Two Deer in the Winter Wood

Today I have another holiday decoration project I made to sell at my church Christmas sale and also have available to give as a small gifts.

These cloche stands about 3 1/2" tall.  (It's the Large Round one at PTI)

All of the supplies are from the Papertrey Ink Wonderland Make It Market Kit.

Don't you just love these little deer?!  

You can see the lovely tree arch die cut a little better in this photo - I embossed it with Snowflake Tinsel embossing powder from Ranger so it really sparkles along with the Floral Decor Snow that is included in the PTI kit.

I hope you are all set for Christmas and can relax now and enjoy the season!  I think I am!

December CAS Mix Up - Mid Month Reminder!

Ok, so maybe you need just one more Christmas card?  or you already have enough (yay for you!) but whatever kind of card you may need - we've got some inspiration for you over at the December CAS Mix Up Challenge!    You have until 12/24 to link up your card!

For today's card, I used:  stamping, die cuts, heat embossing and sponging - while still keeping it CAS leaving lots of open space!

I die cut the deer out of matboard and then embossed it with Platinum UTEE - Ultra Thick Embossing Enamels, it's something I had in my stash - but there is something similar available at Stampendous.   Some of the thick enamel powder tends to blow off as you are heating it - so there were some white spots left on the deer.  I just sponged over thespots with Ranger Distress Vintage Photo and Hickory Smoke Inks.  Then rubbed the deer with a paper towel to remove the ink from the enamel.

The tree background die cut is from the Mix & Mat Plaid Die from PTI.  The sentiment is Heaven Sings from Memory Box (an old rubber stamp!)

So I hope you will have a chance amid your holiday preparations to join us in the CAS Mix Up Challenge -  you have until 12/24 to link up your card!

Wishing everyone very happy and blessed holidays!

I'm also linking my card to:

Happy Little Stampers Mixed Media

Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge

 Country View Challenges

Christmas - optional red/green/rust

Stamps:  Heaven Sings - Memory Box
Paper:  Cream Little Sizzles Matoard - Sizzix, white - PTI, cream- Coredinations.
Ink:  Cocoa Bean - PTI, Ranger Distress Vintage Photo and Hickory Smoke, Versamark.
Accessories:  Prancing Deer Die - Tim Holtz/Alterations, Mix and Mat Plaid Die - PTI, foam dots, Platinum UTEE Enamels, heat tool.

Nuts for Christmas

Every year I make home made treats to give to family and friends.  One of the things I have made for several years is this delicious Sugar and Spiced Nuts recipe.

I recycled some Starbucks Mocha drink bottles (put them through the dishwasher) to use for containers.

I die cut some birch wrapping paper that I got this year at Pier 1 Imports (so pretty!) using a die from PTI's Wonderland Make it Market set and placed them on the front and back of the bottles.  It not only looks nice and rustic, but conveniently covers some of the sticky adhesive that was under the bottle labels.  
(not shown:  I also punched circles out of the birch paper to put on top of the covers)

The cute Merry Christmas labels and holly are from die sets by Impression Obsession: Christmas Tags and Patchwork Holly.  I added a red rhinestone for the berry.  The Nuts for You is from My Punny Valentine set from PaperTrey Ink (I think it's retired).

I tied the label around the bottle with a piece of wrinkled seam tape so it would hang over the birch oval.  I got the recipe for the nuts from a long time stamping friend from Splitcoaststampers Denise Marzec who had it on her blog in 2008.   Denise stopped posting on her blog in 2013 but I found her recipe on this post and copied the photo of her recipe to share with you

 The nuts are DELISH!!

I'm linking my label gift bottle to:

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge

Anything Goes Christmas

Happy Little Stamper

Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

The Card Concept

I was inspired by the rustic look of the paper and idea of a gift

Clean and Simple style

Stamps:  My Punny Valentine - Papertrey Ink
Paper:  white, Dark Chocolate - PTI, birch wrapping paper from Pier 1 Imports
Ink:  True Black - PTI
Accessories:  bottles from Starbucks drinks, ScorTape, 1 1/2" circle punch, red rhinestones, Oval die from Wonderland Make it Market Kit - PTI, Christmas Tags Dies and Patchwork Holly Dies - Impression Obsession, wrinkled seam tape, foam dots, small oval punch - SU.

Retirement Succulent

I retired last January (Yippee!)  and on Tuesday a former co-worker is retiring and her department is having a party for her - so I needed a retirement card.

My card design was inspired by this card by Becky - the Featured Stamper over on Splitcoaststampers this week.

