Quick Christmas cards

I got several large scale sentiment stamps from STAMPlorations just before Christmas and I finally got a chance to play with them the other day.  I decided to keep them simple and let the sentiments shine.  The first one is different from the others in that I used a stencil to create the background.

I used a starburst stencil and stamped the sentiment over top.  Then I die cut the panel with a stitched rectangle die, matted it with silver and adhered it to a dark blue card base.  I finished it off with some sequins (adding a star sequin to the center of the star burst as if the rays were coming out of it.)

The other cards were created with different water coloring techniques.

For this card, I used water color pens and water on water color paper.  Then stamped the sentiment (several times using my mini MISTI) and added a few gold sequins to match the gold mat.

For this card, I used actual water colors: red and green, and where they mixed together it looks a bit brownish/gold.  I heat embossed the sentiment with gold on this one, but the next time I will used black as the gold doesn't create enough distinction in the banner part of the sentiment.  I used a gold mat and red sequins to finish this one

I think this last one is my favorite!  I used shades of blue and purple water colors, heat embossed the sentiment in black.  I finished it off with a silver mat and purple sequins.  Everything was adhered to a dark purple card base.

Supplies:

Card #1:

Stamps: STAMPlorations "A Child is Born--Typographia Christmas"

Dies: MFT "Blueprints 13" stitched rectangle

Taylored Expressions stencil "Here Comes the Sun"

Challenges:

Moving Along with the Times #114--all things new (I got all of the stamps just before Christmas)

Die Cut Divas--new things

Craft Rockets #66--something new

STAMPlorations Stencil Challenge--anything goes with a stencil

The Paper Girls--new (new stamp)

Creative Fingers #177--anything goes

Crafty Sentiments--anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--use a stencil

Card #2:

Stamps: STAMPlorations "A Child is Born--Typographia Christmas"

Challenges:

Unicorn Challenge #40--CAS

Love To Craft Challenge Blog #42--anything goes

Merry Little Christmas Challenge #18--anything goes

Incy Wincy--anything goes

Tuesday Throwdown #448--something new (new stamp)

Crafter's Cafe #234--CAS

Cute Card Thursday #617--what's new (new stamp)

Card #3: 

Stamps: STAMPlorations "Angels on High--Typographia Christmas"

Challenges:

Christmas Cards All Year 'Round--anything goes Christmas or holiday

ABC Christmas--A is for anything goes

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #63--anything goes

STAMPlorations CAS--anything goes with the optional twist: metallic

Penny's Challenge--anything goes

Little Red Wagon #532--After Christmas is before Christmas

Krafty Chicks #490--CAS

Card #4:

Stamps: STAMPlorations "All Ye Faithful--Typographia Christmas"

Challenges:

Through the Purple Haze #163--anything goes

Creative Inspirations--something new or something old (the sentiment I got just before Christmas and the purple card stock I've had for a couple years)

STAMPlorations Never-ending--anything goes with a STAMPlorations product

Southern Girls--anything goes

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #122--anything goes

Try Stampin' on Tuesday #440--sketch or theme: wet (I used watercolors)

Word Art Wednesday--anything goes with uplifting sentiment

As You Like It--anything goes

Sparkly birthday

Happy Wednesday!!  It's time for another challenge from The House That Stamps.  This week we have a beautiful inspiration photo for you:

And here is the card I created:

 Inspiration photo challenges are my least favorite challenge, probably ever!!  I really struggle mixing colors together and having them look good together.  Just being real here.  But, that's why they are called challenges, right?  So, at first look, my card might not have a lot to do with the photo, but I used the dark blue and turquoise from the color combo and threw in some purple (both light and dark) sequins.  Also, the flowers in the background and the scallops on the border mimic the shape of the rosettes.  I started my card with a sketch in mind and created the flower panel.  I stamped the image with Cracked Sapphire Distress Oxide ink onto turquoise card stock and then I used three shades of blue distress oxides to blend around the panel.  I finish it off with just a tiny bit of soot distress oxide ink around the very edges.  Once I created the panel, I loved it so much, I just couldn't bear to cover it up, so I had to go in a different direction and create my own layout.  I had a bit of navy ribbon and the scalloped die cut in my bits and pieces stash.  I used some silver Metallic Gilding Polish to create a silver mat for my floral panel.  Then I saw the Silver Glimmer Kiss paste and decided to add some sparkle around the edge of the floral panel.  It was a bit nerve-wracking as I knew once I started there was no going back.  It didn't work exactly how I wanted, but I decided to go with it and I really LOVE the sparkle it added.  (You can see all the sparkle in the photo below.)

