Last Day Of November

Bring on Christmas.  November is over!
If you follow my blog, you will know that I have been making tags - my one attempt at getting ready for Christmas.   Tomorrow, Dec. 1, I will get out the decorations, buy the tree, and start getting in the mood in earnest.
But for today I am still in "tags mode" and also very pleased to be the guest designer again at Crop Stop.  Here is the Christmas tag I made inspired by Theresa's Love, Joy, Peace tag on day 2 of the 25 Days of Christmas Tags challenge:

The front tag and the green backing behind it is cut with an Elizabeth Crafts Design tag die.  The leaves are also cut out with one of the dies in the set leaving a negative cut to show the green behind it.  The two pieces are adhered together with Tombow Mono Adhesive Permanent Tape.    The ornaments are stamped with Great Impression stamps, colored with Copics.  Then I added Ranger Glossy Accents (my favorite brand) to each ornament.  Using  Tim Holtz Adirondack Alcohol Ink Applicator and Tim Holtz Distress Ink , I sponged on color on the edges and toward the center of the tag.  The last touch was to make the little bows for each ornament - impossible without the Craft-Dee Bowz tool.

Again, a big thank you to the Crop Stop team for asking me to be a guest designer this month.
Head over there to play their challenges.

Challenges:
Die Cut Divas - anything goes
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Joy Clair - photo inspiration
Power Poppy - red, die cut, green
Daily Marker - 30 days color challenge
25 Days of Christmas Tags
Work It Wednesday - holiday 
Die Cuttin Divas - tags

Really High Number

All my post lately have been Thanksgiving or Christmas related.  Time for a birthday card.

This is the card I made for my husband and I actually started with the inside sentiment then thought of what I wanted to do on the outside of the card.  Wanting to go with the "high" theme, I chose the Repeat Impression balloon stamps.  Trees are Stampin'Up. 
The balloons are stamped onto the panel then masked so I could sponge the sky with clouds using  a Stamploration stencil and distress oxide ink.  The largest balloon I stamped twice, one onto the panel and one onto another piece of card, colored it with Copics, then fussy cut it so I could pop it up with dimension tape.  The whole panel is also popped up.
I guess I better show you the inside too, seeing that is what prompted the front:

  Challenges:
Stamploration theme - rainbow colors

Stamploration Mixed Media -use stencil

Stamploration Never Ending challenge

Power Poppy - just color
Daily Marker - 30 Days Color challenge
House that Stamps Built - anything
Word Art Wednesday - anything 
Simon Wednesday - anything

Poinsettia Tag

I love poinsettias.  I have one that is 6 years old and blooms every year - just not at Christmas time!  Oh well, can't have everything.
Here is a tag I made with Elizabeth Crafts Design dies. 

Inspiration for the tag was Jullian's tag on day 26 of the 25 Days of Christmas Tags challenge.
Tag is one set of dies, Poinsettia is another set.
Sentiment is Gina K Design
Center of flower is 3 brads.

Challenges:
Simon Monday - gift it
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Joy Clair - mood board
Power Poppy - red, die cut, green
Die Cuttin Divas - tag 

Fun New Experiment

I did it!  I tried my hand at Iris folding.

I did have fun doing this - always a learning curve doing a new technique for the first time but very pleased with how it turned out.  The tricky part was cutting the designer paper to fit the three panels but I had the sketch at Tuesday Morning in mind so I was determined to make it work!

The ornament is made with copper, gold, silver metallic papers and red card stock.  The center and top I cut from some red glitter photo corners in my stash.
Sentiment (Verve) is heat embossed with copper EP.
You can't see it in the photo but I scored lines in the blank spaces between the pine papers.

I made a tag too. Actually, I made it first.  The beautiful Birch Press tags on day 7 of the 25 Days of Tags with the multi-layers was what got me thinking about iris folding. I especially loved Eloise's and Tracey's tags. Because it was my first time to do iris folding (and thinking it might be my last if it was too difficult) I went with a Christmas tree.  I thought it might fit on a tag better than an ornament.
It was hard to get a good pic of the tag. The first photo shows the cuts and the second photo shows the shine.  The snowflakes are stamped and embossed with silver EP.

