12 Kits of Christmas-November with Jeanne

***Make sure to read all the way down to the bottom, there is some blog candy up for grabs this month**

Right about now, everyone is getting into the Christmas spirit, decorating their homes, shopping for presents and getting ready to send all those Christmas cards they have made throughout the year.  This is the first year I can honestly say I am ready.  I have so many Christmas cards all ready to go thanks to the wonderful club I have been part of this year.  Each month a different club member serves as hostess and sends a package of card-making goodies to everyone in the group and at the end of the month, we all share our cards.  After 10 months, we have seen some beautiful cards and built up quite a supply all ready to send this Christmas and even Hanukkah.  This month, our hostess is Jeanne Jachna of A Kept Life.  What a surprise I got when I opened the gigantic box of supplies she sent each of us.  The list of ingredients took up an entire page and the star of the show this month are stamped images from Serendipity Stamps, and a lot of them!

                                Here's a picture of the supplies that Jeanne sent to us this month:

Photo courtesy of Kara

I made quite a few cards this time, so I will cut the chatter and get right to the cards.

I used the beautiful Tartan plaid paper and the beautiful sentiment (Seasons Greetings) along with the vintage skates (Skates), all from Serendipity.  The images are so detailed and striking that you don't need a lot of other embellishments.  I added a simple row of silver beads and a Spellbinder die as a frame.  Super easy card to make.

My second card is in shades of aqua mist, black and white.  This is my favorite card of the bunch, love the die cut deer Jeanne included in our kit.

I added a few snowy hills and a bit of teal glitter for some sparkle.  The snowy trees (Midnight Clear) and the sentiment (Merry Christmas, small) are both from Serendipity.

I did a bit of coloring on my third card...I know!  Not something I do often, but I just had to make those beautiful poinsettias a bright red.

I used three different patterns of paper, the beautiful cream doily, some lace trim, ribbon and twine...all from our kit.  The stamps are both Serendipity (Large Poinsettia, Merry) and were very easy to color, using just two copics.  I added some yellow stickles to the centers and you might also notice I added a little stick pin that Jeanne sent us.  I had so many choices, I almost couldn't make a final decision, but I do have a ton left over and will make good use of them later this month.

My fourth card is just plain cute.  Who doesn't love a big, fat, jolly Santa?

I have been saving this cute Serendipity stamp (Santa's Note) and always knew I wanted a cute Santa to pair it up with.  When I picture Santa Claus in my head...he looks just like this stamp (Santa).  I colored his cap and skin, added some diamond glaze for his glasses and some Marvy Uchida Liquid Applique to make the cap look nice and fuzzy.  I am going to give this card to my niece to set out on Christmas Eve after her kids go to bed.  I can not wait to hear what they think of this note from Santa written just for them.

I had so many things to work with this month, I also made a quick tag using the small stamped poinsettias (Small Poinsettias) that Jeanne included in our kit.

Jeanne sent some great die cut tags by Marianne Creatables (LR0154 Tags) and I colored and cut out the poinsettias, punched a sentiment tag (From Me to You) added a seam binding bow and little flower button from our kit.

Whew!  Are you still with me?  I hope so, because there is some blog candy up for grabs this month.  Mary Dew Lee, the owner of Serendipity Stamps has generously offered a beautiful ornament die and coordinating stamp for a give away.  Just leave a comment on each of the 12 Kits of Christmas blogs listed below.  A random comment will be chosen to win the intricate die and matching stamp.  Whoever wins them is going to be very lucky!  Thanks for taking a look at my creations.

**An extra special surprise:  All Christmas Serendipity stamps are 20% off all day Friday, November 30th, a great time to buy some of the beautiful stamps you will be seeing on your blog hop today.**

Jeanne November
Sharron December
Renee January

 Suzanne March   

  Marybeth April

Joyce May

  Amy June

Christina July

Kim August

Kara September

Jessica October
Kelly (Special Guest)

WMSC #125 - Cottage Christmas

Who else besides me is sick of turkey?  Wow, did I eat a lot of it.  Lots of playing in my craft room during the long holiday weekend too, my favorite part of my time off from work.  Today I have a card for WMSC #125...hard to believe I have been making cards for these sketches since #44!  I used a lot of creative license on my card this week based on a very pretty sketch by Jean Martin.  Here is the sketch:

You will notice it looks a bit weird.  I have turned the picture upside down so you can understand where I was going with this sketch and my card design.

