Guest Designer Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge #24 -- SNOWMAN

 

Me and my gnomies were chosen as the Top Pick for Caffeinated Christmas Card  

Challenge #22  and I was invited to guest for the last challenge of the year with the 

theme of SNOWMAN.

 

The prize sponsor for this month is Frantic Stamper. 

 

 

 Fran is generously offering this trio of goodies to the winner:

 

One (1) Frantic Stamper Precision Die -- Irish Coffee 

One (1) Frantic Stamper Precision Die -- Coffee Grinder

One (1) Frantic Stamper Precision Die -- I Love Chocolate and Coffee

My card uses one of my favorite snowpeople from Paper Smooches and all patterned 

paper is from  Catherine Pooler's Daily Grind which is sadly discontinued. 

I love his plaid attire!

The sentiment is from Catherine Pooler (also discontinued) and I stamped it 

before running the card through a falling snow embossing folder. To finish off the card, 

I added a mug from a Casual Fridays set and some snowflakes from my snowflake stash.

 

Kim Hughes closed her Paper Smooches shop and blog three years ago, but you can 

now find some of her products at Queen & Co and a few Catherine Pooler products 

can be found at Frantic Stamper.

* * *

Huge thanks to Amy and Lisa for the invite and we hope you'll join the last

challenge of the year. You have until 11:55PM PST on December 25th, 2023

to link up your caffeinated creations.

 

The Card Concept #201 -- Fall Leaves

I'll have to admit that the leaves drew me in to The Card Concept #201. 

Check out the gorgeous inspiration photo.

 

 

Here's how I was inspired--I may have been a bit too literal.

 

Assorted leaves from Honeybee Stamps were cut from Bristol card stock and inked with

Concord & 9th inks, then spattered with black ink. 

A black panel was embossed with Altenew's Organic Linen folder and adhered to a black

card base. The leaves were adhered to mimic the photo and finished off with a gold

embossed sentiment.

The card style is definitely Clean and Layered as i tried to follow the inspiration photo

with layering of the colorful leaves.

 

 Wishing those who celebrate a very Happy Thanksgiving and hope you snag some

Black Friday deals! Thanks so much for stopping by!

A Kind and Magnificent Friend

My dear friend Michele Ferguson chose today, World Kindness Day, as our Playing Cards 

with Friends date and I accepted in a flash. 

 The "rules" for our play date is to make a card for someone who has done something 

kind. Not necessarily for me, nor does it have to be someone in our card making 

community. Just an act of kindness that deserves notice.

 

Well, duh, it was a no brainer to choose my playmate and creative card maker

as the inspiration for my card.

 

 

I'm not sure when I "met" Michele. I always wondered about this gal whose blog was called

"I Card Everyone". She would stop by and leave the sweetest comments on my blog.

 

 She has since sent me annual Christmas and birthday cards as well as "just because" cards

which are the very best kind. We managed to FaceTime just once, but it's an event 

I'll always cherish and hope to do it again!

For my card, I purchased Spellbinders Stitched Etched Alphabet Dies and didn't think I 

would be doing any stitching. But I did some for Michele. I watched Yana Smakula's video 

on Analogous Colors and found a color palette that reminds me of Michele.

 

The stamp set has matching adjectives for each alphabet and I only wish hers was

"kind hearted". But she's magnificent just the same.

 

She decided to keep photos of our cards a secret from each other so I'll join you over

at her blog to see her masterpiece. I can cross "playing cards with Michele" off of my

bucket list now. Thanks so much, kind friend--it was tons of fun!

* * * * *

If you want to learn more about World Kindness Day 2023, visit this helpful link.

Personally, I think there needs to be more kindness in the world, not only today, 

but every day 💗

Inspired by Challenge #262 -- GNOMES

When I saw that this week's Inspired by Challenge #262 was all about GNOMES, I was in.

And just look at the adorable inspiration!

 

There's even a sketch by Laurel.

 Here's how I was inspired.

I assembled two gnomes with (retired) Photoplay papers and added a red heart

 on each of their hats. A woodgrain embossing folder was used on the background 

panel and the gnomes were adhered over it. The card was finished off with a red 

die cut sentiment. 

I don't know why but gnomes always make me smile. Supposedly they're not the

cleanest in terms of hygiene, and have grumpy personalities. I guess they become

as cute as we can make 'em!

Thanks for stopping by!

* * *

Edited to add: My card was chosen as the winner of the challenge!

