Merry Christmas - Happy Holidays!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!!

Guest Designing at CAS-ology

So, this week I was asked to guest design over at CAS-ology.  :-). They have such fun challenges and an amazing design team.  This weeks cue word is "KNIT".

So many possibilities with this word.  I had a few ideas and was playing around but wasn't coming up with anything that I loved.  Then while sitting and watching TV inspiration struck!  Unfortunately, it took some effort to get my idea to work.  It just didn't look right.  I had to step back, take a break and come back to it.  Then it just seemed to fall into place.  :-). Anyway, enough talking about it, let me show you!

My first thought when I was told the cue word was what kinds of things are knitted?  Socks, mittens, sweaters......  Then it came to me, eurecka! Scarves!  I could make a small scarf!  Then it was, how the heck am I going to do that??!  I thought about all the Christmas crafts I had been making for my craft fairs and figured I could do something similar.  I took an argyle sock (my Mom sent them to me for my crafts.  Don't worry, they've never been worn.  LOL) and cut a strip out of it cutting the ends to make a fringe.  I tied it like a scarf would be and glued it to my white panel.  It's looks kind of black in the photo but the main colour of the scarf is a dark purple.  I stamped my sentiment (Technique Tuesday, Flurries set) in timber brown StazOn.  Then popped my panel up with foam dots on my white card base which I think helps create visual interest without being overwhelming.

I think I'll link this up to Keep it Simple where their theme is "warm".  Scarves keep you warm, right?  :-)

Well, thanks for stopping by for a visit and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Foxy Snowflakes

Here's my second post for today.  Just another quick card to link up with the same four challenges.  This card was born because I wanted to use one of my $1.50 Michael's stamps I found.  I actually got it for $0.66 since they had a sale at the time.  :-).

Isn't that fox cute?  Love his little scarf and the present sitting beside him.  After stamping in dove gray StazOn I just had to glitter both up, of course!  I used a circle punch to cut my hole in the corner of my whirlpool cardstock after I embossed it with my snowflake folder (Darice).  It's was simple and quick but I like how it turned out.  :-)

Once again entering it into the following challenges.
CAS-ual Fridays - Let it Snow
Addicted to CAS - code word: snowflakes
Curtain Call - inspiration photo.

CASE Study - inspiration photo.

Well, I'll only be posting one more time before Christmas.   You'll see on Tuesday.  ;-).  Have a wonderful day!

Snowflake Season's Greetings

Just a quick post to share a card I made for a few challenges.  It's the first of two.  :-).   Everyone seems to be thinking about snowflakes so some of my favourite challenges are all coming together nicely.  :-).   Here's my card...

I used some snowflake stamps by Hero Arts (F5793 and LP209) and Technique Tuesday (Flurries set).  The sentiment is by Fiskars.  I love the colour combo here.  :-). I've used timber brown and dove gray StazOn, pale blue chalk ink by Studio G and celadon by Color Box.  White and Kraft paper by Recollections and the whirlpool paper  by Bazill Basics.

Here's the challenges I'm linking up to...
CAS-ual Fridays - Let it Snow
Addicted to CAS - code word: snowflakes
Curtain Call - inspiration photo.

CASE Study - inspiration photo

That's all she wrote for now. Another post coming soon!  :-)

Merry Mittens

I know, I know.  It's been a while since I posted last. I have less than a week before holidays and it's a busy time.  :-). Anyway, I have a card to share that I made for the current Merry Monday challenge.  You're supposed to use mittens somehow.

I actually don't have a mitten stamp or die cut so I made my own.  I just drew and cut them out.  Here take a look....

I used some fun paper from Recollections Holly Jolly paper pad.  It's hard to see but the red parts are glittery.  I added some dimensional snow to the cuff part.  Then I used some yarn to make my string and bows and "hung" my mittens using some mini clothespins.  I secured the mittens with some foam dots.  I'm also going to link up at Keep it Simple where the theme is "warm".  I figure mittens keep your hands warm in the freezing temperatures that we are experiencing here right now now soooo.... :-)

I'm going to take a quick moment to welcome a new follower.  Sheila Cmachado!  Welcome and I hope you enjoy your visits here.  :-)

Well, that's all for now.  I'll be back in a few days with probably my last post before our holidays.  :-). Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely day!

