Relax-y Time and a Few Challenges

Wow. Making a card just for fun! What is that? :)

Today we have been just hanging out around the house - trying to recover from the festivities. Sadly, we aren't quite finished as some of the family on my side (who are 3 hours away) fell ill the morning we were supposed to drive to visit! Yikes. We've had to postpone until everyone is better. So, we were home today unexpectedly and took advantage of that by doing NOTHING. Seriously. We had some errands to run and didn't get out until 4pm. :D Of course, it was storming all morning, so that was part of our excuse.


I wanted to play along with the current Lawnscaping Challenge - once I saw it was still active for Christmas cards and I had received a new stamp in the mail from the Coffee Lovers Blog Hop. :)

I paper pieced this cute little fox and adhered him on a card base I had sponged with MFT Blue Yonder ink over the Tim Holtz Fair Isle stencil. I had fun trimming all these little pieces from scrap papers and was much happier with the result than my original colored and hand-trimmed image.   (Boo) As I watched a documentary about the 1990's (thoroughly depressing after an hour or so of that!) I trimmed and glued and was happy as a little songbird.

I stamped the sentiment using Milo's ABC's and then added the twine and Peace, Love, & Joy sequins.

I'm also playing along with (CAS)E This Sketch and Less Is More "Homespun" challenge.




I hope everyone had a lovely holiday and are able to enjoy some much needed downtime.

Thanks SO much for stopping by to visit! I hope you will come again soon.

God Bless,
Mandy

I John 3:18  NKJV  (New King James Version)
     "... let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth." Pin It

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from our house to yours! I hope you are enjoying time with family, relaxing, and having fun.


I wanted to share again some of my favorite Christmas cards from this year --

God Bless,
Mandy


Galations 3:26  NKJV  (New King James Version)
    "So in Christ Jesus you are all  children of God through faith"

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ABC Christmas Challenge - Z - Zoo Animals

Hello!

I'm excited to be posting my first card created for my new Design Team assignment over at ABC Christmas Challenges! Since I've found this blog, I've loved to play along with the themes: Christmas cards all year long - with the challenge theme inspiration changing each week with the letters of the alphabet. I think it's a lot of fun.

This week the theme is Z - Zoo Animals and the sponsor is Bunny Zoe Crafts.

Bunny zoes crafts

 

 

 

 

 

Bunny Zoe's Crafts is an internet only craft store based in the UK.  We ship world-wide and UK orders over £50.00 qualify for free delivery.  We sell a great selections of rubber stamps, papers and embellishments.  Some of the stamps designs we carry are: A Random Fan, Bebunni, Bildmalarna, Pollycraft, The Greeting Farm, Wild Rose Studio, C.C. Designs, CandiBean, Kaisercraft, La-La Land Crafts, Magnolia, Whimsy plus many more.

 

 

I've made my card using WPlus9's Party Animal set and MFT's Jingle All the Way stamp set (I love to combine sets when I can).

I added a pattern paper strip from Basic Grey's Juniper Berry 6x6 pad and a strip of Teal Shimmer Tape from CTMH. I sponged Blue Yonder ink over the Large Grid Stencil by MFT behind the die cut & colored images After adding the sentiment banner to ground the images, I added the sequins and tiny veneer heart.


I am also playing along with the following challenges:

Dream Valley Challenges - Christmas  , Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday Challenge - Die Crazy, and CASology's Merry challenge this week.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit! Please do so again soon. :) And don't forget to pop over to ABC Christmas Challenges to join in the fun.

 

 

God Bless,

Mandy

 

Isaiah 40:5   NKJV  (New King James Version)

    "And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together."

 

 

 

 

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Coffee Lovers Blog Hop - Final!

Hello!
Wow. Another week has gotten away from me. I'm sure everyone feels this way. The Piglets had half days at school every day but one, so that translated to very little productivity for me. Ha. It feels like it's been forever since I've posted, but it was just a few short days ago.

I wanted to share one more I made playing along with the Coffee Lovers Blog Hop. Today is the last day! It's been fun to hop along with all the other coffee and card making addicts.

I used the Cup of Kindness free digi set from Verve Stamps. It's such cute images and, as a font junkie, it's got some yummy fonts. (Middle Sister would understand this. We have a font problem. We fully admit it.)

 

 

I colored the fun cup and holly with Copic markers. The main card panel is stamped in Latte pigment ink (Amuse Studio) using MFT Bold Diagonal Stripes background stamp. This one was so quick and easy, but the fun layers give it a little more depth.

 

I'm also playing along with Fresh Brewed Design's Anything Goes Christmas, Color Throwdown - any Christmas creation/any colors, and Craft Dee BowZ - Anything Goes and include a bow.

 

    

 

 

Short post for me tonight as I am worn slap out from all the "Christmas-ing" this week and fighting off some cold or virus. Probably the one my daughter had last week. (Oh joy.)

