Another Santa and a Good Luck Card!

Hi everyone - happy Monday! I'm popping in today with a couple of cards. First up - a different version of the vintage Santa I posted earlier this month. I'm sharing it as card #2 for Christmas Kickstart #102 - Santa in September.

Supplies: Paper - Paper Studio A2 card;

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White;

Christmas plaid by unk

Stamps - Stampendous Jolly Santa

Dies - AJVD Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Other - Copic Markers; foam tape;

Tim Holtz Christmas Snippets ephemera; 

Stamped the Santa on Neenah and colored with Copics. Fussy cut and added with foam tape to a plaid paper die cut with a stitched rectangle. Adhered the panel to an A2 card & added Tim Holtz ephemera. I like this version better than the earlier one I did. What do you think?

Next I have a good luck card for my friends in Spice Quartet who are heading to Sweet Adelines competition in Columbus Ohio next month:

Supplies: Paper - Recollections A2 card;

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White;

Tim Holtz nature patterned paper; scrap of kraft cardstock

Stamps - Lawn Fawn Sophie's Sentiments

Stamps with Dies - Colorado Craft Company Spice of Life Bundle

Dies - AJVD Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Other - Copic Markers; foam tape;

Star Dust Stickles

Because of the quartet name, I ordered a Colorado Craft Company set with drying spices on it. It also has some spice related sentiments, one of which I used on the inside. Simply stamped four spices and the drying rod & colored with Copics, die cut and adhered to a stitched rectangle. Added to an A2 card and stamped "good luck" with a Lawn Fawn sentiment set. Quick and easy!

Since my spices are new, I'll add this card to Darnell's September NBUS Challenge 78.

That's it for today, friends. If you missed the first of my Tim Holtz Stamptember Festive Workshop posts, go HERE.

Thanks for visiting and have a crafty day!

Christmas - No Nativity and a Good Luck Card

Happy Monday - hope you had a great weekend! I got a lot done, including a Christmas card and a good luck card. First up - the Christmas card made with the current Christmas Kickstart Challenge in mind - nothing related to a Nativity.

Supplies: Paper - Spellbinders A2 card;

Neenah White, Lawn Fawn Knit Picky;

BoBunny Snowfall & Winter Getaway

various colored scraps

Dies - Elizabeth Craft Designs Stylish Snowman;

A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set;

Lawn Fawn Stitched Hillside Borders 

Other - Hero Arts enamel dots from an old kit;

Simon Says Stamp Sentiment Strips Extra Large Christmas

LOL - tell me I can't do something and that's exactly what comes to mind! Oh well, I managed. I recently received an order from Elizabeth Craft Designs and decided to use my new Stylish Snowman die set. So darling with many options for headgear - I chose the knit cap, die cutting it from patterned paper. Let me tell you, I had a large stack of 6x6 Christmas pads to flip through, searching for the perfect patterns. Picking a more feminine one, I'm calling her Ms Snow Woman. Since she's stylish, I gave her a hands-on-hips model pose. I had some pink oval enamel dots sitting on the counter so tried them for her little mouth.

Very easy card, just die cut and assemble. I used a preprinted sentiment from SSS.

Next up - a good luck card for a chorus quartet, Spice, heading off to Sweet Adelines International Competition next month in Phoenix. 

Supplies: Paper - Spellbinders A2 card; 

Tim Holtz Vintage Shabby;

Paper Studio Glitter; various scraps

Dies - A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set;

Whimsy Stamps Mini Slim Tri Fold Die Set;

Hero Arts Nesting Oval Infinity Dies;

Elizabeth Craft Designs Good Luck

Embossing Folder - Spellbinders Music (retired)

Other - Paper Studio star gems

The lead and bass singers in Spice sang with me in Chord Company so I'm always delighted to support my friends! Their motto is "Live Life with Spice" and they've given themselves names relating to various spices. So I tried to capture them in the colors I used for the circles. I used a new to me die set from Whimsy Stamps that cuts a darling mini slim trifold card (I've cut one for future use). The trifold has three circle windows but fortunately the set comes with four patterned circle dies - perfect for a quartet! Maybe you  can guess which spices are included...

I'll add my Good Luck card to Darnell's August NBUS Challenge since my circle dies are new.

That's it for today. Thanks for stopping and happy crafting!

 

Last Day for Christmas in July at Die Cut Divas!

Hey crafty friends - it's already the end of July and summer in Minnesota is flying by!! Time for the last day of the month post at Die Cut Divas where I'm sharing the project below. Be sure to head over and see what the rest of the team posted for some last minute Christmas in July Challenge inspiration!

