Christmas Tree

This card uses a tag die by Taylored Expressions, along with a tree die by Recollections. The heat embossed sentiment is by Stampin' Up. A little bit of bakers twine and some rhinestones finish this card.

Get Crackin' On Christmas: #GetCrackingOnChristmas

CHNC challenge 500
CHN July PP challenge
Creative Crafters #30. AG
Creative Fingers challenge 190
ABC Christmas, O is for over the top. I used a sentiment over the top of the tag!
Lost Coast Designs challenge 103, Christmas

Christmas Sledding

This cute sledding die is by Impression Obsession, and I paired it with a winter forest background die and a stamped sentiment to make this fun card.  The patterned paper is by DCWV and I added a few rhinestones for sparkle and fun.

Get Crackin' on Christmas #GetCrackingOnChristmas

 CHNC challenge 500

ABC Christmas, O is for Over the Top
Die Cut Divas July challenge, Christmas
Creative Crafters #30, AG
Creative Fingers challenge 190
Christmas Craft Creations, Christmas Character

Santa's Journey

I used a Santa's sleigh die by Crafter's Companion, along with a tree-line die by Tim Holtz for Sizzix to make this Christmas Eve scene. The sentiment is by Papertrey Ink and the moon was inked with Brilliance Moonlight White pigment ink. I die cut a series of circles to use as stencils for moons and suns.

Get Crackin' on Christmas #GetCrackingOnChristmas

ABC Christmas challenge, O is for Over the Top
CHNC challenge 500
Creative Fingers challenge 190
Creative Crafters #30, AG
Christmas Craft Creations, Christmas Character

Merry and Bright

I used some papers from a magazine to make this fun card. All I had to do was fussy cut, use a circle die and then  layer over a Spellbinders fancy label. I like the non-traditional colors and design in this one.

CHN July PP challenge
CHNC challenge 500
Get Crackin' On Christmas #GetCrackingOnChristmas

Cardz TV challenge 119

Greetings of the Season

Yes, it's another Christmas in July card, and this one uses a kraft doily from my stash. I added a tag die by Taylored Expressions, a heat embossed sentiment by Papertrey Ink and a stamped poinsettia by Recollections. The bold and white bakers twine is by Ribbon Resource.

Get Crackin' On Christmas #GetCrackingOnChristmas

Lost Coast Designs challenge 103, Christmas

ABC Christmas, O is for Over the Top
CHNC challenge 500
Die Cut Divas, Christmas in July
Double Trouble challenge, I did Thing 1 (Christmas and favorite tool...die cut machine) and Thing 2 (link up to Heart2Heart)
Heart2Heart July challenge, favorite tool (die cut machine)

Christmas Wreath

I used a stamp set by Papertrey Ink to make this wreath card, then heat embossed the sentiment strip. I wanted my wreath to stand out against the green plaid background, so fussy cut the wreath and placed it over a die cut circle (Spellbinders). I drew a circle in light pencil and stamped pine boughs around it to form the wreath...then added the berries. The poinsettias were also stamped and fussy cut.

Get Crackin' On Christmas July challenge

 July Rudolph Days challenge
CHNC challenge 500
Lost Coast Designs challenge 103,. Christmas

July Show and share challenge

 ABC Christmas challenge, O is for over the top. I placed my sentiment strip over the top of the wreath!
Die Cut Divas July challenge, Christmas
CHN July PP challenge

Nuthatch

Here is another stamp image by Mark's Finest Papers that I like to use on my Christmas cards. Isn't this nuthatch sweet? I love that it looks great, just stamped in navy blue. I placed it behind a die cut circle (MFT stitched circles), and added a stamped sentiment by Mark's Finest Papers as well. Some checked ribbon gives texture, while still keeping it simple.

Get Crackin' on Christmas challenge, #GetCrackingOnChristmas

Time out Challenges 166, peaceful. Nature themes in winter are always so peaceful..you can hear the hush of the snow.

July Show and Share challenge

 ABC Christmas challenge, N is for No-fuss
Lost Coast Designs challenge 103, Christmas in July

Die Cut Divas, Christmas in July
Color Dare challenge 402, monochromatic blues

Cardz TV challenge 119
Double Trouble challenge 62, Christmas in July. I did Thing 1 (favorite tool, die cut machine) and Thing 2
Heart 2 Heart challenge, favorite tool (die cut machine)

Covered Bridge

I have several stamps by Mark's Finest Papers that have gone out of business, and I decided to pull them out and make a couple of Christmas cards this week. This is one of my favorites and it reminds me of an old lithograph. I heat embossed the sentiment, which is a stamp by Papertrey Ink and added a little bit of bakers twine along the top. The focal point is stamped with Night of Navy by Stampin' Up. This would be a good design to mass produce for Christmas.

