Reminder Post - Christmas Kickstart: Baubles

 Today, as the Guest Elf for January -  I have a reminder post for the Christmas Kickstart January Challenge - Baubles.

I used another die from Festive Ornaments from Sizzix for my baubles card  - Santa's belted belly! (See my 1st post for the challenge using the plum pudding dies in the set here) 

I added a silver cord to hang it and layered it over a beautiful piece of pine branch DP.   Santa's belt is black glitter card but the sparkle doesn't show in the photo.  I popped up the bauble with foam dots and taped the top of the silver cord on the back of the DP.   Inside I stamped "Here Comes Santa Claus"!

So lets start building our new stash of Christmas cards so we're not in a rush come December!

You have until Jan 31 to link up your 'Bauble' cards over at Christmas Kickstart!

Thank you to Jo for inviting me to be Guest Elf for January -  I'm happy to be starting my Christmas card stash for this year!

Also sending my card to:

Christmas Crafts All Year Round

The Christmas Song ends 1/31

They know that Santa is on his way.

Jingle Belles

Something Old - DP,  Something New  Santa belly ornament die

ends 6 pm EST 1/15

Love those Pretty Papers

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Peace on Earth Christmas

Anything Goes Christmas ends 1/16

Stamps: Jolly Old Elf - Waltzingmouse (retired)
Paper: Pure Poppy - Papertrey Ink, Black Glitter paper - Recollections, Kraft Stock Metallic Gold and Silver - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology, DP - Make It Merry - Honey Bee.
Ink: Nocturne - Versafine Clair
Other supplies: Festive Ornaments - Spellbinders, silver cord from stash

A Birthday Ballerina

 A friend asked me to make a card for her grandaughter who is turning 10 and she is a dancer.  I've made Lia other cards with die cut and stamped ballerinas and so went searching in my bottomless pit of a craft room for something different!

I found an unopened bag of Baseboard Dolls from Tim Holtz/Idea-ology that I've had at least for a year but have not used and when I looked through them I found this wonderful vintage ballerina!  So then I searched Tim Holtz YouTube videos on how I could color the image (the Baseboard Dolls are all black and white photographs printed on thick baseboard.) 

I found a video on coloring with Distress Watercolor Pencils (another thing I have had in my room for over a year but have never used -  and totally forgot what to do with them)  I rubbed both Tattered Rose (for the flesh parts) and Tumbled Glass (for the dress, hat and shoes) onto my craft mat in two different spots.  Then I used a water brush pen to pick up the colors brushing over the flesh parts first and then the dress.  It gives a wonderful soft color! You can see, especially on the dress, that the blue doesn't cover the whole dress, which makes it light and airy!

You can brush over these Baseboard Dolls with clear Gesso and let it dry before watercoloring - then the color covers more of the area and is darker- this works well especially if you are coloring a Baseboard Doll that has a lot of black that wouldn't  show the color (like a long coat or pants)  But I digress......

I embossed a white card panel using All Star Burst EF and water-brushed the same Tumbled Glass,  lightly radiating out from the center along the embossed lines.

I popped the ballerina up on foam dots and added a computer generated personalized sentiment for Lia!

I'm sending my card to:

Seize the Birthday

Baseboard Ballerina and Distress Watercolor pencils are new! 

ends 1/21

NBUS

First time using the Baseboard Dolls and Watercolor pencils

Shopping Our Stash

Use Stars  Ends 1/13

Paper:  White - Papertrey Ink.

Other Supplies:  Baseboard Dolls - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology, All Star Burst Embossing Folder - Simon Says Stamp, Ranger Distress Water Color Pencils Set #3, water brush pen, Computer Printed Sentiment.

Guest Elf at Christmas Kickstart - Jan 2025 Baubles

 Today, I'm excited to be posting a card as the Guest Elf at Christmas Kickstart for January!  

For those of us living in the US - baubles are what we call ornaments, just in case you weren't sure (like me)?!

I recently purchased a fun die set - Festive Ornaments - from Spellbinders that has 5 ornament designs 

(sold out on Spellbinders site, but still available on Amazon)

I used plum pudding dies from the set for this card - matching it with patterned paper that had plum pudding and other Christmas desserts and foliage on it! 

 

And - I made my Christmas card a Christmas Thank You card because I needed one to send a friend and I used a bauble on it!

So we hope you will join us in January, creating a Christmas card with Baubles on it!!  You'll find the challenge here.