I die cut the "happy" out of silver glitter card stock and 3 more times out of dark blue card stock to layer together to add dimension.  I heat embossed the "birthday" with white embossing powder on navy card stock and matted the entire panel on navy as well.  Then I added the sequins sprinkled around!  It is soooooo gorgeous in real life!  This is going to go to a young woman at our church who is turning 18 this week!

Thanks for stopping by!  Make sure you head on over to The House blog to see what the rest of the Design Team has done with this photo (most of them have done a much better job sticking to the picture).  And if you "need" any of the stamps I used, check out my 10% off your entire order coupon code over in my lift sidebar.

Supplies:

Stamps: Repeat Impressions "Flower Power Background" and "Birthday"
Dies: MFT "happy trio"

Challenges:
Crafty Sentiment--anything goes
Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #122--anything goes
Pixie's Crafty Workshop #369--anything goes with snippets (the two pieces from my bits and pieces stash; also the "happy" pieces were all die cut from scraps and the turquoise layer was a scrap)
Your Next Stamp #130--shades of blue
Creative Fingers #177--anything goes
Cute Card Thursday #616--embellish
C.R.A.F.T. #540--anything goes
Double Trouble #47--hot or cold (Thing #1: embossing--I heat embossed the sentiment)
Use Your Stuff #389--anything goes
Sugar Pea Designs Meant to Be Sent--celebration (this will go in the mail tomorrow morning--edited: it went in the mail 1/16)

Creative Craft Cottage #125--anything goes
Penny Black--make it feminine
Brown Sugar #299--anything goes
Through The Purple Haze #163--anything goes

The Unicorn made me do it

This adorable unicorn was just begging to be put on a super fun card.  And what goes better with unicorns than rainbows and sparkle?!  The die cut cloud panel was already in my bits and pieces stash.  I had made it for a different project and it just didn't work.  I sponged on ink in rainbow colors on the card base where they would show through the die cut openings.  I colored and fussy cut the unicorn and popped it up on the panel with some foam tape.  I stamped the sentiment by doing some creative masking and then I sprinkled sequins around for some sparkle.

 This sentiment is perfect for me because I am always running late with my birthday cards.  I added some wink of stella to the unicorns wings; you can see it in the photo below:

Supplies:
Stamps: Bugaboo Stamps "Bug Sweet Unicorn" digi; CAS-ual Fridays "Be a Unicorn"
Dies: MFT "Bold Stripes Cover Up Die"
Taylored Expresions cloud stencil

Challenges:
Unicorn Challenge #50--CAS
Cutie Pie #143--cute, clean and simple
Love To Craft Challenge Blog #42--anything goes
Creative Craft Cottage #125--anything goes
2 Crafty Critter Crazies--anything goes
STAMPlorations Stencil challenge--anything goes using a stencil (stenciled clouds)

Creative Knockouts #332--celebrations
Southern Girls--anything goes

Birthday Wishes

I've had a chance to just play this week; it doesn't happen very often!  And since I need a birthday card for a family member; this is the result:

 I die cut and embossed the circle frame from a scrap of rather ugly yellow card stock and then covered it with Copper Metallic Gilding polish; now it looks like a cool metal embellishment.  I stamped and fussy cut this gorgeous flower and leaves  combo.  While I was trying to add glitter to the center with some stickles, I had a bit of an accident, so I had to stamp it again and cut out just the top layer.  That way it adds some dimension as well.  The ribbon was in my bits and pieces stash and was just the right length.  I die cut the "happy" sentiment, stamped "birthday" and finished everything off with some clear sequins and some glitter.  Simple, sparkly, and beautiful!

Supplies:
Stamps: Altenew "Beautiful Day" flower and leaves; Verve "Surely Goodness" birthday
Dies: Spellbinders circle (can't remember the name of the set right now); MFT "happy trio"
Inks: Distress Oxides "Peacock Feathers", "Denim", "Chipped Sapphire" and "Soot"

Challenges:
YNS #130--shades of blue
Creative Fingers #177--anything goes
Cute Card #616--embellish
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--fun with florals
Penny's Challenge #462--anything goes
Fab n Funky #463--no patterned paper
Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #121--anything goes
Cardz TV #105--anything goes
Kat Scrappiness--no patterned paper
Word Art Wednesday #421--anything goes with uplifting sentiment
Through the Purple Haze #163--anything goes
Feeling Sketchy #232--sketch

Love To Craft Challenge Blog #42--anything goes
Brown Sugar #297--anything goes
Creative Inspiration--something new or something old (both dies are 4+ years old and the ribbon I have had at least 12 years as I used it for my sister's bridal shower favors.  And the flower set I have only had for a couple months, so it is new; this is only the second time I have used it)
Penny Black--make it feminine
Creative Craft Cottage #125--anything goes

I mean it

My second Valentine's Day card:

 It's simple and I love it!!  The die cut heart and sentiment strip were in my bits and pieces stash.  And the patterned paper was a scrap, I only had to trim a bit off the length.  For a little more interest I stamped a damask background stamp with a light pink on the card base.  It's so subtle and pretty in real life.

