SnowflakeMan

On Friday, instead of hitting the mall, I went to Scrapper's Cove and made a few purchases! One thing I bought was this adorable stamp from Hero Arts - Cupcake Snowman. I also had to have these sequins and adhesive crystals, also from Hero Arts. When I checked the OCCC on Saturday morning with my cup of tea, guess what the challenge was??? Well, you guessed it. It was to make something using SNOWFLAKES or SNOWMEN! Woo Hoo! My cupcake Snowman was calling me to ink 'm up!

Here is the recipe:
Stamps: Hero Arts ~ Cupcake Snowman, Sweet Serendipity.
Paper: Night of Navy, Kiwi Kiss, Real Red, Whisper White, Brushed Silver.
Ink: Black Stazon, Real Red, Kiwi Kiss, Almost Amethyst, Baja Breeze.
Accessories: Cuttlebug, Snowflake EF, Aqua Painter, Blending pen, Liquid Embroidery, DD, Snowflake Punch, MS Snowflake Border Punch, Dimensionals, Hero Arts Snowflake Sequins and Adhesive Crystals, Felt Flurries, Rhinestone Brad, and snowflake ribbon from Michaels.

Thanksgiving Place Cards

Thanksgiving is by far, my favorite holiday. It is chock full of wonderful memories, traditions, and warmth - no shopping and wrapping (well, there can be lots of grocery shopping, but I don't mind a bit!) - just gathering with family and friends to share all kinds of things. I love it! Ever since I can remember, we always made place cards for my family's Thanksgiving table. This year, we are going to my niece's house for the feast. She and her wonderful husband are hosting for the first time in their new home. They have a wonderful story, those two, and I am so happy that we are going to celebrate at their house this year. There will be 21 at the table, and of course, I wanted to make the place cards... this is what came up with.

I took my inspiration from 2 wonderful artists Nancy Riley and Amy Sheffer. I just loved THIS card that Nancy made - I needed to use those adorable pumpkins, so I lifted them directly from her creation to mine. Thanks Nancy! I saw THIS wonderful place card design on Amy's Blog, and I loved the idea of using the library clips. I love the way Amy used the clip to hold the name plate with the backing a bit tilted. That did not work for my cards, but the library clip was a great embellishment for mine. Thanks for the idea Amy!

This year has been quite a challenging one for me and for my family, but the blessings that we have far outweigh the trials. My husband and children are the loves of my life. I have a wonderful family. We have such rich traditions filled with love and beauty shared with my parents and sisters and our extended families. My dear friends, both old and new, are such gifts... they give my life such warmth, color, strength. I love my work, I love my craft... I have met such wonderful people in this SCS and blogging world and I have learned so much in this last year. I wish you a beautiful Thanksgiving filled with love, great smells, tastes, some rest... every good thing. Gotta finish my place cards and head to the feast!

For You for 2

I made this card today for two challenges: SCS Sketch Challenge SC202 and this week's OCC Challenge which is to use silhouette stamps for your project. I am so happy with the way this turned out.

Here is the recipe ~

Stamps: Fresh Cuts stamped on Vellum with Versa Mark, embossed with black embossing powder, and colored with re-inkers and a blender pen.
Paper: Basic Gray, Black, Pacific

Pointe, Kiwi Kiss, White, Vellum, Urban Garden DSP.
Ink: Versa Mark, Black.
Accessories: Small Oval Punch, Square Scallop Punch, Nestabilities, Cuttlebug & Swiss Dots EF, Rhinestone Brads, Flower Fusion, Dimensionals, Kiwi Kiss Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, Mat Pack & Piercing Tool.

Sledding!

I had it in my mind that I would be able to do all of the Verve Holiday Release Sketch Blitz challenges, but life got in the way and I only made two. I really like this one that I did for day 2. I changed it up a bit by turning it upwards and a few other things. I did not add a sentiment since the Cuttlebug folder I used had lots of words on it. I used the wonderful Felt Flurries from SU's latest mini catalog for the main embellishment. I ran the Sledding embossing folder through my Cutttlebug twice - on Baja Breeze and on white. I cut out and colored the snowman, and sparkled him up with some Stardust Stickles. The base of the card is Chocolate Chip topped with Ski Slope DSP from SU's Holiday mini. The embossed panel is backed with Real Red. The panel beneath it is Soft Sky DSP (retired) and punched with Martha Stewart's lace punch. I finished it off with a strip of Kiwi Kiss/Very Vanilla 3/8" Satin Ribbon.

Inspiration Cupcake

Today's OCC Challenge is an inspiration challenge using a pretty cupcake from the Martha Stewart website. It has a Christmas-y feel color wise, but of course it can be used it for anything. I have a dear friend with a December birthday, so this will be perfect for her.

The base of the card is Very Vanilla. I just got this new "Snow Dots" Cuttlebug embossing folder that I love. It looks like a comfy winter quilt to me. I used it to emboss on Real Red and I inked a brayer with Close to Cocoa ink and rolled it over the embossing to bring out the design. I used my Nestabilities for the circles and rectangles. The cupcake image is from SU's "Crazy for Cupcakes" paper pieced with (retired) "Dashing" DSP. I added sparkles to the icing with Stardust Stickles. The sentiment is from Verve's Birthday Surprise framed with a piece of antique brass Hodgepodge Hardware and striped grosgrain ribbon from SU's most recent Holiday Mini Catalog. I had some beautiful Laura Ashley buttons that have been in my stash forever which I thought would be the perfect final touch for my cupcake!

Abundant Blessings

This is my card for the VERVE HOLIDAY RELEASE SKETCH BLITZ. Julee Tillman of Verve Visual is getting ready for another Verve Release! From Tuesday 11/4 through Saturday 11/8, Julee will post a new sketch challenge and a sneak preview of one of the new sets. I have some catching up to do...

Here is the Recipe

Stamps: Verve ~ Abundant Blessings.
Paper: Haiku DSP, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Kiwi Kiss
Ink: Chocolate Chip.
Accessories: More Mustard 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, Old Olive 3/8" Organdy Ribbon; Large Oval Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Filigree Designer brad, Rhinestone Brad, Dimensionals, Mat Pack and Piercing Tool.

Paper Craft Planet

Time for the Bubbly Two-fer

This card is inspired by this week's OCC Challenge - "It's All in the Coloring", and the Splitcoast Sketch SC200. I really wanted to try using Copics, though I have no idea what I am doing... I used one of my favorite MFT sets - "Time for the Bubbly". The card base is Kiwi Kiss topped with a layer of black card stock, topped with a layer of Haiku DSP. I stamped the main image on white card stock with black Stazon ink and colored with Copics. I paper pieced the "wallpaper" with Haiku DSP. I stamped the image again on white card stock and colored the border of the mirror with my silver Zig Painty. It's nice and shiny "in person". I cut it out and then used Soft Sage shadow ink by Memories and a blender pen to color the mirror to make it look like the reflection of the wallpaper in the mirror. I stamped a little flower from Eastern Blooms on the mirror to emulate the wallpaper design in the reflection. I used my square Nestabilities to cut the three white squares with black borders. I stamped the images of the bubble bath, wine glass and wine bottle with black Stazon and colored the with Copics. I used my Color Spritzer Tool to spray a little black on the white squares for texture, then adhered the colored images on them and mounted them with Dimensionals. The sentiment is in black Stazon on white card stock edged with black ink. A piece of Pumpkin Pie 1/4" grosgrain ribbon is inserted into an eyelet and tied in a knot. I've got a ways to go with Copics, but I have to say, I am pleased with this one. Thanks for looking!