myasperations 12-28-24

      This digi from Sweet November Stamps features a beautiful little fairy who is all decked out in her holiday-themed finery while awaiting Santa’s visit. The patterned paper and all embellishments on the card, including the front “Noel” sentiment are from a Scrapbook kit I purchased at after-Christmas sales last year (I think I found this at either JoAnnes or Hobby Lobby but just did a web search and found it at several places on the web.) This card is for one of our nephews' family, so I colored the little fairy to resemble their 6-year-old daughter. I think she will love it!!  

 

Supplies: 

·   Front Digi- Sweet November Stamps (Poinsettia Fairy)

·   Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique markers, Sakura Gelly Roll white & silver gel pens

·   Christmas Décor (background), decorated papers and embellishments from a Carol Wilson Fine Arts Scrapbooking Kit named “Jingles!” 

·   Tri-fold card created with an A2-sized card, pre-cut with a Star window, an A2 sized piece of patterned vellum (all from my stash), and patterned paper from "Jingles" Kit. Front Sentiment-“Noel” from Carol Wilson’s Scrapbooking Kit “Jingles”

·  Inside Sentiment “Wishing You a Magical Christmas” is a freebie from Birdscards.com (Blog now closed)

·  Sookwang double-sided tape- Available from several sources on the web.

·  All other misc. items and tools from my stash.

Entered into:  

Friends of Sweet November (FB) Dec  

Double D’s Challenge- Christmas Trees    

Passion for Markers Challenge- Week #769: Mega Christmas challenge-Anything Goes

      Since I’m a DT for Sheepski (one of the sponsors), please don’t include me in the draw for their prize!  

Rudolph Days Challenge- December

Outlawz Challenges- Monday Greeting Challenge- Anything Christmas/Holiday       

        Greeting (twist- add a hint of red)   

Outlawz Challenge- Festive Friday (Christmas) 

       This adorable pudgy penguin, named Percy, is also from Sweet November Stamps. He looks comfortable perched within the beautiful vintage-looking background. The mistletoe digi and related sentiment inside provide a fun and whimsical touch. I used one of my favorite tutorials from artist Anabel Haines (HERE) to add knitted texture to the sweater using just markers and a white gel pen.

     I’m entering this card into several challenges including Park Hopping-My Happy Place (I was excited to see a new ride recently opened at Orlando’s Seaworld named Penguin Trek!)

Supplies: 

·   Digi- Sweet November Stamps (Percy Penguin)

·   Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

·   Tutorial for creating knitted texture (by Anabel Haines) can be found HERE

·   Front Sentiment-“Merry Christmas” and Mistletoe image from a Christmas Sticker Pack- Hobby Lobby

·   Inside Sentiment- Freebie from Scribbles (I’m Waiting for My Mistletoe Kisses)

·   Christmas Stamp Digis- Graphics Fairy Free Printables (Vintage Christmas Stamps)

·   Front of the Card Background, other misc. items and tools from my stash.

Entered into:  

Friends of Sweet November (FB) Dec  

Papercraft Challenges - Challenge #113 Under the Mistletoe 

Word Art Wednesday Challenge - 5th Annual Blog Hop & Anything Goes - Weeks #679-680 

Allsorts Challenge - Week 812/13 AG  

Park Hopping - My Happy Place (Dec)    Seaworld Penguin Trek 

ABC Christmas Challenge - "Z is for Zoo Animals'

      This final card features a beautiful Moondrea Designs digi named Christmas Lilly, provided free to participants of their monthly Progressive FB Challenge. I wanted Lilly to stand out and found instructions for a  Spotlight Technique I’d used before. However, I decided to simplify the process by making a single-layer card (no die-cutting and layering needed). So, I used an oval template and yellow school pencil to lightly sketch an oval frame around Lilly. I then colored the area within the oval and left the rest of the card front uncolored. I wasn’t happy with how it looked, so decided to color the tips of holly in her hair that fell outside the oval frame. I was afraid if I tried to color the bottom portion of the digi the coloring would look splotchy. Finally opted to trim away the uncolored top of the oval, leaving the bottom of the card including her skirt and the lantern intact and uncolored. Striped paper backing and a simple sentiment sticker finished off the card!

