Blue and Silver for CAS Christmas

Hey there - it's been ages since I've posted! Hope you had a great Christmas and New Year!! Speaking of Christmas, I'm playing along at this month's CAS Christmas Card Challenge.

I love a blue and silver combo!! I whipped up a couple very quick cards for the challenge. First, I feature a horded navy blue felt snowflake from Hero Arts. HA doesn't carry them anymore but I have a fair few in the stash.

Supplies: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; Tim Holtz kraft metallic

Dies - My Favorite Things Die-Namics Blueprints 32 & Stitched Alphabet

Other - Hero Arts snowflake; Michael's gem, Joy ultra thin foam

Next, a silver diecut stag head - spotted sitting on my table. Decided to add some blue and use it for this challenge.

Supplies: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; DCWV jewel card

Dies - Hero Arts Infinity Oval; Spellbinders Ribbon Banners

Stamp - Hero Arts CL343 Holiday Sayings (retired)

Other - B00 Copic Marker; Hero Arts Navy Ink; Michael's stag head

So sorry if I haven't commented on your blog lately. I do a lot of my commenting from my phone and it's been having a hard time linking to my blog profile. Some people don't accept anonymous comments so I don't even try. Anyway - I'll get there when I can - thanks for understanding!

CAS Christmas Star

Hi all - just a quick post in this busy season! Technically I'm supposed to be finishing the insides of all the Christmas cards I made throughout the year. Reminder - do the insides when you do the card fronts next year!

Today I'm sharing an entry for this month's CAS Christmas Challenge to include a star:

Supplies: Paper - Recollections (Michaels) Pearlized Gold A2 card;

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; Paper Studio glitter paper

Stamps - Hero Arts K5958 Music Star (retired)

Dies - My Favorite Things Die-manics Blueprints 20 (retired);

Recollections Mini Words Stamp & Die set

Other - Hero Arts gold embossing powder; Gathered Twigs Distress Ink;

 Darice sequins; Recollections gems

My favorite star is a 2014 wood block star from Hero Arts. My trick on this one is I used a shade of brown distress ink for my embossing (my embossing ink pad was a bit dry). You'd never know it once the gold powder is heated!! I played around with a bunch of ways to add the sentiment but ended up with a simple word die, embellished with a silver sequin star & gem.

That's it for today - thanks for stopping, friends! Back to my Christmas card finishing and mailing!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Hi all and Happy Thanksgiving to those in the great USA who are celebrating today!! I'm helping my dad make Elegant Chicken - once again turkey is off the menu due to all the wild turkeys running through their yard every day. Gotta admit I don't enjoy eating turkey anymore either - LOL!

Last week I shared a Thanksgiving card for the Twofer Challenge - see it here if you missed it. That one will go to my brother and sister-in-law when they join us for dinner. Here are 5 more cards I made for family and friends:

Supplies: Paper - DCWV Ms Sparkle Jewel A2 card; Target glitter paper;

Trio Window card by unknown; scrap of orange;

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; BoBunny 

Stamps - Lawn Fawn Happy Feast (retired)

Taylored Expressions Many Minis - Holiday

Dies - Hero Arts Nesting Circle Infinity Dies & Autumn Icons

Spellbinders Floral Oval Etched Dies

Other - Copic Markers; recycled Hallmark card; Target bronze twine

The card at left has the same Lawn Fawn smiling foods as my Twofer card but I put them in a card with a trio of precut circles. I always feel there's something missing when I use these cards so this time I added frames to the circles plus two layered sentiment circles. The card at right uses a background paper and sentiment I cut from a Hallmark thank you card I received. I just loved the card and thought it would be great for Thanksgiving. Luckily it was an A7 size so I could cut a stitched rectangle and still trim off the sentiment. I cut the Hero Arts pumpkin from glitter paper and backed it with some plain orange. Then I added some shading with a brown pencil. For the vines on top, I cut just the end portions of the Spellbinders flower vine die.

