Appreciate Everything - Artful Delight card kit

  It's Sunday and that means it is my turn up on the Artful Delight blog.  My card is using the December 2013 card kit from Artful Delight.  There is still time to play along in both sketch challenges this month too; one random winner will get the January 2014 kit:  the winner will can choose either the scrapbook or card kit as their prize.  The current sketch:

  This time I very loosely followed the sketch; I included the horizontal sentiment strip, but the three panels and three trees inspired me to use 3 green flowers and 3 large scallops (border punch).

  Everything you see is included in the kit:  the papers and card stock, the prima, the K&Co. glitter button and glittery gem ("twinkle goosebumps"), the Hero Arts black dye ink pad, the EK tools foam squares to pop up my sentiment, and the Paper Smooches "Group Hugs" stamp set.  Only the border punch and the flower dies are tools from my stash.

Happy Sunday!

Christmas challenge - Cut It Up (Cricut tutorial)

   This fortnight Cut It Up challenge blog has a Christmas challenge sponsored by As Cute as a Button.  You could win a $20 voucher just by creating a Christmas-themed card, layout, or project and using a die cut.  You have until noon EST December 23rd to link up.

  My trio of Christmas cards was created from scraps of papers from the We R Memory Keepers "Yuletide" collection.  The sentiment stamp is also from their "Yuletide" collection.  The gold stars are brads that I purchased a dozen years ago when a local stamp store was closing.  My die cut is from my Cricut cartridge "Tags, Bags, Boxes and More 2" and the tree is cut @ 3" (p.48 "tag" button).

  I was going for a simple flat card for easy mailing, but I couldn't resist adding those gold stars.  Sometimes the image in my head of what I want to make is quite different from what actually evolves.  I think these cards are sweet!

Cricut tutorial (cutting the trees in the center of the grey tree layer):
I cut my grey tree layer, then centered it in the middle of my Cricut mat.  *Remember that the top of your cut will be at the right hand side, so my layer was placed landscape vs. portrait and the tree print was horizontal on the mat.
I moved the blade to be in the center of the mat.  Make sure the "center point" key is lit.  (For this specific tree cut, also make sure the "tag" key is also lit.)

Happy Friday!  I hope to see you at Cut It Up.

Wish Big - Artful Delight monthly card kit

  The Artful Delight December kits- both a scrapbook kit and a card kit- are available for purchase now.  I predict these will go fast.  Look what is inside the card kit:

Carta Bella So this is Christmas collection 6x6 sheets (2 each)

Christmas Dots

Authentique Joyous collection 6x6 sheets (2 each)

Diverse

Classic

Echo Park ‘tis the Season collection 6x6 sheets (2 each)

Snowflake Flurry

Snowflake Falling

Echo Park Reflections collection 6x6 sheets (2 each)

Christmas Floral

Fancy Pants merry little Christmas collection 6x6 sheets (2 each)

Santa’s Workshop

Baubles

October Afternoon Silent Night collection 6x6 sheets (2 each)

Sleigh Ride

The First Noel

My Mind’s Eye Vintage Christmas collection 6x6 sheets (2  each)

Joy

Coordinating Cardstock Bazzill Card Shoppe8 1/2x11 sheets (2 each)

Peppermint

Robins Egg

Peanut Cluster

Gumdrop

Embellishments – size and color may vary per kit

1 sheet October Afternoon Silent Night collection Sew Fun Banners

1 sheet Fancy Pants Large Red Alphas

1 package EK Tools 3D Dots 1/16”

6 Queen & Co Gumdrops Red buttons

6 Queen & Co Gumdrops Green buttons

1 package Queen & Co Red Twinkle Goosebumps

1 package Queen & Co Clear Twinkle Goosebumps

2 – Prima Gillian White flowers

4 Crate Paper Bundle Up collection Badges

10 yards Maya Road Twine Sparkle Silver

1 yard American Crafts Caramel Ribbon

1 stamp set Paper Smooches Group Hugs

1 Hero Arts Black Dye Ink pad

Everything I needed for my card was in this kit:  paper, ink pad, sentiment stamp, and even the 3D foam squares I used behind my banner!  I used a couple of tools from my stash:  an SU oval punch,  an EK Success tree punch, and my Xyron.  The trees were punched 12 times, then I used my Xyron to layer four trees together.  This technique is called "faux chipboard" and it has become a recent favorite for me.  Here is a close-up of the faux chipboard trees:

Would you like a chance to win the January kit?  One random winner will be chosen from those entering the sketch challenges at Artful Delight (link up on the right side bar).  There is a scrapbook sketch and a card sketch.  I used the card sketch designed by Suzanne:

See you at Artful Delight.

Happy Sunday!

Tags, tags, tags! Pumpkin Spice hop

  This month my sweet and talented Pumpkin Spice design team sisters are inspiring you with a TAGS themed hop.  Interpret the challenge however you like!  Create tags in any theme, use a tag on a card, or even use paper with a tag pattern.  I am the first stop on the hop.

