Succulents and Baubles

It's that time of year, Christmas is near, and today I'm here with some holiday cheer!  One last Christmas card for 2017 and then I'll take a break to thoroughly enjoy the holiday.

For this card I colored a Power Poppy digital stamp called "Wreath:  Succulents and Baubles".  Kept it very simple with some bright, festive color and lots of white.  These simple cards really have my heart lately, I tell you.

There's a Lil' Inker Silly Stitched die border which makes an impression, but doesn't cut the outer edge, so I saved a layer there.  Love that.  I cut two designer paper panels with a stitched die, added a ric rac die cut and some enamel dots.  Popped up the image panel.  Lots of stitchy-ness going on here.  The card base is Neenah 110 lb which is very sturdy and nice for a card with minimal layers.

I've been receiving some pretty fabulous Christmas cards, both hand stamped and store bought, and they're all on display, making spirits bright.  A million thanks to everyone who has taken the time to bless me and my family with their happy Christmas wishes!  Have a beautiful holiday and I'll see you again shortly after.  Hugs and love!

Stamps:  Power Poppy digi "Wreath:  Succulents and Baubles"  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Solar White (colored image), Neenah 110 lb white card base, red, Graphic 45 'Twas the Night Before Christmas designer paper  Ink:  Printer, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Enamel dots, Memory Box Stitched Circle Layers, Taylored Expressions Stitched Rectangle Stacklets, Taylored Expressions Ric Rac Borders, Lil' Inker Silly Stitched Die Set, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Double D "Baby It's Cold Outside" - Winter Challenge

Well, hello!  Today's Double D challenge makes me feel like putting an extra sweater on.  Brrrr!  "Baby it's Cold Outside" is the theme and here's the card I created based on a portion of the inspiration board:

My blue, white, and silver card uses the Power Poppy Bough Wow Wow set, all colored with Copics and glittered with Stickles and Wink of Stella.  The white card base is stamped in blue and soft gray and trimmed with silver sticker strips.

Our board has lots of choices to inspire you.

As always, the team votes on favorites, plus there's a prize for a random winner:

I guess you can see which part of the inspiration board I focused on.

The silver glittery oval was cut in white, then colored with a gray Copic marker, smooshed with Versamark ink and embossed with a Stardust embossing powder which I've had for years.  Many thanks to my friend, Sherri, for sending that die cut (and many more) for my crafting fun.  This kind of sharing has oftentimes prompted me to purchase certain dies for my own collection.  A test run, so to speak.  Thank you, Sherri!

Okay, friends... this is our last Double D challenge of 2017, so have yourself a good time making a wintry creation or two and playing along.  See all kinds of chilly creations and get more details here.  I'll see you again soon!

Stamps:  Power Poppy Bough Wow Wow clear set  Paper:  Neenah 110 lb white, other white  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin' Up! Bashful Blue, Ranger Archival Shadow Grey, Versamark, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Stardust embossing powder, Stardust and Silver Stickles glitter glue, clear Wink of Stella brush glitter pen, peel off border stickers, Marianne Designs Oval LR0240, Spellbinders Elegant Ovals

Snowflake Bird With and Without the Snowflakes

Hello again!  Have I mentioned I've started on next year's Christmas cards?  Just being practical.  By December this year I had only about half of them done, and hurrying takes some of the fun out of it for me, not to mention the mess it makes in my room, sheesh.

Today's cards were some of the last to go in the mail this year.  I used the beautiful Memory Box Snowflake Bird and Airin Bird Background.  I bought and used the Snowflake Bird last year and didn't even know there was a background bird for it until I saw it on Darlene's blog.  Well, lo and behold, she sent it to me this year.  Thank you, Darlene!  I truly do get by with a little help from my friends.

I used the birds and a variety of dies and glitter paper.  So, where are the snowflakes on the card up front?  Well, gosh, I decided to break the seal on my Tutti Pine Cone Branch and the snowflakes just didn't work out.  Funny thing, it turned out to be my favorite, and so simple.

Note the wood grain card base on the front card.  I've wanted that wood grain paper forever, but it seemed to be out of stock everywhere I went and after a while I forgot or gave up or something.  Well... recently I followed a link from someone's blog (forgot whose) to a good source:  CutCardStock.  Outstanding quality, matching envelopes, fast shipping.  I appreciated the recommendation so thought I'd pass it along.  They have so much more, too.  Lots to look at there!

