Christmas Card Challenges - #2 Photo Inspiration

Hello!

I'm popping in super quickly this afternoon to share my card for the current Christmas Card Challenge. This time we have a photo inspiration to use:

I used some coffee cups I had already, stamped, colored, and cut out from Lawn Fawn's Love You a Latte set. 

I used MFT dies to make the rest of the card: Jumbo Stitched Fishtail Flags and the Stitched Bubble Edges. The sentiment is stamped from Paper Smooches Christmas Sampler. 

Super quick and fun to make! :) 

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit! 

God Bless,

Mandy

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Addicted to Stamps Challenge #137 - Christmas

Hello!

I'm popping in to share my card for the latest ATSC Challenge -- this one with a Christmas theme.

CHRISTMAS
(Don't forget to use at least one stamp)

You have two weeks to show us your creations. We can’t wait to see your work.

We are happy to be sponsored by: Crafty Ribbons




Here is my card using a mixture of stamps:

I used MFT's You Make My Tail Wag, Harlequin stencil, and Hand Lettered Holiday stamps. The lights and gift packages are from Lawn Fawn's Baah Humbug stamp set. It was fun to create a Christmas card with a non Christmas stamp (You Make My Tail Wag). I colored with Copic markers and used Distress Inks for the background sponging.


Thanks so much for stopping by to visit! Have a great week!

God Bless,
Mandy Pin It

Christmas Card Challenges - #1 Candy Cane Word Prompt

Hello!

I'm popping in to share my card for the current Christmas Card Challenge. It's time to start over for a new year! Wow!

And beginning this month, challenges will now be posted every other Sunday -- this will give more time for everyone to play along. So please come check out the fun. :)

I used the sketch at the Freshly Made Sketches challenge blog for further inspiration...

That's all for me now! Off to work on some more Christmas shopping online. Yuck. :) Christmas is stressing me out this year! :( I'm just not "mentally prepared" for it and I'm trying to make sure I stay on task anyway. I usually have more fun with it, I think. 

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit! 

Please check out the fun over at Christmas Card Challenges and come back again!

God Bless, 

Mandy

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Christmas Card Challenges #50 - Anything Goes

Hello!

I'm a few hours late with this post, but I figured better late than never, right? Phew. Crazy weekend. And I think we finally have the bulk of our Christmas decorations out. We still have a little bit to finish up, but it shouldn't be bad. And the main thing for me is that I have most of the consequential messes cleaned up. (Eye roll) Why do we do this to ourselves every year? I have to keep things neat and tidy - drives me up a wall if I don't. Honestly, I spend most of my days picking up and cleaning something. And stop the press if I get off schedule and get behind on something. It takes me forever to recover! So, even with all that in mind - I willingly have The Piglets, Hubby, and myself drag out box after box of jun---, er, I mean precious Christmas items and memories that takes two days to deal with and clean up after. Yikes. I am give out! :D~   .... Tis the season to be jolly....

Ok - on to my post! I'm here to share my card for this weeks Christmas Card Challenge! I need to get to it, right?  By the by, I still LOVE to make Christmas cards! My all time favorite to make.

I used my MFT Cool Cat stamp set (LOVE IT) and some paper piecing. I cut the cat out of patterned paper then inked the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. I then added a bow and hat from my Lawn Fawn Baah Humbug stamp set, after I colored it with Copic markers, Wink of Stella, and trimmed it out. This is all layered over paper scraps die cut with MFT Stitched Scalloped Circles and the Stitched Fishtail Flag STAX. I used my MFT Jumbo Polka Dot cover up to emboss my Neenah Desert Storm card base. The sentiment is stamped and white embossed from Lawn Fawn Toboggan Together.

I used the sketch over at the MFT Weekly Sketch Challenge for my design inspiration: 

I'm also playing along with Clean & Simple on Sunday - Christmas challenge and Simon Says Stamp - Christmas to Die For challenge. 

      

Ok - that's it for me tonight. Time to try to catch 40 winks and be fresh for a new day. I have much planned that I want to do. :) 

Have a great week and God Bless, 

Mandy

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ABC Christmas Challenge - X for Criss Cross

Hello!

We are coming to the very end of the alphabet over at the ABC Christmas Challenge! In some ways it feels like it's too soon, in others, January 2016 seems light years away. Anyone else??? Of course, we've made some big changes in our house since that time, so it kind of makes sense it feels so long ago. :)

This time its X for Criss Cross for your Christmas Card challenge theme.

