Just one dove

 

Good morning crafters! Today is our reminder week at Cupcake Inspirations! You have one more week to join our festive and classic Christmas color challenge using "red, white, and cream" colors.

 

 

I went whimsical during week one, today I am going for a classy look.  Every year I make cards that feature doves. I usually buy a new dove stamp or die also, But this die from Ellen Hutson remains my favorite. Sadly I don't see it to link, it must be retired.

The background is from Hero Arts, "Nordic Holiday Bold Prints". I stamped and embossed in white and brushed red on the background. Added a die cut sentiment and this card is ready.

To inspire you here is a Straight No Chaser's rendition of the "Twelve Days Of Christmas" featuring two turtle doves.

You have one more week to play along with our red, white, and cream color challenge at Cupcake Inspirations!

 

Bite me

 

How many of you stampers started stamping with wood stamps? Back in the day when I walked to 5 miles to school in a snow storm we had wood stamps. You had to guesstimate where your image was going to be on your card and if you wanted it perfect, you had to use a stamp positioner. The sentiment on my card is one of my few remaining wood stamps. I just could not part with this snarky saying. It often comes in handy.

Today kicks off a new challenge at CAS on Friday. We are asking you to add:

FOOD- something sweet to your cards.

The sentiment isn't the only old stamp on this card, I dug deep and used a very old cupcake set from Hero Arts. I have lots of cupcake stamps, but I always return to this set. I paper pieced the cupcake wrapper and used Nuevo drops for the sprinkles.

Sooooo.... if you don't want to play along...well just..... bite me. But I think this is a challenge you may just want to sink your teeth into. You have two weeks to play along with our sweet food challenge at CAS on Friday!

Blue Christmas

I love all the Scandinavian themed stamps that have been released the last few years.  This large cover stamp by Hero Arts, makes a very quick and easy card.

Perfect for the "shades of blue" challenge at Cupcake Inspirations. 

 I inked up the stamp with shades of blue. Using the negative rectangle from Taylored Expressions  I created a white window for my sentiment with a lighter shade of blue around it. Couple of gems to add glitz and this quick and easy was complete.

You have one more week to show us your shades of blue at Cupcake Inspirations. I can't wait to see what you all come up with!!

Merry thoughts

 

We are just about into the holiday season. Once Halloween is over tomorrow, it is time to start pulling out your Christmas stamps and get busy with those mass produced cards. What better place to start than with ideas from CAS on Friday. Clean  and simple cards are the easiest to mass produce.

That's why today's challenge is perfect to inspire and get you in the holiday mood. Our challenge today is:

CHRISTMAS!!!

No excuses folks- this is the best way to get started. Have a goal! 

Today's cute card features an old stamp set from Hero arts- "Elves by Lila". (No longer available) Are you like me? I buy several new Christmas stamp sets every year but end up gravitating to older sets and using them. The way I see it,  the sets I buy this year, will be used in 2023!!!

I can't wait to see how you kick off your holiday card making!! Please share those creations with us at CAS on Friday!!

Comfort Zone

 

Yippee it's the weekend!! So happy!! Lot's of time to spend in my studio! Today is a new challenge at Christmas 24! Today is a challenge that is out of my CAS comfort zone. We are asking you to make a card with a fancy fold. 

 FANCY FOLDED CARDS

Fancy fold cards are something I NEVER make. It is just to much work. And somehow I can reconcile CAS with fancy folds. 

So I went to google and asked her if she could help me. She told me to ask Jennifer McGuire. Jennifer never let's us stampers down. She showed me the perfect CAS fancy fold card!

 

I hope this video will provide you with inspiration to join in our challenge at Christmas 24. 

As you can see I am using a really old wooden stamp from Hero Arts- "Stunning Snowflakes". You can still get this stamp on Amazon!! I paired this with Honey Bee's "Season to Sparkle". 

I created a second card that might be a bit easier than my first one that you have to do some partial die cutting for. I agree that it is a bit tricky Jennifer makes it look so easy huh?

I hope I have inspired you to join in the fun at Christmas 24. You Have two weeks to play along!

Buttons, ribbons, and Christmas, oh my

Alright I have to ask the question. When was the last time you added ribbon or buttons to your creations? I can tell you for me, it has been a really long time. But there is something about buttons, ribbons and Christmas that just go together.

