Santa is Here!

CCEE50
This will be the last challenge for the year at CCEE Stampers. We will return Jan. 3, 2013. Yikes, another year gone by. How fast they go! Don't you agree?

The hostess this week is Frances Byrne and she wants to see a Santa on your card or project. I got out a retired Santa from Stampin'Up! I ordered it a long time ago from Ebay and there was no name on the set. If anyone knows the name, I would love to have it.

I wanted to make my card look vintage so I colored his robe with a Y28 Lionet Gold Copic and did some distressing/tearing on my papers. The designer papers all coordinate and are from My Mind's Eye/Lost and Found Christmas pad. The base and ink are Stampin'Up! Night of Navy. I didn't need a sentiment as it is already on the paper. Oh, and the holly is a Martha Stewart punch called Holly.

Hope you'll join us for the challenge this week and hope to see you return after the new year. Have a
joyful Christmas season.

Holly and Berries

CCEE1249
Cindy Haffner is hostess for the first challenge of December at CCEE Stampers. Her challenge is a fun one and that is to use a favorite NEW die. I just happen to have one and have been anxious to use it.
My die is by Sizzix and is called Holly Branch. It includes the branch, holly leaves, and berries. I covered all of it with Inkssentials Crackle accents.

This was a really easy card, just adding a ribbon and sentiment with some glitter glue around it and another card is ready to mail.

Recipe:
Stamps-Hot off the Press/Christmas Words (sentiment)
Paper-PTI white cardstock, SU Cherry Cobbler, Chocolate Chip, and Old Olive
Ink-Memento Rich Cocoa
Accessories-Sizzix Holly Branch die, Ribbon FX red/white stripe, Crystal glitter glue/Gary M. Burlin and Co., Inkssentials Crackle accents

Peppermint Sticks

CCEE1248
Vicky is giving her last challenge for this month at CCEE Stampers and it is to lace your ribbon (i.e. through a bracket, a piece of lattice work, or cardstock). The metallic holiday ribbon is some I bought last year and don't think I've ever used. I used a ribbon threader punch on my cardstock and wove the ribbon through. Thanks, Vicky, for your month of wonderful challenges.

The image is one I've had from the time I started stamping and don't think I've ever used, but really like it.  It is colored with Copics. I have a piece of Rowe pottery that reminds me of this so I guess I could use mine for this purpose, too. It would really smell good with pretty fir in it.

I love this tiny dot stamp and just added it around the corners for interest. I glittered the stars, used an embossing folder, added a sentiment. It's finished!

I'm entering my card into the challenge at Simon Say Stamp Challenge - Anything Goes

Recipe:
Stamps-Inky Antics P5-4543-3K (no name) bought about 4 yrs. ago, Stamps by Judith (dots), Hot off the Press/Christmas Words (sentiment)
Paper-PTI white cardstock, Stampin'Up! Night of Navy
Ink-Stampin'Up! Night of Navy
Accessories-Cuttlebug herringbone embossing folder, Martha Stewart glue pen, Copics, Celebrate It! Holiday metallic ribbon, Stampin'Up! Dazzling Diamonds, Martha Stewart ribbon threader punch

Christmas Thank You

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, I received a Christmas gift from someone I won't see again for several months. I knew she wanted me to open it and I did, so now I need a thank you card to send her for the sweet gift.

I've been wanting to make a folded Christmas tree for a while. I'm using the tutorial on Splitcoaststampers shown here. They're really fun to make. I hand cut the trunk of the tree with some
brown cardstock and used stickles on the tree.  The banner for the sentiment was also hand cut.

I started out using the SCS sketch shown here but I kind of didn't stick with it, but maybe resembles it somewhat.

Recipe:
Stamps-Mark's Finest Papers and Stamps/Dogwood Blossoms for sentiment
Paper-PTI white cs, MME paper pad/Christmas (double sided and matching papers), gold mirror paper, Stampin'Up! Chocolate Chip and Cherry Cobbler cs
Ink-Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories- EK Success Starry Night corner punch (used the negatives for the star), Xmas Red Stickles, Cuttlebug snowflakes embossing folder, red rhinestones

Hanging Ornament

I've been away for several days as I travelled out of state for Thanksgiving. I've missed checking out all of your cards and am trying to catch up on commenting. Hope you all had a wonderful holiday. Now, I guess it is time to get those Christmas cards made.

My card is made for the Queen for the Day 140 on Splitcoaststampers. I cased this beautiful card of Mrs Noofy aka Sue. I love the ice skates. I didn't have her pretty embossing folders so I got out another one, Sizzix Birds & Wreath set embossing folder. I chalked the leaves.

I don't normally make card without stamping but I have had this gorgeous ornament for a long time and wanted to use it. I am sorry to say I don't know the company that made it. The ornament is a 3D sticker.

I added a snowflake to finish it. Oh, and I ended up tearing the bottom because I stamped a sentiment...CROOKED. I rather like the torn bottom, though.

