Christmas Wishes

I had several patterned paper squares sitting on my desk from these cards.  Though, I didn't use those patterns together, I really liked the color combo and thought it would be perfect for creating some CAS Christmas cards.  I love how these turned out.  So pretty, but really simple to create (specially when half of the work was already done for me!)

 I only had six squares, so I actually had to cut two more to finish the second card.  But it was worth it.  I used two different sentiment from the same stamp and switched the layout of the squares on the second card just to change things up a a little.

Supplies:
Stamps: Verve "Ornamental Christmas" sentiments
Dies: Repeat Impressions "Flip Fancy Die Set" rounded rectangle; Memory Box "Lindeman Snowflake"

Challenges:
Unicorn Challenge #49--Christmas/winter
Christmas at Sweet Stampin--anything goes with the optional twist: trees
Crafting with an Attitude #57--anything goes
Creative Inspirations--winter blues
Creative Craft Cottage #124--add buttons and/or bows
Crimbo-Crackers #197--blue
Alphabet--Q is for quick and easy
Sweet Stampers #38--Christmas
Pixie's Crafty Workshop #365--anything goes with snippets (the squares were left over from previous cards and the snowflakes were die cut from scrap white card stock)
Creative Moments #180--baby it's cold outside
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #464--anything goes with the optional twist: glitter (which I did not use)
Crafty Friends #123--Christmas
Crafty Sentiments--Christmas

Pick of the Week

Today is my day to share my Pick of the Week on The House That Stamps Built blog.  It is the second installment of my "Pinterest Inspired" series where I take a card I have found on Pinterest and recreate it using Repeat Impressions stamps.  Here is the card I was inspired by:

As soon as I saw this card, I thought how perfect it would be for using some of Repeat Impressions flip sets.  These were designed in series to be used to make flip or waterfall cards.  And while those are really fun, this idea gives you a way to stretch your stamps and use them in a different way.  Here is my first card, which, you can see if very closely inspired by the inspiration card:

 There are four images plus a sentiment in each Flip set, but for my cards, I only used 3 of the images as four would not have fit on the card front this way.  I used the I used the smallest square from the Flip Fancy Die Set to cut out three squares from the card front.  The dies are sized perfectly to just fit the images from the flip set, so I used the die cut card front as a template to lay out where to stamp on a strip of white card stock.  Then I stamped the images from "Hugs Flip Set", colored them, and adhered the entire strip to the back of the front panel.  I stamped the sentiment, tied some twine with a cute little heart die cut and was finished!
Since I'm not finished with Christmas cards yet, I made a second card in exactly the same way:

For this card, I used "Shepherd Flip Set", again, using only three of the images.  Because I was using a darker patterned paper for this one, I heat embossed the sentiment with Gold Tinsel embossing powder.  Instead of the heart I added a little tag to the bow and finished it off with "Holly Sprig" to add a festive little touch.  I hope this inspires you to look at your stamps in a different light, and see if you can use them in ways other than how they were intended.

Supplies:

Stamps: Repeat Impressions "Hugs Flip Set", "Shepherd Flip Set" and "Holly Sprig"

Dies: Repeat Impressions "Flip Fancy Die Set"

Challenges:

Card #1:

Craft Dee Bow-Z--anything goes with a handmade bow

Cutie Pie #141--add an animal

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper--anything goes with patterned paper

Love To Craft Challenge Blog #40--anything goes

Crafty Calendar--cute and girly

Stinkin' Inkers--die-licious and punchy

2 Crafty Critter Crazies--anything goes

Crafting By Designs--anything goes

Cardz TV #102--anything goes

Penny's Challenge # 456--anything goes

Card #2:

Unicorn Challenge #49--Christmas/winter

Christmas at Sweet Stampin--anything goes with the optional twist: trees

Cards Galore #69--anything goes

Pattie's Creations #164--anything goes

Creative Sketchy Girls #41--Christmas

Sheepski Designs--Christmas is coming

Brown Sugar #295--anything goes

Penny Black--Christmas

Merry Little Christmas #16--anything goes

Winter Wonderland--holly and/or ivy

The Paper Shelter--Christmas spirit

As You Like It--Favorite: cute or traditional Christmas (I prefer traditional Christmas, specially if it shows the true meaning of Christmas like this little manger scene.  But if it can be cute AND traditional, all the better!)

