Quick and Easy Christmas Card

After Thanksgiving the crunch is to get Christmas Cards done. I have  some pretty blue glitter paper that fit the challenge at IO. I covered the glitter paper with the IO snowflake cover plate and then used a spellbinders oval on top. another IO Snowflake and the IO Merry Christmas cut from the same glitter paper then on to a card base. Beautiful cover plates like this are all you need for a quick and easy card. I will enter this in theIO Chill Out Challenge  and The Simon Says Wednesday Christmas to Die For challenge.

Easiest Christmas Card Ever

                             

I found this fun paper pack by Recollections that had these adorable snow people on them and I immediately thought of my sister who adores snow people. I decided she had to have a card using this paper so I bought the pack. Now what to do with them?

 What else use both pieces and do a Z fold card for her. First I cut the papers down and  added some wink of Stella glitter in red, green and clear to my snow people and a snow writer to flock the trees.

I fussy cut along the tree line  and glued the pieces to the second panel of my z fold. A bright red IO Merry Christmas and a few IO snowflakes and I was done. The blue paper is from PTI. 

I will enter this in the IO Chill Out Challenge.

Thank You in Sunshine Yellow

I belong to a group called PEO (Philanthropic Educational Organization ) International.  Our main goal is to help each other and to help women who are pursuing a college education with scholarships and encouragement.  This month we were visited by a representative from our state chapter who gave us some pointers and encouragement. The ladies asked me to make a thank you card for her to go along with a special gift we bought for her.  Our colors are yellow and white and our flower is the marguerite so I tried to incorporate those in the design. I used the Z fold design..... again. Please don't laugh at my water color attempt. Hey, I keep trying. The stamps are from Stampendous and they were embossed in white and colored with distress inks and a water brush. To add a glass effect to my jar I embossed it with UTE three times. The Thanks is from PTI.

Those of you who know me know that unlike my friends Donna and Judy I have a trepidation when it comes to mixing papers. PTI makes that easy for me. I buy their paper packs that have different designs in the same color.  Baby steps, my friends. This paper is their harvest gold.

Of course, I had to jazz up the inside with some dies I used Memory Box Wildflower corner  and Memory Box Sylvan Corner.  For the middle panel I used a Martha Stewart punch  and added a few more marguerites (daisies).  I also made a matching envelope box, but I forgot to take pictures of it. 

I really like how this came out and I welcomed the break from fall and Christmas cards. 

I will enter this in the 

Memory Box Challenge

Scrapyland

Christmas Critters

Since my duties as a designer for Mod Squad Challenges has ended, I decided to play along and maybe win a prize. My good friends Judy Woodland and Vicki Dutcher are hosting this week and have asked us to use ribbon some where on the card. To visit the challenge go Here. I have a good friend who loves and collects penguins so when I saw this Cottage Kutz penguin set, I had to have it. I am also on a Z fold kick here lately so I created a little snowy little penguin scene.

  The card base is covered with PTI paper. Since it is a light weight layering card I glued it onto some heavier white card and then scored both pieces after the glue was dry. The second panel is white. I cut it with a Sue Wilson die three times. Then I colored the trees by using the die as a stencil. Next I cut the houses out of red and green paper and backed the windows with some yellow paper and glued them to the white houses. I put some IO fence at the bottom then added three sleds from the penguin die. One carrying the tree, another the presents, and the third the baby, candy cane and all. Papa is pulling them home where Mama is cooking dinner. I added some ribbon and some snow to complete my scene. 

 Papa is pulling them home where Mama is cooking dinner. I added some ribbon and some snow to complete my scene. 


                                       

Lots of gluing and piecing in this and some time involved. I had so much fun that I did five of these. Some of my friends and family and some of DH golfing and fishing buddies are not the frilly flower style so these will be perfect for them, Going to make a couple of simple designs using these cute penguins for my card class. My penguin friend will be sooo happy. I will also enter this in Simon Says Wednesday Christmas Critters

Double D Traditional Christmas

The Double D challenge this time is to use red, white and green (optional gold) for  traditional Christmas Cards. Darlene put this  spectacular mood board together for us.  Our entire team is so appreciative of the wonderful inspiration they put together for us each month. Are you ready to be inspired? I love the fully decked mantel, the lovely tablescape and cute truck and tree against the plaid,but I went with the decorated banister and stairway.

