{PIN}spiration Challenge #88

Good evening!  Another challenge to tell you about!  

This time it's the 

{PIN}spirational Challenge -- 

Challenge #88!

Here is the photo inspiration for this week:

AND, it is the last challenge of 2013!  

The entire {PIN}spirational Team 

will be taking a break over the holidays.  

BUT, in the new year,

 there will be new challenges 

starting January 7, 2014!

Here is my card:

SPIES:

STAMPS:  Digital Image (Fresh Brewed); Digital Sentiment (Create with TLC).

PAPER: White, teal, tan and cotton candy cardstock;  DP - Merry Little Christmas (My Mind's Eye).

INK: Copics - Grey 01, Mint green, Pink, Baby skin pink.

EXTRAS: Labels die (Spellbinders); Decorative dies - Pendants & Fleur De Lis (Spellbinders); pink satin ribbon, white snowflake button.

Such a cutie little snow angel and the sentiment was just perfect with it.  I know I've been using my Spellbinders Pendant dies a lot recently.  They make really adorable snowflake elements especially since I have no really large snowflake dies.

I also double embossed the tan label die and you can see the tutorial I followed here.  

I'm sure many of you have seen this a long time ago.  However, I have always been a late bloomer and so seems  that I should be a late crafty bloomer too!

I'm entering my card 

in the following challenges this week:  

Curtain Call - # 15 Snowflakes

Clean & Simple  Stamping - FTL # 270

Now, stop by the {PIN}spirational Challenge Blog this week and take a look at what the design team created using this week's photo inspiration.

Then, make a project of your own, link it up and share it with us.  We love to see what you make!

Also, don't forget about the fabulous prize being given out this month at {PIN}spirational Challenge blog!  

Here are some photos of all you can win:

There's a lot of crafty goodies there!  

You can find a detailed list at the  {PIN}spirational Challenge  blog on what is all in there. 

  How can you enter?  

Easy -- 

Every entry you post for this challenge and the last 2 challenges (if you participated!!), your name will go into the draw.  

You can enter up to 5 times per challenge so by the time DEC 23rd

rolls around you could possibly have 15 entries and that means 15 times your name will go into the draw! 

The prize winner will be determined on December 23rd.

Wouldn't that be a 

nice little extra something 

for yourself 

under the tree!

{PIN}spirational Prize Blessings!

Sweet Christmas Magic

Hold on to your hats!  I have more cards to post today!  I don't know what was going on with me last week but I just struggled to create and/or have any creativity.  Or maybe my creative flow thrives more under pressure.  At any rate I'm blaming it on "menopause brain" for the most part.  My mind just seems to go all over the place at once with very little ability to concentrate these days.  Add the holiday season and some days I just want to crawl away somewhere, eat LOTS of BBQ wings and nachos, drink a mini keg of beer, watch some football or basketball and wait it out!  LOL  It's a good thing there's still 10 days left before Christmas!

However, the wings and beer are on the back burner maybe til Saturday when I will get to watch some Tarheel basketball in person with the Hubs and our son, Ben. Thank goodness for small miracles, as I woke today feeling a little more creatively energetic.  

I started this card over the weekend and it was one of those that just sat in pieces waiting for some umph power.  It's for this past week's {PIN}spiration challenge using this photo:

 {PIN}spirational Challenge #87

This past week was Team 2's week so I had the week off from DT duties seeing as how I'm on Team 1, but I wanted to play along.  It only took me all week to get it together!  I originally was going to concentrate on something wooden but then went with jars of candy instead:

SPIES:

STAMPS: Images- (Michaels $1 Bin); Sentiment - (American Crafts, I think).

PAPER: White, cotton candy and light olive cardstock.  DP - Be Merry (My Mind's Eye).

INK: Graphite Black (Tsuneko Brilliance); Tuxedo Black (Tsuneko Memento); Copics:  Holiday Blue; Rose Mist; Carmine, Sand.

EXTRAS: Scallop border die (Taylored Expressions); Corner rounder; Pink fringe ribbon; Sequins.

I used the sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch this week but I rearranged some of the elements by putting the center band at the bottom behind the sentiment and arranging the 3 images at center top.  The candy stamps was another bargain find, $1 each at Michaels I had purchased last winter around Valentine's Day.  I should have stamped them in the Graphite Black instead of the Black Tuxedo as I discovered the Graphite Black gives a brighter and crisper look.

Stop on over at {PIN}spirational Challenges and check out Design Team 2's projects and play along.  There's still a few hours left!

FOR CHALLENGES:

4 Crafty Chicks - #172 - Food & Drink

Sweet Candy Blessings!

TPE #230 - Photo Inspiration

Happy Monday!  Hope everyone had a nice weekend, particularly those in the path of the recent snowstorms.  Here in the south, it was rain again, lots and lots of rain.