Supplies: Paper - DCWV A2 cards; BoBunny, Authentique

Stamps - Taylored Expressions Many Minis - Holiday

Deep Red Horn of Plenty

Dies - My Favorite Things - various retired Blueprints

Hero Arts Nesting Circle Infinity Dies

Tim Holtz Stitched Framelets

I've had the Deep Red stamp for a while but hadn't used it for Thanksgiving cards yet. The color washed out a bit on the bottom card but I did use more muted colors on the cornucopia. I liked the darker, warmer version better, I think.

I'm grateful for so many things in my life, including wonderful crafting and blogging friends like you!! Thanks for stopping!

CAS Christmas - Santa

Hi all - time for a play at this month's CAS Christmas Challenge to use Santa. I just love Santa images and have a bunch. Wish I could find that vintage woodblock Santa, though - he's around here somewhere.... Without that stamp, I decided to use a Santa head Silhouette image by Lori Whitlock.

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White;
Authentique Colorful Christmas; scrap of BoBunny dotted red

Stamps - Hero Arts CG211 Magical Background & CL618 Holiday Conversation (both retired)
Embossing folder - Taylored Expressions Subway Tile
Silhouette Design - ID 69522 Santa Claus
Other - Copic Markers, Glossy Accents, Puffy Embossing Powder

I started out by cutting four sets of the Santa head out of white paper. Next I colored, stamped or embossed the bits as desired. Once that part was done, assembly of the Santa head went quickly. I embossed the subway tile background on a white card and tried the Santa head alone - ugh. Decided to give him a circle body - much better but then he needed some ground to stand on! Quickie sentiment bubble. Done!! Hope this is CAS enough - any foam tape I used was ultra thin....

Version 2 has a oval body and a diecut Merry (not sure of brand - it was laying on the craft table) with a stamped Christmas from Hero Arts (Merry Stamp & Cut). I simplified the Santa hat by leaving off the puffy embossing powder. The paper for the oval is from Pink & Main's Jolly collection. I trimmed the subway tile panel and mounted to a green card.

Two more sets of Santa heads left to use and then I'll have four quick cards done for the stash! Not much time before I'll have to start readying my cards for mailing. Once again I procrastinated on getting the insides of my cards done so I'll have to start working on that....

Thanks for stopping & I hope you have a crafty week even with all the Thanksgiving prep!!

Twofer Wreath Challenge - Take Two

Couldn't resist doing another pair for this month's Twofer Card Challenge featuring wreathes.

My common wreath element is a beauty from a Spellbinders Wreath Stamp & Die set. I colored one in more summery colors and the other in mostly dark reds & greens. For the Christmas card I added pine needles to some of the wreath's twiggy branches. Here's each card separately with supply list:

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; 

DCWV Ms Sparkle pastel card

BoBunny Serendipity; Graphic 45 Botanical Tea

Stamp & Die - Spellbinders Love, Peace, & Hope Holiday 2017 SDS-093

Dies - My Favorite Things Die-namics various Blueprints

Other - Copic Markers; Michael's gems; Hero Arts pearls;

Memento Rich Cocoa Ink

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; Paper Studio Glitter;

Lawn Fawn Spruce Notecard; Poptone Black Licorice

Stamp & Die - Spellbinders Love, Peace, & Hope Holiday 2017 SDS-093

Dies - My Favorite Things Die-namics Joy

Other - Copic Markers; Stickles; Michael's ribbon;

Memento Tuxedo Black Ink

I'm adding the Christmas card to this week's Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: All That Glitters is Gold. With a friend on the Design Team (Lin) and friends playing along (Sally, Darnell & Heather as of this post), how could I not contribute?! Besides the gold bow and hanger, I used gold Stickles on the flowers. My Lawn Fawn is the card base - just love these smaller top-fold cards; I have oodles of them!!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a crafty week!!

  

Twofer Wreath!

Hi all - the November Twofer Card Challenge was announced yesterday and I was eager to play along since I missed last month. Darnell and company are using wreaths this month - yay!