Well, there you have it - my attempt at Iris folding.  Glad I tried it.

Challenges  for the card:
Tuesday Morning Sketches
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Through the Craftroom Door - iris folding
Allsorts - O Christmas Tree

Challenges for the tag:
25 Days of Christmas Tags
Joy Clair - mood board
Simon Monday - let it snow

Eternal Thanks

Now that Thanksgiving Day is behind us, don't stop being grateful.  I express to my Heavenly Father each day something I am grateful for and on top of the list is His love for me.
 One verse I love is 2 Corintians 9:15 "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!"  What is that gift?  His love and forgiveness.
The card I made has a digital sentiment, a verse really, 2 Cor. 9:15.  This translation says unspeakable.  I prefer indescribable.  There is no way to adequately describe God's love for us.

Tuesday Morning Sketch:

The three pieces of patterned paper are from my stash.  The verse and backing are cut with Die-namic Circle Stax dies.  The rolled flowers are make with a MFT die, the leaves with an Elizabeth Crafts Design die.
Most of my projects lately have very little or no coloring.  Just a little of Copics on this one.  Hopefully I will take time to color this weekend.

Challenges:
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Dies R Us - give thanks
Power Poppy - be thankful
Crop Stop - anything
Words 2 Craft By - when I count my blessings

Late Evening Post

A late Thanksgiving Day wish to all.  I wasn't planning on any post today and it is late in the evening as I type.  But after we came home from our day at our daughter's, I just wanted to relax and either do a little coloring or make a card.  I was anxious to use some new paper I bought Tuesday, so I made a card - easy and fairly quick.

The paper is from a 6 x 6 Recollection pad which includes mat and metallic papers.  I cut one of the mat papers in strips and cut the ornament with gold embossing out of another paper, using a Die-namics Circle Stax die.  It is backed with some gold metalic paper I have in my stash, cut with a larger Die-namic Circle Stax die.  The bow is made with wired gold ribbon.
I love how fast and easy this came together using the sketch at Tuesday Morning Sketche:

Challenges:

Allsorts challenge - CAS Christmas card
Tuesday Morning Sketches
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Stamploration CAS card

Tag #9

Easy tag.  Maybe this weekend I will have time to make some more elaborate ones.  But simple is good too.

Inspired by Kim Heggin's tag on day 5 of 25 Days of Christmas Tags.   I am craving hot chocolate right now - probably because I am on a diet.  Dumb time of year to do that!
Cup is a digital stamp that I colored with copics.  Sakura sparkle pen on the snowflake.  Blue snow flakes are cut out with a Cuttlebug die.  The sponging on the edges of the tag is Distress Ink.

Challenges:
Simon Monday - let it snow
Allsorts Challenge - CAS Christmas
Joy Clair - inspiration board
Daily Marker - 30 days coloring challenge
Power Poppy - just color 

Tag #8

I don't think I have ever dry embossed snowflakes on Kraft paper before.  I like it!

After seeing Svitlana Shayevich's and Norine Borys' beautiful Kraft tags on Day 2 of the 25 Days of Chirstmas Tags bloghop, I knew I wanted to use Kraft cardstock, I just wasn't sure if I would like the embossing.  But I do.  The white snowflakes are cut with Birch Press and Cuttlebug dies, and one with the  Silhoutte.  (All left over from last year).  Re-enforcer is cut with an Elizabeth Crafts Design die.  To and from and hand written with a white pen.

Challenges
25 Days of Christmas Tags
Simon Monday - let it snow
Allsorts - CAS Christmas
If You Give a Crafter a Cookie - photo inspiration
Crop Stop - anything
Joy Clair - photo inspiration

Tag #7

Took a few minutes to color up some images for tags. 