Can you see it?  The die cut birch trees (a gift from my friend MaryBeth of Marybeth's Time for Paper), represent the two banners in the sketch.  The beautiful little cut-down cottage representing the circle in the sketch is from Waltzingmouse A Cottage Christmas and is embossed in white with a tiny bit of shading with copics.  I added some Marvy Uchida liquid applique for the snow and it puffed up so pretty with a bit of glitter added too.  The glittered hills represent the rectangle in the sketch and that little snowman has absolutely nothing to do with the sketch other than I think he is just the cutest thing! The snowman and the sentiment are also from A Cottage Christmas.  Wouldn't you love to come across this cute house and snowman on a frosty night in the woods?  Don't guess that is likely to happen, but it is nice to dream about it.  Make sure to check out all the great cards using Jean's beautiful sketch.  Here's a link to the Waltzingmouse Sketch challenge blog, you will get a lot of inspiration from the cards made by the Mischief Makers.

Serendipity Stamps One Layer Card

Right about now,  you are probably right in the middle of your Thanksgiving preparations, but I hope you will take a little break and spend a few minutes looking at some one layer cards made by the Serendipity Stamps Design Team.  Yes, I said one layer.  Yikes, that is tough for almost any style of cardmaker...we all love our die cuts, ribbons and embellishments, but it is actually very easy to make a cute card using only stamps, ink and a bit of coloring.  Here's my take on a single layer card:

I used Serendipity Stamps Acorn Border stamped in different length strips as my focal point.  A tiny bit of coloring took just seconds to complete.  I stamped the sentiment from Everyday Words, large across the bottom and to define it a bit, I scored above and below it.   I rounded the corners and that is it...a one layer thank you card all ready to send to my niece and nephew who are hosting our Thanksgiving dinner.

**A little tip about my card stock:  Since I knew I was going to be doing a little coloring with copics on my card, I started with some card stock that won't bleed through.  Gina K luxury cardstock, 100 lb weight does not bleed...never...not even with a red copic!  I have some of this card stock that I save just for the occasions when I don't want my colors showing on the opposite side of my card, always the case with one layer cards.

Ready for some more one layer card ideas?  Make sure you take a few minutes to check out the other very talented Serendipty designers blogs.  I bet you find all kinds of inspiration for this holiday season and throughout the year.

Serendipity is having a great sale this week too, 20% off the Thanksgiving Category and it’s good through Nov 28th.  Here's a link that will take you direction to the Thanksgiving category.  Happy Thanksgiving to all.

http://www.serendipitystamps.com/category/thanksgiving.html

Jeanne

Helen

Amy

Sue

Jenny

Miriam
Pauline

Acorn Border

Everyday Words large

WMSC#124-Holiday Howdy

Howdy...Giddyup...Happy Holiday, what do those three sentiments have in common?  Besides being the reason I had a super fun day today, they are all sentiments I used from a few of my new favorite Waltzingmouse stamp sets.  Did I forget to mention plaid?  That's a new set too.  Yonder Star, Cabin Plaid Background and Back in the Saddle (one of my all time favorites)  work so nicely together to create a unique holiday card just perfect for a person like me who lives in Horsetown,  USA to send during the holidays.  This week's sketch, #WMSC124 is by WM Mischief Maker Karin Akeskdotter.  Isn't it a great one?

You could make a great card using this sketch and nearly any Waltzingmouse stamp set, but since I was dying to use some of my new stamps, I made a holiday card to send to my sister in law who loves everything western.  I shared a picture of just a fraction of her yard before.  Here it is again.

Her entire front and back yard is landscaped Western and the entire house...yes, the entire house looks like a western town, so beautiful and something you would see in a Home Decor magazine.
Anyway, here's my card:

Cabin Plaid Background full size stamp  on vintage cream cardstock, edges distressed is the base layer.  I used a Spellbinder die cut in navy embossed with a woodgrain background and several stamped layers of the gorgeous patchwork-style Yonder Star as the focal point.  That plaid full card size stamp is so pretty and easy to stamp.  It looks so much like denim stamped in the navy ink.  I can not wait to try this in other colors.  I stamped the great sentiment in red and added a few of the small Yonder Star stamps as embellishment.  The cute giddyup sentiment at the bottom is from Back in the Saddle, a very well-loved and very used set I have enjoyed using for quite a while now.  I added some navy twine and a die cut star from MFT Western Charms topped with the teeniest star from Yonder Star.  I love the cozy, country feel of this card and plan on making this in several color schemes as my main Christmas card this season.  Thanks for taking a look!