Festive Friday and CAS-ology Challenges

I'll try and make this second post quick this time.  :-)  I've got another card I made for Festive Friday's final challenge.  This time I used this previous challenge to inspire this card.

I love these traditional Christmas colours.  Anyway, I came up with the idea for this card as I was falling asleep one night.  (Yes, I even dream about card making. LOL)  This colour scheme was just perfect for it.

I used my branch stamps (Inkadinkado) and stamped in Forest Moss distress ink.  Then I added the red pearls, bow, and gold jingle bell.  The sentiment (Michaels $1.50 bin) is stamped in Jet Black StazOn.  I raised the white panel with foam dots on a white card base.

I'm also linking this up to CAS-ology's current challenge.  Their cue word is "ribbon".  I think I'll link this up to The Paper Players current challenge too where the theme is "evergreen".

Well, thanks for visiting and hope you have a super day!

Festive Friday Final Challenge

So, it's that time of year now that Festive Friday is soon to be closing up shop for the year.  It's their final challenge and boy, is it a great one.  They want you to take a look at the past years challenges and pick your favourite (or two or three...lol) and create a card.  Oh.  My.  That's going to hard to choose.  There were so many fabulous ones.  They've got a couple of great prizes up for grabs too.  One is for those who have been playing throughout the year and have participated in at least 15 challenges.  I would have liked to played along with all of them but sometimes life just gets in the way.  I did manage to play along with 18 of them though.  That's 18 out of 21.  Wow.  I only missed three.  Next year I'd like to try and play along with all of them.  I made a compilation of all the cards I made.  Check it out....

(There are 19 cards because I made two for one challenge)

That's a lot of Christmas cards!  They are not in chronological order or anything.  I think my favourites are the jingle bell card, the snowflake tag tin, the gingerbread man in the pocket card, and the rustic star card.  :-)  What is also cool is I received Shout Outs from FF for 6 of my cards.  I really am so honoured.  :-).  I'll miss the challenge next month but look forward to the new challenges in the new year.  The DT is such a wonderful group of talented designers, they make you want to make a Christmas card in the middle of June!  Wouldn't you love to be a part of that DT?  I know I would! :-)

Anyway, on to my card.....

Here's a closer look at the cardinal.  It's too bad the glitter on the snow isn't coming through in the picture very well because it is very sparkly and pretty.  I'm going to link this card up to Less is More where their challenge is "sparkle".  It's too bad the birch tree embossing isn't showing up well either.  It's really helps make the card.

I decided to use one of the new stamps I got from Michaels.  I just love this little cardinal stamp.  I coloured it up, added some glitter to the snow, cut it and layered it on some dark brown paper.  I took a panel of white and embossed it with my birch tree embossing folder.  Layered that on some red and attached to a kraft card base.  I attached my bird panel with some foam dots.  I was inspired (once again) by FF's " use a bird challenge.

Now, I need to take a moment and welcome a couple of new followers for last month.  I'm a bit behind in my posts due to all the craft fairs I've been participating in.  This past weekend I was at the Kredl's Market in Hampton, NB and despite the yucky weather on Sunday I did very well.  Next weekend I have one craft fair on Sunday at the Boyce Farmers Market in Fredericton, NB.  It's my last one.  Whew!  I'm going to try and put up my tree today too.  So busy!  Anyway, I'd like to welcome two new followers.  First is Cat Craig of Cat Luvs Paper.  She's a fellow Hero Arts fan and a wonderful card designer.  The second is Katherine Pratt of Katherine Pratt Designs.  She doesn't have a blog but if you'd like to check out her lovely cards check out her Facebook page HERE.

Well, this was a doozy of a post but I'm done for now.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!