Day 30! Whew! I made all 30 cards!

The final theme for Day 30 of Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards is Do What You Love.   So I made a cup of nice hot tea.  Then I thought about all the different parts of card making that I love.  The digis and stamps, the wonderful papers available, coloring,  fussycutting (yes, I love doing that),  iris folding, origami folding, embossing, the bling....  But what I love most is discovering a new card fold and creating one myself.  Beccy has a wonderful list of card folds on her blog.  That's how I first discovered her wonderful blog.  Splitcoast Stampers is another great resource for unique project and card fold tutorials, which is where I found instructions for this Layered Window Frame Card.

 I used CTMH paper, stamps, glitter gel and gems, with silver holly Dazzles on the side panels.

 

Thanks, Beccy, for a fun month of challenges and that extra push to get my cards finished.  Time to get out the address book and get these Christmas cards in the mail!

I am submitting this card to the following challenges:

Hiding in My Craft Room Challenge #176 - Freestyle!  (making different card folds is my favorite style)

Little Claire's Monthly Challenge #51 - Shaped Cards

Polkadoodles Challenge Week 58 - Nordic Christmas

Creative Knockouts Challenge #65 - All that Glitters

Scrapbooker Phd Challenge # 17- Shaped or Folded Cards

Take Heart Ideas December Challenge - Anything Goes with CTMH

Heart 2 Heart Challenge - No Rules

 

Christmas Baubles

Does it look like I stamped that blue ornament upside down?  Well, I was hoping to use this as a masculine card.  No offensive intended to any male crafters reading this, but I don't think most guys would notice.   This quick and simple card is my entry for Day 25 of Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards Challenge. 

Papers are from Bo Bunny and the stamps are all CTMH.

Other Challenges Include:

Brown Sugar Challenge #122 - Anything Goes

Completely Christhas Challenge #40 - Anything Goes + Something beginning with "s" (snowflakes & stamping)

Crafty Catz Challenge - Anything Goes

Speed Craft Challenge #7 - Anything Goes (I had this done in 12 minutes, so I had some extra time for some sponging.)

Next on today's agenda.... Cooking off the turkey carcass and getting the rest of the turkey leftovers packed up for the freezer.  First, I think I'll have a little sandwich!

I Like Your Style

Today I've created a card in the style of America, who makes wonderful House Mouse Cards.  I've been a fan of these little rodents and America's cards since I began making cards myself.  Consequently, Cards by America, was one of the first blogs I began to follow.   So for Day 26 of Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards, to America I'd like to say "I like your style."  by making a House Mouse Card.  America's cards are usually a little busy, so I've tried to add several elements to this card with the chipboard snowflake & plastic candy cane, punched edge with ribbon laced through and some cross-stitching, stickers down the side and at the bottom, and a heavy coat of liquid glass on the nail polish bottle to make it look shiny.

I'll also be submitting this card to the House Mouse and Friends Monday Challenge #183 - Add a Little Sparkle.

 

Die Cut Delirium

Cards using die cuts always catch my eye.  Some of the dies are so wonderfully intricate!  I've only managed to purchase a few dies, but I just happen to have this wreath die on loan from a friend.

If you look very closely, you might be able to see the holly leaves that I traced through the die openings.  Unfortunately, after I embossed the wreath for a bit of texture, the leaves don't show up as well.  The stamp die and EF came with my cuttlebug.  The little bow is from Tattered Lace.  And the rest of the dies are Spellbinders.  I used a corner punch to round the corners.  The sentiment is a CTMH stamp.

Die Cut Delirium is the theme for the 29th day of Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards Challenge.   I have 2 more cards to post and then I will have made and posted 29 cards total.  I'm curious to see Beccy's final post, later today, and the theme for the final day of this month long challenge.

Aditional Challenges for this card: 

4 Crafty Chicks Challenge #222- Die Cuts
Winter Wonderland Challenge - Dies and Punches 

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge #287 - Christmas Present 

Cut It Up Challenge #59 - Non-traditional Charistmas Card (technically, because the card has not corners, it is not considered a rectangle so I hope it fits your challenge requirements)

Completely Christmas Challenge #40 - Anything Goes + something beginning with an "s". 

 (Santa sticker on the stamp)

Traditional Christmas Card

Here's my idea of a traditional Christmas card...  winter birds, snow, a nativity scene, a lovely sentiment, and definitely 

Merry Christmas.

 

This card was made for Day 8 of Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards Challenge.

