Merry Bear

Wow...it has been a busy week!  Hope everyone had a great Christmas, we certainly did.  As usual, my family spoiled me...in fact, we are all so lucky to be enjoying the holidays with our health and happiness!


Since today is quite cold out...brrrr...I was able to spend sometime in the studio :)  I cranked out a few cards, and I've decided to enter one into a few challenges.  There are two challenges that caught my eye...

First, Freshly Made Sketches #21 - love this design.

And also, CASology #178---Merry.

I started by stamping out my image and coloring him with Copic Markers.  I then added some snowflakes with molding paste.

I stamped some colorful snowflakes onto the card base. I then used some foam tape to pop up the middle card section and adhered the sentiment.

A festive card with non-traditional Christmas colors---and quite easy to make.

Serendipity Blog Hop #2

I've been honored to be the guest designer over at Serendipity Stamps!  It has been fun playing with their stamps.

Since Christmas is just days away, I have one more Christmas Tag!  I also needed to make a birthday tag for a friend of mine who has a birthday shortly after Christmas.  Because there is so much to do and just a few days left before the holidays, I decided to use one stamp set in two different ways...

Just a quick swap of the sentiments and color let me use the same stamp set for two different celebrations.  I love when I can use Christmas Stamps all year around!

Check out what the rest of the team has put together!

It's Snowing...

Okay, not here...but somewhere!!!  In fact after our little rain storm yesterday, it is sunny out today which allowed me to play some tennis with my friend Kay---always a pleasure to practice with her!


I'm still trying to finish up a few Christmas cards.  I'm using a cute little stamp from My Favorite Things.  I'm going to enter into the MFT Color Challenge.  I tried to match the copic colors I have on hand with the challenge.






I'm also entering this card over at Addicted to CAS Challenge blog #78. There's still time to enter the challenge there if you have a moment!


Here's what I came up with...

I simply stamped and heat embossed the image and sentiment. I colored the image with Copic markers.  Then I added a bit of snow using embossing paste.

As a final touch, I stamped a few snowflakes on each side of my card base and popped up my image with foam tape.  I really like how it came out and will be making a few more of these cards to wrap up my Christmas cards for the year :)






Supplies:

• Neenah Solar White Card Stock
• My Favorite Things Stamp
• Simon Says Stencil:  Falling Snow
• Versacolor Pigment Ink:  Lime
• Versamark Onyx Black Ink
• Avery Elle Pigment Ink:  Aquamarine
• Memento Ink:  Bahama Blue
• Embossing Paste
• Hero Arts Clear Embossing Powder

Colorful Snowman

It's a rainy day today and our tennis match was cancelled...we came in second place with an 8-2 season.  Playoffs will happen in January, so hopefully, we'll continue to move forward.

Since I'm not playing tennis today, I have some time for some quick holiday cards.  I've been a little slow in posting my Christmas cards, as I'm still making some and it is getting so close to Christmas. I'm now at the point, where I am forced into Clean and Simple Cards...which frankly is my favorite anyways!

I was in the mood for some coloring...

This is a super simple card.  I just stamped this image and heat embossed it with some clear embossing powder....then went to work on coloring.

I popped up the image on foam tape and applied it to a grey cardstock---I wanted a neutral framing since there are so many colors on the card.

I stamped the sentiment on the top right and there you have a quick, cheerful Christmas card.

Serendipity Stamps Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to the Serendipity Stamps Blog Hop.  

I'm so excited to participate in this fun event. I'm still finishing up many of my holiday tags and I'm have fun using the beautiful Serendipity Stamps.  

For these two tags, I wanted to highlight the beautiful sentiment stamp.  It is so beautiful and elegant that you can use it simply as the main focal point as I did with the tag on the left.  I simply heat embossed the sentiment with silver embossing powder and added a bit of patterned paper at the very top and added a few sequins.

I also decided to try the sentiment on watercolor paper--using gold embossing powder.  I then stamped the poinsettia with gold embossing powder and used distress ink to watercolor the images.  

Two very elegant tags!

Check out what the rest of the team has put together...

Jeanne Jachna 

Jenny Gropp

Julie Warner

Karen Amidon

Marybeth Lopez

Miriam Napier

Vickie Zimmer

Happy Pie Day

Happy Friday!  The dampness outside has kept me close to home today.  I wrapped a few Christmas presents---yes, early and did a bit of yard work.  I had an opportunity to finish up this card that I started a few days ago, but haven't been able to finish until now.  I'm stepping away from Christmas today as I was inspired by the current CASology challenge.




Here's more about the challenge....though since my family is more scientifically minded and not as motivated by sweets, pie always had a different meaning around here.  I remember alway making a "pie" on March 14 for my son to take to school to enjoy in math class....been several years since I did that but I still think about it.


Here's my take on the challenge...

I stamped my mad scientist on card stock and colored him with Copic markers.  I added a bit of  light yellow around him to give him a little bit of a "glow" (it's hard to see in this photo).

I then die cut the white card stock with my cloud die and adhered it to dark grey cardstock.  I then stamped and heat embossed my sentiment.

As a final touch, I popped the white part of the card stock on foam tape and called it a day!

Actually a pretty simple card...one that my family can appreciate :)



Supplies:

• Neenah Solar Whie Card Stock
• Bazzill Card Stock:  Rock Candy
• The Alley Way Stamps:  Bubbling Over
• Copic Markers
• Lawn Fawn:  Cloud Dies
• Copic Markers
• Memento Tuxedo Black Ink
• Versafine Onyx Black Ink
• Hero Arts Clear Embossing Powder

Tag You're It Challenge #36

Wow another week gone by...and another week closer to Christmas.  I have a few more cards and tags to make before the holidays arrive!  And, of course, can't let up on my tennis so my husband and I are headed out to the courts this am!



Just in time for the holidays is this holiday inspired tag from Joyce Mehrberg over at Tag You're It Challenge #36.  I just love making cards and tag with houses and this one is no exception.  I was inspired by many of the images in this tag...the Santa silhouette over the moon, the houses in the foreground...all of these images this just captures Christmas for me.



Here is my take on the inspiration tag.  Looking forward to seeing what you come up with...






I started off by using distressed ink for the night sky.  I blended two different blues and a purple to get this rich color.  I then cut my moon from a pale yellow cardstock and used distress ink to provide some shading.  I colored some white cardstock with a few different colors of distressed ink for the houses and trees.

I then stamped the sentiment and heat embossed it with gold embossing powder.  As a final touch, I stamped and heat embossed my Santa and his reindeer!

Can't wait to see what you come up with!  Please join us for this fun challenge!