Mistletoe

I have a layered mistletoe stamp but I stink at lining up the berries...at least if I am using lighter colors.  I didn't want to use red simple because mistletoe has white berries so I used some diamond embellishments from the Dollar Tree.  I don't label my stamps properly so I don't know what set The sentiment is from but the ink is Stampin' Up's Cherry Cobbler than I heat embossed with a clear hologram for a little sparkle.  I also added a little cherry cobbler ribbon.

Swag

I am a Floridian, born and raised, but I spent 8 years in Colorado.  This is inspired by one of those super heavy snows that makes everything magical....if you aren't walking around in it. 

I took two photos: The first one shows some of the sparkle elements but no depth, and the second, the opposite.  The background paper is from a Recollections paper pack.  I made the pine boughs from a Silhouette file and the branches from the Martha Stewart branch punch.  The colors weren't contrasting enough so I grabbed random green markers from my Spectrum Noirs to try and alter the greens.  I still didn't the contrast I wanted, but it is better.  The sentiment is also from a Silhouette file and the snowflake from another Martha Stewart punch.  I have a three size bow die I got from Ali express a few years ago and used the middle size for the bow here.  As far as the snow, I have a stipple bruch I've had for over 20 years.  I have seen plenty of people do the snow technique but all with tiny brushes so I figured this would be....interesting to say the least.  I was pleasantly surprised.  I tried it out on a scratch paper and found when I tapped the brush handle against my hand, I got very fine drops but when I brushed the paint right off the block, I got the larger drops.  I liked both effects, so I used both techniques on this card. For the very final touch, I thought it needed just a hint of sparkle so I used a jar of tiny silver stars and scattered a few within the branches, one to dot the i and one in the center of the snowflake.  Not impressive in a photo, but in person there's just a hint of sparkle.

Farm Fresh Christmas Trees

This is easily the quickest, laziest card I have ever made.  My Christmas aesthetic this year is vintage rustic country (if that could be a thing): lots of plaid, red trucks, fresh cut trees, vintage country. These papers are from the pack, "Christmas Cabin" from Recollections. All three pieces.  I did nothing but cut them to size and round the corners.  I also added some red ribbon from Stampin' Up.  That is it.  Took about 5 minutes, but I really like it.

Mosaic Christmas Lantern

I have no idea where I got this die from.  I didn't really do a lot of cards last year and I had misplaced this die.  I  rediscovered it today going through my craft supplies.  I decided to use both negative and positive space of the die.  I cut the same die out from cardstock in black, yellow, red and green.  I layered in the colors in the negative spaces except the candle and bow which were placed on top.  I used glossy accents to make it look sort of stained glass looking, but really it looks more like a mosaic to me.  I put just a hint of color around the flame for a halo effect.  The paper is from a value pack I got last year at Michael's and the vellum banner and sentiment are both from Stampin' Up.  For a final flourish, I heat embossed the sentiment in gold.

It's a Wonderful Life!

OK,, I confess, I have never actually seen the movie but the stamp set I used is called "Wonderful Life" from Stampin' Up.  It's a buildable set.  I used 5 of the stamps in the set to make the scene. I stamped it on craft paper and used my Spectrum Noir markers to color it in.  I did virtually no shading because the cardstock didn't lend itself to blending.  I used fun flock for snow on the tree, car and gifts and a snow pen for the snow on the road. The tree pattern paper is from a Recollections paper pack, "Christmas Cabin" and the sentiment is from a generic die cut I have. I used some Glossy Accents on the window, bows and taillights and a few pearl accents I had from a previous paper pumpkin on the garland. Overall, I really like the vibe of this one.

Paper Pumpkin November 2018

I knew when I saw the box it came in that I was going to love this month's Paper Pumpkin kit.  There is enough to make 10 cards, 5 of each design.  I just made two as pictured and I will use the remaining supplies to make different cards with other supplies I have on hand.  Everything used to make the cards is provided in the box.

Carve it into the tree

This is not my original idea though I cannot remember where I saw the original.  I believe the original used a wood embossing folder as opposed to a wood background stamp.  Today is my parents; 49th wedding anniversary so I sent this card to them.  I just cut a heart out of plain craft cardstock and wrote their initials inside the cutout.  Super simple but I really liked it.

Pumpkin Spice it Up!

OMG I LOVE THIS STAMP SET!!  This is the Pumpkin Spice it up set from a collaboration between Simon Says Stamp and the Greeting Farm.  The card is just some plain craft cardstock and 3 different patterns I printed and cut from my Silhouette.  I distressed all the edges.  I also printed and cut a couple of leaves from a file. I colored the stamp in with my Spectrum Noir, but I don't have a large selection of flesh tones (of any hue) so her skin is colored in, but it is WAY too light.  I used glossy accents on her glasses and I am still in the novice stage of hair coloring.  Even with all my mistakes, I just love this card.

