*Crushing Christmas Instagram Hop*

 It's time for the Crushing Christmas Instagram Hop... this month weare playing with the theme of Tree-tastic.  I LOVE this fabulous Sizzix embossing folder so very much!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Peaceful Pine; Spellbinders gold foil
*Stamps:  Gina K Holiday Wreath Builder

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Waffle Flower Nesting Circles, Additional Circles
*Embossing:  Sizzix Christmas Tree Pattern
*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  BYSHCardmakers Falling for the Holidays Linky Party

*Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers Christmas in July Linky Party*

 WOW!  That title is a mouthful!  But it's worth every word because today marks the start of the fabulous Christmas in July Holiday Linky Party!  Yup, that's right!  One full week of lots of holiday card inspiration.  And for every card you upload, you have a chance to win one of the wonderful draw prizes from one our fabulous sponsors!!!

It was fun to focus on Christmas cards for a few weeks to prepare for this party... I hope you'll have fun digging in to your Christmas stash too!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up Handsome Hunter

*Paper:  Stampin' Up! Modern Christmas; unknown gold sparkle

*Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions Holiday
*Ink:  Verasfine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  The Ton Easy Expressions Holiday

*Embossing:  Sizzix Christmas Tree Pattern

*Challenges:  Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers Christmas in July

*Pattern Paper Instagram Hop*

This month, the theme for the Pattern Paper Party Instagram Hop is Christmas.  As you all know, I fell in love with this new Stampin' Up! paper this year.  I paired the tree theme with a fun Sizzix embossing folder and some extra gold accents to finish it off.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Bazzill gold mirror

*Paper;  Stampin' Up! Modern Christmas

*Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions Holiday

*Ink: Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Embossing:  Sizzix Christmas Tree Pattern

*Dies:  Waffle Flower Nesting Circles, Additional Circles; The Ton Easy Expressions Holiday

*The Paper Players #764*

 I actually created three cards in the last two days just for the sake of playing,  I struggle to make cards other than my design team requirements because I seem to rely on a prompt of some sort.  And with a design team obligation, I can't just say "nah, doesn't speak to me" so I have to force myself to figure out that prompt.  And when I'm behind on design team duties, I don't even have time to look at other challenges.  Christmas cards come easily to me so my design team obligations for this month were knocked out pretty darn quickly!

So I decided to play with a clean and simple challenge at The Paper Players... Their prompt is your favourite holiday image so I pulled out my favourite snowflake to make my card.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Night of Navy; Lawn Fawn Holographic

*Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions Holiday

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Impression Obsession Snowflakes; The Ton Easy Expressions Holiday
*Embossing:  Sizzix

*Embellishments:  Pinkfresh Studio Iridescent Clear Drops

*Challenges:  The Paper Players #764

*Time Out Challenges #291*

It's time for a photo inspiration challenge at Time Out Challenges.  You can be inspired any way by our photo... just make sure we can see where your inspiration came frome.

I was inspired by the heart and all of the different textures in it.  I cut a heart shape from white cardstock and used an embossing folder to make the textures.  I then lightly brushed some ink over it, making some of the spots stand out a little more.  I had hoped to get a little closer to the coral colour in the photo but I failed LOL

Card Info

*Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Early Espresso

*Stamps:  Waffle Flower Sweet Lattice Sentiments

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Dried Marigold; Gina K Tomato Soup

*Dies:  Hero Arts Nesting Hearts; Waffle Flower Sweet Lattice Sentiments

*Embossing:  Sizzix Organic Petals

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  Time Out #291

*{BYSHC} Sketch #54 Take 2*

This is my second post using the February sketch from Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers. 

I decided to try something a little less busy for my second card... I embossed a white panel and then cut it in to strips.  On two of the panels, I swiped some metallic silver ink along the piece to add a little definition.

Card Info
*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black, unknown silver sparkle
*Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions Holiday
*Ink: Catherine Pooler Silver; Versafine Clair Nocturne
*Dies:  Impression Obsession Snowflakes; The Ton Easy Expressions Holiday
*Embossing:  Sizzix Christmas Tree Pattern
*Tools:  Perfect Layers
*Challenges:  Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers

*Time Out Challenges #280*

 There's a new challenge at Time Out Challenges...  and it was a struggle for me!  But first, let's see what the challenge is.

See?  What on earth does that challenge graphic mean? This is one of our new challenges that we've put in to rotation... it's an "inspired by" challenge.  Each of these challenges will be "inspired by your favourite..." and for this challenge, it's your favourite things to do in January.

Well, I live in Western Canada where the temperature in January can be a little above freezing to way below freezing.  The periods of darkness at this time of year are long, and even when the sun shines, it might be cold outside.  I am not an outdoorsy person by any stretch... and while I have hobbies and things I enjoy doing, I don't have things in my stash that reflect those things in my life.

My card, I think, truly represents what I like to do in the winter... watch the snow fall (it is pretty afterall) and stay warm!

I embraced the white on white for my card today.... used a cableknit embossing folder to show that warmth.  I cut the snowflake 3 times out of white cardstock to really make it pop up against that textured background.

