52 Christmas Card Throwdown - November stash challenge

2 Responses »
Nov 262016

It’s time for another stash challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown!  This week we’d like for you to reach into your craft supplies and create a card using glitter.

I have to admit I have a serious aversion to glitter.  I don’t like how it has a tendency to go all over the place and be difficult to remove.  But I do appreciate that it can really highlight a card.  I have some glittery cardstock, which is what I’ve used for my card.  I die cut some snowflakes from it and followed the 52CCT November 2016 sketch.  I felt the bold snowflakes spoke for themselves so that the card didn’t need a sentiment.

52CCT 11-26-2016

 

I’m really looking forward to seeing what our challenge participants at 52CCT create this week!  Be sure to link your card at the challenge post by 7:00 p.m. Eastern time Friday, December 2.  Thanks for stopping by today!

Supplies:
Stamps: none
Cardstock: Solar White Classic Linen (Neenah); Glisten designer paper from Fruitcake collection (Basic Grey); Blue Bayou, silver glimmer paper (Stampin’ Up)
Ink: none
Other: Stitched Snowflakes die (Lawn Fawn)

Posted by PH in VA at 1:00 am Basic Grey, Cards, Christmas Card Throwdown, Lawn Fawn, Stampin' Up!

CAS Colours & Sketches #201

8 Responses »
Nov 242016

Hello, and Happy Thanksgiving to my American visitors!  It’s time for another challenge at CAS Colours & Sketches and this time we have a very simple sketch for you to try.

I’ve turned the sketch 90° on its side for my card.  I swiped three shades of blue gel sticks onto a card base of shimmery white cardstock and blended the gel sticks with a damp paper towel.  Then I flicked some white shimmery paint over it, thinking it would look like falling snow, but on second thought maybe it looks more like stars in the sky.  I cut a narrow scrap of the shimmery cardstock to neaten up the top border of the blue part of my card.  For the bottom, I die cut a border of trees using another piece of shimmery cardstock.  I added a simple sentiment and then glued the panel to the card.  I had thought about using cardstock shims to raise the white panels over the blue for a little extra dimension, but supporting the trees would have been difficult without cutting more of them and layering the die cuts.  So the white panels are adhered directly to the card base.  Getting the shimmery cardstock to show in the photograph wasn’t easy.  I wanted to brighten up the photo to show the whiteness of the cardstock, but that washed out the shimmery-ness.

CASCAS201

sketch 201

When I started out with this card, I didn’t intend to use the color scheme from last week’s CC&S challenge!  I tried out a few other sunset-inspired color combos with my gel sticks, but I liked the blues the best.

The Paper Players has a CAS Christmas card challenge going, and I’m also planning to enter this card into the Ombre challenge at Addicted to CAS.

What will you create with this sketch?  Share your work with us at the CAS Colours & Sketches site by 7:00 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday, November 30.  Be sure to check out what the other design team members have made, too!  Thanks for stopping by today!

Supplies:
Stamp: Holiday Script (Lizzie Anne Designs for Gourmet Rubber Stamps)
Cardstock: Cryogen White (Curious Metallic)
Ink: Pacific Point (Stampin’ Up)
Other: gel sticks (Faber Castell); Wide Open Spaces die (Memory Box); Frost White shimmer ink (Tsukineko)

Posted by PH in VA at 8:00 am Addicted to CAS, Cards, CAS Colours & Sketches, Lizzie Anne Designs, The Paper Players challenges

awesome little animals

6 Responses »
Nov 212016

I’m just writing a quick post today to show a card I’ve made for the Freshly Made Sketches challenge that will be closing soon, as well as the current AAA Cards challenge.  The two challenges worked together so well that I couldn’t resist joining in them.