And, we have a generous sponsor for this challenge:

Sponsor

Fred She Said

$10 gift certificate

Fred She Said Designs offers a wide variety of digital products with a floral flair and cute characters too - Digi's, Pre-coloured images, Papers, Sets, Fred's Flower Kits, and even digital cutting files.

Have some fun with Fred!

Here is my take on the Criss Cross: 

I used a few scrap strips from MFT's Cozy Chevron 6x6 pad, PTI Kraft cardstock and the MFT Stitched Scallop Circle dies, as well as Lawn Fawn's Toboggan Together stamps. The sentiment is form MFT Gift Tag Greetings and it's die cut using the Tag Builders 4 Blueprints from MFT. Broken China Distress Ink is sponged over the Circle Burst stencil from MFT, as well. 

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope everyone in the US enjoys a Happy Thanksgiving. 

God Bless, 

Mandy

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Christmas Card Challenges - #49 - Color Challenge

Hello!

It's time for another Christmas Card Challenge! We are getting so close. We are this close to pulling out Christmas decorations. Doesn't seem real, does it? We've finally got some cold weather in TN, so it's a little more believable. We've been experiencing unseasonally warm temperatures for the last several weeks and NO rain for months.

This weeks challenge is a color challenge:

I used scrap papers with some of my punches, an MFT background stamp and sentiment stamped from MFT's Gift Tag Greetings. A very quick and simple card! :)

Thanks SO much for stopping by to visit! :)

God Bless,

Mandy

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Addicted to Stamps Challenge #135 - Flags/Pennants/Banners

Hello!

Hope all is well for everyone. It seems sick season is starting around here already according to my in-school intel. ;) We've all battled The Crud and allergy stuff. 'Tis the season!

The Hubs and I are still tackling projects we've made up for ourselves around the new house and are having fun with it. I think it's stealing my crafty mojo though. That's the bad news. The good news is, I'm almost finished with mine. So, I have high hopes that I will begin to feel more "normal" soon. Fingers crossed!

I wanted to share the card I managed to make for our current Addicted to Stamps Challenge - Flags/Pennants/Banners. I'm also proud to say it's already been mailed out as I made it for a favorite, old friend's birthday. (Old as in we've been friends since childhood! We do say that we are "old" now, but that's not what my previous comment meant.) ;-)

I recently acquired the MFT Happy Pandas stamp set during a Blitz sale for a good price and in hopes of a new stamp set breathing a little bit of life into me. It kinda worked. :) Not as much as I'd hoped. I just love critter cards these days.

My friend is a big panda person so I just know she will love this one. :) 

Well that's it for me! Thanks so much for stopping by to visit! 

God Bless,

Mandy

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ABC Christmas Challenge - W for Wishes

Hello!

I'm popping in late tonight to finally share my card for the current ABC Christmas Challenge! Wow. What can I say? Things have been a little busy for me lately and I have to admit my crafty mojo is really suffering! I am BARELY crafting these days and what little I do isn't making it to crafty world or even Instagram to be shared. I'm trying NOT to panic and realize it will probably come back when things slow down. Eek!

With that being said, I do have a fun little card I put together in no time for our Wishes challenge:

To play along simply use the word Wishes on your Christmas themed project.

We are sponsored by the lovely Dulcie, owner of the

Wild Rose Studio

One lucky entrant will win this lovely Winter Bouquet Die 

Here is my card using the adorable stamp from Neat & Tangled:

My papers are from Basic Grey's Juniper Berry 6x6 pack. One stamp and one paper pack! doesn't get much simpler than that. Take that absent mojo! ;-D

That's all for me now. Thanks SO much for stopping by to visit! 

God Bless,

Mandy

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ABC Christmas Challenge - V for Vertical

Hello!

It's time for another challenge over at ABC Christmas Challenges. We are at the tail end of the alphabet. Sniff.

This new challenge is:

'V' for Vertical

i.e. anything tall, not landscape/horizontal

We are Sponsored by the lovely Krista, the super talented artist behind the fabulous

www.drawnwithcharacter.etsy.com

 the winner can choose 3 images from the online etsy store 

My card is one I made using a scrapling from a 12x12 piece of CTMH cardstock: 

I used MFT's Happy Pandas, their Large Grid stencil, Paper Smooches Christmas Sampler, and scraps from CTMH's Snowhaven paper kit. Simple and easy! Especially since I had stamped and colored several pandas earlier this week and cut them using my Silhouette. :D 

I got my card layout idea from the current sketch over at Cas(e) This Sketch. 

