A Rustic Christmas

So I got a chance to craft this week. It took me a couple of days to put this together but I am glad I did. I really miss my crafts. To help me get back into a crafting mood I decided to check out this month's Chrsitmas card challenge from the WMS forum. It was a countdown challenge. As in 3 different WMS stamp sets, 2 embellies, and 1 circle. This one was a challenge too. I wasn't able to wrap my brain around it at first. I had it in my mind that I wanted to go rustic but wasn't sure how to pull it off with the challenge at first. I think the hardest part was the circle. Since I am not all that great coming up with sketch on my own I decided to go through the WMS Sketch challenges to find one. My three WMS sets are Festive Foliage, Musical Background, and Complements of the Season. My two embellies is the twine I wraped around the stem of the misletoe I had stamped and cut out to make the little bow and the three blinged berries that I colored with my copics. My one circle was used to hold my sentiment. I really love how the whole card is in shades of browns so that the sentiment and misletoe can shine. I even found a couple of other challenges for my card making event, lol: Charisma Cardz - Something for the Guys (I like to think rustic is very boyish, esp since I have two that will be going camping soon), CCEE - Make your own pattern paper, and Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes.

It's a big day

I don't remember the last time I worked so hard in the first four weeks of school and I've been at this for 12 years. I don't even want to know how many hours I am pulling. It is really starting to drain me and my family which is NOT good. Lots of talking between me and God going on right now to see what we need to do. My stress relief is my craft and I only today got a chance to create a couple of cards. Actually I made the time because today is a big day for my oldest and his friend. Today they get their bible from the pastor. It is another step along their journey of knowing who their Heavenly Father is, and a journey that will last a lifetime. I thought PTI's Heavenly Medley would be good for these cards. I wanted to keep these cards simple with a simple reminder that they are children of God. I also stamped a verse on the inside: If any of you lack wisome, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. James 1:5

I will try to come back as soon as I can with another card :)

A Buzzing Celebration

Here is my last card for last week's challenges over at TSG. I had so much fun stretching my TSG stamps into being used for birthdays. The fifth challenge at TSG was to use three embellies on our birthday card. I loved my sky scene so much that I used it again on this card, and of course I just had to use those sweet little bees from Bee Happy. I couldn't find a sentiment that I like thought I used my computer to create one. The inside says "so we decided to come a celebrate too. Happy Birthday!" The orange is some pattern paper I had laying around. The flowers were sprayed with Perfect Pearl mist: Perfect Pearl to mimic the shine/glitter of the bees wings. The pearl just fit nicely into the flower and made for a nice touch on the card. I am excited to have been able to play along (the three embellies: Flowers, Pearl, Bling: perfect pearl and glitter). The sketch is from Sketch Saturday.

And the birthday party continues

While coming up with this card I discoverd a background that I LOVE. TSG's fourth challenge was all about banners. Retro sketches has this great sketch this week that I wanted to use and I thought it would work well with my idea. I created a picture frame and then was stuck. While looking at my TSG stamp I noticed three cute little clouds from the Day and Night set and thought what a cute sky they would make. The next decision was should I create this sky on the frame or the whole card. Since I was in a tine crunch (really should be getting back to my grading) I went with the sky on the frame. I used the same technique I did on the pink/turquoise card. I coated the clouds with glossy accent and after it dried I sponged Tumbled Glass, Broken China, and Salty Ocean over it to make my blue sky. I loved this look so much that you will see it again on another card, maybe two. To add some banners I used a PTI set and stamped them directly onto the card base. My birthday sentiment fit perfectly along the bottom of the frame opening, just under the banners. I wrapped my frame with some white thread and then popped it up to add a little deminsion.

I see pink...

lots of pink. Pink is not my go to color but the inspiration photo for the third TSG challenge had lots of it mixed with a turquoise color. I decided to go out of my comfort zone here and try a color combo that I don't think I have done before (at least not this mouch of the colors). The background was created with the hearts from the TSG Day and Night stamp set. To keep the bigger hearts heart I coated each one with glossy accent. Love how the polka dots in the hearts mimic the ploka dots in the picture. Once dry I sponged worn pink over the whole c/s. To create the sentiment (words from a PTI set) I used Peacock Feathers for the sentiment and leaves from the Bee Happy set (also used the color to coat the card base and teal strip). The flowers came from Day and Night and I used Picked Raspberry and Festive Berries. Picked Raspberry was also used to color the bright pink mat while Festive Berries was used to color the flower. To have the bling to match I used a copic to color it. With all of the layers I used, I thought this card would also work well with the Allsorts layers challenge. The sketch is from Tuesday morning sketches.

Summer birthdays

I have a summer birthday and growing up that was rough sometimes. No birthday surprises during school. Friends on summer vacations and not able to party. So hot outside that indoor is the way to go. However, I could celebrate my birthday while on vacation (would love to spend one year celebrating at Disney World in Paris, but that is a rather large dream).

Why am I talking about summer birthdays as summer is winding down and I am in my second week of school? There She Goes stamps is celebrating this birthday this month and have lots of fun challenges going on. They posted a chalenge everyday last week and they close on the 14th. I wasn't able to play along until now. While grading 145 essays, descriptive paragraphs, and a checklist I found time to complete all 5 of the challenges. Tonight I am posting the first one, and the TSG challenge #1 was to create a birthday card incorporating numbers in it. Now I only have one set of numbers that aren't super tiny and my poor wiped little brain just couldn't figure out something clever to do with them so I tooke the easy way out: I create a background with them. I used Frayed Burlap ink to stamp my number onto some kraft c/s. Since this is TSG's birthday month I wanted to make sure to add their stamps to my card too. I only have four sets so far (hope to fix that in the next month or two...maybe with a big winning gc, lol) so I had to really strech for my idea. The stamp set I used was Get Your Thong On. The HB sentiment is from PTI. I really like the monochromatic look of the card (which I did for the City Crafter's challenge) and the lined image not colored went well with the JUGS line art image challenge.

One week down

First week of school is over with. I am working on being positive this year and really trying to make the most of all of my time. I tend to get tunnel vision when I get into something. However, that is not what I wanted to write about. I had planned on showing you guys the rest of the teacher cards I made for my co-workers. The problem is that I can't find them. I have drawn a complete blank on where I store them on the computer. I have looked in all of the folders and drives that I know of. Sad, I know. I have created a new catalog for my blog pics though and have that stored on my external hard drive. Maybe this weekend I will be able to create and post as I haven't even been in the craft room for a week and I do miss it.