Christmas Card Challenges #4

This week the challenge at Christmas Card Challenges is ~ 

Anything Goes

I made these little boxes as my "card" so I could include a few treats for some good friends; Christmas Cards don't have to be flat, right?  

Please join us this week with your own creations (here) and or just stop by to see what inspirations the other DT members have for you.

Crafty Creations Challenge #281

I'm a bit late posting the new challenge at Crafty Creations. I thought I had written it, then realized the post I wrote was for another day.

So, the Challenge Theme for the next two weeks is:

Something Old . . . Something New

My digi image is from our sponsor, Fresh Brewed Designs. It's called Peek A Boo Sunshine.  The sentiment is computer generated . . . it was either this sentiment or "the sun'll come out tomorrow" which just didn't do it for me.

My Something Old: My Copics (this wasn't very hard to color)

My Something New: The Love Charm. I just got it.

Note: I should explain that on the digi image, there is a little "charm" hanging off the cloud. So I can't really take credit for putting this charm where I did . . . it "belonged" there.

I printed a second digi image, cut out the clouds, colored them and added dimension. After all, clouds are "puffy" right?

Stop by the Crafty Creations Challenges blog to see what the other DT members created. Then grab your old and new crafting items and play along. I can't wait to see what you create.

Doodle Pantry New Releases

I'd like to say a big welcome to Esther, my newest blog follower.  I hope my creations will inspire you !

Today is Tuesday, which means Doodle Pantry has a few new digital sets available (and they're 25% off today only).

I fell in love with Little Boy Valentines. It seems I always find cute images for girls, but who knew that images for boys could be just as darling !

One image from the set is this adorable dinosaur. I added the clouds and a bit more "grass" to the grass area. I also went over the pre-colored image with my Copics.

The Designer Paper and sentiment are from the digi set also. I love how all the bits and pieces of every Doodle Pantry digital set coordinate to make cardmaking so easy.  A homemade candy dot and a bit of embossing finish off the card.

Can you tell I love this little critter? I had to include him on the inside along with a second sentiment from the set.

Stop by the Doodle Pantry store to take advantage of 25% off this and other new releases today.  And there's still time to play along in the monthly Ants in My Pantry Digital Challenge #1. Check out all the details by clicking on the image below.

Christmas Card Challenges # 7

The Challenge this week at Christmas Card Challenges is a 

Photo Challenge:

I started with this adorable Doodle Pantry bird image (Birdie on a Wire) and merged a Santa Hat and branch images from Just Nutty to create the following.

I fussy cut the bird and branch then cut a second branch and the bird's "feet" to add a bit more dimension. Some Copic coloring on the bird and branch added a bit of color to the digital images.

A bit ~ well, maybe a lot ~ of clear silvery glitter on the hat along with some red fuzzy stuff made the hat really pop. I'm not sure the red fuzzy stuff shows in the picture as well as it does in real life. I don't know what to call it because I found it in the sale bin and there was no information as to what it was or even how to use it. So, I plop down some glue, sprinkle it all over the glue and once it dries it looks like velvet.

I drew a red ink circle and rectangle on the white pieces, added a bit of red mat and a few homemade "melts," dimensions behind the bird and the card was complete.  The sentiment is on the inside.

Stop by the Christmas Card Challenges to see the other DT members "Santa Hat" creations (click on their name below to go to their blog) and then join along. We love to see your creations.

Alanna

Carol

Donna

Gail

Heather

Jessica

JoAnn

Lisa

Margo

Marsha

Monica

Shirley Anne

Tenia

Just Another Corny Card

Problem: I needed ~ er, wanted ~ to make a "Thinking of You" card for a special friend.

But, I couldn't send the "typical" Thinking of You card to her because she has probably received a lot of them this past year.

               . . . Besides I felt she needed something "different" . . . she has a terrific sense of humor and such a positive attitude and spirit.

Thank you Create with TLC for an awesome sentiment. Perfect.

And, thank you From the Heart Stamps for an equally terrific digi stamp (Harvest Medley) to pair with the sentiment.

I also used several things from my "stash" box.  The digi papers I had printed ?? well . . . I'm not sure when, but they were in the "box."  The red burlap was in the box also.

I carried the papers and sketch to the inside to "complete" the card.

 

 And, here's where the "rest of the stuff" came from.

Digi Papers: 

NitWit Collection (Autumn Enchantment-Branches Cream, Plaid Purple & Plaid Taupe; Not Far to Fall-Rust Gingham)

Coloring:
Stampin' Up! (Blendabilities-Daffodil Delight & Old Olive; Marker-River Rock)
Copics (Y17, YG03 & E00 for the background)
Spectrum Noir (GB8)

Punches/Die Cuts:
Stampin' Up! ~ 2-1/2" round punch
Whimsy Shapeology Dies ~ Notables 1 Die

Christmas Card Challenges #6

The challenge this week at Christmas Card Challenges is to CASE (copy and share everything) another DT member's card. 

I CASE'd our Team Coordinator's card from August 17th. Ever since Alanna posted her card, I've been wanting to do one very similar.  I just loved the clean and simple design to her card.

Now, I don't have the fancy embossing folder that she used, so I had to get a bit creative. But, overall, there's a bit of similarity to the two cards.

