Blessed Gift

Sometimes you see stamps that you envision using to make the exact card featured on the packaging (well almost!)  These images of a snowy village and a beautiful sentiment warmed my heart so much I knew they were for me. Bought them. I didn't know it would take me so long to ink them up! Today is the day.

Why today? Jaydee's challenge at The Paper Players is a theme: Gifting. I've loved the sentiment from Penny Black stamps Peace and Love, referring to the gift of Christ at Christmas. I paired it with the village scene from the Sleigh Ride stamps, and painted the buildings with Distress ink re-inkers. Using Background Basic stencils to mask, I sponged a light night sky studded with a few stars. This card measures 4.25 x 5".

I have challenges to thank for keeping me inspired, keeping me stamping, and sending me to my stash to seek out just the right items. 

Besides The Paper Players, I will add this to the challenge at NBUS, and the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.  

Thanks so very much for your visit. I'm not putting the boxes of Christmas stamps away yet! See you again soon. 

Be yourself

         Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

Sending Joy

 Hello again, how are things going? For the first time in years, all the presents are shopped for and wrapped. It's an amazing feeling! 

I keep thinking I'm finished making holiday cards. Instead I keep finding I just want to make one more. Goodies on my desk seem so easy to assemble into a card when I come to tidy up. Here's my latest.

Most of the supplies are from Concord & 9th. I love making scenes bright with the snow globe die cuts. Using colors Pink and Green so that I can join the fun at Color Hues this month, I was also inspired to play again at Freshly Made Sketches. 

I appreciate your visit today. Thanks so much for coming by! 

Be yourself

         Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

Santa is in the house!

 I've had a line up of Christmas cards for you, but for today's post Santa is making his first appearance. I found this die in my stash - don't remember who made it, but it came out to play. Or, I guess I should say, HE came out to play!

Again, I found a sketch and it prompted me to search for just the right elements. Much thanks to Freshly Made Sketches for the inspiration. 

I added a few shadows to his beard with markers, a bit of glitter for the hat and nose, and snowflakes embossed on the background. The sentiment and stitched circle die are from The Greetery. 

It's strange to me to post on Saturday night, but I need to get this in the gallery at Freshly Made. Thanks so very much for your visit! 

Be yourself

         Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

Let's Skate for Penny Black

 How happy I was to be invited as a Guest Designer at the Penny Black Saturday Challenge for December. I'm always happy to play with their wonderful stamps and dies, especially for the holiday season. The challenge is always Anything Goes, and this month there is an option of Snow. It's up to you! 

I featured a few snow flakes and an ice skating theme. My card uses the Let's Skate Dies and the Jolly Snippets transparent stamps set. 

I love the sentiments used in this set - there are 26 sayings that are short in length, beautifully scripted and so easy to layer as I did for my tag. Especially nice is the inclusion of some phrases that are more general in nature, not just for the holidays but for winter as well. 

These skates are so fun to use and just the right size! I die cut two of only one skate so they would hang in tandem but it's nice that PB has a die for each: a left skate and a right skate. I used shimmer spray to add a shiny luster before die cutting in white and silver foil card stock.

I just felt like using more patterned papers recently so this Pink & Main Chill is in the Air 6x6 paper pack was a welcome addition to my stash! I realized life could just not be right without a bit more DSP for Christmas, and such pretty options to choose from. A soft silver satiny grained DSP covers the card base. 

Lastly, the tiny bit of sparkle on the snowflakes are Micro Disco Ball Sequins from Gina K. They're so small they are hard to catch but every bit worth it.  

I hope that you'll pull out your Penny Black stamps or dies and come play along!

Be yourself

         Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

 

Joy to you at Christmas

 It seems like I hit a roll on my preparations for Christmas yesterday. After getting into high gear most of the shopping is done! Today's focus will be decorating the tree. It just so happens that the tree in the Nostalgic Christmas set of stamps and dies (SSS) reminds me so much of Christmases past! I think it must be that teddy bear. Here's how it looks on today's card. 

Nothing fancy here, just a pretty die cut, bold stamped sentiment, a bit of DSP and sparkle! The re-inkers were used to color on watercolor card stock with a few details added with markers. 

Instead of embellishments I added the small image of stars to enhance the white space and the sentiment. 

I'm off just in time to add this to the challenge at The Paper Players!

When I saw vintage on Claire's grid I knew that I had to play. I chose vintage, patterned paper, sparkle but also got in trees, die cuts, Christmas and white. You'll want to check out the delightful inspiration from the TPP team. 

Hope your day has some sparkle in it too! Hope we can do this again soon. 

Be yourself

         Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

Bright Bells for Christmas

 Happy December, friends! The count down til Christmas is on and I've got so many more holiday stamps to use before the 25th! It's my favorite season for creating and I have a gazillion Christmas items new and old taking up most of my crafting table. Today's card is mostly old dies and a new one.

The Sketch Challenge at FMS was on my mind and again. I don't know why these sketches simmer on the back burner of my brain for days! I had to fiddle around before deciding what I thought could work best. Here's my card. I'm entering it at the very last minute.

Here's the sketch.  My take is literal!

The bells are dies retired from SU long ago, but I thought they fit with the sketch well. I knew I wanted a detailed focal point. I like that it's also shiny cut from gold card stock! The holly, and sentiment are added to have a trio/triangle for balance. I kept the square more simple with an ornate frame and tone on tone stamping of the holly on the red panel. A white card base was embossed with a holly/berry folder for a subtle background. 

I will list the supplies below, and give you a special thanks for stopping by on this busy week. Happy hugs to you!

Be yourself

         Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

The EF used is from SSS, the holly, berries and bow are from Concord & 9th Kristina Werner Festive Snow Globe Dies; the sentiment is from Kristina Werner Concord & 9th Joyful Holiday Stamp set; on the red panel I stamped in Versamark using Kristina's Easy Repeat Background stamp. The square frame is an oldie from PTI. 

Peaceful Season

 It's Thanksgiving Eve and I just finished photographing this card at my dining room table nestled among my centerpiece. Where all is beginning to be set for a family gathering tomorrow. 

I just couldn't resist putting a card together for Ann's pretty sketch at The Paper Players. I worked on it in snippets in between cooking and cleaning up, and all the other busy cozy holiday things. Also in time to wish my US friends a happy Thanksgiving!

Two vintage-y patterned papers from Scrapbook.com are paired with a sentiment and a buck from Nostalgic Christmas stamps and dies (SSS). I love the images of this set and look forward to using the tree and ornaments. It's brand new, so you know I'll be sharing it at the NBUS challenge where there are so many wonderful cards to inspire you!

Now I need to do a bit more cleaning up in the craft space. Love and holiday hugs to you! 

Be yourself

         Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!