The 12 Kits of Christmas--July

Hello!  Thanks for stopping by today for the latest installment of The 12 Kits of Christmas!  I'm delighted to be this month's hostess, and I can't wait to see what the rest of the gals have created.  First, here's a peek at the kit I assembled, with a photo courtesy of Kara:

I'll keep the chit chat to a minimum since I have a lot of photos to share.

This first one is my favorite, very clean and simple.  :)  The bird and branch dies are from Memory Box.  It's hard to see, but the cream panel is debossed with the Linen & Canvas impression plate.

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Vintage Cream, True Black), Stampin' Up! (Riding Hood Red, Old Olive, Early Espresso)

Patterned paper:  Authentique (Wonder)

Stamp:  WPlus9 Design Studio (Poinsettia Patterns)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Riding Hood Red)

Tools:  Memory Box (Perched Reed Bird, Twigs and Berries dies), Papertrey Ink (Linen & Canvas impression plate)

Accessories:  AC Moore (ribbon)

On the next card I used another bird, this time perching it on a stamped pine bough from Hero Arts.

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Vintage Cream), Stampin' Up! (Riding Hood Red)

Patterned paper:  Authentique (Wonder)

Stamps:  Hero Arts (Big Pine Bough), Papertrey Ink (Signature Christmas)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Old Olive), Memento (Tuxedo Black)

Tools:  Memory Box (Perched Reed Bird die)

Accessories:  AC Moore (ribbon), thread

These beautiful poinsettia blooms are from Waltzingmouse.  I fussy cut a large and small flower from Riding Hood Red cardstock and traced the veins with a red Copic marker.  A second large flower was colored with a green Copic and layered underneath.

Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! (Riding Hood Red, Old Olive), Papertrey Ink (Vintage Cream, True Black)

Patterned paper:  Authentique (Wonder)

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse (Big Bloom Poinsettia), WPlus9 Design Studio (Poinsettia Patterns)

Ink:  Memento (Tuxedo Black), Copic markers

Accessories:  Ranger (Gold Stickles), thread

The next card is very simple, since I let the patterned paper do most of the work.  I think I may go back and add a rhinestone star to the top of the tree.

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Vintage Cream), Stampin' Up! (Riding Hood Red)

Patterned paper:  Authentique (Wonder)

Stamps:  Inkadinkadoo (Holiday Words tree), Papertrey Ink (Fresh Alphabet)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Old Olive, Riding Hood Red)

Tools:  Papertrey Ink (double ended banner die), We R Memory Keepers (Corner Chomper)

Accessories:  thread

I paired the olive damask paper with a Spellbinders label, paper leaves, and sparkling "berries".

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Vintage Cream), Stampin' Up! (Riding Hood Red)

Patterned paper:  Authentique (Wonder)

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse (Vintage Labels 18), Papertrey Ink (Signature Christmas)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Old Olive), Memento (Tuxedo Black)

Tools:  Spellbinders (Labels 18 die), Papertrey Ink (Diamonds impression plate)

Accessories:  Bazzill (paper leaves), Queen & Co. (gems)

I've made a version of this card almost every month--just stitched strips of paper, a die cut label, and a few buttons.

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Vintage Cream), Stampin' Up! (Riding Hood Red)

Patterned paper:  Authentique (Wonder)

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse (Big Bloom Poinsettia, Vintage Labels 18), Papertrey Ink (Signature Christmas)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Riding Hood Red), Memento (Tuxedo Black)

Tools:  Spellbinders (Labels 18 die)

Accessories:  Papertrey Ink (buttons), thread, DMC floss

Finally, we decided to challenge ourselves to use up some of our leftovers from previous months by CASEing each other.  I chose a dove image I hadn't used from the March kit provided by Suzanne.  Like Suzanne's card with the dove, I die cut the image into a tag shape.

For the colors and papers, I CASEd Jeanne's dove card.  Love the purple and green together.

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (White)

Patterned paper:  Cosmo Cricket (Mitten Weather)

Stamp:  Stampendous (Block Art Sparkle Dove)

Ink:  Copic markers

Tools:  Papertrey Ink (Tag Sale #3 die)

Accessories:  Ribbonbazaar.com (ribbon), The Twinery (baker's twine), buttons, thread, DMC floss

Okay, friends, I think that's enough for one post!  Thanks for staying with me!  Now go see what everyone else made this month:

Suzanne:  The Card Yard

Cathy: EmptyNestCrafter

Joyce: Cards-by-the-Sea

Kim: CupcakesCardsandKim

Amy: Stamp-n-Paradise

Kara: KandRDesigns

Sharron: OnPapillionWings

Marybeth: Marybeth's Time for Paper

Jeanne: AKeptLife

Jessica: The Paper Parade

Renee: ItsAPatchworkLife

See you back here soon!