Something new this month & ongoing, stencils are allowed as the common element. So - two cards, two different occasions, same stamp, die or stencil. I'm working on Thanksgiving cards now so it made sense to start there. For my second card, I decided to get in another Christmas card. Since Merry Monday ended, I haven't kept up on my production quota - woe is me!! My common element is a twig wreath die from an old Hero Arts My Monthly Hero kit - long sold out, unfortunately.

Here's each card individually with the supply list:

Supplies: Paper - DCWV A2 card; scraps of colors &

scrap of Authentique Thankful (2012)

Target glitter paper

Stamps - Lawn Fawn Happy Feast (retired)

Gina K. Designs Autumn Wreath Builder

Dies - Hero Arts September 2016 My Monthly Hero kit

Other - scrap of ribbon; Gathered Twigs Distress Ink

Copic Markers

Supplies: Paper - DCWV A2 card; scraps of colors & glitter;

Tim Holtz Metallic Kraft

Dies - Hero Arts September 2016 My Monthly Hero kit;

Dee's Distinctively Wreath Builder; 

Whimsy Stamps Build a Poinsettia; Impression Obsession Merry Christmas

Other - silver gel pen; orange Stickles; Pine Needles Distress Ink

Neither photo of the Christmas card captures the beautiful jewel tone blue of the card base. I was shopping (big surprise?) yesterday at JoAnn and they had boxed cards 60% off - practically free! Well, I have many of these boxes in the stash but allowed myself one box of the DCWV Ms. Sparkle Jewel cards. Five great colors and I started using the pumpkin colored ones right away for my Thanksgiving cards. When I was trying different card bases for the Christmas card, the blue caught my eye - what do you think? The scripty sentiment was a pain - so delicate! I layered a white one under the silver one (a second white one became a hopeless tangle) - of course, glue got all over. I covered up some glue drips on the blue card with some strategic silver dots, then added a bunch more dots.

Thanks to the Twofer folks for a fun challenge! And thanks to you for stopping!!

Happy Halloween!!

Hey there - hope Halloween's shaping up to be a great day in your neighborhood. Looks pretty dreary here but it's supposed to get to 54F.

I didn't make a ton of Halloween cards this year. I always need a card for my longtime friend Denise who has a Halloween birthday. On this one I stamped and masked the haunted house, then stamped the ghost coming out of it. I hand drew a hill and path, then colored all with Copic Markers. My shading around the house and ghost got a bit messy but I decided to think it looks spooky - LOL!

Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts Layering Paper; Poptone Black Licorice;

Target orange glitter, scrap of Momenta Marbled; 

Neenah Classic Crest; Doodlebug Pumpkin Party

Stamps - Simon Says Stamp Creepy Cute; Hero Arts CL468 Frightful (retired)

Dies - My Favorite Things Blueprints 20 (retired) and 26

Hero Arts DC197 Halloween Trimmings Stamp & Cut

I usually send a Halloween card to my friend Heather and her family. For 2018 I cut a jumbo BOO on the Silhouette and added a ghost peeking out of it. Simple but fun! I was so eager to get it off in the mail that I forgot to photograph it. Heather sent me a photo this morning so I could blog it today - thanks, Heather!! She sent me a darling card too but she hasn't blogged in quite a while so you probably won't see it. ***Update - she posted it - yay!!**

Supplies: Paper - Michael's green; Neenah kraft; Bazzill purple

A2 lilac card by DCWV 

Neenah Classic Crest; Doodlebug Pumpkin Party

Stamps - Hero Arts CL468 Frightful (retired)

Silhouette text - can't remember the font....

I love how she artfully displayed it with some Halloween decor - you don't see much of that at my house! I'm terrible about decorating for any holiday but Christmas. Anyway - hope you have a wonderful Halloween and don't get sick eating too much candy!! I should try not buying the kinds I like!!

Thanks for stopping!!