Cards in Envy: Framed with Circles

Hello and Happy Holidays to you!  This is the last Cards in Envy Challenge for 2017 with a "Framed with Circles" theme.  Create a card, any size, that features one or more circle frames and cards should be flat enough to fit comfortably in an envy.

I love making Christmas cards and I was running out of time, so I kept this one pretty simple so I could get it in the mail on time.  On a Neenah Solar White card base, I added a die cut Gina K. red cardstock stitched layer using MFT's Merry Christmas Centerpiece.  I colored a little Hero Arts' elf with Copics (just the top half) and cut off his legs so I could tuck him into the circle.  He's okay...see he's still smiling!  I smothered his hat and top with Wink of Stella and added some Hero Arts red/white twine to finish it off.

We hope you can find some crafting time and join us for this challenge.  It will close on Sunday, December 31st.  Thanks so much for stopping by ~ Merry Christmas!

Just a Few More...

Hi there!  Christmas shopping is done, everything is wrapped, and woo hoo...all the cards have been mailed that needed to be.  I still have quite a few to do for the assisted living facility but I'm happy dancin' in the craft room today and would like to link up cards for a few challenges:

Tic Tac Toe Challenge #28 - Middle Row Down: Holiday, Die Cut, Metallic 

I used Canson Watercolor paper for the card base and masked off the center with a mask that I first die cut with a Papertrey Ink rectangle die that has torn-like edges.  I inked it up with Distress Oxide Antique Linen, applied Biscotti Perfect Pearls, and splattered gold shimmer spray from Hero Arts.  I wanted the Elegant Deer die cut from Sizzix to be the star of the show in gold metallic cardstock from MFT.  The sentiment banner was die cut from an Avery Elle die, stamped with the Gina K. sentiment, and heat embossed with Ranger Gold EP. 

I used this week's Freshly Made Sketches Sketch #317 as a jumping off point for the next card.

 

I was able to use scraps of DSP from The Paper Studio and Hero Arts on this card plus an extra mitten I had inked up from Stampin' Up's Smitten Mitten set that was sitting on my desk.  I added a few punched mini snowflakes from white glitter cardstock and called it done!

The last card I did today was for a friend that has a very busy doxie.  I just love this sentiment from Rubbernecker Stamps:

I'll be linking this up over at the Live Love Cards gallery for their December "Stripes" Challenge.

Thanks so much for taking a break from the hustle and bustle and stopping by.  I hope you have a wonderful week!

Hugs,

Annie

'Tis the Season

Happy Friday!  The plan is to mail the Christmas cards today.  Later than I would like but hopefully still in time!  I just have a couple left to do and this took care of one of them. 

A simple CAS card for the latest CASology Challenge:

I used three different shades of gray ink: Catherine Pooler's Black Jack (a wonderful dark gray), Lawn Fawn's Hippo, and SSS Fog for the fun layering on Sunny Studio's bell as part of the Holiday Style stamp set.  The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink's Think Big Favorites #8 stamp set...I just love the font on those sentiments.  I had to add a pop of red with a little bow and Wink of Stella on the bell to finish it off.  IRL it's very sparkly and makes me happy!

Thanks for stopping by!

New Baby Girl!

Finally!  My niece gave birth last week to their first child - a sweet baby girl named Kaleigh.  And...I'm a Great Aunt for the first time!  I made a card for the happy parents and would like to link up to the following challenges:

Freshly Made Sketches #316 

Tic-Tac-Toe #27 (pastel, patterned paper, open)

Thanks for stopping by!  Now I need to get back to finishing my Christmas cards!  The products I used for this card are listed below:

Cardstock:  MFT
DSP: Lawn Fawn Perfectly Plaid; MFT Lucky Prints
Stamps: MFT Welcome Baby
Stencil: MFT Small Cloud
Dies: MFT Stitched Rectangles; MFT Bundle of Baby Clothes
Ink: Catherine Pooler It's a Girl; Distress Ink in Tumbled Glass
Other: Wink of Stella, Recollections paper flower, The Twinery pink/white bakers twine

The Paper Players #374: Claire's Color Challenge

Hello Paper Players!  Welcome to the last challenge of 2017, but don't worry...we'll be back, all recovered from the holidays on January 7th.  Our Creative Claire is hosting a merry and bright Color Challenge this week to finish up the year:

Aren't those colors fun?  I'll admit that usually color challenges are not the easiest for me.  This time, I looked at these colors and saw a multi-colored pack of Starburst candy canes! 

