Bottlebrush Christmas Trees

 

Bottlebrush Christmas trees are a favorite decoration of mine. though these stamps are the only ones I own. They have been in my Christmas NBUS pile for a long time, and last year when Simon Says Stamp came out with the dies for them I HAD to have them. Well, this is their debut. In looking for inspiration for using them, I ran across THIS video, and CASE'd Nichol Spohr's second card. She colored her trees with blended Distress Oxide inks. I used Distress Watercolor Pencils. I used a different cover plate and a foiled sentiment. I just love the way it turned out.

Project Details
Stamps/Dies	Pinkfresh Studio Stitched Christmas Star Cover plate Spellbinders Mini Christmas Sentiments Simon Says Stamp Bottle Brush Trees Wafer Dies
Cardstock	110lb. Neenah Solar Crest 80lb. Neenah Solar Crest
Ink	Distress Watercolor Pencils Copic Opaque White Brushed Pewter Distress Mica Spray
Embellishments
Other	Spellbinders Platinum Plus Scor-Pal Score Board Fiskars 12" SureCut Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer MISTI Stamping Tool My Sweet Petunia Precision Glue Press Spellbinders White Foam Adhesive Squares

I'm playing at:

NBUS #69

Bottlebrush Stamps and Dies

Allsorts Challenge Week 812_3 - Use Your Dies

52 Christmas Card Throwdown

June 2024 Theme - Winter Wonderland

Double D Challenges - Christmas Trees

Happy Christmas!

It's time for a new challenge at Time Out! Time Out #278 opens today and runs through December 18th. This time it is a Photo Inspiration Challenge in celebration of December Holidays around the world. You can use all or anything from the photo, or you can create something that depicts any holiday that you celebrate at this time of year. Please tell us about your holiday in your post if it is not obvious in the your project.

Challenge #278

Here is an enlargement of the photo so that you can see the detail.

We are generously sponsored by Gina K. Designs with a $25.00 store credit as a prize for our challenge winner as chosen by our Design Team. Our challenge winner will also get an invitation to design with us for a future challenge.

We are joined by Verena Shapiro of simple_stamper on Instagram. Check out her fabulous Challenge Card on the Time Out Challenges Blog.

Mine is a Christmas Card in non traditional colors inspired by the Color Hues colors for December.

I used some NBUS here - the background stencil, word die, and my new Gina K. Fuse Foiling System to foil my Sentiment Strip. I am loving my Fuse!

 Please head on over to the Time Out Challenge Blog where you can see what Verena and the rest of the Design Team has created for your inspiration. Come play with us!

 

Project Details
Stamps/Dies	CZ Design Happy Christmas Dies Avery Elle Scalloped Pierced Rectangles
Cardstock	110lb. Neenah Solar Crest 80lb. Neenah Solar Crest SU Elegant Eggplant SSS Matte Silver Cardstock
Ink	DOX Inks: Shaded Lilac, Milled Lavender, Wilted Violet, Dusty Concord, Tumbled Glass, Broken China, Mermaid Lagoon Lisa Horton Solid Gold Metallic Ink
Embellishments	Little Things by Lucy's Cards Deco Foil Transfer Sheets - Lilac
Other	Gina K. Fuse Foiling System CZ Design Reversed Christmas Sentiment Strips Spellbinders Platinum Plus Scor-Pal Score Board Fiskars 12" SureCut Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer My Sweet Petunia Precision Glue Press Scor-Pal Score Tape-1/8" Waffle Flower 1/16" Foam Strips

I'm also playing at:

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #93

If It's Christmassy, Link It up

NBUS #69

Stencil, Sentiment Die, Fuse Foil System

Tic Tac Toe Challenge #261

Vertical Center Row

Poppystamps December Challenge - Anything But A Card

December has arrived, and I am thrilled to be guest designing for Poppystamps Monthly Challenge. The theme for December is "Anything But A Card". 

This one really took me out of my comfort zone, which I love. I started thinking about seasonal traditions as I was growing up. My mother had a magic about her that just made everything so special in a warm, wonderful and deeply loving way. She was creative in all things and she was a talented cook.  All holiday dinners were hosted by my family of 6, and our regulr guests for many years were My Aunt Gina and Uncle Pat. Oh how I loved them and miss them still. My sisters and I always had specific jobs in preparation of a feast like polishing the silverware, making the cornucopia, setting the table, making place cards... We certainly didn't need them, but they were always made. That was my job (much preferred to the silverware polishing), and to this day, I always make place cards for holiday dinners. So I took it a little further and decided to make little treat bags for each place at our Christmas table, and my project for this challenge was born.