Creative Fingers #174--anything goes

Sweet Stampers #38--Christmas

Make My Monday #109--red, green, white

Cute Card Thursday #608--festive

I appreciate you

It's Saturday!!  That means it's time for another challenge from Di's Digi Designs.

The challenge this time is: Show Thanks (Thank yous, Thanksgiving, etc.)
And here is my card for your inspiration:

Our pastor at our church is retiring at the end of the year.  He's been at the church for 30+ years as the pastor and he grew up in the church, as well.  So, it is going to be a big change for us.  We are having a celebration gala for him and his wife at the end of November and I think this is the card I will give him.  Words can't describe how much we all appreciate him.

I hope you will get a chance to play along with us; I can't wait to see what you create.  And make sure you hop over to the Di's Digital Designs blog to see what the rest of the team has made for this challenge.

Supplies: 

Stams: Di's Digi Stamps "MP3 Mike" digi; Pretty Pink Posh "Thoughtful Greetings" sentiment and stars

Dies: MFT "Blueprints 13" rounded rectangles

Challenges:
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper--anything goes
Die Cut Divas--thanksgiving/thank you
Dare 2B Artzy--thankful
Crafting By Designs--anything goes
Kat Scrappiness--Let's give thanks
Cuttlebug Mania--thank you
Try Stampin' on Tuesday #433--sketch

Word Art Wednesday #413--anything goes with uplifting sentiment
Simon Says Stamp Monday--thinking of you
Crafty Sentiment--anything goes
Penny's Challenge #456--anything goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--thank you/thanksgiving
Little Red Wagon #523--don't be shy (use more than two words)

Birthday Flyby

My twins recently celebrated their 11th birthday.  I had made one of these never-ending/infinity cards with monkeys for the older one.  When you have twins, what one gets, the other must get, too.  So, I had to make an infinity card for the younger as well.  Her favorite color is purple, so I loaded it with multiple shades and patterns of it.  And I just love this Dragon set by MFT so I had to use it.  You can't tell, but on all of the dragons, I used a clear Wink of Stella pen to glitter their wings.  This is the first "page"; the one I had set so she would see it first:

 This is the second one:

 It is probably my favorite, as I just love the pattern combo and how lovingly the little princess is looking up at the dragon.  Plus, he is my favorite from the set, 'cause he looks a little lost and confused.

The third one shoes a happy little knight ready to usher in the happy:

 And while I would have preferred each "page" to be self-contained, I do love this little dragon peeking over the top before he has his own "page" with an adorable little friend:

I left a blank spot where I wrote a little message to her.

Supplies:

Stamps: MFT "Magical Dragons" images and first sentiment and "Magical Birthday" second sentiment; PTI "Big Birthday Wishes" third sentiment

Dies: PTI "By the Numbers"

Challenges:

Lil' Red Wagon #523--don't be shy (use lots of words)

Crafty Creations #402--anything goes

Addicted to Stamps #367--make your mark

Pink Gem Challenge--anything goes

Cardz TV #102--anything goes

Creative Fingers #174--anything goes

Scor-pal #65--birthday for Fall (I used my scor-pal to score two lines on each of the 3"x6" panels)

Crafty Calendar--cute and girly

Cutie Pie #141--add an animal

Love To Craft Challenge Blog #40--anything goes

Prize Pumpkin

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:

  

Here is what I created for your inspiration:

I used the very top row: pumpkins, gold or orange, and watercolor.  I also used buttons and shimmer/sparkle as my gold layers are very shimmery.  I stamped and water colored my pumpkin, and then framed it with a piece of white card stock that I turned gold with my Gold Treasure Gilding Polish.  I then die cut a smaller rectangle, embossed it and rubbed the gilding polish over the raised portions and used that panel as a second frame.  Finished everything off with a sheer green bow and some buttons.

