MFT Color Challenge with Freshly Picked

 

I am playing along with the MFT Color Challenge using the Freshly Picked dies. I made a set of six cards and have not yet added sentiments.  These may be birthday, Valentine's Day, or 'just-a-note' cards depending on the sentiments added later on.

Thanks for visiting,

Christine

Freshly Picked Thanks

I am playing along with the MFT Sketch Challenge using their Freshly Picked dies and some of my favorite gingham papers.  The idea was to use the thanks die next to the bouquet, but it would not fit.  I like it better going over the flowers....happy discovery!

Thanks for visiting, and stay well!

Christine

Linking to:

MFT Sketch Challenge

Peony Noel

 The Papertrey Ink Blog includes some of my favorite challenges; this one is called "What do I do with This?".  The designers share supplies, techniques, and lots of creativity.  This challenge is to include a stencil on a holiday card.  The snowflake stencil includes huge, beautiful flakes which I toned down by using softly hued Spring Rain Ink and a blending brush for stenciling.  The peony layers are inked with Spring Rain and Blueberry Sky.  I think the coordinating inks helped the big blooms and the huge snowflakes work nicely together.

Wishing you a healthy and happy 2022,

Christine 

Linking to PTI "What do I do with This?"

Ecclesiastes 11:5 for Word Art Wednesday

 Here we are right on the brink of Christmas, and we have prizes to offer you through a fun blog hop! 

Below is a photo of the prize offered for commenting on my blog.  Hope you will find time to visit all the stops and to play along with the project link-up.

Here are the stops along the hop:

Word Art Wednesday

Jo Ann Atterbury

Natalie Houston

Christine Miller

Allisa Steinlicht

Karen Letchworth

As always, the beautifully  lettered word art is available for download at WordArt Wednesday.  This scripture is a great reminder of the power and wisdom of God.  I am so thankful that He is far more powerful and wise than I could ever understand.  He loves us deeply.

Blessings,

Christine

Butterfly Thanks

 Shauna's challenge on the Papertrey Ink blog is to create a simple and elegant card.  This one came together quickly.  The base was created by cutting the Large Scallop Stacker die just over the edge of a top-folding A-2 card.  The large butterfly from Butterfly Blooms was embossed with gold glitter on watercolor paper.  It is tinted with Blueberry Sky ink using a water brush.

Thanks for visiting,

Christine

Linking to Papertrey Ink

PIP Challenge

SSS Wednesday Challenge (Bling it On---gold glitter EP)

Joy to the World

Couldn't resist playing along in the latest PTI challenge:  to create a floral Joy to the World card.  Couldn't resist inking the smaller blossoms from Into the Blooms Peonies.  Some of the foliage comes from Into the Blooms Dahlias and adds a nice holiday flair.  The leaves were given a light coating of GKD Glitter Gel.

Thanks for visiting, 

Christine

Linking to:

Papertrey Ink

PIP Challenge

SSS Wednesday Challenge (Bling it On---GKD Glitter Gel)

Joyful Peonies

The message of the Christmas season is love, hope, joy, and peace!  

I am playing along with a couple of joy-themed challenges using my newest crafting treasure---Into the Blooms Peonies by Papertrey Ink.  Both my grandma and my great granny had gorgeous peony bushes in their yards and they never scolded little girls for picking them.  Granny's dishes even have peonies on them, and I was blessed to receive them several years ago.  We use them frequently, and they bring many happy memories.   Needless to say, making this card brought joy!

Linking to:

PTI --Shauna's video series:  Joy Cards

Double D Challenge:  Joy Cards

NBUS Challenge: New Peony dies

Isaiah 7:14 Gift Bag for Wordart Wednesday

 Isaiah 7:14 is a wonderful promise from scripture...I love the wording that the Lord, Himself, will give the sign that Immanuel is coming.  It's a beautiful for Christmas cards and projects, and the digital word art is available for download at Word Art Wednesday.

