Running With Scissors...

Brrrr!

 

We have no ice and snow currently here on the Oregon coast, but I would definitely call it chilly.  Today’s card was originally intended as a winter birthday card (hence the “happy happy happy”), but I can’t help but see snowmen as Christmas, so I used it for that, instead.  Yes, I made this way back in December – just working ahead and so happy happy happy I’m able to do that when given the opportunity.  You see, my chilly guy heralds the start of a new challenge at the Double D Challenges blog.  Our theme this time is “Brrrr!”.

 

 

I used a cute Bugaboo image – “Sign It – Snowman” -- which I picked up during their December 50% off sale.  Colored with Copics and a bit of snow and sparkle added for good measure.  The red zigzag is an old Hero Arts stamp, as is the happy greeting.  I’ll list everything in the recipe below my signature.

 

Check out the inspiration board:

 

 

I went with snow and snowman, tree branches, and a bit of red.  I hope you’ll be inspired to join us at Double D.  We had some wonderful entries in our previous challenge which got us off to a good start.  Have a happy happy happy day!

 

 

Stamps:  Bugaboo Sign It-Snowman digi, Hero Arts zigzag stitch, Hero Arts happy sentiment  Paper:  Neenah Solar White, yellow, green, retired Stampin’ Up designer paper  Ink:  Printer, red, Memento Tuxedo Black (sentiment), Copics  Accessories:  Stickles Stardust glitter glue, Art Anthology Blizzard Dimensional Crystal (snow)  Dies:  Impression Obsession Pine Pair, Sizzix Primitive Stars

Poinsettia and Holly

 

I honestly didn’t expect to be making another Christmas card so soon, but my friend, Sherri, sent me a few cuts made with her gorgeous new 5x7 Cuttlebug Holly Layer die, AND they’re doing a White on White Challenge on the Merry Monday Blog.  I was inspired and I just had to go with it.  I look at the Merry Monday Christmas card challenge every week, but this is the first time I’ve participated.

 

 

I arranged three poinsettias and tucked a tag into them for the sentiment.  Added some vining flourishes to the poinsettia arrangement and plopped a pearl drop (Viva Décor Cream Pearl Pen) onto each holly berry.  The challenge rules state we can use neutrals, so I sponged a very light vanilla ink on the petal edges to help them stand out.  Stamped the sentiment in SU!’s retired Creamy Caramel.  Punched a 1/4” gold glitter paper circle for the flower centers and, of course, added Stickles Stardust glitter to the petal edges and flourish accents.

 

 

Inside I used my Memory Box Poinsettia Ribbon die.  All supplies will be listed in the recipe at the end.

 

 

I’m a lucky girl to have such nice friends.  Thank you, Sherri!  Now, if I would do more of these Merry Monday challenges I’d have my Christmas cards all done by December.  It’s a nice thought. . .  Have a happy day!

 

Stamps:  Stampin’ Up! All Year Cheer 1 (front) and Many Merry Messages (inside)  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest, gold glitter cardstock  Ink:  Vanilla, Creamy Caramel  Accessories:  Stickles Stardust glitter glue, Viva Décor Cream Pearl Pen  Dies:  Cuttlebug Holly Layer, Spellbinders Layered Poinsettia, Sizzix Fancy Tags, Spellbinders Sprigs, Memory Box Poinsettia Ribbon

MERRY CHRISTMAS, FRIENDS!

 

I hope on this day you’re enjoying the warmth and beauty of home and hearth, family, friends, and fellowship.  That’s exactly what I’m doing, so thank goodness for scheduled blog posts.

 

Today is my last post as a DT member for QKR Stampede.  It has been a most fun eight months for me – a reason to color up a cute QKR image once a week.  You know how it goes, though. . . you can keep something up for just so long and then it’s time to cut back.  I will feel more comfortable with one less weekly commitment.  “Optional” is key.  So, let’s get to it, shall we?

 

As befitting the day I made a Christmas card and it’s using my favorite QKR snowman – 21304 Catching Snowflakes.  That number gets you to both the digi and the unmounted rubber, take your pick.  Our challenge this week is “Snowman or Snowflakes”.

 

 

I colored with Copics and added three snowflake sequins and a die cut Poppystamps Noel Snowflake.  Plus a little glitter.  Can’t forget the glitter.  I used an old CTMH stamp to add piles of snow around him.

 

So let’s get flaky!  Join us and maybe win some of your own QKR Stampede images to play with.  Enjoy your day!