An Easel Card from Crafts u Print

How nice of Beccy to choose the theme, Construct a Card, for a day when most of my craft things are tucked away.  To make this card, all I needed to find was my scissors, foam tape, a black dauber, and tape runner.

 

This card is for Beccy's Place a Month of Holiday Cards Challenge.

The next thing I need to construct is dinner, always a difficult decision the day after Thanksgiving.  I think I'll ponder that while I post one more card.

Embossed Deer Card

Yesterday I was just too busy with Thanksgiving cooking, eating, and cleaning up to post on my blog.  I imagine a lot of you were doing the same.  Today is the infamous Black Friday Shopping Day in the US.  (Do other countries have Black Friday Sales?  I'd be interested to know. )  I only ventured to 2 stores for BF Specials,  the farm store for bird seed and suet cakes, and the craft store for a special gift for my grandson.  But I did not go at the crack of dawn.  I waited until lunchtime. The stores were busy but the crowds manageable.  

With Pennsylvania Deer Season set to start on Monday, I thought I'd use this card for Day 27's theme, Create Something Regional, at Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards Challenge.  

There are 2 deer, a doe and fawn, that we see regularly in our neighborhood.  Monday, when we were watching our grandsons, we spotted the fawn out near the street.  The doe was back further in a yard, with her ears at attention, cautiously looking back and forth.   Nick was out throwing a baseball against the side of our house, out of sight of the deer, and she could hear it.  It wasn't until after he stopped, because he had spotted the deer, that she advanced to the street and she and the fawn crossed.  They are beautiful animals. 

The deer and tree stamps, as well as the embossing folder, were freebies from a magazine.  The die cut is Spellbinders, and Merry Christmas is CTMH.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Brown Sugar Challenge #122 - Anything Goes

Crafty Catz Challenge - Anything Goes

Fussy and Fancy Challenge #128 - Happy Holidays

The Stamping Boutique Challenge - Sparkle

Shopping Our Stash Challenge #179 - Free is Good (stamps and EF)

DRS Designs Challenge #150 - I Pine For You

Time Out Challenge #19 - Embossing + optional Sparkle

White on White Christmas

Here is my White on White Christmas card for Day 12 of Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards Challenge.

I've used dry embossing, heat embossing on the CTMH sentiment, corner rounding, a die cut, single pearl, ribbon and several layers for this card. 

I've also submitted this card to:

Simply Create Too Challenge #75 - Snow! Snow! Snow! or all White

Sister Act Card Challenge #85 - Anything Goes

Winter Wonderland Challenge - Dies and Punches (snowflake die + corner punch)

Addicted to Stamps Challenge #123 - Holiday

Fab & Funky Challenge #239 - Anything Goes with Die Cuts

Shades of White

When the theme for Day # 20, Shades of White, was revealed at Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards,  I wasn't exactly thrilled. 

 I had skipped over Day #13, because the theme was White on White and kind of difficult for me.   But I told Beccy I'd put on my big girl panties and give both challenges a go, 

even though she was really stretching the elastic.    

This is the card I  designed for the Shades of White challenge.  

I used 2 embossing folders, top and bottom, that I recently received free with one of my magazines.  The ornament and the glitter layer were cricut cuts from the CTMH Artiste cartridge.  The flower was handmade following a tutorial I found online and using some CTMH sassy strands.   That's ribbon across the center of the card and tiny pearls as berries and accents in the embossing at the bottom.   

I am also entering this card in:

A Song in Your He{ART} Challenge #21 - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Crafty Creations Challenge #277 - Embossing 

Shopping Our Stash Challenge #179 - Free is Good (embossing folders)

Perfectly Rustic Design Challenge #36 - Embossing

Next Post I'll show you the White on White card I made.

 

 

Shades of Green

It is snowing like crazy here in SE Pennsylvania right now, has been since about 10am, and it's not supposed to stop for a while.  I took a small break between dusting and vacuuming for a bowl of soup and this quick blog post.

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Using 3 shades of green ink, 1st and 2nd generation stamping, and a leaf stamp from CTMH, I've created a wreath on this card for the Foliage Stamps Theme on Day #22 of Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards challenge.  The little bow is a tattered lace die cut, on which I just had to splurge.  I used the larger bow on the bag tags shown here. A corner punch fancied up the corners a little bit.  

The wreath make a festive border for the JOY stamp, 

which is also CTMH.

