WMS Christmas time

I have now caught up with the WMS Christmas Card Challenges and I can't wait till the June one comes. Both of these cards were inspired by Etsy. The colors are very non-traditional Christmas colors, but I really like how they turned out.

This first one is a CAS card using PTI's Out on a Limb's branch and Text Background as well as WMS's snowflakes found in Seasons of Love and 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. The cardstock colors are Black, Grey, and Bordering Blue (which is a really pretty blue grey). I used a Martha Stewart snowflake border punch along the bottom of the card base (the black - I will glue in white paper on the inside to allow for writing). The snowflakes on the BB base was embossed in clear embossing powder and then stamped over it with a text background stamp using Weathered Wood. I then sponged Weathered Wood and Black Soot around the edges so that the snowflakes could pop a little more. I used WMS's Holiday Labels #14 stamped in grey for the frame around the branch (that I had added some "snow" using a white pen). The sentiment was hand written as I couldn't find the sentiment as a stamp that would fit. I used white thread to help anchor everything along the bottom.

Challenges used:
WMS CCC: April challenge to use snow
WMS sketch: sketch
Embellish: color and text challenge
Saturday Cahllenge: clean and simple
Wee Memories: be ispired by Etsy or Pintrest




My second card is really my DH's favorite of the two. I used SU! Lovely as a Tree stamp embossed in black on Bordering Blue and then sponged Weather Wood, Faded Jeans, and a touch of Black Soot. Once I was done withe the spongeing I splattered some water to give if the droplet look and then flicking watered down white pain for my "snowflakes". The whole time I was making this card I was singing "Let it Snow" (one of my favorite holiday songs). I even took a white pen to add some snow to the trees. I love how the sketch I used lent itself to a polaroid frame as that's what I used to "frame" part of the scene. The sentiment is from WMS's Seasons of Love and I thought went so beautifully with the snow scene I tried to create.




Challenges used:
WMS CCC: May challenge to use a tree
CPS: sketch
Wee Memories: be inspired by Etsy Pintrest
Lillipop Craft: Inpsired by a song, "Let It Snow"
My Partner in Crafting Crime: use an uncolored image

WMS Christmas time

Here are two more cards I made for the WMS Christmas Card Challenges. I used an old CAS sketch to keep them simple and easy to create again. I used my Spellbinders Fancy Tags die for the first time as well as a frame for WMS's Fancy Phrases (love how many of Clarie's WMS stamps are meant to fit within several of Spellbinders dies). The stamped frame works amazingly with the Believe sentiment with from WMS's 'Twas the Night Before Cbristmas stamp set. I embossed the snowflakes (from another WMS set) withe clear embossing powder that has some glitter in it as well as my "hidden" Santa with his sleigh that angled in light can be seen of the white strip. Both colors of cardstock were then embossed with PTI's linen/canvas impression plate. The ribbon is from my stash.

Prima CASE for YMH

I saw this card on PRIMA's blog and knew I had to CASE it as I just happened to have one of the clear doilies packaging on hand. I also had on hand several flowers and bling leftover from the Prima kits that I've gotten from YMH. The card was really easy and came together fast for me. The base is a turquoise color that I sponged white ink around the edges and then layered the clear packaging from Prima on top of it using some glossy accent for it. After that it was just a matter of playing with the flowers and bling. That's one thing I really love about the Prima kits, you get all kinds of great leftovers to use for other projects. After getting all of the flowers and bling glued down in place I decided to create a banner using a PTI dies and sentiment from PTI's Friends 'til the end stamp set chosing ink colors from the flowers (yellow and turquoise).




Challenges used:
Paper Cutz Challenge: make a card, LO, or project using a banner and any color or theme
Stamp Something: use a sentiment
PaperPlay Challenge: blossoms and blooms

It's Christmas in May

I'm really getting into creating Christmas cards right now. I've gotten a new Christmas set from WMS in my last order that I have really been wanting to use. The set is called 'Twas the Night Before Christmas and can create some wonderful window scene cards. I wanted to go with a slightly vintage feel and was inspired by several of the cards that the WMS DT memebers made during the release. The base is kraft while the next layer is vanilla/cream that I stamped the story text on in Antique Linen Distress Ink and then sponged layers of Antique Linen, Old Paper, Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain, and Barn Door di after distressing the edges. In the bottom right corner I stamped with little sentiment under the framed scene in Walnut Stain and the sweet little mouse from the stamp set in Vintage Photo to complete the theme.