CAS-ual Fridays #63

It's time for a new CAS-ual Fridays challenge!  This week we have a fun color combo for you to try:

Our sponsor this week is Stop and Scrap, where you can find great deals on patterned paper and more.    Thank you, Stop and Scrap!

I didn't have much time for stamping this week, but I thought these colors would be great for a grungy but upbeat card for my brother.  I used stamps from The Craft's Meow's Typically Teen, layering them along the side of the card.

Originally I tried stamping the sentiment directly on the white panel, but I smudged it.  :(  To try to salvage it, I stamped a strip of cardstock with chevrons, added the sentiment, then layered it over the boo-boo.  

Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! (Pacific Point), WPlus9 Design Studio (White)

Stamps:  The Craft's Meow (Typically Teen), Lawn Fawn (Chevron Backdrops), Paper Smooches (Sentiment Sampler)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Pacific Point, Gumball Green), Papertrey Ink (Hawaiian Shores), Memento (Tuxedo Black)

What will you do with the challenge colors?  I can't wait to see your clean and simple creation!

I hope you have a fantastic weekend, friends!  Thanks for stopping by today.

Paper Smooches Sparks--Cool Shades

My friends, it has been ages since I've played along with a challenge out there in blog-land.  Summer always throws me for a loop, with its lack of routine, kiddos underfoot, and days that are too hot to spend in my craft room.  But even more than that, I've just been in a little bit of a slump that I hope to break out of soon.

After two weeks away from home (and my stamps), I was definitely itching to spend some time putting ink to paper.  A glance at current challenges in my blog reader brought me to this week's Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge, which is a color combo.  Just what I needed to get started.  :)

I interpreted the colors as Kraft, Pool Party, So Saffron, and Not Quite Navy.  Using images from Paper Smooches Reflections set, I stamped leaves along the side and bottom of a kraft card base, then gave it a little bit of texture with an impression plate.

I stamped another aqua branch onto a strip of kraft cardstock, added a sentiment, and scored two lines along the top before adhering it to the base.  I added the rest of the sentiment just below the strip.  

Finally, I stamped and fussy cut the flowers and popped them up with foam tape, then added a few clear gems.

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Kraft), WPlus9 Design Studio (White)

Stamps:  Paper Smooches (Reflections, Sentiment Sampler)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Not Quite Navy, Pool Party, So Saffron)

Tools:  Papertrey Ink (Linen & Canvas impression plate), Martha Stewart Crafts (scoring board)

Accessories:  Queen & Co. (rhinestones)

I hope you've had a great weekend!  I'm trying to ease my way back into life post-vacation, but the mountains of laundry will probably have to be addressed this week.  :)

Thanks for stopping by!

CAS-ual Fridays #62--Back in Black

Hello from somewhere in Ohio!  I'm still on the road, but I have a few minutes before I collapse from exhaustion to share my card for this week's CAS-ual Fridays challenge.  This week we're going Back in Black!  We want to see your clean and simple designs using a black card base.

Our sponsor this week is Lil' Inker Designs, and who wouldn't want to win a Gift Certificate to the Lil' Inker store?  :)

Sorry to jump ahead to Halloween with my card this week, but I went shopping at Hobby Lobby while I was visiting my parents and was inspired by all of the fall decor already making its way onto the shelves.

I was really wishing I had access to a Big Shot and embossing folders for this card, but I had to settle for a scoring board.  Still, I think it turned out pretty cool.  I drew a spider web on the back of the cardstock, then scored along each of the lines so they would stand out on the front.

Glittered orange and yellow cardstock strips and some glossy, blinged-out letters were all I needed to complete this card.  Pretty simple, but I think it's kind of fun!

All supplies from Hobby Lobby unless noted

Black notecards

Glitter cardstock

Letter stickers

Tool:  Scoring board (Martha Stewart Crafts)

As always, there's amazing inspiration being offered up by the Girl Fridays this week, so stop by the CAS-ual Fridays blog to check it out!

I'll be on the road for two more days, then it's back to work on Monday.  *sigh*  I don't mean to wish away the summer, but I'm already looking forward to the more regular schedule and cooler weather of fall.

Thanks for your visit!  Have a great Friday!

