145--thankful
Brown Sugar #117--anything goes
Sister Act Card Challenge #80--anything goes
Crafty Catz #252--anything goes
Viva La Verve October week 4--sketch


Supplies:
Stamps: PTI "Hands of Time" and "Through the Trees"; SU! "Lovely as a Tree"; Verve "Beautiful You" sentiment inside
Dies: PTI leaf die; spellbinders classic circles, large
PTI canvas/linen texture plate

Uncolored

Happy Friday!!  Time for another challenge from Christmas Stampin' All Year Long.  This week we have a beautiful inspiration pic for you:

So many options to pull your inspiration from there.  Our sponsor is Bugaboo Stamps and the winner will receive 7 images of their choice.  Here is my card:

When was the last time you left an image uncolored?  It was so hard to leave it plain!!  I'm still not really sure I like it, but it definitely does give a totally different (and fun) look to the card.

Challenges:
ABC Christmas--U for uncolored
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #199--something forgotten or never used (It isn't exactly forgotten, but I have had that green plaid paper forever and have never used much of it--it needs a special card, you know?)
Treasured Times Challenge #27--anything goes
Craft Hoarder's Anonymous #318--Layer it!
Sweet Stamps #192--anything goes
Crafting By Designs--get ready for Christmas
The Stamping Chef #52--anything goes
MFT #199--sketch

Divas by Design--Festive Florals/Christmas flowers
Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Wonderful Wednesday--anything goes
Delightful Challenge--3's not a crowd (I used three rhinestones on the poinsettia and three gumdrops in the upper right corner)
Little Miss Muffet #97--If you go down to the woods (use a bear or fairy)

Supplies:
Stamps: Bugaboo Stamps "Poinsettia Bear" digi; Verve "Ornamental Christmas"
Dies: spellbinders "Layered Poinsettias"; Verve "Sprightly Sprigs"

Give Thanks

This is not a traditional give thanks card for this time of year, but I really do like how it turned out.  I had the sponged image laying around for several years and finally decided to make it work.  I stamped the sentiment and finished it off with a bright pink bow just for a bit of interest.

Challenges:
Raisin Boat #28--thankful
Verve Diva Dare October--Pink Power
Sister Act Card Challenge #79--anything goes
Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge #50--anything goes with a twist: add pink
The Paper Girls Challenge #66--anything goes
Word Art Wednesday #155--anything goes with uplifting sentiment
Sugar Pea Designs #10--give thanks
DRS Designs #145--so thankful

Supplies:
Stamps: Verve "I Chronicles 16:34" plain jane; I think the floral image is from Inkadinkadoo

Glory

Happy Friday!  It's time for another challenge from Christmas Stampin' All Year Long and this week it is a super easy one: Anything Goes!  Our sponsor is Anne's Digital.  I'm not sure what the prize is yet, but it will be a good one.  Here is my card using this stunning Poinsettia image:

I printed out the image and colored it up with markers.  Then I stamped the sentiment and it still looked like it needed something, so I drew the black frame around the image and sentiment using a ruler and a very fine tipped pen.  It just really draws the two together and finishes it off.  Now let's see what you can do.

Challenges:

Crafty Ribbons #104--Christmas past (this is about as vintage-y as I get)

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas challenge #198--use something round (my 3 YNS gumdrops are round)

The Paper Nest Dolls #21--anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #154--anything goes with uplifting sentiment

The Stamping Chef #51--anything goes

Fab 'n' Funky #233--Christmas with the optional challenge of bags, boxes, tags

Viva La Verve October week 1--sketch

Supplies:

Stamps: Anne's Digital "Poinsettia" digi; Verve "Richly Blessed"

YNS Gumdrops

Richly Blessed

Hi, everyone!  It's time for some mid-month inspiration from Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra.  It's a month-long, anything goes challenge and Christmas is coming so it's time to get working on those Christmas cards!  Here is my inspiration for you:

I absolutely adore this card!!  If I were to mass produce cards, I think this would be the style I would go with.  Elegant looking, but simple.  Time to get crafting!

Challenges:
Milk Coffee Challenge--lots of layers
Crimbo Crackers #67--anything goes
Sister Act Card Challenge--anything goes
Word Art Wednesday--anything goes with uplifting sentiment
Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps #251--sketch


Supplies:
Stamps: Verve "Richly Blessed"
Dies/embossing folder: spellbinders "Radiant Rectangles" and "On the Edge" dies; cuttlebug snowflake embossing folder

Never be afraid . . .

