Holiday Fun Continues

Bugaboo is hosting "Holiday Chaos" this week. They are offering a new challenge each day. This tag is for Day 3. I love this Bugaboo image named "Elf Peeker" who works perfectly on a gift tag.  The sentiment and the mini-stocking image is from SU.

Entered into:

Bugaboo Stamps- Holiday Chaos (Mon-Gift Wrap)           (catchthebugblog.blogspot.com)

We Craft Cards Monday Challenge- Tag Along with Me   (wecraftcards.com/forum)

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- Gift It                           (simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge)

This snowball wielding "bear in scarf" is a favorite stamp from Eureka. I created this card, featuring him, to enter several challenges. The snowflakes are beautiful scrapbook stickers. I love the dusty blue and silver color combo… and of course, the bling!  I printed the sentiments on my computer. The front reads, "You're grrrreat!" The inside sentiment reads "Hope your Christmas is, too."

 

Entered into: 

QKR Stampede- #273 Anything Goes                          (qkrstampede.blogspot.com)

Simon Says Monday Challenge- Icy Inspiration        (simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge)

CAS-ual Fridays- Winter Blues                                      (CAS-ualfridays.blogspot.com)

Artistic Inspirations Challenge-Challenge #191         (artisticinspirationschallenges.blogspot.com.au)
Cute Card Thursday- #507 Anything Goes                 (cutecardthursday.blogspot.com) 

I have had the sweet template used to make this card for several years and was fun to put it to use! (You can find it here papercraftsmag.com/articles/Holiday_Cards___More__Vol__7_Patterns) The punny sentiment is an old wood mounted Azadi Earles stamp. Am entering into several challenges, including SumMoreFun, becauase one of the photos on their current mood board includes a glimpse of Santa's gloved hand snatching a cookie! 

Entered into: 

Deep Ocean Challenge- Santa Clause is Coming to Town          (deepoceanchallengeblog.blogspot.com.au)

SumMoreFun  Challenge- Color Challenge- All Decked Out     (summorefun.com)  

Crafty Hazelnut’s Christmas Challenge2- Extra for Dec            (craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge2.blogspot.com)

Christmas Cards All Year Round- Anything Goes                       (christmascardsallyearround.blogspot.co.uk)

Another card to enter into the Crafty Christmas Collaboration Challenge (CCC). This time I CASED a card made by Christy Reuling. I loved the sweet whimsy of her Elf on the shelf theme.  (For more details about CCC visit allthesparkle.com/ccc-2017 and to learn how Christy made her card, visit christygetscrafty.blogspot.com/2017/02/crafty-christmas-collaboration-with.html) The elf digi image is from Bugaboo, his name is Deacon, and the wonderful sentiment from tlcCreations. (Download a free copy here desiref.blogspot.co.za/2017/11/atg-with-create-with-tlc-challenge-no16.html) The little mini-Santa on my card is a vintage Hero Arts wood mount stamp. Don't you think that he adds the perfect addition to the Christmas shelf?

Here is the card that inspired me-

Entered into: 

Crafty Christmas Collaboration (CCC)- February, Christy    (allthesparkle.com/ccc-2017)

A Blog Named Hero-Winter Holiday                                         (www.ablognamedhero.com)

A2zscrapbooking Monthly Challenge- Make it Pop               (a2zscrapbookingblog.com) 

Doing Life- Create with TLC Challenge                                    (desiref.blogspot.co.za)

Holiday Fun- Day 2!

I've been so swamped with my job these past few weeks that I haven't had much time to create. So… took a few days off just for some play therapy in my craft room. Most of yesterday I played, plus was up crafting until 2 AM which means I am a happy camper with lots to share the next few days. I love this time of the year!

The current Tiddly Inks challenge is named Be Merry. I decided to make a Christmas card that is very tailored to a dear friend and her hubby who have adopted two beautiful little girls. Abigail and Hope are from China and both like Pandas. I know that they will love this image from the Tiddly digi set names "Beary Sweet" (and am thinking their mom and dad will like it, too.)

