Gingerbread Couple for Peace on Earth Challenge

Hi again!  It's Thanksgiving week and I'm grocery shopping and cleaning house and setting out some Thanksgiving decor.  Our son will be here to visit through the weekend and I like it to be homey.  Speaking of homey, the Peace on Earth mood board is just about the cutest, most homey looking inspiration I've seen in ages!  Have a look:

I just had to play along!  My gingerbread couple are a long retired and out of business Die-namites die.   The cookies and mug are from a Cottage Cutz set, and the perfect sentiment is retired Power Poppy.

Of course, I had to add the Ric Rac Border.  I'm surprised those dies are not worn out yet, I've used them so often over the years.  The sparkly gold bow and stars have punched glitter centers for low dimension.  Oh, and how about that gingham and polka dot background?  I can't help but smile!

Not one bit of anything new was used on this card, just this and that from the toy box.  What fun!

Our friends at the Peace on Earth Christmas Challenge are celebrating their 100th challenge.  Congratulations Diane and Darlene and all the team designers who create such wonderful samples!  There are two prize packages kindly being shared, too.  The Two D's put an amazing lot of work into the bazillion challenges they run, and I would just like to say "thank you"!

Happy holidays, everyone!

Stamps:  Retired Power Poppy sentiment  Paper:  Neenah 80 & 110 lb white, other scraps, mixed designer papers from The Vast Hoard  Ink:  Memento Rich Cocoa for sentiment, other Stampin' Up for die cuts  Coloring:  Ink blending with brushes, Copics for small parts  Dies:  All oldies -- Die-namites Gingerbread Couple, Memory Box Stitched Circle Layers and Stitched Scalloped Circles, Cottage Cutz Warm & Cozy Cocoa, Taylored Expressions Ric Rac Borders, Impression Obsession Small Snowflake Set, Bow from a TH Sizzix set  Other:  1/8" hole punch for tiny circles

Joyful Moose

Hi there!  I'm still working on Christmas cards.  It's a time consuming process and delightful, though I won't be sorry when I'm done with them for this year.  I need to simplify, but I have all these new toys yet to use, sigh.  Today I'm playing along in Jo's Christmas Kickstart Challenge:

I wanted to make something fun for the "Just Add Antlers" prompt, and use something from my NBUS basket in the process.  In this case it's the Tim Holtz Forest Shadows set (trees and stars), which made a good background for my previously enjoyed TH Merry Moose.

It's mostly retired Stampin' Up sandable cardstock.  Love that stuff and have a tendency to hoard it, tsk, but it's so fun!  The trees are plain cardstock, SU Basic Gray in the front, black in the back.  I wanted to make the very dark Basic Gray more interesting so I swiped the Basic Gray ink pad directly over the trees, bottom to top.  The darker patches are the ink.  I was pleasantly surprised at the result.

Patches of snow were added with sparkly flocking.  There is Stickles sparkle on the stars and on the moose accessories.  The "joy" is plain cardstock and also TH Sizzix.  I'm gradually adding to my Tim Holtz collection when it's on sale.

Many thanks to Christmas Kickstart for heading me in this direction.  I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I mustn't forget Darnell's NBUS Challenge #80, either.  She's a cheerleader in our efforts to reduce our piles of never before used schtuff.  As mentioned, my NBUS today is the Forest Shadows die.

I appreciate all of you for stopping by to visit.  It's nice to take a moment now and then.  Be well and stay crafty!

Stamps:  Only inside sentiment  Paper:  Various retired Stampin' Up sandable cardstock, black, other various scraps  Ink:  SU Basic Gray, Copics to color moos accessories  Dies:  Tim Holtz Sizzix Merry Moose, Forest Shadows, Holiday Words Script  Other:  Diamond Stickles, Sparkly Fluff (flocking)

Just Us Girls #802 -- Mood Board Week

Hi friends!  Here I am again with my third guest appearance with Just Us Girls.  This week they have a fun mood board for our inspiration.  I love a mood board!  How about you?