I'll  be back with a reminder post on January 15th!

Also sending my card to:

Christmas Crafts All Year Round

Christmas Song  ends 1/31

Line: Jack Frost Nipping at your nose - 

 Frosty snow on the ornament and snowflakes in background

Jingle Bells

Something Old - Something New ends 1/15

DP is old - ornament die is new

NBUS

first time using the ornament dies

Love those Pretty Patterned Papers

ends 1/31

Peace on Earth Christmas

Anything Christmas  ends 1/16

Stamps:  Join Us - Waltzingmouse (retired)

Ink:  Nocturne - Versafine Clair

Paper:  Scarlet Jewel, Pine Feather - Papertrey Ink, White Glitter Paper - Recollections, Kraft Stock Metallic Gold and Silver - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology, DP Wintery Wonderlands - Brass and Bliss.

Other Supplies: Festive Ornaments Dies - Spellbinders, foam dots, silver cord - from stash. 

Inkspirational #332 - Pretty Quilts Jan 2025

 Welcome to the first challenge of 2025 at Inkspirational - this month the challenge is Designer Choice and I'm the designer to choose!  

My challenge is Pretty Quilts and here are some suggestions to help you start designing.

Show us something pretty using squares or strips of different patterned papers.  

 

Cut squares out of several different patterned papers and arrange them to make a larger 'quilt', check out YouTube quilt card tutorials.

 Here's a link : https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=quilt+card+tutorial

Use a blanket or beach towel stamp or die - color with several colors or stamp flowers etc on it?

 I have two samples to share with you today.

To create my 'quilted' birds - I took a piece of computer paper and adhered some 1/4" to 1/2" strips of scrap DP over it, just a random mix of patterns and colors.  You can see all thestrips in the bowl - I save them when I trim DP for other projects.  I laid the thinlit bird dies over the paper and ran them through my machine.

 (note - if you have a Bigz die you can adhere the DP strips onto a piece of card stock as Bigz Dies will cut through thicker paper)

Here is my 2nd sample of a Pretty Quilt.

I used the Coaster Die from The Greetery to cut the base out of white card.  Then I cut two pieces of patterned Soft Stone paper into 2 3/4" squares (one dotted, one stripes).  

I placed each square (one at a time) over the center square of the die and ran it through my machine so it would imprint the quilted dots.   

Then I put both squares together (one on top of the other) and cut them into approximately 1/4" to 1/2" wide strips.  

I laid the strips out, alternating stripes and dots and then adhered them over the coaster base.  The coffee mug is from Paper Cut Cafe Thinlit dies.

So I hope I have inspired you to think about creating some kind of a pretty quilt and to join us over at Inkspirational - you will find inspiration from the rest of the DT as well as Mr. Linky -  which closes on Jan 17th.

I'm also sending my Birds card to:

Cut it Up Challenge - Anything Goes using die cuts 

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I'm sending my Espresso card to:

Inspired by Challenge

Warmth, blue mug and tan coaster  ends 1/8

Where Your Birds Sing

Stamps:  Backyard Bird Friends Stamps - Ellen Hutson (retired)

Paper: White, Soft Stone, Grey - PTI, DP - Make it Merry -Honey Bee Stamps, scraps of mixed patterned paper.

Ink:  Nocturne - Versafine Clair.

Other Supplies:  Feathered Friends Thinlits Dies - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, 2" circle punch - SU, enamel dots - Altenew.

An Espresso of My Thanks

Stamps:  Coffee Set - Waltzingmouse (retired)

Paper:  White, Hawaiian Shores, Enchanted Evening, Blueberry Sky, Dark Chocolate - PTI, White and Grey Cordinations, DP - Bitty Big Patterned Paper Collection Soft Stone - PTI

Ink:  Portabello Versarine Clair.

Other Supplies:  Coaster Die - The Greetery, Paper Cut Cafe Thinlit dies - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, foam dots.

Dec Card Chain Challenge Reveal - Tic Tac Toe

 Today's the reveal of all the cards exchanged in December over at the Card Chain Challenge!  

This month it was a doozy - a 5 block Tic Tac Toe with all S words - ugh.  

I sent my card to Gail in Canada (not sure she received it yet due to the postal strike) and I received a lovely card from Arlene in California.   You will find all the cards exchanged here.

After reading each column over and over, trying to think about what I would do with the row of words,  I finally settled on the 4th vertical column from the left -  Squirrel, Sassy, Snow, Sparkle and Shrubbery.