My project is a double pocket gift bag.  It is a humble brown paper lunch sack with the bottom edge folded and secured with Scor Tape. The plaid layer was cut with a paper trimmer, but for the next one, I will check my  stash for a rectangular die cut that coordinates with the bottom pocket.  The layered holly dies are by Momenta and originally came in a cluster of three.  I snipped them apart to layer around the scripture.  The berries had a nice embossing line that allowed for white gel pen highlights.

I intend to fill the pockets with Christmas tags to share with a sweet group of ladies from church.

Thanks so much for visiting,

Christine

Love you tons

 I've put lots of miles on this adorable Lawn Fawn set which is fabulous for Valentines.  I am making a few to tuck into a Christmas gift.  I really shouldn't have had this idea so close to Christmas...but it is good to have another reason to craft.

Linking to PIP Challenge

Mickey Valentine

 I am working on a collection of cards to give as a Christmas gift, and it seemed like a good idea to add a few Valentines....especially for the kiddos.  This one was made for a tiny Mickey fanatic using a cute set of EK Success stamps I picked up at Hobby Lobby yesterday for a very reasonable price.  I made 'background paper' using all the stamps and was able to cut two accent panels.  The heart dies are all from "You have my Heart" by Papertrey.  This one was really fun to create!

Linking to PIP Challenge (animals.....hope an animated mouse counts!

Christmas Bloom Box

I try to play along with the Papertrey Ink challenges as often as possible.  I just received Into the Blooms:  Dahlias in the mail and decided to cut them from rich Christmas colors.  Since the directive was to make a box, I hesitated....boxes are challenging to me.  However,  my desire to use these wonderful new dies won out.  The panels of the box are PTI's Tag Sale:  Quilted die, and the base was made from a quarter sheet of card stock scored all the way around at one inch.  It fit nicely...no engineering or hard math needed.  :)

Thanks for visiting,

Christine

Linking to:

The Great Cover Up:  Gift Boxes

SSS Wednesday Challenge (Christmas)

Birthday Mug

 I am still working on a collection of cards to give Mom as a Christmas gift, and, of course, I am short on masculine ones.  This mug die came in my most recent PTI order, and I had dreams of stamping the die cut with tiny flowers to create the kind of coffee vessel I love......However, the current Great Cover Up challenge calls for sentiments to be heat embossed on black, and a much-needed masculine birthday card was born.  CAS cards can be really fulfilling!

BTW, I usually don't have too much Never-Before-Used-Schtuff at one time, but I was blessed with a couple of random challenge wins lately, and I sure am enjoying the new crafting treasures!

Happy December second!

Christine

Linking to:

What Do I Do with This?

December NBUS

Birthday Pug

Newton's Pug Hug set landed on my front porch this afternoon, and I couldn't wait to make a card.  Echo Park papers and the sketch made for a fun layout for this little pug.

Thanks for visiting, 

Christine

Linking to:

Inky Paws Challenge

PIP Challenge

NBUS 

 

Hero Arts Fancy Ornament

 Making the Christmas card list....checking it twice....and every year, we add a a few more when I think all the cards are completed.  This year, that was a very good thing!  I received these pretty Hero Arts dies for my birthday and was only too happy to make a few more cards!

The "fancy" layer is cut from a sheet of silver poster board, and its weight came in handy when dealing with the tiny areas of the die cut.  The greenery is from Papertrey as is the scalloped panel.

Thanks for visiting, 

Christine

Linking to SSS Wednesday Challenge --A/G

Blooms II Happy Birthday

The Great Cover-Up Challenge is to use dies to create layers.  The layer-ability of PTI dies is one of the things that attracted me to the company's products!  Layers included in the base of  this card are Tin Stitched over patterned paper and a Shape Shifters square over a solid square on which I cleaned my blending brush after inking the leaves.  The floral dies are from Into the Blooms II were cut from watercolor paper and were misted with water after being inked in Hibiscus Burst, Raspberry Fizz and New Leaf.  The detail dies for the leaf clusters were used as stems topped with tiny hearts from the Into My Heart die set.  The sentiment is stamped on a Tiny Tag die cut.  This card was fun to create on a rainy day with Christmas music playing in the background.

