*Card Clubhouse Instagram Hop*

 I joined a new cardmaking Instagram hop... this one is called Card Clubhouse.  We will be hopping every second week, playing with a different common theme.  Our theme for this week is Warm Welcome!  We are using new supplies, tools or techniques to make a card to make someone feel welcomed or at home.

I went a little off the rails with my card... my stamp set is new but I went with a literal "warm" as the stamp I chose to use was warm hats (or toques up here in Canada)

Card Info

*Stamps:  Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Warm Winter Wishes; MFT Polar Penguins

*Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black; Versafine Clair Nocturne; Copics

*Dies:  MFT Stitched Rectangles

*Tools:  Brother Scan 'n Cut

*Embellishments:  Twinkle Stickles

*Challenges:  AAA Birthday

*CAS on Friday #307*

 The current challenge at CAS on Friday is to use a stencil... I find that that can be challenging while keeping a card clean and simple... I played with some soft ink colours and a fun daisy stencil.  To keep it more clean and simple, I overlapped by sentiment with my stencilling.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Stamps:  Stampendous Big Words Happy
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Catherine Pooler Martini, Glitz

*Stencil:  A Colourful Life Designs Daisies

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Embellishments:  Crystal Stickles
*Challenges:  CAS on Friday #307

*My Favourite Hop - Snowflake Birthday*

 Happy Sunday friends!  I hope that the first few days of 2025 have treated you all kindly.  I've been at work for a few days and Calgary has been back to some colder temperatures.  We aren't 30 below, but it's not warm out LOL!

It's time for the first of many My Favourite Instagram Hops!  This is a weekly hop on Instagram that I hope to participate in more often than I don't.  It's a great way to look at my stash a little differently as I follow the "my favourite" theme each week.

Our challenge for this week is to make a birthday card using our favourite snowflake stamp, stencil or die.  Now, I am not sure that what I used is my favourite, but I sure do want it to be!  I used the Taylored Expressions Create in Quads Snowflake stencils, which I've used a few other times.  But to be honest, I never quite get the look I want.  I *want* these stencils to be my favourite and maybe with some more practice, they will be.

I did manage a non-Christmas look by choosing my favourite Tim Holtz Distress inks to use with my stencil... and of course added a little of my favourite embellishment (sparkle) to finish it all off...

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Gorgeous Grape

*Stamps:  Pinkfresh Studio Happy Birthday Sentiments

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Tim Holtz Distress Inks in Picked Raspeberr, Wilted Violet, Salty Ocean

*Stencil:  Taylored Expressions Creating in Quads Snowflakes

*Embellishments:  Frosted Lace Stickles

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Another Red and Gold*

I just had to pay with that wonderful Gina K embossing folder again.  I added some red Stickles to make the berries pop and to add a little more interest to it.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black; unknown gold sparkle

*Images:  The Ton Easy Expressions Holiday

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  The Ton Easy Expressions Holiday
*Embossing:  Gina K Holiday Flora

*Tools:  Perfect Lyers

*Embellishments: Christmas Red Stickles

*Time Out Challenges #252*

We are winding down with the challenges at Time Out for 2023... only this challenge and one more before we take a little break going in to the New Year.  Many of us are still working on Christmas cards so we have a winter/holiday challenge for you today.

I saw this Birch Press Santa set of dies and knew I had to have it... it's a little large for my usual clean and simple style, but he's just so handsome!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Real Red, Granny Apple Green, white shimmer

*Paper:  red flocked (unknown)

*Images:  The Ton Easy Expressions Holiday

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne
*Dies:  Birch Press Adornment Santa; The Ton Easy Expressions Holiday; Pink Fresh Studio Slim Strips

*Etc:  foam adhesive; Frosted Lace Stickles

*Christmas Craft Creations November*

There is still time to play along with the November challenge at Christmas Craft Creations...  the challenge for this month is "add a hat".

