Christmas Card Share

Hello!

I'm wanting to share a fun and easy little set of Christmas cards I made - great for mailing as one-layer, and simple enough for mass-producing. I made four to create a little set, but could easily do several more. (If I didn't want to move on to something else already! Whaaattt? Who me?!)

These are using PaperTrey Ink Dies and stamps:

 

I used the Christmas Wet Paint dies to die cut part of the sentiment (using My Mind's Eye patterned paper) and then stamped the rest using the matching stamp set. The designs are each from the Autumn Pattern Pieces stamp. I kept the colors simple and added a little matching bling on each one with enamel dots. By keeping the design the same on each card, it really was quick work!

 

I'm playing along with a couple of challenges, Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge "Bling It On" and 4 Crafty Chicks "One Layer Card" challenge.

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit!

God Bless,
Mandy Pin It

WCMD Winner Post! =)

I'm popping in to share the winner of the WCMD Blog Hop Giveaway! I'm afraid if I don't do it now, I'll let it slip over the weekend! Yipes!

Our winner is:

joy      December 4, 2014 at 6:51 PM

Congrats to you! This is a fabulous one layer card - love the sentiment and those hearts.

 

 

Congratulations Joy! :)  Please contact me at mmaj98(at)att(dot)net to give me your shipping info and I will get your prize sent out! :)

 

Hope you all have a great weekend! I hope to be back soon sharing a card. Much to my dismay, I've had a hard time squeezing in crafty time this week. Booooo!

 

God Bless,

Mandy

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Hello!

I'm STOKED to be up on the Paper Smooches Blog again today as the December Guest Designer. BIG thanks to Ms. Kim Hughes for this honor!

I wanted to show you one of the cards I made for this week using some of the new December releases:

For this card, I used the Fancy Frames stamp set to stamp the frame. I masked off the edges and stamped the back end of the turtle from Party Posse and then colored him (with mask still in place - This is important!) I stamped the sentiments, masking to create the second line "all of you".

Fun fact: The "comma" is a masked off portion of a smile from December's Incognito stamp set. (I was desperate.) 8-) Nerd smiley.

 

I still have another card over on the Paper Smooches Blog! Please hop on over and check it out! And don't forget to check out the new releases over at the Paper Smooches shop!

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit!

God Bless,
Mandy Pin It

Merry Christmas Wreath and a couple of challenges

Hello!

I'm popping in to share a card I made while waiting for some pies to finish baking in the oven. They are for the Meals On Wheels delivery tomorrow at our church and I didn't have enough ingredients to make US one, so we are being tortured by the smell tonight! They are Chess, too. Egads. Mine and Big Daddy's favorite. I almost always make him one if I make one for someone else. Oops. And to top it off, the poor thing, I ate his last ice cream cone today! He was not happy when he went to get it tonight and I was all "Oh. I'm sorry. I meant to tell you about that....."   Giggle. I did feel kinda bad.  .......   Just kinda.

I have a card inspired by the Curtain Call: Clearly Christmas Challenge and Cas(e) This Sketch.


Here is the inspiration photo and the sketch:



I had to use this Rustic Wreath stamp from PTI. I've figured out that I am a sucker for wreath stamps. I have two Christmas ones right now in my stash. I've had to stop myself from buying another one that I like and I've had another that I've sold somewhat recently.

I used the sentiment and bow from Avery Elle's Winter Wreath stamp set. (See I'm telling on myself anyway by using both on one card. Insert red-face here.) The bow and the wreath are both gold embossed and I used watercolors to fill in some of the leaves. The sentiment is clear embossed over black. I stitched down this panel onto a Hawaiian Shores cardstock base and then added sequins.

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit!

God Bless,
Mandy Pin It

Challenge Time and some Merry Wishes!

Hello!

I hope everyone had a great weekend and are feeling festive and full of cheer! We are getting there. I've been playing around with Christmas cards, for fun, when I get the chance. I have BARELY got a start on our family cards. EEKS! I need to focus on that, but do I??? Nooooooo!

I'm sharing a card I made this past week playing with the Simon Says Stamp Candy Cane stamp from the "Limited Edition" Christmas set I ordered (on a whim! Total impulse buy). It's been fun because it's probably not something I would have normally bought and that's why I like to indulge in an impulse buy every now and then. Typically my orders are so "overthought" I get on my own nerves before I ever push "SUBMIT" on that credit card charge! Yikes.

This card is inspired by the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches and Code Word: Dots at Addicted to CAS.

 

I used the Candy Cane stamp set and some of the extra goodies in the kit, like the peppermint candy stickers, acetate, and micro beads to make my first ever shaker card! Now I know what all the fuss is about! I'm addicted and wanting to make more, more, more!

