Christmas cardinal

Here's another Christmas card, and as we near the end of September, holiday cards are becoming more urgent. The image is a Spellbinder's stamp (I honestly didn't know they made stamps until I saw this at a stamp show) which is supposed to give a 3D effect with one stamp. I think that might be an exaggeration. The image is stamped in black with color added via colored pencils. The sentiment on the bottom is a different stamp added to the panel.

The top right corner is embellished with a ribbon tab and some piercing. The papers are from a Vintage themed Christmas stack I got at Michael's last year (or possibly the year before).

This card is entered into these challenges:
Winter Wonderland -- use ribbon
Crafting By Design -- getting ready for Christmas
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Card Challenge #404 -- use patterned paper
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge  -- use patterned paper
Word Art Wednesday #354 -- anything goes

New challenge, new fold

There's a new challenge today at PINspirational Challenge -- the challenge is to try something different. This challenge is sponsored by SheepSki Designs, so try something different and link it up, and you'll be in a random draw for a gift certificate to the SheepSki store.

For my "something different," I tried a new fold I saw on SCS.  It's called a Double Triangle fold and I like this fold for two reasons. 1) it's so easy, I can remember the steps without referring back to the tutorial, and 2) when you cut the papers on the diagonal, your leftovers are perfect to make a second card.

The directions are simple -- take a full piece of cardstock. Score in half vertically, horizontally and on the diagonal. Cut on the diagonal (it probably won't fit in your paper cutter on the diagonal, so just use scissors and follow the scoring). The result is sort of a diagonal gatefold.

To decorate my card, I used some patterned paper from a very old DCWV mat stack that has a safari theme. I die-cut a glittery lion off one of the shets to create my center image.  I also used a snippet of the cardstock to decorate the inside.

This card is for these challenges:
Crafting By Designs -- You're the man (masculine)
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- Bling it up
Pammie's Inky Pinkies #1838 -- anything goes
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper
Crafty Sentiments -- anything goes
Word Art Wednesday #352 -- anything goes

Snowy Strips

     Here's another snowy card featuring the current Stella Sketch at Catch the Bug.  It was the perfect opportunity to use up some strips of snowflake paper that I'm running out of. (None of these snippets was long enough to stretch across the page. I had to cut each piece in two and line them up on the edges of the card, covering the bare space in the middle with the image.)
     The snowman image is from Paper Cupcakes, colored with pencils and some Wink of Stella. The sentiment is a Purple Onion Design. 

This card is for these challenges:
Catch the Bug-- Stella Sketch 614
ABC Christmas -- S is for Snow
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #402 -- include "Joy"
Pixie's Snippet Playground #334-- use snippets
CRAFT #482 -- Christmas
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper
Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge -- anything goes
Word Art Wednesday #352 -- anything goes

I like big books

     It's time for another PINspirational Challenge. The sponsor this time is Elisabeth Bell Designs, who is offering two digital designs of your choice from their store. All you have to do to enter the random draw is create a project inspired by the PIN (at right) and link up at the challenge blog.
      For my project I was inspired by the pile of books, so I made a card featuring this fun image and sentiment from Bugaboo. (And yes, I do like big books.)  The image is colored with pencils, with colors taken from the patterned paper.  There's a gel dot on the sentiment oval, which is matted on a scalloped oval.

The card is entered in these challenges
Catch the Bug -- Make Me Smile
Crafty Sentiments -- use a punch or die
If You Give a Crafter a Cookie #102-- anything goes
Word Art Wednesday #351 -- anything goes
Creative Inspiration -- anything goes
Pammie's Inky Pinkies -- anything goes
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -- use patterned paper