Hey Pumpkin 2

I don't know about you, but I am SICK of summer.  In Florida, it is the same everyday: Hot, humid and afternoon thunderstorms. We don't get Autumn here, but I am going to take a 2 week trip up into the mountains this October and I am really looking forward to it!  I absolutely LOVE everything about Fall.  Anyway, this in the Hey Pumpkin stamp set from Simon Says Stamp.  I used a printable paper and accents from my Silhouette for the card itself and colored in the stamp using Spectum Noir.

Birthday Balloons

This is a simple birthday card.  I used the Stampin' Up - Hand delivered set and colored it in with Spectrum noir markers and topped the balloons off with Glossy Accents.  In person, they look shiny, but in photos, they look wet.  I also added some star accents to one of the balloons.  I wanted to keep adding, but I stopped myself and tried to just keep it simple.

Christmas Truck

I have been in love with the rustic, vintage Christmas theme for years.  I decorate with buffalo plaid, vintage signs, pine garland, and any red vehicle with a tree sticking out as if it was just picked out with care and loaded up for decorating back home.  I can practically smell it! Anyway, I am pre-planning my annual Pinterest party in December and deciding what card to do.  It can't be too complicated, but it needs to be something I can have a group of a dozen duplicate so I need to be able to do all the prep work before they arrive.  I chose this card.  The is a cut file from Lori Whitlock in the Silhouette Studio.  I did add the side, wooden features. Normally, I don't purchase cut files, but this one was exactly what I am looking for.  Rather than purchase another one, I think I can play with the file and alter it to haul pumpkins, boxes, turkeys, etc. for other themes.  The papers are from a value pack I picked up last year at Michael's.  I distressed the edges to make it a wee bit more vintage as well as too make the doors more visible.  I also used dimensional stickers to pop the fenders out.  This is a prototype I did last night just to see how difficult it will be to show others how to make it and also check for how time consuming it will be.  It's moderate for both, but I think doable. Next time, I may try to get a double sided paper, or duplicate the sides to eliminate the white.

Wish upon a star

I just love this card.  I have no idea who I will send it to, lol.  I have the Lawn Fawn, Upon a Star clear stamp set that I got after watching a K Werner video.  What I don't have is any masking material or dies for the stamps.  I absolutely HATE to fussy cut and I don't have a pixscan mat for my Silhouette, yet so this is what I came up with for the night sky without have to stamp the critters separately..  I used a blending tool and Stampin' Up pad in Island Indigo followed by Memento stamp pads in Nautical Blue and Elderberry and blended out the night sky.  I stamped some stars and the hooting star and heat embossed them in white.  I had some gems from Dollar Tree and used one for the shooting star.  For the fox and bunny: The fox was colored with Spectrum Noir GB5, GB6, and GB7 and the bunny in EB1 and EB2.  I then used Stampendous Fun Flock on the bunny tail and the white parts on the fox's fur.  Overall, happy with the result.

Hooray: Broadway Star

These cards are from this month's Paper Pumpkin subscription. The aren't specific, but I figure they can be used for graduation and a birthday card.  I don't intend on making all 8 of them, but I will keep the card stock to use for other projects.

Thankful

I wanted to toy with the idea of an offset, corner circle for the image.  I wasn't in the mood to make a Christmas card tonight (or any themed holiday for that matter) but I love this stamp set from Inkadinkado, "All Hallows Eve" and in particular, the pumpkins.  I stamped the image with a Colorbox ink pad called "Dune" and colored it in with my Spectrum Noirs.  The cover paper was a sheet I purchased (I am not kidding here) 20 years ago at, I think, Michaels.  I used a sentiment from a generic stamp set I got from Aliexpress. Finally, I used some ribbon I got from Tuesday morning and some orange butcher's twine to finish it off

Happy Birthday

This card was formed from the idea to repeatedly stamp a single sentiment and highlight it in one place.  I don't have a lot of sentiment stamps, so I had to use what I have.  The Happy Birthday sentiment stamp is from Stampin' Up.  I only know the bird stamp was a free digital stamp, but not where I got it (It's been sitting on my computer forever).  I colored it in with some Spectrum Noir and gave the top birdie a lollipop with a small enamel dot.

Happy Bride

This is a quick card for my high school friend who recently got engaged.  I decided to use a ScrapBerry stamp that's really supposed to be a little girl dressing as a princess, but I figured it would work as a bride.  I used Color Box dune ink for the main image then embossed with clear glitter and colored in with a few Spectrum Noir markers.

Thinking of You

This card is being used as a sympathy card, but the sentiment can be changed to make it just a general card.  The stamp set I used was just a generic set I have with a trunk and different sets of leaves:leaves, flowers or hearts.  The sentiment is stamped on a small piece of cardstock from a country paper pack from Michaels and the ribbon is from Stampin' Up.

Father's Day

I received a Paper Pumpkin kit called "Manly Moments" from Stampin' Up for May 2018.  I made 2 cards for my father and my father-in-law.  I love that the kits come with stamps that I can use for the foreseeable future.  They also come with a small ink spot.  This month's color was 'Mossy Meadow".

Book Hello

I purchased a bunch of dies from Aliexpress and this one is a lovely girl on a book.  I used a paper pack called "Meet Me in Paris". The stamped sentiment is from a Stampin Up Paper Pumpkin kit.