Don't you just love the sentiment on this card?  I sure do.  I was in a "use up what I have and make a CAS card" kind of mood when I made this one.  I had pulled out a bunch of old card stock and some bits and pieces that I had left over from various projects and challenged myself to use up some of them.  So, this cardstock, I've had for ages and I think I even got it at a yard sale, so who knows how long it's been around.  And the sponged background was an attempt at something for a different challenge a looooong time ago.  It didn't work at that point, but I decided it would make a pretty background for something now.  And it did.

Challenges:
Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Krafty Krop #4--pretty in pink
Fussy & Fancy #124--lots of pink or Breast Cancer awareness
Our Daily Bread Designs #215--anything goes as long as you use an ODBD stamp
Paper Pretties #38--CAS
Sentimental Sunday #227--bling it up
Word Art Wednesday #153--anything goes with uplifting sentiment
Sister Act Card Challenge--anything goes
Verve October Diva Dare--pink power


Supplies:
Stamps: ODBD "Corrie Ten Boom"; Verve "Be Blessed"; PTI "Mat Stack #2" flourishes around sentiment

Fabulous Birthday

One of my most favorite stamp sets ever is this "Sweet Life" by PTI.  The roses are just so gorgeous.  You can't tell in the photo, but I added a bit of sparkle along the petals with a glitter pen.

Challenges:

Kraftin Kimmie Stamps Krafty Krop #6--CAS

Dis Digis--girly

Treasured Times #26--anything goes

Love To Scrap Challenge #39--anything goes (no digis)

The Paper Girls #65--solid cardstock

The Stamping Chef #50--anything goes

Sister Act Card Challenge #28--anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #153--anything goes with uplifting sentiment

Supplies:

Stamps: PTI "The Sweet Life"; Verve "Better Together" sentiment and dots

Dies: PTI "The Sweet Life"

Masculine Birthday

I think I'm getting better at them, but man cards still give me such a hard time.  I love how this one turned out.  Except . . . I just feel like it needs a little "something" more.  I really wanted to add sequins, but didn't think that would stay with the manly theme.  The man I gave it to examined it for the longest time, turning it and looking at it from every angle . . . So cute.  I think he really liked it.

Challenges:

Patties Creations #101--embossing (it's hard to see it, up the gray panel is embossed with a canvas texture plate--gives just a subtle bit of texture)

Wags 'n' Whiskers #139--fall colors

Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Krafty Krop #2--Falling into Fall

One Stitch At A Time #221--color orange

Verve October Inspiration Challenge--Fall Fancy

The Paper Girls #65--solid cardstock

Craft Hoarders Anonymous #171--Happy Fall Y'all

Paper Pretties #38--CAS

Sister Act Card Challenge #28--anything goes

Crafty Catz #250--autumn

Supplies:

Stamps: Verve "Be Blessed" sentiment; Hero Arts French Script

Dies/embossing: PTI leaf die and "Linen/Canvas" texture plate; spellbinders classic circles, large

Birthday Wishes

I've had this gorgeous pumpkin/flower stamp for a long time now and this is the first time I have inked it up!  Obviously, it is a little limited as to time of year, but I think I am definitely going to try to get more use out of it.  I started out with the firm idea that I was going to use this stamp and the checked orange ribbon.  It's been in my stash for several years now and I really don't use a lot of orange.  But it needed to be used and I had just enough for this card.

 I was having a hard time decided what color to use on the dahlias.  I obviously couldn't use yellow, and I really didn't want any more orange.  I was thinking maybe some red . . . Well, my twin 5 year olds were watching me color and were suggesting colors of their own.  Most of them I quickly rejected (blue, green, etc.) but when the littlest picked out this purple marker and handed it to me, I knew she was on to something!  And I love it.
Here is the inside of the card.  I added a few mums to tie in with the colors and the sentiment panel from the outside.

Challenges:

Crafty Creations #273--use orange

Lacy Sunshine #42--change of season/weather

Sugar Pea Designs # 12--sketch

Crafting Musketeers #18--Fall Colors

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper--anything goes as long as it is covered with patterned paper

Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Krafty Krop #2--falling into Fall

Wags 'n Whiskers #143--fall colors

One Stitch at a Time #221--color orange

Verve October Inspiration Challenge--Fall fancy

Love to scrap Challenge Blog #39--anything goes (no digis)

Craft Hoarders Anonymous #17--Happy Fall Y'all

Tuesday Throwdown #216--button up

Shopping Our Stash #172--its the most colorful time of the year

Crafty Catz #280--autumn

Supplies:

