Traditional Winter Pine

  It's election day here in Virginia and I'll be happy when the political call stop!  The boys have off from school and we're trying to figure out what to do….I wasn't organized enough to set up playdates beforehand so we're thinking maybe the movies or science museum.

I had my Christmas stamp-a-stack last week so I have a few new Christmas designs to share.  The ladies all really liked this one and several even purchased the Gorgeous Grunge set so they could make more of these cards.

 
 Isn't that fun??  Using the small splatter stamp to make snow over the pine tree?  I find that I'm liking Gorgeous Grunge more and more.

 The card base is Garden Green, then a layer of Cherry Cobbler.  The pine from Lovely As A Tree is stamped onto Crumb Cake in Garden Green ink.  Then using white craft ink the splatter stamp from Gorgeous Grunge is randomly stamped over the Crumb Cake layer.

  A star punched out of Champagne shimmer paper tops our pretty tree and Cherry Cobbler chevron ribbon backs our Christmas sentiment from the More Merry Messages stamp set.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Lovely As A Tree, Gorgeous Grunge, More Merry Messages

Ink: Garden Green, Whisper White craft

Paper: Garden Green, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Champagne Glimmer paper

Accessories: Cherry Cobbler chevron ribbon, oval punch, star punch,
 

 

Thanksgiving Leaves - Fab Friday 30

  Whew!  Halloween is over!  How did everyone fare last night?  Sugar hangover this morning?  Kids still hopped up on candy?  I really feel bad for the poor teachers the day after Halloween!

  Now that we've checked October off the calendar let's move on to November and Thanksgiving.  I try to send a few cards for Thanksgiving and I thought this week's Fab Friday challenge had great colors to get me started!  To see all the other Design Team projects head on over to the Fab Friday challenge and be inspired and play along!

  Here they are:

   These are good colors for guy cards as well if you have some fall birthdays that you need cards for!

  Here's what I did:

   I thought the little leaf from Betsy's Blossoms would be cute for a fall card with our challenge colors.  After I stamped them out they almost looked like feathers….what do you think?  And then after looking at them some more I kind of saw Indian corn too.  Maybe it's just the colors that made me think of Indian corn.  Anyway, I used the leaves/feathers/corn as accents to highlight my Thanksgiving sentiment, "So Grateful".

  The large Very Vanilla panel is stamped with the Gorgeous Grunge splatter stamp (I know I'm probably over-using this stamp but I love it for just so many things!), then I embossed it with the Woodgrain embossing folder.  Corners were rounded using the envelope punch board.

  A strip of the burlap ribbon (in the Holiday catalog) goes across the middle and I layered my leaves/feathers/corn onto a piece of Early Espresso Core'dinations cut with a Labels Collection framelit.   I sanded the label lightly then pierced the edge using the matching piercing guide.  My chalk marker was used for the faux stitching.

  The sentiment was stamped in Early Espresso and then the strip was pierced using the piercing guide. An adhesive pearl added to the leaves/feathers/corn is the last detail.

 I hope you'll play along with us at Fab Friday.  The entries have been awesome and it's so hard to pick favorites!  Throw your hat in join us!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Betsy's Blossoms, Apothecary Art, Gorgeous Grunge

Ink: Early Espresso, Old Olive, Crushed Curry, Cajun Craze

Paper: Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, Old Olive, Early Espresso Core'dinations

Accessories: burlap ribbon, Woodgrain e.f., adhesive pearls, Label Collection framelits, chalk marker, piercing tool & guides, corner rounder, dimensionals

  

Autumn Build a Banner

  I've had this Build a Banner Simply Created kit (page 31 Holiday Catalog) since the Holiday catalog was previewed for us demonstrators way back when in the summer.  I thought back then that it would be fun to create a banner for the fall and another for Christmas to hang in my front entry way.  Well, I finally got around to making my autumn banner last weekend.

  I really like this kit because you get 18 banners in 3 styles as well as the pattern and alphabet stencils so you can make any kind of banner you want.  You can also use the stencils on cardstock when making cards and scrapbook pages and you know how much I love double duty supplies!

  Here it is on the floor of my stamp room after I finished it.  I used Crushed Curry, Tangerine Tango, Soft Sky and Chocolate Chip for my colors.  Instead of using the Spritzer included in the kit for applying the colors I used sponged daubers so I could get a more saturated color.  First I did the background patterns then I did the letters.

