Merry Christmas!

Hi Everyone!

I can't believe that Christmas is only a few days away! I am not ready. We just put up the tree. O still have wrapping and baking to do yet. Well, I'm not stressing. What gets done gets done. I just want to enjoy the holiday, not stress it.

Here are a few cards for the Susan K. Weckesser Christmas Love Campaign.

I used some scrap paper and some ephemera that I found hiding in my stash. Not my usual style but they were fun to make. 

I wish you all a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

PCC #126

Hi Everyone!

I can't believe that Christmas is almost here. The weather feels more like spring. That makes me VERY happy!

Take a look at this week's PaperCrafters Corner magazine inspiration:

It's so fun. For some reason (Maybe PCC's 12 Days of Christmas giveaways)  I was drawn to the man's packages. 

I covered some chip board to make the packages, added holly paper and the sentiment. All done :)

Have a great week!

PaperCrafters Corner week 125

Hi Everyone! 

This week's challenge at PaperCraftersCorner is very colorful.

I LOVE that Stephanie gives ideas for these challenges. I saw circles and triangles on her list and immediately knew what I wanted to make.



I recently bought 2 Spellbinders dies from Tuesday Morning and put them use. The 'ornaments' are regular hole punches in 2 different sizes.

Look at what came in the mail this week!!!

This is the prize I won from the configurations box challenge at PaperCrafters Corner. The box was stuffed full of Halloween goodies. An album, 12x12 paper, 6x6 paper, ribbon, washi, stamps, embellishments....The list goes on....and on. 

Thank You Stephanie!!!

I really hope you decide to play along this week.You're making Christmas cards anyway, right?

Link it up!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

PCC #124

Hi Everyone!

I hope you're all doing well.

This week hasn't been the best for us. Our dog, Penny, was supposed to have surgery today to remove some mammary tumors. She ended up with an infection in the mammary chain so the surgery has been postponed. She's feeling better but not quite her old self yet.

Add that to last night's Paris attack, and attacks in other places.....not a good week.

But today's post is about card making.

This week's inspiration at PaperCrafters Corner is beautiful. I love the fall colors!

Using the colors and the flowers I created a Thank You card.

This card gave me the opportunity to use some more of these Prima flowers that I've had for a long time. (Bonus!) I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder, Unity stamps, and Colorbox chalk ink. 

Hoping for a better week for me and a GREAT week for you!

I know I'll be praying not just for Paris but also for HUMANITY!

PCC #123

Hi Everyone.

It's almost Halloween. Are you ready?

PaperCrafters Corner is more than ready. Challenge 123 features PUMPKINS!

My card does not. :) I used the colors. Especially the orange.

I used Colorbox white ink to stamp the flowers and sentiment. The flowers are colored using Prismas. I recently learned that Prismas show up on black. That makes me happy.

While I had the stamps out I made a second card. 

I stamped on 7 Gypsies paper and colored the flowers with Spectrum Noir markers. It took 2 tries to get the stamping right. I mistakenly thought I had enough room for the top flower without masking the one next to it. Oops. Instead of throwing it out I cut out the one good flower. I added it to the bottom flower with a pop dot. I actually like it better. 

Hope you all have a safe, fun Halloween!

Halloween configurations FUN

Hello. 

Happy Halloween.

A little early.

Today's creepy post is brought to you by a PaperCrafters Corner Challenge.....to make a Tim Holtz configurations book. PCC's new creative team member made one. It's amazing!!

Here's mine:

Some close-ups

I made the spider from my stash of beads. It was painted with  Deco Art black paint then I added Ranger dauber paint in silver to match the skeletons.

I used the same technique from the spider to color the bottle and skull ring on the right and the skull beads on the left.The chandelier is from Blue Moon beads. I colored the pearl with a sharpie. I couldn't find any pumpkins I liked so I made both from salt dough and then painted them. The moon scene is from the packaging,

 The chains are from old jewelry, the bat from dollar tree, and the bottles are Blue Moon Beads. The locket/mirror I found in my stash. If you look close you just might see a ghost.

