Tis The Season!

Good Evening!
Here's probably my last post for November 2015---

I've been busy crafting and cyber shopping today and didn't get this card posted in time for one of the challenges (Colour Me) I made it for.  Oh well, that's the way it goes sometimes. But the other two are still going on so that's good.

I used the colors from Colour Me -- Perfect Plum, Rich Razzleberry, Rose Red and Melon Mambo from Stampin' Up. All of my stamps are from Stamplorations. The sentiment is from "Holiday Sketches - Christmas Bells".  The tree was fashioned from two sets - "Celebrate Artsy" (the trunk) and "Mixed Media Elements" (tree layers).  

For Following Challenges:

Christmas Blessings!

Merry Poinsettia

Hello again!  I've got several more posts to make today, starting with this one.  I so love this  card!  I made it in mind for The Card Concept as a "clean and graphic" card and using the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches.  

Well, I forgot all about giving out the deets of my card!  So here they are:

The Poinsettia die is from Spellbinders.  The gold berry branches are from Poppy Stamps.  The sentiment is an old wood stamp from Recollections.  I stamped it on vellum with Versamark and then gold embossed it.  The background paper is from Michaels brand, Recollections.

For Following Challenges:

Christmas Blessings!

Peace on Earth-The Challenge #53

Happy Monday!

It's the last day of November 

and the 1st Monday of Advent/Christmas season!

Today we have an awesome challenge for you

at 

The Challenge --

Make a non-traditional Christmas card!

And check out all the DT's fabulous projects and leave them some blog lovin':

Anita Madden
Claire Broadwater
Diane Jaquay

Kim Heggins

Kimberly Wiener
Lee Ann Barrett

Lesley Croghan

Lori Tecler
Michele Ferguson

Nance Salkeld (You are HERE!)

--------------------------------------------------------

Featured Designer 

Geri
Guest Designer 

Bobby Hagen - of Bits and Pieces!

Here's my card --

I started out using a background panel I had made with Brusho Crystal Colors.  The original background was purple, pink and yellow.  Then, I did the Bokeh technique on it using white pigment ink.  The Bokeh effect made the background completely different from its original state.  I wish I had thought to photograph the original before I started.  Next time. ;) 

Confession: I haven't done a Bokeh background in a while so it took me two tries to get it right! Actually, the first time was on another Brusho background of red, pink and yellow and the Bokeh came out really well, but....after I stamped my sentiment, I thought it was dry (even took the dryer to it) and wanted to stamp a white circle partly on the sentiment to soften it down and it smeared big time!  UGH!  So I wound up cutting that one down and starting over with this one.  So this is try #2.  This time, I didn't have to restamp any white to get the partly transparent look of the sentiment.

I cut the dove die out of shiny silver textured cardstock.  For the life of me I cannot remember where I got the die.  I thought it was Poppy Stamps, but I'm not sure.  

For Following Challenges:

Peace & Blessings!

Polar Christmas

Happy Sunday!

Ok, that's a little strange for me to be saying.  Usually, I'm busy crafting and have no time to do postings!  I wanted to get this card in with Merry Monday.  So I can finally say I've played Merry Monday!  YAY!

My background was done with Brushos.  A couple weeks ago, I went over to Bonnie Klass' house (she's a fellow Cary-ite) and go to play around with her Brushos.  Now they're on my Christmas list!  They are sooooo cool and fun!  It's amazing to watch the color just burst when you sprinkle the powder onto water soaked watercolor paper or to sprinkle it on watercolor paper and then squirt water onto it.  She also showed me a technique using spray starch instead of water.  Makes the colors a little more vibrant.  I came home with a nice stack of backgrounds to use like I did here or to use with die cuts, which I will do shortly.  The colors I used for this background were all blues, if you can believe it.  When it mixed with the starch, flecks of purple and black appeared.  

The stamps I used are from Mama Elephant Memory Box, "Gnome for Christmas." I used a bit of Snow glitter on the tree and hill and diamond Stickles on the sky to make it glimmer a bit.  Yeah, I'm a little "old school" in that I only have one Wink of Stella pen and it's gold.  So, I stick with my Stickles for now.  I used a Heidi Swapp stencil to make the snowfall.