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 "Prize Pumpkin"

Dies: Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large"; MFT "Blueprints 13" stitched rectangle
Cuttlebug embossing folder

Challenges:
If You Give a Crafter a Cookie #129--inspiration photo (I was inspired by the cute pumpkin!  and the orange color)

STAMPlorations Theme & Prompt--stamps & circles

Craft Dee Bow-Z--anything goes with handmade bow
Pattie's Creations #164--anything goes
Brown Sugar #295--anything goes
Stinkin' Inkers--die-licious and punchy
Retro Rubber #123--anything goes (I have had this pumpkin stamp since October of 2015--4 years!  And it's still probably my favorite pumpkin stamp.)
Sketch Saturday #589--sketch

Cute Card #607--anything goes
Cardz TV #102--anything goes

Peace

Happy Wednesday!!  It's time for another challenge from The House That Stamps.  This week is a Designer's Choice Challenge and Laurie has chosen: Frame It

And here is the card I created:

I started with the Marquee frame embossed in with a gold tinsel embossing powder and stamped the Peace sentiment in the middle in a dark brown.  At first, I had stamped, colored and fussy cut just the two pinecones and the bow on the left side, but it seemed to need a little something more, so I added a third pinecone.  I think it definitely helps to balance things out.  The pinecones gave it a rustic feel, so I chose some paper to match and matted that with gold glitter paper to match the embossed frame.  And then I added some gold eyelets (yes, they still exist!  At least in my stash!)

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 "Pine Cone", "Striped Bow", "Marquee Frame, large", and "Peace"

Dies: none

Challenges:
Crafty Sentiments--anything goes
ART Impressions #269--holiday cards
Crimbo Crackers #196--anything goes
C.R.A.F.T. #534--winter (Christmas is in the winter)
Cute Card Thursday #606--Christmas/holiday
Your Next Stamp #126--Holiday Wishes
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #462--anything goes with the optional twist: something beginning with "H" (I used Heat embossing)
Sketch Saturday #588--sketch

Christmas at Sweet Stampin--anything goes with the optional twist: stars (I have stars on my background paper)
Cards Galore #69--anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper--anything goes with patterned paper
Creative Sketchy Girls #41--Christmas
Sheepski Designs--Christmas is coming
Merry Little Christmas #16--anything goes
The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #59--anything goes

Soccer boy

A teenage boy at our church had a birthday this past week.  Teen age boys are HARD to make cards for!!  But . . . I had ordered this image from The Paper Shelter with this specific boy in mind a little while ago, so it was the obvious choice.  He is the goal keeper on the JV soccer team at a local High School.  I wasn't able to find out from his mom what color he wears, but I did use the school colors for the papers and I guess, goalies can wear any color as long as it isn't the same as the rest of the team, so I chose yellow as it went with the green.  I made my own soccer ball embellishments by drawing on the pentagon shapes on two circle die cuts.  I did a little bit of selected printing on the boy's shirt.  I had a pattern that I knew wouldn't match the uniform, so I first printed the image on regular copy paper, cut out just the center portion of the shirt to use as a mask and adhered it onto my card stock in the right place before printing again.  My mask wasn't exactly in the right place, so I had to draw the rest of the badge or pocket on the chest as it had partly printed.  But the mask did work to take out the rest of the pattern and I was pretty happy how it worked.  Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:
Stamps: The Paper Shelter "The Goalkeeper" digi; Raisin Boat "It's a Guy Thing" sentiment
Dies: Sweet n' Sassy Stamps grass border die; Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large"

Challenges:
Crafty Creations #401--anything goes
Pink Gem Challenge--anything goes
The Paper Shelter--make it square
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--anything goes
Creative Fingers #174--anything goes
Cards Galore #69--anything goes
Pattie's Creations #164--anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper--anything goes with patterned paper
Brown Sugar #295--anything goes
Creatalicious #174--anything goes with the optional twist: for a man