Double Christmas Challenge - Circle Thinlits Flip Card

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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

Seize the Cake! Happy Birthday, LeAnne!

Pin It Now! Merry Mondays Challenge is celebrating the birthday of a very sweet and talented cardmaker, LeAnne Pugliese.  Here's my birthday card for you, LeAnne!

A quick and easy card to make, great for beginning card makers.  We let the patterned paper do most of the work, and use Stampin' Write markers to color the layers of the cake, making it look fabulously fancy!  The mini banner at the bottom is simply punched. 

Here, you can see the little row of pearls to gussy it up.

So, I hope you had a wonderful birthday!  It is so nice to visit with you in Blogland, you are very personable, and I'm sure everyone that receives comments from you knows that you took time to really look and appreciate their work.  You make everyone feel special, because YOU are truly special!  (((hugs)))

Click the graphic above to visit Merry Mondays, check out all the lovely birthday cards, and say Happy Birthday!

You can visit LeAnne's blog here.

SUPPLIES:

STAMPS: Embellished Events, Something to Say

INK:  Bermuda Bay, Calypso Coral, Gumball Green, Raspberry Ripple, Summer Starfruit, Basic Grey

PAPER:  Birthday Basics DSP, Bermuda Bay, Whisper White

EMBELLISHMENTS:  Raspberry Ripple Stitched Satin Ribbon, Polka Dot Embossing Folder, Basic Pearls

Christmas In July - Heart of Christmas

Pin It Now! The challenge at Merry Mondays this week is to make a green and white card, and this one turned out so different from the way I had it pictured.  Does this happen to you?  I was going to go the CAS route with a white base and maybe some washi tape.  Haha!

I decided to go more green and less white, with a combo of Old Olive & Confetti White, which is a much creamier white. 

I used a similar layout for my anniversary card last week, and I like the way it looks. The point in the front allows the patterned paper to show whether opened or shut. 

I embossed the cardfront with Lacy Brocade, and created a Hardwood panel with Old Olive ink and some sponging. Atop that, the sentiment Heart of Christmas is heat embossed white on Olive with a little more sponging.  A little banner of burlap and three tiny bells strung on linen thread fancy it up some.  Finally, rhinestones anchor the sentiment panel - I colored them with my Blendabilities. 

Inside...

Go check out all the beautiful cards at Merry Monday!  BTW, I LOVE this inspiration photo.  Just gorgeous!

SUPPLIES:

STAMPS:  Heart of Christmas, Merry Messages

INK:  Old Olive, White embossing

PAPER:  Old Olive CS, Candlelight Christmas patterned paper, Confetti White

EMBELLISHMENTS:  1-1/4" Burlap ribbon, Linen Thread, mini bells

OTHER / TOOLS:  Labels Framelits, Dotted Scallop Punch, 

Halfway to Christmas! **[Merry Monday 114 & The Challenge #9]**

Pin It Now! Today it's officially halfway to Christmas Eve!  Can you believe it?  I know I just posted about the beginning of summer yesterday, but tonight we'll be watching ELF, my favorite modern-day Christmas movie.

My card celebrates the true meaning of Christmas. Our Daily Bread Designs makes precious and uplifting Christian stamps!

I am using Merry Monday's challenge to use sparkle and shine on my card, so I chose to use an understated chalkboard effect with a glimmer paper mat, then embellished with my vintage silver stars.  I think it gives it an ethereal look.  Also, for a little more sparkle, a shiny, silver bow under Baby Jesus.

He is our gift. 

I used a scrapping kit from a couple years back by Stampin' Up, and it has these great coordinating pre-cut strips, so I used them for The Challenge sketch, both inside and out. 

Stop by these inspiring challenges and play along!  

SUPPLIES:  All Stampin' Up! except where noted. 

STAMPS:  For Unto You (Our Daily Bread Designs), Christmas Messages

INK: Memento Tuxedo Black

PAPER:  Crumb Cake, Silver Glimmer, Merry Moments Simply Scrappin Kit

EMBELLISHMENTS:  1/8" silver ribbon, silver star sequins (my stash)

Merry Monday Challenge 113 - Deck the Halls

Pin It Now! Here's a sweet, non-traditional color combo for Christmas from Merry Monday Challenge. Pink, silver, and white.  I made a shaker frame with silver stars, sequins, and rhinestones, topped with a full triple bow.