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I'll also enter this in the following:
Crafty Sentiments Challenge - Use Die Cuts
Sweet Stamps Challenge #197 - Bordered Sentiments
Crafting When We Can Challenge # 83 - Clean and Simple

I'll probably return later, while the apple pies are baking and the kitchen is nice and warm and smelling yummy!

2 Cute Ink Easel Card

The easel card (the theme for Day 3 at Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Stamps Challenge) features a combination of a 2 Cute Ink digi image and a CTMH stamp.  

I've really taken Beccy's challenge quite seriously, as you have probably surmised.  I'm only 5 cards behind. 

They're doing things differently at Beccy's Place.

That's because 'Do It Differently' is the theme for Day 23 of Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards Challenge.  I decided to use the sleigh runner stamp from a CTMH stamp set to fancy up a tree stamp from the same set.  First I stamped the sleigh with the runner to show you the intended use of the stamp.  Then I used the same stamp on the side of the tree.  I decided they looked pretty nice together, so popped both on the same card....

Unfortunately, I couldn't reverse the stamp to use it on both sides of the tree. 

Getting Ready

The table's ready for its leafs. 

The carpet's ready for a sweep.

My crafting things have moved upstairs.  

It's time to dust the extra chairs.

I'm very thankful for those I hold dear

and that turkey day is but once a year!

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Before I banished all my cardmaking things to the guest room,

 I made this card for the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge # 83.

(The DP and sentiment are CTMH products.)

I've added a Touch of Gold for 

Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards Challenge, Day 24.

I am also submitting this card to:

Through the Craft Room Door Nov 25-Dec1 Challenge - Anything Goes

Eureka Stamps Challenge #116 - Non-traditional Christmas Colors (To me, this mix of soft colors with the olive green, butter yellow, pink and teal is non-traditional.  I hope you agree.)

Ooh La La Creations Challenge #170 - Christmas

The Pink Elephant Challenge #278 - Anything Goes

Through the Purple Haze Challenge - Anything Goes

Addicted to Stamps Challenge #92 - Lots of layers

Extend Your Stamps

Day 15's challenge theme at Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards was Extend Your Stamps.  Here's my attempt at doing that.

The stamped edging around the layers of the card above was created with second generation stamping and the CTMH stamp shown below:

Today's post + CTMH Workshop 11/24/14

For some reason, I'm having a hard time getting this post started.  So today you get no catchy title, words of wisdom, or little stories.  I do have a Mojo Monday Tall and Skinny card to show you, a card for Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards and the cards we made at Joyce's CTMH workshop this afternoon.  

First, the Mojo Monday Card following sketch # 373.

(Papers by Bo Bunny; sentiment CTMH)

Second, the card for 

Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards 

Day 2 - Poinsettias

(Poinsettia stamp is Sparkle N Sprinkle; Sentiment stamp is CTMH.)

And third, the cards from Joyce's CTMH Card Workshop this afternoon.  

Vintage Christmas

After getting a late start, I'm slowly but surely catching up at Beccy's Place.  At the same time, my pile of Christmas cards is growing and I'll soon have enough for this year.

Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards Challenge Theme for Day 7 is Vintage.  I dug through the pile of DP in my Christmas Stash and found this vintage style paper, punched 2 of the 4 corners, added several pieces of lace, one stitched with red embroibery floss, some CTMH snowflake brads, and a CTMH stamp directly on the DP. 

Besides Beccy's Challenge, I am entering this card in the following:
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #204 - Getting Ready for Christmas (The children are gathering greens for decorating.)
Hiding in My Craft Room Challenge #175 - Any Holiday (Christmas)
Treasured Times Rubber Stamps Challenge #29 - Anything Goes
We Do Doobadoo Challenge #19  - Christmas
Crafty Hazelnut's Challenge Extra for November - Christmas
Crafty Hazelnut's November Patterned Paper Challenge
A Creative Romance Challenge - Something Old (The seam lace used for the bow is at least 20 years old, that's how long it's been since I made any clothing myself.  I have nice supply of it in all different colors, which I recently found during a rare closet clean out.)
Christmas Stampin All Year Long Challenge - Anything Goes with a twist
Winter Wonderland Challenge - Let's Get Sentimental

O Christmas Tree

Both of these cards have a stamped 

CTMH Christmas Tree  as the focal point.

 

I am entering this second card in the following challenges:
Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards - Day 9 - Embossing
Take Heart Ideas November Challenge - Anything Goes with at least 1 CTMH product
Heart 2 Heart Challenge - No Embellishments

Simple Christmas

This is a very simple Christmas card thanks to a great piece of DP and this month's From the Heart Angel Joy digi stamp set.  I loved the colors of this paper, purple into aqua blue.  The bottom sentiment is a CTMH stamp in daisy white ink. 