My card was also made for the November Central Theme on Splitcoaststampers-Hang it All
Totally Stampalicious wants to see snow on your card or project. I do have a snowflake...snowing dark blue, at that. :-)

Paper-SU Night of Navy, PTI white cs
K&CO rhinestone
Flower Soft peel off sticker for gold chain
Martha Stewart snowflake punch

Ending the Season With a Pumpkin

CCEE1247
Happy Thanksgiving!! For those of us in the U.S.A., we are celebrating our day of thanks on Thursday.
I know I have so much for which to be thankful and could never list it all here. I hope everyone
enjoys their day with family and friends.

When I saw this adorable pumpkin belonging to Marisa at Rosemary Reflections, I knew I wanted to try to make one. So, when I learned the CCEE Stampers challenge given by Vicky this week was to make a card using brown, yellow, and orange and also include some patterned paper, this was my chance. Mine is different but the same idea.

My hair stylist got this card and she loved it. That makes me happy.

I cut my card shape with a Spellbinders circle nestabilitie, using my largest one. I ran it through the Cuttlebug with a distressed stripes embossing folder. The curly cues were made by wrapping my creamy cocoa cardstock around a piercing tool, the sharp end. I think the smaller item you can use for tightly wrapping, the better the curl. My leaves were made with a EK Tools layering punch/Fall leaf. The banner and pumpkin stem are hand cut and the sentiment is from Stampabilities and is called Happy Thanksgiving.

Paper is Mark's Finest Papers and Stamps/Orangie Sunset, SU Chocolate Chip, yellow scraps, Creamy Cocoa/unknown, My Mind's Eye/Tiny Dots dp
Rust Raffia

A Case Gone Bad

I was late getting into the craft room today after going out to lunch, then buying groceries but wanted to do a card for the Featured Stamper on Splitcoaststampers. I almost never get to do this challenge. Well, it all went wrong. I had the card made and started to photograph when I noticed a boo boo. I didn't have time to do another just like it so I did a much simper version. As you can see if you click on the link below, I  just did a CAS and did only the middle part of her card.

Here is the card I was trying to case.

I made the ring with the snowmen by cutting two of the Spellbinders Blossom Three dies placed together for cutting and it left this section. I stamped the snowmen and colored them. Added my sentiment and snowflakes (not following the rules...as three snowflakes just didn't work).

I see the embossing on my ribbon banner is not showing. Ugh! I think I had too much light on it.

Recipe:
Stamps-Hot off the Press/Christmas Words, Snowman peg stamp
Paper-PTI white cardstock, Stampin'Up! Cherry Cobbler, gray cs/Hobby Lobby
Ink-Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories-Copics, Spellbinders Blossom Three die cuts, Spellbinder Shapeabilities ribbon banners, Martha Stewart snowflake punch, Martha Stewart Polar Stamp and Punch (snowflake punch)

Bringing Home the Tree

I think this was the hardest card to photograph I've ever worked with. Gee Whiz...I just couldn't get it to look clear.

I am doing a case of this card for the new Queen for the Day on Splitcoaststampers, Gabby aka gabalot.  I need more Christmas cards so that is the route I took. This sweet image was given to me by a friend on SCS, Sue aka coffeestamper. Aren't friends great?

I did my embossing folder on a slant as I was doing a single layer and this made it much easier to use the folder. Plus, I like this look.

Hope you all have a wonderful Fall weekend. Hope you don't have to rake leaves. :-)

Recipe:
Stamps-Hot Off the Press/Christmas Words, I have no name for mouse image
Paper-PTI white cardstock, SU cherry cobbler, MME paper pad
Ink-Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories-Copics, Stampin'Up! Dazzling Diamonds, Cuttlebug embossing folder/Snowflakes

Pumpkins, Vines, and More

CCEE1246
Vicky, at CCEE Stampers, gave us the challenge this week to do a Fall/Thanksgiving card. I got out an image I haven't used this season and just added just a tinge of color for contrast and let it be. I rather like it. I stamped a few dots and the sentiment, added a ribbon and it's finished.  Oh, and I do love this  designer paper.

We would love for you to join us this week. Just add your card with our inlinkz tool.

I'm entering my card into the Simon Says Stamp Challenge which is Thanksgiving or Thank You.

Recipe:
Stamps-Great Impressions #1-134, Stamps by Judith (dots), Stampabilities/Happy Thanksgiving
Paper-PTI vintage cream, Stampin'Up! Soft Suede, DCWV-The Four Seasons Stack (Prints for each month of the year)
Ink-Stampin'Up! Soft Suede
Accessories-Stampin'Up! Soft Suede grosgrain ribbon, Copics

A Simple Thank You

I didn't get to play the CASology challenge last week and I missed it. So, I'm jumping right in this week with challenge #19 and the cue word is THANKS.  We all need thank you cards, don't we?
I decided to make mine a bit on the elegant side. I love this 'thank you' image and it is the first time I've used it. It will probably get a good bit of use.

Shopping our Stash wants to see a Thanksgiving or Thank You card this week. I don't think I need another one for the holiday but I do need thank you cards.


Recipe:
Stamps-Stampendous Cling Thank You Swirl
Paper-PTI white cardstock, black cardstock from Hobby Lobby
Ink-Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories-clear rhinestones