Let It Snow

Let it snow--somewhere else. This is for all the crafty bloggers in the USA that are expecting snowflakes in the next day or two. I don't mind a little bit of snow, but prefer it is confined to around Christmas.

And for CAS(E) This Sketch

The DP is from last year's Martha Stewart mat stack. Sentiment and embellishments are Stampin'Up.

Bright Stars for Christmas

I received a package from Stampin' Up today with the star impression folder. And you know you have to play with new tools as soon as you get them!! The card base as well as the burgandy strip have the star impressions. Then, I used Stampin' Up star framelit dies to cut out 2 stars in glitter gold paper for the centerpiece of this card and a small handheld punch for 3 more stars inside.

  

The front and inside greetings are both SU. The papers are from my scrap box.

I used this sketch from Freshly Made Sketches

And I am still playing with the new gingerbread set from Lawn Fawn. While working with a sketch, why not make 2 cards using the same design? The house is Studio G but the rest of the stamps are Lawn Fawn,

The Grinch Christmas

The Grinch has a wonderful Christmas message in one of my favorite quotes. So I decided to incorporate that into a couple of cards. I am linking them up at Word Art Wednesday and Simon Says Stamp Blog since both have anything goes challenges.

I did the quote on the computer and printed out 2 copies. After I had made the first card, I found another Grinch card by Heather at Houses Built of Cards who explained that the Grinch's heart grew 3 sizes that day. I just had to make another card inspired by hers with the 3 hearts. I found out on Heather's blog that a stamp with this quote is available at Craft Spot.

Gingerbread House

I'll have to admit, I have not been big on making gingerbread houses even when my kids were little. My one attempt was a dismal failure so decided to put my creative talents elsewhere. So now, I can make gingerbread houses on cards.

The house stamp is Studio G, colored with pencils. The gumdrop border, sentiment, and gingerbread cookie are from a new set by Lawn Fawn. It comes with a coordinating die set which I will be going back to order. I stamped the gingerbread cookie on Kraft paper and fussy cut it out. Fussy cutting very many gingerbread cookies would get really tedious. I used a white gel pen to make the icing borders on the cookie, then sponged on some white ink to give it the dusted with sugar look. I used a red colored pencil to draw on the heart. The companion girl cookie is on the inside.

That sentiment is done on the computer.
This is from a sketch by Tuesday Morning Sketches

Kitty Sparkles

Cats and Christmas are a big adventure requiring constant vigil. My cat loved to play with all the ornaments and would even climb the tree. So I can just see a cat entangling themselves with lights as on this card. But they are so cute, you just have to love them!

The image is from from Newton's Nook. They have an "inky paws challenge" of adding a little sparkle. I added a strip of gold glitter paper and a punched star from the same paper. The lights are colored with star gel pens so do have some shine which doesn't show well in the photo. The sentiment is from the same Newton's Nook set. The DP is from SU.

I followed this sketch from The Paper Players

 

Sparkle Tree

Yesterday, I used the retired SU silver glimmer paper for stars. See it here. Today I decided to try it as a tree. Once you decide to use that hoarded paper, there's no stopping!!

The DP is from last years Martha Stewart mat stack and I found some aqua cardstock that it paired really well with. The sentiment is from SU's More Merry Messages. I stamped it with VersaMark and embossed with silver. The ribbons and tree punch are also from SU.
I was inspired with this sketch from Freshly Made Sketches

Sparkle Stars

I have been hoarding some Stampin' Up glimmer silver paper for a couple of years. Don't we all do that? Finally decided it is about time to cut into that. And it makes gorgeous stars. I like that the glitter is already on the paper. Don't have to get out the glue and glitter and do your own. I think you can also find this in several colors at Michaels.

My photography does not do this justice. The background paper is a beautiful pale blue with silver swirls and words. It is from a Martha Stewart mat pad from last year. Just turned out that "be merry" is in the lower right corner like in the sketch. How lucky! The star was so easy to do with the die cut from SU's stars framelit dies and Big Shot. If you squint and look closely, there are 3 tiny punched stars along the top.
I used this sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches

"Lotte" Wishes

For the guy you know who always has a cup of coffee in his hands. And for the color challenge at The Kraft Journal

Although the picture shows thoughts of Halloween, I made a Christmas card.

I stamped the cups on a scrap of white cardstock and colored them yellow; then cut them out. Then stamped again on red and cut out just the cup wraps, gave them texture with an argyle impression folder, and glued in place.The letters are stickers. I did the sentiment on the computer.
Although not required, I even hit all the colors on the challenge. There is a bit of gray around the rim of the cup lid to give them depth.
Now that I look at it, it might have been better to do just the word "latte" at the top so it would say "latte merry good wishes.