I found directions on YouTube for making these adorable little bags from a 6x6 sheet of paper. Easy peasy. I used the gorgeous Memory Box Poinsettia Garland 6x6 Paper for the bags and some of the "clothing items" for snowman, bear and gnome. I dressed them all up in patterned paper and Copic colored "outfits" and placed them on Spellbinders Nestabilities die cut white ovals framed in gold. I put candies in the treat bags, then closed the up with SU ribbon. I popped the ovals up using foam tape on the outer edges of the ovals. Instead of putting names on the bags, I stamped and die cut various sentiments from Poppystamps Holiday Banners stamps and dies, popping them up with foam tape.

Please head on over to the Poppystamps Blog for all of the challenge details and to see what the incredibly talented Design Team has created for your inspiration! Come join us in the gallery. A winner will be chosen at random to win a $20 Gift Certificate to spend in the store!

Huge thanks to Lisa Elton for selecting me to guest design for this challenge, and to Jeanne Jachna for having me. What a wonderfully special way for me to start December.

Project Details
Stamps/Dies	Poppystamps Holiday Banners Stamps & Dies,  Nordic Dancing Gnome, Nordic Happy  Snowman, Nordic Bundled Bear
Cardstock	Memory Box Poinsettia Garland 6x6 Paper 80# Neenah Solar Crest Simon Says Stamp Matte Gold Cardstock Various SU Colored Cardstock Scraps
Ink	Copic Markers
Embellishments	Various SU 3/8" Doublestitched Ribbon (retired)
Other	Spellbinders Platinum Plus Scor-Pal Score Board Fiskars 12" SureCut Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer MISTI Stamping Tool My Sweet Petunia Precision Glue Press Scor-Pal Score Tape-1/4" 3M foam tape

Rudolph Says Hello

 

There's a new Challenge up at Just Us Girls where it is Moodboard Week. Carol Mc is our lovely host and she has a fabulous moodboard for our inspiration with lots of wonderful images for us to choose from. Jenn Borjeson of StampinAngelJenn continues with us as our Guest Designer for the month of November. You can view her wonderful card by visiting the Just Us Girls Challenge Blog. Do check out her project and leave her some love.

Here is an enlargement of the moodboard to give you a better view of the details.

On the very bottom right, there are 2 little bears posing as reindeer with their little antler headbands (right??). That brought the Reindeer Shaker Die Set from The Stamp Market to mind and I went with that for my card. I love his glittery antlers and nose and the snowy background. The SSS and CZ Design Sentiment Strips have some fabulous sentiments and I was so happy to run across this one which was so perfect for my card. Oh what fun!!!!

Please head on over to the Just Us Girls Challenge Blog and check out the wonderful inspiration Jenn and the Design Team came up with. I can't wait to see how you were inspired by our word this week. Come play with us! See you in the gallery!

Project Details
Stamps/Dies	Pink & Main Sentiment Strip Dies The Stamp Market Reindeer Shaker Essentials By Ellen Twirling Flurries
Cardstock	110lb. Neenah Solar Crest 80lb. Neenah Solar Crest PTI Kraft SU Close to Cocoa American Crafts Glitter Paper
Ink
Embellishments	Little Things Winter Mint Sequin Mix
Other	CZ Designs Reverse Christmas Sentiment Strips Gina K. Fuse Foil System Gina K Radiant Red Fancy Foil Spellbinders Platinum Plus Scor-Pal Score Board Fiskars 12" SureCut Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer My Sweet Petunia Precision Glue Press Scor-Pal Score Tape-1" & 1/8" Waffle Flower 1/16" Foam Strips

I'm also playing at:

 Christmas Crafts All Year Long November - Reindeer, Deer or Moose

Die Cut Divas November Challenge - Any Holiday of the Year

Christmas

NBUS Challenge #68

The Stamp Market Reindeer Shaker
Essentials By Ellen Twirling Flurries

I Like Your Vintage

 

There's a new challenge up at Time Out. It's an Inspired By Words Challenge where we are challenged to be create a card inspired by this quote: "There truly is not an occasion that is not improves by wearing something festive".

We are sponsored by Top Flight Stamps with a $25.00 store credit for our challenge winner as chosen by our Design Team, and who will also be invited to guest design with us for a future challenge.

We welcome Tenia Nelson of Jazay Paper Designs, and winner of Time Out Challenge #272. You can chcek out her Challenge card on the Time Out Challenge Blog. Check out Tenia's blog for some fabulous inspiration.

I recently procured Altenew's Enchanted Beginnings Embossing Folder and Stencil Set. This was a must use for this challenge. When looking for ideas I ran across Therese Calvird's post HERE. It blew me away and I had to CASE it. I struggled for what seemed hours looking for the perfect sentiment. Then I finally found it - a CZ Designs sentiment strip! I LOVE the way it turned out. Thanks to Therese!!!!

 Please head on over to the Time Out Challenge Blog where you can see what Tenia and the rest of the Design Team has created for your inspiration. Come play with us!

