Cute Boy Xmas Card

Still playing with trees.  This version has a little more of a boy flavor.  And, oh how I love the Santa paper.  Love love love.  Maybe I'll do this card again someday but make the tree like the one pictured on the paper (wish I'd thought of that this time!).

The Details:   My Mind's Eye Merry Little Christmas 6x6 paper,  12x12 Santa paper from JoAnn's or Michaels, Heidi Kress embroidery board (tree), green card stock from old stash, snowflake from Hobby Lobby, Martha Stewart corner rounder

I'm entering this in The Male Room Little Boys & Babies.

Kraft Heart Trees

I worked up a kraft version of the heart trees from the other day.  I used a piece of tape to mask off the snowman and VersaMagic chalk ink applied with a cotton swab for the ornaments and star to keep things simple.  On the inside I've stamped a couple of the trees and the snowman again.  Very rustic.  To compare with the card from the other day, I've included it here as well.  If you'd like to see the inside where I stamped the heart as a heart, please see the original post.  Again, basically the same technique but very different results.

The Details:  Inkadinkado Hearts and Village Lifestyle, Christmas Crafts Christmas 2013, PTI kraft card stock, Memento Tuxedo Black, Pistachio, and Bamboo Leaves, VersaMagic Red Magic & Thatched Straw with a touch of Brilliance Sunflower Yellow

I'm entering the kraft card in Wordplay Saturday Snowman, Incy Wincy For the Men in Your Life, and Cards for Men #24 Anything Goes.

Traditional Dad

I designed this card after a discussion with a couple of friends about their very traditional dads and how difficult it is to find cards for them.  Keep it traditional male but keep it interesting.  Argh.  I decided to use texture and natural materials to do that--cork, wood, metal, waffle weave brown paper, and linen texture green paper.  I laid out the elements to mirror the plaid.  Sounds like it took 10-15 minutes, right?  Ha!  Days, people, days--they're not kidding when they say male cards can be hard to make.  Frustrating process but I'm really satisfied with the results.  And glad it's over. :-)

The Details:  PTI sentiment inside and cork, Pop Tone brown paper, mystery green & cream paper from stash, Stampin' Up Chocolate Chip, DCWV Natural Stack plaid paper, Little Yellow Bicycle Wood Tag

I'm entering this in Seize the Birthday (wow, looks like my card is going to stick out like a sore thumb there without the optional toppings!), Cards for Men #24 Anything Goes, and Here Come the Boys #65 Sentiments Only

Not a Creature Was Stirring . . . Yeah, Right

Another coloring experiment.  Amazing how different the images and cards look with just a bit of a switcheroo in palettes.  And as far as not a creature was stirring, they've obviously not seen my Frankie in action at all hours of the night.  :)  The inside of the blue card reads "yeah, right"--LOL.

The Details: Papercraft Essentials image, PTI white card stock, Cuttlebug & Paper Studio embossing folders, Spectrum Noirs, washi tape, pop dots, Spellbinders label die, Sakura Gelly Roll pen, Hot Off the Press "Winter Fun", Penny Black Christmas Cheer "wishing you", Segoe Print font for the creature sentiment

I'm entering Addicted to CAS #27 Pet, CAS on Sunday Winter, Simon Wednesday Sketch, Crafting Cafe Winter Blues, Sentimental Sundays #182 Winter Wonderland, Designed to Color #23 Winter/Christmas, Inkspirational #44 Anything Goes, Fab 'n' Funky Anything Goes, Christmas Cards All Year 'Round Winter Snow and Catered Crop Animal House.

Do You See What I See?

Today I used a heart stamp to make stylized mod trees.  I so heart them.  LOL.

The Details:  Inkadinkado Hearts and Village Lifestyle, Christmas Crafts Christmas 2013, PTI white card stock, black cardstock from old stash, Memento Tuxedo Black, Pistachio, and Bamboo Leaves, Spectrum Noir DR5, Glossy Accents, star brad, Martha Stewart corner rounder

I'm entering this in Merry Monday #84 Trees with Bling, Wordplay Saturday Snowman, Curtain Call CAS-ual Christmas, and ABC Christmas Challenge Warm Wishes.