  In between each letter I made a mini banner out of Sweater Weather DSP and added an Autumn Accents leaf.  I alternated the leaf color and shape as well as the embossed pattern.  Some are embossed with the Perfect Polka Dot folder and the others are embossed with the Woodgrain folder.  I tied a piece of linen thread around each leaf stem.

  Since my banner was quite long and I didn't want to use up all the jute twine that came with the kit I cut smaller lengths and just knotted the ends to link my banners instead of having the twine threaded through the back.  This also kept the banners from sliding around.  The smaller DSP banners are attached with sticky tape for a secure hold.  I just folded over the top of the DSP around the jute twine and adhered.

  And one final (giant) photo showing the banner hung up in my front entry.  It add some nice fall color to a very bland wall.  I'm looking forward to enjoying this banner through Thanksgiving and for many more fall seasons to come.

  It was really easy to put together and fun to add the extra accents.  What do you think I should make for Christmas?  "Merry"?  "Joy"?  I still  have 12 banners left so I could do both if I wanted to!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: none

Ink: Crushed Curry, Tangerine Tango, Soft Sky, Chocolate Chip

Paper: Sweater Weather DSP, Crushed Curry, Tangerine Tango, Soft Sky

Accessories: Autumn Accents die, linen thread, Perfect Polka Dot e.f, Woodgrain e.f., sponge daubers, Build A Banner Simply Created kit

Clean and Simple Snowflake

 I'm trying to get this posted so I can enter this card in the CAS(E) this Sketch challenge for this week before it ends tomorrow morning.  It is such a fun sketch I just had to try it over the weekend and I'm just now getting a chance to edit the photo and get it posted.  It is cold so I think this is fitting right?  Not quite 'snow' cold but cold for Richmond in October!  I've busted out the wool socks and sweaters!

  Here's the sketch.  And remember it's trying to keep the card clean and simple, lots of open space.

How'd I do??

I pulled the color combination right from the Color Coach.  It was kind of winter-y I thought.  I didn't even notice it was the same color scheme as the challenge logo until just now.

I stamped off once before stamping the small splatters in Bermuda Bay, then I stamped the snowflake in Smoky Slate and finally the "Believe" in Stazon right over the top.

I paper pierced around the edge and added a few rhinestones to finish it off.  I think I will be making some more of this design to add to my Christmas card stash.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Gorgeous Grunge, Snowflake Soiree

Ink: Bermuda Bay, Smoky Slate, Black Stazon

Paper: Bermuda Bay, Smoky Slate, Basic Black

Accessories: paper piercer, rhinestones

Summer Field Flowers

  I guess now that it actually feels like fall here in Richmond I'll show a card we did over the summer at stamp club.  So backwards huh?  I'm still cleaning out my projects folders so you'll probably see some more older projects over the next few weeks.  Once I'm caught up I'm actually going to have to stamp for something new to show you!  What a hard life right?

  I don't think you can go wrong with the Field Flowers set….it is just so elegant and timeless, you can color it in or leave it, go vintage or clean and simple, pastels or brights.  So many options!

  The base is Wild Wasabi with a scored border using the Simply Scored tool…so easy!  Next is a layer of the Natural Composition Specialty paper.

  For the flower panel we did the stems in Wild Wasabi and then the blossoms with 2 step stamping.  First was Crisp Cantaloupe then Calypso Coral for the second layer.  This was my sample card and I think the Calypso Coral looks a bit bright so you might want to stamp off once for the CC layer for a more subtle look.

  The little embellishment is a Very Vintage Designer button with a wee bit of linen thread tied through the holes.  To make the cute bit of ruffle around the button cover the back with a few pieces of sticky strip being sure to keep them from hanging off the edge.  Next take a piece of Ruffle Stretch trim (I used Crisp Cantaloupe here) and just press it into the sticky strip all the way around slightly overlapping where you started.  Trim any extra ribbon.  Attach it to the card with more sticky strip, a dimensional or glue dot.

  I'll be back in a day or 2 with a more seasonal project that I finished over the weekend!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Field Flowers

Ink: Wild Wasabi, Crisp Cantaloupe, Calypso Coral

Paper: Wile Wasabi, Very Vanilla, Calypso Coral, Natural Composition Specialty paper

Accessories: sticky strip, Ruffle Stretch trim, Very Vintage Designer button, linen thread

Quick Sweet Treat

  The project I'm sharing today goes to show you how unorganized my summer was.  We made this project at my new catalog open house over the summer to introduce new products.  Yikes!  Summer was a long time ago!