I'm cutting corners on time, so I didn't get pictures of the cards with the actual Snowflake Bird on them, but here's one from last year in which you can see I pieced together a solid bird background:

Dang, I like that card, but too much work for when I'm hurrying.  See, that's why I'm better off stamping ahead.

I've kept you long enough and you've got lots to do, I'm sure.  I'll leave you with holiday hugs and wishes.  Take care!

Two Chilly Characters

Hello and happy day to you!  Moving right along with the Christmas activities...  Cards are in the mail, some presents have been wrapped.  My week is all planned out and it even allows for some leisure time.  I'm doing better than I thought!  How are you doing?  Busy, but enjoying it?  My son pointed out that if I didn't enjoy it I shouldn't do it, so I'm officially having fun!

Today's cards were sent to some long-time friends who are really more like family.  You know the saying "friends are the family you choose yourself"?  We raised our kids together, went on vacations together, mourned family losses together... but today it's all about the merry.

First card:

• Memory Box Snowman Heart Collage
• Poppystamps Snowflake Ribbon
• Taylored Expressions Stitched Rectangle Stacklets

These collage dies have some small, fiddly parts, but still make for quick cards.  They even have tiny dots that cut out for the eyes and snowman buttons, but I did those with a Sakura glaze pen.  All parts were cut in white and any coloring was done with Copics.

I used white glitter paper for the Snowflake Ribbon on the first card, and some old SU patterned paper on both.  The "merry" sentiment is Power Poppy.

Penguin card:

• Memory Box Penguin Collage
• Poppystamps Marais Snowflake
• Taylored Expressions Stitched Rectangle Stacklets

I'll check in with you later this week.  Happy holidays!

Merry Christmas Tree

Hello there!  I was away from the blog a little longer than planned, but happily I've gotten some cleaning and decorating and shopping done, and about half my Christmas cards written up and in the mail.  That's a time consuming process isn't it?  I forget every year how long it takes.  And I still need to make more!

Today's card is clean and bright and relatively simple.  I cut out the Bugaboo Merry Christmas Tree and then colored with Copics.  Glittered the tree's garland.  Die cut a white panel with a Lil' Inker Silly Stitched die and added the Poppystamps Snowflake Breeze.  Matted with red.

For a little something extra I cut a second Snowflake Breeze and glued it to the back of the stitched panel, all matched up in a continual line.  I did that before I glued down the stitched panel.  That probably goes without saying, doesn't it?  After the stitched panel was glued to the card base I trimmed flush the overhanging ends of the Snowflake Breeze.  Make sense?

Lastly, I ran a Copic B0000 marker along the edges of the Snowflake Breeze to help it stand out from the card a little more, then popped up the tree and added star sequins.

Back to making more Christmas cards now.  Have a happy day!

Stamps:  Bugaboo Merry Christmas Tree digi  Paper:  Neenah 110 lb white, SU! Real Red  Ink:  Printer, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Sequins, Stickles Diamond glitter glue, Lil' Inker Silly Stitched die set, Poppystamps Snowflake Breeze, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

More Merry Making Holiday Birds

So. . .  when I was over at Lil' Inker picking up the "Oh Deer" stamp set I'd had bookmarked for months, a few other things jumped into my cart as well.  I can never seem to get just one item.  This was my first time at Lil' Inker and I'm happy to report they have a good quality product.  It's fun to try something new once in a while, isn't it?

When I saw this "'Tis the Season" set I knew it was so me.  Just the right balance of whimsical and pretty.  I love bird stamps, anyway, and this bird is easy coloring.  Let your hair hang down coloring.  He could be purple if you wish.  I made four cards.

The stamped image on Card #2 was heading for the trash because I dropped the sentiment onto the image after I stamped it.  Bet you've never done that before, have you?  Luckily, I hadn't colored yet.  However, I realized most of the "ghosting" could be cut away, and that's how it ended up like this, all clean and simple and maybe my favorite of the bunch.

Two more with designer paper:

• I stamped on Neenah 110 lb white.
• The designer paper is old BasicGrey Eskimo Kisses.
• Copic coloring.
• Glossy Nuvo Crystal Drops in Apple Green.

Thank you for bearing with me while I finish up my Christmas cards.  I hope it doesn't get too tiresome.  It's unbelievable to me that we're at December 1st already.   Enjoy your day!