*Little Break*

Just popping in to let you know I'm taking just a little blogging break ...  I ran out of cards to share and wanted to enjoy some time with my family instead of in my craft room for a few days.  I am back in the craft room today, playing a little bit and I will be back to post in the New Year.

Enjoy the last few days of 2019....  so hard to believe we are starting 2020 so soon!!  Nuts!

Cheers!

*Merry & Bright Lights*

I gotta tell you, I feel in love with these stamps and dies from MFT the second I saw them...  I had to have the lights.  I just had to!  And I am so glad I bought them....  I will tell you that adding a little line of white gel pen makes these lights just pop on my paper...  gives them that little added dimension.

Items Used:
*Cardstock:  Neenah Solar White 100lb; Stampin' Up! Real Red & Granny Apple Green
*Images:  MFT Party Lights, Hand-Lettered Christmas
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne
*Dies:  MFT Party Lights
*Tools: Big Shot; Misti
*Etc:  White Gelly Roll gel pen

*Merry Christmas*

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!  It's been a rough last few months of 2019 but Christmas still makes me feel like life is magical.  I miss having little kids around at this time of year... miss their reactions to every little thing.  But it's also great to have adults around you who still believe in some of the Magic of Christmas... I am truly blessed with my husband and sons and am so happy to be spending today with them.

I saw a card just like this on Instagram the other day...  made by @cardsbycheryl.  I like how it's rather classic in its look without being too retro.

Items Used:
*Cardstock:  Neenah Solar White 110lb
*Patterned Paper:  Stampin' Up! Wrapped in Plaid
*Images:  Simon Says Stamp Clean Line Christmas
*Ink:  Versamark
*Dies:  Impression Obsession Snowflakes, Small Snowflakes; Lawn Fawn Everyday Sentiment Banners
*Etc:  White embossing powder
*Tools:  heat tool

*Joy Wreath*

This card looked so much better in my head than it turned out... I think it ended up being just a little too busy...  It's not that I don't like it, but I just don't love it... know what I mean?

I can't believe it's the 24th of December...  our family is celebrating Christmas a little differently this year since I'm in the midst of cancer treatments (2 of 12 rounds are done... #3 starts in a week).  I almost host Christmas here at the house but with not knowing how I'd be feeling, we decided to step back this year.  In fact, for the first time ever, Christmas will be just the four of us here.  We are doing our big dinner tonight and tomorrow we plan on opening presents, having a big breakfast, playing games and having left overs.... in our jammies.  I will admit that it feels strange, but I think it's truly what we need this year, in more ways than one.

Items Used: 
*Cardstock:  Neenah Solar White 110lb
*Patterned Paper:  Stampin' Up! Wrapped in Plaid, Feels Like Frost
*Images:  Pretty Pink Posh Winter Wreath
*Ink:  Gina K Amalgam; Tombows
*Dies:  MFT Impact Alphabet
*Tools:  Big Shot
*Etc:  Stampin' Dimensionals

*Snowflake Joy*

Snowflakes really do bring me joy... I hate snow, but I love snowflakes and snowmen. 

I found a card just like this on Instagram on ImInHaven's feed.  I have followed Lisa Addesa for quite a while (both blog and Instagram) and I love her style.  I pretty much copied her card here...

Items Used:
*Cardstock:  Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 110lb; Stampin' Up! Crumb Cake, Balmy Blue
*Images:  Poppy Stamps Art Deco Celebrate Christmas
*Ink:  Versamark
*Dies:  Simon Says Stamp Marie Snowflake
*Embossing Folder:  Tim Hotlz
*Etc:  White embossing powder
*Tools:  Big Shot; heat tool

*Peace*

A big thanks to (Tracey Ware) @redsas over on Instagram for the inspiration for this card.  She used a similar background paper and sprayed it with spray glitter and I got inspired to try it with a sheet of Stampin' Up designer paper from last year.

Items Used:
*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up!Kraft, Shaded Spruce
*Patterned Paper:  retired Stampin' Up!
*Dies:  MFT Peace
*Tools:  Perfect Layers; Big Shot
*Etc:  Silver glitter spray

*Snow and Mistletoe Wreath*

I saw an inspiration piece a while back and I tried so hard to recreate it...  coming up with a piece I was happy with took me about 6 tries.  And while I used the piece for inspiration (and now can't find it) this looks nothing like the original piece.  Sometimes I find when I try to copy an idea from someone or somewhere, I do much better by using it as inspiration instead of trying to copy it piece for piece.

