2018 Best of Blog Review

Years ago I started doing a best year review. It's a time for me to look back and pick the best of each month. 

In 2018 many of my creations used stamps and dies from Newton's Nook. I played along twice a month at Newton's Nook's Inky Paws challenge. Playing along got me invited to be part of the Inky Paws team. A highlight of my year!!

Anther highlights of the year that had nothing to do with stamping, was graduating with my Master's in Nursing.

Finishing school leaves me lots of time on my hands! Lots of stamping will be done in 2019!!

Without further ado here is the best of the last 12 months at The Creative Studio!!

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Well, that wraps up another creative year! I can't wait to see what 2019 brings with all the extra time I will have!!

Wishing all of you a happy, healthy and creative 2019!!

 

Red Romance

Happy 2019 everyone!! Wow another year gone. The years just fly by especially the older you get. It just doesn't seem fair. I am looking forward to 2019, I will no longer be in school and I can stamp away to my heart's content. One of the things I want to do is become more involved in challenges and challenge teams. Four years ago I had to step down from all the teams I was on to concentrate on school. That is no longer the case. Woohoo!!

My buddy Mynn from House of Cards (the first challenge team I was asked to be on.) is hosting a new challenge team that is sure to inspire. The Rainbow Card Connection challenges us to use a different color each month.

January's color theme is "red romance". It's funny because red was the theme for all my hubby's Christmas cards this year. I was good to go. My card to inspire you this month uses a very old wood stamp (remember those?) "cuddle in the snow!" from 2005 Penny Black.

I use this stamp every year to make one of George's Christmas cards. 2005- that means he has recieved 13 cards using this stamp!!

Along with the snow couple, I used the sentiment from Pinkfresh's "happy hugs" and My Favorite Things "Merry Christmas circle frame".

Each year I think, how can I come up with another idea, and yet every year I do! Do any of you have stamp sets you use all the time? 

Let's kick off the Rainbow Card Challenge and join in the fun and create a red forward card!! You have all month to play along!

Holiday Cheer

Happy New Year's Eve everyone!! Today we say good by to 2018 and welcome in 2019. I had an eventful year what with graduating and all. I am looking forward to seeing what 2019 brings.

Todays starts a new year of challenges over at Inky Paws. I was thrilled that Jennifer at Newton's Nook asked me to stay on for the next 6 omths at Inky Paws. The first challenge of the year is a color challenge.

What fun colors huh?!!? I created one of those all over stamping cards using the Newton's Nook's "cup of cocoa". I had such fun coloring in all those beverages!

Of course there had to be some glitter just because God is good and glitter is great! The sentiment from Newton's Nook's "ornamental wishes" was the perfect fit.

Head on over to Inky Paws and join in this fun color challenge. We will chose a RANDOM entry to win a $20.00 Newton's Nook store gift certificate. Our favorite entries from each challenge will be highlighted the following Monday, so all entries have a chance to be featured on the blog.

The deadline to enter today's challenge is Friday January 11, 2019 at MN CST. The winners will be announced on the following Monday at Inky Paws.

Juxtaposition

Only one more week till the big day. I am busy finishing up shopping, cooking, wrapping, and crafting. I did take some time out to create for Inky Paws's  reminder. We are looking for you to use silver and or gold in your creation.

 

Juxtaposition is an act or instance of placing two elements close together or side by side. This is often done in order to compare/contrast the two, to show similarities or differences, etc.  My card enbodiesthe concept. I took the modern trees in Newton's Nook's "Festive Forest" and the old timey feel of "Winter Memories" and put them together.  It works doesn't it? I added the silver snow by using the petite snow stencil from Newton's Nook.

I loved the use of siver and gold, but did try my hand at another color combo.

Head on over to Inky Paws and join in this festive theme challenge. We will chose a RANDOM entry to win a $20.00 Newton's Nook store gift certificate. Our favorite entries from each challenge will be highlighted the following Monday, so all entries have a chance to be featured on the blog.

The deadline to enter today's challenge is Friday December 21, 2018, at MN CST. The winners will be announced on the following Monday at Inky Paws.

Silver and Gold

15 days to go till the big day!! Wow!! Where is the time going? We had an extra week, because Thanksgiving came early, but all of a sudden I feel behind the eight ball. Lucky I have a few days off at the end of the week for card making and shopping.

I love holiday shows and Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer is  on of my favs. Do you remember Burl Ives singing "Silver and Gold"? What a great song!!

The new challenge at Inky Paws. is just that "Silver and Gold". Let Burl inspire you to join in!

 My card is all about silver and gold. I used Newton's Nook new "evergreens stencil". I spread stencil paste over the stencil and while it was wet, I covered the trees with silver and gold glitter. 

The snow was from Newton's "petite snow stencil", that glitterized also. To finish this bright and festive card I die cut the greeting with glittery foam using Newton's "holiday greeting die set".

Head on over to Inky Paws and join in this festive theme challenge. We will chose a RANDOM entry to win a $20.00 Newton's Nook store gift certificate. Our favorite entries from each challenge will be highlighted the following Monday, so all entries have a chance to be featured on the blog.

The deadline to enter today's challenge is Friday December 21, 2018, at MN CST. The winners will be announced on the following Monday at Inky Paws.

Sweet holiday

Hey everyone!! Welcome back! I have a a littleninspiration to remind you that Inky Paws is having a fun sketch challenge and you havetill Friday to play along.

Personally, I really like this week's card. It's a holiday card and that is really where my focus is these days. For my card, I used Newton's Candy Cane and the Holiday foliage stencil from Newton's Nook. This stanpset is special to me, because last year, just like you, I was playing along with the challenges as a participant. I happen to win one week and  Newton's Candy Cane  is the stamp set I recieved.

Head on over to Inky Paws and join in this fun sketch challenge. We will chose a RANDOM entry to win a $20.00 Newton's Nook store gift certificate. Our favorite entries from each challenge will be highlighted the following Monday, so all entries have a chance to be featured on the blog.

The deadline to enter today's challenge is Friday December 7, 2018, at MN CST. The winners will be announced on the following Monday at Inky Paws.

White Christmas

No more pencils, no more books, no more teacher's looks, lectures, and assignments.!!! Yep, school is done!! I graduate this Wednesday with my Master's Woo hoo!!! I have all the time in thworld to stamp and create. Just in time for Christmas!

Today's card is for my annual holiday card swap with my crafting buddies. It is inspired by the challenge at AAA Cards. Their challenge is to create a CAS card that is "mostly white". Well I am down with that, especiall as most of my cards are mainly white.

 

I used a very old Cuttlebug holiday embossing folder, and a just bought Lawn Fawn set called "Winter Village", that I colored with neutral copic colors. I am entering this card in the "anything goes Christmas" challenge at Inkspirational Challenges and the Christmas card challenge at CAS on Friday. 

 

Since this card is for my swap tomorrow, I better wrap up this blog posting to cut and prep the card. Hit the links in this post and check out the challenges and play along.