Monday, December 19, 2016

Sunday, December 18, 2016

25 Days of Christmas Cards: Day 23, Joy

Hi Everyone!

So for these last few days of the 25 days of Christmas cards, I am just posting and running, I'm afraid. Lots to do and now the kiddos are out for Christmas break and I'm ready to just enjoy time with family. Have a great holiday season and I will see you all again after Christmas!


Challenges:

1. Crafting When We Can: Christmas
2. Lil Patch of Crafty Friends: Anything Goes
3. Pile it On: Any Holiday
4. Come and Get it: Christmas
5. The Corrosive Challenges: Gold or Silver Christmas

Saturday, December 17, 2016

25 Days of Christmas Cards: Day 22 Name him Jesus

Hello everyone!

 I hope you're all doing well today. I apologize for not posting yesterday. Life jus got busy and I just didn't have the spare time in my day! I'm here now though to share this card for day 22 of 25 days of Christmas cards with you.



For this card, I used Verve Stamps "Unto us" which I stamped with Pine Needles distress ink and then
cut out free hand leaving just a small white trim around the edge. I layered it onto a piece of PTI Pine Feathers card stock, having rounded the corners of the edges of the piece to match the curved edges of the stamp.
I layered the strips of pattern paper as shown and added some Verve ribbon before adhering the image panel with some foam adhesive.

Have a great day, and I'll be back again tomorrow.

Challenges:

1. Morgan's ArtWorld: Anything Goes
2. Kitty Bee Designs:  Christmas
3. Jo's Scrap Shack: Anything Goes
4. Polkadoodles Anything Goes

Thursday, December 15, 2016

25 Days of Christmas Cards: Day 21 Jingle Bells

Hi Everyone!

How are you today? Well, I hope. All is great here. Just trying to get as much done before the kiddos all get out of school for Christmas break tomorrow. We are just having a nice quiet Christmas at home this year; and that is perfectly fine with me. Still, you know how it is...there's always a ton of stuff to do!



Anyhow, on to today's card. This card looked SO much different in my head! I don't know why it didn't translate the way I thought it would once I actually put it tougher. I considered not sharing it; but 25 cards is what I promised everyone; and I mean to deliver on my promise... gosh darn it!

I used "Bright Spirits" from Verve stamps for the image and sentiment. I stamped the jingle bells and the bird with ink before using a blender pen to color them in. I added some Wink of Stella clear glitter pen to the bells; but you can't see it in the picture. I also used Verve's Award Banner die create a sort of border around the image panel.

For better or worse, that is what I have for you today! Enjoy your day and I'll see you all again tomorrow!

Challenges:
1.  Crafty Girls Creations: Anything Goes
2.  C.R.A.F. T. Christmas
3. Through the Purple Haze: Anything Goes





Wednesday, December 14, 2016

25 Days of Christmas Cards: Day 20, Happiest Season

Hi Everyone!

We are in the home stretch! Down to the last 5 cards of the season! For today's card, I used a stamp that I bought a couple of years ago. I stamped it three times, once in red, black and green and then just cut out the various parts in the color I wanted and then I just cut and pasted it all together. I used a red prismacolor pencil and a blender pen to shade in the frame around the sentiment.
I added the pattern paper to a Neenah Solar White card base. I layered the stamped panel image onto a piece of New Leaf card stock from PTI, added some red baker's twine before adhering the panel to the front of the card with some foam adhesive.


Have a great day and I will see you all again tomorrow! 

Challenges:

1. The Crafty Addicts:  Anything Goes/Christmas Colors 
2. Creative Moments: Anything Goes 
3. Crafty Gals Corner: Anything Goes 
4,  Crafting by Design: Here Come the Holidays

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

25 Days of Christmas Cards: Day 19, Let it Snow.

Hi Everyone!

I hope you are all having a great day! Are you as busy as I am this week trying to get shopping and wrapping done; and baking and crafting, oh my! So I will not keep you long today. Today's card just features some Enchanted Evening card stock from PTI with some grey and white as well. I heat embossed the snowman and the snowflakes from Inkadinkado's "Holiday Filagree" set


I added some white snow dots with a gelly roll pen; and then some blue stickles to the snowflakes for some extra sparkle.
Have a great day and I'll see you again tomorrow!

Challenges:

1. Make My Monday Challenge: Show me a Snowman
2. The Paper Girls: Snowmen
3. Lemon Shortbread Challenges: Anything Goes
4. Sunny Day Crafting: Anything Goes
5. Through the Craft Room Door: Anything Goes
6. Tuesday Throwdown: Anything Goes Christmas
7.  A Snowflakes Promise: Winter 

Monday, December 12, 2016

25 Days of Christmas: Day 18, Merry Christmas

Hi Everyone!