Thanks for visiting, 

Christine

Linking to:

The Great Cover Up

SSS Wednesday Challenge A/G

 

Joyful Day

 

It is a joyful day on so very many counts, and I hope that you are able to give thanks for numerous blessings as we approach Thanksgiving!

I was thrilled to see the Joyful Day stamps designed by Julee Tilman for Sweet and Sassy Stamps.  I love her work, and it is great that her designs are being produced in photopolymer once again!  

I usually give my mom a supply of birthday cards for Christmas or for her birthday which is on New Year's Eve.  My stash is down, so this one is going into her collection.  I am looking forward to using some of the cute sentiments in this stamp set.

Thanks for visiting.  Blessings,

Christine

Linking to:

PIP Challenge 

SSS Wednesday Challenge A/G

NBUS  (Didn't wait long to use this darling set!)

Mixed Media Divider Page for Word Art Wednesday

 Jeremiah 15:16 has been beautifully prepared as word art and is available for download at Word Art Wednesday.  In the scripture, Jeremiah declares that God's word was the joy and rejoicing of his heart.

I take sermon notes in a small disc-bound notebook and have the punch which allows for adding custom pages, dividers, and pockets.  I've been wanting another divider, and this sweet scripture seemed perfect for that!  The base is watercolor paper inked with Distress Oxide inks in Fossilized Amber, Spiced Marmalade, and Dried Marigold.  After stamping the butterflies in white, some stenciling (CAS Fridays), and gold acrylic paint splatter were added.  The alphabet stamp is from Sweet and Sassy, and the heart dies are from Stamplorations.

I had fun creating this project and look forward to the devotion Karen will share at Word Art Wednesday.  I hope you will join us for the new challenge!

Christine

Linking to:

PIP Challenge

Stamplorations NEAG Challenge

Land of the Free because of the Brave

 

The local VFW Military Honor Guard provided a moving and inspiring tribute at a family funeral last week.  I thanked them personally but also wanted to send a card.  This one was created using Echo Park papers and a retired Verve stamp set.

Hope you have a chance to hug a Veteran,

Christine

Linking to:

PIP Challenge

Santa I Can Explain Tags for CLC Hop

 

Using some old favorites in a new way for another set of tags.  The base in an older die set from Reverse Confetti, and the top section is cut from a sheet of glitter card stock that was included in a stack I picked up on sale after the holidays last year.  The wonderful sentiment is by Julee Tilman and was included in a digital set she offered a few years back.  The coffee cups are from Verve and were simply stamped on a small scale Christmas print for a fun look.

Thanks for visiting,

Christine

Linking to CLC Blog Hop

Christmas Joy

 

One of my favorite Christmas gifts to share is a set of handmade Christmas tags. Tag-making offers the opportunity to continue to "play with craft supplies" during the busy holiday season by completing quick projects.  They are always received with such excitement.  This year, I decided to create double-pocket bags from brown lunch sacks. (Just fold up the bottom edge of the bag far enough to accommodate a die-cut rectangle and secure the edges of the folded section with sticky strip to create a pocket.)

 These are decorated with rectangular panels cut with Stamplorations  Crazy Double Running Stitched Rectangles.  The Nativity die is also a Stamplorations treasure along with "joy" which was snipped from a longer Christmas Sentiment die.

I would like to enter this project in the November CAS anything goes challenge using neutral colors even though it is not a card.  I would also like to enter the NEAG Challenge.

Thanks for visiting,

Christine

Coffee Lovers Hop: Love You a Latte

 How exciting that the Coffee Lovers Blog Hop has begun!  I've finished this year's Christmas cards, and usually spend this time making tags for my own use and to give as gifts.  With the timing of the CLC hop, a few tags will have a coffee theme.

Thanks for stopping by,

Christine

Supplies:  LID tag die; Lawn Fawn Stamps and dies (the take-out cup is so much fun to paper piece!)

Newton's Nook Color Challenge: Mistletoad

 The Inky Paws color challenge is such a fun one and is a good reason to break out the adorable "Mistle Toad".  Love all the cuteness and "punni-ness" of this image!