The new challenge at Christmas 24 is:

Buttons and Ribbons

Here is the perfect opportunity to use up those we rolls of ribbon that Ellen Hutson sends to you with you crafting order. Or if you are like me, you have a bin filled with buttons that you just couldn't part with.

My card today features the layering Christmas trees from  Hero Arts. The ornaments on the tree are wee little buttons from my button stash.

So dust off your button box or dig out those scraps of ribbon and join us for our "button and ribbon" challenge at Christmas 24.

Face the sun

Yippeeeeee! It's Friday and it's sunny!! After a rainy Thursday, a warm sunny day is just what I want. even if I have to work.

Today starts a new challenge at CAS on Friday and the theme is just in time for summer:

SUNSHINE

A perfect challenge to get us ready for those hot hazy days of summer.

The sun is from a VERY VERY old wooden Hero Arts stamp. It is among the first stamps that I bought. The saying is from Mama Elephant- "My Sunshine".

Be sure to get out in feel the sunshine on you faceand have it inspire you to make a  CAS card. Be sure to share it with us at  CAS on Friday . You have two weeks to play along. Please make sure your card is CAS (see the rules if you are not sure) or you will not be considered for the top prize or a top three spot.

Our winner will be the guest designer for the next challenge at CAS on Friday!!

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Peaceful Forest

Time for another challenge at Christmas 24. The challenge to jump start your Christmas creativity. Today's theme is:

CREATE A CHRISTMAS THEME

Scenes are not my specialty or even really in my comfort zone. Scenes are hard to be CAS. I cheated and grabbed a scene stamp from Hero Arts. This is one of my fav's. From there it was easy to just embellish the image the image with an ombre of copics and added some Stickles for snow. Easy-peasy.

I sure would love to see what you all create with the theme of Christmas scene over at Christmas 24.

Hanging for Christmas

Happy Christmas everyone! Never too early to start your planning for next year. So how about joining us for The Christmas 24 Challenge. Join us every two weeks for a Christmas challenge and have a start on your holiday cards with 24 cards.

Today's theme for Christmas card is:

Heat or Dry Embossing

My  card uses something old and something new. The new is the Hero Arts "Nordic Holiday Bold Prints" stamp and the old is the Tim Holtz "Retro Ornament Dies" which I used as a stencil and for the die cuts. 

I love how the subtle embossed white background pops beneath the stenciled ornaments.

You have two weeks to play along for the Christmas 24 challenge of heat or dry embossing. I can't wait to see what you come up with! 

 

 

Rainbow Christmas

Happy December everyone! November and Thanksgiving are behind us, it's now time to turn our creative juices to the Christmas holiday. I have been steadily working on card ideas. The problem is I bought way too many Christmas stamps. I cannot possibly use them all. I remember Sandy Allnock once saying she buys so many holiday stamps and then ends up using the ones she bought the year before. That seems to be the way it goes for me also. How about you?

This is  the last challenge at The Rainbow Card Challenge for 2019. We are challenging you to make a card using a regal rainbow of colors. I used Hero Arts Stacking snowflakes to create a rainbow of snowflakes.

I was torn about your music inspiration. There are not any rainbow snow songs that I know of. I decided on a classic to get you in the holiday spirit.

So get your regal rainbow hat on and join in the fun.

You have all month to play along at The Rainbow Card Challenge. I am wishing all of you a very blessed Christmas and I will see you for a new challenge at  The Rainbow Card Challenge  in January.

Purple passion

It's the first of the month and that means another color challenge at The Rainbow Card Challenge". This month we are "passionate about purple".

I have a confession to make. Purple is my least favorite color. But hey I get it, people who love purple, truly are passionate about it and generally have tons of purple everything.

I have to say though, I do love this purple card and I really think it would not be as effective in any other color. What do you think? Well, maybe pink, it might work with pink. Isn't this adorable unicorn from the Waffle Flower the "be her" set is awesome!

Today's musical inspiration is from Prince- what else but "Purple Rain"!!

Are you passionate about purple then join us at The Rainbow Card Challenge for this purple challenge!!

 You have the month of August to create your most purely purple cards!!