Home of Santa and Mrs. Claus

Few people have seen where Santa and Mrs. Claus live...high on a hill at the north pole, so I made a little scene of the place. While I still have my Greetery North Pole stamp and die sets out on my desk, I might as well make something else with it, right? This CAS card is for the Color Throwdown Challenge #CTD771 using blue, green and peach! I'm also playing along at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes.

Products I used:

The Greetery: Destination North Pole stamp and die sets

Concord and 9th: Mini ink pads in Grapefruit, Sprout, Evergreen and Aqua sky

Simon Says Stamp: Drifting Stitches Borders and Wonky Hearts dies

White glitter cardstock

Stampin' Up!: Patterned paper (snowy sky)

Twine

Foam tape

I cut two hearts, one out of white glitter cardstock and the other out of peach patterned paper. Then I die cut the sparkly heart again to be the snowy hill. I stamped and die cut the little house, trees and candy canes, decided on their placement, and stamped the sentiment. I cut a 4" x 5 1/4" card panel and wrapped twine around it a few times, then tied a double bow. I popped the completed heart-shaped scene up on foam tape on this panel and popped it up on my A2 card base also. In real life, the snow is a pretty with lots of sparkle.

I didn't give an address here so the paparazzi doesn't know exactly where Santa lives. He needs his rest. LOL. See you back here soon.

-Carol

Holiday Cheers

Couldn't wait to make a paper cocktail with all the trimmings this year and here are four of them for the Inspired By Challenge #264: Gifts. I loved the colors and graphic design in the inspiration photo which include the the cheerful colors of the lights and packages. I also included some black and white twine on one of my glasses like what is used in the photo. And the one drink has mini lights on it in the colors of the challenge! The joy of celebrating and toasting a friend, especially at this time of year, is a gift in itself! I am also sharing this card at Global Design Project GDP #422 sketch challenge.

Products I used:

MFT: Holiday Cheers stamp set, Long Stem Barware/Christmas Garnish dies

Concord and 9th: Mini ink cubes

Mini ink blending brushes

Versafine: Onyx black ink

Black and white twine

I die cut my drinks and garnishes, then ink blended each the color I wanted them to be. I assembled them, then cut a 5" x 5" card base. I die cut four light grey squares and adhered them to the card front. Last, I adhered each drink to a grey square, stamped my sentment and fussy cut it to fit on the card front. I tied a twine bow and adhered it with a glue dot!

 These drinks were a little labor intensive but as they came to life it was all worth the work!

Happy Holidays!

-Carol

Destination North Pole

I can't believe Thanksgiving is behind us! Now to concentrate on holiday decorating and tag making! But I still see some challenges that I want to enter and I do have some time right now, so here is a card for the Time Out Challenges #252 Winter/Holiday! I am also playing along at the As You See It Challenge #312 Christmas theme.

I am a big fan of The Greetery's Destination series of stamps and dies. This is my first time using my North Pole set. The street names and candy canes are my favorite elements along with excited Santa for the arrival of Christmas this year. 

Products I used:

The Greetery: Destination: North Pole stamp, stencil and die sets

My Favorite Things: Jingle All the Way stamp set (Santa)

Sugar Pea Designs: Card Front Element Builder dies (stitched asymmetrical edge die)

Copic markers

Alternew: Artist Markers

Versafine: Onyx Black ink pad

Concord and 9th: Mini ink pads

Blending brushes

Patterned paper scrap

First I stenciled, stamped and die cut using The Greetery products. Then I stamped and Copic-colored Santa. I had to fussy cut him because I "colored outside of the lines" today. LOL. 

Using the stitched asymmetrical die, I took a top-folding A2 card base and die cut the front panel. Then I die cut the other panel where I created my scene to match the card front. I adhered the stenciled panel to the card front, then added Santa dancing off the edge. Last, I added a blue snow-patterned paper to the inside of the back of the card. Santa is having a ball getting ready for Christmas at the North Pole!

I will see you back here soon while I work on (aka: play with) Christmas stamping and other preparations!

-Carol

Happy Holidays

For our last Just Us Girls Challenge of the year 2023, our theme is CAS: In a circle. I wanted to think outside of the "A2 rectangle card" and make a rocker card with a clean and simple design. It is a fun style of card because the recipient can display it on a mantle or a table/desk to enjoy it longer. Here's hoping you are in full holiday cardmaking mode or maybe done already! It is time for me to make tags!