Christmas Blessings!

Thankful For You - Crafty TBT#4

In honor of Thanksgiving today, I'm sharing a craft I made three years ago --- napkin holders.  I'm surprised they've held up so far.

THANKSGIVING BLESSINGS!

Happy Holidays

Completely forgot to post this card for the Time Out Challenge.  

I'm getting in just in time! --

I used a Christmas tree die from Tim Holtz.  Cut it out and then used the negative as a stencil and stenciled the image in Mowed Lawn.  Then stamped the sentiment from Fiskars in Versafine black ink and added a Mustard Seed star stenciled on the top of the tree.

Time Out Challenges -#44 Caseing

Holiday Blessings!

World of Joy - The Challenge #52

Happy Monday!

It's the week of Thanksgiving here in the U.S., 

which means 

the start of the holiday season.

So, check out this week's challenge 

at

The Challenge --

Make a Christmas Card!

Check out the rest of the team's projects 

and 

leave them some blog love!

Anita Madden
Claire Broadwater
Diane Jaquay

Kim Heggins

Kimberly Wiener
Lee Ann Barrett

Lesley Croghan

Lori Tecler
Michele Ferguson

Nance Salkeld (You are HERE!)

--------------------------------------------------------

Featured Designer 

Geri
Guest Designer 

 Kim Lackenbach of Kim Creates!

Here's my card:

I was playing with some of my new Christmas dies and one was a nativity scene.  Then, I got this epiphany, or at least for me it was--use my Reverse Confetti globe die with the baby Jesus.  LOL! I probably should Google it and there will be lots of other card makers with the same epiphany!  lol  Anyway, I love how it came out with the red heart and gold/silver globe with gold stenciled stars in the background.  I used Staz On metallic gold for the stars.  The sentiment is Ellen Hutson. The baby Jesus and gold star over him is part of a nativity die from Impression Obsession.  I also used a postage die from Simon Says.  

Enjoy!

For Following Challenges:

Holiday Challenge Blessings!

Be Merry

Good Morning Monday!

An early post for this last November Monday--

So in four days the holiday season in the U.S. will be "officially" started.  So, I'm trying to get in full Christmas card making mode.  I know, I'm a little behind as I know a lot of people have almost all of their's done by now.  Yet, life has been hectic for me trying to catch back up on my own life after helping my Mom out.  And, it's almost as if there's something in my brain that just can't get wrapped around Christmas until after Veteran's Day.  I don't know.  LOL

Anyway, this card was inspired by this week's Muse card challenge. All of the stamps used, including the sentiment, are from Stamplorations.  The tag is from Poppy Stamps. 

FOR FOLLOWING CHALLENGES:

Muse Card Club- #142

Merry Blessings!

Let It Snow - The Challenge #51

Happy Monday!

Time for another challenge at 

The Challenge!

This week is an 

inspiration challenge 

with a super, warm-your-heart 

kind of inspiration!

The Design Team has cooked up some really fabulous projects to inspire you further!

Anita Madden
Claire Broadwater
Diane Jaquay

Kim Heggins

Kimberly Wiener
Lee Ann Barrett

Lesley Croghan

Lori Tecler
Michele Ferguson

Nance Salkeld (You are HERE)

--------------------------------------------------------

Featured Designer  Geri Greening

Guest Designer Shannon Jamarillo

Here's my card:

The white background is white cardstock painted with gesso and then swiped with a blue gelato stick blended with water. The hill die is a fancy border die is Spellbinders.  The sled and Santa hat are dies from Poppy Stamps.  The sentiment die is Lawn Fawn.  Scalloped stitched background is WPlus9. The bear is a stamp set from Memory Box and I glittered him.  
I'm a tad late getting my card posted.  I've been spending some time with my youngest son, Ben.  He may be moving out again shortly after the holidays when he is promoted to management of a new JM store in Chapel Hill.  And, with the big screen temporarily in the living room while the family room gets a floor makeover, he's forced to spend more time upstairs (his room is in basement next to family room) with his folks! I don't think he really minds since we let him control the remote.  ;)  

Warm Wintry Challenge Blessings!