CAS-ual Fridays #61--Let's Strip

Happy Friday!  It's time for a new CAS-ual Fridays challenge.  Don't you just love the names Michele comes up with for our challenges?  This week's theme:  Let's Strip!

To play along, just use strips of color or pattern in your clean and simple design, then link up your creation at the CAS-ual Fridays blog.

I used washi tape from Target for the first time, and I love how this design turned out!  First I crossed the red and white tape on a piece of white cardstock and die cut a window in one corner.  I ran the panel through my Big Shot with the Linen & Canvas impression plate for some texture.

To line up the blue and white tape, I simply laid the panel with the window onto the card front, stretched the blue tape across the window to match up the stripes, then pressed down the tape inside the window before carefully pulling up the top panel and tucking the rest of the blue tape behind it.  I hope that makes sense!  

I stamped the clock from Paper Smooches onto white cardstock, added some simple gray shadows with a Copic marker, and cut it out.  I popped it up on a foam dot where the tape intersects, then stamped the sentiment.

Cardstock:  WPlus9 Design Studio (White)

Stamps:  Paper Smooches (Perpetual Bliss)

Ink:  Memento (Tuxedo Black), Copic marker

Tools:  Papertrey Ink (Mat Stack #1 die, Linen & Canvas impression plate)

Accessories:  Target (washi tape)

There are lots of fabulous designs by the rest of the Girl Fridays this week--be sure to leave them some love!

Thanks for your visit, friends!  Have a great start to your weekend!

WPlus9 Cloud 9 Blog Hop--July

Hey there, friends!  I have an extra special post for you today.  My sweet friend and fellow WPlus9 fan, Suzanne Dahlberg, decided to start a monthly blog hop for WPlus9 customers to showcase their creations.  Each month there will be a theme or challenge for inspiration, and to kick things off this month Suzanne has chosen a fun and colorful photo.

{photo source}

I am absolutely delighted and honored to have been invited to be a part of the Inspiration Team for this monthly challenge.  Two of my favorite designers are also joining the team:  Anya Schrier and Gayatri Murali.  I just know that their creations will knock your socks off each month!

For my card this month, I was inspired by the colors, large flowers, and natural fibers on the table skirt in the photo.  The brightly colored flowers became medallions on my card, and for the natural fibers I used some rustic twine and a muslin pocket.  

To make the pocket, I used spray adhesive to attach a scrap of muslin to white cardstock, then die cut and stamped the pocket with A Pocketful.  I cut a simple tag to fit inside the pocket and stamped it with aqua medallions and a sentiment from A Pocketful.

Cardstock:  WPlus9 Design Studio (White), Papertrey Ink (Fine Linen, Aqua Mist)

Stamps:  WPlus9 Design Studio (A Pocketful, Mehndi Medallions)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Melon Mambo, Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight, Pool Party, Chocolate Chip)

Tools:  WPlus9 Design Studio (pocket die), Papertrey Ink (woodgrain impression plate), hole punch, corner rounder

Accessories:  The Ribbon Carousel (natural twine)

I hope you'll head over to the Cloud9 blog to find out more about the challenge, including prizes and a Linky for your creation!  You'll have 3 days to add your link, and there is sure to be some amazing inspiration along the hop to get you going.

Thanks so much for your visit!  I'm still 4 days behind on my blog reader, so forgive me if I haven't been by to say hello lately.  I hope you're having a great start to your week!

CAS-ual Fridays #60--Text Me

Hello!  I'm back with a new card for a new challenge at CAS-ual Fridays!  It's the first challenge of the month, which means it's your chance to win a Guest Designer spot and a prize from Simon Says Stamp.  Yippee!

The challenge this week is "Text Me"--incorporate text into your clean and simple design.

I hadn't used this cute little bird from the $1 bin at Michaels for a long time, and it seemed perfect for the challenge.  I masked the bird's feet and the branch so that he could sit on the letter "c" of the word "create", which I stamped using PTI's Outlines Alphabet.

I masked the letters before stamping some flourishes in green, then stitched two straight lines across the bottom.  I threaded string through the stitched holes to make a little bow for a simple but sweet embellishment.

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Rustic Cream)

Stamps:  Michaels (bird), Papertrey Ink (Fancy Flourishes, Outlines Alphabet)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Early Espresso, Certainly Celery)

Tools:  We R Memory Keepers (Corner Chomper)

Accessories:  thread

I'll be on the road in just a few hours, but I can't wait to catch up on all of my favorite blogs when I make it to Indiana!  Thanks so much for visiting today.  I'll be back soon!