Well, that's it for me today! I'm off to finish up another home project. This week I've tackled painting and staining some of my daughter's furniture. Super fun (as long as it all turns out like I want it to). ;-) 

Don't forget to check out the fun over at ABC Christmas Challenge and thanks so much for stopping by to visit! 

God Bless,

Mandy

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Christmas Card Challenges - #46 Anything Goes

Hello!

I'm popping in this beautiful morning to share my card for the latest Christmas Card Challenge. Sorry for the delay -- I'm working on getting settled back into a routine now that I've completed my last painting project around the house. (Painting of rooms that is....I have other furniture projects on my list next!) I get consumed when I have something like that to do. I enjoy it and I, also, seem to have a one - track mind. I can't seem to think about anything else when I'm focusing on completing a job. So, the good news is, we have fresh paint throughout the house! Every room received new paint this past year. Whew. I still more "touch up" work but that's not a big deal. :) I'm still considering myself finished. 8-)

On to my card! (Didn't take long to catch you up on what I've been doing while absent from bloggy land.) ;-)

I used PTI Aqua Mist cardstock for my base and used MFT Scalloped Edge dies for the lower portion. The stamps are Lawn Fawn's Toboggan Together set. I cut everything out using my Silhouette and PixScan mat. The stencil is Falling Snow by SSS and I covered it with lightweight spackle before adding on a red twine bow. 

Sad fact about this card -- it was still out on my desk and I spilled a glass of water on it a few days later! Yikes! I'm always paranoid about such accidents and managed to avoid many (if any) in all my years of crafting...seems like a rookie mistake to make, huh? :) 

So that's all for me today! I'm dragging today and making myself knock a few things out. It's either that or lay on the couch (with a little bummer of a headache and sinus issues). I'm trying so hard to ignore it! 

Thanks SO much for stopping by and indulging me a few moments. Hope everyone has a great week. 

God Bless,

Mandy

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ABC Christmas Challenge - U for Under the Pile

Hello!

Happy Hump Day to you. :) I'm hopping by to share my card for the latest ABC Christmas Card Challenge. I want to croak, y'all. We are up to U! The letter U! This year is almost over. While I'm excited about the changing of the seasons (the heat really got to me this year), I can't believe that another year has flown by.

Well, enough whining and time for the fun part. Our challenge:

U for Under the Pile

The challenge is to make a card or a Christmas project with something you have been squirreling away in your stash for more than a year!

Oh yep friends - time to show and tell, we've all been there!

Our generous sponsor this time is 

Bugaboo Stamps

One lucky Random winner will win 7 Digi images for their choice

I made a card with an adorable Bugaboo image I've had printed and colored and in a stack on my desk forEVER. Happy accident that I pulled out a Bugaboo and that's our sponsor this month! Love it when things work out....

I printed this one really large with the intent of a tall center panel - but when I actually made this card, I decided to tilt it on the card base. With all that color, it didn't need any embellies! (Even though it hurt not to put a twine bow on it anywhere. LOL). The sentiment is stamped from Lawn Fawn's Toboggan Together stamp set. Everything is colored with Copic markers. 

That's it for me this time. Thanks SO much for stopping by! I hope to get crafty and share some more goodies in the next few days. With the weather cooling, kids back in school, and vacation behind us, I've been tackling some more of my around-the-house DIY projects. 8-)

God Bless,

Mandy

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Addicted to Stamps Challenge - #133 - Embossing

Hello!

This is my second post of the day! Wow. Not like me at all. But, I'm here now to share my card for the current Addicted to Stamps Challenge - Embossing. It can be wet or dry embossing. I like to do either, but used dry embossing this time. Don't forget to use a stamp!

                       You have two weeks to show us your creations. We can’t wait to see your work.

                                      We are happy to be sponsored by  Marianne Design
                                                          
                                                                  You can win this lovely prize
                                               

Here is my card --

I used one of my mom's embossing folders by Darice. I got her a Cuttlebug for her birthday and she is having fun with all the embossing. I embossed a few panels and stashed them away to pull out and put on a card when I found some inspiration, such as this challenge. Perfect!

