Saturday, November 14, 2015

More Holiday Cards & Coloring

Hello and Happy Weekend!

I'm popping in on this beautiful TN Saturday to share some cards I made this week during my coveted crafty time. The Hubs was out of the country all week for work. (And, to our amazement, in Paris 24 hours before the attacks. We are stunned. And, heartsick for the tragedies and what everyone is going through.) I adopted a little "cat's away, mice will play" mentality. ha! Even though he couldn't care less how much I craft, it felt more like free time to me for some reason. SO, I did a lot of crafty FaceTime sessions with Middle Sister.

Here is my absolute favorite card from this week from one of those evening sessions.

 
Is he not the cutest?! I had already stamped and colored this adorable giraffe from my WPlus9 Party Animal set. I love that set and loved that I found a way to get more use out of it. So, I pulled him out of my pile of scraps that I can't quite throw away but never quite find the mojo to use and die cut him for this fun card. The antlers are from the adorable reindeer in MFT's Jingle All the Way stamp set. I stamped, colored, die cut, and trimmed them off so I could use them for the giraffe. It was a perfect fit over the little horns that he already had. The red pearl was in my drawer and had fallen off a carrier sheet from long ago so I added using CTMH Liquid Glass. Another perfect fit. (LURVE when that happens.)
 
The snow drifts are die cut using MFT Stitched Snow Drift dies and sponged with PTI Soft Stone ink. I used SSS's Falling Snow stencil and lightweight spackle (Poor girl's embossing paste) over a piece of CTMH cardstock leftover from the Free to Be Me paper pack. I added a little white pigment ink around those edges after it was die cut using Blueprints 25.
 
The tree and sentiment are also from MFT Jingle All the Way set. I'm trying to be a good girl and get a lot of use out of my current stamp sets, even though everytime I get online I want more sets. I'm a fiend at Christmas time.
 
I'm playing along with a few challenges and thankful for the inspiration:
 
 
Especially ABC Christmas's W for Wild Thing challenge. :D and the sketch over at MFT Card Challenges
 
Cut It Up's Inspired by a book, song, or movie  (Song: Jingle Bells)   Cut It Up
 
and, Cute Card Thursday's Birds/Animals  .
 
 
I made another fun Christmas card using the MFT Jingle All the Way set I love the Santa's in this set. I've been pining for it since February and finally got it just a couple of weeks ago - so I'm trying to wear it out.   :D
 
 
 
I went all out with textures galore, inspired by Virginia's View Challenge. 8-)  November Challenge: All about Textures
 
 
I added lightweight spackle using Tim Holtz's Fair Isle stencil over PTI Kraft cardstock die cut with MFT Blueprints 20. After it dried, I added more texture with stamping the sentiment from Gift Tag Greetings (MFT) on a small canvas tag I picked up at Michaels (for practically free!) The red twine is also from Michael's and I love the rustic look it adds. The "Jolly" rhinestone is from Glitz Designs. Another die cut piece of red cardstock from Blueprints 13 and the little Santa is decorated to the hilt. :D So fun to play around like that.
 
I'm also playing along with Christmas Card Challenges - Anything Goes and Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - Anything Goes.
 
Grab button for Christmas Stampin’ All Year Long
 
 
 
And, lastly, NOT a holiday card! Whaaat?!  I know. I had a need for a card this week and didn't have one made up. Just a fun little encouragement card for a sweet bloggy friend. :)
 
I used more MFT goodies - The Whole Herd Stamp set and Blueprints 20 & 25 again.
 
 
That adorable little pig (I have used him so much) is white embossed on watercolor cardstock and colored with water and my Zig Clean Color Real Brush pen. I stamped the sentiment from the Tickled Pink stamp set. It's layered over a piece of dotted Bazzil cardstock.  My design was inspired by the sketch over at CAS(e) This Sketch!
 
 
I'm also playing along with a favorite, Just Us Girls - watercolor.


Whew. That's a lot and I got through it! ha! Thanks so much for stopping by to visit. Please do so again soon. (Especially if you are digging the Christmas inspiration - because that's just about all I'm doing right now.) :)

God Bless,
Mandy


James 1:13   NKJV  (New King James Version)
    Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He himself tempt anyone. Pin It

15 comments:

  1. Wow! Look at you go with the crafting! I love them all! I also know how you feel about crafting time when hubby is away as being more 'free' as that I how I feel as well...like yours, my hubby doesn't care how much I craft either but I do like to spend time with him when he's home especially when he is working nights. Anyway...fun post!

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  2. Hi all your makes are stunning. I love the Christmas card with the giraffe on. Thank you for joining us at Fantasy Stampers Challenge 49 “Winter Wonderland” Hugs Jackie (DT)

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  3. All of your cards are beautiful! Love the water color on that sweet pig. Thanks for joining us at Just Us Girls!

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  4. I came from the CAS(E) this sketch challenge but got a whole lot more inspiration! Love the saying on the pig card and your interpretation of the sketch. The Jingle All the Way card is too cute.

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  5. Wow that was a serious crafting session! I adore your card for our W-Wild Thing challenge at ABC Christmas Challenge. Thanks for joining us!

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  6. Fantastic group of cards! Love the little pig with the sentiment for our challenge. The sequins are the perfect finishing touch on this. Thanks for playing with us at JUGS!

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  7. Wow, love all your cards Great images and layouts. The cute pig is perfect on that simple background so elegant! Thank so much for playing along with Just Us Girls this week.

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  8. I have the same feeling about crafting, somehow less guilty when I'm alone! Love your cute reindeer card (all of them, really!)

    Thanks for playing with us at Cut it Up for our Inspired challenge!

    Evelyn
    http://mylittlecraftblog.wordpress.com

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  9. So glad that your hubby was not in Paris when those tragic events happened. Wow, you were really crafting up a storm! Love all of your cards! Thanks for joining us at Just Us Girls!

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  10. WOW! You are cranking out the cutest cards! I have to say though that the little giraffe sitting in the snow is my favorite. So cute. I think I'd frame that one.

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  11. Love the 'extra' use you got from your giraffe image! Tooo cute!
    Thanks for joining us this week at Just Us Girls!

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  12. A great card - thanks for joining us at the Fantasy Stampers Challenge Blog and good luck.

    Helen x

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  13. Your cards are awesome I so love the texture from the embossing,
    Thanks for entering ABC Christmas challenge and I would LOVE to see you again with more of your awesome creations! we have a DT call too! and please make sure you check out BOTH of today's posts too! hugs xx

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  14. These are all so much fun. I love the giraffe sitting in the snow and your second holiday card is so much fun with that darling Santa.

    And a little piggy for an encouragement card? Perfect!

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