This Christmas - I'll Be Ready!

Pin It Now! So, it's only 218 days til' Christmas!  It's never too early to prep.
My youngest & I go walking as often as possible around a park loop, and we have the tradition of playing Christmas music on Pandora, even in the dog days of summer.  It really got me in the mood for Christmas cards.

I went looking for a sketch challenge to start with, and noticed that Freshly Made Sketches and Sunday Stamps have similar layouts this week.  So, I thought I'd take the same elements and make one card for each sketch.

I've used new SU DSP called This Christmas, and a retired and perfectly gorgeous stamp, Prince of Peace.

I love both sketches! Circles are my favorite element. Please visit them and check out all the fantastic inspiration!

I'm just tickled to have two Christmas cards to add to my very small stash!

Cozy Christmas samples

Pin It Now! Just sharing a few cards that I made with a friend this weekend, trying to knock out a stack of Christmas cards. I'm going to get those cards in the mail early this year!

I finally got over my fear of the Pom Pom trim I just HAD to have and then wouldn't touch it!

Found something like this on Pinterest - quick and easy!

This one was CASEd with a little tweaks of my own... Aren't those deer the sweetest?

I used some paper from a stack at Hobby Lobby for this one, I love the vintage feel!

Are you getting a start on those Christmas cards?

SUPPLIES: 

STAMPS: Cozy Christmas

PAPER: Home for Christmas

Cozy Christmas for HSS223

Pin It Now! Here I am back with another Christmas card using my favorite set of the year!  I love all things vintage, so I keep going for this one, Cozy Christmas, and the coordinating Home for Christmas DSP. It's so sweet!

I used our latest sketch from Hand Stamped Sentiments...

For my card, I wanted to have a more shabby chic vintage look, and the brightness of the houses and churches on the DSP was throwing me off. So, I brushed over it with a layer of chalk paint and sponged the edges with gold. I placed the original paper next to my finished panel so you can see the difference. It's just more subtle, so the sentiment stands out.

Why don't you join in the challenge this week and make a little special something for someone?!

Have a blessed and creative day! ~Erika

SUPPLIES:

STAMPS: Cozy Christmas

INK: Real Red, Mossy Meadow, Pool Party, Basic Black

PAPER: Home For Christmas DSP, Real Red, Whisper White, Gold Glimmer Paper

EMBELLISHMENTS: doily, sequins, star punch, gold 3/8" glitter ribbon

Cozy Christmas HSS221

Pin It Now!

The new Christmas goodies have inspired me today, along with Hand Stamped Sentiments' latest sketch, which is AWESOME. I adore the vintage feel of the Home For Christmas collection!  The Designer Series Paper coordinates so well with this old fashioned stamp set. I'll be spending LOTS of time with these!

I used lots of DSP from this pack to embellish my card, and absolutely no ribbon or big shot products!  That is really unusual for me.  I like the layers, the patterns work well together.  Great paper pack!!!

Here's the lovely sketch!  Click below to play along. I'd love to see what you do!  

SUPPLIES:

STAMPS:  Cozy Christmas

INK:  Mossy Meadow, Baked Brown Sugar, Pool Party

PAPER:  Home For Christmas, Silver Glimmer paper

EMBELLISHMENTS:  Basic rhinestones

Show & Tell of Christmas Cards

Pin It Now! Here are a few of the Christmas cards I've received this month. Just beautiful, each and every one!  Isn't it the best when you get one of those "lumpy envelopes" in the mail, and you know you're opening a handmade card?

First up is my friend Julie. I love her creativity, I can see she has combined several stamp sets.

My upline, Linda, sent this Wondrous Wreath card, with the addition of our bird punch!

And you cannot imagine my delight when I got this big, beautiful package in my box. This is a large (about 6x9) gift bag, created by my sweet friend Dee Ann. I adore the gold, the doily, the star! And inside were custom made address labels!  

I hope you're having a wonderful Christmas!

Make something homemade and bless someone!  

Festival of Trees Quick & Easy Christmas Card

Pin It Now! Here's a quick, fun card using the coordinating punch and photopolymer stamps in the Festival of Trees bundle.

The punched tree fits nicely into a circle punched with the 2-1/2" circle punch. Double layer the tree to give it a pop-up look. 

it's not your eyes...this is a blurry photo...sorry!