I used Catherine Pooler's Peppermint Stick background stamp and inked up backgrounds in the 4 different colors.  I then die cut the 4 square frame from The Stamps of Life out of Whisper White cardstock and also die cut the 4 different inked backgrounds so I could inlay one of each color into the frame.  The best part was I ended up with 4 different peppermint stick frames for 4 more cards!  I added the Gina K. stitched ovals with the Avery Elle Sweet Tidings sentiment stamp, heat embossed with Ranger White Detail embossing powder.  The candy canes (Catherine Pooler) were inked up in SU Melon Mambo, die cut, and a little greenery and white cotton bow finished them off.  The card base is Stampin Up's Melon Mambo cardstock.  I'm a classic candy cane lover but I like how this card turned out :)

Don't forget to check out the other Designers' blogs for colorful inspiration:

The Paper Players Design Team

• Claire
• Joanne 
• Jaydee
• Laurie
• LeAnne
• Nance
• Sandy
• Deanne
• Jan

And just a few rules:

1. Create a new paper project.
2. Upload your project to your blog with a link back to The Paper Players.
3. Provide a direct link to your blog post for your challenge entry.
4. Please link your card to no more than FOUR challenges (including ours).
5. HAVE FUN! 

Thank you for playing along and I hope you have the merriest Christmas and the happiest New Year!  See you next year ~ Hugs, Annie 

Cards in Envy: Jingle All The Way!

Welcome back, CIE fans for another fun challenge!  In our first challenge for December over at Cards in Envy, we are looking for cards that feature at least one bell and will fit comfortably in an envy for mailing.  

For my Christmas card, I used Gina K. cardstock, Catherine Pooler's stamps and inks, and a beautiful bell die from Impression Obsession.  The stitched rectangle is from MFT and the stitched oval from Gina K.

We hope you'll find time to jingle and play along with us!  The challenge will close on Sunday, December 17th.  Thanks for visiting!

The Paper Players #373: Laurie's Theme Challenge

Happy Holidays!  Our talented Laurie has come up with a YUMMY theme challenge over at The Paper Players this week and it's Christmas Baking!

Making this card is about all the baking I've gotten done so far!  I have decorated the entire house (including Christmas collars on the fur kids) and I am looking forward to some tasty time in the kitchen!

And, according to my Avery Elle "Sweet Tidings" stamp set, Christmas calories don't count...right?  The adorable DSP and die cuts are from Doodlebug Designs' Milk & Cookies on a Neenah Desert Storm card base.  A happy cookie is a good cookie!

We sure hope you can bake something up in your craft room this week and play along.  For some great inspiration, please check out the rest of the DT's blogs and bring your sweet tooth!

 The Paper Players Design Team

• Claire
• Joanne 
• Jaydee
• Laurie
• LeAnne
• Nance
• Sandy
• Deanne
• Jan

And just a few rules:

1. Create a new paper project.
2. Upload your project to your blog with a link back to The Paper Players.
3. Provide a direct link to your blog post for your challenge entry.
4. Please link your card to no more than FOUR challenges (including ours).
5. HAVE FUN! 

Thanks so much for stopping by today and have a wonderful week!

The Paper Players #372: A Sketch from Joanne

Welcome back!  For those of you that celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope it was a wonderful time with family and friends.  Now, as we head full speed into the Christmas holidays, we hope you'll have time to play along with Joanne's fantastic sketch this week:

It's a little hard to see in the photo, but I used Ellen Hutson's Stitches Coverplate for the steel gray layer.  I added a strip of plaid that I had inked up with Concord & 9th's plaid background stamp in Catherine Pooler's Rockin' Red and Black Jack ink.  The "Smitten Mitten" from Stampin' Up was also inked with Rockin' Red and a few stitched snowflakes from Lawn Fawn were die cut for embellishments.  I added a red/white polka dot ribbon scrap around the plaid panel and tied it off with some sparkly Eyelash Twine before attaching to the card and popping up the mitten.  I love that sentiment as part of the mitten stamp! 

I hope you'll check out the other DT members and leave them some love: 

The Paper Players Design Team

• Claire
• Joanne 
• Jaydee
• Laurie
• LeAnne
• Nance
• Sandy
• Deanne
• Jan

And just a few rules:

1. Create a new paper project.
2. Upload your project to your blog with a link back to The Paper Players.
3. Provide a direct link to your blog post for your challenge entry.
4. Please link your card to no more than FOUR challenges (including ours).
5. HAVE FUN! 