Card Info

*stamps:  Simon Says Stamp Christmas Blessings

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Simon Says Stamp Marie Snowflake; Simon Says Stamp Christmas Blessings

*Embossing:  Sizzix Cableknit

*Challenges:  Time Out #280

*2024 Spellbinders Advent Hop - Day 14*

 OMG!  The die set in todays window of the Spellbinders Advent Calendar was just so dang cute!!!  I cut all of the pieces out of white cardstock and coloured them roughly with some Copics.  I of course wanted to make another Christmas card!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Stamps:  MFT Deck the Howls

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Copics

*Dies:  Spellbinders Advent Day 14

*Embossing:  Sizzix Christmas Tree Pattern

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Is It Fall or Is It Winter Instagram Hop*

I'm playing along with the Is It Fall or Is It Winter Instagram Hop this week... our choices are turkey or tree.  I have nothing "turkey" themed in my craft stash so of course I went with tree.  And I did all the tress LOL!  I love both this paper and the embossing folder.

Card Info

*Paper:  Stampin' Up! Tidings of Christmas

*Stamps:  MFT Christmas Wishes

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies: MFT Christmas Wishes

*Embossing:  Sizzix Christmas Tree Pattern

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Addicted to CAS #271*

It's a snowy challenge at Addicted to CAS, and I was excited to play with it!  You know me and love of all things snowflake (unless it's actually snowing... then not so much!)

There are a lot of ways I could have gone with this theme, but I settled on a mostly monochromatic card.  I had to add a little sparkle, of course!

Card Info

*Cardstock: unknown silver glitter

*Stamps:  Mama Elephant Jingle Greetings
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Embossing:  Sizzix/Tim Holtz

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  Addicted to CAS #271; Simply Clean and Simple

*Just Add Ink #723*

 It's a holiday here in Canada today (Thanksgiving Weekend), so I am in my craft room trying to be creative.  I wanted to play along with the challenge at Just Add Ink where you have to choose two of three things to put on your card...  As you can see from the graphic below, it was trees, ink blending and circle.  I went for trees on a circle... and another Christmas card!

Card Info

*Paper:  unknown gold sparkle

*Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions Holiday
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  The Ton Easy Expressions Holiday; Waffle Flower Nesting Circles

*Embossing:  Sizzix Tree Pattern

*Challenges:  Just Add Ink #723

*{BYSHC} Sketch #49 Take 2*

I'm back with my second card for the September sketch at Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers.

My first card, posted at the start of the month, was pretty darn clean and simple.  By some standards, so is this one.  However, a true clean and simple card would have a fully embossed front panel like my card does.  I also chose to use a 1/16" border around my piece, which I didn't do with my first card.  And of course, I used my favourite Christmas paper pack!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Cherry Cobbler

*Paper:  Stampin' Up! Tiding of Christmas

*Stamps:  Simon Says Stamp Clean Line Christmas

*Embossing:  Sizzix Christmas Tree Pattern

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  {BYSHC} #48

*Build Your Stash Holiday Card Makers #31*

I almost forgot to make my cards for the Build Your Stash Holiday Card Sketch Challenge for March!  It hasn't helped that when I have the time to create, my mojo is nowhere to be found.  I was glad to have a sketch to help push me a little to get a card done.

This is my first card for the March sketch challenge.  I used a lot of bling, a lot of embossing and a lot of snowflakes!  I'm so used to having a sentiment on the front of my cards that this one feels a little odd without it...  what do you think?

Card Info

*Cardstock: Stampin' Up Basic Black; unknown glitter in silver and light blue

*Embossing:  Simon Says Stamp Snowflake Visions

*Dies:  Sizzix Snowflake Switchlit

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  BYSHC #31

*Christmas Craft Creations White on White*

I'm here with a great theme for October with Christmas Craft Creations.  A white on white card can be very difficult to achieve.  The keys to white on white are texture and dimension.

I *really* wanted to add a sentiment to my card but I didn't like how my white embossing powder looked with the design I had already done... so I used my clean and simple thoughts and just let it be.  I am in love with the simplicity of this card.  I used a Sizzix Switchlet (Winter Snowflakes) that cuts and embosses at the same time as well as a Tim Holtz embossing folder to create my falling snow.  I put this smaller panel on to a white card base to create a frame.

*From Our House To Yours*

I promise, I'm almost done...  I will start posting non-Christmas cards starting January 1st.  It's still the Christmas season, at least in my world!

We have enjoyed some time with family over the last few days.  Life goes back to normal for me tomorrow as I'll be back at the office until the afternoon of the 31st.  I appreciate the little bit of extra time off but do dream of having the time between Christmas and New Years off work.

Items Used

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Cherry Cobbler, Basic Black; Lawn Fawn hologram

*Images:  Taylored Expressions Simple Strips

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Taylored Expressions Simple Strips; Simon Says Stamp Lea Snowflake

*Etc:  Sizzix Organic Petals 3D Embossing Folder

*Tools:  Perfect Layers