                                                  

I decided I would do a double Z fold card. I love how easy they are to make and you have so many options of ways to decorate. I started with a Gina K red card stock and layered that with white that embossed with a Swiss dot embossing folder. (  I wish some company would do that design in a larger size). Of course, at Christmas time, you will see these Spellbinder  poinsettias on most of my cards. I start making them in June so I have a stash of them on hand for the holidays. This IO pine branch has been used so many times the the color is wearing off the back of the die. I get my money's worth from these dies. Three Gina Marie pine cones and a .... flourish finised finished the front of the card.  I used the IO  alphabet for the block letters and some IO snowflakes in between. A few sequins in red to finish the design.

There is a fabulous IO die for the prize this challenge so bring out the red, white and green and link up your creation for a chance to win....

                                            

Go over to the  Double D challenge  Blog  to get more inspiration from the team. 

Fall Watercolor Leaves

I began teaching some ladies to make some simple cards about three months ago. I try to teach them different techniques each time and review an older technique. This month we did water color smooshing for our fall leaves. We had not made any masculine cards so I challenged them to use the same card design to make a masculine card.  I also gave them a choice of different sentiments that went with the design. One of the cards I  made for an example works for the Cheery Lynn Challenge this time so I will enter it there.  The leaves are Cheery Lynn, the sentiments are PTI and the pumpkin is from Memory Box.

                                           

I have both a large and small set of Cheery Lynn leaves so I had them make a large water color panel so they could cut enough leaves for both a feminine and masculine card.We reviewed how to use an embossing folder and sponging, but I let them choose the embossing folder and sentiment they wanted  and decide if they wanted to sponge color onto the embossed piece. I made several samples for them. 

 

Fall Wreath

The new challenge at Dies R Us is called Thankful for Nature. This sentiment from IO is perfect for a nature theme. I cut two layers of the Tutti wreath. One from black and another from a water colored panel and layered them on the Cherry Lynn doily. I cut the Diversions  oriental screen in black and backed it with kraft card that has been  embossed and sponged with distress ink. I added a bow some wheat stocks and a couple of acorns.  For those of you who have not signed up for the newsletter from Dies R Us ..... YOU NEED NEED TO. They offer tremendous sales anywhere from 10% to 70% on selected dies or company's dies. They usually have a time limit and you need to get your order in within the limit, but you can really save the $$$$$. SO SIGN UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER.

 

Diversions Oriental Screen                       Tutti Designs Leafy Wreath                                            IO Wheat
                       

                                                  
                                                                                                                                                  

                                   
Cheery Lynn Acorn                                                            Cheery Lynn French Pastry    

    

I know you want to see what the  Design Team created this time so visit  Dies R Us and then create a Give Thanks for Nature project and link it up for a chance to win credit at the store. Don't forget to sign up for the newsletter while you are there
                                    

click below for:

STORE 
 CHALLENGE BLOG
  FACEBOOK
  INSPIRATION BLOG

FRIENDS OF DIES R US PINTEREST PAGE

                                                   

Double D Fall Plaids

What a warm and cozy Mood Board Darlene created for us this month. I love the warm look of the blankets and socks.

 T

The Prize

 This was a real challenge for me because I don't have a huge stash of designer paper and I don't have any stamps to create a plaid pattern. Then I remembered a Christmas paper pad I bought several years ago. Yea!!! It had a plaid design, Since I have so many Christmas cards to make, this was perfect. Here is my plaid designed Christmas card. 

I made green background using some gold glimmer mist and framed it with a Gina Marie frame cut from the plaid background. Then I used a Spellbinder's ornament die to cut the plaid ornament. I decorated it with a Spellbinder;s poinsettias, Gina Marie pine cones and Cheery Lynn holly leaves. A Peace sentiment from Cheery Lynn finished the project.  So now head on over to see the inspiration from the design team at DD Challenges  and then pull out your plaids and create. 

Water Color Leaves

The PTI challenge HERE this week is to take inspiration from one of the designers. Melissa Phillips created this beautiful card featuring products from the newest release.


                                           
Here is my attempt at her card. I created a fall card and tried to do a layout similar to Melissa's card. I used the PTI Wet Pain stamp and die set and the leaves are Cheery Lynn that I cut from some water colored paper I created.

Alun's Birthday

I am loving the IO tree die that I bought last month. This is the third card I have made using it and I am sure I will use it a lot more. I sent this to my son-in- law for his BD.

