Time to Hit the Beach

Sounds inviting doesn't it?  Hitting the beach in the middle of winter when you live in New England?  A friend at work asked me if I could make a card for a physician that is moving to sunny California - and she wanted a card that suggested warmth.

 I used stamps from My Island by Claire Brennan for Gina K Designs.  I made my own 'sand' using a recipe from Tim Holtz -  mixing Clear UTEE, Antique Linen Embossing Powder, Black embossing powder, Antique Linen Glitter and Glossy Accents.

I made the card big, the card base is an 11" x 8 1/2" card stock folded in half - there will be a lot of people signing the card so they needed space!

Here's what I stamped on the inside of the card.

Stamps:  My Island - Gina K Designs, Say It Loud and Fancy Phrases - Waltzingmouse (retired)
Paper:  Rustic Cream, Kraft, Hawaiian Shores, Text Style Distressed Dots - PTI
Ink:  Classic Kraft, Hawaiian Shores, True Black
Accessories:  Sand made with: Clear UTEE, Antique Linen and Black embossing powder, Antique Linen Glitter, Glossy Accents, sequins.

PTI December Blog Hop

Well, it's the day after Christmas and what better thing to do but join in on the Papertrey Ink December Blog hop!   Nicole gave us a lovely photo for inspiration.

I was inspired by the confetti on the table, the pastel colors with the white and the whole party atmosphere of the photo! 

It prompted me to get out my much neglected Shakers and Sprinkles Make It Market Kit and make some shaker cards!

Since I had the kit out anyway, I decided to make several cards and started out making them birthday.

The kit has all the dies, a patterned paper pad, the sticky foam sheet and acetate!

 Then I made a couple of cards using a thank you die from PTI - lots of Thank You cards needed after Christmas, right?!

Now I'm off to check out how everyone else was inspired by the photo -  you can join the hop on Nicole's blog here.

Stamps:   Shakers and Sprinkles - PTI (part of Kit)

Ink:  True Black - PTI

Paper:  White, Raspberry Fizz, Tropical Teal, Acetate, Shakers and Sprinkles Paper Pad - PTI

Accessories:  Double sided foam adhesive sheet, shaker sequins from kit, Wonderful Words Thank You Die - PTI

For unto us is born this day, a Savior

For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior which is Christ the Lord. Luke2:11

I love Christmas, the church Christmas that is -  and last night I served at our 4:30 pm service where the children participate in a Nativity pageant.   I am a life-long member of St. John's Episcopal Church in Saugus, baptized there, confirmed there, married there and my son was baptized there.  As soon as I was old enough I had a part in the Christmas pageant on Christmas Eve.  I was an angel for several years and finally got the part of Mary the last year I participated.

I wanted to share some photos of our beautiful church and the children in the pageant this year.

The doll that plays baby Jesus was mine when I was a little girl -  my father directed the pageants for many years and one year he 'borrowed' my doll and I never got her back!  

Today Kent and I are celebrating Christmas with our family -  my son, my two nieces, their spouses and children.  I'm so thankful to have family close by to celebrate with.  

This is our first Christmas without my sister Marcia - so she will be on our minds and in our hearts as we gather together.

Wishing everyone a most Blessed Christmas day!

A Die Cut Winter Wonderland

One final Christmas card!

I found a package of wooden deer that I bought last year from Michael's in my Christmas drawer and thought he'd look sweet on this die cut stitched edge snowy landscape.  I added two red Tiny Twinkles to his antlers and stamped the sentiment along the bottom.

I'm linking my card to:

Happy Little Stampers Challenge

Country View Challenges - Christmas

I made three of this card - needed one to send out - so I have two in my box for Christmas mailing next year!  whoo hoo!!

I can't believe Christmas is just 3 days away.   It comes so fast when you are a grown up - and takes forever when you are a child!

I hope everyone celebrating has a Blessed Christmas and a Happy Hanukkah this weekend!

Stamps:  In the Meadow - PTI
Paper:  White - PTI
Ink:  True Black - PTI
Accessories:  Landscape Die - Poppy Stamps, wooden deer - Michaels, foam dots, Tiny Twinkles - Taylored Expressions.

Dashing Snowman

I sent out all my Christmas cards and even sold some at a sale at my church - and I sold a few more at work -  and then I had none......  so, of course, I found I needed a few more!

I knew I could find some great inspiration from the Merry Monday Christmas Challenge.

 My winter fun -  dashing through the snow -  was created using several dies

The tree and one horse open sleigh are both from PTI and the snowy fields were created with Stitched Landscape dies by Poppy Stamps.  I layered the sleigh over the white scene with foam dots and stamped the sentiment from PTI along the bottom.

I made a second card to send to my 6 year old grand nephew, Landon, whose kindergarten class has been making snowmen crafts this month.  

Here he is with two of his snowman crafts

This one is painted bottle caps.

and a foam ornament (love the hat on his friend!)

They also have a program where the student sends you a note and you send one back to him at school.  

So the winter fun on this card is building a snowman and will go to Landon!

Again, I used a lot of dies - the landscape dies again, a window die from Poppy Stamps, and the snowman, garland and wreath are from PTI.  I used another sentiment from the same PTI set as the sleigh card.  I removed the panes from the window die and added the garland along the top - popping the window up on foam dots.

I think I'd better make a few more Christmas cards - just in case!  They are predicting snow here tomorrow -  3" - 6" so I can stay inside nice and cozy and do some stamping!  What better way to spend a day??!!

