The 12 Kits of Occasions--February 2014

Welcome back for another edition of The 12 Kits of Occasions!  This month's kit was provided by Renee, and as you can probably tell from the beautiful graphic above (courtesy of Kara), our theme is everything SNOW!

Life certainly hasn't slowed down around here in the month since I last posted, but I snuck into my craft room just long enough to make 3 cards with the kit.  Like Renee, I adore the papers from Crate Paper's Bundled Up, so this kit is sure to see more love in the future.

I made a beeline for the teal chevron patterned paper as soon as I unpacked my kit.  This is such a fantastic winter color, and it pairs beautifully with the glittered silver snowflakes.

Renee included some darling die cut snowmen, so I pieced one together and popped him up on a tag.  The kit came with lovely red satin ribbon, but I wound up using some red twill from my stash because it seemed to fit the playful feel of the card a little better.

I don't often do pink and sparkles together, but I had a lot of fun combining them on my last card!

Stop by and say hello to our Guest Designer this month, Judy Marino, then be sure to visit the rest of the 12 Kits crew to see the magic they've worked with their supplies:

Cathy Weber
http://emptynestcrafter.blogspot.com

Jeanne Jachna

http://akeptlife.blogspot.com

Jessica Davis

http://thepaperparade.blogspot.com

Joyce Mehrberg

http://cards-by-the-sea.blogspot.com

Kara {kandrdesigns}

http://kandrdesigns.blogspot.com

Kelly Schirmer

http://ginghamgirlsadventures.blogspot.com

Kim Heggins

http://cupcakescardsandkim.blogspot.com

Marybeth Lopez

http://marybethstimeforpaper.blogspot.com

Renee Lynch

http://itsapatchworklife.blogspot.com

Sharron Gregory

http://onpapillonwings.blogspot.com

Tracey McNeely

http://inmycreativeopinion.blogspot.com

Thanks for stopping by today!

The 12 Kits of Occasions--December 2013

Hi there!  Sorry I've been even quieter than usual lately, but this month has been especially hectic for my family.  My husband and I sold his mother's home of 42 years and bought her a new one closer to us, and we had less than a week to clean it out.  It was incredibly stressful getting everything lined up to happen in time, but somehow we finished up just a few days before Christmas.  We're looking forward to getting my MIL moved into her new place soon and settling back into our normal routines.  :)

Believe it or not, we've come to the end of another month, and with it another round of The 12 Kits of Occasions.  This month's hostess is Jessica, and she sent us a Christmas-themed kit full of the most darling images and supplies.  I knew I'd only be able to scratch the surface of this fantastic kit in the limited time I had this month, so I pulled out my very favorite items and went to work.

The first card I made used the cute rabbit on a sled from Lawn Fawn.  I colored him with Copics and added a trail of gems behind him to give a sense of movement.

My second card uses more Lawn Fawn images and sentiments with a fun chevron embossed background.

My last card uses die cut poinsettia flowers from Paper Smooches with a pretty script sentiment from Mama Elephant.

I can't wait to see what the other ladies made!

Stop by The 12 Kits blog to see the full list of supplies, plus you can find out the winner of our recent Guest Designer contest!

Don't forget to leave a comment here and on the rest of the designer's blogs for a chance to win a fabulous giveaway, courtesy of Jessica.  Stop by the 12 Kits blog for more details.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

25 Days of Christmas Tags with Tracey McNeely

I'm feeling very honored today to be taking part in a fun event with my friend, Tracey McNeely.  This is the third year for her popular "25 Days of Christmas Tags", and this year is even more special because she has invited guest designers to join her each day of the month.

I'm sure Tracey needs no introduction for most of you, but not only is she one of my teammates in The 12 Kits of Occasions and at the Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge, she is also one my favorite designers.  I am always drawn to Tracey's ultra-CAS, fresh designs and her beautifully balanced use of color.  But more than that, she is one of the sweetest people I know in blogland, and she always leaves the most genuine and encouraging comments on my posts.