     

Supplies: 

·   Digi- Moondrea Designs Digi (Christmas Lilly)

·  Instructions for the typical Spotlight technique was found HERE (I simplified it as noted above)

·   Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

·   Front Sentiment “Merry” from a Christmas Sticker Pack- Hobby Lobby

·   Inside Sentiment- “A Happy Christmas to You” from The Paper Shelter Digi Set (Vintage Xmas Designs)

·   Sookwang double sided tape- Available from several sources on the web.

·   Stickles- assorted colors

·   All other misc. items and tools from my stash.

Entered into:  

Moondrea Designs Progressive Challenge FB-(December-Lilly Christmas)  

Colorful Options Monthly Challenge: December-Red, Green and/or Gold     

Outlawz Twisted Thursday Challenge- Anything Goes

Outlawz Challenge-Dec 2024 Linky  

Love Those Pretty Papers Challenge- Dec 2024: Optional Christmas  

myasperations 12-24-24

      This digi from All Dressed Up Stamps features a beautiful little fairy framed by Christmas greenery on the top of the tree. The patterned papers are all from my stash (most often Hobby Lobby, JoAnnes Crafts, and Michaels) and the sentiments are both from Beccy’s Place digi sets.

 I’m entering this card into several challenges including Park Hopping-My Happy Place (This is one of my favorite challenges… and host Makira provides a listing that assist in researching theme parks that offer specific themes, items, and types of entertainment. This time I searched for “Fairies” and found a park in the Netherlands named The Fairytale Forest at Efteling Park that provides what sounds like a magical Christmas event) and Double D’s Challenge: Christmas Trees (the tree on my card has a bright and whimsical Dr. Seuss vibe!)   

 

Supplies: 

·   Front Digi- All Dressed Up (Christmas Tree Fairy)

·   Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique markers, Sakura Gelly Roll white & silver gel pens

·   Front Sentiment-“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” from a Beccy’s Place Digi Set (Home for the Holidays)

·   Inside Sentiment- “Thinking of You at Christmas” from a Beccy’s Place Digi Set (Christmas Cardinals)

·   Small Wreath embellishment, fussy-cut from patterned paper from my stash

·   Holographic gold paper (used for frames to small punched stars)-Hobby Lobby 

·   Little B Cutting Dies- Circles

·   Sookwang double-sided tape- Available from several sources on the web.

·   All other misc. items and tools from my stash.

Entered into:  

All Dressed Up- Anything Goes (Dec #158) 

All Dressed Up FB Challenge- December: Celebrations  

Passion for Markers Challenge- Week#769: Mega Christmas challenge-Anything Goes

        Since I’m a DT for Sheepski (one of the sponsors), please don’t include me in the draw for their prize!  

Outlawz Monday Greeting Challenge- Anything Christmas/Holiday Greeting 

Park Hopping-My Happy Place (Dec)    Christmas at Efteling

Double D’s Challenge- Christmas Trees 

        I wanted to make a special Christmas ornament for a sweet couple who were married in August… so when I saw that the current challenge at Simon Says Wednesday required the use of a die cut I knew just what I’d make! I dug out one of my favorite Spellbinders Medallion dies and got to work! Since Abigail and Sam like vintage items, I dug through my box of old treasures I’ve picked up at thrift stores, antique shops, and flea markets over the years.  This beautiful mother-of-pearl heart set in a thin brass frame looks beautiful with the diecut Medallion. A sweet sentiment and holly sticker embellishment, plus a bright red bow is sure to be an heirloom they will treasure. (My hubby and I celebrate 48th Anniversary next week, so this Christmas we are putting up a tree the 47th time. It is always fun to see all the special ornaments we’ve been given or found at places we’ve traveled over the years. Each one carries a warm memory… and that is what I’m hoping will happen with this little gift, too.