 

Botanical Tree Simplicity Stamping

 

Happy Friday, friends!  We’re one week from Christmas and I’m just now starting to feel more settled into the season.  I hope it hasn’t been too crazy for you.  We get all swept up -- decorate, send cards, shop and wrap and stand in line at the Post Office.  Bake and clean, plan, schedule, attend.  View the lights, see your friends, deliver gifts and goodies.  Sheesh!  Well, I’m getting ready for next year. . .  I went a little nuts with my Power Poppy Botanical Tree set and made a whole batch of cards for Christmas 2016.  However, I liked them enough to trade off some of my other cards and send a few of these in these in their stead.  The first are simply a sentiment and a Memory Box Poinsettia Ribbon die cut.  I know!  Where’s the coloring and the designer paper and all the layers?  But I love how they turned out.

 

 

I used Neenah 110 lb card stock for the single layer base, and mirrored cardstock for the die cuts.

 

 

The four below were made with glittered card stock die cuts.

 

 

Simple and festive with a prettily scripted sentiment on a bright white background and a splash of die cut color.  Easy to mail, too.  Oh, happy day!

 

The next is gold embossed on watercolor paper which, itself, was embossed with a Cuttlebug Heritage Collection embossing folder.  I painted with just two colors -- red and green --  and did minimal shading.  The idea was to keep it simple.  I wouldn’t have added the poinsettia cluster in the corner, but  I smudged a big blob of red ink up there somehow.  I almost always manage to make a mess when I watercolor.

 

 

When it came time to choose a color for the card base I couldn’t help but see this coral being the most complementary.  I’m not sure if I’ve ever used coral on a Christmas card before.

 

The last card is shockingly simple – a gold embossed “Joy” with poinsettia and gold foil self-adhesive trim.

 

 

All this white and simplicity is calming to me.  There’s lots of room to breathe.

 

Don’t forget our Power & Spark “Rewind” Challenge.  Choose any of our 2015 Power & Spark Challenges, make your project and link it up here where you can also find a full list of the challenges.  Wouldn’t a Power Poppy stamp set of your choice be a nice way to start the new year?  Some of my cards fit our Go for the Gold Challenge hosted by Tosha earlier this year.

 

 

Now, who’s sharing what today?  With these Bloom Brigade gals there’s bound to be some beautiful coloring and clever card designs, so let’s check it out:

• Julie
• Kathy
• Christine
• Allison
• Katie

Have a fabulous day!

 

Fresh Cut Tree

 

I wonder whose Christmas tree this beaver cut down?  Or maybe it’s his own and he just couldn’t stop himself from cutting it down, him being a beaver and all.  He looks pretty pleased about it.

 

 

Another Christmas card on its way.  This one went to my son.  The beaver is a QKR Stampede digi called Fresh Cut Tree, and besides being my son’s Christmas card it’s also my sample for this week’s QKR challenge – “Christmas”.  That’s an easy one.  You don’t have to use a QKR image, but if you do you stand a darn good chance of winning three more digis from the store.  Have a happy day!

 

 

Stamps:  QKR Stampede digi Fresh Cut Tree  Paper:  X-Press It Blending Card, chocolate, red, American Crafts Kringle and Co designer paper  Ink:  Printer, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Stickles glitter glue, Impression Obsession Holiday Bottom Word Edgers, Impression Obsession Christmas Icons

Reindeer Greetings

 

Greetings, friends!  I don’t know if I’m going to get all my new Christmas digis colored this year.  I should have known, but I can always use them next year.  I had to take advantage of the 50% off sale that Bugaboo does every year in December.  Everything in the store, the whole month of December, so it’s still going on.  This is one I picked up which I thought was pretty cute.  I was looking for quick and easy coloring.  It’s called Reindeer Trio.

 

 

I used Copics for coloring, Stickles for sparkle, and my very cute Echo Park The Story of Christmas designer paper.  The star is a Sizzix Primitive Stars die cut.  I think that covers it.  Quick and easy!  I’ll be back Friday with my double post day.  It’s a busy week on the blog, but soon to slack off a bit.  I have more than enough Christmas cards and now it’s all just fun extras.  Happy holidays!

 

What a Difference a Die Makes

 

Hi, there!  The card I’m sharing today was actually made a couple of years ago, but I didn’t care for it and never sent it.  The basics were good, but it lacked something.  It also had some chunky embellishments on it that would require extra postage and seemed to defeat the purpose of a CAS card.  So I gave it a facelift and now it’s ready for the mail and also serves as a sample for our  Dies R Us “Let it Snow (use snowflakes)” Challenge which starts today.   The first photo here is the new and improved card:

 

 

The photo below is the card before improvements:

 

I replaced the chunky snowflakes with a Memory Box Frosty Border die cut.  I cut it in both light blue and a darker blue and layered them for a shadow effect.  I added Stickles glitter and then punched 1/4” and 1/8” circles from pink glitter paper and added those.  So sorry I’m unable to provide a link to this die.  It was there when I started, but now it’s gone.  However you might like to see Poppystamps Snowy Scrollwork or Cheery Lynn Dancing Snow Flurries or Wild Rose Studio Snow Flurry.  There are so many pretty snow everythings at Dies R Us.  Just type the word “snow” in the search field.