I thought it would be cute to have animals peeking through round windows.  I created the front panel of the card first by adding a strip of light green cardstock to the bottom of a 4.25″ x 5.5″ piece of white cardstock and adding a sentiment.  Why green?  Because it was a scrap that was lying on my desk, and because it seemed like it would work as a “ground” or “grass”.  And because I used a scrap, I’m going to enter this into the Shopping Our Stash challenge, too.  Then I used my circle dies to cut the circles from the panel.  I laid the die cut panel over a white card base and traced the outlines of the circles so I’d know where to position the animals.  After I stamped them, I colored them with colored pencils blended with odorless mineral spirits.  The colored pencils tend to give a softer look than my Copic markers do, plus the pencils don’t bleed through the cardstock like Copics often do.  Once I was done coloring, I attached the die cut panel to the card base.  I think it turned out pretty well, considering I was running out of the odorless mineral spirits!

FMS263

 

And there’s another any occasion card for the stockpile I’m creating for Send a Smile 4 Kids.  Thanks for stopping by today!  Comments are always welcome and appreciated.

Supplies:
Stamps: Skater Kids (Mama Elephant)
Cardstock: Solar White (Neenah); Certainly Celery (Stampin’ Up)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Other: Premier colored pencils (Prismacolor); odorless mineral spirits (Houston Arts); standard circle Nestabilities dies (Spellbinders)

Posted by PH in VA at 2:30 pm AAA Cards challenges, Cards, Freshly Made Sketches, Mama Elephant, Send a Smile 4 Kids, Shopping Our Stash

52 Christmas Card Throwdown - November theme challenge

4 Responses »
Nov 192016

Hello there, and happy Saturday to you!  It’s time for another theme challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown and this week we’re looking for cards that depict an old fashioned Christmas.  This can be interpreted in a number of different ways – vintage, retro, or traditional.

I didn’t know what I was going to do for this challenge until I remembered I had designer paper that showed ornaments that, to me at least, looked like something from the 1950s or 1960s.  I looked around the internet for sketch ideas and found the current challenge at Your Next Stamp.  I had a scrap of the ornament paper that fit perfectly into the sketch, so I decided to give it a try.  The package of designer paper has coordinating solids (well, actually a very subtle variegated print, but mainly solid) so I used a burgundy and an olive green to supplement the ornament paper.  The designer papers did most of the work for me!

52CCT 11-19-2016

ynssketch52

If you need additional inspiration, go on over to the 52CCT blog and see what the rest of the design team has made.  Then show us your own interpretation of an old fashioned Christmas by linking a card of your own to our challenge post.  You have until 7:00 p.m. Eastern time Friday, November 25 to enter the challenge.  Thanks for stopping by today!

Supplies:
Stamp: More Merry Messages (Stampin’ Up)
Cardstock: Naturals Ivory (SU); Vintage Ornaments, Spearmint, and Maraschino Cherry designer papers from Fruitcake collection (Basic Grey)
Ink: Cherry Cobbler (SU)

Posted by PH in VA at 1:00 am Basic Grey, Cards, Christmas Card Throwdown, Stampin' Up!

CAS Colours & Sketches - Birthday Celebration Challenge #200!

7 Responses »
Nov 172016

Hello hello!  At CAS Colours & Sketches, we’re celebrating our challenge blog’s fourth birthday this week with challenge #200!  To thank our challenge participants for helping us to reach this milestone, we’re offering up prizes from Uniko, STAMPlorations, and Lawn Fawn to four lucky players in this week’s challenge.  You won’t want to miss out on this event!  All the details are at the challenge site.

This week’s challenge is a color challenge based on the colors in our blog’s header:  monochromatic blues.  I went back to the card I’d made for CC&S sketch #44 for some inspiration.  This time, I stamped a row of stars on a diagonal and added a sentiment above them.  I colored the stars with Copics, using three shades of blue and blending them together for an ombre effect.  I trimmed the panel below the stars and added narrow borders of two coordinating colors of cardstock.  Finally I attached the panel to a light blue cardstock base. (I just realized as I was typing up the supply list for this card that all three blue cardstocks are retired colors.)

CASCAS200

CC&S color200-001

My card is dedicated to our CC&S Design Team and our challenge participants, because without them, the blog wouldn’t have achieved the success it has.  A big hug of appreciation goes out to all of them for making our blog such a wonderful gathering place for fun and creativity!