Sleigh Card
Stamps:  In the Meadow - PTI
Paper:  White, True Black - PTI
Ink:  True Black - PTI
Accessories:  Dies - In the Meadow, Tiny Town Holiday Yard - PTI, Stitched Landscape - Poppy Stamps, foam dots.
Snowman Card
Stamps:  In the Meadow, Winter Snow Globe - PTI
Paper:  White - PTI
Ink:  True Black - PTI
Accessories:  Dies - Winter Snow Globe, Tiny Town Holiday Yard - PTI, Stitched Landscape, Small Madison Window - Poppy Stamps, foam dots.

December CAS Mix Up Challenge - Mid Month Reminder

Here today to remind everyone there's still time to play in the December CAS Mix Up Challenge!  

For my card today, I stamped, sponged over stencils, added Wink of Stella for some shimmer and layered a die cut deer over my panel.

First I sponged over a Wendy Vecchi Check Mate Stencil with Watering Can Ink - keeping the ink lighter on the edges and not sponging the whole panel.

Then I sponged pine trees from the Wendy Vecchi Happy Holidays stencil over the background stenciling using 3 different Wendy Vecchi Archival inks, Cornflower Blue on the tree in the background, Fern Green on the big foreground tree and Leaf Green on the smaller foreground tree.

I die cut a deer  3 times and glued the three together to make it a thicker more sturdy animal, tied a piece of Tinsel String around his neck and layered him over the panel with foam dots 

(almost completely covering the little tree! but I felt that was the best place for him aesthetically!)

I brushed Clear Wink of Stella Glitter over the tree and snowflakes to give a little sparkle - it really shimmers IRL!

The sentiment, snowflakes  and deer are from In the Meadow by PTI.

Another card made for my Christmas stash - I have a box full now and better go count them to see if I have all I need to send out this year!  I'm so happy when I get them done before the holiday rush!

So please join us over at the December CAS Mix Up Challenge - you have until the end of the month to link up!  You'll find more sponging inspiration from the Design Team here.

Stamps:  In the Meadow - PTI
Paper:  white - PTI
Ink:  Wendy Vecchi Archival Watering Can, Fern Green, Cornflower Blue and Leaf Green,  True Black - PTI
Accessories:  deer die - In the Meadow - PTI, Check Mate Stencil and Happy Holidays Stencil - Wendy Vecchi Studio 490/Stampers Anonymous, Tinsel String - Prairie Bird Boutique Etsy Shop, foam dots, Clear Wink of Stella Brush.

A Vintage Journey Destination Inspiration

Today I have a post up over at A Vintage Journey -  every Monday we have a Destination Inspiration Post - where we have to use the contents of our Travel Bags to create a project.  

The December travel bag contents are:

1.  Product - Lace

2.  Colour - Silver

3.  Substrate - Chip Board or Cardboard

4.  Technique - Heat Embossing

This is the project I created using the supplies in my travel bag.

 

You will find more photos of just how I created this over at my A Vintage Journey post here.

I'm also linking my project to:

Country View Challenges - Christmas

Paper:  Little Sizzles white mat board - Sizzix, Brushed Silver Card - SU

Ink:  Versamark

Accessories:  Ranger Distress Spray Stain Peeled Paint and Brushed Pewter, Prancing Deer Die and Holiday Words: Blocks - Tim Holtz/Alterations, Idea-ology Tree Lot Wreath, Mirrored Stars, Frantage Aged Silver Embossing Powder - Stampendous, heat tool, lace from stash, Scotch Quick Dry Adhesive, black rhinestone - Kaiser Craft, slice of aspen tree trunk.

December CAS Mix Up Challenge - Sponging

Wow - is it really December already??!!  I guess so - as the December CAS Mix Up challenge has been posted!  

Loll and Bonnie have several links to videos showing different sponging techniques.  I was inspired by this one

Color Layering for Galaxy background by Ilina Crouse (7:40)

I  made a galaxy background with acrylic paints in the past that I learned from an on-line class (see it here), but I have never tried it using Distress Inks and was excited to give it a try!

The main idea is to use lighter inks first - then add the dark ones - and to leave a lighter area in the center.  I used Arches Watercolor paper to sponge First -  Ranger Distress Mustard Seed

Picked Raspberry Ink

Seedless Preserves Ink

Blueprint Sketch

and finally Black Soot

I decided I wanted a little more of the light colors in the center so I went over it again with some Mustard Seed and Picked Raspberry

Next you splatter some white acrylic paint over the panel using a toothbrush

then add some bigger 'stars' using the end of a small dowel or chopstick!

The final step is to put some water in your palm - and flick some onto the panel using your fingers.  Distress Ink is water based and so it reacts with water - making some areas lighter in your galaxy sky!  LOVE how this comes out!

To keep the card CAS - I just used a small panel of the galaxy, framed it in a piece of shiny gold card stock and layered it to a white card base.  I stamped the sentiment from PTI Oh Holy Night set onto a white card die cut rectangle and layered it over the galaxy with foam dots - I used glue on the foam dots that touched the galaxy so they would stick well.  I punched a star out of the gold and added it with a foam dot to the corner of the sentiment.

So please join us this month and show us your sponging techniques!  You'll find lots of inspiration from the Design Team over at the CAS Mix Up Challenge blog!

Also linking my card to:
Merry Monday - Masculine Card

Stamps:  Oh Holy Night  - Papertrey Ink
Paper:  Arches Water Color, White - PTI, Gold - Marks Finest Papers
Ink:  True Black - PTI, Ranger Distress Mustard Seed, Picked Raspberry, Seedless Preserves, Blueprint Sketch, Black Soot.
Accessories:  White Acrylic Paint, chop stick, Stitched Mat Squares Die - Lil'Inker Designs, foam dots, star punch - McGill