The green paper is retired CTMH, the chevrons from my stash, and the stamp from MFT Adorable Elephants.

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit! Please come play along!

God Bless,
Mandy Pin It

Christmas Card Challenges - #44 - Decorations

Hello!

I'm popping in to share my card for this week's Christmas Card Challenges. Time is flying --- I'm currently working on Halloween and Thanksgiving projects around the house. Yikes. My daughter finished up the fall decorations around the house yesterday afternoon. It just seems crazy!

I used dies from Paper Smooches Wreath Builder to make the wreath and the bow is stamped and cut from PTI's Deck the Halls set. The background paper is Basic Grey Juniper Berry, sentiment from Paper Smooches Christmas Sampler. Very quick and easy card! 

Please come join in the fun! Christmas is so close. (Sniff..sniff...)

Thanks for stopping by to visit,

Mandy

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Christmas Card Challenges - #43 Photo Challenge

Happy day!

I'm popping in to share my card for the current Christmas Card Challenges. We are up to challenge #43 (eeks!) and this week is a photo challenge.

 

I went CAS this time with a striped pattern paper (MFT) and Silver shimmer tape (CTMH) up the side of my card. I used a PaperTrey Ink stamp (Holiday Photo Finishers) and die cut it using Stitched Circle STAX Dienamics (MFT). It's popped up on foam tape and a button with twine and peppermint enamel dots are nestled in around it.

 

See? Super easy. :)

 

Thanks SO much for stopping by to visit! Please come back again soon!

 

God Bless,

Mandy

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ABC Christmas Challenge - T is for Two

Hello!

I can't believe it's time for another challenge over at ABC Christmas Challenge! Wow. It's upon us, y'all. Yikes!

This theme is "T is for Two" and we gave a fabulous sponsor for this challenge, as well.

Sweet Stamp Store

Prize - a $10.00 Gift Certificate for Sweet Stamp Store

SweetStamps.com manufactures artistic rubber stamps on cling cushion for use with acrylic blocks. We carry a variety of stamping and paper crafting goodies like our own Shades dye inks, metal embossing plates, embossing folders, cutting & embossing dies (Our very own SweetCuts Dies, Cheery Lynn, Marianne, Joy! and Nellie's), fine detail embossing powders, specialty cardstock and vellum along with supplies for parchment crafting. 

  ....................................................

                                         

I used my Lawn Fawn "Baah Humbug" stamp set to make this sweet little card: 

I stamped the sheep amd elements then colored them with Copic markers before using my Silhouette PixScan mat to cut them out. I haven't sprung for the dies yet. It's SO hard to be a thrifty crafter! (Insert sad face here. ..... hee hee!).

They are layered over an accent panel layered with white cardstock that has been die cut using Stitched Snow Drifts dies from MFT and paper from Let's Bokeh in the Snow paper pad by Lawn Fawn. The entire panel was die cut using Blueprints 27. 

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit and please hop on over to join the fun at the ABC Christmas Challenge! 

God Bless,

Mandy

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Christmas Card Challenges #42 - Anything Goes

Hello!

I'm popping in to share my card for the latest Christmas Card Challenge. This week is "Anything Goes".

I used my Lawn Fawn Toboggan Together stamp set and MFT Stitched Square Frames to make this little CAS card. I colored the images with Copic markers and inked the bacground with sponges and dye ink. 

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit! :) 

God Bless,

Mandy

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FALL 2016 - Coffee Loving Cardmakers Blog Hop

Hello!

I'm back with another card to share -- ONE day later! That's a record for me lately. I'm struggling to get crafty time and/or bloggy time these days. It's chapping me raw just a little bit, if I'm being perfectly honest. Which I try be. :D

I made one card tonight. Nothing to be ashamed of, I know. But, as the afternoon began I had high hopes of a crafty marathon! I saw no reason for me not to have one. But, did I get to??? NOoooooo. If it wasn't one thing it was another. The Hubs came home, it was supper time, and The Sultan wanted us to sit outside while he played. Now, I've even got one of the kitty cats (who, lets face it, rule the house) really upset that I'm typing and not cuddling with him! I have to stop and give him a little love to keep him from flipping out on me. Ha!