For my tag, I had actually planned to use the more recent holiday set from WPlus9, Merry & Bright.  Then I looked back at Tracey's previous tag posts and saw that Kara had used it for her gorgeous design.  There's no way I'm competing with that beauty, so I pulled out one of last year's Christmas sets, Iconic Christmas.

The tag and frame, patterned paper strip, twine, and gems are leftover supplies from The 12 Kits for November.  I stamped the tree on the solid tag, then layered the frame, silhouette image, and paper strip on top with foam tape.  The sentiment is from WPlus9's Silver Bells.

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (White)

Patterned paper:  Echo Park (Tis the Season)

Stamps:  WPlus9 (Iconic Christmas, Silver Bells)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Garden Green), Memento (Tuxedo Black), Sakura (silver gel pen)

Tools:  Papertrey Ink (Tag Sale #8), WPlus9 (Iconic Christmas die set)

Other:  rhinestones, baker's twine

I can't wait to see the tag Tracey created for today, and rumor has it there's a prize up for grabs at the end of the month.  Stop by her blog, In My Creative Opinion, to get the details!

Thanks to Tracey for letting me join her today.  And thanks to you for stopping by!

Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge--Christmas Countdown

It's the beginning of a new month, and the beginning of a new challenge at the Curtain Call.  This week's theme is Christmas Countdown:

We have another fantastic sponsor for our challenge:  Sweet Stamp Shop.  They were "sweet" enough to provide the Curtain Call Crew with a stamp set of their choice, and they are offering a $15 gift certificate to the Sweet Stamp Shop store to the LEAD for this challenge!

My interpretation of the challenge was very literal.  As soon as I saw the Alpha Tabs stamp set, I knew I wanted to create my own Christmas countdown in card form.  I stamped the "25" first, then filled in the numbers around it, using lightly drawn pencil lines as a guide.

There are even more projects to inspire you this week from the Curtain Call Crew:

Amber Kroening

Barb Murphy

Gayatri Murali

Kim Singdahlsen

Marisa Ritzen

Monika Davis

Sheri Gilson

Stacey Schafer

Tenia Nelson

Tracey McNeely

I hope you'll play along with us this week!  Thanks for visiting today!

The 12 Kits of Occasions--November 2013

Hello, friends!  It's my favorite time of the month--time for the latest installment of the 12 Kits of Occasions reveal!

Kelly is our hostess this month, and she sent us an incredible kit full of trendy chalkboard sentiments and iconic holiday images.  Be sure to head over to The 12 Kits blog to see the kit contents and get sneak peeks of projects from the rest of the crew!

I've made 4 cards so far with my kit, but I anticipate working more with it over the next couple of weeks once I'm done teaching.  :)

My first card uses one of the fantastic chalkboard greetings with holly leaf accents and a debossed music score in the background.

The next card might be my favorite.  I simply stitched some of the patterned papers along an angle and added one of the tags from the kit, tying it with gorgeous red ribbon.

This was actually the first card I made, on which I hung the ornaments from the top of the card using silver embroidery thread.  I'm not exactly sure where I was going with the label frame behind the ornaments, but I guess it works!

For my last card, I stitched some papers at an angle again and placed the die cut tree at the intersection.  I used the pretty, silver sheer ribbon to add some interest at the bottom.

In addition to our amazing regular designers, we have a special guest this month, so be sure to stop by The 12 Kits blog to find out who it is.  There is also a prize up for grabs this month, so head over to check out the details!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge--CAS-ual Christmas

Ready for a new Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge?  We have another wonderful sponsor and a beautiful image to work with for this week's theme:  CAS-ual Christmas.

We're fortunate to have one of the best stamp companies sponsoring us this week:  CAS-ual Fridays Stamps!  I was lucky enough to design with many of Michele's stamps when I was a member of the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge Design Team, and I still love the graphic illustrations and beautiful fonts of these versatile sets.