I made the books from scraps. The tombstone is from Dollar Tree. The bottle idea came from Brandy. 

The crystal balls idea aslo came from Brandy. I used salt sough to make the witch hat.  

The blood stone are rocks from my yard. The ax is from Blue Moon Beads.

Supplies

Dollar Tree-Skeletons, skulls, bat

Michael's-spider web

Tuesday morning-bottles

Pat Catans-stack of skull beads

Blue Moon beads-chandelier, bottles, weapons

Everything else came from my stash.

Paint-Deco  Art-black; Ranger dauber-silver; Apple Barrel-pavement & white

Inks-Colorbox chalk ink for aging the paper

Liquitex texture paste

Papers-Glitz; American Crafts-silver paper (thanks Steph)

This was so much fun to make! So much so that I plan on making a Christmas one. 

Anything you want to see closer or info about just ask in the comments. Thanks for looking. 

PCC #122 & a special card

Hi Everyone! 

I hope LIFE is treating you well. 

This week's challenge at PaperCrafters Corner is Halloween/Thanksgiving themed.

Love the dark look of this cover. For my card I used a Darice embossing folder and FaberCastel chalk pencils, Colorbox white ink, and a Unity stamp. I wanted it to have that dark look of the inspiration piece. 

PaperCrafters Corner has a new magazine challenge every week. I'd love to see more players. :)

They're also having a Tim Holtz configurations book challenge! The deadline is Nov. 13th.  I'm working on my entry but I used the box instead of the book. (I hope that's ok) I'm hoping to have it done soon. It's so much FUN!

The second card I made was at the request of my sister. In her job she meets lots of people. All types of people but mostly those with families. I don't know how this started but when she sees someone in crisis like a family member with a drug addiction, medical issue, etc. She gives them a small stone cross. Like a worry stone. That person keeps it until their issue is resolved.Then it is passed to someone else. She wanted a card to go with the cross and this is what I made.

Inside she'll put the directions for the stone cross. I stamped a Unity sentiment on the inside that reads "faith. hope. love. live by it always."

I used another Darice folder and Spellbinders crosses.

Have a GREAT WEEK!

Challenges

Hi Everyone! 

This week's challenge at PaperCrafters Corner is another Halloween themed magazine cover. 

I really liked the blues and purple colors and used them to make my card.

I used Unity's Create Your Day by Susan K. Weckesser.   I created a simple little scene and colored it with Prismacolor colored pencils. I love the whimsical look of these stamps. I also love the sentiment "Create your Day". It's something I try to do. 

Surprisingly, this also fits the autumn Create to Live challenge on Susan's blog. 

The colors are similar and the challenge to 'Enjoy the Simple Things" works as well. Just looking at this image and my card reminds me of simpler, childhood days spent drawing and coloring. 

I thought you might want a little update on my afghan.

So far I have made 5 of these squares. It took almost a whole 1 pound skein. I realized I'm going to need 2 more skeins of yarn to complete the afghan. :)

Have a great week!!

PCC #120

Hi Everyone!

I am happy to say my eye is all better! In celebration I bought some yarn to make myself an afghan. 

I hope I bought enough yarn. 

Anyway....This week's PaperCrafters Corner challenge is Halloween themed. 

It's an adorable image but I rarely make Halloween cards. Since my daughter is away at school more this year I decided to make one for her. 

I used Derwent Inktense blocks to color this Inkadinkado stamp. I think she'll like it. :)

I hope you'll play along this week. 

PCC #119

Hi Everyone!

My daughter is coming home this weekend!! I'm so excited. We'll be celebrating her 22nd birthday while she's home too. Busy weekend ahead. 

This week's PaperCrafters Corner challenge is awesome! It's monochromatic!

I was going to use a stamp with books and take this challenge literally. But, I already had a Unity set out called In my Garden by Susan K. Weckesser. 

It started out as masking practice. Then coloring practice. Then adding white with a jelly roll pen that I found. Then I had a card! :)

If you haven't tried the PaperCrafters Corner weekly challenge, you should. It's always an interesting image for inspiration.

PCC #118 & Spellbinders

Hi Everyone!