Products I used:

Colorado Craft Company: Christmas Hats stamp set

Altenew:  Artist Markers

Simon Says Stamp: Copic Friendly white cardstock, circle dies

120 lb. Cover Smooth cardstock (heavy, for card bases)

Copic markers

Prismacolor pencils

Wink of Stella pen (hat brim and pompom)

Versafine: Onyx Black ink pad

Ranger: Distress Oxide ink pads

This was a pretty quick and simple, one-layer card to make! I die cut the first of three same-size circles, but one is cut from Copic-friendly cardstock. I stamped my cute little festive doggy image on this special cardstock. I colored in my image (including green grass to have the traditional red and green on my Christmas card), then stamped my image again on a larger Post It note. I fussy cut the image, then placed it over my colored one. I lightly ink blended a blue sky behind my image then removed the mask. Last, I added Wink of Stella to the hat brim and pom pom for holiday sparkle.  

Next, I die cut two more circles of the same size out of a sturdier white cardstock. I backed the Copic-colored one with one white circle because some ink bled through a bit. I took the third white circle and scored it across the middle to make my rocker base. Last, I adhered the the completed/colored circle in front of half of the folded one with its round edge facing downward for rocking purposes. Here is a video by the wonderful Sam Calcott explaining how to make a rocker card plus plently of really good tips to keep in mind. My card is 5" on this CAS version and will fit in a 5" x 5" envelope. You can trace a plate if you want to make a bigger one, but if you plan to put it in an envelope, keep in mind the measurements/height of your card as you make it. Also, there is room to write a personal message on the inside or back of the folded circle "base."

Be sure to play along and don't forget that it is a Clean and Simple challenge. Rules are in the challenge graphic above.

I hope your holiday season is a wonderful one!

-Carol

A Grateful Heart

On this Thanksgiving day we are grateful for many things. I am so fortunate to have this hobby that has given me friends all over the world who share a common interest. I am baking and cooking as we speak, are you? I should get back to it now but wanted to post today to wish you  are Happy Thanksgiving!

Products I used:

Spellbinders: Sky View Pies die set

Tim Holtz: Small Talk stickers

Stampin' Up!: Embossing folder, cherry patterned paper

Acetate

Twine

Silver cardstock

Enjoy your day!!!

-Carol

Be Merry Santa Chairs

I made some fall seasonal cards recently and enjoyed making the same design but in different colors. I do not usually mass produce cards, but I needed a bunch of them in a short time period, so here are just a few. 

I am playing along with two challenges with these beachy Santa chairs. When he comes to a tropical place (my area) in December, he needs to be able to hang his hat and relax a bit. I am playing along over at Inkspirational Challenges #303 where Seasonal is the prompt, and at Time Out Challenges #251 Photo Inspiration where I was inspired by the red pink, blue, teal and green in the pouch. My cards are a different way of looking at these challenges, but it is fun to play along nevertheless.

Products I used:

Simon Says Stamp: Adirondack Chair dies

The Stamp Market: Candy Cane Christmas stamp set

Lawn Fawn: Tiny Gift Box Holiday Hats dies

A variety of inks

Ink blending brushes

I may show some more of my mass production cards soon. I want to move on to making tags now for Christmas. I'll be sure to share my favorites.

Happy holiday crafting!

-Carol

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Let's be honest...cardmakers have been posting Christmas cards since September. Here is mine for our Just Us Girls Challenge Moodboard #706 for my week as hostess! Take the colors, an element or elements pictured and give it your spin. I used the colors, bows and a tree from the photos for my card.

Products I used:

Stockings: Stampin' Up! punch

Candy cane, holly, tree: Sizzix Tim Holtz Christmas Minis and Tiny Snowglobes die sets

Plaid Cover die: Pinkfresh Studio Slim Diagonal Stitched Plaid die

Twine

I know that you have seen these punched stockings every year on my blog, but the colors and details change each time. Very simple process: punch, die cut, glue, arrange, done!! I popped up the stockings on foam tape for dimension. (I used an aqua blue shade with light pink, white and red.)

Please join us for this slightly non-conventional Christmas color scheme. Lots of choices and you can still do red and green if you'd like! Can't wait to see the gallery lit up in these colors!!!!

-Carol

Giving Thanks

This card was a happy accident. I looked through my stash for something that would be fun to make, and after much thought, I got out my Destination stamp set and stencils from The Greetery. There are a few map stencils and I have only used the Destination Summer one. I took this round one out and used fall colors with it. Then I got the idea to use one of the map sections to make a pumpkin stem. It reminded me of a pumpkin I didn't buy at Hobby Lobby a couple of years ago (still think about it) that had a pie recipe on the side. If you can have a recipe on the side of a pumpkin, you can have a map home on it too, I decided. Here is my resulting card for the Just Us Girls Challenge #705 Word Week: Thanks/Thanksgiving. 