Because there is five years difference in their ages, I made one image larger than the other and then flipped it to create a better layout (one reason I love digis is this kind of flexibility.) I also added the extra line "sisters" to the "Beary Special" sentiment to fit the theme of my card. The little bear and ladybug image on the inside sentiment (that I printed on my computer) is also from the digi set. To see the entire set, plus some wonderful card designs using the images, visit www.tiddlyinks.com/digital-stamps/beary-sweet-panda-digital-stamp

PS The artist that creates these amazing images has asked that anyone who posts them adds a watermark to the finished card. It took me a while to figure out how to do that... but found a free option that is fairly easy. Since I do use- and love- the work of so many stamp/digi artists I am willing to help protect their creative work. So, if you are one of these artists and you'd like me to watermark any of your images that I use, I'll be happy to do so. Just let me know. That said, I also promise that I will NEVER post your B&W images that I purchase.  And if I do post any of your sets on my blog, I'll ask your permission first. All of the stealing/posting of copyrighted images on Pinterest makes me ill!

Entered into: 

Tiddly Inks- Be Merry                                                               (tiddlyinkschallenge.blogspot.com)

Crafty Hazelnut’s Christmas Challenge- Anything Goes   (craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge.blogspot.co.uk)

Crafty Hazelnut’s Christmas Challenge2- Extra for Dec   (craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge2.blogspot.com)

Christmas Cards All Year Round- Anything Goes              (christmascardsallyearround.blogspot.co.uk)

                  

This wonderful digi image named "Coffee Words" is discounted at Bugaboo for just $1 because it contains a typo/misspelling. (bugaboostamps.com) I love the image and quickly rectified the problem by layering some patterned paper strips over the two largest oopsies. The others aren't so easy to read in the word mix. And… it was so easy to make this into a shape card. I just printed it out onto a sheet of cardstock, positioning it so that the image is large (1/4 of the 8.5 x 11 sheet) and shows up below the fold line of the "card." After printing off, and folding the card, I penciled in the mug shape (which was easy to do because I just had to follow the edging of the words), cut out the shape, added the embellies. And… it's done! Am going to send it to a friend seeing if we can set up a coffee date in the coming weeks (if our harried schedules allow!)

Am entering this card into several challenges- Bugaboos Holiday Chaos week of challenges (today's photo inspiration challenge includes a table setting plus lots of red and green), SumMoreFun mood board (inspired by the great holiday colors plus the hot beverage mug for Santa), plus this great card is my first entry into the  week-long 2017 Winter Coffee Lovers Blog hop. There are so many wonderful prizes, plus creativity galore, and really nice people involves. Check it out!   
coffeelovingcardmakers.com/2017/12/2017-winter-coffee-lovers-blog-hop-2/

 

Entered into: 

2017 Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop                                     (coffeelovingcardmakers.com)

Bugaboo Stamps- Holiday Chaos - 12/8 Photo                               (catchthebugblog.blogspot.com)

SumMoreFun  Challenge- Color Challenge- All Decked Out        (summorefun.com)  

                             

The current Power Poppy Challenge is entitled 12 Days of Christmas. Am entering this into the Day three challenge- Gift Bag. Used an unbelievably adorable image from Beccy's Place called "New Friends" and used the very easy to follow instructions on the Power Poppy link to make the bag topper. The mittens along the edge of the topper and blue snowflake strips that I placed across the corners of the image are actually scrapbook stickers (company unknown). I used their colors as my guide when adding color to the image, plus when selecting the pretty bow that also has snowflakes. (I did add a close up of the image because I love the way it shows the shadow cast by the ribbon, imprinting little snowflake images onto the bag front. In this close up I also noticed that I need to go and add some color to that little boy's eyes. I'll make them light blue to fit in with the color scheme.

Entered into: 

Power Poppy- 12 Days of Christmas (Day3)  (powerpoppy.blogspot.com/2017/12/power-spark-with-twelve-days-of.html)

Beccy’s Place Challenge- December                            (beccysplace.blogspot.com)

Simon Says Monday Challenge- Icy Inspiration      (simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge)

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- Gift It                (simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge)

Di’s Digi Stamps- Winter Holidays                             (disdigidesignschallenge.blogspot.co.uk)

My final entry on this post is for several challenges, including a CAS Christmas at AAA Cards and an "inky fingers" challenge at wecraftcards. Sadly, I had to sacrifice a few of the white chocolate peppermint holiday kisses to make this card but I did it! Heh heh. (It was a little tricky to not tear the foil so that I could carefully wrap a few cardboard shaped kisses with it. And… Drat…I did have to eat more than three of the kisses in order to get two that were not torn. Sometimes crafting is so very hard.Ha!) 
The fingerprints were made with white craft ink. It came off of my fingers quickly with hand sanitizer. 

Entered into: 

AAA Card Challenges- Christmas                                   (aaacards.blogspot.com/)

We Craft Cards Wednesday Challenge- Smudge it     (wecraftcards.com/forum)

Artistic Inspirations Challenge-Challenge #191          (artisticinspirationschallenges.blogspot.com.au)
Cute Card Thursday- #507 Anything Goes                   (cutecardthursday.blogspot.com) 
QKR Stampede- #273 Anything Goes                            (qkrstampede.blogspot.com)

The Holiday Fun Begins!

This card was inspired by one created by the talented Jessica Frost-Ballas at allthesparkle.com. Used an SU die, made the holly leaves with paper scraps and a sharpie pen, the berries are red rhinestones.  Entering into several challenges, including Bugaboo Bingo (top row, except used red rhinestones instead of pearls… which I can't find on my desk right now!)

This is Jessica's card that inspired me- 

Entered into: 

Less is More Challenge- Red & Green                                                 (simplylessismoore.blogspot.com)

AAA Card Challenges- Christmas                                                        (aaacards.blogspot.com/)

Double D’s Challenge- Beginning to Look at Lot like Christmas  (daranddiane.blogspot.com)

Christmas Cards All Year Round- Anything Goes                            (christmascardsallyearround.blogspot.co.uk)

Bugaboo Stamps- Holiday Chaos (Tues- Bingo)                               (catchthebugblog.blogspot.com)

The current Art Impressions challenge is named "Funny and Punny."  I used a fun AI image featuring Bernadette (the beauty holding the cake. I love that even her name is punny!!) I printed the sentiment on my computer. It reads, "It's your birthday? For goodness cake…" The inside reads, " … that's reason to celebrate!"  

Entered into: 

Art Impressions- Funny & Punny                              (artimpressionsstamps.blogspot.com)

The Paper Shelter- Birthday / Celebrations            (thepapershelter.blogspot.com.ar)

Artistic Inspirations Challenge-Challenge #191     (artisticinspirationschallenges.blogspot.com.au)
                                                                                               

The current Calling all Sista's color challenge inspired this card. I used the Hero Arts Goldfish clear "color layering" stamp set. I popped the goldfish up with foam tape, plus added a few pearls. The sentiment, from the set, is stamped with orange ink on vellum.

Entered into: 

Calling All Sista’s- Color Challenge                                (callingallsistahs.blogspot.com)

Cute Card Thursday- #507 Anything Goes                  (cutecardthursday.blogspot.com) 

A2zscrapbooking Monthly Challenge- Make it Pop   (a2zscrapbookingblog.com) 

I've always liked making tags. Either to use on gifts or to attach to the front of a card. Decided to go with a non-trad color scheme on this one, mainly because I wanted to use the beautiful teal bling! The sweet little happy birthday tag is from LOTV "Sentiment Tags" digi set. I hand-lettered "Jesus" on a blank tag to finish the greeting.  

Entered into:

Crafty Hazelnut’s Christmas Challenge- Anything Goes   (craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge.blogspot.co.uk)

Crafty Hazelnut’s Christmas Challenge2- Extra for Dec   (craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge2.blogspot.com)

QKR Stampede- #273 Anything Goes                                  (qkrstampede.blogspot.com)
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- Gift It                          (simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge)

Stars and Snowmen

My final entry for the current Simon Says Monday Challenge, "Star Light, Star Bright" features a wonderful free sentiment from www.thegirlcreative.com/shoot-for-the-moon-printable. I printed it on vellum and wove it through a star cut out. Layered on shooting star background paper it will make a great encouragement card.

Entered into: 

Simon Says Monday Challenge- Star Light, Star Bright    (simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge)

Artistic Inspirations Challenge-Challenge #191                  (artisticinspirationschallenges.blogspot.com.au)

Bugaboo is currently hosting a week-long event entitled "Holiday Chaos." They are offering a new challenge each day. Today's  challenge (Day 2) is a Sketch. I used one of Bugaboo's sweet  digi's named "Three Snowmen." I printed the trio off on white and kraft brown cardstock, colored then fussy-cut the white snowmen and paper pieced them onto the kraft images. Dry embossed white and blue vellum with snowflakes and swirls to use as backgrounds. (Provided a closeup to show the swirls.) I used a simple color scheme, with kraft, white and blue so that I could enter this card into CAS-ual Friday's "Winter Blues" challenge and love the results.

Entered into: 

Bugaboo Stamps- Holiday Chaos (Day2- Sketch)         (catchthebugblog.blogspot.com)

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- Anything Goes     (simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge)

CAS-ual Fridays- Winter Blues                                        (CAS-ualfridays.blogspot.com)  

Love, Angels and Sisters

Another classic wood mounted stamp from PSX provides a great image for a few challenges- one because of the stars, the other because of the angel. And the inside sentiment, that I printed off on my computer allows me to enter it into the Word Art Wednesday Challenge.

Entered into: 

Simon Says Monday Challenge- Star Light, Star Bright    (simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge)

Cute Card Thursday- #506 Things with Wings                   (cutecardthursday.blogspot.com) 

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- Anything Goes               (wordartwednesday.blogspot.com) 

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- Anything Goes           (simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge)

Artistic Inspirations Challenge-Challenge #191                  (artisticinspirationschallenges.blogspot.com.au)

I had so much fun creating Christmas cards for Beccy's Place Fifth Annual Month of Holiday Cards Challenge during November. Decided to make another Christmas card for her December challenge that features one of her beautiful freebies. I printed it off on vellum, tore the edges, colored the holly and berries with Tombow markers and a bit of white gel pen, then adhered it to a few layers of patterned paper and cardstock. (You can find the freebie  here- http://beccysplace.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/margies-christmas-freebie.html)

Entered into: 

Beccy’s Place Challenge- December                                       (beccysplace.blogspot.com)                      

Christmas Cards All Year Round- Anything Goes              (christmascardsallyearround.blogspot.co.uk)

Crafty Hazelnut’s Christmas Challenge- Anything Goes   (craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge.blogspot.co.uk)

Crafty Hazelnut’s Christmas Challenge2- Extra for Dec   (craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge2.blogspot.com)

New & Old Christmas Images

I was thrilled to win a recent Lili of the Valley Challenge because it allowed me to get the wonderful Alphabears digi set. (Sounds like the sets have been very popular. The clear stamps sold out in just a few days!) I had fun making a Christmas card with these little cuties. And, since the set is so versatile, I have a feeling you'll see them show up here often!