  Anyway I thought it was a good one to share to not only tidy up my project folders but also because we're getting to the seasons of sharing little treats and goodies with Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas coming on fast.

  To make this tag we embossed the Chalk Talk stamp in white on black cardstock then cut it out with the matching framelit.  Next, the sentiment was stamped in Island Indigo on Whisper White and then punched out.  It's attached to the tag with a dimensional.

  The tag is tied to a small cello bag filled with Hershey kisses.  We used the new (well now not so new!!) chevron ribbon to tie everything together.

  Now to be more fitting with the season can't you see this in some pretty fall colors (think Sweater Weather DSP colors), with the fall Hershey kisses inside the bag.  Wouldn't that be a perfect table favor at Thanksgiving?

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Chalk Talk

Ink: Versamark, Island Indigo

Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White

Accessories: Chalk Talk framelits, white embossing powder, dimensionals, oval punch, chevron ribbon

Simple Tree - Fab Friday 29

  And we're back again for another great challenge at Fab Friday!  Make some time in your weekend schedule and play along with us!  It a sketch this time around.

  So many possibilities!  Since I went for completely obvious on the last challenge with the Halloween colors I changed up some of the shapes this time but I hope you can still see the bones of the sketch in my card.

 I decided to go with a simple punched Christmas tree presented on an oval backdrop.  I've got some rustic/vintage type touches as well as some modern bling-y ones too…Hopefully they don't compete but compliment each other!

  The card base is Sahara Sand, then a layer of Soft Sky embossed with the Chevron embossing folder. I've detailed this panel with some vintage trinket brads with rhinestones added to the centers.

  The ovals are cut with the oval framelits.  The smaller one is cut from one of the Sweater Weather DSP patterns (see not just for fall cards!) and I stamped some Serene Snowflakes on it in Sahara Sand.  I used the chalk marker to do some faux stitching around the outside of the larger oval.

  The tree is punched with the Pennant punch out of Epic Day DSP and popped up with a dimensional.  The base is stamped in Sahara Sand, cut out and sponged with Soft Suede.

  I stamped the "merry" from Pennant Parade right onto the natural trim with Soft Suede ink.  I was surprised that the trim took the ink so well since it's fairly textured.  I will definitely be doing that again in the future!  To finish off that horizontal detail from the sketch I punched out some silver Glimmer paper stars and adhered them across the top of the trim.  Not that I don't love chevrons and all but I liked the stars for a Christmas card!

  I hope you'll head over to Fab Friday to see the rest of the design team's awesome projects!  They are Fab!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Serene Snowflakes, Pennant Parade

Ink: Sahara Sand, Soft Suede

Paper: Sahara Sand, Soft Sky, Sweater Weather DSP, Epic Day DSP, Whisper White

Accessories: vintage trinkets, rhinestones, chevron e.f., oval framelits, pennant punch, star punch, natural trim, dimensionals

Autumn Give Thanks

  I hope everyone had a nice weekend!  The boys and Matt had the day off yesterday so we enjoyed our 3 day weekend.  I kept thinking that it was still the weekend so I missed the deadline to enter this card into the challenge at Freshly Made Sketches but it's still a cute card; simple and square.

  The lesson at church and Sunday school this week was the story of the 10 men healed and only one man returned to thank Jesus for healing him.  Our pastors sermon was based on giving thanks so I wanted to make a thank you to send to him to say thanks for all he does for our congregation.

  I used that fun Sweater Weather DSP again!  And the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set again….see it stamped right on the DSP?

  The acorn is cut from Champagne Glimmer paper and tied with some linen thread.  It's adhered to a small Very Vanilla scallop circle with a dimensional.  The scallops are pierced and then lightly sponged.  I used the stamp-a-ma-jig to line up my sentiment from Lots of Thanks.  I inked the "give" and "thanks" separately with my Chocolate Chip marker and then stamped onto Soft Sky.  Instead of the typical banner that I'm obsessed with and probably overuse I make a little scroll by rolling the end of the strip around my paper piercer.  I sponged the sentiment scroll as well.

  So who do you need to give thanks to?  Put a card in the mail today!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Lots of Thanks, Gorgeous Grunge

Ink: Chocolate Chip

Paper: Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Sweater Weather DSP, Soft Sky, Champagne Glimmer

Accessories: Autumn Accents die, small scallop circle punch, paper piercer, line thread, dimensionals