 

Lastly I stamped three Hero Arts snowflakes around the retired Flourishes sentiment.  Now I absolutely love this card.  Yes, what a difference a die makes!

 

So drop in on us, won’t you?  Come join our Snowflake Challenge and take a chance on being the lucky winner.  We’d love to see you over there.  Happy holidays!

 

 

Let it Snow!

 

Our QKR Stampede challenge this week is “Snow Scene” and I found the cutest QKR image to color up for it.  This is digi 23501 Snowman Scene.  It is available as an unmounted rubber stamp, too, measuring 4 1/4” x 4 1/2”

 

 

I colored my snow guy with Copic markers and put him on an A2 card covered with Echo Park The Story of Christmas designer paper.  The sentiment flag has a retired SU! Glad Tidings sentiment on it.  Sounds like something a snowman would say, doesn’t it?  I added Art Anthology Blizzard Dimensional Crystal to the image for snow, as well as some Stickles Stardust sparkle.  The blue snowflake die cut was smooshed into my Versamark pad then embossed with sparkly embossing powder.  Another easy to mail Christmas card ready to go!

 

I think that’s all, folks!  Have a happy day!

 

Bentley Christmas

 

Hi, friends!  Popping in for a quick mid-week post with an equally quick card.  I wanted to try my hand at a one layer card and went searching for a good, heavy white card stock that would do the trick.  I ended up with Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb card stock.  Very white and very heavy.  It gives you a substantial one layer card, no doubt about it.

 

 

As for Copic coloring, I compared this paper with two other heavy card stocks and the Copic ink soaked through all of them.  I wasn’t surprised.  However, I colored my Whipper Snapper Bentley pup with Prismacolor pencils and odorless mineral spirits and it doesn’t show on the other side at all.  This is true even with lighter weight card stocks.  I love using my Prismas, so this is good for me.  I did add a pretty snowflake border, cut from a lighter weight card stock and glittered up with Stickles Stardust, so maybe this is not technically a one layer card, but it is one layer as far as the stamping and coloring goes.

 

I must run off now.  Lots going on in my world at this time.  Turns out my Rich needs back surgery so we're planning out the particulars.  We'll have to go out of town for it, but thankfully our son lives in the town where Rich will have his surgery so Wally and LuLu can go with us.  We'll probably wait till after Christmas, though.  Hugs to everyone!

 

 

Stamps:  Whipper Snapper Bentley, retired SU! Wishes Awash sentiment  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb white  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Real Red  Accessories:  Stickles Stardust glitter glue, Memory Box Frosty Border die

A Birdie-Style Christmas

 

Hello!  It’s Monday again and I’m here with my post for the Dies R Us Inspiration Blog.  I’ve been busy making Christmas cards so I can get them in the mail real soon.  I went on a crazy card-making spree and finally made myself stop and take some photos.  Today I have three pretty birds looking festive in their winter garden.  This is Penny Black Joyful Birds, colored with Prismacolor pencils and odorless mineral spirits.  And, of course, I added a good bit of frosty sparkle with Stickles Stardust glitter glue.

 

 

I took a notion recently to figure how I could provide a decorative mat for a colored image without the usual frames or die cut layers.  Just looking for more space for the image, a certain degree of simplicity, and, you know, something different.  So I searched “borders” at Dies R Us and came up with lots of options for mixing and matching.  Today I’ve used:

• Impression Obsession Fancy Cutout Border
• Poppystamps Dianna Border

Neither of these are Christmas dies, but they’re well suited to my birdies’ winter garden, and by cutting the leafy Dianna Border in gold glitter paper it adds to the air of festivity.  Simple and quick!  If any of these dies are out of stock at the time you’re reading this, please know there are many other options available.  I’ve been exploring a few, myself.

 

Come join us at the Challenge Blog.  You could get lucky and win a $10 gift voucher to the Dies R Us store.  The current challenge is “Christmas” and it’s on until noon Dec. 13.  Bet you’re making a Christmas card or two long about now, and maybe you’re even using die cuts on them.  That’s all it takes.  Link it up.  Someone is going to win the draw and it might as well be you!  Have a happy day!