Teri Anderson's tag on day 13 of the 25 Days of Christmas tags made me think of this image with the candy can in the mug. Made the tag by using a corner rounder.  Re-enforcer is old patterned paper cut with and Elizabeth Crafts Design die.  Image colored with copics.

Challenges:
25 Days of Christmas Tags
Daily Marker - 30 days coloring challenge
Power Poppy - round corners

Tag #6

Fun new digital stamp that I used for a Christmas tag.  The image is colored with Copics, fussy cut, and popped up with dimensional tape.  The piercing is done by hand.  Re-enforcer is cut with an Elizabeth Crafts Design die.

Lindsey M-p's tags on Day 5 of the 25 Days of Christmas Tags Challenge was my inspiration. 

Other challenges :
Daily Marker - 30 days coloring challenge
Power Poppy - just color

Enough and More

Too busy for much commentary for this card.

 My original plan was to stamp the sentiment and then make a frame around it with two Spellbinder dies but the stamp (Stamploration) was just a bit too large for that. So I stamped then cut it out with one of the dies.  Hand pierced around the edge and then added some sponging on the edges.   This piece is popped up with dimension tape.  The leaves are cut with Impression Obsession dies.  The pretty designer paper is by ADORNit.
Sketch: Tuesday Morning Sketches

Challenges:
Simon Monday - thanks
Work It Wednesday - thanks
Power Poppy - thanks
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Dies R Us - thanks
Cutploration - give thanks

Stamploration Never ending challenge

Stamploration Giving Thanks Blog Hop

http://stamplorations.auctivacommerce.com/ViewWishlist.aspx?WishlistId=1215370

Little Piggy Told Me

Yesterday I posted the tag that will go on my granddaughter's birthday present.  Today I want to show you the card - I love it.

Love these motion cards.  Here is a quick video showing the motion:

Isn't that fun?  It is made with Motion Crafts stamps and dies.
Pig is Doodle Pantry which I colored with Copics.
Stars are cut with Verve dies.
I know my granddaughter is going to love it (and the gift), being a lover and collector of pigs.
Oh, I almost forgot to show you the inside -  Elizabeth Crafts Design stamp.

Challenges:
Three Amigos - interactive card
Die Cuttin Divas - birthday
Daily Marker - 30 days to color
Crop Stop - anything
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Scor-Pal - birthdays/ more than one fold

Why Pigs?

Two of my grandchildren love pigs.  Another one is going to raise a pig for 4H.  I am not a pig lover so I don't understand the attraction but one of these grandchildren has a stuffed pig collection that she enters at the fair.  So for her birthday I will be giving her another pig.
Because it is late evening, this post will only show the tag for her present.  Tomorrow I will post the card I made her (which I love!)

The image is Doodle Pantry, colored with Copics.  the HB2U is Whimsy Stamps.
The re-enforcer is a die cut from an Elizabeth Crafts Designs tag set.  The corners are rounded with an EKSuccess punch.

Challenges:
MFT Birthday project
Power Poppy - just color
Daily Marker - 30 days to color
Die Cuttin Divas - birthdays

Tag 5

Quick post but not so quick Christmas tag but only because it took me four attempts to get the pinecones and branches to look good; either too many, not enough, etc.  But I am pleased with this final tag.

My inspiration was Tracey McNeely's tag on day 8 - 25 Days of Christmas Tags.
I love the cone and branches but because my stamps, Gina K Designs, were different, I needed to go with a different configuration.  I love the score lines too so I added those.
The tag is cut out with the Elizabeth Crafts Designs tag die.  The red re-enforcer is part of that die set.

Challenges
25 Days of Christmas Tags
Stamping Sensations - get ready for Christmas 
All Sorts Challenge - red
Time Out - photo inspiration

Attitude of Gratitude

Gratitude.  Such an incredible, absolutely necessary attitude for our lives. I can attest to the wonderful healing properties of having a grateful spirit.  It helped bring me out of years of depression  and helped create contentment in my life.