To get the "blank" areas on my card, I used several shims so certain areas would emboss and other areas wouldn't. Then I used a circle and rectangle die to create the embossed lines. Next I used the ornament die to emboss the image of the ornament onto the cardstock. I forgot to take pictures along the way, but I was able to snap one picture of the process.



A lot of steps . . . it might have been easier to just find and buy the embossing folder she used, but I'm happy with the way it turned out.



I really liked the Merry Christmas Die and Stamp set she used, so I bought it several months ago. That made it a bit easier to CASE her card, even though I changed the greeting.  I stamped "Christmas" and die cut "Merry" to switch it up a bit.

Whose card will you CASE?  Check out what the Design Team created this week (click here).  Hopefully we'll inspire you to "Copy and Share" one of our cards.

Here's what I used to create my card:

White Cardstock

Darice Wire Fence Embossing Folder

Memory Box Ornament Die

Die-namics Circle and Rectangle Dies

Simon Says Christmas Die & Stamp Set

Stampin' Up! Cherry Cobbler Ink and Cardstock

Doodle Pantry New Releases

You may have noticed that my January Doodle Pantry post is today rather than on the 1st.  

Beginning this month, Doodle Pantry is changing their New Products Release Day. Instead of releasing all the new products on the first of the month, there will be 2-5 new products released every Tuesday for the first four Tuesday's of the month.  And if you shop on a Tuesday, the products released on that day will be marked 25% off . . . but only for that day !

One other change . . . the Monthly Challenge as you know it has changed. The new challenge is now called Ants in My Pantry Digital Challenge (AIMPDC).  Monthly challenges will start on the first Tuesday of each month and run for 2-1/2 weeks. Winners will be announced on the 4th Monday of the month.

Anyone can enter, anyone can win . . . even our friends in the EU. So check back after 12 noon EST (click here) for January's Theme and more details on the new monthly AIMPDC. 

Now onto the new products and my card (finally . . . right ? LOL)

This digital set is called Moo Birdie.  The pre-colored digi image is great by itself, but I added clouds to the background ~ in lieu of coloring the digi {smile}.  I also used one of the digi papers (blue & black mini polka dots) and a sentiment from the set.

I added some "grass" as my "ribbon."  A few black plastic rhinestones accent the corners ~ they're not pearls and they don't sparkle, but they have facets so I guess they can be called "rhinestones."

I tried to carry the "theme" to the inside also; adding clouds to the top and grass to the bottom.  The inside sentiment is computer generated because . . . well, it was in my "box of stuff" that I'm trying to eliminate this year, so every card I make has to include one piece/element from this box.

Moo Birdie includes several sentiments, papers and image styles (line art, pre-colored with soft "cow" body outline and pre-colored with black "cow" body outline) all in jpeg and png files. I used the pre-colored soft "cow" body outline for my card. You can check out the Moo Birdie set and all the other sets released today by clicking here.

Christmas Card Challenges #5

Our Challenge to you this week at Christmas Card Challenges is a Color Challenge ~ Winter Wool

These were such soft colors to play with. I had made a card a while ago using similar colors at a friends house, although that card was not a Christmas Card.  So, I CASE'd (Copy & Share Everything) Gerri Kowalski's card (shown at the end of this post) to create my Christmas Card version.

Double off-set stamping, heat embossing and a bit of sponging helped to create the focal point of this card.

Not my typical Christmas card colors, but I love the elegance and softness of this card. I might use these colors more often.

Stop by the Christmas Card Challenges blog to see what the other DT members created. We all love it when you stop by and let us know what you think.

Alanna  Carol  Donna  Gail  Jessica  JoAnn  Lisa

Margo  Marsha  Monica  Shirley Anne  Tenia

The card below is the card I made at Gerri Kowalski's house a couple years ago. I've been wanting to CASE it and finally had the chance to do so. Thanks for the inspiration Gerri.

Products used: Watercolor Winter Stamp set and Embossing Folder by Stampin' Up!

Doodle Pantry + Send A Smile For Kids

Doodle Pantry is sponsoring Send A Smile For Kids Challenge. Their theme for the next two weeks is Valentine/Love.

I was more than happy to get away from Christmas cards for awhile, so I had to play along. Also, who doesn't just love making cards for children, right??

I used the chicks from Doodle Pantry's Spring Critters set (pre-colored, but I went over the colors with Copics ~ ok, I'm not sure this really does anything to the image, especially if I use a color very close to the printed color; but it makes me "feel" like I'm coloring . . . so I'll continue doing this LOL)

I used the heart from Calendar Mini's, but I digitally removed just one heart because I didn't like the way the two hearts looked with the chicks.  Thank goodness Laurie, the Doodle Pantry genius, also includes png files so you can combine multiple images to create one image (below).

The sentiment is computer-generated and I did color this one on my own using Copics (RV10, RV11 & RV13)

Stop by Send A Smile For Kids Challenge and play along. What child wouldn't just love to receive a beautiful Valentine's Day or I Love You card this year?

And while you're at it, stop by the Doodle Pantry store to pick up several really cute digital sets for those "children" in your life.

  

Side Note: In 2015, the Doodle Pantry Challenges will start the first Tuesday of each month ~ so hop over to the Doodle Pantry Challenge Blog in a few days to join in the fun (Tuesday, January 6).