The window scene itself was so much fun to create. I stamped the frame in Walnut Stain onto kraft paper and then used Labels 14 Spellbinders Die to cut and emboss it. I then used a craft knife to cut out the center part and sponged the edges with the same ink. I stamped the shutters in Barn Door onto vanilla c/s and cut them out (and the heart in the center) leaving a little flap to tuck into/behind the inside part of the frame. Once cut I sponged some Barn Door on the shutters to color them. After stamping the windows on to vanilla c/s I colored them with red copics to match the shutters and then stamped Santa and his sleigh in Old Paper for what can be seen through the window. To really work the window element I covered the window panes in glossy accents. I hope I covered everything in the how I did this department :)




Challenges used:
WMS CCC: March Challenge is to use kraft, red, vanilla/white
Kaboodle Doodles Challenge: Distress, Tear, Rip, Crumble
Charisma Cardz: Male Cards (this would be perfect holiday card for that bachelor in the family)
City Crafter Challenges: alter a frame or use a frame of sorts (my frame around the windows)

My Time to Craft: use a die cut

PTI Blog Hop

It's the 25th and that means time for a PTI blog hop. The challenge this month to to show off some flowers. I don't really have time to make some flowers, but I have this amazing PTI stamp set called Friends 'Till the End. What I love about this set is that the flowers can be colored in OR left alone to achieve an array of effects. For my card I chose to just go with the lines and combine it with the Papertry Inker's May challenge where we CASE one of our favorite designers. I chose this card by Betsy Veldman. What I really liked about the card was the boldness of the flowers and the pop of color. I kept the sketch the same but changed out the pink for turquoise. I also took out the ribbon knot (since I didn't use any ribbon), as well as the embellies that went with it) and just wrapped some brown floss around the strip. I also outlined the the cardbase with glitter as well as the center of the darker flowers. I really like how this turned out (not to mention how quickly it all came together).

What makes this card even better is that I have the perfect person for this card.

WMS Christmas time

I know it's only May, but my goal is going to be to post 5 Christmas cards before the month ends. WMS is hosting a Christmas card challenge each month (since January) in their forums and I am just now getting a chance to play along. For the Janurary challenge we were to create a card using something from an old Christmas card or tag. Well, with it being May I no longer have any of those so I did the next best thing: I found some old wrapping paper I used last season. I created a little present for my card with it of course. The sentiment came from WMS's Seasons of Love and I kept the colors simple: red and white. The white background is embossed with a snowflake cuttlebug folder after I sprayed with cardstock with Perfect Pearls Mist in perfect pearls. I used string for the "ribbon" on the present and then some more that I sprayed red to go over the whole card. I also added a little bling on the sentiment circle to give it a little something extra. A simple card, but one that I think packs a punch.

Challenges used:
WMS Jan CCC
Mojo Monday: sketch
Lollipop Crafts: bling it
My Partner in Crafting Crime: use twine, jute, or string

Simple Kid Birthday

We have a birthday party tomorrow and I had to create a quick card. I used WMS's Half Pint Heros for both the image and sentiment. I colored the car in red because what little boy (or big for that matter) doesn't like a flashy red sports card. Then to raise it a notch I went over the car in a red glitter pen. The red was also inspired by this piece at Etsy. I really liked how the red popped off the screen at me and wanted to achieve the same thing here. The bakcground was created by sponging Weather Wood and Broken China distress ink over white cardstock and then flicking water over it for the worn effect. The banner was punced out by using a PTI banner die. I wish I had do the little street dashes leading up to the sentiment but the black was too stark and I don't have a grey or blue pen/marker so blank it is.

Sorry for the bad photo as I had already tied it to the gift before I remembered I still needed to take a picture.

Challenges used:
Lily Pad: sketch
Allsorts Challenge: birthday
Craft Catz: anything goes
Etsy challenge: be inspired from this store (my inspiration)

Happy Birthday to WMS

Another quick post as life has been off this week. With that said, I'm also going to be double dipping as this is for WMS and YMH. Claire over at WMS is celebrating her 2nd birthday of her on-line stamp store. To celebrate, she is hosting a Tea Party and to help her celebrate I made a little teabag using one of her FREE templates. Of course I had to use two of your amazing stamps to help embellish the bag (Holiday Label No 14 and Bitty Banners). These were the perfect frame for my Prima sugar coated flower and the paper came from a Tattered Angels kit that I got from YMH. What really helped me add the depth to the project was Helmar's Scrapdots. This bad boy adhesive is what gave the depth to the flower and stamped ribbon. I distressed the edges a little and then sponged with some light brown ink and then to help the flower flow with the bag I edged the white of the bag in glitter as well as the stamped ribbon. It's simple but it's cute.

