Cardinal Christmas

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends!

Today was a busy, fun-filled family day here at our house! I hope you all enjoyed a blessed Thanksgiving Day with your family and/or friends! I also hope you had time to reflect on all the things in your life you can be thankful for.  I know God has blessed me is so many ways...but I am especially thankful for my family, my church, my health....my spiritual health in particular! I can say without a doubt that I am heaven-bound because Jesus bought and paid for me with His death on the cross and has given me such an amazing life here and now, with the hope of heaven awaiting me. That's a whole lot to be thankful for! Leave me a comment and let me know what YOU are thankful for today!

So here is my Christmas card for the weekly challenge at SweetStamps this week!

This is my last week as Guest Designer on their blog. Its been a fun and busy month!

They have such great products in their store...its been amazing to be able to showcase some of them for you!

This week's challenge started on Tuesday. It is #145 "The Holidays".

You still have four days to enter, so why not pop over to the SS blog and get inspired by the DT samples and then get creative...and join the challenge! There is a nice prize you could win too!

For this card I used the SweetStamps stamp set called "Cardinal Pair & Warm Wishes".

I colored the image with alcohol markers, colored pencils and ink. Then I added some Stickles for sparkle in two colors: "Crystal" & "Holly".

The dies I used are the "Standard Circles Lg" by Spellbinders and the "Catalina Wreath" by Memory Box.

The background layer with the grid design is also shimmery with Smooch Spritz in a lime green. The green base card stock is stamped with pale green and white ink using an evergreen tree from Stampin' Up.

The card stock is mostly scraps from my stash, as are the gold twine and the sequins.

I used a sketch from the Technostamper blog:

http://technostamper.blogspot.com - Mon Lunchtime Sketch Chall #290

More challenges:

http://sentimentalsundays.blogspot.com - #182 Winter Wonderland

http://ShoppingOurStash.blogspot.com - #121 Holidays or Winter

http://Cardsundmore-challengeblog.blogspot.com - #95 Advent/Christmas decoration

http://avenue613.blogspot.com/ - #47 Anything Goes, Optional Twist:

Create Your Own Challenge (use chart)

Here are the things I used-

Col. 1: image, sentiment, patterned paper, solid paper

Col. 2: any sketch, die cut

Col.3: Stickles, Glimmer Mist (Smooch Spritz)

Col.4: Sequins

Col.5: twine (gold)

Vintage-Look Embossing

Its Sunday evening...I've got just a few minutes before heading off to church so here is a really quick post! 

This sympathy card was made for the "Anything Goes" challenge* at SweetStamps

where I am the November Guest Designer.

I have used several SweetStamps items to create the delicate look here:

Stamps - "With Sympathy", "Rose Corner Lg", "Vertical Rose Border",

"Scroll Shadow Box Frame", and 

the ArtsyfArtsy "Swirly Doodle Butterflies".

I also used the new Piccolo "Vintage Copper Enamel Powder" for the lovely metalic embossing.

*Oops! I thought I had another day yet but that challenge ends tonight, so it wouldn't make sense for me to post it on their blog any more. Oh well, I'll have another card to add in a few days for the next challenge!

Challenges:

http://robynsfetishchallengeblog.blogspot.com/ - #187 Vintage Style

http://inkspirationalchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ - #44 Anything Inkspirational Goes

http://brownsugarchallenge.blogspot.com/ - #69 Anything Goes
http://creativecornerchallenges.blogspot.de/ - Heavy Metal
http://fairytale-challengeblog.blogspot.com/ - #81 Photo Inspiration

Using Clear Micro Beads

Hello, and happy Thursday to you all!

Today I'm showcasing a technique I'd never tried before...using micro beads. What an interesting and pretty texture the tiny glass beads create! Makes it look so dimensional.

This is the new technique for the monthly challenge at SweetStamps which runs from Nov. 15 through Dec. 15. The beads are just called "Glass Beads" by Judi-Kins*.

 This Christmas card is made with non-traditional colors...rather out of my comfort zone! But I like the icey look the micro beads bring to the design.

Looking at the image of the bells from different angles shows the demensional, icey look a bit better.