Today, however, is looking to be pretty nice with sunshine and warmer temperatures.  Not exactly holiday weather, but I'm used to it.

If you are like me and still trying to get into the full swing of the holiday spirit,

then

pop on over to 

The Pink Elephant Challenge

for this week's challenge ---

This week we have a photo inspiration 

for you:

The Pink Elephant Challenge - #230 Photo Inspiration

Isn't that just a fantastic photo

chocked full of holiday warmth and coziness?

Come play along with us 

for some holiday crafting!

Here is my take on it:

SPIES:

STAMPS: Bow and Sentiment (Taylored Expressions); 

PAPER: White & black cardstock; DP - Making Merry (Little Yellow Bicycle).

INK: Versamark and white emboss powder. 

EXTRAS: lace border punch; Red tinsel emboss powder (on bow); holly stickers.

I decided to make one of the chalkboard easel cards I've done before.  Below is a side view to show you the easel a bit more clearly.

 Now it's your turn --

Use this week's photo inspiration 

to make 

those last minute Christmas cards and projects.

Then, link your project up 

at 

The Pink Elephant Challenge Blog 

and don't forget to check out

the other Design Team samples 

and 

leave them some blog luvin'! 

FOR FOLLOWING CHALLENGES:

Freshly Made Sketches #116

Eureka Stamps - #70 It's Starting To Look

The Sisterhood of Crafters - Christmas Sparkle

Merry Christmas 

and 

Happy Holiday Blessings!

Golden Tree

Happy Saturday!  It's a rainy one here but I know a lot of other people are getting pounded with the white stuff so I hope everyone stays safe and warm.

SPIES:

STAMPS: Tree -O Christmas Tree (Just Rite); Medallion (Inkadinkadoo).

PAPER: Red and green cardstock; DP -Holiday Traditions (Anna Griffin).

INK: Versarmark and gold emboss powder.

EXTRAS: Poinsetta emboss folder (Sizzix); Pendant die -Renaissance Heart (Spellbinders); Scallop stamp die (Spellbinders); doily; red velvet ribbon; gold polka dot tape (Stickepotamus).



FOR FOLLOWING CHALLENGES:

Cupcake Inspirations #240

Deconstructed Sketch #DS130

Saturday Blessings!

Birthday Critter

Good evening!  And Good Morning!  I guess I'm going to stay behind on my posting at least til Christmas gets here.  I just have to live with it.   My problem:  I've been absorbed in my crafting and I forget I've got stuff to post!  I guess I could have a worst excuse!  hahaha

And surprise surprise, not a Christmas card this time, but a birthday card! I've had the little digital bear image for a very long time and I don't know why I don't use him more.  He is such a cutie!  I printed him out on white cardstock and then again on the green polka dot paper.  I cut out the ribbon from the pattern paper and glued it to the image on white cardstock.

SPIES:

STAMPS: Bear -Digital(Squigglefly); Bottle caps & Birthday Sentiment - (Inkadinkadoo).

PAPER: Red, white, teal cardstock; DP - Christmas Wishes (Bella Blvd).

INK: Rocket Red (Tsukinko Brilliance); Bahama Blue & Pistachio (Tsukinko Memento). Copics:  Holiday Blue, Ice Mint, Lipstick Red.

EXTRAS: Circle Die (Spellbinders); Star Framelits (Sizzix); Circle punch; Pop dots.

FOR CHALLENGES:

Retro Blessings!

Winter's Butterfly

Finally, I'm taking time to post!  Been busy, busy, busy with various things for the holidays.  Finished our decorating but not before the very tip of our pre-lit tree blew out in a short power outage over the weekend!  Luckily, it's still under warranty and the company is sending us replacement bulbs. I'm praying they all work because about half the string are all black!

With that done, I also actually made it out to do a little shopping yesterday, not just to one mall, but two!  Then wound up coming home and ordering gifts online.  Thank goodness for free shipping!

Now, I've got about a week  left to get a lot of crafting finished.  Every year I always say I'm going to start Christmas crafting much earlier, and every year, it never happens.  LOL  There's always next year!

But I digress from the task at hand --- posting cards.  So, here is an elegant, shabby chic type card:

SPIES:

STAMPS:  Butterfly (Recollections); Digital Sentiment (TLC Creations).

PAPER: White and light blue cardstock; Vellum; DP - from stash.

INK: Versamark; Clear emboss powder.

EXTRAS: Medium butterfly punch (Martha Stewart); small butterfly punch (Fiskars); Label die (Taylored Expressions); Emboss folder (Spellbinders); Snowflake dies (Taylored Expressions); Flourish die (Sizzix); Decorative Dies - Renaissance Hearts, Contemporary Hearts & Fleur De Lis (Spellbinders); Stickles; blue gem dots.