Thanks for visiting,

Christine

Glittered Poinsettia

 The Great Cover-Up challenge on the PTI blog is to use glitter.  That said, "Christmas" to me, so after completing this year's cards, I have one extra.  The layers of my card are:  embossing with the Dainty Deliveries frame, Tin Stitched, Scalloped Circle, and Into the Blooms II.  The flower and greenery are dusted with fine white glitter, and I couldn't resist adding a glittered gem to the center.

Thanks so much for visiting,

Christine

Linking to:

The Great Cover Up

PIP Challenge

Sing Praise FaithDex for Word Art Wednesday

 I am incredibly thankful for the Word Art Wednesday challenge.  It was one of the first challenges I entered as a beginning card maker, and Karen was so very generous with kind words and encouragement.  I enjoy the devotions, partake of the word art, and have been blessed with a few prizes over the years.

It is a blessing to be included on the design team.  I hope that my projects will encourage others to play along.  

Here are few details about my Faith Dex card:  The base was cut from a Paper Studio sheet from Hobby Lobby using a die by Heidi Swapp.   The die cuts are by MFT.

I truly enjoy making Faith Dex cards to spotlight special verses.  It's amazing how glancing at the pretty cards aid with scripture memory, and the small palette of the card  is a great place to try new techniques or use scraps and extra die cuts.

Thanks for stopping by,

Christine

Just a Note: Layered Bouquet

 Sharing a CAS notecard featuring Pink Fresh Studio's Layered Bouquet stamped in Aqua Mist and Hawaiian Shores.  It's topped off with one of PTI's Tiny Tags and a cotton twine bow.

Once the layers are set up in the MISTI, this sweet little bouquet is easy and fun to stamp in lots of colors.  I love to have a stack of these die cuts on hand for quick cards.

Thanks so much for visiting,

Christine

Linking to:

SSS Wednesday (Thinking of You)

PIP Challenge

Z-Fold: Thinking of You

 Z-folds are not at all hard to create, but the surely present some photographing challenges!  This one features Papertrey Ink products:  Tin Stitched cover plate, Corner Adorner stamps and dies, and Love in Bloom.  One of the pinks used in the floral heart is Sweet Blush which matches the card base.  I wish I'd used the other half of the Tin Stitched piece on the right hand side, but the corner was glued down before I considered that layer.  That's what's fun about crafting....next time brings a new opportunity!

Have a fabulous day!

Christine

Linking to:

Papertrey Ink Challenge (What do I do with this? ....sequins)

SSS Wednesday Challenge (Thinking of You)

PIP Challenge

Winter Flowers: Poinsettia

 Last Christmas, I 'rediscovered' this pretty abstract poinsettia stamp and die in my stash.  It is part of Simon Says Stamp's Winter Flowers collection.  I have all several sets from this series and love the fun 'outside-the-lines' feel of the images.  They are so easy to water color.  I watercolored these using PTI's  Raspberry Fizz and New Leaf inks with a waterbrush....fast and fun!

The Christmas cards are now finished...unless I find an inspiring challenge in the days to come.

Christine

Linking to:

Word Art Wednesday

Mod Squad Challenge

Poinsettia Merry Christmas

 

Into the Blooms II is a sweet set of Papertrey Ink dies.  For Christmas, I am using the daisy-like bloom to double as a poinsettia.  The papers are from a Hobby Lobby stack called Faith. The rich shades work well for Christmas.  

Getting closer to the Christmas card goal,

Christine

Linking to:

Word Art Wednesday

Mod Squad Challenge (Poinsettias)

Christmas Lantern

 I purchased these gorgeous Momenta dies at Hobby Lobby yesterday. The photo doesn't show the glittery copper paper used for the lanterns.  It is a subtle, elegant glitter that's perfect for the scene.  A set of six came together pretty quickly yesterday evening, and the assorted backgrounds from the Winter Berry paper pad all worked nicely.

