Here comes Santa Claus

Ho,ho, ho!!  Here comes Santa Claus!! Yipee!! I believe, do you? This new Santa set from My Favorite Things just ticked my fancy and I couldn't wait to pair this set with my Ho, ho, ho die (no longer available from MFT).

Today starts a festive new color challenge from Cupcake Inspirations. We are looking for creations made with red, white, and cream.

To get you in the mood for your Christmas crafting here is an iconic holiday song.

You have two weeks to play along with our Christmasy color challenge at Cupcake Inspirations.

 

Boo to you

Soooooo....... from the scary to the cute. Last week for my Halloween card at Cupcake Inspirations, I wanted to "be afraid" Were you?  This week I want you to smile. I saw this card at Simon Says Stamp and used it as my inspiration. 

 

You have one more week to get spooky creative at Cupcake Inspirations!

Today's card features the "hey ghoul" die from My Favorite  Things.  The original ghost die had a smile, but a hole puncher wiped that smile from my ghosties faces! The stencil is from Altenew.

You have one more week to get your spooky on at Cupcake Inspirations!

Fireworks

Today, I am featuring a transition card at Cupcake Inspirations. I am moving from our red, white, and blue challenge to our new challenge of "oh birdie".

My card today is for my husband for 4thbof July. Because even after 34 years he still gives me fireworks. My birds are from Pretty Pink Posh, "Hummingbird Thanks" and the fireworks and sentiment are from My Favorite Things. 

So as they say in Portlandia- "put a bird on it" and join us at Cupcake Inspirations for our "oh birdie" challenge. You have two weeks to play along.

Merry Elves

 

Rainbow Christmas?!!? All I can say if Lauren Bassen can do it, so can I!! Rainbows make such a cheery and festive holiday card, dontcha think?

The Rainbow Card Challenge wants you to put your holiday rainbow on and create a fun, colorful and festive card.

My colorful and festive card features a well inked stamp set that my bestie gave to me in one of her purges. The merry rainbow is Simon Says Stamp's "Coolest Yule". 

Sooooo..... musical inspiration.... I usually go with the color theme, but for this month, I want to go with some holiday and festive. My video inspiration will make you chuckle. It is keeping with my card theme.

You have all month to play along with our holiday rainbow challenge at The Rainbow Card Challenge. Hope you get your rainbow on and join us.

Have a blessed Christmas!!

Ho Ho Ho

Six weeks till Christmas!! Where has the time gone? Have you been playing along with us at Christmas 24? if so, you should have a big pile of holiday cards to get you started this year! I know I have a huge pile!

Today's challenge is Santa!  Yes "I know him!! I know Santa!!!" What classic holiday movie is that from. Share with me in comments. It is favorite of mine!

Today's card uses a bunch of old stamp sets. The Santa is from Paper Smooches "Santa Paws". It is so sad that Paper Smooches has closed shop. Their cute whimsical images started my love for all things critter! If you really want this stamp set, Amazon has it, but it will cost you!

 

You have two weeks to play along with us at Christmas 24. Lets see your most creative Santa cards!

Boo days

Wait!!! Hold the ghost!! What the heck? All I can say it is never to late to get started on you Halloween cards for next year!! So even though it is November you can still make spooky cards. 

You still have time to play along at Cupcake Inspirations "Monsters/Ghost" challenge. In fact ghost and monsters do not need to be spooky or for Halloween. My card today could be for an October birthday as easily as it is for Halloween.

My card today features the most adorable "Casper the friendly ghost" ghost from My Favorite Things. I sent this card to my BFF who isn't into spooky. She loved this cute fun little ghost though.

So head on over to Cupcake Inspirationsand play along with our "Monsters/Ghost" challenge.

Polar critters

 

14 weeks till Christmas! I hope you all have been playing along with us at Christmas 24. If you have been, you have a great start on your holiday cards.

Today at Christmas 24 we have an easy sketch to inspire you. You can make it as simple or as complicated as possible. Me for some reason I went complicated and cluttered.

