I Heart You

I had so much trouble with this card at first, and thought the colour combo may have been too bright and garish, and I was trying to fit too many elements into... but I just kept playing with the pieces, eliminating some and adding others and all of a sudden, It Just Fit! And now I absolutely love it!!

Challenges I used:

Pile It On - Holidays/Celebrations (Valentine's)
Create With Connie and Mary - (see sketch below)
The Sisterhood of Crafters - Out with the Old, In with the New (The I<3U from the Thinlits die set)
Hiding In My Craft Room - Super Scraps Saturday (used scraps for the diecuts)
Delightful Sketches - Patterned Paper
Victorine - 3 Layers
Make It Monday - ATG

The End (of Christmas) ;)

And last, but not least, here are the last two I whipped up super fast... no sketches, no challenges, just really quick and easy, and saving them here for posterity. But I LOVE using this reindeer stamp with a Cherry Cobbler Candy Dot to turn him into Rudolph :)

Oh Christmas Tree!

This one is a CASE of my last card, with a few simple tweaks and a new colour challenge...

Challenges I used:


CAS(E) This Sketch - (see sketch below)
Dynamic Duos - (see palette below)

Shiny Stocking

Since we missed the last day of school to play in the snow, instead of rushing to get the teacher/staff cards done that day before pickup time, I got to take it easy and spread them out over the holidays ;) The last of them are being posted tonight, and then I'll be moving on from the Christmas theme till next fall...

Can I just say, I LOVE this Honeycomb Hive Die!!! It's a great way to showcase designer papers while breaking up the pattern a bit, and adding a lot of interest to a card front. I used the Encore Silver ink instead of the Smoky Slate (on the stocking, and sponged on the cardstock edges under the ribbon), and the Basic Gray two-tone ribbon was perfect to add some contrast.

Challenges I used:

CAS(E) This Sketch - (see sketch below)
Color Throwdown - (see palette below)
SUO Challenges - Colors of January
Creatilicious - Wishes

Love in Any Language

Does that title get anyone else's head singing? Maybe I'm showing my age, but that old Sandi Patti song is forever burned in there :) Anyway, this new little set is perfect for quick and easy (or creative and complicated), Valentine's cards or just to say "I Love You" anytime... this one is pretty simple, since we'll be doing this one at club, but it's got some extra interest with the cutouts, pop-ups and especially the ruffle trim on the sentiment heart, inspired by the birds feathers. I love how easy this stuff is to manipulate for a really pretty touch.

This is the Sale-a-Bration embossing folder, which I also used to represent snow on two recent cards.

Challenges I used:

Clean and Simple Stamping - (see sketch below)
Create With Connie and Mary - (see palette below)
Handstamped Sentiments - (see inspiration photo below)
Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
Little Red Wagon - New Beginnings (or New Scrappy Stuff ;)
Pile it On - Just Because (I love you)

Frozen!

I almost called this post "Let it snow", but I'm pretty sure I've used that one before ;) While this guy doesn't fully resemble Olaf with his misshapen head, he does remind me of him still, so it makes me think of the Disney movie Frozen, (which is FABULOUS by the way!!!). And it's definitely an icy, snowy scene. I used a folder from the upcoming Sale-a-Bration for snow again, and the trees behind the Button Buddies snowman is from the cutest forest animal sets yet, Life in the Forest, from the 2014 Occasions catalogue. I also used the retired waffle paper (on a spool) for the layers of snow, and Versamark with Iridescent Ice for all the heat embossing. And the Encore Silver ink for the sponged edges on the Basic Gray and the Deco Labels diecut. I'm also particularly proud of myself, because, although I've known how to do the masking technique for double layered stamping for years, this is the first time I actually used it, lol!

As sometimes happens, I can't decide between two different shot settings of my image, and am including both for the sake of accurate preservation...

