Season to Sparkle with Kindness and Joy

 Hello, I'm getting into the Christmas spirit! I'm happy to be here with a second card made just for the fun of playing in some new challenges. A new to me challenge, Christmas Craft Creations' theme is monochromatic cards. There were several entries that inspired me and a huge variety of color combos. 

I loved the idea of using pink and purples, so I searched my DSP files and found the retired paper from SU that forms the background panel for my card. 

The second challenge at 52 Christmas Countdown features one of my favorite techniques. Make a shaker card! My snowman image was stamped with Fig ink (Concord & 9th) onto white card stock and colored simply with Copic markers in rosy hues. A little ink blending around the snowman and a white snowy strip at the bottom help complete the scene. 

The new-to-me stamp and die are called Kindness and Joy from Penny Black. You can never have too many snow-people stamps, right? The sentiment is from a lovely PB set called Jolly Snippets that has some of the cutest sayings in small sizes and varied fonts.

Thanks so much for your visit today, I'm beginning to feel back in crafty rhythm again! 

Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

I'm adding this to the challenge at NBUS
Cut it Up Challenge Blog - Add a sentiment 
Penny Black Saturday Challenge

Joyful Christmas

How are you doing? This fall weather has given us a cool spell but the last few days of warm weather have been fabulous! 

 I've been in a stamping slump lately. I have 4 cards a month to make for DT gigs, and I make them very far ahead to avoid last minute stress. Doing it that way means I have a couple days of spurts for cards needed, and then a week or two or three goes by with no stamping. I'm not sure if I am losing my mojo or losing interest but I intend to kick myself into action with some challenges just for fun this week. 

Beginning with Just Us Girls where Nancy asks for a CAS card where we only use the center area of the card. She suggests that is easy and I agree, it was great to start with something simple. 

My hexagon dies (WPlus9) were inked with wood grain and I added a die cut border. Stamping a sentiment from SSS directly to the panel, I added a stamped image from Merry Sprigs (The Greetery) and layered three of the die cuts for extra dimension. Three simple pearls adorn the sentiment.

I will keep the stamping going and the blogging a bit short. Thanks for coming by to take a look. Your comments always boost my spirits and are so welcome!

Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

Other Challenges entered: 

Krafty Chicks any occasion 

October Rudolph Days 

Simon Says Anything Goes

Peace on Earth Christmas Challenge

Pure Sunshine

Hello again, it's the middle of the day and the middle of the week! It seems I just loved the challenge at The Paper Players for a CAS design so I'm here with take 2 for the challenge. 

I used Penny Black products and kept my coloring very simple with Copic markers. I was so inspired by the clean colors and black and white of the challenge prompt that I took my cues from that. 

I could almost say that I whipped this card up in between steps of cooking dinner, lol! It was a nice change to have it come together quickly with basic supplies.

Hoping you're having some sunshine today, if not outside, then in your thoughts. Thanks for coming by!

 Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

I'm also entering this at NBUS as the stamps are new and the Penny Black Saturday Challenge

Supplies from Penny Black: Cling Stamps Pure Sunshine, Transparent Stamps Only You, Immense YOU die

Autumn Thanks

 How about one more fall card? The Paper Players are asking for a clean and simple card with an autumn theme. I just happen to have one on hand, so I'm happy to share it today. 

My supplies are listed below.This is my second card using Yellow and Kraft, the great combo that we have going at Color Hues! I made this one quickly  -  forgetting that I had already made my card with these colors in August. I posted that one yesterday. Boy do I feel sheepish for my forgetfulness! I am usually very organized. Of course if you saw my stamp space, you would think otherwise! 

I will focus on the positive. I am colorful, creative and happy. Thankful to God for the day He has made. So glad you've come to visit!  Signing off....

Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

Supplies: The Greetery dies - Patchwork die and Jumbo Curiosity Bickeye Leaf die, and Curio Autumn Findings die

The sentiment is from Concord & 9th Leafy Layers Die

With Sympathy for Color Hues

 Greetings to you on this day! We have a new challenge at Color Hues where Hannelie has chosen Yellow and Kraft for our creations for the next two weeks. I needed a sympathy card,  deciding that these colors are soothing and just right for this season too. 