Klassy Lady- Cards & Goodies

TGIF!

Happy Friday!

I want to give a shout out to a new crafty friend of mine, Bonnie Klass of Stamping with Klass.  A few months back Bonnie and I met via our blogs and playing in many of the same card challenges.  I was also looking for a new local Stampin' Up! person and realized Bonnie was one and lives in the same town as me -- Cary, NC!  

We started chatting via email, first about my Stampin' Up order and then the fact we live near each other.  When I got back in town in October, after caring for my mom, we met for a long, nice chatty lunch.  We both felt like we had known each other for a long time.  Bonnie then invited me to several different card groups she heads up.  So, I've spent the past two Thursdays at Bonnie's WONDERFUL craft room stamping and playing around with different crafty things like Gelatos and Brushos.  

The trio of cards in my photo are cards designed by Bonnie that I made at her card class last week.  I can only take credit for following her directions!  LOL  She is such a talented and creative card maker.  I enjoyed perusing her craft room and gawking and drooling over her cards and Stampin' Up! inventory.  

Then, this week (yesterday) I joined her again at her home with two of her other crafty friends and had a wonderful time chatting and playing around with Gelato sticks and Brusho Crystal Colours.  I came home with many beautiful, juicy painted backgrounds to use on future cards AND some delicious sourdough bread made by Bonnie also!  Not to mention I got a lot more inspiration for my own creative endeavors!  

If you haven't played with Brushos yet -- they are the coolest!  Much like Ken Oliver's Color Burst, but I believe Brushos come in more colors and are more affordable.  You can get a 12 pack on Amazon for $42.  Not bad.

Thank you and hugs to you, Bonnie!  Can't wait to get inky and crafty with you and all the others again!  

Crafty Friend Blessings!

Peace, Love, Joy - Retro Style

How about a retro Christmas card?  That's what I've made ---

I used some patterned paper from Papertrey Ink's "Sparkle & Shine" paper pack for my background and for my trees.  The sentiment is a stamp set from Ellen Hutson, which I think goes really well with the retro feel.   The garlands are a die from Poppy Stamps.

For Following Challenges -

Retro Christmas Blessings!

Let Us Give Thanks

Happy Veteran's Day

and
Happy Remembrance Day!

Thank a Veteran today!

My card is pretty appropriate for today, even though I didn't actually plan it that way.  Yet, it is very appropriate that we celebrate Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving in the same month, here in America. 

My card uses all Paper Sweeties stamps, except for the sentiment, which is Reverse Confetti.  I colored all the stamps with Copics and Spectrum Noirs.  The background sunsent was sponged using Spiced Marmalade, Barn Door Red and Mustard Seed distress inks.

Inside of card

FOR FOLLOWING CHALLENGES:

Poppy Talk

Happy Tuesday!

Yes!  I have a card to post on Tuesday!  LOL  I'm just tickled I've been able to craft some more lately.  I'm suppose to be putting down a new tile floor, but Lowes messed up and the tile's not in yet!  Sooooo---this is a much better way to spend my time right now!  ;)

I've been wanting to play in the Fusion challenge for a long time, but seems to always elude me --- until today.  

The inspirational photo was so gorgeous this week I wanted to do something fairly dramatic.  I did go a little rogue and put my sentiment in a different spot.  I used Dylusions spray (red & yellow) inks and lots of water on watercolor paper for the red oval.  I stamped the poppies in Versafine on blue cardstock.  

Poppy Blessings!

Bouquet of Thanks

I don't believe I've got another post for today!  YAY!

This card uses Paper Sweeties stamps-- rose, vase and sentiment.  I used my MISIT (so love my MISTI) and masked off the rose stamp over and over.  I stamped them in distress ink as I was going for a water color look and wanted to use that stamp, which is a solid stamp.  I stamped some of the roses extra for a darker shade here and there.  Then masked off the bottom roses to stamp the vase.  I kept the card fairly simple so the flowers would stay the focal point.  

For Following Challenges:

Bouquet Blessings!