SO! I made a card for the Fall Coffee Loving Cardmakers Blog Hop. I missed the last one due to our move and now I'm settled in my crafty space and ready to play along. 8-)

I used my MFT Hug In a Mug stamp and die set and CTMH (retired) Pathfinding paper kit. (A precious jewel I've been hoarding for at least 2 years. Probably more.) The rays behind the coffee mug (We ALL feel like that in the morning when we see that first cup!) were made using the Tim Holtz Rays stencil and Fossilized Amber Distress Inks. 

I actually made a little background with this photo. I can't decide if it's too distracting or not! I do like it - but, the jury is still out. (I love when I see other's "staged" photos, but I can never pull off one I like. A photographer I am not.)

I used a sketch and color challenge to get me focused with this one. (It had been a crazy, hectic morning...)

Freshly Made Sketches and Colour Q:

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit! :) Please come back again soon! 

God Bless,

Mandy

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MFT Card Design Superstar 2016

Hello!

I'm popping in on this lovely evening (feels like a Friday to us with The Piglets out of school tomorrow) to share a couple of last minute cards! I wanted to play along with the SuperStar contest that MFT is hosting and waited til last minute to finish my last two. I'm not surprising myself at all here. And, after a day of suffering and dragging with a migraine, I was glad I did. It MADE me come into my crafty space and play. And that was the best medicine ever.

Here they are:

(I used all MFT supplies.)

I used Blueprints 25 as a stencil to ink the "rainbow" background on Kraft cardstock. Love how this turned out! I added a penguin from Penguins in Paradise and sentiment from the Rainbow of Happiness stamp and die set. The star is cut using the MFT Plaids paper pack and Tag Builders 4. I trimmed the main panel with Blueprints 13. 

I combined Happy Hedgehogs and Harvest Mouse elements for this one. The sentiment is from Penguins in Paradise. I used the Stitched Rectangle windows die and Zig pens with watercolor paper to create the background. The top panel is sponged with Distress Ink in Broken China. 

Phew. That's all for me now! What a race. LOL. Thanks SO much for stopping by to visit! 

Hugs and God Bless,

Mandy

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Your Love Will Keep Me Warm

Hello!

I'm popping in this afternoon between household chores and projects to share a card I made this past weekend.  I'm beginning a project I've been dying to do since we moved in. Staining the back stairs leading in from the garage (almost finished!) and painting the risers and handrails a nice glossy, warm white. I will also repaint the door and trim to freshen it up and make sure it's the same white. Have you ever taken a peek at all the whites available at the paint store? WOW. I was never so confused. I had to take a look at a brochure about the warms and cools and what I was painting etc, etc, to figure out which color to pick. Speaking from experience, spending time painting only to decide the color doesn't work is not fun. Ask me how I know. :D

On to the fun part! My card. And since I'm waning in the crafty mojo department, this feels like an accomplisment - to actually finish a card and share it. I don't have a shortage of ideas for new cards, but I just haven't had much/any crafty energy lately. I seem to bounce around between my hobbies and when I'm all into one, the others are neglected. Apparently, I have something of a one track mind? You learn something every day. Even if it's about yourself, you can learn something at the ripe old age of smech-blach. And, that's all I'm going to say about that.

This is one I had in mind to make for this years MFT Card Design Superstar contest. And what a contest! I've already seen so many fabulous entries! It's quite intimidating. I can't wait to have some time to sit down and go through them more closely and share some "love". :)

I made a little couple out of my dies from the LLD Hug in a Mug stamp and die set. I added googly eyes and hand-drawn eyelashes on the lady mug. She got a pink peppermint and Mr. Mug got a piece of chocolate. They are both little shakers using the heart that comes with the set. I used white pigment ink and the Typewriter Text background stamp on Kraft cardstock before adding the elements and stamping the heart and sentiment (all from the same set). I thought it would be fun to do something different with these dies. I've used them a ton since I got - as this is one of my very favorite sets. :D Just a little cutesy, fun change. :) 

I'm also playing along with the current Cut It Up challenge - Name Game. You are to add an element to your project based on the first letter of your name. So "M" from Mandy --> mugs. 

Ok - that's all for me now. I've got one of the little vultures circling about wanting the laptop. (Eye roll). How would they live without their electronics??? Oh the travesty that would be! Gee whiz. 

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit. Please come back soon! I hope to whip out a few more cards for which I have ideas. That requires two things though: execution and blogging about it! haha. 

God bless,
Mandy

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