Christmas in August...

I've added a couple more Christmas cards to my stash today.  I think that brings my total, so far, to 26.  I'm really enjoying making these cards.  It's fun using the new papers I bought recently...and I always enjoy digging out my Christmas stamp sets.  I recently bought a new set from Gina K.  It's titled "Blessed is the season".  It's a beautiful set and is so versatile.  I used this set for the first card, below.

The card base is old olive, with matting of whisper white (from SU).  I used the same card stocks for the image and matting.  The designer paper is from BoBunny, it's called Noel Traditions.  After using one of Gina's background stamps, I embossed the dove in winter white EP.  This was a very quick and easy card, since I kept it fairly simple.

This is another easy peasy card!  I wanted to use this cute "I believe - Reindeer" paper from My Mind's Eye, so I pulled my coordinating colors from that.  Some Close to Cocoa CS for the base, a strip of Chocolate Chip, then a piece of Old Olive satin ribbon.  Since the DP had cardinals in the print, I used my SU two-step bird punch and with a little alteration...sort of made him into a cardinal.  I added a bit of a "crest" to the top of his head.  Well, it will have to do!
I used a sentiment from the Four the Holidays set (SU), rounded the bottom corners...and I was done.
I had fun making these cards...I hope you enjoy taking a look at them.

Crazy 4 Challenges card (C4C52)

I was looking for a fun papercrafting challenge this morning, when I found this fun challenge over at Crazy 4 Challenges (it's C4C52 this week).  The challenge is to use lattice somewhere on your project...any type of lattice.  You can click on their blog name to read all about the challenge.  Well, shortly after I bought my Scor Pal I watched a tutorial on Stamp TV, about creating a lattice effect on card stock.  When I saw today's challenge at C4C, I knew I wanted to try my hand at the diagonal scoring that Gina K demonstrated.  It was so easy to do!  And fun!  I'm thinking that my Scor Pal purchase was a very smart investment...don't you agree?  Here is a link to Gina's video tutorial.

For this card, I pulled out some Confetti White card stock (from SU).  I love the flecks of color in this CS and it's a bit heavier weight than their Whisper White.  I thought it would hold up better with the scoring...especially since I was experimenting!  I used some of SU's new "in colors" for this card.  Love these colors!
To finish off the card, I added a few tiny flat back pearls and some ribbon.

Card recipe ~

CS: confetti white (SU)

DSP: patterns stack "in color" (SU)

Ink: peach parfait, poppy parade, concord crush, pear pizzazz, wild wasabi

Stamps: organic grace, of the earth, live your dream (this one is inside the card) (SU)

Ribbon: ribbon originals - jersey combo pack (SU)

Flat back pearls: recollections

Tools and such: scor-pal, bow easy, pop dots, tacky tape

Please leave and comment and let me know what you think...

Card Patterns Sketch Challenge 78

Well, I'm getting in just "under the wire" with this entry for the Card Patterns Sketch 78...I think it closes Friday evening.  You can see the sketch and get the details here.  As soon as I saw the sketch, I knew I wanted to participate!
I had to leave work early today for a dentist appointment.  Not fun, but I do have a great dentist and dental assistant - which makes the visit a lot easier!  Anyway, I got home and had a little extra time before dinner.  So...I treated myself to a little stamping time!
This card fun to make.  I used some BoBunny printed paper that I picked up recently (so pretty).  This paper has a vintage look, which was just the direction I wanted to go.  I picked up a box FULL of vintage lace at an estate auction in July, and I've been SO wanting to dig into it!  This was the perfect opportunity.  I also pulled out a vintage button (from another auction a few years ago).  I am so pleased with how this card turned out.  I hope you like it, too!

The recipe ~

card stock: real red, very vanilla, always artichoke (SU)

printed paper: noel holly (BoBunny)

ink: riding hood red, always artichoke (SU)

stamps: tiny tags

accessories and tools: dies (Spellbinders), big kick (sizzix), tacky tape, pop dots, vintage lace and button, linen thread

Clean and Simple Stamping FTL 104

Hey, two posts in one day!  It's fun to be back on my blog : o )
I made this card (another Christmas card for my stash) for the FTL 104 sketch challenge, over at Clean & Simple Stamping.  I couldn't wait to use some of the new Christmas patterned papers I bought yesterday.  There were SO MANY beautiful papers at the expo.  If you haven't read my previous post...I talked about the scrapbook expo that I went to yesterday.  We nearly shopped til we dropped!

This card was supposed to be clean and simple...which sometimes is difficult for me, you know.  I think I succeeded.  What do you think???  I love the colors in this s.e.i. patterned paper, so I chose just two colors to coordinate with that.

The recipe ~

card stock: real red, whisper white (SU)

patterned paper: wintersong snow bubbles (s.e.i.)

stamp: reason for the season (stampabilities)

ribbon: from my stash

Please leave a comment, I love to read them all!

Sweet Sunday sketch challenge 82

It's been a few weeks since I've posted to my blog...and did I miss it!!!  Life has been busy!  Among other things, I went to a Scrapbook Expo yesterday.  It was about an hour's drive from my home, but....oh my...it was worth it.  I'm not a scrapbooker but, in card making I use so many of the same supplies and techniques.  So, I took a chance.  My cousin Cheryl went with me.  She makes a lot of gifts and favors (and they're beautiful).  Wow, it took us 6 hours to get through everything.  We had such a good time!  I'll include a pic in my post.  BUT, on to my card.
This card is for the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge 82.  This sketches are always great, which makes it fun to play along.  You can see the sketch and details here at Karen Giron's blog.  By the way, all of the watermarks you see on my photos (my name and blog address) were purchased from Karen.  She does beautiful work!
Oh yea...on to my card...again.