  I cut various rectangles from coordinating Carta Bella "Traditions" papers, cut the corners off, and inked the edges with black hybrid ink.  I took a scrap of kraft card stock and punched four small holes and then I used a circle punch to create the tag reinforcers.  Finally I stamped the happy birthday sentiment in the black hybrid ink.  Quick and easy!  I was inspired by this card a saw on Pinterest by Tamytha Jenkins.  Her card is beautiful.  I needed a flat card for easy mailing for my husband's b-i-l.

  Check out the deals at the Shop Pumpkin Spice online store if you are inspired by my card or my talented design team sisters.

Hop along with us, then link your card to the TAGS challenge on the Pumpkin Spice blog; your next stop is Saundra!

Hop list:  
June (you are here!)
Saundra 
Heather
Missy
Denine

Happy hopping!

Little Tangles Color Challenge- Gold and white

  I am super sad that my six month term with Little Tangles is nearing the end.  I love the challenges at Little Tangles.  This has been one of the nicest design teams I have ever been on; sweet and talented design team sisters, great product to work with, and no drama :)

  

  And there is still fun to be had!  Check out our current fortnightly challenge:

  My favorite challenges are sketch challenges and color challenges that only require two or three colors.  Easy peasy.

  And a nice sentiment is fun.  I used Neat and Tangled's 

"Sparkle and Shine" stamp set:

Please join in the gold and white challenge at Little Tangles.  A great combo for a holiday card or thank you, anniversary or wedding; so many elegant possibilities.

  I am also entering my card at My Craft Spot's challenge:

Sparkle and Shine

  My gold moire trees shine IRL, and the metallic ribbon sparkles and shines too.  There are lots of great entries and inspiration there already.  I hope to see you there!

Supplies:
stamp:  Neat and Tangled "Sparkle and Shine"
paper:  white card stock and gold moire paper
Cuttlebug embossing folders:  "Candy Cane" and "Snowflakes"
adhesive:  Xyron
tree punch:  EK Success
Stickles:  Frosted Lace
ribbon:  Sopp America "Diamonds"

Happy Thursday!

Unity Stamp Jars of Love - Indie Chic Style: SCRAPS challenge

  Happy December!  It's my turn up on the Shop Pumpkin Spice blog today.  This weekend I did a little reorganizing of my 6x6 pads in my craft room (which has doubled in number since I started shopping at the Pumpkin Spice online store; where 6x6 pads are always $4.20 or less!)

  Sometimes I find inspiration just by looking through each collection.  When I get too many scraps in a collection, I store what is left of the pad and the coordinating paper bits in a Ziploc quart-size bags.  They fit perfectly!  While re-organizing my pads (partially by season, mostly by manufacturer), I noticed this Indie Chic pad was the thinnest of them all.  In fact there are only 3 sheets out of the original 24 that have not been cut into!  I thought this would be the perfect collection to use for this week's challenge at Shop Pumpkin Spice: SCRAPS.

  No full sheet of 6x6 was harmed in the creation of this card.  Even my yellow card base and the chocolate chip card stock layers were from scraps of 8 1/2 x 11 sheets.

  I stamped the jar, then used my Xyron to adhere it to two scraps of the brown card stock, then I fussy cut the jar.  I find that my Xyron gives good coverage when I apply a heavy layer of glossy accents and my papers do not warp.  I also used my Xyron for the two panels where I used my grandma's sewing machine; the adhesive holds those pesky loose threads neatly behind.

Supplies:  (links embedded)
stamps:  Unity Stamp Company "Jars of Love" (mason jar); My Pink Stamper "Love-alicious" (sentiment)
ink:  Texas Chocolate hybrid ink
paper:  My Mind's Eye "Indie Chic: Nutmeg"; Stampin' Up! Barely Banana and Chocolate Chip card stock
buttons:  My Mind's Eye Indie Chic: Saffron "Dreams"
glossy accents

I hope you can use up some SCRAPS and play along in our scraps challenge this week on the Shop Pumpkin Spice blog.

Happy Tuesday!

EAD Designs Enthusiasts Holiday blog hop

Happy Monday!  Today is a special sort of blog hop.  This hop is a group of ladies who still love their EAD Designs goodies, even though these awesome vinyl stickers and rub-ons are no longer available since the company closed last year.  All of our projects are created using EAD product with a holiday flair.

My sentiment is an EAD sticker from the "Treasures" collection. from an Artful Delight kit (March 2012).  The strips are washi tape (trees from My Mind's Eye "Winter Wonderland"; the solid and stripes from Target.)

Would you like a chance to win some EAD Designs (and other goodies)?  Leave a comment for each of the ladies listed below.  Three random people will be chosen; please claim your prize within 1 week of the blog hop (Sunday December 8th on Amy's blog.)

Amy
Jessica
Julie Smith
Julie Tucker-Wolek
June (that's me!)
Kathe
Lauren Bergold
Rose
Stephanie
Wendi

Happy hopping!