Challenges I used:
Pals Paper Arts - (see sketch below) Flipped and using the layers of snow instead of layers of DSP/Ribbon
SUO Challenges - It's Almost the "Last Minute"
Inky Chicks - Christmas
Little Red Wagon - Merry Christmas, Anything Christmas
Nutcrafters - Snow, snow, everywhere
Ribbon Carousel - Anything Goes

Cheers!

Usually I'm more of a Merry Christmas kind of girl, but this Happy Holiday stamp was just so cute and colorable, I had to get it! And this new paper from the Occasions Catty is perfect for this sketch, and for a fun Christmas vibe. Overall, I'm very happy with the look of this simple card :)

Challenges I used:

Pals Paper Arts - (see sketch below)
Inky Chicks - Christmas
Ribbon Carousel - Anything Goes
ABC Challenges - Blue, Bows and Bling

Sale-A-Bration Christmas!!

I'm still making Christmas cards, but I'm also playing with stuff from the new Occasions catalogue and the Sale-A-Bration items I have so far... it's fun seeing how I can use them for Christmas, like this embossing folder from SAB that is PERFECT for the snow outside this "window", and the banner stamps and punches to add a festive look for any party!



Challenges I used:

Mojo Monday - (see sketch below)
Colour Q - (see below)
SUO Challenges - It's Almost the "Last Minute"
Paper Playtime - Winter Fun
Pile It On - P is for... Pink, Pennants, Piercing
Ribbon Carousel - Anything Goes
Just Add Ink - Christmas Projects

Simply Merry

I think I'm getting the hang of this Clean and Simple thing... although I'll never stop going overboard on a regular basis ;)

Being a clean card, it needs little explanation, aside from the Crumb Cake layer, which I gave a light "whitewashing" by inking up the embossing folder before running it through the Big Shot... with the craft ink, it gives a different, imperfect look, compared to with a classic ink.

 

Challenges I used:

CAS(E) This Sketch - (see below)

Dynamic Duos - (see below)

ABC Challenges - B for Blue, Bows and Bling

Southern Girls - Christmas Wishes

Ribbon Carousel - Anything Goes

Envelope Punch Board Gift Box and Bow (12x12)

I cannot say enough good things about our new Envelope Punch Board!!! I consider myself to be creative with design and style, and love spending time creating and perfecting each card and don't usually like the idea of CASEing, because it takes the fun out of it. (To clarify, I don't mind being CASEd, preferably with a link to credit me, but I prefer to design my cards on my own). But I am NOT that person who can easily use a selection of punches and create something totally different, or the one who can see how most tools can be used outside of their intended purpose to make something new and different. Thankfully though, there are tons of great crafty people who DO that  and have made a bunch of videos and tutorials showing me what to do with this awesome tool... thank you ladies!!! (PS, I'll include those links at the bottom, so you can learn what I did from them!)

We made these quick and easy boxes at Club with a 12"x12" sheet, (a great way to use up those leftovers), but with just a plain bow on top, secured on each side of the bow to close the box. When I got home to make another one, I decided to step it up a notch, and add a removable band to close it, (which I punched with the board, center top, to match the center of the bow), so it could be opened and then easily re-used. I also embossed the bow and added some bling.

Challenges I used:

The Cat's Pajamas - Signed, Sealed, Delivered
Use it Tuesday - Anything Goes (Used hoarded Sale-A-Bration paper from almost 2 years ago)
Inky Chicks - Buttons, Bling and Bows
Paper Playtime - Anything Goes
Pile it On - P is for... (Present, Package, Pretty, Paper)

Tutorial videos I used:

Box - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2peYeFKpZk&noredirect=1
Bow - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwMv0zo9vJ8&noredirect=1

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

This is the last Christmas card for my Club this year... now time to get to work on my own stash for everyone else ;) I love the color combo here and the Soft Sky (ink on sentiment and sky sponging) and Pool Party (cardstock and ribbon) play very nicely together :)

Challenges I used:

Mojo Monday - (see sketch below)

Southern Girls - Embrace your Lumps and Bumps

ABC Challenges - A for Almost Christmas

Paper Playtime - Anything Goes

Ribbon Carousel - Anything Goes

Pile it On - P is for... Pool Party, Punches, Pizzazz (sparkly tree and rhinestone)

You're a Star!