I went through all of my Christmas images and dies to find anything that had a hate and decided to use this cute little gnome.  I added some sparkly snow behind him with a stencil and some stencil paste.  I like the black accents to tie it all together

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Images:  Photoplay Gnome for the Holidays Christmas; The Ton Easy Expressions Holiday
*Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black; Copics

*Stencil:  MFT Snowfall

*Dies:  MFT Stitched Rectangles; Photoplay Gnome for the Holidays Christmas; The Ton Easy Expressions Holiday

*Etc:  Nuvo Glimmer Paste Moonstone; Frosted Lace Stickles

*Christmas Card Throwdown*

I am playing alone with the November colour challenge at Christmas Card Throwdown... I saw the colours and had this idea pop in to my head.  If you enlarge the photo you'll see that I added some sparkle to the trees and snowbank...

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin Up! Basic Black, Crumb Cake

*Images:  Mama Elephant Merry Greetings

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Die:  unknown (was bought at a garage sale)

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Embellishments:  Frosted Lace Stickles

*Challenges:  Christmas Card Throwdown

*{BYSHC} Falling for the Holidays Linky Party*

It's time for the Build Your Stash Holiday Card Makers Falling for the Holidays Linky Party!  Head on over to the BLOG and share your Chrsitmas creations (no back linking please) for your chance to win one of the awesome prizes!!  You can enter as many times as you want!!

Leave comments at all the stops along the hop for more chances to win!

As you all know, I LOVE to make Christmas cards... and lately I've been really in love with the Christmas colours on black backgrounds.. so this Echo Park paper was the perfect choice

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin Up! Poppy Parade, Evening Evergreen

*Paper:  Echo Park Christmas Salutations

*Images:  Simon Says Stamp Christmas Blessings

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Spellbinders Christmas Blooms

*Etc:  Stampin' Up! punch

*Embellishments:  gold Stickles
*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  #fallingfortheholidays2023byshclp

And here is the list of all of our awesome sponsors!!!!!

• A Colorful Life Designs
• Angie Blom Digital Stamps
• Bearly Art {new sponsor}
• Colorado Craft Company
• Fresh and Renewed with Teresa
• Gina K Designs
• Gina Marie Designs
• Jaded Blossom
• Lawn Fawn
• Newton's Nook Designs
• Not 2 Shabby
• Pink & Main
• RAM Stamps
• Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps
• Tawny Owl Paperie
• Taylored Expressions
• Therm O Web
• Twiddlers Nook
• Unity Stamp Co

*A Flicking Video*

It took a while but I finally found some time (and mojo) to create a video that explains how I do the flicking technique for colouring.  I was honestly just going to show you how I do the technique in the video but I ended up making a card as well!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Concord Crush

*Images:  Altenew Fabulous Florets; Pink Fresh Studio Happy Birthday Sentiments

*Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Versafine Clair Nocturne; Copics

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Embellishments:  Frosted Lace Stickles

And here's the video... 

*Hooray!*

I'm not sure but I think that this card needed something else.  It just feels like it's missing something to me.  I like it, but it's missing "something".

Card Info

*Images:  Spellbinders Sentiments For You

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne:  Tim Holtz Salty Ocean, Scattered Straw, Twisted Citron, Picked Raspberry

*Dies:  Pink Fresh Studio Small Butterflies; Stampin' Up! Layering Ovals

*Hot Foil Plate:  Pink Fresh Studio Small Butterflies

*Foil: Spellbinders Aura

*Stencils:  Pink Fresh Studio Small Butterflies
*Embellishments:  Stardust Stickles

*Christmas Cookies*

As a mostly clean and simple card maker, I shake my head sometimes at the things I buy.  Like this embossing folder for example.  Nothing about it is clean and simple.  But I was drawn to it all the same.  I guess the lesson here is that while I prefer to make cards that are more towards the clean and simple side of things, sometimes it's absolutely OK to make cards that don't fit that mold.  

I started out with a white piece of cardstock.  I swiped some brown ink on the embossing folder (the side where the images are "dug in" to the folder (as opposed to popping out) and carefully closed the folder around my white cardstock.  When I ran it through my Big Shot, the patterned transferred as white and the background took the brown ink.  Neat, eh?

