Freshly Made #112 and Merry Monday inspiration

I have finally broke the seal and started cranking out Christmas cards. Most of them will be used as gifts to family, since I still send out Christmas cards with The Piglet's photos on them. But I continue to make them because I really like doing it.

So, I paired this week's Freshly Made Sketch with Merry Monday (stripes, chocolate, red and a heart/star).



Here is my card using both inspiration pieces:

 

I used an embossing folder to add the stripes on my Kraft cardstock. The pinecones are stamped and trimmed from my PTI Peaceful Pinecones stamp set. The sentiment is from CTMH Scandinavian Wishes set. I added some washi tape from the CTMH Sparkle & Shine collection. That's been sitting out on my desk staring at me - daring me to use it after I just HAD to buy it! I'm terrible! But I love the colors and sense these will be good ones year-round. I really needed  some red washi. That was serious business.

 

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CASual Fridays #120 and Curtain Call Christmas Combo

 Ooooh. I liked this combo challenge. Curtain Call AND CAS-ual Fridays! I was ready to ink up my stamps as soon as I checked this one out. Normally, I have to dwell on it for days, procrastinate making it for days, then make it, then procrastinate posting it for another couple of days. Then it's over for me. I decide I don't have time to link up and I stick the card in a pile off to the side. What fun!

Here is the inspiration photo:

(I'm a sucker for the rustic these days. I had a panic attack today when I realized I was running low on "wood" paper.)

Here is my inspired piece:

 

 

I loved how this one turned out. You can't see them very well in the photo, but I lightly stamped snowflakes around the accent panel using a pigment gray ink. I then embossed the panel using my Linen and Canvas Impression Plate (PTI). It gave it a very subtle texture and it seemed perfect for my rustic feel. The tree, snowflakes, and girl image are all from WPlus9 Iconic Christmas set. The sentiment is from Hero Arts Very Merry Christmas set.

 

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Merry Monday #83 and Scandanavian Wishes

 I took the "day off" today! No errands or house cleaning or other work while the kids were in school! I needed it - badly. After a few easy tasks to get me going, I bounced into my room and quickly decided to make a set of Christmas cards for a friend's birthday today. I was also on a mission to use up some paper I had been hoarding for a few months. (Let's just leave it at months - I'm sure we could simplify that fraction [Daughter is in 4th grade] and break this down into years, but that might hurt my feelings.)

With one of my cards I used the Merry Monday challenge to inspire me. And, actually, this was the first one I turned out (card #3) that I was happy with. So the inspiration worked! I was letting the paper, that I knew was "old" throw me. I kept telling myself it was crazy! If I saw it on the shelf at Michael's today, I would be in love with it and want to have it. But my mental faculties knew I'd had it forever and my creativity was stymied as a result. I finally got my groove on and was able to crank out remaining cards in "my style." Once the train was back on its tracks, the process went a lot smoother. I had to stop with only one card left to go. Figures! At least I didn't end as frustrated as I had begun.

 

Here is my card using my new CTMH Scandinavian Wishes stamp set and a small piece of that problematic paper. You will laugh when you see it. On this. The first card I made that I liked.

 

 

Annnnnd there you have it. The first card I thought turned out ok, barely has a strip of that paper on it. (Eye roll) I was bound and determined to use some of it up and I am happy to report, I did work a lot of it in on the remaining cards. I may get ambitious and post some of those later this weekend. Several of them turned out pretty cute. I still have ALOT of Mistletoe paper left though. It's like one of those really big salads at Logan's. The ones that seem to have lettuce that reproduces IN the bowl AS you are eating the stuff. Why doesn't that happen with chocolate chip cookies? Those manage to disappear quicker than I expect. All of a sudden I look down at my plate and then panic while I'm thinking (and chewing -- thank you) "Oh NO! How many did I eat???" Crumbs all falling out of my mouth as I try to think back and count on one hand (Hopefully only one). I just blame it on the kids when Big Daddy wants to know where they all went. Ha!!!

 

 

If anyone is still reading (Bless you child), the sentiment is one I snatched up from Hero Arts on a whim. I really liked how the larger, longer sentiment seemed to balance the larger image. I didn't want a teeny, tiny sentiment under that house. It would look like it's wobbling on the front of my card - about to tip over.  (Or maybe that's me projecting my feelings after eating all those cookies.)

 

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Fall bliss with Paper Players and Seize the Sketch

I'm loving all the fall colors and having fun making up several cards with all this warm-toned yumminess. I feel like I should be switcing to Christmas projects now (usually my favorite), but I'm not quite ready to accept that it's time!

Here are the fun colors over at Paper Players this week:

 

I paired this with the Seize the Sketch challenge (I always like their sketches. Fun to follow - not too fussy!)

