12 Kits of Hanukkah- May Edition

Time for our May edition of the 12 Kits of Christmas and this month as you can tell by my blog title, we have done things a bit differently this month, we are presenting the 12 Kits of Hanukkah (Thanks Suzanne for the great job of of altering our 12 Kits logo).  Joyce is our hostess this month and she sent us a fabulous kit with ingredients that many of us may have never worked with before all based on the Jewish holiday Hanukkah.  Joyce gave us a bit of a history of Hanukkah as well as the following kit ingredients:

Photo by Kara

Hanukkah colors are so pretty with bright blues and yellows.  Our kits also had lots of ingredients that I had never worked with before, the PTI Favor-It #3 and Triangle Trilogy which added to the fun of this month.  Here are my cards:

I used some of the patterned papers that Joyce sent and also impressed the navy paper with the linen/canvas impression plate by PTI.  I really liked the Tag Sale #6 die cut from the patterned paper and added some of the pretty ribbon that Joyce sent us as well as a teeny snippet of twine.

My second card also uses the patterned paper, another Tag Sale die cut and a Memory Box Whimsy Circle die cut.  Since presents are a big part of Hanukkah, I added one of the packages that Joyce included in our kits.  

Since I had never made a Favor-It gift box before, I was so excited to give one a try using the die cut pieces Joyce sent us.  I also made a little card to go along with it:

It was super easy to put together and I used one of the little sentiment triangles, the end pieces from Tag Sale #6 and another Whimsy Circle, tying it all up with some Harvest Gold ribbon from our kit.  The card is made with a Menorah die cut and dotted with a few stickler for some sparkle.  

Thank you Joyce, for a really great kit.  I really enjoyed making these Hanukkah projects.  It was a lot of fun to make something a bit different and I have enough ingredients left over to make several more Hanukkah cards once I have seen the great cards made by the other talented ladies in our 12 Kits group.  

Here's a link to everyone...please check them all out, you will be AMAZED!

Suzanne:  thecardyard

Joyce: Cards-by-the-Sea

Kim: CupcakesCardsandKim

Amy: Stamp-n-Paradise

Kara: KandRDesigns

Sharron: OnPapillionWings

Marybeth: Marybeth's Time for Paper

Jeanne: AKeptLife

Jessica: The Paper Parade

Christina: SeaGlass&Sentiments

Renee: ItsAPatchworkLife

WMSC #99-A Cheery Birthday

I am feeling kind of cheery today, it's such a beautiful day here and I only have two more days of work until I am off for the summer, so I made a bright and cheery birthday card for Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge #99.  Here's the great sketch by Lynn Mercurio:

That  big circle in the background reminded me of the sun shining in the background of a beautiful day, so having no sun images...I used my Waltzingmouse stamps to create one!

A starburst image in Vintage Ornaments has always reminded me of a sunburst, so I stamped it in the background and added a punched circle stamped with the grid pattern from OffBeat Backgrounds over it.  It looks like the sun, doesn't it?

I also used Text-It and the cute flower images from Pic-nic Patterns to create a flower garden behind a picket fence.  Since it is a bright sunny day, there had to be a little rooster from French Country hanging out on the fence to wake everyone up!  The Happy Birthday sentiment is from Frame It and there are some yellow rhinestones added to the flowers for a little sparkle.  

Next week is WMSC #100 and there is going to be something special going on...don't know what yet, but I am looking forward to seeing what Waltzingmouse has in store for us.  

Papertrey Ink May Blog Hop

Today is Papertrey Ink's monthly blog hop and this month there was a really striking picture as the photo inspiration.

I loved the clean lines, black and white patterns and the pretty green accents.  Here is my card:

I cut a Simply Chartreuse Parisian lace doily and layered it over some black/white patterned paper (not sure what brand).  The white embossed hydrangea bouquet and bow are from Friendship Jar Summer Fillers, the jar is from the original Friendship jar.  I added the stems from the original daisy image in Friendship Jar and shaded the jar a bit with a copic marker.   The little sentiment on the tag is from Tag-Its #12 and the ribbon is some PTI True Black Saddle stitch ribbon.

Now grab a cup of coffee or tea and take some time for yourself and enjoy all the great cards linked to the Papertrey Ink Blog Hop.  You will have lots to look at today, so enjoy the Blop Hop.

Waltzingmouse May Blog Party-Fabric Ruffles

Today is the Waltzingmouse Blog Party, and did I struggle with this one, although I think that is the point of challenges...to try things you might ordinarily not use in your everyday life.  The theme is felt or cozy fabric.  I rarely use either of those on my cards although I have just about every color of felt imaginable.  I can never seem to resist buying it and you would think I would use it on my card today...nope!  I had absolutely zero ideas for using all those rolls of felt.

