Monkey Business

Happy Friday!  This week we have our final challenge of the year from Chrismtas Stampin' All Year Long.  It's kind of a sad time for me, as it is also going to be my last challenge as part of the Design Team.  So many other things I need and want to do, so I have to step down. : (  

The last challenge of the year is Anything Goes.  We are going to have 4 winners this week with prizes from 4 of the sponsors we have had throughout the year.  So, come on and play along!  We are also going to have 3 winners picked at random from comments on each of the DT blogs.  So that is 7 winners in all this week!  You can see a list of all the sponsors with their prizes and the list of blogs to visit when you stop by the CSAYL blog.  

Here's the hop list:

Fabiola Jacques

Helen Nile

Heather Mills (that's me!)

Patricia Chalas

I created my card with an adorable little monkey from Meljen's Designs (one of our fabulous sponsors this year).  Isn't he cute?

I had the image sitting on my desk and decided to color him up.  I stamped a hat from a JustRite Stampers set, colored it and cut it out.  Then I added some white flocking powder to the brim and pompom and attached it to the monkey's head.  It is a perfect fit and looks like it belongs on the image.  I made a little snow globe and filled it with some chunky glitter.  Due to some not-planning ahead issues (anyone else ever have those?) the image was off center in the globe, but I made it look intentional by curving a clear sentiment and stamping it inside the globe.  Problem solved!

Thanks so much for stopping by, specially those of you that came for the Blog Hop/Final Challenge from CSAYL.

Challenges:

Christmas Cards All Year 'Round--no design paper

Raisin Boat #29--Christmas & Holiday

Cutie Pie Challenge--Furry Festive Friends

Treasured Times #290--anything goes

YNS #2--sketch

Card Mania Challenge #60--use a digi
Through the Purple Haze #68--use lace, ribbon or twine
Our Daily Bread Designs #218--Blessings Word Challenge; use at least 4 letters of the word blessings (I used S-Sentiment, S-Snowflakes, I-ink, G-Gumdrops, S-snow globe)
Crafting By Designs--Get ready for Christmas
Crafter's Cafe #91--anything goes
Divas By Design--Let is Snow
Sugar Pea Designs #11--winter wishes


Supplies:
Stamps: Meljen's Designs "Monkey Toes" digi; Verve "Merry & Bright" sentiments; JustRite Stampers "Applique Christmas Labels One" hat
Dies: PTI "Shaker Shapes: Snow Globe", "Fancy Flakes"; Sweet 'n' Sassy snowflake dies (the two smaller ones)
YNS red gumdrops

Frosty Greetings

I have a cute little tag for you today.  I can't wait to see this one hanging off a gift bag.  The recipient will be sure to smile.

Challenges:
Crafing Musketeers--Anything But a Card
Craftin' Desert Divas--create/use a tag
Verve Inspiration Challenge--Naturally Navy
Christmas @ Sweet Stamping--snowpeople
Verve Diva Dare--Vellum Visions (my snowflake is vellum)
Delightful Challenges--Happy Holidays
C.R.A.F.T. #285--Christmas
DRS Designs #148--Hang it up (you hang a tag--hope it fits the challenge and isn't too much of a stretch)
Just Add Ink #240--just add texture (glittered layers, vellum snowflake, lots of layers and cut out snowman)
Brown Sugar #120--anything goes
Crafty Catz #255--Christmas is coming
Raisin Boat--Christmas and Holiday
Tuesday Throwdown #222--Christmas tags


Supplies:
Stamps: JustRite Stampers "Applique Christmas Labels One"; Verve "Ornamental Christmas" sentiment
Dies: PTI "Fancy Flakes

Sweet Angel

Thanks for stopping by!  It's time for some mid-month inspiration from Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra.  As always, it is anything goes all month long.  How easy is that?  Here's my card:

I just got this new stamp set from Just Rite Stampers and I thought this little angel was so cute, I just had to ink her up.  The holy leaves are also from the same set, I just stamped them, sponged them with some ink and cut them out.  No patterned paper used on this one, all the "papers" were made with gold old ink and stamps.  It's a great way to get papers that match. : )  Unfortunately, I used a light pink ink on the pink paper for some subtle patterns and it just doesn't show up very well in the photo.

Challenges:
Christmas Cards All Year 'Round--no dp
Sweet Stamps #145--Lovely Layers
Holly Jolly--color choice (I chose pink, green, kraft and white)
Creative Inspirations #289--sketch

Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Wonderful Wednesday--anything goes
Delightful Challenges--Happy Holidays
C.R.A.F.T. #285--Christmas

Supplies:
Stamps (from top to bottom layers): Just Rite Stampers "Christmas Stitched with Love Vintage Labels Seven" (angel and holly leaves) and "Pattern Basics" (argyle pattern); PTI "Guide Lines 2" and "Simple Stationery"; Just Rite Stampers "Embroidered Background Stamps" (sorry you can't see it in the photo); Clear Dollar Stamps "Fancy Flourishes"; Verve "Ornamental Christmas" (sentiment)
Dies: PTI button dies; Spellbinders "Labels Five"

Silent Night

Happy Friday!  It's time for another challenge from Christmas Stampin' All Year Long.  It's another easy one for you this week as Christmas is quickly approaching: Anything Goes!  This card is something I just envisioned in my head and it turned out pretty much just like I was thinking.  It was going to be a regular A2 size, but when I was looking through my card stock I came across this piece that was already cut and scored for a 3x3 in card.  I thought my card idea could be cute as a mini and I was right!  And it used up a piece that has been sitting around for a while.  Win-win, I think.

