Christmas Thanks

Even though I am ready to put Christmas behind me, I just had to use this new stamp set by Avery Elle ( a prize from the Kat Scrappiness Charity Blog hop) so what better way than to make a thank you card for a Christmas present I received.

I used the MFT sketch - perfect for the individual stamps in the set.

All the images are colored with Copics. Three of the stamps are windows so I just hand cut those around the outside line.  For the package I just cut it the same size as the windows.    The background paper is a really old piece from my stash .  The words are a rubber stamp stamped onto a strip of card stock.

Challenges:
Tuesday Morning Sketches - anything
MFT - sketch
Simon Wednesday - anything
House that Stamps Built - anything
All Sorts - thanks
Joy Clair - mood board
Creative with Stamps - gifts

Back To Almost Normal

Thankfully I finished my Christmas shopping the first week in December because the rest of the month sped up leaving no time for shopping.  I didn't get as much baking done as I had hoped to either, but we have way more sugar and carbs during this time of year than we need anyway.
Because I did not take time to post anything the last few weeks, I am just now getting around to showing you the cards I made and sent out this year.  I wanted to include a family photo that we took this past summer so I made long cards rather than the A2 I usually send out.

The ornaments are cut out with Birch Press dies on a white panel which I then adhered to the red card base.  Thank goodness for the Bow-Easy so I could make the tiny bows.  Sentiment is a Verve stamp.
Apparently I did not take a picture of the inside but what I did was stamp a Christmas Tree( Our Daily Bread) on the right side of an insert with our Christmas letter on the left side.
I had to cut an inch off the top of the photo so it would fit inside the card but there was plenty of sky so the pic still looked good.  Here is the photo I used (before cutting) - all 28 of us. As you can see, cutting off some of the top wasn't a big deal.  In fact, I think it looked better.

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas.
I'm looking forward to making some thank you cards and then on to Valentines.  As you can see from the photo, I have a lot to make!

Challenges:
Die Cuttin Divas - happy holidays
Tuesday Morning Sketch - anything
Simon Wednesday - anything
House that Stamps Built - anything
Dies R Us - anything Christmas
Work It Wednesday - ho,ho,holiday
Three Amigos - Christmas
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Time Out - celebrate family, friends, life

Clean and Simple Warm Wishes

Yesterday was wet and windy - perfect day to spend some time coloring.

This is a digital stamp (free) at Stamplorations.  After printing it on white cardstock, I colored it with Copics and Prisma pencils.  Why did I go with pink?  I have no idea - hahaha.  Just felt like going with a non-traditional Christmas color.  I printed it a little too large for the sketch but went with it anyway.  I used a Sakura Clear Star pen to add a bit of sparkle to the foam and the flower shaped cookies.

Challenges:
Stamploration theme - big words

Stamploration CAS  - twist green

Stamploration Never ending challenge

 Joy Clair - mood board
MFT - sketch  

  Addicted to Stamps - non traditional Christmas colors
Three Amigos - Christmas / holiday
Kat Scrappiness - winter              Charity Bloghop for the Coffee Oasis

Word Art Wednesday - anything
Simon Monday - warm winter wishes

Joy To The World

"Here we come a caroling, we sing a song for you."  I love this digital stamp by DigiDesigns.  I use it every year.

These cute little guys are colored with Copics.  I used a silver gel pen on the lanterns so IRL they sparkle.  Here in the photo, they just look white.
The background is embossed with a Cuttlebug embossing folder.  The music score is washi tape.
I thought it would be fun to match the buttons to the color of sweaters.
The sketch I used:

I wanted to remind you once again of the blog hop at Kat Scrappiness and their drive to help out the Coffee Oasis. 

Challenges:
Tuesday Morning Sketches 
Time Out - joyful
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Double Trouble - thing one: emboss, thing two : double dare, thing 3: let it snow
Three Amigos - Christmas/winter
Kat Scrappiness - charity bloghop

A Card, Finally! Edit: Crafting for a Cause

With the emphasis on tags, it has been over a week since I posted a card.  The Christmas cards I am sending out this year are fairly time consuming.  I needed a diversion.  I had this digital image printed up for several weeks so I grabbed it and turned it into a card.

The poinsettias are digital stamps by Doodle Pantry.  I copied the same image three times, turning them slightly before printing.  The flowers and leaves were colored with Copics and Prisma pencils.  The sketch at Tuesday Morning Sketch was a perfect way to use this.   Merry Christmas is stamped  with a Verve stamp.   I bought the ribbon just a few days ago with the intention of using it for packages but it was the perfect ribbon for this layout and I love the silver sparkle and shine to it.

If you compare the sketch to my card, you will see the ribbon placement is in the wrong place.  Confession time - after I adhered the ribbon to the designer paper, I glued the paper to the card upside down.  ( Be honest now - I know I am not the only one who has done that. )  Using Scor-tape, Tombow tape runner and Tombow Multi glue, there was no way that piece was coming off!!! so I just went with it.