Update:  added pic of inside of card

I'm a Pepper

A few days ago I was browsing some blogs and saw a challenge for using recycled materials in a card.  This got me thinking about my trips to Africa for my job and how things are recycled and reused out of necessity and always done with so much creativity--way more creatively than I've shown here, I assure you.  One year I brought back some ornaments made from aluminum cans.  When we put up the tree this year I'll take a pic for you.  It's one of my favorite ornaments and brings fond memories.

The Details:  My Mind's Eye Merry Little Christmas paper, Heidi Kress embroidery board (tree), PTI white card stock, vellum, Cuttle Swiss Dots embossing folder, Martha Stewart snowflake punch, regular hole punch, aluminum from soda can, Scor-Tape & foam dots, Penny Black Christmas Cheer sentiment inside

I'm entering this in Twisted Tuesday Pop Dots & Polka Dots, Merry Monday Trees with Bling, ABC Christmas Challenge W for Winter Wishes, Christmas Cards All Year 'Round Snow, Just Us Girls #216 Photo Inspiration, Sisterhood of Crafters Embossing, and Crafter's Cafe Heavy Metal

Take That!

I finally got around to coloring a dog version of the cat snowball fight.  Oh my gosh, was that really at the beginning of October?  I be slackin'!


The Details:  Papercraft Essentials digi stamp, Recollections snowflake punch, Spectrum Noirs, Recollections white flocking powder, PTI white card stock, old school label maker, Paper Studio embossing folder, mystery PP

I'm entering this in ABC Christmas Challenge W for Winter Wishes, CMC Copic Challenge Group Anything Goes, Designed to Color #23 Christmas/Winter, and Christmas Cards All Year 'Round Snow, Addicted to CAS #27 Pet.

Why Did the Reindeer Cross the Street?

I wanted a card that could be given to a boy who in my case is just on the cusp of becoming too cool for cute; is that happening earlier each generation or what?  I hope this hits the mark--graphic trees and traffic sign against a whimsical Rudolph on a swirly snowbank--cute but not too cute.

The Details:  PTI white card stock, Bazzil red card stock, mystery stickers from my kid sis, Fiskars Holiday Frolic sentiment, Fiskars All That Glitters reindeer, Memento Rich Cocoa, Cuttlebug embossing folder

I'm entering this in The Male Room Little Boys and Babies, Cards for Men #23 Merry Christmas, Christmas Cards All Year 'Round Winter, Inkspirational #44 Anything Goes, and Fab 'n' Funky #194 Anything Goes.

Last Autumn Card of 2013

We had our first hard frost yesterday so winter is officially upon us.  Time to put the rest of my garden to bed.  I'll be spending time this weekend cutting down my dahlias and mums which had been blooming like crazy.  They've bloomed so long this year there will hardly be any flowerless days for me with the camelia ready to bloom in the next couple of weeks.  Yay!

I made this card while my kid sis was visiting last month.  I just taped the stencil down then sponged away.  I tried masking the deer but didn't like the effect so put a die-cut deer on top.


The Details:  Memory Box deer trio, Memento Dandelion, London Fog, Coffee Bean, and Tangelo, sponge dauber, removable tape to mask, PTI white card stock

Card and Ornament in One

I've been thinking of ways to make a Christmas card more than just a card, specifically thinking of people that are in that in-between land of definitely sending a card to them but not necessarily a gift gift. It occurred to me that rather than adhering my colored images permanently to the card front, I could add a ribbon and use repositionable sticky dots so that the image portion could be removed and hung on the tree.  I've even stamped the year on the back and will enclose a note about removing the ornament when they're mailed out (without the need for extra postage I might add).  Nifty!

The Details:  Bazzil red card stock, Paper Studio Christmas Basics 6x6 candy cane paper, mystery candy cane paper, PTI white cardstock for body of card, Hammermill Color Copy 80lb Photo White Cover Stock for coloring, Spellbinders dies, Spectrum Noirs, Glossy Accents, Doodlebug Design Sugar Coating glitter, Elf Riley Moose stamp, Inkadinkado Stocking Stuffer stamp, red MS glitter.

I'm entering this in Christmas Stampin' All Year Round #42 Stripes, Designed to Color #23 Wintertime/Christmas, Penny Black and More Anything Goes, Weekly Christmas Card Challenge #51 Bling, Addicted to Stamps & More #72 Make Your Mark and Allsorts #233 Make a Gift.