Challenges:

Christmas Cards All Year 'Round--no dp

Crimbo Crackers #69--CAS

Frosted Designs--white space (both literally and figuratively!)

Verve November Diva Dare--vellum visions

Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps #225--CAS

Christmas Card Challenge #50--Faith based (holy night)

Word Art Wednesday #158--anything goes with uplifting sentiment

Tuesday Throwdown #221--swirls and pearls

Holly Jolly--color choice (I chose the "blue, white, and silver" combo)

The Stamping Chef #55--anything goes

The Paper Shelter #182--snowflakes

Delightful Challenges--Happy Holidays 

C.R.A.F.T. #285--Christmas

Supplies:

Stamps: Verve "Star of Wonder"

Embossing Folders: Darice snowflake embossing folder

Birthday Card #2

It's my twins' 6th birthday today!  I can't believe they are that old already.  I tried to make them stay 5, but they kept saying they couldn't.  In my previous post I showed the card for the middle child.  This is the card for my youngest.  She has a sweet little puppy stuffed animal that looks just like this sweet guy.

 I paper pieced his hat and his body.  I'm not very good at large area coloring, so I figured if I printed it out on kraft card stock and then added a bit of shading it would be perfect.  I think he came out really good.  Here is a photo of the two cards together.  I used the same papers/colors since I already had them out.  And they are for twins after all. : )

Challenes:

V's Sweet Ideas #28--anything goes

A.R.T. Impressions #148--Zoo or animals

Sister Act Card Challenge #81--anything goes

Eureka Stamps #114--4-legged friends

The Paper Nest Dolls #23--anything goes

Through the Purple Haze #67--used a punch or die

Sugar Pea Designs #15--sketch

Cuttlebug Mania--You Go Girl

Crafty Creations #276--recipe: 3+ tasty layers, 2 delicious patterned papers, 1 scrumptious image

Fab n Funky #237--happy birthday

Supplies:

Stamps: Daydream Designs "KnK Kolar's Birthday" digi; PTI "Heart 2 Heart #2" sentiment

Dies: PTI "By the Numbers"; Verve "Pennant Trim" die

Let's Celebrate

Today my babies turn six!  I can't believe it.  I seems like they were just toddlers and now they are turning into big kids!  This card is for the middle child.  She loves monkeys and her special stuffed animal is a monkey that looks very similar to this cute little guy.  And how sweet is this?  As she was opening the envelope, she said, "This is from Mama 'cause it's so pretty."  Awww . . . just melted my heart.  It's good to have some fans. : )

You can see by the shadows on the image that I popped up his head and his feet on some foam tape to give some fun dimension.
Challenges:
Cards Galore--anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper--anything goes
Your Next Stamp #1--sketch

Love to scrap #41--bling it on! (glitter and sequins)
ART Impressions #148--zoo or animals
Milk Coffee Challenge --hand color image
Sister Act Card Challenge #81--anything goes
Eureka Stamps #114--4-legged animals
The Paper Nest Dolls #23--anything goes
Sweet Stamps #145--lovely layers
Word Art Wednesday #158--anything goes with uplifting sentiment
Cuttlebug--You Go Girl
Fab n' Funky #237--birthday

Supplies:
Stamps: Meljen's Designs "Monkey Toes" digi; PTI "Wonderful Words: Congrats"
Papers: MME "Unforgettable"
Dies: Spellbinders Classic Circles, large; PTI "By the Numbers" die

Christmas leftovers

Happy first Friday of November!  Whoo, can you believe it is here already?  Only a few more weeks until Christmas.  Are you ready with all your Christmas cards?  No?  Well, here we are with another challenge from Christmas Stampin' All Year Long to help you along.  This week the challenge is Anything Goes.  Easy, right?  Here is my card:

I've been slowly going through all my crafty stuff to get it organized.  This week, I have been tackling some of my papers and card stock, organizing the bits in pieces into color groups so all I have to do is grab a group and I can find a piece I need.  One thing I found was this beautiful striped oval; it was already cut out and as soon as I saw it, I envisioned it as the base for a poinsettia.  And, voila!  It worked just as I thought.  LOVE it!  And the best part about this card is that not one single full sheet of paper was harmed in making this card.  Everything was from small off-cuts, even the white base.  I did have to cut into the red piece of mulberry paper that I used for the poinsettia, so that was the only casualty.  Remember Mulberry paper?  From way back, long ago.  Well, I used it for the flower and the leaves and the texture it adds is fabulous!  And it cuts AND embosses perfectly.  I will be pulling out more from my stash again in the near future.  Here is the inside with the rest of the sentiment and another scrap of that pretty striped paper:

Challenges:
Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge--layers
Treasured Times Challenge #28--anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper--anything goes
Sentimental Sunday #231--anything goes
Sweet Stamps--stripes
Seems a Little Sketchy #77--sketch

Card Mania #59--use your dies
Our Daily Bread Designs #217--holidays
Loves Rubber Stamps #125--anything goes
Word Art Wednesday #157--anything goes with uplifting sentiment
Crafting By Designs--anything goes
The Stamping Chef #54--anything goes
Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Wonderful Wednesday--anything goes
C.R.A.F.T. #284--winter

Supplies:
Stamps: Verve "Merry & Bright" all sentiments
Dies: spellbinders: "Layered Poinsettia", Classic Ovals, large; "Floral Doily Motifs", and "Scalloped Tags"
Paper: DCWV Christmas pack