Inside...that's some old patterned paper, Be of Good Cheer!  It always comes in handy eventually :)

Anyway, these are quick and easy for those last minute cards you need for folks.  

Have a blessed and creative day!

SUPPLIES:

STAMPS:  Festival of Trees bundle with punch

INK:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Garden Green, Cherry Cobbler

PAPER: Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, Garden Green, Beof Good Cheer DSP-retired, Gold Glimmer

EMBELLISHMENTS:  Cheery Cobbler Dazzling Details, Baked Brown Sugar thick twine, Swiss dots embossing folder, 2-1/2"circle punch, Itty Bitty Accents punch pack(star), 

5 Minute Christmas Card From Leftover Parts HSSSC201

Pin It Now! So, I was on my way out of town at 4:30 this morning. Packed and prepped for a 1,000 mile trip to Dallas, and I'm taking my final walk through, when suddenly I realize that I need to - WANT to - make my card for the HSS DT that needs to post Monday. And I don't return til Tuesday!  Dilemma.  I realize I have exactly 5 minutes before my hubby comes looking for me. Looking around at my blown-up desk from gift making, I find the parts to make this card...

Every bit of this card was tucked here and there. 

Tag parts from last year. 

Santa for gift card holders I made for a friend. 

Scraps of retired DSP - it's actually 2 pieces hidden behind that white tag. 

Oh, and the JOY!  From the Watercolor kit!  It's cut from "joyeaux". 

Here's the sketch:

I have to admit, I didn't even have the sketch I the same room while making my card...just made it from memory. The key element I remembered was the circle. It's close enough for me :)

I did cut the card base at 3-3/4" x 5-1/2" so the Santa tag could hang off a bit. 

So what do you think?  Do you have a few minutes to make a "Franken-card" from your scraps?!  I'd love to see what you do!  

Have a blessed and creative day~ Erika 

An Icy Color Combo for Christmas & Hanukkah! HSS200

Pin It Now! I can't believe Hand Stamped Sentiments is hitting this huge milestone...200 crafty challenges!  I've been with them for over two years now, and it's been so fun and such a blast.

This week the challenge is a unique color combo.  It had me scratching my head, but I came up with a design that was great for both Christmas and Hanukkah!

Look at these colors!  So cool and crisp. 

A closer look at them...My final Christmas design features Ornamental Pine embossed with Smoky Slate Stampin' Emboss, and rubbed with a sponge and Tempting Turquoise ink.  I like the glow that it gives the Pool Party cardstock. 

I decided to try it out with my Hanukkah stamp - lovely! 

And my first design, basically the same as the first Christmas card, but without the stepped up embellishments.  This is a great card for mailing!

Won't you join us at Hand Stamped Sentiments this week?  I'd love to see how you're inspired!

SUPPLIES:

STAMPS: Happy Hanukkah, Ornamental Pine

INK:  Tempting Turquoise, Versamark, Stampin Emboss White

PAPER:  Whisper White, Pool Party, Smoky Slate

EMBELLISHMENTS:  Tea Lace Doilies, Frosted Sequins, Basic Rhinestones, Pool Party Thick Twine, Pool Party Bakers Twine

OTHER: 1/8" white satin ribbon (Hanukkah card)

Santa Stache with a Simple Sketch

Pin It Now! Love my Santa Stache!  This is a too-cute set that's easy to color and packs a punch.  The coordinating Framelits moustache makes it way cuter!

We have a great, simple sketch at HSS for the next two weeks.  Use it to get started on Christmas cards!  I followed the sketch exactly and I love the results. Clean, bright, and symmetrical.  

A right jolly old elf, eh?  Love the Blendabilities to color him with. This is a great stamp to try them out with. Not much coloring, so what you do really stands out.  I used the Cherry Cobbler set and the skin tone assortment.  

Swing on over to Hand Stamped Sentiments and give this sketch a try!  I can't wait to see what you do!

SUPPLIES:

STAMPS:  Santa Stache

INK:  Memento Black, Blendabilities Cherry Cobbler/Skin Tone assortment, Early Espresso

PAPER:  Trim the Tree DSP stack, Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso, Whisper White

EMBELLISHMENTS:  Cherry Cobbler 1" Sheer Linen Ribbon, Linen Thread, Sequin Assortment

Other:  Ovals cutting tool (Creative Memories), Corner rounding tool (Fiskars)

Clean & Simple Christmas Cheer

Pin It Now! I've decided to use a clean and simple card for mailing at Christmas this year.