The sentiment is a digital image cut with MFT Stitched Rectangle dies.  Beautiful paper - AdornIt.  I made the flower with Cuttlebug flower cuts which I sprayed with water and scrunched up. Added some Distress Oxide ink on the edges and in the center.   The leaves are Elizabeth Crafts Design die cuts.  The frame is made by cutting an oval within an oval using Spellbinder dies. 

Sketch:

Challenges:
Die Cuttin Divas - sketch
Simon Wednesday - thanks

MFT - color challenge
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Dies R Us - stitched dies
Crop Stop - anything
Power Poppy - be thankful
Work It Wednesday - be thankful
Stamploration Giving Thanks 

 Stamploration Wish List

Layered Snowflakes from Leftovers

Do you have trouble throwing away little pieces of scrap paper, extra digital image print outs, extra die cuts, punched our machine cut pieces?  I do.  But then when I am able to make a card, or in this instance a tag, with those left overs, I'm glad I saved them.

This snowflake consists of two machine cut flakes (Silhouette) and one die cut (Birch Press) on a tag made from Christmas patterned paper.  The re-enforcer is made with a Elizabeth Craft Design die.
Inspiration for this tag was Ankita Agrawal's tag on day one of the 25 Days of Christmas Tag challenge. 
I am entering that challenge and
 All Sorts Challenge - use red
Time Out - photo inspiration, red and gray
Joy Clair - photo inspiration, red and gray
Word Art Wednesday - anything

Whooo's Having a Birthday

Just plain fun making this card.  Love these motion stamps.

I finally figured out how to add a video to my blog (I hope!)  It's not very good because I didn't have enough hands to operate the camera and the card at the same time! LOL but it does show the motion.

Isn't that the cutest?
The stamped images and the sliding animation grid are by Motion Crafts / Uchisdesign Co.  The paper is digital paper by Diane's Designs. Happy Birthday is an Elizabeth Crafts Designs die.  Banner - ? die.  Card front is cut out with a Spellbinder die, the slot and pull tab with Motion Crafts dies.  I stamped the balloon (Pretty Sweeties) and fussy cut it after coloring it with Copics.  When I printed out the paper, the orange was splotchy so I used a prisma pencil on all the orange stars and HB's.

I stamped the inside too:

Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps - anything
Tuesday Morning Sketch

 Die Cut Divas - anything
Scor Pal - birthdays  (scoring the base, the insert, the pull tab)
Three Amigos - interactive card
Power Poppy - just color
Daily Marker - 30 day color challenge

Guest At Crop Stop

It is my privilege to be a guest designer at the Crop Stop blog.  What I chose to showcase today here and on their blog is a side step card.
Here is a pic of the card and then we will go on to a few "how to's".

I don't pull out my small cutter very often because I usually use my guillotine cutter and ScorPal board but for this card a smaller cutter is necessary.
I started with a 5 1/2 x 81/2 piece of orange cardstock. After cutting the line shown on the template, I moved the cardstock to my ScorPal to make all the score lines.

 Here is a side view to show the valleys and peaks:

After making the base and adhering the dotted patterned paper with Tombow Adhesive tape, the really run part began - stamping the cake, the cluster of balloons and coloring them.  Both the cake and the balloons are cut out with coordinating dies.  The large balloons were cut from cardstock (with Stamploration dies) that matched the Copic colors I used on the small balloons.  The sentiment piece is cut with a Spellbinder circle die and backed with a Spellbinder scalloped circle die. After coloring the cake, I added liquid pearls to the dots on the cake.
All the balloons and sentiment are adhered to the "steps" with Scor Tape.  The last step was to pop the cake up with dimension foam tape. 
Here are the products I used: 

Paper Sweeties stamps and dies

Stamploration balloon dies

Spellbinder circle and scallop circle dies

Scor pal

Scor pal tape

Tombow mono adhesive

Fiskars  trimmer cutting blade

Copics

Liquid Pearls - White Opal and  Cantalope 

Thank You Crop Stop for asking me to contribute today. 

