Takin a Break from Christmas Cards...

Well, not really. I have a stack of 20 half completed ones on my stamp table right now, so they'll have to get posted on Monday. I made this card using the MFT sketch challenge for the past week. I can see myself going back to this one again as well because it was quite versatile. I went to my fall-back color combo of Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss and Chocolate Chip again, with some of my favorite paper from October Afternoon. Somehow I ended up with two sheets of this pattern, which is a good thing as I've already used up one of them. Going to keep this short because I want to get more done on my Christmas cards before I meet a friend for lunch. Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Owls and Bluebells (MFT)

Ink: Palette Burnt Umber, Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper: Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip, PTI Vintage Cream, October Afternoon DSP

Accessories: Paisley Cuttlebug folder, Wide Chocolate ribbon, Paper flowers, Top Note Die, 3/4 circle punch, Linen Thread, Autumn Leaves Buttons, Making Memories Brads, EK Success scallop punch

Christmas Card Parade...Day 2

Here's the next one that I made for Christmas card....made 4 of these as well. I think this one used a Jacksonbelle sketch from when I was on vacation. Missed getting it done then, but glad I got to use it now. I used a background stamp from Unity on the green layer. I don't use stamps to make backgrounds as much as I could (I think I may fix that with PTI's newest release of their Polka Dot Basics 2 background set.....I've seen enough cards made with it that I may sway that way) :) Went a bit overboard with the layers and sewing, as well as how many things I could do to that Santa Riley (flock, stickles for snowflakes, and LA for the snow pile on the bottom), but since I only made a few of these, it was OK :) Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Tea Time Pattern (Unity), Santa Riley (Hanna), Mega Mixed Messages (PTI)

Ink: Always Artichoke, Memento Tuxedo Black, Chocolate Chip

Paper: Scarlet Jewel, Mellow Moss, Always Artichoke, Rustic White, Basic Grey Wassail DSP

Accessories: Copics, Nesties, Sewing Machine, Swiss Dot Cuttlebug folder, Stickles, Doodlebug White Flock, Liquid Applique, PTI Buttons, Linen Thread, Scarlet Jewel Twill Tape

Christmas Card Parade....Day 1

It's July, which means I'm off cranking away at my Christmas cards to get them done before school starts. I cut down my list substantially this year as a majority of the cards I make get sent and postage is getting expensive. So instead of 90 cards like I made last year, there are 68 on my list this year. I've made 8 of them so far as I type this, and I'm hoping to get the next batch of 20 done by the end of the day tomorrow. With so many great sketches out there, it has been easy to come up with ideas for my holiday cards. This is the first one that I made.....only 4 of this guy because it would take forever to color 20+ owls, as well as the fact I don't have enough of the paper :) I used the My Favorite Things ambassador challenge for the month, which was to use 3 of something on my card, which I did with a star punch and buttons. I love how this one turned out, and I'm hoping the person at MFT who picks the winner of the challenge does too, because I'm pinching crafting pennies and it would be nice to win the stamp set at MFT that I have my eye on, rather than spend the $15 :) Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Christmas Owls (MFT)

Ink: Old Olive, Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper: Old Olive, Riding Hood Red, Chocolate Chip, October Afternoon Good Cheer DSP, PTI Vintage Cream

Accessories: Glassy Glaze, Spicas, Copics, Nesties, Star Punch, Earth Brads, Autumn Leaves Buttons, Linen Thread, Sizzix Texturz Plate, Liquid Applique

Wishing You Sunshine....

wherever you are! Hope you have a great summer day ahead of you with lots of great weather. My hubby didn't get this card at all because it talks about sunshine then has an umbrella on it. I told him it's not his card so don't worry about it :) I finally put my Scattered Showers set from PTI to use....it's been sitting there screaming for ink :) This was supposed to be for last week's Mojo Monday sketch, but once I sewed stuff down I realized I forgot a layer so it's just a nice card. I thought I was losing my crafty skillz after being off on vacation. I didn't like how this one turned out at all. Then I got a brain flash to add the linen thread around the umbrella handle and then put of my flower charms on it and it just made the card (at least for me...hope you like it too!). This also uses the Basic Grey Marrakech paper I've been hoarding since I got it because it's so pretty. It really helped to come up with a fun color combo...who woulda thought to use these 3 colors together...not me! Anyway, thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Scattered Showers (PTI)

Ink: Melon Berry, Versamark, Palette Burnt Umber

Paper: Spring Moss, Melon Berry, Pacific Point, BG Marrakech DSP, PTI White

Accessories: Nesties, Swiss Dot Embossing Folder, Sewing Machine, Pacific Point Ribbon, Linen Thread, Autumn Leaves Buttons, Charm, White EP

...And We're Back!