 Items Used:
*Cardstock:  Neenah Solar White 110lb
*Images:  Catherine Pooler Tis The Season
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Catherine Pooler Rouge, Sage, Eucalyptus, Green Tea, Spruce
*Etc:  foam tape

*Another Red Snowflake*

By now, you guys must realize that I don't love wasting perfectly good crafty elements... so of course, when I made that inlaid snowflake card a few weeks ago, I kept the extra snowflake and waited for inspiration to use it. 

The stamping on the glitter paper didn't show up as well as I had hoped, but it's not horrible...

And I have a quick tip for you... things like glitter paper are expensive, but sometimes they make a great layer on a card.  If you can, use dies to cut out the centre of the paper so that you don't waste all that beautiful glitter paper that would be hiding under the layer above it.  I like to use a die 2 sizes smaller than the die I use to cut out the top panel so that I have enough glitter paper to adhere the next layer to.

Items Used:
*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Cherry Cobbler; Neenah Solar White 100lb; green glitter paper
*Images:  Hero Arts Off Beat Holiday Messages
*Ink:  Gina K Amalgam
*Dies:  Birch Press Glitz Snowflake
*Tools:  Big Shot; Perfect Layers Tool

*Silver Christmas Snowflake*

Another super clean and simple card for you today.... one you could easily mass produce if you needed to!

Items Used:
*Cardstock:  Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 110lb; Silver
*Images:  Pretty Pink Post Winter Wreath; Simon Says Stamp Frozen Fractals
*Etc:  silver embossing powder
*Tools:  Perfect Layers Tool; heat tool

*Warmest Winter Wishes*

I saw a few cards that looked like this in the past few weeks and decided to try my hand at the technique using my Birch Press snowflake...  I love the look of the inlaid die, but it's a lot of work!  This is not a card you'd mass produce LOL!

Items Used:
*Cardstock:  Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 110lb; Stampin' Up! Cherry Cobbler
*Images:  MFT Giraffes on Ice
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne
*Dies:  Birch Press Glitz Snowflake
*Tools:  Perfect Layers; Big Shot
*Etc:  Foam tape

*CAS#358*

Happy Tuesday Everyone!  It's time for another challenge at CASology!  We will be back in the New Year with a new challenge, so you have some extra time to play with the cue of BRANCH.  Our sponsor for this challenge is Stamplorations.  Please be sure to link up your card on the CASology Blog to be entered for your chance to win!

I am still in Christmas Card mode, so of course I went with a Christmas branch.  Many of the other members of the design team did not make Christmas cards so be sure to head over to the CASology Blog to see what they came up with!

Items Used:
*Cardstock:  Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 110lb; Stampin' Up! Cherry Cobbler
*Images:  Catherine Pooler Tis the Season; Gina K Holiday Wreath Builder; Hero Arts Off Beat Holiday Messages
*Ink:  Catherine Pooler Eucalyptus, Rouge; Versafine Clair Nocturne
*Dies:  MFT Filled with Joy
*Tools:  Big Shot; Perfect Layers Tool

*Black and Gold*

I had an idea in my head for this card and I am thrilled at how it turned out.  I have seen others colour on black cardstock with coloured pencils but I had no idea (a) how easy it would be or (b) how striking it would look!!

Items Used:
*Cardstock:  Gold; Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 110lb; Stampin' Up! Basic Black
*Images:  Pink Fresh Studio Cozy Christmas Wishes
*Ink:  Versamark
*Etc:  Gold embossing powder; coloured pencils
*Tools:  Misti; heat tool; Perfect Layers

*Leaping Deer*

A quick and easy card for you today....  it started out as a full sized A2 card but it just didn't feel right... so I cut it down to 4.25" X 4.25" and voila!  I am using a rose gold mirror paper with this card... if only you could see how beautiful it is in person!  The background die is the Stampin' Up! Christmas layers cut out of white cardstock and the deer is Penny Black Reindeer Leaps.  I, of course, used my Perfect Layers tool to create that fabulous 1/16" border!

*Silver Star*

I had a shopping day a few weeks ago and I picked up some fun new stuff... this star die was one of the things I couldn't pass up.  But to be honest, I had no ideas for it when I picked it up.

Then one day I was sitting at my desk and I wondered how it would look cut out of silver mirror cardstock.  I cut it out and let me tell you, it turned out amazing!

But then I didn't know what to do with it.  I took it step by step, letting it sit between steps while I decided what I wanted to do... and finally I decided that super simple was the best.