Recycling

We are big supporters of recycling at my house. I have even brought home the empty fast food cardboard boxes to put in recycling. So the recycling challenge at A Blog Named Hero was an easy one. I save Christmas Cards that people send us and reuse parts to make new cards. I have 3 to share made from cards a fundraiser group sends out.

The image is cut from the front of a card, mounted on solid blue. The background paper is from the envelope. I added snowflake sequins (from SU). The next card image is from the inside of the same snowman card. I stamped a little snowman, colored it, and cut it out to glue to the image. Added some scrap trim, ribbons, and a snowflake charm (also from SU)

This last one is the front of an unused envelope. I stamped and colored the snowman nativity from The Angel Company into the oval. Added the sentiment and a glitter star.

Christmas House

Do you ever stew over an idea for awhile and then when you finally start on it, you wonder why it took you so long?. That is what I did with this sketch from Ttuesday Morning Sketches

I thought this would be ideal for using up DP from my scrap file but after repeatedly searching, I finally broke down and cut into 2 new sheets. Now I have even more scraps!! They just seem to multiply.
These DPs are from SU. The house and sentiment are from the new Holiday Home set from SU.

Sparkles

When I think of Kraft paper, I usually don't associate it with sparkles. So I was really challenged when The Kraft Journal announced it's challenge this week as "all that glitters. Here's what I came up with:

The camera flash certainly shows the glitter. The blue and green are sparkly tapes. I used a Martha Stewart punch for the snowflakes, glued them down, and then coated with clear glitter glue. The sentiment is done on the computer before I glued everything on the card. So I now think Kraft and glitter are a really good match. Great Challenge! It's good to stretch our thinking.
I used this sketch from CAS(E) This Sketch
 

Thankful

So thankful that our family Thanksgiving celebration is passing to the next generation. My niece has a new house and wants to host the gathering this year. Yipee! I only have to show up with desserts in hand. So I will take her a housewarming/thank you gift with this thank you card attached.

I live in southern Indiana where we have forests of oak trees that put on a beautiful show every fall. I stamped this oak leaf in light green and cut it out. Then I sponged on red, orange, and gold. To give the leaf a shiny texture, I sprayed on Glitter Dust. The DP, label punch, and burlap ribbon are from SU. The sentiment is an old Inkadinkadoo stamp. Here is a close up to show the colors of the leaf. I think it looks very realistic.

I followed this sketch from Freshly Made Sketches

Gingerbread Cookies

I searched through my button stash for the "Button Up" challenge at Tuesday Throwdown and found 3 cute gingerbread cookie buttons. I associate gingerbread cookies with the holidays so decided they would be cute on a holiday card.

Kraft cardstock kind of reminds me of gingerbread so I am also linking to The Kraft Journal challenge of not using any patterned paper. I used a Cuttlebug IF called gingham. Sponging it with SU's Cherry Cobbler and Tim Holtz Distress Peeled Paint green gave it sort of a plaid effect like the ribbon. The sentiment is from The Angel Company on an oval punched piece centered on a Nestie Label Die. A couple of strands of twine are sticking out the back. I used the sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches

Celebrate Christmas

The word this week at Just Us Girls challenge is "Celebrate".
This little snowman is sure doing a happy dance for Christmas.

This is a stamp from last year from SU. I colored some with pencils and used a clear star gel pen to make the snowflakes sparkle. The DPs are from my scrap file. I think both are from SU. The sentiments are 2 separate stamps from SU's Endless wishes.
I just hope when it comes, I can be as cheerful and celebrate the snow as much as this snowman.

Halloween for The Paper Players

Sharing my 9 yr old grandson's Halloween Card for the challenge at The Paper Players.
Andrew is really into everything about the online game, Minecraft. One of the characters from that game is The Creeper. I found pictures of The Creeper online and printed one out on green paper, then sponged on white and black to give it that pixelated effect.

 The background DP is from SU--kind of goes along with some of the online images in the Minecraft games. Don't stare at it too long, it'll make you dizzy. The original sentiment from SU starst out Spooky, Spooky but I wanted it personalized for this character so I did one on the computer with Creepie, Creepie. I cut that out with a Nesties label and backed it with another Nesties label in black. When there isn't enough room for the next size label for background, I just cut 2 of the same size label, cut them diagonally and back my original, off set a bit to each corner.
 I know he's going to think his Nana is sooooo coool with this Minecraft card.

Snowflakes

Really making progress on the Christmas cards. I bought a Simply Created kit on clearance from SU. It was a banner kit but I am using the parts for cards.

The background snowflakes are a Cuttlebug impression folder. The other design elements are part of the Simply Created kit.
I used the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches