Happy Thanksgiving

I've had a wonderful Thanksgiving so far today. I spent a glorious day with my parents and husband.  The dinner turned out great . . . everything got done at the right time (that usually doesn't happen to me). Then I took a quick 10 minute nap while my mom and hubby cleaned up the kitchen and put the food away. Like I said . . . what a wonderful Thanksgiving.

 

However, not everything went as planned. I thought I had posted this to go live this morning.  Well, imagine my surprise when I checked the blog and there wasn't any post.  So, a quick write-up (before dessert) to go with the lovely digistamp I received FREE from From the Heart Stamps for playing along in their monthly challenge last month.  I'm entering this card in their November progressive monthly challenge.

 

 

The digistamp is called "Balloon Ride" and I colored it with Copics.  Both sentiments were included in the set.  The flourish die is from Die-namics as well as the tab die.  I'm not sure where the DP came from since I pulled it out about 3 weeks ago to work on this card and I can't find where I wrote down the info.  I also sponged around all the DP, circle and sentiments with Memento Teal Zeal.  Since one of the balloons is shaped like a heart, I can see this image being used for Valentine's Day also. So versatile.

 

Keep Crafting and I wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday,

Thank You

There's another challenge this week at Crafty Creations. The theme is: Thank You and we're sponsored by Whiff of Joy. Check out the challenge details and inspiration cards from the other DT members here.

 

This is a card that I taught in a recent class. It's generic and works so well for any occasion.  I had several sentiments available for the attendees including Happy Birthday, Get Well, Thinking of You or Thank You.

Card Recipe: teal, white and black cardstock; dot embossing folder; sentiment~Stampin' Up!; image~Sizzix Hero Arts Stamp & Die-Cut set Floral; Memento Bahama Blue Ink; grosgrain ribbon from stash & various punches and dies. 

Another Gorgeous Freebie

Once again I'm down to the wire to enter a card in the Imagine That DigiStamp Monthly Challenge.  Because I entered a card in their Challenge last month, I received a cute digistamp called Birthday Sea Horse for FREE.  By making a card using this stamp, and entering it in the November challenge, I'll receive another free digistamp to use for December's Challenge (and so on and so on). As I've said before . . . I just LOVE FREE things.

 

I paired the colorized digistamp with bright blue and hot pink cardstock. I added some additional highlights and color to the seahorse and balloons using Copics. The sentiment came with the digistamp set.  And I added Glossy Accents to the balloons and water bubbles.  The embossing folder is from The Paper Studio~Dot Background; I thought it looked like water bubbles or droplets.  The blue grosgrain ribbon is from my stash.

 

The inside sentiment is from Doodle Pantry~Birthday Bash Digi Set. I used Copics to add some color to the word "happy."

 

With several new babies in the family this year, I think I'll be using this digital stamp real soon.

Faith

  It's the final challenge for the year at Christmas Card Challenges. The theme this week is: Faith. 

I recently bought the Wise Men stamp from The Stamp Place. Unfortunately, I thought it was smaller than it was (and I'm usually so good at checking out sizes before buying). It fills up the entire card and leaves little room for anything else.  However, I decided that I'd go with the CAS look, since the image really says it all.

 

I stamped the image on Stampin' Up! Very Vanilla cardstock using Memento Paris Dusk. I used VersaMark for the star and added gold embossing powder.  The card is Navy Blue cardstock with a gold metallic mat. The sentiments are from Doodle Pantry (Bethlehem and Holiday Greetings sets).  I also sponged the inside sentiment using Memento Desert Sand.

 

I can't believe 6 months have gone by so quickly. Good news is that I've been asked to stay on the Christmas Card Challenges Design Team for another 6 months, so you'll see more Christmas Cards from me after Christmas.

 

Click on the link here to see what the other DT members have created this week. They're absolutely beautiful and will give you some wonderful ideas for your own Christmas Cards.

Ready for the Holidays

That's the theme this week at

Crafty Creations Challenges-Ready for the Holidays

(Thanksgiving or Christmas).

 

We're sponsored by A Creative Need and I used one of their digistamps called "Cottage Window."  I added the wreath in order to make another Christmas card (one can never have too many, right?)

 

Card Recipe:

~White & Burgundy Cardstock

~Window DigiStamp by A Creative Need colored with Copics

~Sentiment by Stampin' Up!-Petite Pairs using Memento Cottage Ivy and sponged with Memento Bamboo Leaves & Dessert Sand

~A2 Bricks Embossing Folder by the Paper Studio, sponged with Memento Dessert Sand and raised up with Stampin' Up Dimensionals

~Martha Stewart Punch

~Pearls & rhinestones from stash

I'm Thankful

It may seem strange to have the title of this post "I'm Thankful" and then show a Christmas Card. However, I'm thankful that this year I'll be spending Thanksgiving with my parents - YAY!!. And, I'm also thankful that other events in my life are over and I can finally get back to creating cards. Being creative really relaxes me (although at times it may not seem so . . . like when I'm rushing to get a card finished for a challenge).

 

Speaking of challenges, Christmas Card Challenges has a sparkly challenge this week. The theme is  Bling.

 

 

One advantage to having my parents visit is it forces me to straighten up my Craft Room (which also is home to a sofa and TV, which they'll use).  While I was cleaning, I found this cute embellishment; not sure when or where I got it, but I thought it would be perfect for this challenge.

 

I normally don't do Clean & Simple cards; I like lots of layers or fancy die-cuts. But I think less is more with this card. I love it just as it is . . . CAS.  I had to add something to the inside (you know me, I can't leave it blank anymore), so I kept the inside CAS also. Be sure to stop by Christmas Card Challenges this week to see what the other DT members have created.

Card Recipe: Cardstock-Stampin' Up! Very Vanilla; DP-Paper Studio, Old World Winter; Ink-Memento Cottage Ivy; Front Stamp-no name except G-1591; Inside Stamp-Hampton Art; Bling from my stash

Back to Cardmaking

A tad late today, but I have a great excuse. The Art & Craft Fair yesterday was terrific (no major hiccups; or at least none that I heard about). I was/am extremely exhausted ~ I crashed when I got home around 4pm (actually after hubby took me out to dinner Yay!). Then,I had to get up early today to do some work at the golf course, came home to do my Christmas Card Challenges post and I'm getting ready to head back to work in about an hour. Whew!!

So now that the Art & Craft Fair is over, I can finally get back to designing and creating cards for myself and the two Design Teams I'm on (hopefully they're happy to have me back).  And since today is Sunday, it's time for another card challenge at Christmas Cards Challenges.  Today is a sketch challenge.

 

I have to admit, that even though I created how this card would look, the materials for it were provided by my good friend Gail at our recent card get-together (so I can't tell you what I used on this card other than "ribbon" LOL). Thank goodness the card somewhat fit the sketch design this week at Christmas Card Challenges.  Thank you Gail for saving the day.

 

Here's the sketch:

 

Hop on over to Christmas Card Challenges to see what my fellow Design Team members have created for you this week. We'd love to have you link up and show us your Christmas Cards ~ you know you have to get them done ! !  Christmas is almost here.

 

Keep Crafting,

This Little Piggy . . .

This has been a crazy week. Our community's annual Art & Craft Fair is this Saturday. I'm chairperson, so I've been finalizing last-minute details. I haven't had much time to "card craft" or post cards on the blog, but hopefully that will change in another week or two.

Today I'm sharing a card with you that I had to make - my husband asked for a "Pig Card" and so why would I turn down a chance to make a card??  While I was taking advantage of Doodle Pantry's monthly discount, I came across "Mud Piggy."  It's adorable and it also comes with really cute digi-papers.

 

I used the colorized digistamp, but enhanced it with my Copics. The striped and dotted papers came with the Mud Piggy Set. I added blue and brown cardstock and some brown grosgrain ribbon.

 

 

 

Inside I reversed the papers, using the dotted for the main DP and the striped for the accent. The sentiment also comes with the Mud Piggy Set.  I'm entering this card in Doodle Pantry's Monthly Digital Challenge #40.

 

Now, the reason for the "Pig Card" ~ we were going to a pig roast at a friend's house and my husband thought it would be cute to give them a card with a pig on it. I apologize for the not-so-great photos, but since I made the card shortly before we were leaving for the party, I didn't have time to take proper photos. 

 

Keep Crafting,