I began with a white card base, and added a kraft panel. Stampin' Up! provided the lovely stamped images, die cuts, and sentiment. I've had this set for a long time but this is my first time using it. Now I won't wait so long until next time! 

We hope you will join us and add your projects to our gallery. We can't wait to see what you will make! Thanks so much for your visit! 

Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

Smiles for The Flower Challenge

Welcome flower lovers! Our mid-month inspiration is up on The Flower Blog to inspire your card making in honor of our 7th birthday!

 

My card features gingham and floral prints from Honeybee Stamps. I've been holding off using them, as I wanted the luscious pattern and colors to shine. I applied strips of the floral over the gingham background, using flower dies and a sentiment from Penny Black for the focal point. Adding color to the leaves with watercolors and a damp brush, I also used Copic markers to add a bit of shading to the flower centers. I love the sense of movement these blooms give, and you will see them again! I wondered if the papers for the background made this too busy, but I went with it!

Please have a look at the DT inspiration and come play along! 

Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful! 

Floral Festivites

Hello there, how are my crafty friends on this chilly Monday? Monday is my catch up day and it's been a good day so far. Over the weekend I got some time to watercolor and I made my very first Christmas card for the year! 

I've invested in some Penny Black supplies that I can pull out and do a little watercoloring or dabbling with the card parts in spare moments. My first completion used the Floral Festivities stamp, inked on watercolor paper and colored in with Distress Ink re-inkers. My colors for pink and red ( Worn Lipstick and Fired Brick) came on a bit too strong, but I went with it anyway, fussy cutting the image. I used the circle dies to cut Concrd & 9th Grapefruit card stock, and a white circle that had been embossed with the PB folder called Variegated and colored with Distress ink to match the focal point. 

I'm just in time to enter this to play in these challenges:
NBUS as the stamps and EF are new
Penny Black Saturday Challenge and Freshly Made Sketches. 

Also: The Holly and the Ivy Christmas Challenge  this one is new to me, first time linking!) and Peace on Earth Christmas. 

Thanks so much for your visit today! I appreciate every one. 

Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 
               Make something beautiful!  

Beautiful Birthday for The Flower Challenge

 Hi there, thanks for coming to visit! 

Today my card is for The Flower Challenge, where for October, Anything Goes! We are also happily celebrating the 7th Birthday of the challenge where flowers are always the main feature. My flowers decorate a cake, that's a sweet mix!

I knew when I saw the Takes the Cake line from The Greetery that it would be used often for a variety of occasions and cards. I love that there are dies for the cakes, decorations, cake stand and flowers. The stamps sentiments and dies perfectly fit the banner. And the best - the dies cut out the entire floral design outline and there's a stencil for the flowers. I inked my flowers with Distress Inks in fall colors. A few pearls seemed just right. 

Please visit the blog to see what the design team has created to inspire you. Sadly, the challenge creators, Vivien and Aileen will be leaving. How we appreciate their years of inviting us to share creatively together!

See you soon, I will be creating over this weekend! Looking forward to having some time to play. 

 Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

 

October is Couch Time!

 Fall is a cozy time and it is extra nice enjoying some COUCH time!

Welcome to our new challenge at the Color Hues Card Challenge where I got to select the colors of Coral and Blue for our projects over the next two weeks. At the mention of couch time I surely had to bring out my Couch Potato stamps and dies (MFT) to create a warm scene. 

 Our daughter came for a visit and this sentiment came to mind after she'd returned home and I missed our couch conversations. 

There are so many decor elements included with this set. When it came out I bought some of them. all of them. I kept trying to fit the window behind the sofa but it's true in this case, less is more. I love how real the throw looks over the arm of the chair.

Can't wait to see what you will create for us this month! Please join in and give these colors a go, won't you? 

Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!