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

Buttons and Bows

The challenge from The Kraft Journal is buttons and bows. I received the wreath and die set from SU today and just had to try it out.

The Kraft cardstock was run through Big Shot with a "brick wall" Tim Holtz impression folder. I sponged on some white dye to give it a weathered look. That made my fireplace wall just ready for a wreath to be hung. I stamped the wreath leaves with SU lucky limeade and then Tim Holtz peeled paint distress ink. The set comes with 2 step stamps to get that contrast look. Then I cut the wreath with the die cut in the set. Instead of stamping on berries which is part of the set, I did groups of 3 tiny red buttons. Tied a bow with red satin ribbon and secured it with glue dot. The sentiment is also SU done in real red.

Newton"s Antics

I love this cute cat named Newton from Newton's Nook designs. Can you just visualize a cat jumping on the mantle and investigating the wreath hanging there? My cat once got his neck caught on the handle of a basket of potpourri and proceeded to run around the house scattering potpourri everywhere!!

I used this sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches

The cat & wreath from Newton's Nook were stamped on white cardstock, colored with pencils and then fussy cut--and believe me that made for some really fussy cutting! Banners are from SU scraps punched with the tiny banner punch. The sentiment is also from Newton's Nook, punched wtih a couple of label punches from SU. The wood IF from Cuttlebug reminds me of wood paneling. I used a strip of "brick" paper to make the fireplace and then hung the wreath above it.

Multiple Inspirations

I have been working on a set of Kraft based cards with SU Under The Tree specialty paper. Inspiration from the sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch allowed me to use up some of the scraps left from other cards.
Here is the sketch:


And my card:

I was also inspired by what Brian King did with a vellum circle behind a tree. The tree is one of the SU papers punched with their tree punch. Sentiment outside and inside are from More Merry Wishes.
Here is the inside trimmed with a strip of the paper from which I punched the tree.

Here is a shot of some of the other Kraft based cards

The star card on the far right is a total case from my SU Demonstrator Lee Conrey. So, you can see I was inspired a lot from my blog surfing this morning.