My card started with the sentiment.  I just love that sentiment!  And so I had to combine snowflakes and butterflies.   I did alter the sentiment a bit by changing the color of "winter" to light blue instead of the basic black.   I made my snowflake with several different Spellbinders pendant dies as I don't have any large snowflake dies.  I cut one of each from vellum, white cardstock and patterned paper.  I have enough snowflakes now to make several more cards too.

I also realized I don't have any large butterfly die cuts either.  I used a butterfly stamp, stamped in Versamark, embossed clear and then added Diamond Stickles to them.  The smaller butterfly I punched out of vellum and then stickled. 

FOR FOLLOWING CHALLENGES:

Inspired By #  99

Your Next Stamp - December Photo Inspiration

Butterfly Blessings!

TPE #229 - A Recipe Challenge

Happy Monday to everyone on this cold, wintry day!  Hope everyone is staying warm and dry.

Being December, I am sure 

the U.S. and Canada 

are not the only places 

that are cold, snowy 

and just plain nasty outside today.

So, it's the perfect day 

to spend it crafting

with 

Ella and the entire design team

over at 

The Pink Elephant Challenge!

Today's challenge 

is a 

Recipe Challenge:

Recipe:  2 Pattern Papers, Ribbon & Sprinkle of Sparkle

Here's my card:

SPIES:

STAMPS: Digital Image & Sentiment - Lori Boyd Designs; Flowers (Taylored Expressions).

PAPER: Light olive green, Red & white cardstock; DP:  Be Merry (My Mind's Eye).

INK: Copics: Sepia, Light Walnut, Sand, Lightning Yellow, Ice Mint, Pale Olive, Begonia Pink, Shadow Pink, Pink, Rose Mist, Lipstick Red, Cadmium Red.

EXTRAS: Oval die cut (Spellbinders); Label Die cut (Spellbinders); Leaf die cut (Taylored Expressions); flower die cut (Taylored Expressions); Glossy Accents; Diamond Stickles; Pink satin ribbon; tiny gold gem dots; pop dots.

I chose a really cute digital stamp by Lori Boyd for my card. Those owls are just soooo adorable! After I colored them, I added some diamond Stickles for some sparkle on the big owl's hat and the little owl's ear muffs.  Then I added a little sparkle to some of the flowers too.

FOR FOLLOWING CHALLENGES:

The Deconstructed Sketch - #129

Stampin' For The Weekend - Use Some Red

Shopping Our Stash - Challenge #129 - Holiday or Winter 

Sister Act Card Challenge #35

Now, cozy up with a warm cup of coffee, tea or cocoa and join all of us

 at 

The Pink Elephant Challenge 

this week!

Don't forget 

to leave my fellow ladies on the design team 

some blog luv!

Happy "Owl-iday" Blessings!

A Vintage Christmas

Happy Thursday!  Central North Carolina seems to be in a bubble right now, as far as the weather goes, today and tomorrow. It is very warm and mild, not at all like much of the midwest to northeast is experiencing.  I hope everyone affected by current winter storms are staying safe and warm!  
The mountaineer girl in me wishes we would get even just a little bit of the snow.  But for now, I will have to settle for looking at my latest card here:

SPIES:

STAMPS: Image (Stampendous).

PAPER: Grey cardstock.

INK:Vintage Sepia (Versafine); Grayish Olive (Copics).

EXTRAS: Xmas Red Stickles. Snow White Dimensional Effect (DecoArt).

It's rare that the Hubs makes a suggestion on my stamp purchases but when he saw this holiday postcard stamp he bought it for me!  I'm so glad he did!  I love how this came out!

I bought the dimensional snow last year and hardly used it.  So I tried it on this card and love it.  It took me a bit to work it how I wanted.  It comes out somewhat fluffy but also wet. I applied it by using the tip like a pencil and then my finger to smear it around a bit.

It fits very well with the challenges at Just Us Girls , Papercraft Star and Sugar Creek Hollow.

FOR THE FOLLOWING CHALLENGES

Sugar Creek Hollow - #75 -Vintage Christmas

The Papercraft Star - Challenge #169

Vintage Christmas Blessings!

A Blessed Christmas

Hi All!

A country gingham card today with a little "jingly" to it!

SPIES:

STAMPS: Sentiment (Momenta).

PAPER: Kraft, white and red cardstock; Gingham DP from stash (it's so old)!

INK: Rocket Red (Dew Drop Brillance).

EXTRAS:  Fleur De Lis die square (Spellbinders); Emboss folder (Tim Holz); Triangle Framelits (Sizzix); Twine; wooden button; yellow flower brad; red mini bells.

FOR CHALLENGES:

The Friday Mashup - Challenge #137

Use Gingham, Kraft or Both