Four of a Kind - November with Joyce

It seems like we just posted our Halloween-themed Four of a Kind cards, but in reality it has been a whole month and I have a brand new batch of cards to share with you.  This month, our Four of a Kind hostess is Joyce of Cards by the Sea.  Take a look at the great kit that Joyce sent us.

Photo courtesy of Joyce

This is an especially nice month for me as I have never used any of these stamps before...Joyce really knew how to pick them, didn't she?

My first card uses the great felt leaves that Joyce sent us.

 The only thing I added that wasn't in the kit was the leafy vine embossing folder, everything else came in our kit.  I love that neat wooden button, looks very rustic to me.

My second card also uses leaves, but a different variety.

 I cut up some of the beautiful patterned paper that Joyce sent us...and she sent a lot!  I pieced it together and zig zag stitched it.  The cute sentiment banner is from Lil Inker and the frame is from PTI Framed Out.  I added another one of Joyce's nice buttons and a thick twine bow.  This is my favorite of the three cards.

My last card uses one of the leaf stamped sheets Joyce sent us, although I think she intended them to be cut out individually, I thought the four leaves together made a great focal point for my card.

Again, every single thing was included in our kit.  I love that orange pom pom trim!

It is always fun to get to try new things, it is rare that I receive a kit where I haven't tried a single thing in it before, but wow, did I have a good time!  Thanks Joyce for a great November kit.

Make sure to check out the cards made by the other "three" in our Four of a Kind club.  

Joyce

Kim

Renee

Cloud 9 November Blog Hop

Today I have a card which was such fun to make...Cloud 9 always has fun challenges!  Todays challenge picture inspiration of a beautiful bedroom that just about anyone would love to have in their own home.

I love the white background with the patchwork quilt on the bed.  The Christmas tree wall  hanging reminded me of WPlus 9 Pretty Patches Tree stamp set, and my good friend Renee generously sent me some die cuts and sentiment panels recently...so here is my card:

Very CAS, the white panel is embossed with a canvas impression plate and the hexagons are from PTI Happy Hexagons cut from a variety of patterned papers.  I love the beautiful sentiment in Pretty Patches Trees and added one of the cute gingham trees embellished with a red/white polka dot heart and pearl.  Such a fun card to make, so bright and colorful.  I hope you all will check out the Cloud 9 blog and not only see some great cards made with WPlus 9 stamps, but when you make a card for the blog hop, you have the chance to win a free stamp set.  Who wouldn't want to do that?

WMSC#122-Apple Blossom Seeds

I was in the mood to make a soft and pretty card today and so excited to see that that the sketch for Waltzingmouse stamps this week is just perfect for that type of card.  This week's sketch (WMSC#122) is by my very good friend and WM Mischief Maker Renee Lynch.  I hope you all checked out the inspiration cards made by the Mischief Makers this week.  If not, here's a link...lots of great ideas.
Here is Renee's sketch:

I have a new stamp to use today, a gift from my friend Jeanne Jachna, also a WM Mischief Maker and I have been waiting for the weekly sketch to have a shape similar to my new stamp so that I would have a good excuse to ink it up.  So, Apple Blossom Seeds it is for this week.

The Apple Blossom Seeds stamp is the most beautiful, intricate and delicate stamp I have ever used.  You can't see well from the picture, but the bottom portion is cut out and popped up for added dimension.  I think this stamp is beautiful enough without even having to color it and I have mounted it over a Spellbinder Labels Eight frame.  The patterned papers are by MME, Blush Collection with a little straight stitching and I was very excited to see that I had the perfect matching wrinkled ribbon to tie a fluffy bow.  I added a little gem to hold the bow together.    Make sure to check out all the other cards made using Renee's great sketch.  Here's a link.

Serendipity Stamps Christmas Photo Inspiration

**Serendipity has a great sale going on right now.  The special is Buy 3 Items Get a 4th one free and is good Nov 7th through Nov 14th.

Designing a card is always easier for me when I have something to give me a little inspiration.  A sketch, a color combination or a photo.  Today I have a card to share using a beautiful picture taken by Serendipity Stamps Design Team Alumni Holly Craft.  Here is the beautiful picture:

Photo by Holly Craft

 Serendipity Stamps has so many beautiful stamps and dies to choose from, I could have gone a ton of different directions with this photo, but I chose to focus on the stark difference between the red, white and green.  Here's my card:

 I used my Serendipity Stamps Ornament die to cut an intricate ornament from red glitter paper.  I cut a circle in white, ran it through my Xyron and added white glitter so the ornament really sparkles.