Today's card is ALL about pattern papers, as you can see! I saw a card similar to this on Pinterest and  I really liked how the turn up corners of the pattern paper made a little frame around the center of the card. The patterns make the card really busy though, so I wanted to be careful not to add too much more than just a simple sentiment in the middle. I stamped the image and sentiment which are from Simon Says Stamp "Holiday Labels" set and then added some simple white dashed lines just to break up the space between the different pattern papers.


Super easy card today! Have a great day and I will see you again tomorrow.

Challenges:

1. Artistic Inspirations: Anything Goes
2. Crafting From The Heart: Anything Goes
3. Craft Your Passion: Anything Goes
4. Dream Valley Challenges: Christmas



Sunday, December 11, 2016

25 Days of Christmas: Day 17, Santa's Delightful Wishes.


Hi Everyone!
Welcome back for Day 17 of 25 Days of Christmas Cards. Gosh, we only have about a week left and then it's all done! I hope you're having a good day. Today's card is a warm and cozy card from Santa wishing everyone a delightful and happy Christmas.
I started with a dark chocolate standard size card base and then l layered a piece of white card stock before adding the patterned paper as shown. This pattern paper is from a package I bought from Hobby Lobby. I bought 3 6x6 pads which will probably last me a good few years, so you will definitely see some of these patterns again next year, I am sure! I die cut a scalloped circle frame that I layered around the stamped Santa image. Santa is from an Inkadinkado set and is stamped with black ink onto a piece of Neenah Solar White card stock.  I colored him in. Now, here is where I have a confession to make: I don't remember if I used Copics on him or Prismacolor pencils....and I've already mailed this card, so....ummmm.... haha!

Anyhow....moving on, the sentiment at the top is from Simon Says Stamps and I added some twine and some stickles for finishing touches.


Have a great day and I will see you all again tomorrow!

Challenges:

1. Come and Get it: Christmas (2nd Entry)
2. Crafting When We Can: Christmas
3. Little Patch of Crafty Friends: Anything Goes

Saturday, December 10, 2016

25 Days of Christmas cards: Day 16, Sparkly Tree

Hello everyone!

Today's card is one that I look at and I think, 'hmmm...I'm not sure I like this." And then I look at it a while later, and I think, "actually it turned out pretty cool." This card was really simple to put together once I figured out the layou of the circle to make the tree. I just cut a bunch of random sized circles from some super sparkly paper I bought from Hobby Lobby. I layered them onto a piece of white card stock and then attached it to a Neenah Desert Storm card base.
I wrestled a bit with whether or not to put a sentiment on the front and decided that the sparkly tree was best by itself. I think that if I had to do it again, I would probably not use the white glitter paper and just kept it all red, green and gold. The white gets a little hard to see and so it looks like there are these big gaps in the tree.


I hope you all have a fabulous day. Thanks for stopping by to visit with me.

Friday, December 9, 2016

25 Days of Christmas Cards: Day 15, Merry Christmas

Hello everyone!

I have a simple card to share with you today for Day 15. I decided to let the focus be on the pattern papers, which are from Lilly Bean Designs.  I cut four strips and then adhered them to a piece of PTI Poppy Red card stock. The card base is a piece of Neenah Desert Storm cut to a standard card size. I layered another layer of Simon Says Stamp Sea Glass. I white embossed the sentiment at the bottom. The sentiment is from a holiday Martha Stewart set that I bought at Michael's years ago. I added a simple silver cord ribbon to finish the card!
Have a great day and I'll see you all again tomorrow

Thursday, December 8, 2016

25 Days of Christmas Cards: Day 14, Cup of Cheer

Good morning!

Here today with day 14 of 25 Days of Christmas cards. For this card, I used Verve's "Coffee Helps" Stamp set. I really wanted to use this sentiment on a Christmas card this year. I just think it's perfect for coffee lovers! Makes me think of warm cozy cafes on cold days! Anyhow, the card layout was designed around the sentiment, which as you can see, is rather large. I stamped four of the latte cups in black ink and then colored them in with copic markers before cutting the out with the coordinating die cut. I then layered the cups on two different pattern papers cut into four squares.
The card base is a standard size card from Neenah Solar White 80lb. I cut another layer of white card stock slightly smaller than the card front and then embossed it with the snowflakes embossing folder. Then I layered the other elements of the card as shown. Before I added the sentiment, I inked the edges in Festive Berries distress ink. I added some silver ribbon around the bottom for a final touch.