I am entering this in:

From the Heart November Challenge

Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards Challenge Day 17 - Simple Christmas

Bearly Mine November Challenge - Christmas Cards

Emerald Faeries Challenge #61 - Non traditional Christmas Colors

The Stamping Boutique Challenge - Christmas Cards with Non traditional colors

Check out the cute hood/scarf combination I just finished for my granddaughter.  She picked out the yarn.  It's so soft and warm! 

Now she wants me to make one for little Laila who immediately pulls her hats right off!

I am entering this in Try it on Tuesdays Handmade/Homemade Challenge and All Crafts Oct/Nov Anything Goes but Cards Challenge.

Gift Card Holder

A similar version of this Santa Suit gift card holder was originally featured in Better Homes and Gardens.  I discovered it on Pinterest.  The tag is this month's digital image from Digi Stamps 4 Joy Christmas Challenge.

Holder when closed

Here's where the gift card goes.

Attached tag. Colored with markers with glitter on the star.

I am submitting this to the following challenges:
Digi Stamps 4 Joy SA November Christmas Challenge - Tags
Beccy's Place A Month of Holiday Cards Day 21 - Santa Suit
Sparkles Forum Challenge #62 - The Big Guy
Christmas Cards All Year Round November Challenge - No patterned paper

Stress or Distress?

Day 18 of Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards  suggested stamping with watercolour ink pads and moving the colour around with a damp paintbrush.  I used a water brush after stamping this poinsettia and adding some ink by swiping the ink pad across the image.  Beccy did say it would take some practice and I totally agree.  It looked awfully washed out to me so I went back and added a bit more color with marker.  I'm not all that happy with the results.  And when the paper dried it got all wavy and doesn't want to lie flat.   But I tried and will submit it to Beccy's challenge. Maybe I'll go back and try to blend those lines just a bit. 

Caution! Holidays approaching quickly!

One week to Thanksgiving and only 5 weeks until Christmas, 

how did that happen?  

Today I have 2 Thanksgiving cards to show you.

For the first Thanksgiving card I've used a free digital image from 

A Day for Daisies.  I added a simple stamped sentiment, wood trinkets which I colored with markers, some twine and a small bird charm.  I embossed the kraft background paper with a houndstooth pattern so that I could enter it in the current A Day for Daisies Challenge #109 - Houndstooth

and these other fun challenges:
Daring Cardmakers Challenge - Something Old, Something New  (wood birds are old, charm is new)
Sweet Pea Stampers Challenge - Thanksgiving
Paper Pretties Wednesday Challenge - Thanksgiving/Thankful
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Thanks/Thanksgiving
Shopping Our Stash Challenge #178 - Thankful/Thanksgiving

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The inside of the second card reads 

" Sure will moose you on Thanksgiving!"

I've used the precolored digital image and sentiment from Deedee's Digi of the Month Set, Mix it up! And I'll be entering this in the Deedee's November Progressive Challenge. 

 I kept this free of embellishments so it would have a more masculine feel. 

I'll also be entering this card in these challenges:

Card Mania Challenge #60 - Use a digi

Melonheadz Friends Challenge - Add a Sentiment 

Sister Act Card Challenge #83 - Anything Goes

Penny's Challenge #204 - Anything Goes

Kraftin Kimmie Wonderful Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes 

A Crafty Mess Challenge #1 - Anything Goes
 

Inspiration

Inspired by a card on Pinterest by made by Stampin Mary, I used the fussy cut colored ants on bells image from Doodle Pantry on the top of this card and the DP sentiment on the bottom.  DP and black glitter trim are CTMH.  Another quick card and post as I'm headed to the hairdresser for highlights and a new do.  That's why I'm making cookies.  It's good to have a happy, alert hairdresser when you're getting a new do.  These chocolate, chocolate chip cookies should take care of both.  

I am submitting this card to:
Beccy's Place - Month of Holiday Cards Day 19 - Get Inspired
Doodle Pantry November Challenge #52 - Any digi goes

The next question is.... Do I send this card to one of my aunts? or to one of my nieces or nephews from their aunt?  This might be a good one for little Ronin, my grand-niece, who calls me Aunt Silly.

Ta, Ta -  I'm off for a new do!  Wish me luck!