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Cherry Cobbler

*Images:  Simon Says Stamp Christmas Blessings

*Ink:  Versamark; Catherine Pooler Sand Castle

*Dies:  Simon Says Stamp Christmas Blessings

*Embossing:  Simon Says Stamp Christmas Cookies; WOW white embossing powder

*Embellishments:  Christmas Red Stickles

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Big Merry Christmas*

I tried something a little different with this card.... I cut the Lawn Fawn Snow Flurries Backdrop once out of white cardstock and once out of a light blue.  I put the light blue one directly on a white card and then rotated the white one before adhering it to the blue layer with foam adhesive.

And then it sat on my desk for several days.  Sadly, when this happens, I often end up doing something that I don't like... and this is one of those cards.  It looked so different in my head than it does in it's paper form.  Thoughts on what I could have done differently?

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Seaside Spray

*Images:  Simon Says Stamp Merry Chrsitmas

*Ink:  Catherine Pooler Tranquil

*Dies:  Lawn Fawn Snow Flurries Backdrop

*Embellishments:  Frosted Lace Stickles

*Using the Negative*

 I was playing with my Glimmer Hot Foil system a few days ago and I made a card for one of the design teams I'm on (you'll see it in a few days)....  and I had this piece of foil left over that I didn't want to throw out.  I grabbed the solid hot foil plate and a larger piece of cardstock and I foiled the negative on to a piece of cardstock, used the die to cut it out and created this card.  What I didn't know is that a clear stamp that is sticky will remove some of the foil so when I put the panel in my Misti and masked off the word "Merry", the M made a mark on the one ornament.  

I'm still pleased enough with the card to share it with you today... although I may not send this one out since it has that error on it.

This card isn't perfect, but I wanted to show that you can use your left over foil!

Card Info

*Paper:  Stampin' Up! Tidings of Christmas

*Images:  Woodware Craft Christmas Strips

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Foil Plate:  Spellbinders Merry Christmas Wishes (comes with the die); Pink Fresh Studio solid

*Foil:  Spellbinders Gold

*Embellishments:  Christmas Red Stickles

*Taking Inspiration*

 When I create, sometimes I come up with ideas on my own and sometimes I get inspiration from Pinterest or Instagram.  And when I share my cards for others to see, I have no problem with others taking inspiration from what I've created.  If I worried about it, I wouldn't share.  It's nice to get credit, but it's not necessary.  I hope that's how others feel as well.

For my card today I did get inspiration elsewhere... I don't have the exact card to link to, but I saw a pin that pointed to THIS BLOG and decided to make one similar to it.  You can also find Debby on Pinterest if you want more inspiration!

Thanks for the inspiration Debby!

I bought this paper a LOT of years ago and I tend to hoard it because I like it so much.  I'm getting close to running out which makes me a little sad... but then I see a card turn out the way I wanted it to and I don't feel so sad any more!

To create the snow flurry on the bottom of the card, I used some chunky white embossing powder.  I sprinkled it (without ink) on the front of a white panel and then heated it from underneath with my heat tool, being careful to not get too close (which is easy to do since you can't really see).  You have to hold that cardstock pretty still and honesty there's no good way to do anything but random, but I really like how it looks.

Card Info
*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Old Olive; silver foil, shimmer blue; sparkle silver
*Paper:  Best Creation Winter Wonderful
*Images:  Taylored Expressions Simple Strips Christmas
*Dies:  Taylored Expressions Simple Strips, Simple Strips Backer; Stampin' Up! Sounds of the Season
*Embellishments:  Christmas Red Stickles
*Etc:  Stampendous Chunky White embossing Powder; foam adhesive

*Less is More #478*

It's time for the last challenge of 2022 with Less is More... we will be back in March 2023 with some more wonderful clean and simple challenges for you!

But for now, we have an awesome challenge... we want to see your outdoors inspired cards!  Be sure to check out what the design team has done with this challenge... We look forward to seeing your interpretation!