Thanks so much for stopping by and being a Paper Players fan!  We can't wait to see what you create with this versatile sketch.  Have a great week ~ Hugs, Annie

Cards in Envy: It's Only Paper

Welcome back CIE friends!  Cards in Envy is kicking off another challenge today called "It's Only Paper."  We are looking for cards with NO stamping, and NO embellishments unless they are made from paper.

I know what you're thinking!  I was thinking the same thing...eek! No stamping!  Oh no!  But, once I started going through my paper stash, there was definitely light at the end of the tunnel.  I have a few 12 x 12 paper pads.  Not many because I've given most of them away, but I did keep two with Christmas themes.  Lo and behold, there were plenty of sentiments I could use to avoid stamping.  It was actually fun to take a piece of scrapbook paper and see what I could come up with!

All of the elements came from one 12 x 12 piece of paper (Heidi Swapp "Believe"), cut down, and laid out on a piece of Bazzill "Wax Lips" cardstock for the card base.  The embellishments are Candi dots which are made from paper. 

I also made another one out of one 8-1/2 x 11 piece of DSP from Paper Studio's "I Believe in Santa" paper pack.  I added small snowflakes punched out of glossy photo paper using a Paper Studio paper punch.  The image was on the bottom border of the DSP.

We hope you'll dig through your paper stash and play along!  Thanks for stopping by and have a Happy Thanksgiving later this week!  

The Paper Players #371: CAS from Sandy

Hi there!  First of all, the entries for Nance's White-on-White Color Challenge were absolutely gorgeous!  Thanks to everyone who shared their stunning cards!

And now, it's time for another fantastic challenge hosted by Super Sandy:

It's a Clean & Simple Challenge this time around with a Warm & Cozy theme.  Perfect for this time of year!

This Winter Fox from Lawn Fawn is looking pretty cozy with his warm cup of hot cocoa. Especially with the Snowflake Backdrop from Wplus9.  I colored the little fox with Copics, added some shimmer to his scarf and a little white heart to his cup.  I had fun with this one, so I made a second one in different colors!

With all the hustle and bustle this week, we hope you'll find some time to play along.  To get warmed up, check out the fun cards on the DT's blogs:

The Paper Players Design Team

• Claire
• Joanne 
• Jaydee
• Laurie
• LeAnne
• Nance
• Sandy
• Deanne
• Jan

And just a few rules:

1. Create a new paper project.
2. Upload your project to your blog with a link back to The Paper Players.
3. Provide a direct link to your blog post for your challenge entry.
4. Please link your card to no more than FOUR challenges (including ours).
5. HAVE FUN! 

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope, if it's Thanksgiving where you are, that you have a wonderful holiday with family and friends that is very warm & cozy!  Hugs!

The Leaf Blower Quit Working...

Yep, it did so what's a girl to do?  Make cards, of course!  Here's three cards I put together for a few challenges.  I'll keep the post short, I promise!

First up, it's a one layer card for the Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge (Middle row down):

Lots of heat embossing on this one using 4 different types of EP.  I thought the slate gray cardstock would be "elegant."

The next card was to play along over at the Paper Craft Crew.  I just loved the sketch this week:

I was happy to ink up one of my new stamp sets from Stampin' Up called Smitten Mittens.  I AM smitten!

The last card is for CASology's latest cue:

Sharp antlers are everywhere around my neighborhood right now.  It's "Rut" season and all those handsome bucks are looking for girlfriends.  The way it's going I think there will be a LOT of fawns around here in the spring!

Thanks so much for visiting and I hope you're having a terrific weekend!  

Thinking of You at Christmas

Happy Friday!  I have a card this morning for a couple of challenges:

Freshly Made Sketches #313

The Card Concept #82 {Retro Holiday}

I want that wreath in the photo!!  So fun!  I was inspired by the ornaments and the colors.

Here's the products I used:

   Cardstock - Neenah Solar White, Bazzill Cotton Candy

   Stamps - Catherine Pooler (ornaments), Concord & 9th (sentiment)

   Inks - Catherine Pooler (It's a Girl, Party Dress, Aquatini, Black Jack

   Dies - Mama Elephant Scalloped Rectangle, Memory Box (ornament topper)

   Other - Fine silver metallic thread, silver Prismacolor pencil, Wink of Stella

I'm getting close to finishing up my Christmas cards - that makes me happy!  I hope you have a wonderful weekend.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Love and Joy

Hi there!  Our football team is off today so I went to play in the Dog House aka My Happy Place.  I came upon a challenge I had never played before from the Paper Craft Crew and thought I'd give it a whirl!  