I did however come up with an idea using fabric.

I have made paper ruffles before, and I always thought it would be easier to just use real fabric instead of trying to make my paper look like fabric.  Now I know why it isn't any easier...the ends fray and this card weighs a ton!

Last Summer I bought this fabric in Montana because I thought it looked so much like the big pinecone image in Waltzingmouse Festive Foliage stamp set.  I used three strips of fabric to make my ruffles and adhered them with scoretape.  I stamped some patterned paper using the graph paper stamp from Offbeat Backgrounds and distressed the edges with Tea Dye.  The frame is outlined with an image from Very Vintage Labels #18.  The big old pinecone branch I love so much is from Festive Foliage with a few of the pinecones popped up with dimentionals.  The sentiment is from Say It Loud Winter Holiday.  I added a bow from some dyed seam binding and had to add a few little bells as a final embellishment.

This is definitely going to be a "hand-it to you" kind of card, it's way too heavy to mail!  Make sure you check out all the other projects using cozy fabric or felt, here's a link to the Blog Party.  You just might be tempted to try out your own cozy felt or fabric on the next card you make!

WM Sketch Challenge #98-Baby Love

Today I have made a card for Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge #98.  This week's sketch is an interesting sketch created by WM Design Team member Lynn Mercurio.  My daughter-in-law needed a baby card for a co-worker who is having a baby boy this month, so this card is already on it's way to a baby shower along with a cute little gift.  Here's the sketch we had to work with this week.

In my head, I saw pinked edge squares and rectangles.  I have a pinked square die which was very easy to cut, and you would think it would be a cinch to cut a rectangle with a pair of pinking shears...NOT, at least for me.  I won't tell you how many pieces I messed up on before I got two that looked even and were the exact size I needed for this sketch.
Here's my card:

I actually used five different Waltzingmouse Stamp sets to complete this card.  Most were for the patterned paper.  I used OffBeat Backgrounds and Pic-nic Patterns for the plaid and polka dot paper.  Say It Loud was used for the sentiment, Join Us for the little pennant flags and the little safety pins dangling from the twine.  The last set was Vintage Banners for the three teeny stars on the little onesie.  I used a SU square lattice embossing folder on the kraft cardstock, baby accessory outline stamps from Technique Tuesday (Cute as a Button) and PTI (Night, Night Moon) stamp sets.  Lots of stamping and paper piecing on this one, but a actually really love how it turned out.  Buttons, twine and a few pearls also were added.  This one was fun to make once I got the pinked rectangle cut...sure wish I had a die for that one!  Thanks for taking a look.

Four of a Kind-May Edition

Here we are again, this time for the May edition of Four of a Kind and it was my turn to play hostess this month.  Here is the kit I came up with to share with Joyce, Renee and Kim.

I used Papertrey Ink's Trendy Tree Tops stamps as the main ingredient of my kit.  It is a great stamp set, especially for CAS cards.  Some of the other ingredients included patterned paper from Basic Grey Indie Bloom collection, card stock embossed with a cloud embossing folder, lavender twine from Ribbon Carousel, diecut grass, clouds and notched flowers cut from felt and some photo finisher diecuts.   So, what did I make with them?

My first card uses the cloud embossing folder and Trendy Tree diecuts.  I love the little cut-outs on these dies.  Photo finisher dies make the best labels for sentiments, especially this one from Trendy Tree Tops.

Here's card #2:

Just one tree on this one, tucked inbetween some diecut grass (My Favorite Things die).  I added some of the felt clouds and the sentiment is stamped onto a Strawberry Patch frame from Papertrey Ink.  I used some embroidery floss to stitch a little border around it.

My last card is my favorite because it uses my Grand Madison Window die.

I don't think there is anything I can't envision peeking out from behind that great window die.  This time I created a scene from the inside looking out.  The inside is an embossing folder to look like wainscoting and I used a photo finisher diecut for the top rail.  Doesn't that patterned paper look like wallpaper?  I stamped a houndstooth pattern using a Market Street houndstooth stamp and the tree trunk is dark chocolate felt.  The little flowers are from a tiny punch with teeny pearls for the center.  I used the cloud embossing folder again on this one and a Spellbinder tag with some red Ribbon Carousel jute twine.

It always amazes me how different our cards always are despite the fact that we use the exact same ingredient kit, so let's see what Joyce, Renee and Kim have come up with!