Supplies: Paper - Paper Studio solids and glitter, 

A Country Christmas 12x12"

Dies - Elizabeth Craft Designs Book Box,

Florals 12, & Winter Greens; Lawn Fawn Mini Snowflakes

Other - Parklane gems;

Taylored Expressions Simple Strips in Reverse Christmas

The fabulous Elizabeth Craft Designs sponsored us for July and the Diva team enjoyed creating with their amazing products! I couldn't resist the book box die set once I saw Els doing this video of it in action. The set contains 16 dies at a great price point. Since the Divas were doing Christmas, I decorated my box for the holidays using some other ECD die sets. This box will be great for holding a little gift when the time comes! Here's a closer look from the bottom:

This was my first box and I used some paper I've been playing with recently - A Country Christmas (sadly retired at Hobby Lobby). It's not double sided but I've since cut some books from another brand's double sided paper - so pretty! It was just a matter of die-cutting the book, flower and greenery pieces, then assembling them. Very fun!! The flower set comes with just a large center but I knew I had a Lawn Fawn snowflake set with a similar small version - perfect! I popped a gem in each center and added a pre-printed sentiment strip - done! And here's a side view and a view of the box partially open:

Still with me? I do have a bonus card today but it has nothing to do with Christmas! Earlier this month I attended a Sweet Adelines International Education Symposium. You may remember I went to England in 2019 for the last one (none in 2020 or 2021 due to pandemic). The 2022 event took place at Trinity University in San Antonio Texas and they offered the first-ever Diamond Division (over age 60) quartet contest. Some chorus and Regional friends competed so I'm sharing one of the Good Luck cards I made. This one features a jumbo ECD sentiment - love it and as of writing this post, it was on sale at ECD (& as I like to say, practically free!!). My friends Upbeat Quartet appreciated the card and I'm sure it helped them take second place - woo hoo!! 

ECD die - Good Luck

Other supplies - Spellbinders & Neenah paper;

Hero Arts Nesting Oval Infinity Dies;

Kat Scrappiness Mini Slimline Diamond Wire & Woodgrain Frame;

Art-C Stamp & Cut (diamonds)

The mini-slim frame was one Diva Arlene (A Bit of This and That) sent me (thanks again, Arlene!) but she enabled me to buy my own die - love this one. I thought the vellum oval kept the sentiment from getting lost on the wire background. I shaded the diamond with a light blue Copic and added Stickles.

That's it for today! Hope I've inspired you to upload a last minute Christmas project (using a die cut or embossing folder) into our July Diva Gallery. You have until 9pm Pacific Time today to enter. 

Thanks for stopping!!

Trio of good luck cards

Hope you had a great weekend! I spent part of it enjoying barbershop harmony with two quartets, Vocality and Sparkle (one men and the other women). Vocality performed at a friend's church and Sparkle had "send-off" party in preparation for their trip to the next Sweet Adeline International contest. Both groups sing extremely well and entertain too. My chorus doesn't have to compete at International this year (will go next year) but we have members in three different quartets who'll compete in the quartet contest. I made a card for each quartet with a similar theme of Mardi Gras masks, given the contest will take place in New Orleans.

Supplies: Paper - DCWV A2 cards, Curious Metallic cardstock formed into an A7 card,

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Paper Studio glitter,

Doodlebug and Graphic 45 patterned papers

Dies - Spellbinders Resplendent Rectangles & Swirl Delight (both retired),

Impression Obsession Good Luck, My Favorite Things Blueprints (various).

Hero Arts MMH (mask & starbursts)

Stamps - Momenta & Hero Arts

Other - Ranger Silver ep, Copic Markers, Stickles, 

Glossy Accents, 3M Washi tape, Papermania star gems

The masks came from the December 2016 My Monthly Hero kit. I hadn't used this image yet and wondered when I ever would. Luckily New Orleans has Mardi Gras, even though it's not taking place at the same time as the Sweet Adeline convention! Which card is your favorite? Card three may seem a bit busy but I thought it was in keeping with the theme - sorta reminds me of a  theater marque. Spice got card one, Wicked got card two and Sparkle, of course, got card three. Wishing all three the best of luck in competition!

That's it for now. Thanks for stopping and have a wonderful day!!

More Good Luck Cards

Another gloomy, rainy day yesterday so I had plenty of time to stay indoors and make cards! I'm sharing two more good luck cards for friends in quartets heading off to competition next week.

Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts Midnight Layering Paper; Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Michael's blue
Stamps - Lawn Fawn Sunny Skies and matching dies (retired)
Dies - My Favorite Things Die-Namics Blueprints 21, Impression Obsession Good Luck
Stencils - Hero Arts February 2017 My Monthly Hero kit (sold out) for the clouds
Other - Foam tape, Copic Markers and colored pencils for shading, gold gel pen, Michael's gems

I've had this Lawn Fawn set for ages but hadn't given it any love until now. I really had fun with the sweet kites and used one of the sentiments "reach for the sky" on the inside.

Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts Designer Floral Layering Paper (retired); Heidi Swapp glitter paper,
Michael's purple card, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White
Dies - My Favorite Things Die-Namics Blueprints 26 & Clouds (retired); Impression Obsession Good Luck
Other - Foam tape, Michael's gems, Wink of Stella (on bow), Copic marker and white gel pen for shading 

I love the Blueprints set containing this balloon. I've used it several times for birthdays but thought it would be fun for a good luck card too. I made three versions of this card since it needed fewer steps than the kite card. That did it for my friends in quartets, then I realized I needed a card for our Director who'll be taking our chorus into the chorus contest. So I whipped up this card today:

Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts Midnight Layering Paper, American Crafts Christmas 6x6 (musical)

Other - foam tape, Michael's gems

Dies - Hero Arts Stars (retired); My Favorite Things Die-Namics Blueprints 21, Impression Obsession Good Luck  

Next week I'll have to start making congrats cards so I'm ready to deliver them after the contest!
Thanks for stopping!!

Good Luck & another wreath card

Hi all - hope you're enjoying the week! We've had some April showers - yesterday we even had a bit of thunder & lightening that kept me from having to do some yard work - LOL! Still gloomy today so maybe I'll get another break.

Today I'm sharing two cards. First up, a good luck card for two of my former Chord Company quartet-mates. After almost seven years since CC retired, Heidi & Jan are singing together in a new quartet called Spice with two of our other friends. Spice sang for the chorus last week and did a wonderful job! They will compete next Saturday in our Regional quartet contest and I'm sure they'll excel.

Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts Midnight Layering Paper; piece of bakery doily, Tim Holtz kraft metallic, 
American Crafts Christmas (music pattern), stripe unknown, cream from a Co'redinations card
Dies - Impression Obsession Good Luck; My Favorite Things Die-Namics Blueprints 20, 
Hero Arts April 2017 My Monthly Hero kit (sold out)

I had my first play with the April My Monthly Hero kit - hard to believe I got it two weeks ago! All I'd done until now was separate all the dies - I hadn't even made any negatives to use in the MISTI. So instead of stamping & die cutting, I used a die that doesn't have a matching stamp - it's just a darling stand alone dress form die. Can you see the little rhinestone necklace I added to each one? We do love our bling!! I have more good luck cards to make but hope this one suits my dear ex-Chords!

Next, another version of the wreath I used on this card for the current Merry Monday challenge:

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, American Crafts 6x6 Christmas pad from Target's Hot Spot, 
Pop-tone Cherry and Green card stock, scrap of Tim Holtz kraft metallic gold

Stamps - Hero Arts CL907 Color Layering Wreath

Inks - Hero Arts reds & greens from various My Monthly Hero kits, plus Emerald Green from AF394 Color Layering Peacock Ink Cubes, and Tim Holtz Gathered Twigs Distress Ink

Dies - Hero Arts Color Layering Wreath Frame Cuts; My Favorite Things Die-Namics Blueprints 13;
Tim Holtz Sizzix Holiday Greens Mini Thinlits Dies

Other - foam tape, Michael's gems, Hero Arts red metallic accents

I made a second card of my first version and while I was stamping another wreath, I made a third one. This time I added some holly leaves to the berries. I just received the Tim Holtz Holiday Greens die set from Simon Says Stamp on Saturday and thought the leaves and branches would be perfect additions to his Holiday Wreath (still working on that one). So I die cut a pile of the holly leaves for that project and suddenly some of them migrated to the other wreath! Funny how that happens.... What do you think - better with the leaves or without?



Thanks for stopping and have a crafty day!

City of Lakes Chorus 8th in the Sweet Adeline World

Hi all - just returned home from Las Vegas where Sweet Adelines from all over the world gathered for our International competition and convention. I sing with the City of Lakes Chorus and we came in 8th this time. While we had hoped to improve our finish from the 6th in 2014, we learned a lot in the last two years and were delighted to be in the top ten in a contest full of exceptional choruses. The best choruses in each Region, plus some high scoring "wild cards" compete at the International level. After a semi-finals round, only the top ten go on to the finals. If you'd care to see our performances, go here for semi-finals and here for finals. In the finals, I'm the "Blue Leader" who has a speaking part so look for me at the mic! My friends Val and Ellen were the "Red Leader" and "Misty Middleground (in a Red/Blue combo) respectively. I enjoyed acting with them.

Our director works so hard that I wanted to wish him well as we headed into the contest. Here's the card I made him:

Supplies: Paper - Target dollar bin 6x6 pads; Hero Arts kraft card

Dies - Impression Obsession Good Luck; Simon Says Stamp Bundle of Stitched Shapes (rectangle); 

Hero Arts Paper Layering Maple Leaf DI302

Other - copper twine from Target dollar bin (thanks Betty!); May Arts string twine

Just love this fun leaf which I cut directly into the copper/kraft two sided paper and then folded over the kraft side. I backed the opening with plaid paper from another one of the dollar bin pads.

The Rönninge Show Chorus won the chorus contest. They were so amazing - see their finals set here. There was also a quartet contest. Those who know me may remember I sang in a quartet, Chord Company, that competed at the International contest 9 different years. We retired in 2010. The winning quartet this year was Frenzy. See their finals round here.

I don't often blog about my singing stuff so thanks for stopping!