Challenges: 

Die Cut Divas - anything goes

ScorPal - birthdays 

Daily Marker - 30 day challenge 

Addicted to Stamps - anything 

Word Art Wednesday - anything 

Stamploration - theme - rainbow colors

Christmas Tag #3

I love snowmen.  Not so crazy about making them out in the cold any more but I always enjoy seeing them in yards.  And I love snowmen stamps!

This is very close to Tracy McNeely's tag on day 5 during this year's 25 Days of Christmas Tags.

Mine is made with Gina K Design stamps.  I drew the snow he is sitting in.  The tag is sponged with Distress ink.  Snowflakes and "fluffy" band of his hat is embossed with white EP.  I used Copics for coloring.

Challenges:
25 Days of Christmas Tags 
Daily Marker - 30 day coloring challenge
Power Poppy - just color

Another Thank You Card

One can never have enough thank you cards.  It is a wonderful predicament to run low for then you know that you are taking time to thank others for their help, support, care, etc.

This was a fun card to make.  Not quite what I wanted but close.
The panel behind the leaves is all done with Distress Oxide Inks.  The leaves are cut Spellbinder and Impression Obsession dies.
I popped the leaf panel up with dimensionals.
Here is the sketch I used.

The line down each side of the leaf panel looks weird in the photo but IRL it is a line I drew with a Copper Sakura Gel pen.

Challenges:
Work It Wednesday - give thanks
Power Poppy - be thankful
Simon Monday - make own background
Simon Wednesday - thanks
Word Art Wednesday - anything
MFT - sketch
Stamploration Giving Thanks

 Wish list

Christmas Tag #2

It's not like I need any more stamps but it sure is fun to get new ones (especially if I win them) And then there are some that are so old and don't get used very often - like only for the Christmas season.  This tag has one of each in those catagories.

NOEL is my very old dollar stamp by Studio G.  The bells are one of my new ones from Stamplorations.
NOEL is stamped with black ink and then colored with Copics.  The bells are stamped with Billiance Galaxy Gold which has a sparkle to it IRL.  I added some copic colors for the holly leaves and berries.  I used Direct to Paper to all the edges of the tag. 
Tracy McNeely's Noel tag on Day 3 was my inspiration.

Challenges:
25 Days of Christmas Tags
Daily Marker - 30 day color challenge
Stamping Sensations - get ready for Christmas
Word Art Wednesday - anything

Thanks A Latte

The goal was to make a thank you card for a young man who helped us recently.  Masculine cards - so often a challenge in itself.  I hope this is masculine enough.

When I started out I knew which sketch I wanted to use and that I wanted to use a tag.  The tag is tea dyed and "splotched" with Oxide ink.  Image and sentiment are GKD.  And the lovely paper which worked so well for the sketch is Adorn It.
So, very quick and easy card.  Colored the cup with Copics.
Here is the sketch  at CASual Encouragement:

Challenges:
Work It Wednesday - give thanks
Power Poppy - be thankful
Daily Marker - 30 days coloring
All Sorts - pretty papers
Time Out - grateful
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Stamploration CAS

Stamploration - Tagploration

Looking Ahead to Christmas

No, I really don't want to be looking ahead or preparing for Christmas but the 25 Days of Tags always shocks me into reality.  I am a procrastinator so the Tags challenge reminds me to get busy.  Here is my first tag.

I used a Stamploration stamp, colored it with pencils, added yellow liquid pearls to the center of flowers.
Tag is cut with Stamploration Double Running Stitch die. Hole and re-inforcer punched.
Jeanne Jochna's tag on Day 4 was my inspiration


Challenges:
Die Cut Divas - anything goes
Stamploration CAS 

Stamploration Never ending anything goes challenge 

Joy Clair - inspiration photo
Stamping Sensation - getting ready for Christmas
Daily Marker -30 Day coloring challenge
25 Days of Christmas Tags
Addicted to Stamps - anything (optional ribbon)
Cut it Up - CAS
Dies R Us - stitched dies