Supplies:
Stamps: Lawn Fawn "Somebunny"; MFT "Essential Sentiments"; JustRite Stampers damask background
Dies: MFT "Bold Stripes" cover up die; the die cut heart was a gift from a friend

Challenges:
Pattie's Creations #166--anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper--anything goes with patterned paper
Brown Sugar #297--anything goes
Penny Black--make it feminine
2 Crafty Critter Crazies--anything goes
Paper Funday--anything goes with the optional twist: friendship
Cardz TV #105--anything goes
Pink Gem--anything goes
Use Your Stuff #389--anything goes
Crafty Sentiments--anything goes
C.R.A.F.T. #540--anything goes
ART Impressions #273--Hugs & Kisses
Crafty Catz #488--anything goes with the optional twist: animals
Stick It Down--sketch

You're Sweet

It's time to start my Valentine's Day cards.  It's also the time of year when I feel the desire to really work on using up my bits and pieces stash.  The two events seem to work well together.  Here's my first Valentine:

The pieced tag and the small piece of patterned paper the cupcake wrapper is stamped on (used it for some paper piecing) were both in my bits and pieces stash.  The gray strip, the heart, the cupcake and the sentiment panel were all made from scraps, so this is a very scrappy card!

Supplies:
Stamps: PTI "Baker's Dozen" cupcake; MFT "Candy Jar Companions" sentiment and pink hearts
Dies: Spellbinders "Scalloped tag trio" tag and "Label's One" sentiment panel; Sweet n Sassy Stamps heart; PTI "Baker's Dozen"

Challenges:
Crafter's Cafe #234--Something beginning with "c" (Cupcakes)
Word Art Wednesday #421--anything goes with uplifting sentiment
Craft-Dee Bow Z--anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper--anything goes with patterned paper
Creative Sketchy Girls #43--anything goes
Love To Craft Challenge Blog #42--anything goes
Creative Inspiration--something new or something new (I chose old; I've had the cupcake stamp set for several years, probably over 5, the heart die and tag dies as well)
Crafty Calendar--add a tag
Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2--sketch

Pink Gem Challenge--anything goes
Incy Wincy--anything goes
Use Your Stuff #389--anything goes
Crafty Sentiment--anything goes
Little Red Wagon #531--have your cake and eat it too

Christmas Cheer

Happy Wednesday!!  It's time for another challenge from The House That Stamps Built.  This week we have a fun Tic Tac Toe board for you:

  Tic Tac Toe challenges are probably one of my favorite challenges (other than sketch challenges).  I love that you can pick and choose what YOU want to do for the challenge.  I don't usually take time to make fun folds, but for this challenge I decided to step outside my comfort zone and have a little fun.

Here is what I created for your inspiration:

I decided to go with a swing (flip) card so I could use one of the awesome swing stamp sets from Repeat Impressions.  I think with all of my swing sets I have cut apart the sentiments and images so I can use them as intended or in whatever way I want to use them.

I used the top row of the board: Fun Fold, Snowmen, Silver/Gold (I used gold eyelets for just a touch of gold).

The poor snowman on the front looks so plain, but once you open up the card, he puts on all his Christmas cheer!

At first, I was thinking there wasn't any place for writing a greeting, but there is plenty of space on the back of the card.  If you are interested in making your own Swing (Flip) card, I used this tutorial, and she has a whole A-Z list of fun folds that you can check out here.

Thanks for stopping by!  Make sure you head on over to The House blog to see what the rest of the Design Team has done with this photo.  And if you "need" any of the stamps I used, check out my 10% off your entire order coupon code over in my lift sidebar.

Supplies:

Stamps: Repeat Impressions "Snowman 2-sided Swing Stamp Set" (both images and all of the sentiments are included in the set) and "Holly Sprig"

Dies: Verve "Vintage Oval"; MFT "Blueprints 25" stitched banner; PaperTrey Ink fancy border die

Challenges:
C.R.A.F.T. #539--Christmas: the last stretch
Word Art Wednesday #420--anything goes with uplifting sentiment
Crafty Creations #405--anything goes
Cute Card Thursday #615--anything goes
Krafty Chicks--stamp act
Christmas Cares All Year 'Round--anything Christmas or holiday
Crafts Galore #71--anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper--anything goes with patterned paper
Creative with Stamps #46--scarf

Stinkin' Inkers--warm up
ABC Christmas--A is for Anything Goes B is for Bingo (I chose anything goes)