Only a few more Christmas cards to complete,

Christine

Linking to:

Word Art Wednesday

Mod Squad Challenge (Poinsettias)

The Lord Will Fulfill His Promises

 I am incredibly thankful to be in a discipleship group with the sweetest of ladies.  They are encouraging, faithful in prayer, and have great insight into the scriptures.  We joke that we excel in fellowship.   What a blessing they are to me!  

These bookmarks are to share with them when we meet this week....I can't wait!

The bookmark die is a Papertrey Ink product stamped with a scripture from my beloved Verve collection.  I used PTI's Favor Box Wreath stamp set for the foliage and blooms.  I "stamped off" each image before stamping on the bookmark to keep the colors soft enough for the scripture to be clearly seen.  

Thanks for taking a look,

Christine

Linking to:

Word Art Wednesday

SSS Wednesday Challenge

YNS Challenge (Face your fears---what better way than with promises from God's word?)

Poinsettias for Christmas

 Shauna shared a most wonderful video on the PTI blog featuring the process she followed to create a gorgeous Christmas card using the newest Into the Blooms set. 

 I wasn't able to add that set to my collection before it sold out, but I looked carefully at Into the Blooms II.  This beautiful layered blossom was cut from a sheet of Sweet Blush and inked very lightly with Autumn Rose.  The sprigs are from Effortless Beauties and are stamped in the same inks, with Autumn Rose being used in the second generation for a lighter effect.  Since both the colorful parts of the poinsettia and the greenery are all 'leaves', I cut the leaves from the flower die as well. (That sounds strange!!!)   Since all three layers were used for the larger flower,  I cut two more large layers from green, snipped them into sections, and taped them to the back of the pink layers.  A tiny tag finishes the card.

Linking to:

Papertrey Ink:  Shauna's Video Series

Word Art Wednesday

SSS Wednesday Challenge

Lots of Layers: Brushed Birds

 

Kelley shared a gorgeous card on the PTI blog as she challenges crafters to stack up the layers.  Included here are a Blueberry Sky layer dry embossed with Dainty Deliveries, a Tin Stitched panel in white, two strips in Spring Rain Bitty Big papers, and a circle cut with the love to layer set.  Brushed Birds take the focal position in Spring Rain and Blueberry Sky. The leafy clusters are stamped with the Effortless Beauties set.  I always love how cards turn out when using the coordinating papers and inks....wish list.....

Thanks for visiting and enjoy this beautiful October day,

Christine

Linking to:

PTI Blog--The Great Cover Up

Word Art Wednesday

SSS Wednesday Challenge

Warm Wishes Tags

 The Warm and Cozy die set by Sunny Studios is just the cutest!  This is my second batch of tags using the  sweet die cuts and the bright holiday prints which are also by Sunny Studios.  I used a different Reverse Confetti tag set for the bases and decided to use black and white to match the yarn used for the ties.  I like the bright and crisp look!  I am looking forward to dividing them into gift sets and to having a few for our gift wrap.

Thanks so much for visiting,

Christine

Linking to

 Word Art Wednesday

SSS Wednesday Challenge

Warm and Cozy Tags

 I couldn't resist the adorable Sunny Studios Warm and Cozy die set, and took a minute to add one of their bright Christmas paper packs to the cart, as well.  I just finished up a slew of tags featuring cozy mittens, stocking caps, and comforting mugs.  It's always fun to pull out my Reverse Confetti Tag dies and go to town.  Looking forward to having a large variety of tags to package into gift sets.

Thanks for stopping by,

Christine

Linking to:

Word Art Wednesday

NBUS Blog

Friendly Pumpkin

 Please regard irregularities in this card as an indication of its handmade uniqueness.  (Insert grin)

Honestly......I put a piece of grid paper in my MISTI and tested the individual facial features in the Pumpkin Face Off set by Paper Smooches.  When I got to the last feature---the right set of eyelashes, I didn't get the orange paper quite nestled into the corner of the MISTI, and I think there is a bit of a menacing squint.  I'll just smile at my mistake and keep on stamping.  :)

Christine

Linking to:

Mod Squad Challenge--Halloween

SSS Wednesday Challenge -- Halloween