I used several IO dies for this project that are available at Dies R US.  I will enter this in IO Fall Birthday Challenge and Kats Scrappiness World Cardmaking Day

  Tree Frame                                               Pumpkin Patch

   Fence Trio                   Deer Trio



Bird House set 

Clean and Simple Candles

Another Christmas card is done. I tried my hand at a Clean and Simple design. The Memory Box Glowing Candles die is perfect for standing alone. I die cut it in red, gold and green in lay the negative pieces onto the design and embossed the background and the candles with embossing folders and added a few sequins and a single flower.

I will enter this at Memory Box Sequins Challenge
Kats ScrapinessWorld-Card Making Challenge

Pumpkin Time

It's pumpkin time at Double D. Look at the variety of pumpkin images Diane found for us...everything between elegant to rustic, and even a pumpkin in a cup.  

                                                  

When I saw this challenge, I remembered a Heartfelt stamp that I have had for years and hardly ever used. I dug it and my markers out of the drawer and colored it. I am not a good colorist and envy those who are, but I enjoy coloring and it is good for me to practice.  I chose to go the more rustic route with this image. 

I framed it with a Gina Marie scalloped frame and added some IO wheat, Cheery Lynn leaves, Joy craft flower and some twine. I am on team Darlene, but the mood boards at Double D always inspire me to create so I just have to participate. If you have not noticed the moos board for the next challenge is always posted on the blog so you can think ahead. There is always a fun prize to be won so head on over to the BLOG and see what the team has done. You will truly be inspired and we are looking forward to seeing what YOU do.

Black and White

I got two new dies that I have not used and  the Poppy Stamp Back to Black Challenge was perfect for using both of them.  This is prettier in real life because the black background is black glitter paper. The Cover plate is from IO and the top snowflake is Poppy Stamps  Marias Snowflake. I will also enter it in Kats Scrappiness World-Card Making Day

Frames as a Background.

I decided to take a break from Christmas cards to enter a challenge at Paper Trey Ink. Look at Amy's beautiful card made with frames as a backdrop. What a fun way to dress up the front of a card and still keep a clean design.

                                        

You can see Amy Schaffer's video on this make it Monday Challenge HERE. What a fun way to dress up the front of a card and still keep a clean design.

I started with gold card stock and embossed it with an IO script background embossed in gold. I used three frames from Frantic Stamper. The stamp is PTI Feather finery that is stamped on black card embossed in gold for the first layer and white for the second layer. I will enter this in the following challenges. 

PTI Make It Monday

Katd Scrappiness World- Card Making

The Leaves in the Trees

October has arrived and fall is in the air. The new challenge at Dies R Us is called the "Leaves on the Trees" so I used some of each. I started with a water colored background and stamped the sentiment in the corner. I cut the tree frame from craft paper and sponged it for some shadows and layered it on the water colored background. I used some flower soft on the branches of the tree for the fall colors and then put a frame on top. I tucked some pumpkins around the bottom of the tree and added some wheat leaves and flowers in the corner. 

IO WheatIO TreeIO Pumpkin Patch

Cheery Lynn leaves  


                                           

                                                                                    click below for:
                                                                        STORE
                                                               CHALLENGE BLOG
                                                                   FACEBOOK
                                                            INSPIRATION BLOG

Laurie's Birthday Card.

This is a card for one one  my dearest friends, Laurie. Lots of time and die cuts on this one and some pretty designer paper.



                              

I love interactive cards so I decided to use the oval accordion die by Karen Burniston that I have had for awhile but not used often enough.

                                                                                  
I cut the frames in black and in some pattern paper and I layered them. I was going to take pictures of each panel before I linked the panels together but I did one and forgot to do the others. Here is the one I remembered.







I did a total of five panels. The front panel




and four inside panels.





Dies
Gina Marie scalloped rectangles
Gina Marie fir branches
Spellbinders Happy Birthday to You

Sue Wilson Just for You   

Sue Wilson dandelion clocks
Amy Design Musical Stave
Sue Wilson On your Special Day
 Frantic Stamper Ovals
Frantic Stamper fern
Poppy Stamps  Heartland Oval Frame
Cheery Lynn Pour the wine
 Cheery Lynn Small Exotic Butterflies.

I will enter the following challenges

Scrapy Land Happy Birthday
Simon Says WednesdayAnything Goes
Cheery Lynn Anything Goes