We’d love to see what you can create with this week’s colors, and to have you join in celebrating with us!  Share your card at the CC&S website by 6:00 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday, November 23.  We hope you’ll continue to join in our challenges.  Thank you to our fantastic sponsors for this week, who have generously offered prizes.

https://uniko.co.uk/blog               STAMPlorations™                    Lawn Fawn

Addicted to CAS has a challenge with the keyword “ombre” so I’m entering my card there.  And STAMPlorations’ November CAS challenge is “anything CAS goes” so I’ll join in there, too.

Supplies:
Stamps: So Much to Say (Lawn Fawn)
Cardstock: Solar White (Neenah); Brilliant Blue, Ballet Blue, Bashful Blue (Stampin’ Up)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Other: markers (Copic)

Posted by PH in VA at 8:00 am Cards, CAS Colours & Sketches, Lawn Fawn, Stampin' Up!

bunny love

1 Response »
Nov 152016

The current challenge at Lawnscaping is “clean and simple”, and I just couldn’t resist playing along in it!  I squeezed out some time last night and this morning to make a couple of coordinating cards, using (again! LOL) the current sketch at CAS Colours & Sketches.  The only real difference in the two is the colors and the position of the mat behind the focal panel.  I’ve made a “boy version” and a “girl version” because I’ll be donating the cards to Send a Smile 4 Kids.

141 - CAS blue

141 - CAS pink

sketch 199

Thanks for stopping by today!  Remember, the CC&S sketch challenge is open until 6:00 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday, November 16.  We’d love to have you join us there!

Supplies:
Stamps: My Silly Valentine (Lawn Fawn)
Cardstock: Pure Luxury Ivory (Gina K. Designs); Crumb Cake, Bashful Blue, Pink Pirouette (Stampin’ Up)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Other: markers (Copic); Stitched Rectangle die (Lawn Fawn)

Posted by PH in VA at 12:43 pm Cards, CAS Colours & Sketches, Lawn Fawn, Lawnscaping challenges, Stampin' Up!

52 Christmas Card Throwdown - November color challenge

4 Responses »
Nov 122016

Hello!  It’s time for November’s color challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown.  We have an updated twist on a classic color combination for you – bright red and lime green.

I’ve used this week’s sketch from CAS Colours & Sketches for my layout… which, truth be told, is a sketch I’d originally drawn for 52CCT back in 2013!   A strand of Christmas lights seemed to be a good way to show off the 52CCT challenge colors, so I pulled out my Christmas lights stamps.  I like that the bulb image is separate from the wire image, so that the bulbs can easily be stamped individually in whatever colors one chooses.  I think the sentiment stamp echoes the idea of twinkling lights.  I’ve added a couple of rhinestones to dot the letter “i” where it occurs in the sentiment.  I’m not sure how well the texture of the red cardstock shows in the photo, but in real life it helps give a little extra visual interest to the card.

52CCT 11-12-2016

sketch 199

And now it’s your turn to show us what you can create!  We’d love it if you joined our challenge this week.  You have until 7:00 pm Eastern time Friday, November 18 to link your card at the 52CCT site. Thanks for stopping by today!

Supplies:
Stamps: Holiday Baubles (Sweet ‘n Sassy Stamps); Magic of Christmas (Technique Tuesday)
Cardstock: Real Red Core’dinations, Green Galore, Whisper White (Stampin’ Up)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento); Real Red, Green Galore (SU)
Other: rhinestones (Recollections)

Posted by PH in VA at 1:00 am Cards, CAS Colours & Sketches, Christmas Card Throwdown, Send a Smile 4 Kids, Stampin' Up!, Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps, Technique Tuesday

CAS Colours & Sketches #199

5 Responses »
Nov 102016

Hello again!  This week is sketch week at CAS Colours & Sketches.  I hope you’ll consider joining in the fun and creativity there by creating a card of your own with this sketch!

