Christmas Eve Pageant

I just attended the Christmas Pageant at my church, St. John's Episcopal Church, in Saugus, MA.  The kids always do such a great job participating in it.  I don't feel like it's Christmas until I've seen the pageant!

All the beautiful Christmas Cards we received this year.  Many of them handmade from my stamping friends!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Sharing Some Christmas Cards

With Christmas just around the corner - I thought I'd share some Christmas cards that I made for various Splitcoaststampers challenges over the past month but never posted here on the blog.

I made this card for an Inspiration Challenge where I was inspired by a pillow in Joss & Main on-line Shop

I made these gnome cards for another Inspiration Challenge - where I was inspired by this blue gnome from Christmas Central on line shop.  These 2 are 4 1/4" x 4 1/4" sqaures.

I made this reindeer card for a Featured Stamper challenge - CASEing this card by n2scrappin.

I made these fun Pot Belly Penguin shaker card for another Featured Stamper Challenge - CASEing this Halloween shaker by fl_beachbum.

PTI also sells this  Pot Belly Reindeer Die and I made this gift card holder card with it.  The sentiment stamps and dies are Penned Elegance Christmas.   The Gift Card sentiment is from a retired set Gift Card It by Waltzingmouse.

I made these cute shaker gift tags to use on some special gifts, using Papertrey Ink's Fairy Tale Christmas Make It Market Kit. 

Wishing everyone a Blessed Christmas!

All is Calm
Stamps:  Great Outdoors, Festive Overlay, Treeline - Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous
Paper: White, True Black - PTI
Ink: Ranger Distress Stormy Sky, Hero Hues Black, Versamark
Accessories: Wow clear and Primary Ebony Embossing Powders, Sentiment Strip Die - MFT, water, foam dots

From Our Gnome
Stamps:  Holiday Gnomes - Reverse Confetti, Jolly Old Elf - Waltzingmouse (retired)
Paper: 
Bristol Smooth Surface, White - PTI, DP Argyle Socks - PTI
Ink: Hero Hues Black
Accessories: Holiday Gnomes Dies - Reverse Confetti, Shape Shifters Square 3 - PTI, Tombow markers, Clear Glitter Wink of Stella, foam dots

Winter Wishes
Stamps:  Great Outdoors - Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous
Paper: Rustic Cream - PTI, Tidings Paper Stash - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology, Kraft Core-dinations.
Ink:  Hero Hues Black
Accessories:  Dashing Deer Die - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, Cover Plate Stripes: Horizontal - PTI, mini sander, foam dots.  

Penguin Shaker
Stamps: Around Christmas Time - Waltzingmouse (retired)
Paper:  White, True Black, Orange Zest, Summer Sunrise - PTI
Ink: True Black - PTI
Accessories:  Potbellies: Penguin Die - PTI, Marigold Flower Sequins and Spring Sequins - Honey Bee Stamps, clear bubbles/large - PTI, Scortape, Tombow Glue
 

Some of my favorite Eileen Hull Sizzix Die projects of 2018

This month, Eileen Hull's Inspiration Team is rounding up their favorite projects from 2018 using Eileen's Sizzix Dies.

Here are some of my favorites that I've posted this year with links to my tutorial posts.

In June, I posted a couple of cards - Valentine's and Birthday - using Eileen's Journaling Cards Hearts and Journaling Cards Flowers and Leaves.  You'll find more details on my post here.

On another post in  June - I shared this lovely felt journal using Eileen's wonderful Wrapped Journal Die.  If you'd like more details - please check out my tutorial here.

 

 

 In July, I posted this personalized Trinket Box I made for my Grandniece Mila's 6th Birthday.  You'll find more details on this post.

In August, I made a leather purse using Eileen's Wrapped Journal Die.  For more information on this project check out my tutorial here.

In September, I posted this fun Halloween Basket, using Eileen's Basket Die.   For more details check out my post here.

In October - I was into decorating the Thanksgiving Table -  using Eileen's Bookmark Tag & Pocket Dies as well as her Bookplate Hinges and Labels dies.  Check out my tutorial on this post.

In November, the Inspiration Team joined with Emerald Creek for a blog hop and I made projects using Eileen's Embroidery Hoop Die and her 3D Vase along with stamps from Emerald Creek.  You'll find more details on my post here.

 I hope you have enjoyed my 2018 Round Up of some of my favorite Eileen Hull Projects!  Please check out Eileen's blog to find out what projects the rest of the Inspiration Team has been sharing this month!

Eileen has some fun dies coming out in 2019 -  you'll find a preview of the first two at Sizzix.  A Stacking Drawer and a Treasure Box!

A Vintage Journey December Challenge - Star Light, Star Bright

I'm the hostess for this month's A Vintage Journey Challenge - and my challenge is called Star Light, Star Bright.

This month we are asking you to to create with stars. Fill up the dark winter sky with them or use one really big one as your central focus. Stencil them, stamp them, emboss them or die cut them. Make a card, make a star box, make a canvas, create a journal page - remembering to create in the vintage, shabby, mixed media, art journaling, industrial or steam punk styles.

I made a Christmas Card of a starry winters night.  I have a few photos of my card here and will be posting a tutorial over at A Vintage Journey in two weeks. 

I'm pretty sure you will be inspired by what the Creative Guides have to share today and that you, in turn, will be inspired to create your own Star Light Star Bright project to share with us!

You have until January 3, 2019 at 6 pm Greenwich time to add your link!  

