November Twofer Challenge

One of my favorite monthly challenges, because it really is a challenge, is called the "Twofer Card Challenge." It requires the use of the exact same stamp or die to make two cards with distinctly different designs for two different occasions. The November Challenge is named "Stars."  I looked through my stamps and dies and decided to use a new die from Marianne Designs named “Star Border” which is another item that I purchased at a special sale.* I was intrigued that a ribbon can be woven through this die, but also liked that it provides some wonderful mini star shapes. For my Twofer cards I used both options.
 (* A stamper friend who served with me on a Design Team had to move into a memory care unit several months ago. Her grandson and his wife set up a website to liquidate Sherri’s large collection of well over 1000 stamps and dies at 70-90% off! I just checked the site and there are now just 101 items left, and all are marked down to just $1 even though some are worth $20, $30 and even $50! So you might want to check out  The Crafters Estate  soon to add some gems to your collection AND to help the family of a fellow stamper! NOTE- If you visit, click the “all products” link and you won’t have to dig through all the “sold” items… but will only see the items that are still available.)

 

Entered into: Twofer Card Challenge- #33 Stars

My first card features the Star Border card, cut from silver cardstock, to adorn a graduation card. I cut the die from silver and burgundy cardstock and used the silver one for the front of the card, embellished with a bit of burgundy ribbon. A rectangle of scrapbook paper becomes the base of the card, with graduation themed sentiments. The inside of the card is decorated with burgundy stars, trimmed from the second die cut. A smattering of both burgundy and silver stars, popped from the die cuts, decorate the front and inside of the card. I’m entering this card into several challenges, including The Paper Shelter’s Card for a Child (this card will be sent to a young lady in the Spring when she graduates from a local high school. Their school colors are black and burgundy.)

Supplies: 
·   Marianne Designs- Star Border Die
·   Inside Sentiment -Computer Generated
·   Assorted cardstock, scrapbook paper and a strip of dotted ribbon from my stash
Entered into: 
The Paper Shelter- #449 Card for a Child
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends- #146 Anything Goes
Art Impressions- Borders  
Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper Challenge- November             

My second card is a star-studded Christmas wreath. I used a Beccy’s Place pre-colored wreath and ribbon digis (made them my own with a bit of shading and highlights.) A generous dusting of silver stars, plain and glittery, dresses it up for the holidays. Silver die-cut sentiments, star-studded embossed vellum, and silver photo corners finish off the card.  

 

Supplies: 

·   Digi- Beccy’s Place Digital Stamp (Build a Wreath)
·   Marianne Designs- Star Border Die
·   Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique grey markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen
·   Sentiments- Stampendous Clear Stamps and Dies Set (Christmas Bright)
·   Assorted background papers and embossed star vellum from my stash
·   Silver photo corners available from several web sources (WXJ13 13 Sheets 13 Colors Photo Mounting Corners)
Entered into: 
Beccy’s Place- 8th Annual Month of Holiday Cards Challenge- F is for French Blue
Outlawz Challenges- Monday Greeting Challenge- Blue Monochrome
Outlawz Challenge- Festive Fridays                                                
Outlawz Challenge- Inlinks Challenge
Di’s Digi Stamps- Use a Digi Image                                                 
The Sisterhood of Crafters- Embossing  
Scribbles Designs Challenge- #94 Layer It Up 
Stamping Sensations- Garlands, Wreaths and Christmas Flowers

While I had my Big Shot out, I’d made about a dozen of the star border die cuts. So I had a pile of extra stars on my craft table. I remembered having some punched pine branches leftover from making a card last week and decided to create a Christmas tree! I sketched a simple tree shape on a scrap of green cardstock, sized to fit the front of an A2 card and started layering on the pine branches. (I discovered that I needed lots more of them than first expected, so pulled out my scrap box and punched two dozen branches in three additional  colors of green.) When finished, I filled the tree with stars. It was a tedious- and sticky- process, but I do like the final product. I’m entering this card into several challenges, including Crafty Catz Challenge’s Optional twist- Outdoor Pursuits (for several years my hubby and I lived in the Black Hill of South Dakota. Our favorite memories of our time there was purchasing a license every year to venture into the thick forest to pick out and cut down our own Christmas tree. They always looked MUCH larger in our home than out in the wild!), Pixie's Snippets (it used lots of green and silver “snippets” to make this card) and Christmas Crafts All Year Round’s Family & Friends (decorating the tree has been a favorite tradition during my childhood and now in my adulthood. It always helps to get me into a holiday mood and fills me with nostalgia as we now carefully unpack the ornaments we’ve made or collected over the last 50 years.)

Supplies: 

·   Marianne Designs- Star Border Die
·   Martha Stewart Pine Branch Punch
·   Adhesive used to attach branches and starts- Ranger Mini Glossy Accents
·   Front Sentiment- Beccy’s Place Digital Stamp (Blessings Of The Season)
·   Inside Sentiment-Beccy’s Place Digital Stamp (Home For The Holidays)
·   Cardstock, background paper and tan vellum from my stash
Entered into: 
Beccy’s Place- 8th Annual Month of Holiday Cards Challenge-G is for Glittery Star  
Simon Says Monday Challenge- Happy Holidays                         
Christmas Crafts All Year Round- Family & Friends
Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #464-465 Anything Goes                   
Crafty Catz Challenge- Anything Goes #527 (Optional twist- Outdoor Pursuits) 
Crafty Hazelnut’s Christmas Challenge- #515 Anything Goes
Pixie's Snippets-Week #390                                                                    
Do-Al[l] Kreatives #47 Twister-Sister (Glitter/Sparkle and Christmas Greetings)