Merry Monday #19 {Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!}

Welcome to another week at Merry Monday!  The idea behind this challenge is to get a head start on your Christmas cards!  Each week, I choose one Merry Monday Winner who will then be a Guest Designer for a future challenge!  So get out your Christmas supplies and let's get to work!  My card involves a lot of layers! I decided to use some designer paper that I bought last fall but never seemed to use!  I wanted to my card to have a festive feel to it!

Lesley Croghan

Before I get to the cards from the amazing design team, I would like to welcome my Featured Designer for May, Colleen Dietrich. Colleen and I have "bumped" into each other in blogland for a few years now. She is a lovely person with a gorgeous card making style! I was thrilled when she agreed to be the Featured Designer this month! I have asked her to share a little about herself. Welcome Colleen! I also would like to welcome Rose Miller who is our Guest Designer this week!

Hi!  I'm Colleen Dietrich from New Jersey.  I am absolutely delighted that Lesley asked me to be a Merry Maker for the month of May!  It's been so much fun, playing Christmas music while creating my cards for these challenges.  

I've been making cards since 2007, and blogging since May 2010.  Over time, my cards have developed into a couple of different styles:  Clean and Simple, Clean and Classy, and Shabby Chic.   I get my inspiration from all sorts of things -- cards made by others, fabric, signs, photos and more.  You never know what style will turn up next on my blog!  

Here are the wonderful samples from the design team:

Colleen Dietrich-Featured Designer

LeAnne Pugliese

Nina Forsyth

Wendy Aungst

Rose Miller-Guest Designer

Freshly Made Sketches {Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year}

This week at Freshly Made Sketches, we have a great sketch from the lovely Rita Wright!  I was so excited to cut into some new pattern paper I picked up at my local crafting store!  It is from Jillibean Soup, I believe that is what it is called!  Both the red side of the paper and the yellow side come from the same sheet of paper.  I thought the paper had a primitive country feel to it and decided to make a poinsettia in Kraft paper from my Poinsettia nestabilities. 

I also added a black matte around the entire main panel and the smaller panel to accent the red and yellow colours.  The sentiment comes from a stamp set that I got last year from Stampin' Up but is now retired called "Seasonal Sentiments". The ribbon is black satin and the twine is called True Hemp made by Hemptique.  It has a really pretty chocolate sheen to it. I couldn't resist adding a button too!

We hope that you will join Freshly Made Sketches this week!  Please be sure to visit the other DT Members to see their wonderful creations!

Freshly Made Sketches Design Team

Linda Callahan
Cindy Hall
Tui Nathan
Jennifer Timko
Rita Wright
Jen Mitchell
Lauri Ingram
Christy Q

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Paper Players Challenge #24-Ann's Colour Challenge

It's time for another Colour Challenge over at the Paper Players Challenge Blog.  Today Ann is our hostess and she is challenging us to use Cherry Cobbler, Always Artichoke and any Neutral.  I was so excited when she chose these colours because I wanted to use my Deck the Halls Designer Paper!!



I made my own handmade poinsettia on this 5x5 square card!  I made the poinsettia using the "French Foliage" stamp set.  I got the idea from Vicki Burdick and Connie Babert.  Please see THIS POST for links to their blogs.  I inked the small leaf stamp 8 times in Cherry Cobbler and then cut each leaf out by hand.  Then I layered the leaves to create a poinsettia, adhering the leaves together with glue dots.

I used many tools to create this card!! I hope you like it and play along with our Colour Challenge this week!!  To play along simply click HERE to link up your card!!!  As always, please email me if you have any questions and I love to hear from you in my comment box...hint, hint!!

Be sure to check out the Design Team Creations:
Ann Schach
Jaydee
Nance Leedy
Anne Marie Hile



Smiles,

Stampin' Up Supplies Used
Stamps:  Seasonal Sentiments 121130, French Foliage 121166
Inks: Cherry Cobbler, Always Artichoke and Early Espresso
Paper: Always Artichoke, Very Vanilla, Deck the Halls Designer Paper 120810
Tools: Scallop Corner Punch, Scallop Edge Punch, Paper Snips
Extras: Pearls, Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding Ribbon 120992

Catching up on my Favourite Challenges

I have been running on empty these days.  I am just so pooped after work! But tonight I finally had the chance to play along with some of my favourite challenges.  I am going to list them all together here in one post which is not my usual style...but life has been busy.  It is only two cards but for 3 challenges!

Okay...here goes...

This first card is for the current Pals Paper Arts Challenge which is a "Fall Themed" Challenge.  I used a few new items from my stash.  I started with the Naturals White, Basic Gray and Crumb Cake Cardstock.  Then I inked the leaves in Really Rust.  The brads are from the Neutrals Collection and the ribbon is the Early Espresso 1/8".  I also used the French Foliage, Seasonal Sentiments and Sanded Background Stamp Sets.

The next card is for the current SCS sketch challenge and the Colour Dare Challenge which was to use Poppy Parade, Pear Pizzazz, Chocolate Chip and Very Vanilla.  I used the Awash with Flowers set for my friend Shellie because she asked me last night to make a card with this set.  I hope you like it Shellie!!

Thank you for stopping by!  I always appreciate your thoughts and comments.  I hope you have a great Friday!

Smiles,

Lesley