Items Used:
*Cardstock:  Neenah Solar White 110lb; Silver mirrow
*Dies:  Memory Box Chandele
*Tools:  Perfect Layers; Big Shot

*Sending Cozy Christmas Wishes*

Happy Friday the 13th Everyone!

I saw this image a few times in my online surfing and when I saw it at one of my local stamp shops, I had to buy it.  And then I froze!  It's not completely my style.  I have a few more ideas in my head for this stamp and I hope to get to them at some point.

But for today, something pretty straightforward.

Items Used:
*Cardstock:  Neenah Solar White 110lb; Stampin' Up! Cherry Cobbler
*Images:  Pink Fresh Studio Cozy Christmas Wishes
*Ink:  Gina K Amalgam; Copics
*Tools:  Perfect Layers; Misti
*Embellishments:  Lawn Fawn Glitter Pen

*Merry Christmas Trees*

I had a different idea in my head for this card... I tried to make it so much more clean and simple by stamping the trees in different colours and leaving them as clean lines... but once I stamped the greeting, the trees were lost.  So instead of starting over, I decided I'd try colouring the trees... if it didn't work out, it wouldn't be a big deal. 

But I'm glad it worked out.

Items Used:

*Cardstock:  Neenah Solar White 110lb; Stampin' Up! Cherry Cobbler

*Images:  Simon Says Stamp Clean Line Christmas; Avery Elle Merry Merry

*Ink:  Copics; Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Tools:  Misti; Perfect Layers

*Thank You Cathy Zielske*

I have a love hate relationship with the fabulous Cathy Zielske....  I LOVE the cards she creates.... I LOVE the stamps and dies she designs... but I *HATE* that she makes me want to spend my money!  When I saw the card she did with the My Favorite Things Party Lights set, I knew I had to have it!

Items Used:
*Cardstock: Neenah Solar White 110lb; assorted glitter cardstock
*Images:  MFT Party Lights; Lawn Fawn Simply Winter Sentiments
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne
*Dies:  MFT Party Lights
*Tools:  Big Shot; Perfect Layers

*Making Spirits Bright*

This card came together in an interesting way.  I was crafting with my sister who was visiting and she handed me three different cuts of this wonderful die... a gold one, a red one and a red mirror one.  She said she wouldn't be using them and asked if I wanted them.  I said "sure".  As I took them from her, I caught a glimpse of the gold on top of the red mirror cardstock and I just had to make a card!

Items Used:
*Cardstock: Neenah Solar White 110lb; red mirror; gold matte
*Images:  Stampin' Up! Making Christmas Bright
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne
*Dies:  Tutti Designs Ornamental Panel; Honey Bee Season to Sparkle
*Tools:  Big Shot; Perfect Layers

*And a Bucket of Snow*

I saw these sentiment stamps and dies from Honey Bee and I knew I had to have them... but since I got them, I've had trouble finding a good use for them.  I thought I had it with this card...  but I was sort of mistaken.  I think I should have embossed the sentiment in silver instead of just inking it up in silver.  It looks grey in the photo and in person.

Items Used:
*Cardstock: Neenah Solar White 110lb; Stampin' Up! Silver; blue glitter
*Images: Honey Bee Stamps Season to Sparkle
*Ink: Silver Encore Metallic
*Dies:  Honey Bee Season to Sparkle; Stampin' Up! Christmas Layer Dies
*Tools:  Big Shot; Perfect Layers

*AAA #155*

Welcome to another challenge with AAA Cards!  For the next several weeks, we are looking to see your clean and simple cards that use the theme "along the edge" with an optional twist of time travel.  Post your creations to the blog for your chance to win a prize from Stamplorations!  We are also excited to welcome Coni as our Guest Designer!

I purchased a new winter scene die and thought it would be perfect for this Along the Edge challenge.  I couldn't figure out a way to do the time travel optional twist... my first time not using the optional twist since I joined the design team.

If you've been around my blog much lately, this card should be a little surprising to you... I didn't use a white card base!!

Items Used:
*Cardstock: Neenah Solar White 110lb; Stampin' Up! Bashful Blue
*Images:  Simon Says Stamp Clean Line Christmas
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne
*Dies:  Penny Black Christmas Wonderland
*Tools:  Big Shot
*Embellishments:  bling

*Golden Believe*

I bought this paper from Stampin' Up! last year because it was just so beautiful... but then I didn't really use it.  One, it was just SO pretty and two, I didn't know what to do with it.  The first reason is obviously silly...  the second reason was a little more difficult to figure out.  So I cut (gasp!) the 12X12 sheets in to quarters and took a few with me to the crop I went to a few weeks ago.  So far I've only used it one time... but I will use it some more!

