Mid month reminder - CAS Christmas Card Challenge - Snowmen

 Today I'm sharing my reminder card for this month's CAS Christmas Card Challenge.  Hideko would like us to use SNOWMEN on our cards!

I used yet another sweet image from Colorado Craft Co -  Snowmen and Bunnnies.  You actually get two images in this set!  I used a light watercolor wash to color the image, stamping with Obsidian Ink from Altenew on to Canson watercolor Cold Press paper.  I water colored a bit of color along the edges and then kind of dragged the color over with a wet brush.

You have until 6/24 to link up your CAS Snowman Christmas card!  You'll find the challenge here!

Stamps:  Snowmen and Bunnies - Colorado Craft Co.

Paper:  Watercolor paper - Canson Cold Press, white card base - PTI

Ink:  Obsidian - Altenew

Accessories -  watercolor paints, water, brush.

Grab and Go for Summertime Fun!

 This month Eileen Hull's Inspiration and Education Teams are creating summer theme projects using any of Eileen's Sizzix Dies. 

I made a Grab and Go Folio Journal filled with things for kids to do in the car or anywhere they need to be entertained - like when they are dragged to their sibbling's dance class or sports game??!! 

I filled the folio pockets with a re-sealable pack of Play Doh, Twizzlers candy, crayons and a small coloring book - all from The Dollar Store!

  

I got this great leather tassel from Sizzix on sale (they might be discontinuing them?)

There's also a blank page journal from JoAnn tied in the binding.

Here's everything I fit inside the pockets.

The DP is Circus from Clare Therese/Craft Consortium.

I made the signs with my Brother Label maker.  The 3D circus stickers are from the Dollar Store.

I looped a piece of white round elastic cord to hold the little booklet in the center and tied the leather tassel on the cord on the outside of the binding.

I die cut the journal and 4 of the end piece for the pockets, out of Little Sizzles Matboard - adhering the end pieces to the bottoms and sides to make two pockets that are open on the top.  

You can see above how I poked holes and inserted the brads to hold the latch hook closure.  I used an icepick to poke the holes and also used the sides of the pick to flatten down the ends of the brads.  I lined up the two pieces of the closure and marked with a pencil where the holes should be punched.  The latch hook is from Funkie Junkie.  I used long fasteners (brads) from Idea-ology to attach them (they have longer 'legs'!).  You have to use a small head brad so the hook can swing by it.

Here are the four items I fit into the two pockets.  I got them all at the Dollar Store.  The clay package is resealable and came as a set of two different colors.

The little coloring book is 4" x 5 1/2" and fits in perfectly.  The crayons came in a larger set but I just put the primary colors into a small clear bag so it fit with the book in the pocket.

I think kids would be happy taking this fun circus theme folder with them on a trip to help them forget how long they are in the car!?!

And -  you can just keep filling it up with different items for them to play with as they use things up!

So please check out Eileen's Blog every Wednesday to see what creative summer theme items the teams have created for our inspiration!  

Paper:  Little Sizzles Matboard - Sizzix, DP Circus by Clare Therese/Craft Consortium

Accessories:  Folio Journal Die - Eileen Hull/Sizzix, Stitch It Adhesive Sheets, Brother Label Maker, Latch Hook - Funkie Junkie, Long Fasteners - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology, crayons, coloring book, PlayDoh, Twizzler candy, 3D Circus Stickers - The Dollar Store, white elastic round cord - JoAnn, leather tassel - Sizzix, ScorTape, ice pick.

June CAS Christmas Card Challenge - Snowmen!

 It's Summer here in MA, sunny, warm and the gardens are growing!!   

What better time to make Snowman cards for the June CAS Christmas Card Challenge!  Hideko is our wonderfully creative Hostess this month and she wants to see Frosty!

Here's the card I made.  

I love making shaped cards, so my snowman card IS a snowman!

I die cut two snowmen, one out of watercolor paper (for sturdiness) to use as the back of the card and one out of white glitter cardstock for the front of the card. I glued the two snowmen together at the top of the hat. Then I used a PEACE Movers and Shapers die to cut the piece out of his belly and backed that section of his body with a piece of blue glitter cardstock so you could really see the message!  

These are really older Tim Holtz dies but you may find them still on Amazon or Ebay?

I also cut the hat part of the snowman out of the blue glitter, trimmed it and glued it over the base snowman.  I die cut the holly leaf with another Movers and Shapers die and adhered it to his hat.  I tied a piece of wrinkled seam tape around his neck just on the front snowman.  I added black enamel dots for the eye and buttons.

I cut a tiny bit off his 'botttom' so it was straight across and he would stand up and not roll over!

Here's a look from the side showing him standing.

And from the back where you can see how I glued the blue sparkle piece on the inside of the front to show around the PEACE.

So please join us and show us your CAS frosty Snowmen!  You'll find the challenge details, Mr. Linky, and lots of inspiration from the Design Team as well as our talented Guest Designer, Steph, over at the CAS Christmas Card Challenge blog!

Paper:  Glitter Blue, Glitter White, Glitter Green - Michaels, water color paper - Canson Cold Press.

Accessories:  Winter Wonder (snowman) Bigz Die, Movers and Shapers Peace Die, Movers and Shapers Mini Pine Tree and Holly Die -  - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, enamel dots - Altenew, wrinkled seam tape.

May Card Chain Challenge Reveal - The Most Wonderful Fairytale

Today is the day of the May Card Chain Challenge Reveal - the day they post all the cards sent and received by participants in the challenge.

People join from all over the world each month. You have to sign up by the 6th of each month and if you sign up, after the 6th of that month you get the name of someone to send a card to and someone gets your name to send you their card. You contact each other by email to get the snail mail addresses.

The challenge has options for your card design each month (colors, sketch, theme, product used) but you only have to use one of the suggestions.

I used just the colors this time - two blues and white.

Here is my card that I sent to Tina in Slovenia!

I used Lavinia Stamps Aria, Mini Urchin, Mini Dots and Mini Leaf 5 and the sentiment is from Magic and Wonder by PaperArtsy.  

This card measures 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

To create the wreath - I used a circle mask drawing 3/4 of a circle in pencil around the edge of the mask. I stamped the fairy in blackas if she was sitting on the bottom of the circle. Then I stamped the sentiment centering it over the pencil line. I stamped the leaves in 2 different blues around the penciled circle - off stamping over the sentiment so it was lighter as well as around her wings and knees. And finally, I stamped the mini dots in black over the wreath - which instantly adds more whimsy! I added white Nuvo drops to some of the leaves and 4 frosted flower sequins for a little sparkle.

So come join in the fun and sign up some month over at The Card Chain Challenge - send a card and get a card! You can try it out once and if you don't enjoy it, you don't have to join in again, or you can come back another month after not participating for a while.

While I was making Tina's card, I  made a second card using a mix of colors on the leaves.  

This card is  5" square.

Stamps:  Aria, Mini Urchin, Mini Dots, Mini Leaf 5 - Lavina Stamps, Magic and Wonder - PaperArtsy.

Paper:  Multifarious Smooth - Lavina Stamps.

Ink:  Obsidian, Ultramarine, Sapphire - Altenew, Nuvo Crystal Drops Simply White, Frosted Flower Sequins - Honey Bee Stamps.