Stamps: DRS Designs "Pumpkin Bouquet"; Verve "Be Blessed" sentiment outside and "Vintage Oval" plain jane; PTI "Mum's the Word" and "Big Birthday Wishes" inside

Dies: Verve "Vintage Oval"; spellbinders Classic Circle, large and scalloped circle, large

Merry Little Christmas

Where has this week gone?  It's Friday again, already.  By this point in the week, I usually feel like I'm trying to go 25 directions all at once, and this week is definitely no different.  Once again, it is time for another challenge from Christmas Stampin' All Year Long.  This week we have a beautiful color combo for you to use;

Aren't those colors fabulous!?  Our sponsor is Meljen's Designs and, of course, the winner will receive some images of their choice!  Yeay!!  Meljen's images are so adorable.  Color combos are usually so hard for me.  But I had the idea that it needed to be quick and easy.  And I managed to use ALL of the colors with this CAS layout with lots of layers.  Here's my card:

Challenges:

Cutie Pie Challenge #79--all the threes (so I have to stretch a bit here, but my sentiment has 3 lines and I used embellishments on 3 corners--hope it fits)

The Paper Nest Dolls--anything goes with a bow

Christmas Cards All Year 'Round--embellish it

Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Krafty Krop #3--Christmas

Treasured Times Challenge #26--anything goes

Sentimental Sundays #227--bling it up

Seems a Little Sketchy #75--sketch

The Paper Girls #65--solid cardstock

Loves Rubberstamps #121--anything goes

Word Art Wednesday #153--anything goes with uplifting sentiment

The Stamping Chef #50--anything goes

Meljen's Designs #231--diamonds are a girls best friend

C.R.A.F.T. #280--Christmas

Christmas Card Challenge #45

Supplies:

Stamps: Meljen's Designs "Christmas Gift Mindy"; Verve "Ornamental Christmas" sentiment

Snowglobe

Happy Friday!  It's time for another challenge from Christmas Stampin' All Year Long.  This week the challenge is to use Lots of Snowflakes!  Who doesn't love snowflakes?!  Our sponsor is Broken Box Stock and the prize is a $5 gift certificate to their shop.

 I really do have lots of snowflakes: the green snowflake paper, the large die cut snowflake and the little die cut snowflakes in the snowglobe along with the little snowflakes drawn on the image.  Here is a close up of the shaker element of the globe.  (I'm totally addicted to shaker cards right now)

Now it's your turn!  Time to get inky and play along.  I love snowflakes, so I can't wait to see all the ways everyone uses them.

Challenges:
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #196--make it colorful
Suzy Bee's Blooming Challenge #48--anything goes with red
Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps #249--sketch

{Pin}spirational Challenge #125--anything goes
Die Cuttin' Divas #185--anything goes
Holly Jolly--anything goes
Crafting By Designs October challenge--anything goes
Crafter's Cafe #84--punches/die cuts
The Stamping Chef #49--anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge--anything goes
DRS Designs #142--Hot trends--twine

Supplies:
Stamps: Broken Box Stock "Lydia Caroling"; Verve "Ornamental Christmas" sentiment
Dies: PTI "Fancy Flakes" and snowglobe shaker dies; Spellbinders small tag
Papers: American Crafts

Reindeer Shaker

Hello, everyone!  Can you believe it is already October?  Well, since it is, it's time for another challenge from Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra.  As always, it is anything goes as long as it is Christmas related and the challenge is open all month long.  Our sponsor is Bugaboo Stamps and the winner will receive 7 images of their choice.  Here's my card:

I just love this sweet little reindeer; I think I use it a lot.  And I've been really into shaker cards, lately.  So, I combined the two--A Reindeer Shaker card!  Here is the shaker element in action:

Challenges:
Viva La Verve September week 3--sketch

Delightful Challenges--cute & cuddly
ART Impressions #145--Holiday Sparkle
Crafty Ribbons #103--buttons 'n' ribbons
Winter Wonderland--layer it up
Christmas Card Challenge #44--anything goes
Through the Purple Haze #61--use a tag (make a tag)
{Pin}spirational Challenge #125--anything goes
Sweet Stamps #189--dies
Tuesday Throwdown #215--opposites attract (use opposite colors from the color wheel--red & green)

Supplies:
Stamps: Bugaboo Stamps "Plush Reindeer" digi; Verve "Ornamental Christmas" sentiment
Dies: Papertrey Ink "Fancy Flakes", "Snowglobe shaker die" (for the snowflakes inside the shaker)  and tag die