EDIT:  After writing out this post, I read about the Kat Scrappiness Blog hop and the benefit for the Coffee Oasis.  I am a Washingtonian and I lived in Kitsap County for 15 years so I was excited to read about the Coffee Oasis. So I am editing this post to let you know about the  bloghop and benefit for this coffee house and their work with teens.  Please check it out and consider a donation. 

Challenges:
Tuesday Morning Sketches
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Crop Stop - anything
Work It Wednesday - holiday
Three Amigos - Christmas/ winter
Stamploration theme - big words

Kat Scrappiness Kat Scrappiness- charity bloghop

Last Tag for This Year

Well, I think it is the last tag.  I have enough tags for all the presents so it is probably safe to say this is the last. I made more than I have posted but mostly for children and I didn't put much time into them knowing they would not appreciate the work so I don't need to bore you with those.

This is another digital image by Stamploration.  Wouldn't you love to have a cup like this? and maybe the latte inside? LOL  I colored it with Copics and pencils.  The stitched lines are hand drawn.  The cute re-enforcer is an Elizabeth Crafts Design die.  Poinsettia in the corner was cut with the Silhouette.  It is hard to see in the pic, but I put a dab of yellow liquid pearl in the center of each poinsettia.. Edges of the tag are sponged with TH distress ink.

Challenges:
Stamploration Cutploration - photo inspiration

Stamploration Never ending challenge

Three Amigos - Christmas/winter
Joy Clair - photo inspiration
Simon Wednesday - wrap it up
House That Stamps Built - anything but a card
Coffee Lovers Bloghop/Challenge
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Coffee Lovers Bloghop Challenge

Tag 16

Did you notice I changed my blog theme from Autumn to Winter?  I am finally giving in and admitting that Fall is over.  Not too hard when I scrape ice off the windshields and watch the mountains get whiter each day.
So how about a cup of something warm and Christmasy?

This tag was made with a Stamploration digital stamp which I colored with Copics and pencils.  The tag is made with a MFT Di-namic Stitched Rectangle die and the re-enforcer with an Elizabeth Crafts Designs die.

Challenges:
Cutplorations - die and photo board

Stamploration Never ending challenge

Coffee Lovers Bloghop and Challenge

Three Amigos - Chrismas/winter
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Stamploration - tagploration

Joy Clair - photo inspiration 
Simon Wednesday - wrap it up
House that Stamps Built - anything but a card 

Tag 15

Grabbed this cute, free digi stamp from Craftin Desert Divas while going through the Coffee Lovers Bloghop and made a simple tag with it.

 I should have used the E50 Copic to go around the outside of the cup instead of coloring the cup with it (since it is a snowman) but maybe next time. I just don't have the time or energy to make another one.  I have only two more tags to make before calling it quits for this year then I can wrap all the gifts. Looking forward to having it done.
The square re-enforcer was made with an Elizabeth Crafts Design die.
Snowflakes (Stampin'Up and Verve) stamped and then embossed with silver EP.  I put a bit of silver Sakura ink on the snowflake on the tea tag too. 

Challenges:
House that Stamps Built - anything goes
Simon Wednesday - anything goes
Coffee Lovers Bloghop - winter coffee, tea, hot chocolate

Word Art Wednesday - anything
Three Amigos -Christmas/winter
Double Trouble - Thing 1,2,3 and Double double dare - emboss, snowflakes, and tea

Tag 14

Almost done with tags.  Just a few more to make.

This one is made by printing a digital image of the fir branch (Maxam Made), coloring it with pencils. Next was to rub on Distress Oxide ink, spritz it then attach the "to go" cup (Verve) which is also a digital stamp that I printed, colored with Copics, fussy cut and then adhered over the background.  I didn't have any cardstock that matched the blue Copic that I used on the cup so I used the same copic on white cardstock and then cut it to back the white tag.  The re-enforcer is cut out of a piece of the copic colored cardstock with an Elizabeth Crafts Design die.
I really like the blue and snowflakes that Norine Borys used on her tags on day 2 of the 25 Days of Christmas Tags challenge.  Made me think of this digital stamp.

Challenges:
Simon Monday - gift it
25 Days of Christmas Tags
Daily Marker - 30 days color challenge
Dies R Us - snowflakes
Word Art Wednesday - anything
House that Stamps Built - anything
Simon Wednesday - anything
Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers challenge

Double Trouble - Thing 2 Double Dare

Tag 13

This is the thirteenth tag I will be entering in the 25 Days of Christmas Tags challenge.  This was was inspired by Jillian on day 26.

I made my tag with Spellbinder nesting tags and cut each little tree out of metallic gold paper.  Here is another photo to try to show the shine of the paper. ( I have such a terrible time with photos!)

I made the tag by just rounding the corners of a 1 1/2 x 4 piece of cardstock.

Challenges:
25 Days of Christmas Tags
Simon Monday - gift it
Die Cuttin Divas - tagg
Die Cut Divas - winter or Christmas
Work It Wednesday - holiday
Simon Wednesday - anything 

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