For some reason I decided to try and put as many critters on this card as I can. My BFF gave me this stamp set after she decided to get rid of it when she downsizing her Christmas stamps. I absolutely loved it and couldn't wait to play with it. Unfortunately it seem s to be a retired set. If you look there are a few small craft stores that have it still.

You have till Oct 1 to play along at Christmas 24's easy peasey sketch challenge. I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Cupcake Insprations Celebration Day 10!!

 

  Welcome to day 10 at the celebrations at Cupcake Inspirations. We are celebrating our 500th challenge. Each day we are featuring a different sponsor.

 

 

Today's sponsors spotlight is Digital Delights by Louby Loo!

Below is the cupcake image to inspire you to create 

a card or other craft project.

 

 

My hubby has a good friend who is a drummer in a classic rock band. This fun card featuring a digi image from our sponsor Louby Loo was perfect for his upcoming birthday. I enlarged the image so I copuld have it straddle the A2 card. You have to peek around the corner to see the whole image!! How fun!!

I  would love to have you play along this week at the big celebration at Cupcake Inspirations. Who knows you might win one of the fun prizes from our awesome sponsors!!

Be sure to stop by tomorrow for inspiration from one of our spotlight sponsors!!

 

Happy Bird-day!

If it is Friday, it must be a CAS kinda day! Today starts a new challenge at CAS on Friday! The theme for this week's challenge is:

Black, White and One Color

When I placed my card in the CASon Friday blog, I noticed I went in a completely different direction than my team mates. That is because this CAS gal has the tendency to over think these challenges. 

I went for a predominantly black and green with a bit of white thrown in. One of my favorite bird sets (and I own quite a few) is the "mod birds" from My Favorite Things. I stamped and embossed them in white and colored them with Sakura gel pens. I haven't used gel pens in years and years, but recently bought them to use with my Zentangle art. They work perfect on dark paper, bright and vibrant. Once the ink was dry, I shaded with a bit of copic marker. I loved this new to me technique.

While you are social distancing- Head over to CAS on Friday  and join your virtual friends to play along with our black, white, and one color challenge. You have two weeks to play along. Please make sure your card is CAS (see the rules if you are not sure) or you will not be considered for the top prize or a top three spot.

Our winner will be the guest designer for the next challenge at CAS on Friday!!

I know him! I know Santa!!

While shopping at our local Trader Joe's my husband said- "you have to come around back". I kinda wanted to just get going, we had a lot to do. But I humored him and went to the back parking lot and there is the most gorgeous white draft horse being hooked to a festive white buggy.

A few moments later after petting this big guys nose and wishing I had an apple or a carrot, my husband whispers "look up". I look up and what to my wondering eyes should appear- Santa Claus!!!

I don't know about you, but there is something magical about being around Santa. You immediately become a kid again. 

I am sure my dear husband is telling Santa all about the Martin Dreadnaught D-45 guitar he wants for Christmas.

But behind every great guy there is an even better woman. Santa is no different. Mrs. Claus who is usually behind the scenes baking cookies to keep the big guy-well big, got to get out to visit today.

Like any good wife, she isn't letting her man out in public until he is perfectly put together.

After getting my time with Santa- whispering that I really don't want a lot this year, just the new Altenew inks, he drove off to see all the good little boys and girls.

My cards today are in honor of the big guy himself!! I am entering them in the following challenges.

Just Us Girls, they are having "an anything goes" challenge.

Time out Challenges is having a "merry and Cheerful" challenge.

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge- "quick and easy cards".

Cardz 4 Galz- is looking for a "cute Christmas"

Winter Wonderland Challenge- "anything goes"

Lastly Inkspirational is having a theme challenge and the theme is "naughty". 

I want to end this Santa driven blog post with a scene from "Elf". This very funny scene is how I feel now."I know him! I know Santa and I know his wife!!"

Be sure to check out what all the designers for these various challenges have posted and be inspired to join in!!