      I’m entering this card into several challenges including Path Of Positivity Challenge: Faith/Hope (For some, holidays can be difficult  because of past conflicts with family members or recent losses/deaths. But family gatherings can also provide the healing of both types of pain. My creation is inspired by this quote-“Faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light.” — Helen Keller)

Supplies: 

·   Mother of Pearl Heart Ornament-found at a local flea market

·   Medallion Die- (Available through several site on the web) Spellbinders S2-014 Die D-Lites Medallion 1-Etched/Wafer Thin Dies

·   Front Sentiment “All Hearts Come Home...” from Beccy’s Place Digi Set (Snow Time)

·   Heart Holly Sticker- from a Printworks border I’ve had in my stash for over a decade

·   Red card stock and ribbon scraps, plus misc. tools from my stash.

Entered into:  

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- Use Craft Dies   

Allsorts Challenge- Week 812/13 AG (Optional- Use Your Dies) 

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- 5th Annual Blog Hop & Anything Goes-Weeks #679-680 

Outlawz Challenge- Festive Friday (Christmas) 

Colorful Options Monthly Challenge: December-Red, Green and/or Gold  

Path Of Positivity Challenge- Challenge #126 (AG Positive with  Twist-Faith/Hope)   

Beccy’s Place Challenge- Dec

     Since I’m a Contributor for Beccy’s Place, I’m entering just for fun!  

      The card was made for the current Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge. with a Coffee + Snowman theme. My last posting featured a snowman drinking coffee, this time the snowman will play the role of decorating the front of a coffee-cup-shaped card base. The front sentiment and snowman are from an Echo Park Winter Scrapbook Kit I picked up at scrapbook.com after Christmas clearance several years ago. (They have great sales!) I wanted the snowman to stand out more than he did, so I added shading and highlights to the snowman, especially his scarf and hat, with markers and a white gel pen. Additional contrast was added by layering the snowman atop a hand-cut snowflake adhered to a scrap of blue paper trimmed to frame the snowflake.

      It is easy to find several card-base templates on the web or Pinterest.  Just enter “coffee cup template free” into the search engine and you’ll find some options. I found the one I used HERE, except I accidentally switched the handle to the “front” side of the card (the one with the dip.) Luckily the card still opens just fine!    

      I’m entering this card into several challenges, including Outlawz Sunday Challenge: Songs and Rhymes (my inspiration is the sentiment “The cold wind in the winter…” from the poem “All Things Bright and Beautiful”) and Outlawz Twisted Thursday Challenge: Inspired by a Movie/Musical (my card is inspired by a favorite holiday TV cartoon, Frosty the Snowman!)

Supplies: 

·   Coffee-cup card base template found on Pinterest HERE

·   Handmade Snowflake Embellishment- adhered to a scrap of blue paper (You can find instructions for making similar snowflakes on the web.)

·   Snowman Image from an old Echo Park Winter Scrapbook Kit

·   Additional shading added to the snowman with Spectrum Noir Classique markers, and highlighting with Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

·   Front Sentiment-“Baby It’s Cold Outside” sentiment from an old Echo Park Winter Scrapbook Kit

·   Inside Sentiment- “A Happy Christmas to You” from The Paper Shelter Digi Set (Vintage Xmas Designs)

·   Snowy Background paper, and all other misc. items and tools from my stash.

Entered into: 

Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge- Dec #37 Coffee + Snowman    

The Four Seasons Challenge- Anything Goes Winter Dec 2024 

Outlawz Sunday Challenge: Songs and Rhymes- All Things Bright and Beautiful  

Outlawz Twisted Thursday Challenge- Anything Goes (Inspired by a Movie/Musical) 

Outlawz Challenge-Dec 2024 Linky 

myasperations 12-21-24

    This digi named “Time to Celebrate” from All Dressed Up was a FB Freebie provided to all members when our numbers reached 3000 in July 2016!  I decided it was the perfect image for a New Year's card… especially when I cropped it to zero in on the “toast” and added lots of bling! (Note- some of the bling is compliments of Stickles,  and some happened by accident when I added a shadow to the image with dots of grey marker. It was darker than I’d planned, so I tried to tone the dots down with a layer of white gel pen dots. I was pleasantly surprised that this action looked pretty sparkly on its own. Vióla!)  

Supplies: 

·   Digi- All Dressed Up Digital Stamp (Time to Celebrate) Currently Not Available

·   Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique markers, Sakura Gelly Roll white & silver gel pens

·   Front Sentiment “Celebrate the Season” from a Beccy’s Place Digi Set (Christmas Cardinals)

·   Inside Sentiment- QKR Eureka Digital Stamp (Another Year…) Currently Not Available

·   Sookwang double-sided tape- Available from several sources on the web.