Project Details
Stamps/Dies
Cardstock	110lb. Neenah Solar Crest 80lb. Neenah Solar Crest
Ink	DO Inks-Tattered Rose, Saltwater Taffy Copic markers
Embellishments	Hero Arts Gemstones SU Gold Elastic Cord Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush
Other	Altenew Tranquility Rose Layering Stencils Altenew Enchanted Beginnings EF & Layering Stencils SSS Dibble Tile EF Spellbinders Platinum Plus Scor-Pal Score Board Fiskars 12" SureCut Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer MISTI Stamping Tool My Sweet Petunia Precision Glue Press Scor-Pal Score Tape-1" 3M foam tape

I'm also playing at:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Emboss It

NBUS Challenge #68

Altenew Enchanted Beginnings EF & Layering
Stencils

Joy To The World

There's a new Challenge up at Just Us Girls where it is Word Week. Sue is our lovely host and she has chosen the word "JOY" to inspire our creations. Jenn Borjeson of StampinAngelJenn continues with us as our Guest Designer for the month of November. You can view her wonderful card by visiting the Just Us Girls Challenge Blog.

My original idea for my card changed drastically between my first thought of using this wonderful Joy die and where I eventually went with it. I love the look of the holographic paper behind this wonderful cover plate. The glitter on the white paper is super fine, and it looks like fresh snowfall. I love the blue mirror card for the Joy die cut too. I must say, I am very happy with this one!

Here's a photo that catches the holographic effect a bit better...

Please head on over to the Just Us Girls Challenge Blog and check out the wonderful inspiration Jenn and the Design Team came up with. I can't wait to check out the gallery to see how you were inspired by our word this week.

Project Details
Stamps/Dies	The Greetery Opposites Attract Holiday The Greetery Abundant Joy Poppystamps Scandinavian Snowflake Plate
Cardstock	110lb. Neenah Solar Crest 80lb. Neenah Solar Crest Bazil 40# White Vellum SSS Holographic Cardstock Recollections Inkjet Printable Glitter Paper DCWR Foiled Cardstock
Ink	VersaMark
Embellishments
Other	Ranger Silver Embossing Powder WOW Dual Speed Heat Tool Spellbinders Platinum Plus Scor-Pal Score Board Fiskars 12" SureCut Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer MISTI Stamping Tool My Sweet Petunia Precision Glue Press Scor-Pal Score Tape Waffle Flower 1/16 Foam Strips

I'm also playing at:

Krafty Chicks #742 - Christmas

Inkspirational #328 - Layer It

NBUS #68

Poppystamps Scandinavian Snowflake Plate

Allsorts Challenge #806 - Christmas

Die Cut Divas - Any Holiday of the Year

Little Red Wagon #782 - Wintertime

Baubles Of Joy

 

There's a new Challenge up at Just Us Girls where it is Color Week. Carol is our lovely host and she has chosen 3 wonderful colors for us to work with: Gold, White and Blue. It is also a new month and we welcome Jenn Borjeson of StampinAngelJenn as our Guest Designer for the month of November. Please join us in extending a warm welcome to Jenn and leaving her some love.

I am sorely lacking in the Christmas Card department at this point in time, so I went with a Christmas theme which is perfect for these colors. I dug very deeply into my Christmas stash and decided to use these Just Rite Christmas ornaments, circa 2011, in 2 shades of blue, heat emboss the centers in gold, die cut them and pop them up in the ornament centers. I added little blue bows die cut from mirror card and hung them with gold cord among the pine branches of the embossed background. I added a gold heat embossed and die cut sentiment and my card was complete.  I really love the way it came out. 

Please head on over to the Just Us Girls Challenge Blog and check out the wonderful inspiration the Design Team came up with. Choose a card that inspires you and craft with us! I can't wait to check out the gallery to see who you've CASE'd and what you've created!

Project Details
Stamps/Dies	JustRite Deck The Halls Cling Stamps Spellbiners 2011 Heirloom Ornament      Nestabilities Dies Spellbinders Parcel & Post Christmas Decorations SU 1 3/8" Circle Punch The Greetery Opposites Attract Holiday
Cardstock	110lb. Neenah Solar Crest 80lb. Neenah Solar Crest Mirror card
Ink	VersaMark Papertrey Ink Enchanted Evening, Blueberry Sky
Embellishments
Other	Spellbinders Forevergreen EF SU Gold Elastic Cord WOW Dual Speed Heat Tool Ranger Queens Gold Embossing Powder Spellbinders Platinum Plus Scor-Pal Score Board Fiskars 12" SureCut Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer MISTI Stamping Tool My Sweet Petunia Precision Glue Press Scor-Pal Score Tape-1/4" Spellbinders Foam Squares