Lost Coast Designs challenge 103, Christmas in July

ABC Christmas challenge, n is for no-fuss

Double Trouble challenge 62, Christmas in July. I did Thing 1 (favorite tool..heat embossing gun) Thing 2 (link up to Heart 2 heart)

Less is More challenge 424, one layer Christmas in July

 Time Out challenge 166, peaceful, nothing more peaceful than a snowy winter scene like this one

Birthday Kitty

I suddenly realized that my daughter-in-law's daughter just had a birthday and I completely forgot! So, off I went to my craft room to whip up a belated birthday card. I used the Stampendous Laurel Burch design and used the back of a notecard that I received years ago. Cut it with the Lawn Fawn stitched rectangle and used snippets of paper from my stash to mat the sentiment strip. Then I used another snippet to make a stamped background, using the same stamp set. I had to really squeeze in the pattern because it was an oddly shaped scrap of paper. Cut it into a banner flag with the Stitched banners by LDRS, fussy cut everything, and put it together.  She loves cats so I think this one will be a hit (as will the check that I'll be enclosing).

Pixie's Snippets challenge #382, I used all snippets for this, even for the turquoise base.
Creative Crafters challenge 30, AG
July Show and Share challenge, AG

Birthday Flip-It card

I recently got a used Sizzix card die that makes a fun flip-it card, so I got busy and made a couple of birthday cards with it. I had tried making a flip-it card in the past, by measuring and following a tutorial. However, it was such a disaster. I glued patterned paper to the wrong side of the card, and stamped the sentiment on the back instead of the front, argh! It was so time consuming that I decided never to make another one. Enter this Sizzix die. I pulled out the Stamp and Cut Birthday set by Hero Arts that I've had for several years  and used paper by K&Co. The back of the circle flip-it part has a stitched circle die by MFT, and Happy Birthday sentiment by Hero Arts. I made several of these for kid's birthdays and it would be good for the young-at-heart as well, don't you think?
These were much more successful than my first attempt years back so I'm glad I gave it another try.

 Here is the inside of the card:

Pixie's Snippets challenge 381. I used lots of snippets for this card, which is one reason I chose this flip it design. Didn't have quite enough of one pattern to make a complete card, haha!

A Blog Named Hero June challenge, combine old and new. I used a new-to-me flip-it card die and old Hero Arts stamp set

Word Art Wednesday, AG with sentiment 
CHN July PP challenge

Party Time One-layer card

This is a big birthday month for my family and I sat down today to make several birthday cards. Continuing on my one-layer card kick, I made another one. This one is for my niece, and uses the Hero Arts Four Dolls stamp set that I've had for years. I combined it with some small stamps by Gina K, and colored it all with alcohol markers. I also added glitter marker onthe flower centers and her sash, but it's not showing up well in my photo.

Hero Arts Stay Crafty challenge 11, make a one layer card 
Word Art Wednesday, AG
A Blog Named Hero June challenge old and new. I used an old stamp and a new one.

Cards und More challenge 49, I used the colors from the mood board

Double Trouble challenge 60. I did Thing 1, make something new

Birthday Lilies

I was given a lot of this pretty lily patterned paper by Darnell of dklardkreations, a few years ago, and so I am able to grab a prepared card base to embellish whenever I am in the mood. This time I added a strip of Stampin' Up paper and a Stampin' Up sentiment and label image. The die cut label behind the sentiment is by Spellbinders.

TTCRD challenge of June 30, AG
Word Art Wednesday
Cardz TV challenge 118
Creative Fingers challenge 189
Double Trouble challenge 60, make something new
CHN July PP challenge

One-layer Floral Brocade

The hardest cards for me to make are one-layer designs. I'm a fairly simple card maker, but somehow the thought of making a one-layer card makes me nervous. What if I make a mistake on the card? How do I avoid it being really boring and/or bare? Argh! However, I am determined to keep challenging myself and not get stuck in a rut, so one-layer card, here I come. I used the Hero Arts Floral Brocade stamp to make this simple design. Stamped the image with Elegant Eggplant by Stampin' Up, then colored it with alcohol markers. The sentiment is also by Hero Arts and is from the Operation Write Home set. In order to add a little bit of texture on this completely flat card, I used my scoring board to emboss two straight lines right above the sentiment. You can't see it very well in my photo but it's very apparent in real life. I kept stamping it over and over again, thinking that I wasn't getting a good image, but then realized that it's got built-in texture, to represent brocade fabric..duh.

I think I might actually use this stamp to make several more of the same design, in different colors. A one-layer card is very easy to mail, after all!

 A Blog Named Hero, combine old and new stamps. The floral brocade is new and the sentiment is very old.  

Hero Arts Stay Crafty challenge 11, one layer card
Word Art Wednesday 446-447
TTCRD challenge week of June 30, AG
Double Trouble challenge, make something new