What doesn't show up well is the glossy surface I added to the background frame...the whole pale pink area surrounding the wreath. I gave it a coating of Glastique Dementional Finishing Glaze* after coloring it with Spectrum Noir alcohol markers.

and here are the other items I used:
Stamps - "Bells"* and "Scroll Shadow Box Frame"* from SweetStamps
Sentiment from Stamping Scrapping Design
Dies - "Catalina Wreath"* from Memory Box
"Standard Circles Lg" from Spellbinders
"Terrifically Tacky Tape" from Provo Craft
Flatback pearls - "Peach" from Pizzazz Aplenty

Check out the SweetStamps blog for more details and inspiration!
Then join in the challenge for a chance to win a very nice prize!
All of the items marked with the * are things I got at the SweetStamps.com online store

Challenges:
http://scrapbookerphd.blogspot.com/ - #3 Christmas without Green or Red
http://abcchristmaschallenge.blogspot.com/ - W for Winter Wishes
http://thepapershelter.blogspot.com/ - Christmas is Coming!
http://cardsundmore-challengeblog.blogspot.com/ - #94 Baby Its Cold Outside


Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Give Thanks to the LORD...

"Give thanks to the LORD for He is good." 

                                                   Psalm 136:1

Here is the next card I made especially  for SweetStamps as a November Guest Designer.

And that is the verse I used on the  front of my card for the new weekly challenge: "Thanks".

It is a SweetStamps stamp and the two dies I used are also theirs! They are "Elegant Leaves" and "Classy Deer". 

There is a song in the 'Psalter Hymnal' called "Give Thanks to God, for Good is He" that is based on Psalm 136. It is one of my favorites. It goes on to say "His mercy faileth never...His grace abideth ever". So wonderfully true.

I am using this as a Thanksgiving card which I plan to mail to my family in Wisconsin. I have not finished the inside yet so we shall see if I get this mailed on time. Sad to say I am notorious for getting cards in the mail one day late...very consistently!

This was a fun card to make. I made a stencil of heavy card stock and inked the bottom layer of the leafy wreath with an orangish ink (Studio G "Spice") then die cut 3 more colors of the leaves to arrange in the wreath shape. For delicate die cuts like this I use spray adhesive. Some of the leaves have Stickles added in gold and crystal.

The deer is one of my newest dies and I've used it with glitter card stock from the Paper Studio. The very first time I visited the SweetStamps online store I knew I wanted that die...and I finally got it! I'm looking forward to making some elegant Christmas cards with it.

The Bible verse is stamped in "Walnut Stain", a TH Distress ink.

The cream color background print is from the "Vintage Moon" set by Pink Paislee.

I hope you have time to stop by the SweetStamps blog to see all of the wonderful creations made by the Design Team. And once you are inspired, we'd love to have you join the challenge with YOUR creation! Each week they give a generous prize of a $20 shopping spree for SweetStamps merchadise at their online store!

Challenges:

http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/ - Thanks/Thanksgiving

http://craftycreationschallenges.blogspot.com/ - #248 Dies & Punches

http://shoppingourstash.blogspot.com/ - #127 Use Something Out on Your Desk

(the leaf die has been on my desk for weeks!)

http://craft-deebowz.blogspot.com/2013/11/november-challenge.html - Nov/Anthing Goes

http://pathofpositivitychallenge.blogspot.com/ - #8 Thankfulness

http://stampandcreateblog.blogspot.com/ - Nov. Challenge: Feathers or Leaves

White-on-White Wedding Card

Good evening, Friends!

I'm making just a quick post this evening...a wedding card! One of my favorite things to make, especially the white-on-white kind. I found a great sketch to follow so this was a REALLY easy card!

Ingredients:

Sentiment stamps - Bildmalarna "Congratulations..."

Embossing  texture plate - Fiskars "Filigree"

Tiny fabric white roses - Hobby Lobby 

Card stock, ribbon, pearl sprays - from my stash

Challenges:

Wordartwednesday.blogspot.com - #106 Anything Goes

Inkspirationalchallenges.blogspot.com - #43 White on White

Technostamper.blogspot.com - Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge #288

As always, thanks so much for stopping by!

A B-Day Card with a Little Humor

One of my friends loves humorous cards so I had to  really dig through my stamps to find one that would work for her. The sentiment isn't necessarily "birthday"...but I made it into a birthday card anyway!

It is another center-step card too.

The old fashioned lady is a digital image I got from Free Vintage Digital Images. I added the glass of wine in her hand and photo-shopped out a handful of shamrocks she was previously holding. Choosing red as my accent color may not have been the best choice...red and green together always makes me think it looks like a Christamas card! Oh well...its done!

I love the step card design...its easy but looks classy!

If you can't quite read what it says on the inside, here it is:

"The other glasses are for my witty comebacks and flawless dance moves."

Perfect for the special someone I'm giving it to today!

(The wine glasses are also digi images I found on the internet that I recolored).

The sentiment is printed from my computer,

the cardstock is Paper Studio,

the die cut (leaves) is "Olive Branches" from SweetStamps,

the square die cut is Spellbinders "Labels 4",

the pearly dots are Ranger Liquid Pearls "Platinum".

