Layers of Christmas papers!

Layering papers is probably my favorite thing to do when it comes to making cards, so I just had to get a few cards made for the current Jingle Belles Challenge All Layered Up, to make a card with at least three layers. This one has at least 8 and possibly 11 depending on how you count them.

I made several and they're all different, but using the same papers, American Crafts Very Merry collection. Easy peasy, die cut some Hero Arts trees and a Tim Holtz sentiment, no stamping just lots of glue!

Thanks to a tip from Ms. Bergold, I found using a black outline made it easy to coordinate papers. It was a piece of cake to make several cards pretty fast.

Bling on the Holidays!

Today's card is based on the Jingle Belles Bling on the Holidays challenge, to create a card featuring something sparkly. I have been in the mood to use water color effects and wasn't sure if I could successfully combine that with bling. First I colored my paper using 3 green Distress Inks, Shabby Shutters, Mowed Lawn and Crushed Olive. After die-cutting the tree I went through my stash of stray sequins and rhinestones and settled on the red sequins.

I think it works. And it's always a good feeling to add one more card to my Christmas card inventory!

I'm also submitting to the following challenges:

Weekly Christmas Card Challenges Anything Goes

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra Anything Goes

Sending smiles 4 kids

A couple days ago I stumbled across the SAS4K blog and decided I had to give it a go. The current challenge is to create a valentine or love card for hospitalized children. It looks a great cause and the cards that have been submitted are really fun. You can check it out here: Send A Smile 4 Kids

Here's my card, using the Cricut Create-a-Critter cartridge and some valentine DP.

I'm planning to make several more and then box them up to send in later today.

First Christmas Card of 2016!

I'm a stalker. I know what you've been up to because, chances are, I've read your blog. I read blogs voraciously and find them inspirational, clever, often humorous and sometimes touching. I steal your ideas, or at the very least borrow from them, learn new techniques and find little gems of wisdom about life, from the everyday to the sublime, all because creative bloggers take the time to record and share amazing journals. But when it comes to writing my own...yawn. I'd rather read yours.

This year, I resolve to blog a bit more. I might even update my picture. We'll see. But to all the crafty bloggers out there, whether it's a personal or challenge blog, thank you and Happy New Year!

And here is my first Christmas card of 2016. I started with the current Jingle Belles challenge, Something Old and Something New. The patterned paper is new, although I didn't intend to use the papers for a card. I picked them up at Michael's after Christmas to make Christmas card envelopes next year. I just love sending cards in an envelope made from patterned paper.

The tag is made from Graphic 45 Christmas Carol ephemera, also new. The lace, ribbon and baker's twine are old.

I'm also submitting to the following challenges:

Merry Monday Christmas Card Challenge Use plaid in a card
Sparkles Christmas Challenge Vintage tags
ABC Christmas Challenge A is for Anything Goes
Christmas Card Challenges Anything Goes
CHNC Challenge Extra Anything Goes Every Month
Crafty Hazelnut Christmas Challenge Use Red in a card

Just a note...

I have the design capabilities of a soap dish. Every card I make is based on a layout that someone else came up with, most often a sketch from one of the card-making challenges. I love this sketch from  Sweet Sunday Sketch..


This has got to be one of the most easily adaptable and versatile sketches ever and I intend to use it over and over. I made two using this already.

Here's one:

Using my Impression Obsession feather dies, I cut a feather out of brown card stock with white core and glued some patterned kraft paper behind the opening. The second feather from the left is the opening in the paper. I sanded the paper a bit for a distressed effect. Then I cut three feathers out of patterned paper and inked around the edges. A little baker's twine and a Hero Arts sentiment...pretty darned simple when you have a good sketch to work with.

I was pretty excited to be picked as a Shooting Star at 'Tis the Season . Great Christmas card challenge so check it out!!

Dreaming of a White Christmas!

I've been busy making Halloween goodie bags, trying to use up some older Halloween scrapbook paper, so it's nice to switch to Christmas card making. I adore this photo prompt for the card challenge at 'Tis The Season. As soon as I saw it I knew I wanted to make a snowy card, especially since the weather here is in the eighties and I'm ready for a change!

My other inspiration for this card is the sketch from Jingle Belles Sketch Challenge created by my good friend, Stephanie. Pretty darned adaptable if you ask me...and you did.

When I saw this sketch the first image that came to mind was snowy hills (wishful thinking!). I was inspired by Sparkles Christmas challenge to create the background using Distress Inks. I used three colors of inks, then misted with water to create a water color effect. I used a white gel pen to add snowflakes (they could also be stars, whatever floats your boat). The house and trees die is from Memory Keepers. This was fun and easy to make and I'm way behind on Christmas card stash so I'm going to make some more!

I am submitting this to the following challenges:

Jingle Belles Sketch Challenge 

Tis' The Season: Skates & Snow

Sparkles Christmas Challenges Distress it!

CHNC Challenge Extra Anything Goes as long as it's Christmas

I still have to make more Halloween goodie bags, but it was nice to have a wintery, Christmas break.

xo

The Hop to Stop

I don't usually post my cards because, well, I mean to but by the time I get around to taking a photo of my card the challenge I made it for has closed.

But this time there is a really good cause involved. The Hop to Stop is all about bringing awareness to the victims of domestic abuse, which accounts for 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men.

The purple base in the card is a lot lighter than the way it shows up here. I love purple but I don't have a lot of purple paper; this paper is actually DCWV scrapbook papers. I love the subtle tones and the way the colors complement each other perfectly. I have been playing with the starburst layout which it a lot of fun and allowed me to five different papers.

Now I'm going to go check out the sponsors and look at more of the cards posted; so many great ideas!

xo