I'm working on building my Christmas card supply, so I used a holiday theme.  Hopefully you can see the Brilliance Platinum stamping that I did on the vanilla card stock, and I layered an oval of brushed silver under my sentiment.  This great printed paper by s.e.i has a little silver, along with all of those other great colors, so I wanted to make it pop a little.
Thanks for stopping by to take a look.  Please leave a comment, I love to read them!

The recipe ~

card stock: real red, very vanilla, garden green, brushed silver (SU)

patterned paper: Christmas mint cocoa cluster (s.e.i.)

stamps: snow burst, christmas punch (SU)

ink: riding hood red (SU), brilliance platinum planet (Tsukineko)

embellishments: brown flat back pearls (Recollections)

tools: corner rounder(making memories), oval dies (Spellbinders), wide oval (SU)

AND...a quick pic of me and Cheryl at the expo yesterday...

Snowflakes and a Christmas tree!

This will be a quick post, before I get ready for church.
Yes, I'm making more Christmas cards this weekend.  I'm enjoying it so much...maybe it's because I'm wishing for cooler weather!  The forecast is for temps in the 90's this week, yuk...

Today's card is going into 2 challenges ~
 * Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge
 * Our Creative Corner Challenge - It's Embossable!

I used both dry embossing and heat embossing on this card.  I use both of these techniques a lot, they really add a lot of texture and interest to a card.  I did a little something different with the button I used today.  It was a clear button, so I added a bit of designer series paper to the back.
The card ~

The second photo shows a closeup shot of the button I mentioned.

My recipe ~ ~ ~

Stamp: perfect presentation (SU)

Card stock: night of navy, bravo burgundy, confetti white (SU)

Ink: night of navy - inside the card (SU), Versamark

DSP: patterns pack III (SU)

Other tools and stuff: clear button, white ep (SU), snowflake emb. folder (Cuttlebug), heat gun, big kick (Sizzix), tape

It's Santa!

After doing some (much over-due) yard work yesterday and this morning...I rewarded myself with an afternoon of making Christmas cards.  And...it was quite productive!  I made 5 cards.  I'll share just 1 with you this evening, though.  The idea for this card has been rolling around in my head for a couple of days, so I just HAD to let it out.  Hey...no comments about all the empty space in there...lol  :)
hmmmm...anyway, on to the card.
My Santa image is heat embossed.   I used a Spellbinder die to create the "window" and emboss the edges around it (love those dies!)
This was a very easy card to put together, and that's unusual for me.  I usually go with a lot of embellishments and layers.  Lately, I'm drawn to a lot of the clean and simple cards I'm seeing on so many blogs.  I enjoyed this card so much, that I may be making a lot more of this style card.
This card is submitted in 3 challenges:
  * Sparkle Creations (favorite embellishment - embossing)
 * Meljen's Designs (clean and simple)
 * Wild Flower Wednesday (embossing)

I played around with my camera, but couldn't quite find an angle that looked right.  I've ended up with a shadow inside the window of my card.  I really like the way my card turned out...but not pleased with the photo.
Thanks for stopping by to take a look and please leave a comment!

My card recipe ~ ~ ~

Card stock: kraft, confetti white (SU)

Ink: real red (SU), versamark (Tsukineko, Inc.)

Stamps: christmas punch, four the holidays (SU)

Other stuff: clear embossing powder (SU), red ribbon from my stash, square die (Spellbinders), big kick (Sizzix)

Backyard blooms!

Hi, just a quick post to share some photos I took this morning.  All of these blooms are in our backyard.  I love taking flower photos!  It's so nice to be able to look at them in the middle of these long northern Illinois winters.

Our hostas and black-eyed susans are just FULL of blooms right now.  Love them!

Triple Challenges...

I'm participating in three challenges with this card.
The Play Date Cafe Challenge #40 ~ color splash
Card Patterns Sketch 75
Just Us Girls #44 ~ wild card wedding

 *** Hi, it's Tuesday evening and I'm adding another challenge to the list!  True :) left a comment on this post, and told me about a challenge over at Really Reasonable Ribbon.  It's for a black and white card with a touch of color allowed.  RRR Challenge #5  Thank you True!!!  Now back to my original post. ***

When I was browsing the challenges yesterday, these three seemed to fit together so well...so I combined them into one card.  I'm pleased with the card, and I hope you like it, too!
This is my first time participating in a Play Date Cafe challenge.  When I saw that the challenge was black and white with a splash of green, I had to participate (since it's one of my favorite colors!)
Anyway...on to the card!

I've included a couple of closeup pics to show a little more detail.  I added some stickles to her bouquet and I used smooch on his bow tie, his shoes and the bodice of her dress.  This was my first try at using smooch...I'll need a little more practice.  I love trying new products, though!

The recipe ~ ~ ~

Patterned paper: best occasions mixed media

CS: old olive, basic black, whisper white (SU)

Ink: basic black (SU)

Stamps: happy couple (Stampabilities), whimsical words (SU) (inside the card)

Embellishment & tools: lace (from my stash), old olive ribbon (SU), brad (Making Memories pebble brad), diamond stickles (Ranger), tuxedo smooch (Clearsnap), punch (MS)