Have a great day and I will see you all again tomorrow!







Challenges:

1. Crafting with an Attitude: Anything Goes
2. Through The Purple Haze: Winter/Christmas colors
3. The Southern Girl's Challenge: Anything Goes
4. Crafty Ribbons Challenge: Christmas

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

25 Days of Christmas: Day 13 Season's Greetings

Hi Everyone!

Thanks again for joining me for another day in the Christmas Card Series. For Day 13 today, I have two pictures to share with you, because I wanted you to see the acetate I used for the card front.  Sorry about the reflection in the acetate...it was hard to take a picture and not have that though! The card base is Poppy Red from PTI. I cut off lower 3/4 of the card and then added a strip of white card stock to the top piece that was left. I stamped, die cut and assembled the trees from Verve's "Winter Tree" set.


I took another strip of red card stock and added a piece of patterned paper to it. I placed the acetate behind behind the card front to "connect" the top with the bottom and then arranged the trees across the middle front. The sentiment is from a set I bought ages ago from Michael's. I added some red stickles to the trees for some sparkle and some star stickers to attach the tops of the trees to the top panel of the card.



Have a great day and I'll see you again tomorrow!

Challenges:

1. Addicted to Stamps and More: Holiday
2.Christmas at Sweet Stampin Challenge: Anything Goes Christmas (2nd Entry)
3. Crafting By Designs: Here come the holidays
4. Crafty Gals Corner: Anything Goes

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

25 Days of Christmas Cards Day 12: Believe

Hello Everyone!

Well, we are pretty much at the half-way point for the 25 Days of Christmas cards series. I hope you are all still having a good time visiting my holiday creations! Today's card is a shaker card. I didn't want to put a lot of sequins in the shaker panel because I wanted the "'Tis the season" pattern paper to be visible from behind the window. I used my WRMK fuse tool to create the shaker panel. I Icreated the white frame panel around the shaker window by cutting multiple frames using Simon Says Stamp stitched rectangle dies and layering them on top of one another to get a nice thick layered frame.
The patterned paper is from a Paper Studio pack I picked up at Hobby Lobby. The "Believe" sentiment at the bottom is a sticker from a set called "Mirror Christmas Words" by Christmas Crafts, also purchased at Hobby Lobby. I added some white gel pen faux stitching and rounded the corners to  finish  the card.


Have a great day and I'll see you again tomorrow!

Challenges:

1. Holly Jolly Christmas: Anything Goes Christmas
2. Inky Chicks: Christmas card using traditional colors.
3.Lemon Shortbread Challenge: Anything Goes
4. Sunny Day Crafting: Anything Goes
5. Through the Craft Room Door: Anything Goes

Monday, December 5, 2016

25 Days of Christmas Cards: Day 11 Sending Christmas Joy

Hello Everyone!

I hope you're all doing well today! Thanks for visiting me today for day 11 of 25 Christmas Cards. Today's card features some bright shiny sparkly letters from Paper Studio along with some patterned papers also from Paper Studio. I decided to make the "O" a shaker window. I cut a small circle from the white card stock front panel and then adhered the shaker panel behind it. I used my We R Memory Keepers Fuse tool to create the shaker pocket. Then I cut another larger circle frame from some more patterned paper to put around the outside of the circle. I added some silver ribbon cord that I tied in a bow to the circle as well. My hope was that it would look a little like a hanging ornament and I think I accomplished that. The "sending Christmas" sentiments are from a Simon Says Stamp set and so are the little snowflake and star stamps I used on the background.



This card ended up being one of my favorites that I made this year andI I hope you like it too!

Have a great day and I will see you all again soon!

Challenges:

1. Artistic Inspirations: Anything Goes
2. Crafting From the Heart: Anything Goes
3. Craft Your Passion: Anything Goes
4. Dream Valley Challenges: Christmas
5.Incy Wincy Designs: Christmas tic-tac-toe. I chose the line straight down the middle "stars, the word Christmas and Sparkle"




Sunday, December 4, 2016

25 Days of Christmas Cards: Day 10 Blessed Circles

Hi Everyone

Today is Day 10 of my 25 Days of Christmas Cards series. Circles is the theme of today's card. This card actually came about a bit by accident. I had cut a bunch of random different sized circles for another project a while ago and I noticed that the negative space left over looked really cool. So, I decided to set it aside and see if I could use it on a later project. Just so happened I found such a project and an idea and here's the result!