I cheated with my card... well not really... but I let the paper be my "outdoors".  I had some ideas for other cards but they all required colouring and I just wasn't it feeling the colouring the day I was making this card.  This is some super old paper from Stampin' Up! with some beautiful winter scenes.  I love the look of the snow and hoar frost on a pine tree.  I added a little Stitckles to create some sparkle to that snow.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black; unknown silver mirror

*Paper:  Stampin' Up! Feels Like Frost

*Images:  Mma Elephant Merry Greetings

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Embellishments:  Frosted Lace Stickles

*Challenges:  Less is More #478

*CAS Colours & Sketches #496*

What a wonderful colour challenge for Christmas cards this week at CAS Colours & Sketches!  I'm glad it's Christmas card season because I don't think I'd be excited about this colour combination at any other time LOL!  I can't wait to see what YOU have created using these colours!  Be sure to share your creations HERE!

I am so happy that I found this Spellbinders die set... I've used it several times this year.  I love that pinecone die!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Soft Succulent, Old Olive, Early Espresso

*Images:  Mama Elephant Jingle Greetings

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturned

*Dies:  Memory Box Knotted Circle Wreath; Spellbinders Christmas Blooms

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Embellishments:  Frosted Lace Stickles

*Challenges:  CAS Colours & Sketches #496

*CAS on Friday #243*

The current challenge at CAS on Friday is a clean and simple winter card.  What's more winter (at least here in Calgary) than Snow?

I started with a standard sized card front and lightly did some ink blending to get a nice soft blue.  I cut that panel down with a stitched die and then added the letters.  I used some snowflakes from my bin of extras, put the panel on my card and then added Stickles to each letter to create some texture and sparkle.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  assorted mirror

*Ink:  Tim Holtz Salty Ocean

*Dies: MFT Impact Alpha, Stitched Rectangles; Impression Obsession Snowflakes

*Embellishments:  Frosted Lace Stickles
*Challenges:  CAS on Friday #243

*Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers*

I'm back today with another card following the October sketch at Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers.  I really love this sketch and could see going back to it a lot to use up some of my patterned papers.  Have you played along yet?

I made this one a little more simple with only one embossed layer and used a stamped image as the second panel.  I might have cheated a bit with that.  I really loved the plaid along the edge of the card but couldn't find anything else I wanted to use as another layer that went with it.  So I skipped it!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Cherry Cobbler

Paper:  Stampin' Up! Plaid Tidings

*Images:  Photoplay Gnome for the Holidays; Taylored Expressions Simple Strips Christmas

*Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black; Versafine Clair Nocturne; Copics

*Dies:  Photoplay Gnome for the Holidays; Taylored Expressions Simple Strips, Simple Strips Backer

*Embossing Folder:  Stampin' Up!

*Embellishments:  Stardust Stickles

*Challenges:  Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers #27

*CASology #401*

It's time for a new challenge at CASology... we want to see your cards that feature hats!

It's too late in the season for me to think about winter hats (or toques as we call them here in Canada), so I went for a gnome with a fabulous hat!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Wisteria Wonder

*Images:  Photoplay Norberts Birthday Party; Studio Katia Birthday Greetins

*Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black; Versafine Clair Nocture; Copics

*Dies:  Photoplay Norberts Birthday Party; Stampin' Up! Banners

*Embellishments:  Sprinkled Sugar Stickles

*Challenges:  CASology #401

*Snowflake Medallion*

I think that this Lawn Fawn Stitched Snowflake Backdrop cover die might be meant for people to do some card stitching, but I like how it looks as a subtle background instead.

Back back back in the day, my Mom introduced me to stitching on cards.  This was before dies  and die cutting machines.  We would take a paper pattern and attach it over our cardstock and then put it on a thick foam pad where we would then poke holes with a needle tool.  It was a LOT of work to get it ready to even start the stitching!  My Mom would be so excited to have all of the stitching dies available these days...

What you can't see unless you look at the larger size of this card is that the blue strip is embossed... I wanted it to look a bit like falling snow.

Items Used

*Cardstock:  silver mirror; Stampin' Up! Misty Moonlight

*Dies:  Lawn Fawn Stitched Snowflake Backdrop;  Stampin' Up! Stitched Snowflakes; Waffle Flower Additional Circles

*Etc:  Sizzix dots embossing folder

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Embellishments:  Frosted Lace Stickles