The Curtain Call Crew got to choose a CFS holiday set to work with for this challenge, and I chose Christmas Carols:

Doesn't the holiday scene in the inspiration photo look cozy and relaxed?  I love the rustic touches of burlap and the unexpected use of cool blue, so I included those elements in my design.

To create the tree as the focal image, I repeatedly stamped the four-petal flowers and decorated the centers with silver pearls.  I stamped one of the sentiments in Early Espresso right on top.

I finished my clean and simple design with a stitched border and a strip of burlap ribbon for texture.

Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! (Baja Breeze), WPlus9 (Oatmeal)

Stamps:  CAS-ual Fridays Stamps (Christmas Carols)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Old Olive, Baja Breeze, Early Espresso)

Tool:  corner rounder

Other:  Michaels (pearls), thread, burlap ribbon

Don't forget to stop by the Curtain Call Challenge blog to see the rest of the Design Team samples and link up your creation.  This week's LEAD will receive a CAS-ual Fridays stamp or die set of their choice!

Thanks for stopping by today!  Have a great start to your weekend!

Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge--Welcome Home

Wow, how did it get to be November?!  The weeks are just flying by, and it's already time for a new challenge at the Curtain Call.  Check out our lovely inspiration photo:

Our sponsor for this challenge is Paper Issues, and they are offering a $20 gift certificate to the LEAD for the Welcome Home challenge.  Thank you, Paper Issues!

I was drawn to the soft blue, weathered wooden door in the background and the placement of the wreath off the edge of the photo.

To create this card, I first stamped the woodgrain pattern with white ink onto blue cardstock.  I ran my finger over the ink while it was still wet to soften it and remove any excess ink.

I don't have a wreath stamp large enough for the design I had in mind, so I created one using the single pine bough stamp from WPlus9's Merry & Bright.  I traced a circle in pencil where I wanted the wreath to go, then stamped the pine sprig repeatedly along that line.

The pine cone stamp is also from Merry & Bright.  The berries, sentiment, and ribbon are from WPlus9's Silver Bells.

Cardstock:  WPlus9 (Lake House, White)

Stamps:  WPlus9 (Merry & Bright, Silver Bells, Woodgrain Silhouettes)

Ink:  WPlus9 (White), Stampin' Up! (Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Raspberry Ripple)

Tools:  WPlus9 (Silver Bells companion dies), corner rounder

Other:  Zig (Wink of Stella glitter brush)

I'm sorry if the colors seem a little washed out in my photos.  My computer is one that was issued by the college where I work, and it was recently upgraded to a newer version.  Unfortunately, the screen resolution is not as good and I will have to get used to editing my photos on it.

There's more inspiration from the talented Curtain Call Crew to help you get started!  I look forward to seeing all of the beautiful entries in the gallery this week.

Thanks for stopping by today!  I hope you have a wonderful start to your weekend.

The 12 Kits of Occasions--August 2013

Welcome back for another round of fun with The 12 Kits of Occasions!  This month's hostess is Amy, and our theme is Christmas.  It's never too early to add a few more holiday cards to the stash!

I couldn't wait to add the wonderful texture of the red burlap to a card.  It makes a perfect backdrop to the poinsettias and pretty sentiment.  I added some stamped leaves from Waltzingmouse's Big Bloom Poinsettias.

My second card uses some of the beautiful paper Amy included along with a stamped wreath and sentiment.  Very simple and easy to mail.

My last card for today uses the burlap patterned paper and beautiful Verve snowflakes along with a sentiment that I just love.

I'm short on small talk today--it's crazy busy around here as summer winds down.  I'll leave you with a reminder to visit the 12 Kits blog to see previews of the rest of the group's cards and links to their blogs.  You can also refer to the full list of supplies included in this month's kit.  Rumor has it there's also a giveaway this month.  *hint hint*

Have a fantastic day!