I started with a piece of Neenah White card stock cut to a standard size card. I added a layer of New Leaf from PTI . I used papers again from Echo Park Holly Jolly 6x6 paper pad. I arranged some pieces behind the white card stock circle openings and some around as frames. I used the "Holiday labels" set again from Simon Says Stamp. I also added some stickles around the edges of some of the circles. I embossed the negative circle layover piece with swiss dots embossing folder.

That's it for me today. Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you again tomorrow!

Challenges:
1. 613 Avenue Create: Anything Goes optional twist Holiday Happiness
2. Ribbon Girls: Anything Goes
3. Little Patch of Crafty Friends: Anything Goes
4. Come and Get it Challenges: Anything Goes




Saturday, December 3, 2016

25 Days of Christmas Cards: Day 9 Happy Christmas Gifts

Hello Everyone!

Happy to be back with you again today for Day 9 of 25 Days of Christmas Cards.  This card is a super simple card featuring pattern papers from....that I arranged to look like a stack of gifts. I added a simple tag with a sentiment from Simon Says Stamp.  I added some gold ribbon and a bow along with some final touches of stickles along the gift edges and that was it, card done! Super simple and easy!


Have a great day and I will see you again tomorrow!

Friday, December 2, 2016

25 Days of Christmas Cards: Day 8 Christmas Delivery

Hello Everyone!

Back again today for Day 8 of the 25 Days of Christmas cards series. Today's card features one of my favorite holiday sets from Verve Stamps: "Santa's Helper" Sadly, this set is not available any more. Still, I always find a way to use it at least once or twice in my holiday cards. I decided not to use any pattern papers on this card; but instead I used various greys from SSS and PTI as well as Sea Glass from SSS.


I stamped the little reindeer in black ink and then colored him in with Copic Markers. I added some red stickles to the flower on his hat and added some clear Wink of Stella pen to his hat for some additional glitter and shine.
That's all for me today. Thanks for visiting with me today; have a great day and I'll see you again tomorrow.

Thursday, December 1, 2016

25 Days of Christmas Cards: Day 7 Santa Claus is Coming! (PCC Challenge 7)Y

Hello Everyone!

Well, here we are at the end of our first full week for 25 days of Christmas Cards. I do hope you're all enjoying them and perhaps even being inspired to create some of your own interpretations!

Before we get into the details of today's card, let's talk about the PCC Challenge for this week! Now, I know that December is a busy time for everyone, including myself and there may not be a lot of time to do crafting.

PCC Challenge # 7 will be "Christmas Anything Goes" and will last for the entire month of December! 

You may create any Christmas themed card you want and link it up here. 3 entries per person rule still applys, however. You can link up your creations from now until Dec 29. I know I will be busy with holiday family things throughout the month, so while I plan to come around and comment as much as I can, I do know that I will not be doing a winners post for this month.
Regular bi-weekly challenges will resume in January.

I am so excited too to introduce two fabulous crafters who have agreed to be on my 1st Design Team (I'm still looking for 2 more people, so please email me if you're interested jdshelton4@gmail.com)

The first is Amy from AO Creations:  Amy created this super cute card using the Santa from the stamp set "Santa Paws" from Paper Smooches. The sentiment is also from Paper Smooches from the set called "Holiday Cheer"and that is stamped with Gina K Ink. The frame is from Paper Smooches as well "Fancy Frames Icons.  She used Paper Trey Ink Card Stock and colored up the image with Copic Markers. In addition, she also used the "Rectangles Dotted Dies" from Sizzix.




The next person I want to welcome is Valeryanne from It's An Alien Life Valeryanne created two projects for this challenge. She used the empty spools from cellotape and ds tape along with acetate to make two hanging Christmas Ornaments.The first uses Inkylicious 'Winter Cabin' to make the little snow scene and the second one uses Cardio 'Penquins' to make the artic scene.






And lastly, here is my card for the challenge. My card features a lot of patterned papers. I would really like to tell you where they came from...but I don't remember! I think I used that last of whatever it was too and threw away the covers!


Anyhow, it's pretty straightforward. The sentiment is from an old set I bought years ago from Michael's. I stamped it in black ink and then used some Prisma Color Pencils to color in his hat and beard. I added some twine and silver stickles along the edges of the center panels to finish the card.

Have a great day everyone. I will see you again tomorrow!

Challenges:

1. Aud Sentiments: Anything Goes with a Sentiment
2. Crafting with an Attitude: Anything Goes
3. Moving along with the Times: Christmas Anything Goes