What I haven't decided is which card to use!  The next few posts will feature my mailable, CAS Christmas card series.  The DSP will provide most of the embellishment, and the sentiment will be clear and bold!

Here's one featuring Nordic Noel DSP, Cheerful Christmas stamp set, and a couple of embellishments.

The color pallette is from our latest challenge at Hand Stamped Sentiments!  Love these holiday season colors!

I substituted the Garden Green for the dark shade of Old Olive Blendabilities. These markers work great for so many techniques!  This time I used one to color the pine boughs that were heat embossed with white.

Inside, Christmas merriness!

I think the rounded corners add a little more interest to my mailable card.  The little strip of black and white, too.  I have learned this cool look from one of our 2014-2015 Artisans, Teneale Williams.  She is a master of graphic design!

Have a blessed and creative day!  ~ erika

SUPPLY LIST:

STAMPS:  Cheerful Christmas, More Merry Messages

INK:  White Stampin' Emboss, Basic Black, Real Red, Blendabilities Old Olive

PAPER:  Nordic Noel DSP, Typeset Specialty DSP, Whisper White, Real Red,  Basic Black

EMBELLISHMENTS:  Frosted Sequins, Basic Rhinestones

OTHER:  Corner rounding punch (Fiskars)

Nordic Noel Dazzles With No Embellishments!

Pin It Now! A mailable, barely lumpy Christmas card for you today!

I'm working on my Christmas cards to mail out in just a few weeks.  Already! Wow!

This one lets the DSP do most of the talkin', and a little glimmer paper to make it pop.

There's a challenge at Christmas Card Challenges to create a card with NO embellishments, and this one made me joyful!  When it came time to stick something extra on it, I said NOPE!  We are done.  How liberating! Thanks, CCC!

Inside.

Do you dare to make a card with no ribbon?  Rhinestones?  Buttons? Sequins??? I dare you to try!

Have a blessed and creative day!  ~ Erika

SUPPLY LIST:

STAMPS:  Heart of Christmas (retired), More Merry Messages

INK:  White Stampin Emboss, Basic Black, Real Red

PAPER:  Nordic Noel DSP, Typeset Specialty, Basic Black, Red Glimmer Paper, Whisper White

O Holy Night - Upscale Chalkboard Art

Pin It Now! I thought I'd take the chalkboard style and amp it up a bit for today's Christmas card. Gold embossing gives this cool graphic stamp a whole new look!  Are you anything like me, do you try something new but have no idea what the end result might be?  Some of you card geniuses have such vision and know just what your technique will bring. Not me. But I did like this one!

I like the green with the vintage looking gold.   Reminds me of the shop fronts in the little towns in Ireland! 

Happy October 1st!  84 days till Christmas, you know!  

~ Erika 

Double Christmas Challenge - Circle Thinlits Flip Card

Pin It Now!

Hey crafty friend!  I'm popping in today with a little Christmas cheer!  Here's a flip card using SU's Circle Thinlits, with the twist of a festive banner on the inside.

I've extended the card with an extra flap, and when opened...

Out stretches a starry ornament banner!

The flip side of the circle is vellum embossed with Lucky Stars embossing folder.  The glue dots are strategically placed to be covered by sequins. 

A little ribbon to finish the front.  It also makes it easy to tuck the circle and hold the card closed. 

I'm playing along with these two Christmas challenges!  Please visit them for some jolly inspiration! Click on the pics to open their pages...

Sorry for the screenshot here...you get the picture :D

Have a wonderful week! I hope it's crisp and cool and sunny at your house, too!

SUPPLIES:

STAMPS:  Christmas Messages, Cheerful Christmas

INK:  Cherry Cobbler, Basic Black, Garden Green

PAPER:  Trim the Tree DSP Stack, Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green, Whisper White, Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper

EMBELLISHMENTS:  Star Sequins (non SU), Cherry Cobbler Sheer Linen Ribbon, Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine, Basic Rhinestones

BIG SHOT: Lucky Stars Embossing Folder, Circle Thinlits Card die, Holiday Ornaments Framelits