To make the shaker frame, I used the Ornament Framelits to cut 2 white ornaments.

Punched the center of the top ornament with 1-1/4" circle.  

Ran it thru the Big Shot with the new 2014 Lovely Lace embossing folder. 

There are rhinestones adhered randomly to the inside of the shaker so it always seems to be in motion, and then some InColor sequins, and some silver bits from my vintage stash of craft supplies. 

Closed it all up in a shaker frame circle, and heat embossed the images on the card front.  

Scattered some more silver sequins about.  

And there you have it :D

Almost halfway to Christmas!  

Check out Merry Monday for gorgeous samples from the designers!  

SUPPLIES:

STAMPS:  Merry & Type, Christmas Messages, Jolly Bingo Bits

INK:  Versamark, Silver Embossing Powder

PAPER:  Pink Pirouette, Whisper White

EMBELLISHMENTS/TOOLS: Shaker Frames, Lovely Lace Embossing Folder, In Color Sequin Asst, Window Sheet, 1-1/4" circle punch, 1-3/8" circle punch

Merry Monday Sketch - Sounding Joy

Pin It Now! We're almost halfway to Christmas, and I have to jump with joy because I got a copy of the NEW SU HOLIDAY MINI today! What a way to get in the mood for Merry Monday :) The goodies in this catalog...the stamps, papers, and embellies, are very trendy and elegant. I can't wait for a preorder.

There's a sketch for Merry Monday this week. I pulled out a piece of last year's Candlelight Christmas paper and built from there.

The banner end is die cut from the largest Apothecary Accents Framelits, by tucking the end through so it's the only part that gets cut. The large red scallops are from the Tasteful Trim die. Finally, the kraft die cut (Pocketful of Posies, Spring Mini) is heat embossed with the lovely sentiment from The Sounding Joy :) LOVE that beautiful stamp set!

So check out the sketch, and get inspired...apparently it's not too early to (almost) order brand new Christmas supplies! Visit the MM sketch at Lesley's Always Playing With Paper blog and say hi to the design team - what pretty cards!

SUPPLY LIST:
STAMPS: The Sounding Joy
INK: Craft White, Real Red, Versamark
PAPER: Candlelight Christmas, Real Red, Very Vanilla
EMBELLISHMENTS: Kraft tag: Pocketful of Posies, Very Vanilla seam binding ribbon, Basic Pearls

Have a blessed and creative day! ~ Erika

Merry Monday - Clean & Simple Red, White, Black

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I'm happy to report that summer has officially started here in the Clark household! We finished our standardized testing and I successfully homeschooled my 3^rd and 6^th graders into smart little graduates of Clarks Academy :) Now we get to spend the summer pursuing our interests. One will learn guitar and Java script, the other will be learning small engine repair (my 9 year old!), and I will be hopefully catching up on scrapbooking and revving up my crafty mojo with some new SU goodies. Soon! Oh, and gardening.

What's a sunny May day without a look ahead to Christmas? I used the Merry Monday sketch to create this clean and simple card.

I decided to go with only red, white and black. Simply using clean lines and dimensionals, I stamped one tree from Lovely As A Tree on one side of the rectangle, and hand cut a tiny cardinal and placed it on a branch. I used the snowy panel to stamp my sentiment, and mounted them on Real Red glimmer paper. Finally, I added (sparingly) Dazzling Diamonds glitter with Tombo multi glue and a fine paintbrush.

You should give the sketch a try! There's some great inspiration over at Lesley's blog.

Have a blessed and creative day! ~ Erika

SUPPLIES:

STAMPS: Lovely As A Tree, Many Merry Messages

PAPER: Whisper White, Real Red, Red Glimmer

INK: Black Staz On, Real Red

EMBELLISHMENTS: Dazzling Diamonds glitter

First Christmas - Merry Monday 62 Sketch Challenge

Pin It Now! Hi crafty friends!  An interesting sketch from Merry Monday this week!  Classic shapes and lines, but it's a little off center, giving it an interesting look.  Here's the sketch:

I turned the sketch on its side and used one of my favorites, First Christmas, for the focal point.