Just a quick and clean card for my superstar nephew :) (I owe a couple other nephews cards still... oops!) Anyway, I used some old hoarded supplies for this, with the textured cardstock, Stars die and star brad.

Challenges I used:

Retro Sketches - (see below)
Dynamic Duos - (see below... I added Summer Starfruit/Crushed Curry, based on what I had available ;) )
Just Add Ink - Stars (see below)
Paper Playtime - Anything Goes
Use It Tuesday - Anything Goes

Three Challenges, Three Cards!

Unfortunately, no one can see into the future... even a business that plans the future. So sadly, the Take a Spin stamp set and game spinners were retired quite awhile before this Circle Card Thinlit die was introduced. But they go SO well together, so hopefully you were one of the lucky ones to stock up on these while we had them :) But don't worry, there are still endless possibilties for this die that don't require any retired stamps, etc!

Anyway, this combo was the perfect match for these challenges, so I used the heck out of it ;)

PS The only downside to these flip card Thinlit dies is they are hard to get an accurate picture, because they don't lay flat... that's life!

 

 

Challenges I used:

CAS(E) this Sketch - (see below)
TCP Tuesday - What's Left on Your Desk
Southern Girls - Round, Round, Baby, Right Round

Soho Subway Vintage

I bought the Soho Subway paper for a lot of the masculine prints and the awesome alphabet designs, but the first card I used it on, I ended up using the flourishy vintage designs instead... perfect for the feel of this card!

I love the new Alphabet Press folder too, and it added the perfect touch to this tag, along with the sponging and the 7/8" Trim and the Linen Thread. To give the bottom of the Crushed Curry strip a nice edge, I slid it into the edge of the Hexagon Punch. 

Challenges I used:

Mojo Monday - (see sketch below)

colourQ - (see palette below) (My DSP choice forced my hand a bit to replace the Dusty Durango, but after sponging the Crisp Cantaloupe with Early Espresso it leans further into the orange family)

Our Creative Corner - Steampunk Tic Tac Toe (Flourish, Texture, A Heart)

Ribbon Carousel - Holidays and Celebrations (No. 1... Yahoo!!!)

PS. I am SO loving the Steampunk Tic Tac Toe challenge!!! I had to keep this one simple enough for a club card, but I'm going to do at LEAST one more, all out card for this theme!!! 

Labels Thinlit Christmas Card

I LOVE the new Thinlit dies! This is the first card I made with them, and I can't wait to use them both a lot more... not to mention all the accent pieces they come with for so many other cards and projects! I made this one for club, but then decided to change the striped layer up a bit, for a different placement. It looked great too, but I forgot to take a picture before I sent it home with one of my girls ;)

The only hard part about these is getting a decent picture, since it won't stand flat... oh well! Due to the angles, it's hard to see, but the Bermuda Bay banner is dry-embossed with the Stylish Stripes folder. And I used half of the smallest Square Framelit to cut the triangle out of the bottom of it. Perfect!

The center label was smudged directly onto the Encore Silver pad to give it a nice silver shimmer and offset the white punched edge of the ornament.

Challenges I used:

CAS(E) This Sketch - (see below... also I flipped it, and of course by it's nature, the Thinlit added a center element)
Dynamic Duos - (see below... normally I would use these for a kid's birthday or something, but with Christmas coming, I thought it was a perfect non-traditional combo!)
SUO Challenges - A Favorite Sentiment (I do try to "branch out", but Merry Christmas just feels so RIGHT!)
Ribbon Carousel - Holidays and Celebrations