Nothing like a last minute entry, lol. At least I am able to say Happy Birthday and may there be many more to an amazing stamping company.

WMS Blog Hop: All about the boys

DH and I had date night on Sunday and it was a blast! We went with some friends of ours to Wayne Kerr's latest concert for his latest CD, Love Stands Out. For those who don't who he is, Wayne is an amazing Christian music artist. I've been listening to his since he sang at a friend's wedding around 2000. He lives in my area and is such a great guy and has an amazing heart for our Lord. His concerts tend to be smaller than the bigger names but I love it because it feels more like worshipping (rock style) and the concert goers tend to pick their seats once they get there. I will admit that it's been several years since I've last seen him in person (like 7 years), so when we got to the concert site we got fourth row seats. How cool was that right?! Once it started I noticed my age. Now I'm only 32 (almost 33), but I was starting to feel older and here's why. It wasn't so much the teens that were there (I mean, WK tends to performs for youth retreats and groups so that was expected - sorta, lol) but the opening act. The band of four came on stage and started jamming and, while I thought the music was great. I couldn't help but think that they lead singer and drummer (more the lead singer though) looked familiar. I've never seen them before but there was just something about them. Then the song ended and the lead singer introduced himself and thevband. His name is Caleb Chapman and his drummer is his yonger brother, Will Chapman. And then is all made sense. I was watching the sons of an amazing Christian artist that I grew up listening to and going to his concert, Steven Curtis Chapman. Caleb looks just like his dad I think too and that's why he looked familiar to me. Their music is amazing and I am looking forward to hearing more from them. I could go on even more but I know ya'll are really here for the WMS blog hop, lol.

me with Caleb and Will Chapman's band

me with Wayne Kerr

We have a young man in our family graduating this year so I thought the theme for this month's blog hop was the perfect chance to make his card (or money holder since that is the favorite gift of graduates). The only thing I wish was different was the sentiment. I love it but don't really feel it works the best on this card. What I really wanted was a "congradulations" in a nice simple font (much like this one at WMS). I used WMS's Free Spirit for the card. I was intrigued with the WMS sketch and wanted to work it for the hop. I finally decided on a slightly techie feel by using the music equalizer pulse thing-y plus the wave strip thing-y (I know, very technical wording right). I didn't want the curl on the strip though, so I used the pulses twice plue one 'tower' and then inked only the straight part of the wave. I achieved the color variation by simply stamping the images three times without re-inking. They didn't stamp cleaning (I was trying to do this while my 2 yr-old wanted to help) but I think it adds to the grunge-y feel of the card. The little grad cap is from the same set while the sentiment is PTI.

Challenges used: WMS sketch challenges
Paper Cutz: graduation
Cute Card Thurs: distressing
EtsyInspried: beinspired from Bear Creek Design, this inspired my colors.

Summer Birdcage

I have my desk back and can craft again. For my mini-comeback I decided to decorate a birdcage. I have been wanting to do this since I saw this one on the Prima website back in February. When I first got the idea I had wanted to do blue egss but when I bought this cage with the nest and eggs already in it and saw how well it went with the Prima flowers and vines and decided to nix the blue eggs. I am loving this vines from Prima (I used two different colors) and enjoyed mixing in some extra Prima flowers. These muted colors are a subtle spring and work just as well for the summer months. Since the vines have wire in them the piecing of this together went really fast. Be sure to visit Your Memories Here to pick out your Prima goodies.

I used:
Flowered Tendrils Lemon and Pinck
Floret Coll. Camille (little roses)
Love Letter Roses peridot (big yellow roses)
Fairytale Roses French White

MIA update

Still without a craftroom but DH promises I will have it back up and running by Wednesday night. Right now I'm sticking with the craft room up stairs for now and am really wanting to finish my two cards and start some projects for ya'll. In the mean time I wanted to remind you to go check out Your Memories Here for the latest Live with Prima kits.

MIA

I can't believe it's been almost two weeks since my last post. Sorry about that. It looks like I may stay MIA until sometime next week too. We replaced some windows in our home and one of them was in the craft room, so that meant I had to clean the space around the window for the guys to get to and to really help them we had to take my desk and computer apart. The windows are put in so the clean up begins. In the mean time I'm going to a wedding and enjoying a movie with my oldest. My mom and I are taking him to see Disney's Africian Cats and he can't wait. DH and I are really trying to decide if we should just move the craft room into the office downstairs since the desk and computer are currently down. I'm leaning on no as we just put up the shelves in the craft room and there is no door to the office (won't be for at least another year).