 

 

Here is my card using all of these fun elements:

 

I used paper strips I trimmed from my Basic Grey Persimmon 6x6 paper pad. (Yummy for fall; but easily can be used for any occasion.) I stamped the mums from PTI's Mums the Word stamp set. Sadly, I had forgot about this stamp set (WHAAAAT?!) until I saw it used on a card somewhere else online. I think it got pushed to the back and behind some other stamps. I've decided that means I have way too much if I'm forgetting what I have only a few short months after purchasing it! I can't leave EVERYTHING remotely new out on my desktop, although it currently looks like I'm giving it a whirl. So - to sum up - the old adage "out of sight, out of mind" does apply.

 

I stamped the larger mum in CTMH Sunset ink, with the edges rolled in Chocolate ink. I stamped the smaller image in CTMH Sunflower ink and rolled the edges in Sunset ink. The stems and leaves are stamped in Chocolate. The sentiment is from the same stamp set.

 

I am also linking this up in Wednesday's Simon Says Stamp Thanks/Thanksgiving themed challenge.

 

Thanks for stopping by to visit!

 

 

 

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Happy Thanksgiving with Colour Q combo

The last couple of days I've been bound and determined to get back into my crafty space for some quality time. After a few frustrating days with an injured mojo, I've been ready to ink up my stamps and cut up some paper. It's nice to finally have it back and I plan to take full advantage.

I jumped on the Colour Q colors today after having a few ideas last night. (I like to drum up ideas when I'm trying to fall asleep.) The trick is to remember what I dreamed up once I actually make it to my desk.

I used CTMH colors of Barn Red, Sunset, Vineyard Berry, and Sunflower.

 

I used the current Runway Inspired Challenge - it helped me with my late-night planning stage. (NERD ALERT)

 

 

I lerve the stripes. (For a card -- I could NEVER pull off a dress like this. .... Horizontal stripes with these hips?! GASP)

 

 

I used the fun little bar stamp from my Live Love Life PTI set. I alternated my colors and the placement of the image on a smaller panel, trimmed it, and framed it with hand-drawn stitching once it was taped down. To stick with my Thanskgiving theme, I added a die-cut leaf rather than flowers. (If I were going to make this again for a birthday or get well, etc, I would use sweet little matching flowers.) I added a strip of vellum and my sentiment from CTMH's Perfect Fit-Thanksgiving stamp set -- one of my favorite new sets this season! I finished it all off with a twine bow from The Twinery. Voila! Easy Peasy. .... It doesn't look like I fooled with it all morning, does it?  And the episode of Castle I was watching had absolutely nothing to do with that. Really.

 

I am also entering my creation in this week's Simon Says Stamp challenge -- theme is Thanks/Thanksgiving.

 

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CAS(E) this Sketch! #52

I'm getting in the mood to get my Christmas card groove on! I have finally started a couple and now that's all I'd like to do! :) Once I get started with those, it's hard to stop.

I played around with some of my coveted 25th and Pine (Basic Grey) 6x6 paper and this week's   CAS(E) this Sketch challenge. I ordered that little paper pack a couple of months ago and have loved all the pieces. I think I won't have any trouble using this one up!


Here is the sketch:

 

And my card:

 

All of the patterned paper is from the pad I mentioned above, the stamps from PTI's Peaceful Pinecones (both the sentiment and images). I die-cut the banner using my folded banner die from Simon Says Stamp and hand-cut the pinecones since I didn't own my Cuttlebug when I bought that stamp set, so no die! Hmmm...that's something to add to my wishlist. That's good because there was nothing else on it and I need to find more stuff to buy. (That was complete and total sarcasm.)

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Colour Q #213

I have a quick post tonight for this week's Colour Q challenge. I had a typical Monday where I wanted to take care of every task I made for myself over the weekend! Some weekends I refuse to do a stitch of laundry, and many Sunday's I don't touch the dishes because we tend to eat out after church. But then Monday hits me like a ton of bricks. :) The place looks pretty O.O.C. by the beginning of the week and I pay for my "break".

So, with that in mind, I'm just now posting the card I made yesterday afternoon for Colour Q. But as long as I make it before the deadline, I consider that a major success for myself.

 

Here is my card using my new CTMH Charming Chevrons stamp set (LUV IT and can't wait to do more with it!)

 

 

 

 

I used PTI's Simply Chartreuse ink and CTMH's Gypsy ink in second generation. The chipboard alpha is a recent steal I made, American Crafts Dear Lizzy Lucky Charm collection. I tied some twine and added a few dots after matting my diagonal panel in Gray Core D'inations cardstock and called it a day.

 

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