Entered into: 

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- Anything Goes            (simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge)

LOTV Challenge- Anything Goes                                            (ideastoinspire.blogspot.com and FB) 

The Cutie Pie Challenge-#117 Bear Hugs                              (cutiepiechallenge.blogspot.com)

Crafty Hazelnut’s Christmas Challenge- Anything Goes   (craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge.blogspot.co.uk)

Christmas Cards All Year Round- Anything Goes              (christmascardsallyearround.blogspot.co.uk)

Although the stamp company named PSX has been out of business for many years, I have many of their stamps. Some are now collectibles. This is one of my favs. I used the stamp to make a tag for the current Power Poppy Challenge entitled 12 Days of Christmas. The first challenge, for Day 1 is to make a tag.  

Entered into: 

Power Poppy- 12 Days of Christmas   (powerpoppy.blogspot.com /2017/12/power-spark-with-twelve-days-of.html)

Deep Ocean Challenge- Santa Clause is Coming to Town   (deepoceanchallengeblog.blogspot.com.au)

Artistic Inspirations Challenge-Challenge #191                    (artisticinspirationschallenges.blogspot.com.au)

                             

Bugaboo's usual weekly challenge has a fun challenge this week. Entitled "Holiday Chaos" they will be offering a new challenge each day. The challenge for today (Day 1) is Merry and Bright. I cut the Merry sentiment from white cardstock using an SU die and mounted it onto red mirror cardstock. The star hanging from his stick arm was also cut from a scrap of the red mirror card. I used a freebie image that was one of my first digis a few years ago. Love this sweet little snowman!

Entered into: 

Simon Says Monday Challenge- Star Light, Star Bright       (simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge)

Bugaboo Stamps- Holiday Chaos (Day1- Merry & Bright)   (catchthebugblog.blogspot.com)

Crafty Hazelnut’s Christmas Challenge2- Extra for Dec      (craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge2.blogspot.com)

Snowy Sketch

When looking over my entries into Beccy's Place Fifth Annual Month of Holiday Cards Challenge I realized that I only missed one day- a sketch challenge. So… I quickly put one together. It has been so much fun to be part of this annual event. I'll surely do it again next year! The mitten background is actually a strip of fabric that was in my sweet mom's quilting stuff. she would have loved seeing it paired with this cute snowball wielding polar bear, which is a favorite stamp from Eureka. I use it often! (The little mittens dangling from the ribbon were fussy-cut from an SU image.) 

Entered into:

Beccy’s Place Challenge- November                   (beccysplace.blogspot.com)

Bugaboo Stamps- Color                                        (catchthebugblog.blogspot.com)

QKR Stampede- #271 Anything Goes                (qkrstampede.blogspot.com)  

Wanted to make a card to enter into The Paper Shelter's challenge entitled "Add 3 different Kinds of Embellishments". I free-sketched the dove on the back of white glitter paper, fussy-cut and attached it to the card. His little beak is made with a small scrap of metallic gold. The 3 embellies are ribbon, gold cord and a tag. Embossed an SU sentiment "Peace, Love, Joy" on the tag in silver.

Entered into: 

The Paper Shelter- #320  Add 3 Kinds of Embellies         (thepapershelter.blogspot.com.ar)

Simon Says Monday Challenge- Star Light, Star Bright   (simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge)

Cute Card Thursday- #506 Things with Wings                  (cutecardthursday.blogspot.com) 

Artistic Inspirations Challenge-Challenge #191                 (artisticinspirationschallenges.blogspot.com.au)
Crafty Hazelnut’s Christmas Challenge2- Extra for Dec  (craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge2.blogspot.com)

                             

Another card to enter into the Crafty Christmas Collaboration Challenge. This time I CASED a card made by Emily, inspired by her wonderful color scheme and flurry of snowflakes. I printed off a sentiment that I've had in my files for many years. It always blesses my heart! (For more details about the CCC visit www.allthesparkle.com/ccc1-emily-midgett) 

Here is the card that inspired me-

Entered into:

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- Anything Goes                (wordartwednesday.blogspot.com)

Crafty Christmas Collaboration (CCC)- January, Emily    (allthesparkle.com/ccc-2017)