Joyce

Renee

Kim

WM Sketch Challenge #97 and WM May Christmas Card Challenge

I have been on jury duty off and on for the past three weeks (a never-ending, boring civil case) and it feels like forever since I have been able to make a card.  Yesterday on Mother's Day I was determined to get into my craft room and have some time to play.   Since I had to make my little bit of card-making time count,  I have a card for both Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge #97 and Waltzingmouse May Christmas Card Challenge.  This week's sketch is by Lynn Mercurio who also issued the May Christmas Card challenge to use chipboard on a holiday card.  Here's the sketch that Lynn created for us to use:

Here's the card I made:

I made my own "chipboard-like" embellishment from a PTI Wonderful Words Holiday die.  I cut the words four times and adhered them together using my xyron.  It really does look like chipboard, nice and thick.  I used Lost and Found patterned papers and a strip of corrugated cardstock, lots of teture on this card.   The stamp set is Waltzingmouse stamps Candy Jar Christmas Fillers.  The peppermint is colored with glitter pens and quite sparkly in real life.  The little pinked sentiment is from Waltzingmouse Say It Loud Winter Holiday.  Make sure you check out the details of the Waltzingmouse Christmas Card Challenge, you might just win a really great prize at the end of the year in addition to having a nice stack of holiday cards all ready to send...no last minute rush!

Happy Birthday Joyce Blog Hop

Today is my good friend Joyce Mehrberg's  (Cards by the Sea) birthday and...surprise!  Well, probably not a surprise as she has organized several blog hops for her friends and had to have known we would want to honor her on her birthday with a blog hop of her own, but SURPRISE anyway Joyce.  Joyce is such a great friend to so many people, everyone wanted to participate in her special blog hop.  Kim of Cupcakes, Cards and Kim was nice enough to do the organization for the blog hop.  Thanks Kim! 
                                     Here is the card I made to celebrate Joyce's birthday.

I used PTI's Rosie Posie for this card.  Joyce had told me on several occasions that I HAD to get Rosie Posie, that I would love it, that it was one of her favorites, how she couldn't stop using it, but I resisted for many months.  I couldn't stop thinking of it and admiring all the gorgeous cards using it, Joyce's included.  Here is one of my favorite Rosie Posie cards made by Joyce.

Check out Joyce's Blog Post

 I finally got the set a few weeks ago and, Joyce was right!  I do love it and it is such fun to stamp those pretty roses in different colors to create pretty patterned paper.  I used my linen/canvas and also woodgrain impression plates, Mat Stack #3 die and stamp set, some neat brown net trim and the diecut roses and leaves from Rosie Posie.  I hope you have a wonderful birthday Joyce and enjoy your birthday blog hop!

Make sure you check out all the other cards made by Joyce's friends for her birthday. 

Kim

Renee

Michelle

Kara

Gayatri

Tracey

MaryBeth

Kristin

Jessica

Christy

Sharron

Jeanne

Susan

WMSC#95-Roses in Bloom Get Well

I needed a Get Well card for my aunt and this weeks Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge #95 has a wonderful sketch by Karin Akesdotter.  Here is her great sketch:

The flower on the sketch stood out to me right away and since my aunt loves roses, Waltzingmouse Roses In Bloom stamp set seemed to be the right choice for this card.

I have always wanted to try stamping an embossed pattern on an entire front of my card, and finally got around to it today.  It does take a while since I stamped and then embossed each flower, masking each one off before continuing with the next flower.  It does give a very pretty effect with the shiny white embossing.  I  diecut a PTI Tag Sale #3 and stamped it with a Waltzingmouse Fancy Phrases sentiment in Sweet Blush ink.  I added a lace and pearl trim onto the tag and another rose stamped and cut in four layers and popped up with dimensionals.  For the top of the card I used more lace and some saddle-stitch ribbon to match.  The last touch, and one I LOVE is the new jute twine I got from the Ribbon Carousel.  Doesn't it match the Sweet Blush cardstock nicely?  I love the look of twine and now I have a ton of colors that matche my cardstock.  Thaks for taking a look at my Get Well card. 

Make It Monday #64: Inspired Color Challenge

Today I made a card for MIM #64.  Nichole Heady gave a fabulous tutorial on her creative process using color inspiration.  This was one of my favorite MIM videos so far.  Our challenge was to make a card using one of the color combinations on a free downloadable chart on Nichole's blog.  If you would like to download the chart, here's a link.

I chose to work with the color combination of Pure Poppy, Raspberry Fizz, Royal Velvet, Summer Sunrise and Smokey Shadow.

They are such bright a cheery colors that just pop right off the page.  Here's my card"

I used PTIs Beautiful Butterflies, BB Text Style, Fillable Frames # 4 and the tiny little flower image is from Honey Bees.  The text is stamped in smokey shadow ink and the butterflies were stamped right on top of the text.  I tried to incorporate the rule of three and the visual triangle that Nichole talked about in her video.  I also used the Linen and  Canvas impression plate on the white layer and a scallop punch on the smokey shadow mat behind the text.  This was a fun card to make and I am looking forward to trying the other color combinations on the chart.