Quick Christmas - White +1

While waiting for the stove repair guy (aka messenger of doom) yesterday, I made several cards as I cleaned up my crafting area.  So today, in between baking cookies, I'll post one or 2.

This card simply uses CTMH stamps and a few bling.

The stamp is all one piece.  I carefully inked the bottom in black and then the top in red.  No masking.

I'll be adding this is my other entries at Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards Challenge (Day 13 - White + 1).

Would you believe that they no longer make the replacement burner I need for my stove?  The stove is only 20 years old!  That's the last Whirlpool/Kitchen Aid appliance I buy!

Stage Card

My latest issue of Quick Cards Magazine featured stage cards.  They are kind of like a center step card but a little different with a valley fold in the middle.   I used the free papers from the magazine to make this card:

I always like to emboss the magazine papers because they are rather thin and I like the added texture.  I used Spellbinders scalloped circle dies to make the stage opening and backgrounds for the sentiment and a border punch for the red strip across the bottom. The sentiment and holly leaves are Sparkle N Sprinkle stamps.  I added super fine glitter to the berries and leaves, teeny tiny bling in the border and on the sentiment, a poinsettia brad from CTMH, and a triple loop bow. 

I am entering this in the following challenges:

Beccy's Place a Month of Challenges - Day 11 - Border Punch

Sparkle N Sprinkle November Challenge - Anything goes with glitter, flocking, or embossing powder 

Aud Sentiments Challenge #120 - Use a sentiment for any December holiday 

Creative Knockouts #64 - Bling is the Thing 

Scrapbooker Phd Challenge #17 - Shaped or Folded Cards 

Scrappy Land Challenge #6 - Texture + Dies 

Another Sketch and Red Hat Class 11/17/14

Today my car is in the shop having 2 recalls fixed.  So I'm home waiting for a repairman to come replace one of the burners on my stove.  Thanksgiving is next week and I need every burner in working order.  This is the 4th appliance repairman I've called.  The other 3 said they'd call me with a day and time and then didn't.  I may have to go digging for the little 2 burner electric stove I purchased 20 years ago (just to get me through while I was having the kitchen redone).  That means the stove is 20 years old.  No wonder the burner stopped working.  That's the one that always heated my tea kettle so it's had plenty of use in those 20 years.  

Besides, it's down right frigid outside!  I have plenty of things to do inside where it is warm, i.e. make a few more Christmas Cards....

(Papers are Martha Stewart; Sentiment is CTMH)

The sketch I've used today is from

 Tuesday Morning Sketches #276.

This red, white, and blue card is for Day #4 of Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards Challenge.
This would be perfect for the current 
Love to Scrap Challenge, Say It In Color, 
since I've stamped the sentiment in red.  Too bad I'm on the DT and can't enter. 
The snowflake button makes it eligible for the 
Stamps + Fun = Creativity Challenge # 225 - Buttons and also Sentimental Sunday Challenge # 68- Brads, Buttons and/or Bows.
I've tied a twine bow in the button for the 
Through the Purple Haze Challenge #68 - Use Lace, Ribbon or Twine.

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Here are the red hat cards I decided upon for the class I taught on Monday.

And here are the bags containing the card kits for the class that I made up for each of the gals.

Stella Says Sketch Challenge + CTMH Card Workshop 11/18

Starting with a sketch makes cardmaking so much easier.  Today I'm using Sketch #219 from the Stella Says Sketch Challenge at Catch the Bug Challenge Blog and a Christmas Mouse Ornaments digi from Bugaboo Stamps.

I used paper scraps from 4 different patterned papers, haphazardly cut into pieces, glued together, and then embossed with a tree pattern (You have to look closely and maybe squint a little bit to see it.)  so I could also enter this in the Month of Holiday Cards Challenge at Beccy's Place.

I am entering this card in these great challenges:

Catch the Bug Stella Says Sketch Challenge #219

 

Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards Challenge - Day 16 - Scrap Happy 

Clear It Out Challenge - Anything Goes/Anything Goes from your stash (Actually, everything came straight from my stash today.)

Crafty Sentiments Designs Challenge - 2 or more patterned papers (I've used 5.) 

Through The Craft Room Door Challenge Nov 18-24 - Always Anything Goes

Cutie Pie Challenge #81 - Festive Furry Friends

Love to Create Challenge #142 - Make it for Christmas 

Glitter N Sparkle Challenge #111 - Cute

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Here are the cards I made at Joyce's CTMH Card Workshop this afternoon:

I might be adding some glitter and a bit more bling to a couple of these.