Here's a bigger look at the inspiration:

When you look at my card you may wonder where the inspiration is.  Honestly, I was thinking of the mug and the stars.  Somewhere along the line I forgot this Santa is a mug (see the handle?) and I made his hat red and even added a pom pom which I thought Spellbinders must have forgotten.  It wasn't until the card was done and photographed and up on the blog that I realized where I went wrong.  I suppose we can pretend you remove his hat to sip the cocoa, sheesh.

He's still cute, though.  The die set is Spellbinders Cocoa Greetings, and it includes the makings for a penguin and a reindeer mug.  I'll have better luck with those and you'll be seeing them shortly.

The card base was pulled from my stash of made-ahead card bases.  This one was complete with the embossed panel and all I had to do was add the peppermint stripe paper to make it ready for my focal panel.  A closer look below... you can picture in your mind's eye the much greater degree of sparkle than the camera picked up.

That's all for today!  Come along to Just Us Girls and be inspired by the fabulous team cards, and then show us yours.  You all amaze me with your ideas!

Have a happy day!

Stamps:  Spellbinders Stay Snuggly clear stamp and die of the month (July this year)  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 & 110 lb, scraps colored CS, copper glitter CS, scrap designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Dies:  Spellbinders Cocoa Greetings small die of the month (July this year), Spellbinders Essential Stylish Ovals, Sizzix Primitive Stars  Other:  Spellbinders Christmas Wrap embossing folder, Diamond Stickles, dimensional foam dots

Double D Challenge: Fall Colors

Hi everyone!  Fall Colors is our theme for the Double D challenge today.  Have a look at our inspiration board below.  Don't you just love all that scenic gorgeousness? 

A maple leaves mini-stencil is our prize for a random winner.  Creative winners are by team vote.

I hope it's not too late in the fall for a sunflower card.  I had a Cottage Cutz die I wanted to be sure and use this year, but mostly it's the Brutus Monroe Autumn Tapestries patterned paper I'm in love with, sigh.  So rich against the black.  Too bad its season is so short, but fortunately there are a few floral pieces in the collection that will work for any season.

It wasn't a good picture day and I'm having some trouble with my camera... or my eyes... something.  Behind the die cut image I used vanilla CS which I embossed with SU's retired Subtle embossing folder.  The sprinkles were punched from the patterned paper and coated with glossy glaze.  Just a little autumn fun for a November birthday.

There are all kinds of fall colors to see on the Double D blog, so come check out the team's cards and then help fill the gallery with your beautiful fall color choices.  I'll be looking forward to seeing you there!

Have a happy day!

Stamps:  Oldie Stampin' Up sentiment  Paper:  Cougar Vanilla and SU Really Rust for mat, Neenah 110 lb white for die cut image, Brutus Monroe Autumn Tapestries designer paper  Ink:  Various Stampin Up for coloring, Memento Tuxedo Black for sentiment  Coloring:  Ink blending with brushes  Other:  Cottage Cutz Fall Barrel, Poppystamps Stitched Main Street Tags, SU Subtle 3D embossing folder, linen thread, Cinnamon Stickles, JudiKins Diamond Glaze, 1/4" & 1/8" hole punches

On the Lookout for Santa

Hello friends!  Just one sweet Anita Jeram card today, aptly named On the Lookout.  I have a very similar picture of my son when he was little, so this one tugs at my heart strings.

I watercolored with my trusty Tombows, matted with red, and then glued to an embossed grocer's kraft card base.  The gold glittery stars were cut from two different Tim Holtz Sizzix sets.  There is also glitter applied to the white stocking trim.

Short and sweet!  The days are full of life stuff and I'm off and running again.  Take care of you and have a beautiful day!