In the spirit of full disclosure, I first drew up this sketch several years ago for a different challenge blog.  And there are probably very similar sketches to it out there in challenge blog land.  But I figured since I drew this one, I could use it again for CC&S.

I had the sweet little elephant image left over as a “reject” from a card I made a few months ago.  Since the stamp set name is “Ellie”, I’m going to assume it’s a girl elephant.  She’s been sitting on my desk since July (good thing she’s just a little cardstock elephant and not a real one…  heh heh, bad sense of humor, sorry).  I decided it was time to put her to use on a card.  This time I was able to match her pretty well to one of my brown cardstocks, so I’ve used that for the angled panel.  I figured some green grass would be a nice way to give the elephant some “ground” so she’s not seemingly floating on the focal panel, so I die cut some grass from a scrap of cardstock and put Ellie between some shorter and some taller grass.  I used the same shade of green cardstock for the card base.  The sentiment was stamped in the same shade of green, too.  Using a stitched die for the focal panel gives it a little extra interest than if I’d used just a plain piece of cardstock. And now there’s a cute any occasion card for the box I’ll be sending soon to Send a Smile 4 Kids!

CASCAS199

sketch 199

Addicted to Stamps and More is having a CAS challenge this week so I’m going to enter this card there.

Be sure to visit the CAS Colours & Sketches blog to see the terrific cards the rest of the design team has made.  I’m sure they’d love it if you left them comments, too.  Then show us what you can do with this sketch!  Link your card to the CC&S site by 6:00 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday, November 16.  Thanks for stopping by today!

Supplies:
Stamps: Ellie, Simply Said Hello (Avery Elle)
Cardstock: Wild Wasabi, Baked Brown Sugar (Stampin’ Up); Pure Luxury Ivory (Gina K. Designs)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Other: markers (Copic); Grassy Border and Stitched Rectangle dies (Lawn Fawn)

Posted by PH in VA at 8:00 am Addicted to Stamps and More, Avery Elle, Cards, CAS Colours & Sketches, Lawn Fawn, Send a Smile 4 Kids, Stampin' Up!

CAS Colours & Sketches #198

7 Responses »
Nov 032016

Hello!  It’s time for a new month of challenges at CAS Colours & Sketches, and for November, I get to be your challenge hostess!  I hope you’ll enjoy the cards the design team and I make this month, and I hope you’ll join in and make some cards, too.

A new month always gets started off with a color challenge.   I’ve chosen a trio of colors that haven’t been used much on our blog.  I felt they worked in nicely with the autumn season.  Because of that, I was compelled to use tree images on my card.  I’ve pulled out one of my “oldie but goodie” sets that was retired several years ago.  Rather than layering colored cardstock to mat the image panel, I’ve made a mat out of the three challenge colors – which was a great way to use some scraps of cardstock!  The ribbon was a last minute addition.  The card looked too plain without it, but now it almost seems like the ribbon was a bit too much.  What do you think?

CASCAS198

CC&S color198-001

Our friends at the Less is More challenge blog are celebrating their 300th challenge this week!  What an amazing milestone for them!  I’m helping them celebrate by playing along in their challenge this week.  I’m also joining in the challenge for masculine cards at AAA Cards.

Go check out the other design team members’ cards at the CAS Colours & Sketches blog.  They’ve done an amazing job this week!  Then show us what you’re inspired to create using these colors.  If you don’t have the exact Stampin’ Up colors, that’s all right; simply use whatever you have that matches them closely. You have until 6:00 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday, November 9 to link your card at the challenge post.  Happy crafting!

All supplies except the ivory cardstock are from Stampin’ Up.
Stamps: Trendy Trees, Birthday Whimsy
Cardstock: Early Espresso, Pumpkin Pie, Always Artichoke; Pure Luxury Ivory (Gina K. Designs)
Ink: Early Espresso, Pumpkin Pie, Always Artichoke
Other: Always Artichoke grosgrain ribbon

Posted by PH in VA at 9:00 am AAA Cards challenges, Cards, CAS Colours & Sketches, Less is More challenges, Stampin' Up!
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