The 12 Kits of Holidays--June

It's time for another edition of The 12 Kits of Holidays, and this month has a Christmas theme.  Our hostess, Jeanne, sent a box overflowing with beautiful supplies:

Photo by Kara

I have two cards to share today, but I'll be back with a couple more later in the week once I get them photographed.

The papers in this kit from Basic Grey were so lovely, I wanted them to be the star of the show.  Isn't this intricate die cut beautiful, too?

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Pure Poppy, Ripe Avocado, Aqua Mist)

Patterned paper:  Basic Grey (Aspen Frost)

Stamp:  Stampin' Up! (Tags 'til Christmas)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Real Red)

Tools:  Spellbinders (Fancy Tags Two die), Stampin' Up! (label punch)

Other:  gems, thread

My second card is also clean and simple, which makes it great for mailing.  The tips of the tree branches have been dusted with a glitter pen.  I adore the look of the birch patterned paper!

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Vintage Cream)

Patterned paper:  Basic Grey (Aspen Frost)

Stamps:  WPlus9 Design Studio (Iconic Christmas)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Real Red, Gumball Green), Versafine (Onyx Black)

Tools:  WPlus9 Design Studio (Iconic Christmas dies), Spellbinders (Nested Pennants die)

Other:  May Arts (twine), Zig Wink of Stella glitter brush

After visiting the rest of the 12 Kits gals, I always find myself saying "Why didn't I think of that?", and I know you'll be just as inspired as I am!

Joyce: Cards-by-the-Sea
Renee: ItsAPatchworkLife
Tracey: InMyCreativeOpinion
Sharron: OnPapillionWings
Marybeth: Marybeth's Time for Paper
Jeanne: AKeptLife
Amy: Stamp-n-Paradise
Kim: CupcakesCardsandKim
Kara: KandRDesigns
Kelly: GinghamGirl
Jessica: The Paper Parade

And as a special treat, we have Cathy Weber joining us this month as a guest!  Be sure to check out her beautiful creations, too.

My husband and I are celebrating our anniversary today, and we have some wonderful friends coming to stay with us later in the week, so we have lots of fun things planned!  I hope you have a fantastic week, too.

Thanks for visiting!

The 12 Kits of Holidays--February 2013

Oh my heavens, what happened to February?!  This month has just flown by, and I can hardly believe it's time for another round of The 12 Kits of Holidays!  Check out the country-inspired Christmas kit that Renee sent us this month:

I actually struggled with this kit for a while because there was so much stuff to work with!  But I managed to get 4 cards done, and luckily have lots of supplies left to use later.  :)

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Rustic White)

Patterned paper:  Echo Park (This and That Christmas)

Stamp:  Waltzingmouse (Yonder Star)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Real Red)

Tools:  Papertrey Ink (Parisian Doily die), WPlus9 (star dies)

Accessories:  My Favorite Things (buttons), Michaels (twine)

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Rustic White, Pure Poppy, Dark Chocolate)

Patterned paper:  Echo Park (This and That Christmas)

Stamp:  Waltzingmouse (Woodenheart Alphabet, Yonder Star Background)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Real Red, Chocolate Chip)

Tools:  Papertrey Ink (Alpha Blocks die), pinking shears, corner rounder

Accessories:  My Favorite Things (button), Michaels (ribbon)

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Rustic White, Dark Chocolate)

Patterned paper:  Echo Park (This and That Christmas)

Stamp:  Waltzingmouse (Yonder Star)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Real Red), Papertrey Ink (Chamomile tea dye)

Tools:  Memory Box (Deer Trio die), Sizzix (embossing folder), Spellbinders (label die), corner rounder

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Rustic White, Dark Chocolate)

Patterned paper:  Echo Park (This and That Christmas)

Stamp:  Waltzingmouse (Yonder Star)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Real Red, Chocolate Chip)

Tools:  Waltzingmouse (Yonder Star cut files), pinking shears

Accessories:  My Favorite Things (button)

Keeping it short and sweet so you can visit the rest of the 12 Kits crew!