I needed a masculine Christmas card for a very dear friend.  He's definitely a minimalist so I thought the first row down would work well - Holiday Celebrations, Natural Elements, and Favorite Stamp Set:

On a Kraft card base, I layered a brick embossed (Tim Holtz) stitched rectangle that I had swiped with Simon Say's Barely Beige and MFT's Kraft ink pads.  The tree die cut (Concord & 9th) was from a piece of handmade paper from Mexico that is made with natural wood fibers.  I've hoarded it forever...but it didn't hurt too much when I cut it!  I die cut a burlap star to top the tree.  Lastly, I stamped the sentiment in Catherine Pooler's brown ink called Icing on the Cake.  The handwritten Christmas sentiment stamp set is one of my all time faves this season.

I hope this fits the bill for the challenge :)  Thanks so much for visiting and I hope you have a fantastic week!

The Paper Players #370: A Color Challenge from Nance

It's Sunday and time for another fun challenge from The Paper Players.  This is our Color Challenge week and the awesome Nance has come up with something a bit different - white on white!

Isn't that a gorgeous picture!  If I'm honest, I'll have to tell you that when I'm asked to do a white-on-white card, I freeze up a little.  Don't get me wrong, I think white cards are absolutely stunning and I'm sure yours will be!  

I went with another Christmas card because it's Christmas in the craft room - on the floor, on the desk, on the fur kids...just about everywhere!

First, I added some score lines to the white card base for some interest and then stared at it for awhile.  Actually quite a while.  I decided to go with die cuts and pulled out Sizzix' Delicate Wings bird and the PEACE die from Ellen Hutson.  I die cut the beautiful bird out of white glitter cardstock and die cut PEACE three times, stacking them up.  I thought the bird needed a little somethin' so I used various leaf punches, silver metallic thread, pearls, and silver confetti to make a little bouquet tucked in it's beak.

We can't wait to see your white-on-white creations.  The design team has some wonderfully white inspiration for you so make sure you stop by:

The Paper Players Design Team

• Claire
• Joanne 
• Jaydee
• Laurie
• LeAnne
• Nance
• Sandy
• Deanne
• Jan

And just a few rules:

1. Create a new paper project.
2. Upload your project to your blog with a link back to The Paper Players.
3. Provide a direct link to your blog post for your challenge entry.
4. Please link your card to no more than FOUR challenges (including ours).
5. HAVE FUN! 

Thanks for visiting - Have a great week!

Merry & Bright

Happy Friday!  I had time this morning to make a couple of cards.  I knew tomorrow was not going to work because the Community Center is having their Christmas Bazaar and I can't pass up looking at all the crafty items!

The first card is for the cue over at CASology:

Sorry pic is a little dark - it really is a white card base!  I'd been wanting to use the Scripty Holiday sentiments from Gina K.  I thought it would look good as a "tiny" string of lights, so I stamped the sentiment in green.  I found a tiny little Christmas light on another Gina K. set called Ian Moose.  I stamped the lights in Antique Linen Distress Ink so I would not have any dark lines.  Then I colored the lights with various sparkly Wink of Stella pens and covered them with Glossy Accents.  

The second card is a fun Thanksgiving card for my DGS.  I'd like to enter this one in the following challenges:

Freshly Made Sketches #312

Shopping Our Stash # 328 - Autumn Color Palette

I thought the gorgeous plaid DSP from Lawn Fawn had all the colors I needed.  I trimmed it with dark brown cardstock to match the heat embossed sentiment.  The stitched turkey (Impression Obsession) is on an action "wobble" to go with the "gobble."  I hope my grandson doesn't notice that I forgot the drumsticks legs. LOL!

Anyway, thanks for visiting.  I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

In All Things Give Thanks

Hi there!  A card today for a few challenges with Thanksgiving in mind. 

I'd like to link this up to:

Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge (Top row across - Sentiment, Fall Colors, & Twine))

Words 2 Craft  By #47:  Abundance

Fusion: Grateful (Inspired by the wreath in the photo)

I love this digi wreath image and sentiment from Power Poppy.  I colored all those tiny berries and leaves with Prismacolor pencils, adding some Nuvo Golden Sunset drops randomly on some of the berries for a little sparkle.  The cardstock is Neenah Desert Sand and the twine is one of my absolute faves from May Arts.  

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you have a wonderful weekend!