Challenges:

http://sweetstampsblog.blogspot.com - Oct/Nov Monthly Challenge: Center-Step Card
http://sugarcreekhollow.blogspot.com/ - #73 Anything Vintage Goes
http://craftyhandsdevon.blogspot.co.uk/ - #2 Vintage
http://fabnfunkychallenges.blogspot.com/ - #192 Traditional Christmas Colours

SweetStamps Guest Designer!

Good morning, Friends!

Today I'm posting a special card I made for the SweetStamps blog (AND for my brother's birthday, of course!)....as a Guest Designer for the month of November! I think its an honor to be asked to be a Guest Designer so I'll be putting extra effort into my card creating this month!

Here's the first one:

This is a center-step card which is the monthly technique challenge going on at SweetStamps from Oct.15-Nov.14. But I am also combining it with the weekly challenge: Nature

The instructions for making a center-step card are included on the SweetStamps blog...well, all you need to do is click on a word and the instructions show up! Easy-peasy! If you have never tried a step card I would recommend trying this one...its quite easy and the results are amazing!

The lovely tree stamp I used is a SweetStamps stamp "Tree #1"...as is the "old fashioned wish" sentiment.  And the picket fence on the front of the card is a CheeryLynnDesigns die "Garden Gate" which I also purchased at the online SweetStamps store.

The "Happy Birthday" on the front is an Inkadinkadoo stamp, and the Bible verse inside is a Verve stamp.

Other ingredients:

Circle die - Spellbinders "Anglaise Lace"

Ink - TH Distress "Walnut Stain"

Cardstock - from my stash

Colored pencils

Metallic stud embellishments - Michaels

Leaves - REAL nature!

Challenges:
http://craftycreationschallenges.blogspot.com/ - #247 Autumn Colors
http://nutcrafters.blogspot.co.uk/ - #55 Autumn Splendor
http://www.wordartwednesday.blogspot.com/ - #105 Anything Goes
http://cuttlebugmania.blogspot.co.uk/ - Autumn
http://www.craftyourpassionchallenges.blogspot.com/ - More than one fold
http://eurekastamps.blogspot.com/ - Fall Leaves or Feathers
http://lexiscreations.blogspot.com/ - #102 Birthday Celebrations
http://www.thekraftjournal.blogspot.com/ -Make It Monday #145 Harvest Time
http://paradeyourcrafts.blogspot.com/ - #7 Halloween and/or Autumn
http://www.inkspirationalchallenges.blogspot.com/ - #42 Photo Inspiration - Wreath

http://technostamper.blogspot.com/ - Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge #287

Thanks for stopping by today! There is still time to enter both challenges at SweetStamps...the "center-step card" challenge goes until Nov.14 @ 11pm and the "Nature" challenge until Nov.11 @ 11pm. Join us for some fun, inspiration and prizes!

A Collage Frame...I Love it!

The stamp of the collage frame is another SweetStamps stamp...called "Scroll Shadow Box Frame". I stamped it in Memento "London Fog" (gray) on white cs and fussy-cut around it. That is mounted on a speckled gray and then its all mounted on a plain white background.

This card is supposed to be for a bridal shower...but I don't have a single stamp that says anything about a shower. At least one I can find today! What do you think...does it work for a bridal shower card?

Here's my list of the rest of the ingredients:

Stamps- CDS "Medallion de Fleur", Sandy Lion "Sentiments", Inkadinkadoo "Love & Friendship"

Flowers- StampingScrapping.com "Gardenia" & "Tiny"

Leaf die- Spellbinders "Foliage"

Ranger Liquid Pearls "Platinum"

Challenge:

SweetStampsblog.blogspot.com - #141 "Frames"

Saturday Bonus

Today is Saturday...a cold, rainy November day. But since yesterday "felt" like Saturday today is a bonus day! AND because of the time change we will get an extra hour of sleep tonight! 

So on this gloomy day I decided to post a card that looks more like springtime than late fall.

And this amazing Bible verse is so very encouraging...an awesome promise from God to care for His people!

Ingredients:

Cardstock - Best Creations "A Walk in the Garden" (print)

and (green & white) from my stash

Dies - Spellbinders "Fleur de Lis Accents" & "Fleur de Lis Squares"

Sentiment - FREE digi from Word Art Wednesday

Ribbon, twine and pin...from my stash

I also added a little bit of stenciled design behind the border die on the left. I used the piece of cs I had punched the border from as my stencil and a dauber with 3 colors of matching ink.

The only challenge I'm entering this card in is: 

Wordartwednesday.blogspot.com - #104 "Anything Goes"

Thanks for stopping by today! Happy November!