Joyce: Cards-by-the-Sea
Renee: ItsAPatchworkLife
Tracey: InMyCreativeOpinion
Sharron: OnPapillionWings

Marybeth: Marybeth's Time for Paper

Jeanne: AKeptLife
Amy: Stamp-n-Paradise
Kim: CupcakesCardsandKim
Kara: KandRDesigns
Kelly: GinghamGirl
Jessica: The Paper Parade

Thanks for stopping by!

The 12 Kits of Christmas--December

Hi there, friends!  Hard as it is to believe, we are almost at the end of 2012.  That means it's time for the last installment of The 12 Kits of Christmas.  This month is hosted by Sharron, who provided us with a sweet winter themed kit.

Photo by Kara

We have some changes coming to The 12 Kits group in 2013, including some sad goodbyes.  Cathy and Suzanne will be stepping away from the group in the new year, so I hope you'll take time to thank them for a year's worth of holiday inspiration!  They will both be missed.  :(

On to Sharron's fabulous kit.  I didn't get to spend nearly enough time playing with this kit, between being sick for 3 weeks and preparing for our Christmas guests.  But luckily I'll be able to use it all winter long for quick and easy cards!

This first card is my favorite:

The second one is a CASE of a card a did a few days earlier but never posted:

I couldn't resist using the sparkly die cut hills on another card, too:

I'll be back later to add supply lists.  We just spent 18 hours on the road yesterday and I'm still recovering.  In the meantime, be sure to hop around to the rest of the girls' blogs.

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

Thanks for visiting!  I hope you have a fun and safe New Year's celebration and a great start to 2013!

Cloud9 Blog Hop--December

Hey there!  I hope you're having a great weekend.  My daughter performed in a holiday dance recital yesterday, so we're definitely getting into the Christmas spirit around here.  :)

The December Cloud9 Blog Hop is live, and it should inspire some holiday spirit as well!  These photos, featured at Design for Mankind, are the jumping-off point for our creations this month:

Photo found HERE

Photo found HERE

My eye was immediately drawn to the bold red and cream sofa in the first photo.  My card is a fairly literal interpretation.  I stamped images from Folk Art Flurries onto a rustic cream card base and adorned some of the snowflakes with clear gems.

The sentiment comes from Poinsettia Patterns, and I decided to ground it with two strips of Cupid's Bow cardstock.

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Rustic Cream), WPlus9 Design Studio (Cupid's Bow)

Stamps:  WPlus9 Design Studio (Folk Art Flurries, Poinsettia Patterns)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Real Red)

Accessories:  Michael's (rhinestones)

We hope you'll link up your creation with us at the Cloud9 Blog for a chance to be a Guest Designer next month!

Thanks for stopping by today!

CFC81--Knotty or Nice

Hello friends!  Ready for a new challenge at CAS-ual Fridays?  We've got a fun theme this week, and once again we're looking for a guest designer, so play along for your chance!  You could also win a prize from Simon Says Stamp.

The task this week:  include some kind of knot on your clean and simple project.  There are lots of great ideas from the Girl Fridays if you need inspiration, so be sure to visit the CAS-ual Fridays blog to see their creations.

For my card I debossed snowflakes onto red cardstock and tied white satin ribbon knots in the centers.  I stamped a sentiment from Snowflake Greetings onto a strip of white cardstock, trimmed the end with pinking shears, and adhered it with foam tape.

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Pure Poppy), WPlus9 Design Studio (White)

Stamp:  CAS-ual Fridays Stamps (Snowflake Greetings)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Real Red)

Tools:  Spellbinders (snowflake dies), Fiskars (pinking shears)

Other:  AC Moore (ribbon)

I can't wait to see your creative ideas with knots!

Thanks for visiting today!  Have a great start to your weekend.