It's been a week since my eye surgery. So far I'm doing well. It's just taking some time for my eyes to sync up again. So, since I still don't feel comfortable driving, I've been making cards. 

This week's PaperCrafters Corner challenge Had lots of possibilities.

The colors, bottles, fruit.... Lots to choose from.

I picked 3 of the colors to make my card.

I wanted to use my punches since I haven't used them in a long time. Off to Pinterest for ideas.  

I saw a pin that showed how to make roses from a 5 petal punched flower. It takes 5 flowers to make one rose. I don't have the punch but I do have little flowers....lots of them. It worked great. I tried the same technique using a daisy punch to make the yellow flower.  

I found more flowers made with different punches and dies. Of course I had to give it a try.

The first two flowers were made using the Spellbinders scalloped ovals cut into petals. The last one used Lace Doily Accents.

PCC week #117

Hi Everyone. I hope you're enjoying the beginning of Fall. I'm having eye muscle surgery tomorrow so I figured I better get this challenge posted today.

This week PaperCrafters Corner has 2 magazine covers.

I chose the fish as inspiration for my cards. I love the blues and yellows. 

 The border was done using decorative scissors. Remember them?

Both cards are made using Authentique paper. And guess what? There is only one little scrap piece left. I'm trying to limit the scraps by making 2 cards with one 6x6 paper. And, I'm trying to use up some of the 6x6 paper that I have. No more 'saving' anything for that perfect photo or card. 

I hope you decide to join in this week's challenge.

Have a great week!

FWF

Hi Everyone!

When I decided to organize my stamps I didn't realize there would be an added bonus. I can now take my Spellbinders to the stamped images to see what fits BEFORE I stamp. That's what I did for 2 of these cards.

I'm trying to get better at using the few Spellbinders that I have. :)

PCC #116 and FWF

Hi Everyone! 

I hope you had a good week. For me, it was busy. I decided to break up and organize all my Kit of the Month stamps from Unity. I'm also stamping them all to but in a half pint album. Lots of work but it will be worth it. As sets I tended to use the stamps together. Now that they're separated I'll hopefully use more of them. I do have a question regarding the sentiments/quotes. Besides the obvious birthday, thank you types, what categories would you make? Quotes, words, etc...?

My daughter was home for the weekend too. After we picked her up we stopped at Primanti's to eat. It's an awesome place to eat. They're known for putting coleslaw and fries on a sandwich. YUM! Great food, value, and service.

Now, on to the reason for this post. This is week #116 at PaperCrafters Corner. And here is this week's inspiration:

Here's my cards:

 I picked out this pretty Authentique paper to pick up the yellow and grey in the inspiration. The yellow print is the reverse of the main paper. Then I picked out 2 inks, sequins, Spellbinders, and stamps. Two cards done!

Have you shopped the sale & new releases at Unity yet? See them here: http://www.unitystampco.com/

Have a GREAT WEEK!

PCC #115 & FWF Tuesday

Hi Everyone!

First off: HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEPH!!

I am really happy with this week's PaperCrafters Corner inspiration challenge

It's about ADULT COLORING BOOKS! SO, there's a twist. There are extra requirements.

At least one of these must be used....

*coloring *crayons *a coloring book page *a coloring book character *Crayola colors *a story about coloring as a kid *pictures of you coloring *melted wax

I don't know about you but I love this idea of adult coloring books. I found one at TJ Maxx called Inspired Coloring Patterns that I just HAD to buy. I've colored a few pages already. Once I started coloring, the pages started falling out. No problem. I was going to make cards with some of the pages anyway. Like these guy cards....

I colored this page a while ago....at night....in poor lighting. I recolored it today....in good lighting. Besides, I wanted it darker. I used Faber-Castell crayons. I had one problem when making these cards...ADHESIVE DOESN"T STICK TO WAX! Time to get creative with brads and staples. I haven't used them in ages. Good thing they're masculine. :)

All the sentiments are Unity and the ink is Colorbox.

Unity Stamps is moving their Friends With Flair to Tuesday!! It's also the day they will start their SALES. Check out the blog for all the details.