Thank you, Laurel!

 

Hello FALL -- 2023 Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop

 Thank goodness for Daylight Savings as I have extra time to enter the

2023 Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop with a few hours to spare.

 

I went with a fall theme and I mixed and matched products from four companies.

The cups are Mama Elephant's Boba Shaker Dies, cut from different colors of card stock.

I ran the band through a corrugator before adhering it to the cups. The background is

the new Basket Weave Card Front from Concord & 9th.

The leaves are from Papertrey Ink, die cut from white card stock and colored

with dye inks. I attached three leaves and a twine bow to a cup, then adhered 

all three to the card. A gold embossed sentiment finished off the card.

Thanks for stopping by--I'm off to link this up!

Freshly Made Sketches #609 -- Guest Designer

 

I was invited to join Freshly Made Sketches 609 after my card, along with other winners,

 was chosen for their celebratory Freshly Made Sketches 600.

 

Here's the fantastic sketch--just look at all of the elements!

 

 

I was a little overwhelmed, so I simplified the sketch to more my style.

I used a rounded arch for the central element and substituted branches for the fishtail

strips which helped to perch the bird. A strip of kraft was embossed with a wood plank 

folder, then distressed with white pigment ink. I embossed the sentiment and adhered 

all of the elements to the card base. The finishing touch was a spattering of snow with

some white paint.

 

You have until Monday, October 30th at 3:00 PM EST to enter. Come and join the fun!

Huge thanks to Karren and the rest of the FMS team for inviting me to join you this week.

 

 

Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge #22 -- GNOMES

I'm squeezing in a card for Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge #22 with

the challenge theme of GNOMES. 

 

 My card uses gnomes from a Gnome for the Holidays Kit by Gina K Designs in collaboration 

with Thermo Web that was sold (and sold out) about 3 years ago. I'm glad that I bought a kit

and was able to finally use it for the challenge.

I assembled three gnomes in different colored hats and let each one hold a coffee

mug. I added some snowflakes and stamped the sentiment. Oh, and I gave them some

hands although the kit didn't include any because, how are they supposed to

hold their mugs? Aren't they the cutest?

Ok, I'd better finish and link this up since I have about a day left to do so.

Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

* * * * * 

 

Edited to add: My card was chosen as the Top Pick which means I'll be guesting

with them in December! See you then, and thank you, CCCC!

 

The Flower Challenge #85 -- Anything Goes and TFC's 7th Birthday

I couldn't miss the celebration over at The Flower Challenge. It's their 7th Birthday

with the theme of Anything Goes. But sadly, two of the team members, Aileen and Viv,

are stepping down.  

 

 

I've had the honor of guesting at TFC and worked with both ladies via email. They are

both kind and helpful and PATIENT and will surely be missed. Thankfully, Karren 

and the rest of the creative design team will continue with TFC's challenges so we 

won't go through "floral withdrawal".

 

Here's my card assembled with "unfinished" pieces that came together for the

finished project.

 

  I swiped white pigment ink over an embossed panel and topped it with Altenew's

Impressionist Bouquet. I added the sentiment and finished off with some clear

sequins. 

Happy 7th Birthday, The Flower Challenge! And much love and thanks to Aileen and

Viv for your years of dedication and inspiration! Hopefully you'll now have more time 

to "stop and smell the roses". 

Color Throwdown #762

I'm entering Color Throwdown #762 because my PTI order arrived and I thought the 

color palette matched perfectly with the dies.

 

Here's my card using Into the Blooms: Christmas Sprigs Dies.

 

 After embossing a kraft card with SSS Vine Canopy I adhered the foliage and berries

to the corner. The sentiment was triple stacked and adhered to the card.

Off to link this up--thanks for stopping by!

Inspired by Challenge #253 -- SUNFLOWERS

Squeezing in a card for Inspired by Challenge #253 -- Sunflowers.

Here's the challenge graphic and sketch.

 

 

Here's my card. I was inspired by the sketch, and of course, the sunflowers.

 

I cut a strip of Craft Consortium patterned paper and ran it through a wood plank 

embossing folder. To add to the weathered look, I distressed the edges with a scissors.

 

After adhering it to a card base, I added the sunflower and a sentiment that was

in my scrap bowl. It's so old, I don't know which stamp company it's from, but I like 

that it was cut and ink distressed and fit perfectly on the card.

 

Thanks for stopping by!