The sentiment was first heat embossed in white, then Baby Jesus was stamped in Versamark and sprinkled first with clear, then with polysparkle. All the edges were sponged with Early Espresso, and the brads at the top are coordinating glimmer brads.

Are you in the mood for Christmas cards among all the sunshine?  Head over to Lesley's blog and play along!

Some Stamps are Keepers

Pin It Now! Today was spring cleaning in my craft room.  I decided to sort and organize every one of my stamp sets.  Look at this mess!  I should be ashamed.  I am a stamp glutton.

At least the sets on the right I've decided to sell.  But the sets on the left?  Sigh.  They're either current, or I can't bear to part with them.

In my flurry of purging, I came across the first rubber stamp I ever bought.  It's a Christmas stamp from 2006!  Before that I was purely a scrapbooker.

 Aaannnd, I found the first card I'd ever made.  With said stamp!  I joined a monthly card swap at my local scrapbook store, and started researching.  This card was a 100% CASE of a magazine card.  I shopped for every exact item on the card's supply list.  Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Powder, Tea Stain Distress Ink, actual flannel that is hand frayed!  I recall that the cards cost me over $70.00 to make 20.  Eek!  And the hours and hours of work.  I was so worried that they wouldn't be good enough. Do you know the feeling?  Performance anxiety.  Fear of putting it out there.  Looking back, and even looking back into recent history, I have felt that way many times.  This card, however, made me happy, and I'll keep it always.

I saw a card with Santa on the front by Margaret Moody that I absolutely love, and decided I will give this old stamp one more go at a CASE.  This time, it only took 15 minutes!  No shopping for supplies (just look at my craft room, haha).  And it was truly an interpretation of a card, not a copy.  It was a nice coffee break during my cleaning.

This is my second card for the Merry Monday challenge this week.  I hope that's okay, I just have a real affinity for Christmas cards!  Only one Christmas stamp set made it into the sale stack.  I think I need an intervention.

I'm so glad I'm still making cards after nine years.  I do want to get back into scrapbooking more, but cards are a wonderful way to show love and appreciation for someone.  Maybe I won't need quite so many stamps if I scrapbook more!  

 Have a blessed and creative day!  ~Erika

Starry Mason Jar Christmas Card - Merry Monday, Jenni Bowlin Centipede

Pin It Now! Even though things are blooming around here, it's a chilly, rainy day.  I made comfort food for dinner - a cornbread chicken bake (yum) - the heat is on, and I'm making another Christmas card!  I have a sketch from Merry Monday, and I'd like to show you how I stamped my mason jar onto glassine and stuffed it full of vintage stars!

Here's the card...aah, vintage. 

I've been seeing stars all over the place lately, and I happen to have a bunch of star sequins in my vintage supply tin.  I sprinkled some over the sentiment panel, and added a healthy pinch to the mason jar.

It's super easy to stuff them with whatever you want.  First, grab a glassine sack.  Need some?  Check here. Stamp your image with Staz-On and fussy cut it out, both layers at the same time.  

Use clear craft lacquer (Crystal Effects) to apply a very thin line along three sides of the back panel, but not the top.  Stick 'em together, they'll seal in just a minute.

 Use a stylus or pencil to work the top open, and add your sequins, flowers, glitter, etc.  Close the top with a glue dot.

Almost all of the elements of the card are surprisingly from Jenni Bowlin's April mini album kit, designed by May Flaum.  The patterned paper is Pink Paislee's Hope Chest collection, and I think the floral design on it is reminiscent of snowflakes.  The wooden bingo chip is heat embossed in gold to match the card.  This is the first time I've tried heat embossing wood, and it worked like a charm!  No pun intended. The ribbon and banner ends are also from the kit.

Inside, a die cut from Webster's Pages, stamped with More Merry Messages (SU). 

I made a countryfied (my word) version for a friend with a goat farm.  Here's the jar stuffed with flowers...

So check out the challenge over at Merry Monday if you're in the Christmas spirit, and see all the festive inspiration!

I'm also participating in Jenni Bowlin's Centipede Challenge!  This post goes under two challenges. "Share a Crafty Tip", and "add something shiny to your project".  You can join the JBS Mercantile Forum and join in the fun!