I decided to play over at the Four Seasons Fall 2023 Challenge, NBUS #56 (Never Before Used Schtuff) and Mix It Up Challenge #68 Blog as well.

Products I used:

The Greetery: Destination stamp set, Map stencils

Pretty Pink Posh: Giving Thanks stamp set (sentiment)

Ranger: Distress Oxide inks

Concord and 9th: mini ink pads

GinaK: Premium dye ink pad

Pinkfresh Studio:: Diagonal Stitched Rectangle dies

Spellbinders: Plaid Company embossing folder

I started by stenciling the map (first time using this round map stencil). Then I did two step stamping of the trees and houses before fussy cutting them. I played with the placement of them and a couple of sentiments. I stamped the All Roads sentiment across the middle of the map. Then, after adhering the images to the map, I stamped and fussy cut "Giving Thanks" into two pieces.

I embossed the plaid onto a panel of white cardstock. It reminds me of a cozy, warm sweater! Then die cut it with the diagonal stitched rectangle die. I adhered the plaid panel to my card base, then adhered the pumpkin map to the plaid panel. Then all that was left was to adhere the Giving and Thanks below the scene. I ink blended a little yellow ink on the Thanks because it is so small it seemed lost in white.

I have a confession. After writing this post, I went online and found a similar ceramic pumpkin to the one I didn't buy when I first saw it...and it arrived in a couple of days!!!

We hope you will join us this week with our Thanks/Thanksgiving challenge. It is always nice to give a host/ess a card and/or little gift.

See you in our gallery!

-Carol

From All of Us

This is only my second time using this cute Christmas stamp set and the characters still make me smile!!!! This card is for our Christmas Craft Creations November launch: Add a Hat!!

Products I used:

 

The Greetery: Curio die

Colorado Craft Company: Christmas Hats stamp set

Gerda Steiner: Santa with Letters tamp set (snowflake)

Copic markers

Altenew: Artist Markers

Versafine: Onyx Black ink

Red glitter cardstock

Shiny candy cane patterned paper

I die cut the grid out of white cardstock and took out all of the rectangles. I stamped and colored my images on each rectangle. Next, I cut a couple more frames, one white and one red glitter cardstock, and adhered/stacked the three grids together. I cut some candy cane striped patterned paper to cover the front of my A2 card base, then added my grid and the colored images to their assigned spots. Done!

We hope you will find a hat/hats to add to a Christmas card for our challenge this month! They add so much fun to the season! See you in our gallery!

-Carol

Merry Modern Quilt Top Card

Sweet Carol Mayne is our hostess this week for our Red and Green challenge at Just Us Girls! There are so many ways you can go using these colors. I wanted to CASE another use of my Concord and 9th Poinsettia Quilt Top dies that I saw on their website, and that is what you see below!

Here is the card I CASEd.

I only used the Concord and 9th Poinsettia Quilt Top dies (turning them in a new direction than on my previous cards) and a Merry die, whose company I don't remember. I added a few rhinestones and used red glitter paper for the sentiment. It took me a while to cut and arrange the patterned paper pieces in a way I was happy. (They are from a variety of brands.) I adhered them to a smaller-than-A2 panel, then popped it up onto a white, A2 card base.

Join us for this simple and festive challenge. We can't wait to see your creations in our gallery!

-Carol

Christmas Mini Album in a Box

It's time for round #2 of the new Mini Album Mania Challenge, and with the holidays approaching I decided that I would make a Christmas album to add pictures to after the holidays. 

I took an existing gift box that measures 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" and covered it with patterned paper, Then I cut three 4" x 12" strips of white cardstock and scored each at 4" and 8" to form the accordion pieces. I attached them to each other by overlapping two squares on the end of each strip, then doing alternating mountain and valley folds. I matted both sides of the accordion strip with patterned papers, then embellished what I decided would be the bottom end of the accordion that would be attached to the bottom of the box. I also embellished the top of my box with some ephemera. Can't wait to add pictures!!

Products I used:

Pinkfresh Studio: Snowglobes patterned paper, ephemera

Joann Fabrics: Blue Christmas patterned papers and gold cardstock

We hope you will join us this go around...imagine having an album ready for pictures right after the holidays!?!

Can't wait to see your creations in the gallery!

-Carol