*Cardstock:  Neenah Solar White 110lb; gold matte cardstock
*Patterned Paper:  Stampin' Up! All is Bright
*Dies:  Simon Says Stamp Believe
*Tools:  Big Shot; Perfect Layers

*White Christmas Blog Hop*

It's the first Friday of the month which means it is time for another blog hop with the gals from the Scrap 'n Stamp design team!  This month we are playing with the theme of "White Christmas".  I find that when you are playing with a tone on tone card, you need to have texture to make things really pop.

We'd love to see the cards you create... please share them with us on the Scrap 'n Stamp Challenge Facebook Page.

Be sure to leave comments on each of the blog posts so that you are entered to win the draw this month!  This month you could win a $50 Gift Certificate to Scrap 'n Stamp!  The winner will be posted to the Scrap 'n Stamp blog.

We also have a free gift -- while supplies last!  There is no minimum purchase but you would have to pay for shipping!  Just put the item linked below in your cart and check out!  This is a promotion so it is not valid with any other coupon, sale or promotion it is is only while supplies last.  To claim your gift, please go HERE!!!

Items Used:
*Cardstock:  Neenah Solar White 110lb
*Dies:  Memory Box Telluride Dnowflake; MFT Stitched Rectangles
*Embellishments:  White Kaiser Craft Pearl

Be sure to check out what the rest of the design team has come up with and leave a comment on each of the blogs in the hop to increase your chance at winning that $50 gift card!!!

Tara

Nancy

Laurie

Deb

Chala

Sandie

Kia

Susan

*Happiest of Holidays*

I was at a crop at the end of November and spent some time creating some Christmas cards.  This was one time I wished I had bought matching dies for a stamp set.  I bought this MFT stamp set knowing that I could use my Brother Scan 'n Cut to cut out the images, but I didn't take the machine with me to the crop... so I ended up cutting out this image by hand.

Items Used:
*Cardstock:  Neenah Solar White 110lb
*Images:  My Favorite Things Santa's Elves
*Ink:  Gina K Amalgam; Copics
*Patterned Paper:  Michaels
*Etc:  Lawn Fawn Glitter Pen

*Foil Quill Christmas*

A few weeks ago there was a sale on designs in the Silhouette store so I bought a few to try with my Foil Quill.  I played for a bit last week while my sister was here visiting and this was the first one that worked well enough to make in to a card.  There's not much to tell about the card...  matte foil blue cardstock, blue foil, white card, the Foil Quill and my perfect layers tool.

*CASology #357*

It's time for another challenge over at the CASology Blog!  For the next two weeks, we are playing with gingerbread cards!  We'd love to see your creations linked to the post... and you have a chance to become a guest designer on an upcoming challenge!

I love this set from Lawn Fawn...  so many fun and cute images to use!

Items Used:
*Cardstock:  Neenah Solar White 110lb
*Patterned Paper:  Michael's glitter paper
*Images:  Lawn Fawn Simply Celebrate
*Ink:  Gina K Amalgam; Copics
*Dies:  Lawn Fawn Simply Celebrate
*Embellishments:  Stardust Stickles; red bling
*Etc:  Foam tape

*Deck the Halls*

I like how this card turned out...  the stamping in the corner draws your eye to the centre of the card.  It is not clean and simple but I like it all the same!

Items Used:
*Cardstock:  Neenah Solar White 110lb; assorted glitter cardstock; red foil cardstock
*Images:  Catherine Pooler Wonderful Time of the Year; My Favorite Things Handwritten Holiday
*Ink:  Catherine Pooler Eucalyptus; Versafine Clair Nocturne
*Dies:  MFT Party Lights
*Tools:  Perfect Layers; Big Shot

*Christmas Greetings Tree*

I am back here using another scrap (or two) from my stamp desk.  I had an extra white tree cut from a few days ago and this strip of Cherry Cobbler cardstock sitting together on my desk... and I liked how they looked together.  I decided to make a card using them...  I started by stamping and embossing the tree and layering things together before adding the silver embossed sentiment to the red strip.

Clean and Simple... my favourite.

Items Used:
*Cardstock:    Neenah Solar White 110 lb; Stampin' Up! Cherry Cobbler
*Images:  Stampin' Up! Festival of Trees; Pretty Pink Posh Winter Wreath
*Ink:  VersaMark
*Tools:  heat tool; Stampin' Up! tree punch
*Etc:  silver sparkle embossing powder