·   Stickles- Diamonds

·   All other misc. items and tools from my stash.

Entered into: 

Classic Design Challenge: Anything Goes (optional- Happy Holidays) 

      Since I’m a DT for Sheepski (one of the sponsors), please don’t include me in the draw for their prize!  

Penny’s Paper Crafty Challenge #586 Anything Goes

All Dressed Up- Anything Goes (Dec #158) 

All Dressed Up FB Challenge- December: Celebrations  

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- 5th Annual Blog Hop & Anything Goes-Weeks #679-680 

Park Hopping-My Happy Place (Dec)    Celebrate New Years in Orlando (theme parks+!)

       Earlier this month I'd created a paper-pieced Christmas card using one of Beccy Muir’s newest digi set releases. (You can see that card, and read about how it was created HERE.)  I used the same process for this card but replaced the sparkly stars with cute little gingerbread cookies fussy-cut from patterned paper. (I discovered that they were in a playful mood when I attempted to add them to the tree, as they wanted to climb the branches, cling to the star, and a few even somersaulted to the ground to start the game all over again. Silly little Gingers!!) The rustic woven background for the tree is from a wallpaper sample book I’ve had in my stash for a few decades!

  

Supplies: 

·   Digi and Sentiments- Beccy's Place Digi Set (Christmas Trees) 

·   Woven Background- scrap of vinyl wallpaper

·   Gingerbread Cookie Patterned Paper- Hobby Lobby Christmas Basics 6x6 paper pack

·   Sentiments- Computer Generated

·   Sookwang double-sided tape- available from several sources on the web.

·   Papers (plaids, glittery red, metallic silver) and other items from my stash.

Entered into:  

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge- #244 AG 

Double D’s Challenge- Christmas Trees 

Outlawz Challenge- Festive Friday (Christmas) 

ABC Christmas Challenge- ‘ Y is for Your Favorite Colors’ (Classic Christmas Colors: Red and Green!)

Colorful Options Monthly Challenge: December-Red, Green and/or Gold  

Beccy’s Place Challenge- Dec

     Since I’m a Contributor for Beccy’s Place, I’m entering just for fun!  

Love Those Pretty Papers Challenge- Dec 2024: Optional Christmas  

Inspiration Station- Challenge #68 Inspiration Prompt (The gingerbread cookie was my inspiration!)

       The third card is my first entry into the current at Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge. The December theme is Coffee + Snowman, so this coffee-drinking Snowman digi image is a perfect fit! It is also a freebie from Tiddly Inks. I used a wintery blue color scheme, digging into my scrapbook stash for the fun background paper. I had trimmed several of the coffee steam whisps when I fussy-cut the snowman, but I didn’t want to lose their whimsical addition, so I cut a circle of vellum and adhered it to the back of the snowman. Using a fine-line black marker I traced steam whisps that I’d trimmed from the image onto the vellum, adding highlights with my trusty white gel pen. A few snowflakes fussy-cut from the paper were adhered to the card with foam tape, adding embellishments while saving the little beauties from the trash bin.

   An added note-Although Christy Croll, the artist/owner of Tiddly Inks, closed her challenge blog a few years ago, she has maintained the blogsite to maintain access to coloring tutorials plus several freebies (including this image) HERE, and sells a nice assortment of digis in her Etsy shop HERE.     

                             

 

Supplies: 

·   Snowman Digi-Tiddly Inks Freebie (Something Warm- in the Freebies section of the blog HERE)

·   Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique markers, Black Fine-line Sharpie Marker, and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

·   Front Sentiment “You Warm my Heart” from Beccy’s Place Digi Set (Christmas Cheers)

·   All other misc. items and tools from my stash.

Entered into: 

Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge- Dec #37 Coffee + Snowman    

Outlawz Twisted Thursday Challenge- Anything Goes

Allsorts Challenge- Week 812/13 AG

The Four Seasons Challenge- Anything Goes Winter Dec 2024   

We Love Stamping- December-Winter (optional AG)