Wrapped up in sparkle

I used this image for a Christmas card once before, but I thought it would work well with these evergreen tree die-cuts I got as an RAK. It seemed like a good project to start the Christmas card stash for 2015.

The stamp is from Clear Art Stamps, colored in pencils.  I added superfine white glitter to the trees on the image as well as to the die-cut trees.  The bigger one is popped up in the foreground and adds some dimension that isn't showing well on my photo.

This is my entry for this year's first round of Rudolph Days, which has moved to Scrappymo's blog for 2015.

I'm playing in these challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge -- winter stamping
The Paper Shelter #187 -- all wrapped up  (the woman is wrapped up in quite a coat)
Rudolph Days, Jan 2015 -- Christmas
Holly Jolly Christmas -- Lots of Sparkle
Crazyhazelnut's Christmas Extra -- anything Christmas
Word Art Wednesday #167 -- anything goes

Upcycled Christmas

 

 

  This fancy gold foil ornament and red tag were attached to a gift we got from my SIL. I set it aside for potential upcycling for a card, and this is what I came up with. I used a couple of snippets of patterened paper cut on a diagonal behind it, and added a card stock sticker for a sentiment.

I wanted to give a shout-out to Di, owner of Pixie's Snippet Playground, for showcasing all her lovely upcycled Christmas cards. Since I've become a follower of her blog, I have really started to see the possibilities of upcycling.  I did a bunch of upcycling in November when I was churning out all those cards for Vera Ling's card drive, but I was in such a hurry to produce I didn't get around to photographing any.

Also, this card is a trifecta for Craftyhazelnut's challenges, managing to qualify for her weekly Christmas challenge, monthly Christmas challenge, and her monthly patterned paper all in one fell swoop. I think that's a first for me.


I'm playing in these challenges:


CHNC Christmas #212 -- Upcycled or recylcled
CHNC Christmas Extra/Janurary -- Anything Christmas
CHNC Patterned Paper/January -- must use patterened paper
CRAFT #294 -- Christmas
Pixie's Snippet Playground #160 -- snippets

Vintage Valentine

My normal style is not vintage, although I greatly admire all those talented stampers who do fabulous vintage. In fact, I admire them so much I gave it a try with this Valentine themed card.

The cupid stamp (I think it's probably a very old Impression-Obsession image, simply because my first purchase of unmounted stamps was a grab bag from I-O, and this dates to about that time) looks like an old-fashioned Valentine to me, so that encouraged the effort to make it look vintage. The image is stamped in Sepia on a cream -colored snippet, and I sponged Distress Tea Dye ink around the edges.  I colored certain areas of the image with colored pencil  to give it the look of an old hand-colored post-card. In person, you can see a little better that  her skin a has pinkish glow and her wings are white. There is obviously pink on the heart, which is also embellished with some pearls.

The image is mounted on a pink snippet, which is layered over half a doily (also sponged with Tea Dye ink) and a snippet of patterned paper -- it's practically covered up, but it has script on it.

Along the edge, I put in a strip of beautiful May Art crocheted lace, and over that a sweet plaid ribbon and bow.

I would like to enter these challenges:

Crafty Sentiments -- Girly
Loves Rubberstamps #134-- No black ink
Pixie's Snippet Playground #159  -- snippets
Crafting for All Seasons #93-- ribbon, lace, and pearls
Sister Act #88  -- anything goes
Word Art Wednesday #165  Anything Goes

Snowflakes are pretty; winter is not

I got some really pretty snowflake die-cuts as an RAK, so I wanted to showcase them.  Here is my first card doing that.
The layout is the current Sketch Saturday sketch #343.
I've been using snippets of that blue snowflake paper and that snowflake ribbon for a month, so probably everyone recognizes them. I can't help it, they just go together so well.
The card is pretty self-explanatory. The button is shaped like a snowflake and that's a couple strands of embroidery thread in it.

I'm playing in these challenges:
Sketch Saturday #343
Paper Shelter #185 -- winter blues (blue card/winter theme)
Catch the Bug -- Bingo ( Button/snowflake/ribbon)
Word Art Wednesday #165 -- Anything Goes

A quick thank you

I love it when a card comes together without any drama (nothing gets lost or misplaced, everything fits as intended, colors don't clash ....).  This one was one of those.  I used the sketch from SCS and when with a bold background paper and a coordinating "unbold" paper to stamp my image on.  The image is from Inkadinkadoo, stamped in Memento black. I applied tiny black pearls in the center of the flowers and on the butterfly as a simple embellishment.

The image is mounted on black paper with a punched border. Sentiment is an old one from Stampin Up.

I would like to enter these challenges:
Butterfly Challenge #21 -- thank you with butterfly
Papertake Weekly -- Thank you optional
Word Art Wednesday #165 -- anything goes
Clear it Out -- Anything Goes
Loves Rubberstamps #133 -- anything goes
CHCN Patterned Paper Challenges -- anything with printed paper

Happy skating in 2015

Happy new year. 

I was inspired this week by the sketch portion of the Fusion challenge (they post an inspiration photo, and a sketch, and participants can use either or both.).  I was also inspired by the color palette at C.R.A.F.T.

The snowman on skates is from a set from Impression-Obsession.  I have colored him with pencils and matted him in a couple of oval nesties.  The snowflakes on the navy blue panel are from Clear Art Stamps and are white-embossed. The embellishments include die-cut snowflakes and a snippet of snowflake ribbon.

All the papers here came from the "blue" pockets in my expandable folder holding snippets -- Oh so many blues to choose from.

I would like to enter these challenges:

Fusion (sketch)

Pixie's Snippet Playground #156 -- snippets

Word Art Wednesday #164 -- anything goes

CRAFT #292 -- color inspiration

CHNC patterned paper challenge for Jan.

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- anything goes