 

 

Thanks so much for popping in to visit! I hope you will come back soon.

 

God Bless,

Mandy

 

 

John 3:16  KJV (King James Version)

     "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, and whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life."



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Christmas Card Challenges - Week 2

Hello!



I'm back with another week's fun over at Christmas Card Challenges. I'm using these cards this month to finish out any remainders I need for this year's mailings and gifts, but after Christmas I'll be making cards all year to build for next year's stash. I can feel myself breathing a sigh of relief already. 8-)

This week is a beautiful color challenge:

I used my new Basic Grey Juniper Berry 6x6 pad, My Favorite Things Calm & Cozy Chevron 6x6 pad, and Lawn Fawn's Snow Day 6x6 pad to paper piece the trees from Paper Smooches Warm Hearts stamp set. The trees are gold embossed on the cardstock panel and then again on each patterned paper. I then trimmed out each tree and layered it over the set on the main panel. I used Prismacolor Pencils to color in the trunks of each tree. The sentiment, from Paper Smooches Christmas Sampler, is stamped in WPlus9 Coconut Husk.

 

The large panel in the back is diecut using MFT Blueprints 25 and a piece from the Juniper Berry pad. The red twine came off a large spool I found at Michael's. To my pleasant surprise, it turned out having a vintage look when I put it all together and I love that. I did sponge Crushed Olive Distress Ink around the edges of the white panel to break up the white space just a bit and the subtle color was a great addition.

 

I'm also playing along with a couple of other challenges:

CASology and Cards In Envy - Very Vintage Christmas

 

 

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit. Please do so again soon!

 

And don't forget to play over at Christmas Card Challenges-

 

 

   

 

 

God Bless,

Mandy

 

 

 

Matthew 6:34   NKJV  (New King James Version)

    "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

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Coffee Gift Tags

Hello!

I'm doing a late post tonight. Not like me. Everyone's in bed and I'm usually right there with them. :) But, after a busy day, I thought I might enjoy sharing in some bloggy time with a few gift tags I made yesterday for my own gifts. I've been making personalized Christmas note cards and a dozen gift tags for gifts for all the Piglets teachers. The Princess was sick all this week, so I've totally procrastinated and not finished the last few tags I need so she can take in her gifts. The Sultan took his in last Monday. I was so proud of myself for sending them in early so they would have them in time to use before they wrapped gifts, etc. Now, I'm still behind the eight ball. I do it to myself all the time! You know what they say, "Procrastinators unite! (Tomorrow)".

These tags are going on some coffee mug gifts I'm planning to make my Dad and brother's-in-law. I had a fun idea for them and hope to get them made this week. Oy. I'm sensing a pattern here. I've already listed several things tonight I plan "to do" this week. And, The Piglets have short days at school Tuesday - Friday! Yikes.

 

 

 

 I used Lawn Fawn's Love You a Latte stamp and die set with my MFT Tag Builders 4 die set. I colored the coffee mugs and cups with my PrismaColor pencils, then die cut a post it note to mask each shape before sponging Distress Inks over the tags. (The Jennifer McGuire method) I used sentiments from MFT's Gift Tag Greetings stamp in addition to the Lawn Fawn set. I added red twine from Micheals and green sparkle Lawn Trimmings for the bow. (Love both of those twines.)

 

 

 

I'm excited to be playing along again with the Holiday Coffee Lovers Blog Hop. :) If you haven't happened to check that out, you really should. It's the most fun. Everyone enjoys cutting up about their coffee and obsessions with crafting! The hop has become quite huge!

 

 

 

 

I'm also playing along with the current Lawnscaping Challenge - Tag It! and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - Tag It!.

 

 

 

Well, that is it for me. Late night and all. :)

 

Thanks SO much for stopping by to visit! Please come back again soon and please hop on over to check out all the coffee crafting goodness - take a break from Holiday Stress 2015!

 

God Bless,

Mandy

 

Romans 2:10   NKJV  (New King James Version)

   "but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile."

 



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Coffee Loving Cardmakers Holiday Blog Hop!

 

 

Hello! I'm excited to pop in and share a card I made during a marathon card-making session this morning. I've been trying to finish up a small stash of holiday cards for an additional set at church I wanted to send out this year. (I had a new goal.) 8-) And, I used this as a perfect excuse to play some more with my MFT Hug In A Mug stamp and die set for the Holiday Blog Hop of Coffee Lovers.

 

 

 

I used the sketch over at Freshly Made and the colors over at the MFT Card Challenge blog for my inspiration.

 

 

 

I used the Double Stitched Rectangle STAX Dienamics for my two panels behind the cocoa mug and patterned paper from the MFT Warm & Cozy Chevron 6x6 pad. The back panel is PTI Aqua Mist cardstock stamped with a Hero Arts background stamp and Summer Splash ink. The patterned paper on the mug is from Basic Grey's Juniper Berry 6x6 pad. (Loving these patterns right now!) I inked the edges with Summer Splash ink. I used Wisteria CTMH cardstock for the heart on the mug.