You'll find the challenge, the inspiration and the link here!

Paper:  White - PTI,  Silver and Gold Kraft Stock Metallic Paper - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology, Blue Kraft Core-dinations.
Ink:  Versamark
Accessories:  Winter Wonderland Die - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, Stitched Landscape dies - Poppy Stamps, 3D Star - Savvy Dies, heat tool, Dirty Baked Texture Embossing Powder - Emerald Creek, Shabby white Frantage Embossing Powder - Stampendous, Metallic Stickers/Holiday Talk - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology, thick foam dots. 

Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop - Dear Santa

I made another card for the Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop!

For this card, I used a sentiment from Caffeinated Christmas by STAMPlorations, a notebook page stamp and die from Ink It In: Notebook from PTI and a cup and coffee stain stamps from Ali Express.  The Patchwork Holly die is from Impression Obsession.

I hope to get a few more cards done for the hop because there are 87 craft sponsors offering prizes to random winners!   You can find all the details and the link up at the Coffee Lovers Blog.

I'm also linking my card to:

Inkspirational

 Country View Challenges - Christmas

The Paper Players

Stamps:  Caffeinated Christmas - STAMPlorations, Ink It In: Notebook - PTI, Cup and coffee stain - Ali Express
Paper:  white, Pure Poppy, Pine Feather - PTI, Paper Stash/Christmas - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology
Ink:  Cocoa Bean, True Black - PTI
Accessories:  Patchwork Holly Die - Impression Obsession, Ink It In Notebook Die - PTI, washi Tape, foam dots.

Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop!

Have you heard?  It's time for the Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop!

Here's the first of hopefully several cards I'm going to make before the Dec 7th deadline!

I used stamps and stencils from Wendy Vecchi's Mug Art set.  I stamped the mug in black and then stenciled the stripes using Wendy Vecchi Fern Green Blendable Dye Ink, the dots and handle in Wendy Vecchi Poppy ink and the 'coffee or cocoa' in Distress Brushed Corduroy.  I used Pierced Feature Frame Oval die from PTI - raising the outside piece on foam dots.   The papers are Paper Stash/Christmas from Tim Holtz/Idea-ology.  I fussy cut the mug and layered on the inside oval using foam dots.  I stamped the sentiment on a white strip and adhered it to the mug and outside frame.

On the inside of my card I adhered a piece of the same red snowflake patterned paper and then stamped a white panel with a stamp from Gift Card It by Waltzingmouse (retired) adhering it on 3 sides so I could slip in a gift card for the receiver!

You really need to check out all the sponsors of this wonderful Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop  - so many prizes to be won by randomly chosen entries!  Thank you Amy for, once again, organizing all this for us!   You'll find all the details here!

Stamps:  Mug Art - Wendy Vecchi/Stampers Anonymous, Gift Card It - Waltzingmouse (retired).
Paper:  White - PTI, Paper Stash/Christmas - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology.
Ink:  Wendy Vecchi Blendable Dye Poppy and Fern Green, Ranger Distress Brushed Corduroy, Hero Hues Black.
Accessories:  Blending tool, Mug Art Stencils - Wendy Vecchi/Stampers Anonymous, Pierced Feature Frames - Ovals - PTI, foam dots.

December CAS Mix Up Challenge - Emboss Resist

It's December 1st and the new CAS Mix Up Challenge is posted!  Loll is our hostess with the mostest this month and her challenge is Emboss Resist!

We also welcome  Guest Designer:  Bozena (ArtCardBox)

There are several links to emboss resist technique videos over on the challenge blog.  

I used the Black Embossed Technique shown on this video: 

Black Embossed Resist by Jennifer McGuire (9:08)  

I had never seen this before and I love how it comes out!

I used Emboss Resist, stamping and layered die cuts.

I first stamped the holly leaves and berries in green and red inks onto a panel of white card.  Then I stamped over the images with Versamark ink and clear embossed them.  I colored over the panel with a black Tombow Marker, wiping the marker off the embossed images as I went along, until all the exposed white was black!  

You can see the shimmer of the clear embossing in this photo (hopefully!)

Stamp set is Layered Holly from STAMPlorations, Pierced Feature Frames are from PTI.

I was so excited by the technique - I made a second card - this time stamping just 3 holly leaves and one set of berries - and I did the sentiment a little differently - fussy cutting around the top and placing it below the image.

and again a close up of the clear embossing

and a view of what I stamped inside both of my cards.

So please join us and show us how you will use Embossed Resist on your CAS card design!

Please note:  The December challenge will run Dec. 1 - 15 (instead of to Dec 24), to provide two weeks off for the Design Team members during a busy time of year.

Winning post will go live Dec. 18th over at the challenge blog

Thank you!

You'll find some great emboss resist inspiration from the team as well as our December Guest Designer:  Bozena (ArtCardBox), links to technique videos as well as Mr. Linky where you can link up your own CAS Emboss Resist cards at the CAS Mix Up Challenge Blog!

This is my last month on the CAS Mix Up Team -  as I am moving over to Loll's  design team for her new CAS Stencilling Challenge!   Watch for it in January! 

Stamps:  Layered Holly - STAMPlorations

Paper:  white -  PTI

Ink:  Simply Chartreuse, Pure Poppy, True Black - PTI, Versamark

Accessories:  Black Tombow Marker,  Heat Tool, WOW Clear Embossing Power, Pierced Feature Frames - PTI