Betcha didn't even know that I was gone! Hooray for a working post timer. The hubby and I took an awesome trip to NYC to have a Broadway blitz....4 shows in 4 1/2 days! Gotta love the TKTS booth in Times Square! I have some pics to share, but they're currently stuck on my mom's camera (ours went kaput right before the trip), but I'll be fixing that situation this afternoon. But now that I'm back I have a lot of crafting to catch up on....so many good sketches this week! Here's the first one I got done for Limelight Papercrafts biweekly sketch challenge. I kinda overdid it with the shimmerz paint on the wings, but everything else turned out well. I {heart} this Cosmo Cricket paper. I think I need some more of it for Christmas presents (....once I get around to making them)....they make some great cards. It helped to have a great sketch because my mojo was somewhere in NYC when I started working on cards again....there is this one ladybug card I started that will never see the light of day...UGH! Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Enchanted Lily (PCS)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper: Crushed Curry, Riding Hood Red, Not Quite Navy, Kiwi Kiss, PTI Vintage Cream, Early Bird DSP (Cosmo Cricket)

Accessories: Nesties, Copics, Angel Wings Shimmerz Paint, Corduory Buttons, Linen Thread, Sewing Machine, Texturz Plate, Olive Twill Tape

Swap-O-Rama

I made this guy for my card swap group, No More Bad Swaps. It was a tough go getting him done because I put it off until the last minute (as usual), then the power went out for 24 hours because of the storm that knocked the branch onto the power line, then we had to deal with the aftermath of the storm. I hope he made it to his destination on time! I actually colored the little robot guy, who is from the SU set Lots of Bots (new in the catalog!) in the dark by candlelight. I have to say he turned out somewhat OK! I used watercolor crayons to color it in, which I have not used FOREVER. It was really hard not to grab for my Copic markers to get the job done. The layout is partially my own creation for which I am proud. Love those sketches, but it's nice to come up with something on your own :) The only "contraband"--non SU product--that snuck onto the card is the ribbon. I wanted to use wide black grosgrain, which is in the current catalog, but was not for sale when I made the swaps. So I took some Offray black stitched ribbon and pulled the stitches out to make it solid. Hopefully he meets the criteria of our group and does not qualify as a bad swap :) Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Lots of Bots (SU)

Ink: Stazon Black, Versamark

Paper: Real Red, Whisper White, Going Grey, Basic Grey, Basic Black

Accessories: Hodgepodge Hardware, Black Wide Grosgrain, Sizzix Texturz Plate, Watercolor Crayons, Clear EP

All Star

I probably should have posted this card last Friday because it was for the Bellariffic sketch challenge at Stamping Bella's blog last week. It didn't quite turn out the way I had planned, but I still like it nonetheless. This was another card I whipped out last Tuesday when I needed to stay distracted (for many reasons, least of which was the fact I had an upper GI scheduled for Wednesday morning and was quite nervous about it...no sweat, I'm going to be OK!), which is probably why it's missing some signature touches, like some sort of Cuttlebugged layer (that green in the back really could use it!. Anyway, I got this little guy last summer from Stamping Bella with the intent of making a birthday card for one of my nephews, and now I have one done with PLENTY of time to go (the little guy who's getting this one has a birthday right around Halloween). I was hoping to put the star so that the top and bottom poked out of the patterned paper layer, but I didn't have one big enough to do that, and it looked really dorky with the star cut in half (trust me, I tried). But I know that this will be 4 year old approved :) Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Stamping Bella

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper: Making Memories DSP, Kiwi Kiss, Pacific Point, Pure Poppy, PTI White, Pumpkin Pie, Basic Grey Cupcake DSP

Accessories: SU Chipboard Star, Pure Poppy Grosgrain, Making Memories Grosgrain, Nesties, Copics, EK Success Border Punch, Dew Drops