I decided on that column after looking through a booklet I  have of 3" x 4" patterned paper from Kawaii Pen Shop.  

As you can see below - the patterned paper scene includes Snow and Shrubbery.   

Then I added a Rub-On Sassy Squirrel - from Rub On Christmas Collection from Taperlogy.   

I framed the patterned paper with two layers of Sparkle glitter card stock in black and silver, then layered it all over a hammered white card base. 

Easy Peasy Tic Tac Toe, right?   I was in a panic until I found that patterned paper!

So we hope you will come join us for the January Card Chain Challenge - you have until Jan 6th to sign up.  You'll find all the info on how to sign up over at The Card Chain Challenge!  

I'm also sending my card to:

Little Red Wagon

Something new - fresh falling snow ends 1/7

Make My Monday

Your fav challenge for 2024

challenge #218 Use your Patterned paper ends 1/12

Paper:  Hammered White - Amazon, Metallic Glitter Card (black and silver) - Recollections (Michaels), Snowy Night Papers - Kawaii Pen Shop.

Accessories:  squirrel from Christmas Collection Rub-Ons - Taperlogy

Group of Seven Cardmakers - December Technique Ombre

 For December, the Group of Seven Cardmakers are playing with the technique of Ombre - using shades of the same color in our stampings or die cuts.  There are links to YouTube videos on this technique over at the Group of Seven blog.

Today we are excited to welcome Pat (Colourful Card Creations) as our newest member at Group of Seven Cardmakers.  Pat is a talented card maker who loves to experiment with techniques. Welcome to the group Pat!!  We are all so happy you are here!!

I used 3 shades of tan on my die cut deer and 3 shades of brown inks on my stamped background.

For my second ombre technique card - I used a layered stencil with 4 shades of blue ink starting with the lightest blue ink on the first layer and the darkest on the 4th layer!  This is a slim line card measuring 7" x 4".

A friend asked me to make an Anniversary card for her son and DIL.  Their anniversary is 12/31 so I thought blue colors on the poinsettias was good for a winter card!

If you'd like to play along with us using Ombre - you can link your card up over at the GO7 blog so we can all come see!

Wishing everyone a blessed holiday season and we'll see you in the New Year!

I'm also sending my card to:

NBUS

first time using both the die cut deer and the background stamp as well as the layered poinsettia stencil!

Christmas Kickstart Challenge

my deer card -   ends 12/31

Tan Deer Card

Stamps:  sentiment from - Winter Cheer and Deer: Unity, background stamp from - Frosted Fauna: Unity.

Paper:  3 shades of tan paper pack - Michaels, white - PTI

Ink:  Chamomile, Sunkissed, Caramel Toffee, Espresso - Altenew.

Other Supplies:  Nordic Deer die - Poppy Stamps, foam dots.

Blue Poinsettia Card

Paper:  White, Tropical Teal - PTI, Robins Egg - Bazzill

Ink:  Sea Glass - Altenew, Teal Topaz - Spellbinders, Azure - Spellbinders, Teal Cave - Altenew.

Other Supplies:  computer generated sentiment, Holly Holiday Triple Slim Layering Stencil - Taylored Expressions, foam dots, enamel dots and hearts - Altenew.

Inkspirational #331 Stencils

 Here's my DT card for the Inkspirational Challenge, and during this busy holiday season, it's an easy one!

I used a new to me 4 piece stencil called Pretty Petals Layering Stencils from This Calls for Confetti.

I used just two inks, indigo and soft stone, over Alpaca card stock.  The sentiment is die cut from holographic silver card and I added 4 gray enamel dots over spots that were gray ink from the stencil, just to add a little texture.

So take a break from holiday preparations and get to your craft room! 

Please join us and link up a card using a pretty stencil!   

Due to the holiday season, this will be a 3 week challenge -  You have until January 3rd to link up over at Inkspirational!

Happy Holidays everyone!  See you in 2025!

I'm also sending my card to:

NBUS

1st time using this lovely stencil

Stencil Fun

anything goes using stencil  ends 1/4

The Flower Challenge

Add Sparkle

Paper:  Alpaca - Bazzill,  Holographic Metallic Silver - Parklane.

Ink:  Dark Indigo, Soft Stone - PTI

Other Supplies:  Pretty Petals Layering Stencils - This Calls for Confetti, Happy Anniversary Die - Stamplorations, blender brushes, enamel dots - Altenew.