 

 

Thanks so much for popping in to visit. I plan to share more coffee crafty fun coming up, so please stop back by!

 

God Bless,

Mandy

 

 

James 1:12   NKJV  (New King James Version)

    "Blessed  is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him."

 





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PDE Linky Party - Anything Goes - Week Dec 11

Hello!

It's another week over at PDE Linky Party where it's always Anything Goes. ANY kind of crafty projects are welcome: home décor, crocheting, sewing, paper crafting. And since it's anything goes - no excuse for not playing along! Please come check out the fun each week and link up to share your crafty goodness.

 

 

 

I had so much fun playing with my new Hot Cocoa Dienamics from My Favorite Things.

 

 

 

My patterned paper is from Basic Grey's Juniper Berry 6x6 pad (such fun patterns and colors) and the silver glitter paper is from CTMH. I used the MFT Wonky Windows die and turned this into a shaker card. I love doing that with this die - it has a fun shape, but straight edges are easy for the shaker style. Hee hee. I stamped the sentiment from the Hug in a Mug stamp set in WPlus9 Coconut Husk dye ink. The card base is a Kraft cardstock from Recollections.

 

 

I gathered my color inspiration from this week's Color Throwdown Challenge.

 

I'm also playing along with the City Crafter Challenge Blog - It's All About Winter (no Christmas) and The Friday Mashup - make a project with dies.

 

 

 

That's it for me. Thanks so much for stopping by to visit. Please do so again soon!

 

And don't forget to link up and play along over at the PDE Linky Party.

 

 

 

 

God Bless,

Mandy

 

 

Ephesians 4:1-3   (NKJV) New King James Version

   "I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."





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Christmas Card Challenges - Week 1

This is my second post of the day. To see my post for Addicted To Stamps Challenge #115, click here.

Hello!

I have some fun news - I'm joining the Design Team over at Christmas Card Challenges! I'm super excited. Christmas cards are my favorite to make and I don't seem get tired of them. I've enjoyed playing along with this challenge blog for quite some time and I'm thrilled to join in as an "official" member.

We're starting over with a new year of making cards for Christmas. Working on them all year long will help with the stress of Christmas holiday mayhem. I, for one, get myself in a pickle every year somehow, no matter how much I promise myself I won't let it happen again. :)

Here is the inspiration for our first challenge:

I played around again with my Birdie Brown Jingle All the Way stamp set.

 

My paper strip is from Lawn Fawn's Snow Day 6x6 pad and the Black (glitter) Shimmer Tape is CTMH. I used a masking technique I saw on this blog and used MFT's Stiched Jumbo Fishtail Flag die cut to create my mask. I stamped "believe" from Paper Smooches Christmas Sampler over the mask. And then lightly sponged PTI Simply Chartreuse ink.

 

 

 

This design was inspired by the sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches; I just flipped it upside down.

 

I'm also playing along with Curtain Call Inspiration.

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit! Please do so again soon. :)

 

And, please come on over and play along at Christmas Card Challenges!

 

 

 

 

 

 

God Bless,

Mandy

 

Romans 8:28  NKJV  (New King James Version)

      "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

 

 



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Addicted to Stamps Challenge #115 - Christmas

Hello!

I'm super excited to say that I'm joining the sweet Design Team over at the Addicted to Stamps Challenge blog! I'm going to have the most fun playing along with everyone this term. :) Can't wait to get started.

And, with that, I'll share the card I made for my first DT assignment -- a Christmas challenge!

 

*CHRISTMAS*

 

 

 

I white heat embossed the poinsettia from Tim Holtz Mini Blueprints and colored with PrismaColor Pencils. The patterned paper is My Mind's Eye and it's layered over panels of Rasberry Fizz and Simply Chartreuse cardstock from PTI. The sentiment is from PTI's Deck the Halls stamp set and layered up on foam tape. I, also, sponged Simply Chartreuse ink around the edges of the sentiment panel. I added a little silver thread and a few sequins to finish it off. This one was really fun to make. I love how the colors turned out!

 

Speaking of colors - what a fabulous combination. 8-) I got them from this week's Colour Q challenge. (All of my wood patterned papers were gray instead of brown.)

 

 

I'm also playing along with Holly Jolly Christmas's "Embossing" challenge and the NonTraditional

 

Christmas challenge over at The Challenge.

    

 

 

 

That's all for me this time. Thanks so much for stopping by to visit - please do so again soon!

And, please pop over the Addicted to Stamps Challenge to take a look and play along!

 

God Bless,

Mandy

 

I Timothy 6:6   NKJV  (New King James Version)

    "Now godliness with contentment is great gain."



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