 

 

 

I stamped the pieces of candies in various colors, masking at times and spreading them out in the center because I knew I wanted them to extend past my shaker panel. I'm pretty sure I robbed that dot off another stamp set as "filler" but  now I couldn't tell you which one. (I've slept since then!) I then cut that frame using my Silhouette. I cut a cardstock strip in the same color and white embossed the sentiment using my PTI O'Tannenbaum set. I wanted something smaller as my original idea was to extend a banner across the front of my shaker. I couldn't get happy with it - it covered up too much of my cute little candies. This is all matted on a piece of Bazzil cardstock, in Sour Apple, I believe.

 

It was SO much fun to make!

 

I am also playing along with Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday challenge of Christmas/Holidays and  Just Us Girls "Sparkle" challenge. How's that for efficiency?! I love it.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit! 

 

God Bless,

Mandy

 

 

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The Card Concept & Paper Smooches

Hello!

I'm popping in tonight after a busy day, to share a fun little tag I made yesterday during crafty time. My intention was to have most of the day (if not all) solely in my craft room to "play" and create, and, alas, I didn't make it. I know at one point, I got distracted and began tidying up in my room. Gasp! But it needed it. The clutter was stifling my creativity! (I hope that was all that was stifling.) And, then I found a bunch of my PaperCrafts Special Issues that had slipped under my desk and that made me sad and that was a distraction. It wasn't in the cards for me! (No pun intended.)

I did manage to eek out this tag.  I'm partial to snowmen so I wanted to play along with The Card Concept's Snowman Tag challenge using my new-to-me Paper Smooches "Freezy Fellas" stamp -- and I decided that was perfect for SPARKS Anything Goes.

 



I used PTI's Tag Die #3 to cut a white tag and a red tag with the inside of the red tag trimmed and removed by using a kraft knife. I stamped and colored everything before embossing the sentiment and adhering the red frame. It was quick and easy enough, I'd really like to make a few more. 8-) I'll just add it to my growing list of Christmas projects. Ugh. (Too many ideas, too little time!)

For the Card Concept, I consider this a "Clean and Layered" tag.

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit!

God Bless,
Mandy Pin It

2014 World Card Making Day Winners Blog Hop & Giveaway

Welcome to the 2014 World Card Making Day Winners Blog Hop!

I am SOOOO excited to be a part of this hop along with these talented crafters who share my passion for our addictive hobby. :)  I have really enjoyed getting to chat with them during the past few weeks as we've made our plans and discussed other specifics of the contest. I can't wait to check out their blogs and see their handiwork myself!

If you are following along in order, you should have arrived here from the inspiring blog of Maureen Wong.

Now.... on to the reveal -- the curtain please.......!

I am honored to share my winning card in the Love category. This card was my favorite of all my submissions and I was *ecstatic* when I got the email that it had actually won!

 

Fun fact: This card is only one layer!

(A special shout-out and thanks to Holly for the photo!) :)

 

I first sponged ink onto my card base using my Tim Holtz "Rays" stencil. I used Sunny Yellow, Honey, Sunflower, and Goldrush inks. Starting with the lightest and working to darkest. I then created my sentiment on my Silhouette program using Cheddar Jack font and printed it over the stenciled sun rays. Last, I took the tiny heart from my Lawn Fawn "Float My Boat" stamp set and stamped the hearts using Tulip ink that had first been dabbed off a little with a sponge. That's all I did! I had to restrain myself from doing something else to it, but it seemed "finished". :)     (All inks were Close to my Heart products.)

 

BIG thanks and WARM, crafty HUGS to the PC&S team for all they've done, for supporting this hop and for hosting the contest! I wouldn't be the crafter I am today without this magazine and it's inspiration to me, both as a subscriber and as a contributor. I will miss it so. (And the editorial team who were such a bright spot - they made the publishing world fun - not scary at all!) :)

 

 

To celebrate the hop, I am offering a fun little giveaway for followers of my blog. To be eligible for the prize, become a follower and leave me a comment below. If you are already a follower, simply leave me a comment. I'll put together a little package of goodies for a randomly drawn winner on December 10th.  (Deadline for eligibility is by 5pm CST time on the 10th.)

 

Next up on the hop is the talented Heather Hoffman. I do hope you will visit everyone's blogs and share some love. For your reference, a linked list of all participating crafters is provided below.

 

Thanks SO much for stopping by to visit and sharing the excitement with us!

1.      Jamie Greene

2.      Simone Naoum 

3.      Kristie Larsen

4.      Donna Bowman

5.      Maureen Wong

6.      Mandy LaCroix

7.      Heather Hoffman

8.      Piali Biswas

9.      Christa Laszczkowski

10.  Jacquie Southas

11.  Wendi Lau

12.  Tosha DelJanovan

13.  Isha Gupta

14.  Jill Dewey Hawkins

15.   Virginia Lu

God Bless,
Mandy Pin It