Stamps:  Colorado Craft Company On the Lookout  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico 140 lb hot press watercolor, red CS, grocer's kraft CS, shimmer white for sentiment circle, gold glitter for stars  Ink:  Ranger Archival Watering Can, Memento Tuxedo Black for sentiment  Coloring:  Watercolor with Tombow markers  Other:  Stickles Stardust glitter, Memory Box Pinecone and Berries embossing folder, ancient Spellbinders small circle die, stars from two different TH Sizzix sets

Sunday Moment

Aside from the many activities involved in running a household and managing life in general...  there's mornings in my craft room (they're always with me):

Afternoon in the woods:

Weekend at the bay:

And a spectacular winter sunset view from my front yard:

Just wrapping up the week, keeping in mind the things that bring joy.

I hope you find some joy today.

💓

Just Us Girls Word Week -- Winter

Hello again!  It's Word Week at Just Us Girls, with the prompt word being "winter".  If it doesn't feel wintry where you are yet, you know it's right around the corner.  Brrrr!

The character I used for this challenge has been in my die stash (with her reindeer and fox companions) for a good long while and it's been seven years since I've used the set.  It was about time, don't you think?

In order to make her all the more wintry I paired her with Penny Black's Crystal Frames die set which includes the frame and background pieces and the sentiment.  The pink snowflakes are an oldie Impression Obsession Small Snowflake Set.  I inked the sentiment with a brush, and Copic colored whatever other small parts needed it.  All very simple and fun!

Do pop over to Just us Girls to see the awesome team samples, and then we'd love to have you play along with your own wintry creation.  It'll be fun!

Wishing you a wonderful day!

Stamps:  Only inside sentiment  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 90 & 110 lb, Stampin' Up Pool Party sandable cardstock, scrap designer paper  Ink:  SU Rose Red  Coloring:  Copics and ink blending with brush  Dies:  Lisa Horton Creative Expressions Stitched Christmas Characters, Penny Black Crystal Frames, Impression Obsession Small Snowflake Set

Pure Sunshine

Hello there!  I'm glad you could drop in.  As I write this I'm about to put my feet up for a while before dinner, but first wanted to get this post scheduled -- two cards for four challenges.  Honestly, I really wanted to color something and you know how I love my Penny Black stamps.  This Pure Sunshine stamp is large and in charge, but it has a somewhat playful nature and that's what I love about it.

I put it in my MISTI along with two A2 watercolor cardstock panels side by side, then stamped right over top of the joint, half on one panel, half on the other.  I watercolored each with my oldie Stampin' Up Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Earth Elements.

I also lightly stenciled the background of each, brushed on just a little bit of ink for barely there shading, and stamped with a retired SU splatter stamp -- Itty Bitty Backgrounds.  I'm sending the first card to The Flower Challenge where they're asking to see the word "thanks".  I wasn't sure how literal I needed to be, but I played it safe and chose a sentiment with the actual word.

The next card is going to the other three challenges which I've listed below.  I had each of them specifically in mind as I made my design choices.

 

The Flower Challenge #108 -- Thanks

Penny Black Saturday Challenge -- Anything Goes or Optional Music
Triple B -- Birds, Blooms, and/or Butterflies

Stencil Fun Challenge -- Anything Goes or Use Gold

 

  

Can we agree that Triple B always has the most gorgeous inspiration boards?

Well, this was fun!  Supplies are listed below.  I generally list everything, even if it's no longer on the market because I'm sure we all have a mish mash of supplies in our collections.

Off to the couch for a bit!  I'm sure I'll be joined by something soft and lovable, either white or red... you know what I'm talking about.  Take care and have a beautiful day!

Stamps:  Penny Black Pure Sunshine, retired Power Poppy and Impression Obsession sentiments, retired Stampin' Up Itty Bitty Backgrounds splatter stamp  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot press watercolor, Cougar Natural card base  Ink:  Ranger Archival Watering Can for outline, SU Chocolate Chip for sentiment, Close to Cocoa for splatter stamp, Ranger Adirondack Sandal (old stash) for stenciling  Coloring:  SU Earth Elements Watercolor Wonder Crayons (retired)  Other:  5" Stencil from a large set found on Amazon