I used a succulent rather than a cactus (or I guess a cactus IS a succulent??!), changed the design slightly.

I didn't make mine a shaker - but did add clear sequins scattered about to give the impression of a shaker!

I colored my image using Tombow Markers and a Clear Glitter Wink of Stella to spread the color around - so IRL it is quite sparkly in the light!

I'm also linking my card to:

Happy Little Stampers

Stamps:Succulents - Altenew
Paper: Bristol Smooth Surface, White and Text Stye Distressed Dots - PTI
Ink:True Black - PTI, Black Heros Hue
Accessories: Succulent dies - Altenew, Lacy circle die - Waltzingmouse (retired), Flag It - Taylored Espressions, Noted: Scalloped A2 - PTI, foam dots, Tombow Markers, Clear Glitter Wink of Stella, washi tape, clear sequins, Tombow Glue

Gifts to Die For - new e-book from Bella Crafts

Just popping in to let you know that Bella Crafts has just published a new e-book featuring 65+ pages of gift giving ideas using Eileen Hull's Sizzix dies.  

The introductory price is $6.97 through 12/31/17 - after that the price will be $16.97 so if you are interested at all - this is a great deal!    I have several projects featured along with my other Inspiration Team members!

just click here to order (or click on the pic on my side bar) -   this is an e-book and will come to you as an attachment in your e-mail.

Happy Crafting!

Just a Little Something

I've been making lots of Christmas tags for a sale at my church to put on packages or maybe tie around the neck of a bottle!

Here's my latest tag - as you can see - I made 3 of them!

Everything I used is from Papertrey Ink accept for the patterned paper which is Paper Stash Tidings from Tim Holtz/Idea-ology.

The tag die is Tag Sale #2, the mouse die and stamps are Christmas Critters.

My design was inspired by this tag by Donna - who was the Featured Stamper over on Splitcoaststampers today.

I'm also linking my tag to:

Tag You're It Challenge

(I used a mouse instead of a deer, I do have a circle in there and pink on the mouse ears!)

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge is Animal Magic

Fusion Card Challenge (I was inspired by the plaid and colors)

Stamps:Christmas Critters, Christmas Critters Sentiments - Papertrey Ink
Paper: white - PTI, Paper Stash/Tidings - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology 
Ink:   Love Letter, Desert Sand, Angel Pink - Memento, True Black - PTI 
Accessories:   2" circle punch, 2 1/4" Circle Nestability, Tag Sale #2 - PTI, Christmas Critters Dies - PTI, enamel dots, foam dots, wrinkled seam tape.    

CAS Mix Up - December Challenge - Your Choice!!

Wow - the first of December already!!  Christmas is closer and the CAS Mix Up Challenge has been posted!  Loll is our host and it's an easy one!   Yes - we get to choose whatever 2 mixed medias we want!

Well, funny thing -  I found it harder to choose on my own rather than be given what to use!

So, I'm sitting at my craft table and I had my new Wonderland Make it Market Kit from PaperTrey Ink - so I decided to use some of it for my card!

I used stamping, masking, stenciling, die cuts and gold embossing!

I have a few photos of how I masked and stenciled 

(sorry they are dark, taken on my craft table, the paper is actually white!).

First I cut a white panel, laid it on my craft mat and covered the edges

 (1/2 the depth of the painters tape) on all 4 sides (be sure to rub the tape on your pants or shirt to take a lot of the stick off it or it will tear your paper when you take it off)

Then I laid the stencil over it

and then I sponged over the stencil with Ranger Distress Antique Linen.

And ended up with this lovely panel for my background!

The beautiful birch wood on the die cut oval is actually wrapping paper I found at Pier 1 this week -  it is just gorgeous and has lovely texture to it.  I embossed the sentiment in gold and layered all the die cuts on foam dots.

So please join us and link up your CAS Mix up cards here!  You have until Dec 24th!  I'm sure you need at least ONE MORE Christmas card right??!!

I'm linking my card to:

Make My Monday Challenge

Happy Christmas/Happy Holidays

Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge

Anything Goes 

The Merry Christmas Challenge
Anything Goes

Stamps:  Wonderland Sentiments and ice skater (from Wonderland Make It Market Kit) - Papertrey Ink.
Paper:  White - PTI, birch wrapping paper - Pier 1 Imports.
Ink:  Versamark, Ranger Distress Antique Linen
Accessories - oval die, city die, skater die - from Wonderland Make It Market Kit - Papertrey Ink, stencil - Architecture de Feuilles - Carabelle Studio.