The branch is cut from brown card stock and I used some white paint covered with flock to make it look like snow.  The holly leaves and berries are from a punch.

The ornament hook is cut with silver card stock, tied with a sparkly silver bow and jingle bells.

Don't you love how this Serendipity sentiment (Merry Christmas Arc) perfectly curves around the ornament.  I stamped it in white and embossed it with white embossing powder.  I didn't want to use an entire piece of glitter paper for the tiny red border layer, so I added strips of scor tape and added my own red glitter.  Gotta save all that glitter paper to make more ornaments!

All of the Serendipity Design Team have made cards today based on Holly's great photo, here's a link so you can see what they have all done:

Jeanne Jachna

Amy Cokley

Miriam Napier

Sue Eldred

Jenny Gropp

Pauline Pollington

Helen Berry

**Serendipity has a great sale going on right now.  The special is Buy 3 Items Get a 4th one free and is good Nov 7th through Nov 14th.

Ornament

Merry Christmas Arc

12 Kits of Christmas, October with Jessica

**Please scroll down for my Birthday Blog Month card for Jeanne Jachna**

Month #10 in our 12 Kits of Christmas club and this month was extra fun for me because I have never used any of the stamps or dies in the kit.  Jessica of Paper Parade was our hostess and anyone that knows her can tell you she is the "Queen" of Paper Smooches stamps.  No one does those stamps better than Jessica who has just recently been snapped up on their Design Team.  Congrats Jessica!  Jessica sent us a whole package full of cute stamps and sentiments and the prettiest patterned paper from MME (Merry Collection) and die cut labels and embellishments.  Here is a picture of the kit that Jessica sent us:

Photo courtesy of Amy

Aren't those pretty colors and did you see those cute clothespins and pretty ribbon?  Here is a look at my first card I made with Jessica's great kit:

Isn't that the cutest little penguin?  I added a branch die cut, some snowy hills and the little pom pom ball for the cap, but everything else came in our great kit.

My second card is my favorite:

I love the cute little dog and added the Santa cap and doggie bone that was included in our kit.  I plan on sending this card to my neighbor who has a dog who looks just like this one!

My last card is a little different:

I used some of the patterned paper in our kit to make a little snowman, correction, snowgirl card.  If you  will notice, I added the little bow in her hair and dressed her all in pink.  I cut up the star die cut and used it for buttons, the bow around her neck was also in our kit as well as the sentiment and little gems. I added a little pom pom trim.  I got a little carried away with pom poms on my cards since I only get to use them once a year and I have about 5 packages of them!

Ready to be blow away by some more great cards using Jessica's kit?  Here's a list of the other talented gals in our group who will have a lot more to show you.  Thanks Jessica for a great kit this month!

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

** Stamps are all from Paper Smooches:  Santa Paws, Christmas Sampler, All Yule Need, Joyful Greeting and Chilly Chums.

Happy Birthday Month Jeanne!

I have been trying to pin my good friend Jeanne Jachna (A Kept Life) on the date of her birthday for quite a while now.  I do know it is in November, but I have never been able to get the actual day of the month out of her.  Since I can't let her birthday month pass without wishing her a happy birthday, we are having a little birthday month blog hop in Jeanne's honor today, the 1st of November.

I met Jeanne through our love of Waltzingmouse Stamps.  Every week, some person named Jeanne J would win the Top Mouse award...and I mean just about every single week.  As my competition, I could easily have put her on my "not so favorite" list since week after week she managed to create the most beautiful cards and tags that just could not be beat, (and I tried!)  One day Jeanne left me the sweetest, most sincere and generous comment on my blog and from that day on, Jeanne has been one of my very best friends, or "besties" as Jeanne would say.  She still is the most talented person I know and astonishes me with the beautiful cards she makes with so many great layers, dies and embellishments.  No one ties a bow like her!  Enough gushing...Happy Birthday Jeanne!

Although Jeanne and I have different cardmaking styles, we both love Waltzingmouse stamps.  One of my most used images is this cute little bird from Sewing Box Hugs.  It is such fun to cut this bird out in different patterned papers and pop it up with foam.  The patterned paper I chose today is from MME, Blush collection and the cute stitched bow is from Lil Inker.  

I am not the only one who wants to wish Jeanne a Happy Birthday month.  Here are a list of other friends who have made cards celebrating our good friend.  I hope you will check them all out!

Joyce

Kim

Marybeth

Kara
Jessica

Jen

Kelly
Renee

Anya 

Tracey