January's Christmas Cards

I play along with the Christmas Card Challenge on Splitcoaststampers.  I pledged to make 10 cards a month.  It really works great for me when it comes down to November and December.  So for the month of January, I made five of one style and five of another.  I had originally intended to make all ten cards like the one on the left, a Fall To Layout.  Soon after I began production of the cards, I realized that I would not have enough designer paper.  So....I opted to make a different style of card, a second Fall To Layout, and still use the same designer paper.  I guess these are a little bit non-traditional in color, but I like them.  

I colored my Christmas tree with Copic and Touch Twin markers.  I think I am really in the beginning of my learning curve about how to color with markers.   I am signed up to go to a Copic class on Saturday and I am really looking forward it.  I have a couple of books that I have browsed through with regard to coloring and I am planning on brushing up with them before class on Saturday.

I hope everyone is enjoying their Thursday.  It's a sunny day and I am loving it.  Thanks for stopping by!

Details - Stamps: Sidekick Sayings, Christmas Greetings; Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Jillibean soup dsp; Ink: Momento Tuxedo Black; Accessories: Copics, Nestabilities, circle punch, star punch, paper snips, Snowflakes #8 ef, stampin' dimensionals, scallop border punch, Sakura clear star gel pen.

Looking Back

Michelle was the hostess for last Thursday's Way To Use It challenge and she has named it Looking Back.  Michelle's challenge is about looking back through the last year of Ways To Use It challenges and incorporating at least two of those challenges.  Michelle even provided links to those challenges.  A big thanks to her because that is time consuming!  I used six past challenges on my card.  I chose Stuck on Me, Friend of Faux?, Love Your Kraft, Something Old, Something New, No White Cardstock, and i HEART you.  It took me a while to get around to posting this, but here it is! 

Happy Tuesday to you, folks!

Details - Stamps: Short & Sweet; Paper: Very Vanilla, Early Espresso, Kraft; Ink: Whisper White craft, Early Espresso; Accessories: Musical Flourish ef, brayer, M's glitter foam stickers, stampin' dimensionals.

Monday's Sentiment

It's Monday and the Friends of Speedy TV are only using sentiments today for our challenge.  No images for this week, just words.  When I began to work on my card for this challenge, I knew I would go with pretty patterned paper and then keep the rest simple.  I could gaze for hours and hours at some paper without cutting into it.  This sentiment is one that is a good reminder for me at the moment. My husband is away and I am single parenting.  I know that some parents do this on a regular basis, so they must have this one down pat.  I am not very practiced at this, so I need the reminder.  I went ahead and posted this on Facebook today as I thought some people I know might like a pretty little reminder too!

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you have a wonderful week.

Details - Stamps: Floral Tea (Mark's Finest Papers); Paper: Very Vanilla, Soft Suede, Everyday Enchantment dsp; Ink: Soft Suede, Peach Parfait; Accessories: Nestabilities, corner chomper, wide Vanilla organdy, 1/8" Calypso Coral organdy, sponge dauber, Sakura clear star gel pen, stampin' dimensionals, glue dot.

Speedy TV and Birthdays

It's another Monday challenge with the Friends of Speedy TV.  Today's challenge is all about birthdays.  Who doesn't need a birthday card?  I am always running out of these, especially the masculine variety.  With all of the fun and fancy embellishments that are available these days, it's hard to keep it simplified.  I think it did it here though!  I repeated that tree a bunch of times to get that forest on there.  I only reinked it a few times so that I would get some variation in the color of my trees as well.  I did one thing here that I rarely do, as it feels criminal most of the time.  I cut apart my stamp so that I could lengthen my sentiment to fit my flag.  Have you ever cut apart a stamp?  How does it make you feel?  If you get some time today, it would be great if you could play along! 

After a full week off from work, I head back to school today.  Let's hope I can remember my job! Thanks for stopping by and Happy Monday.

Details - Stamps: A Walk in the Woods (MFP), Buffalo Spring (MFP); Paper: Certainly Celery, Very Vanilla, Early Espresso; Ink: Old Olive, Early Espresso; Accessories: Earth Elements button, paper snips, stampin' dimensionals.

Featuring One of Speedy's Friends

Today's Featured Stamper on Splitcoast is Kim, Luv Flowers.  Kim is a design team member for Mark's Finest Papers.  She is on the Speedy Fox Blog Team.  So, you know I had to play...and I had to break out some of my MFP too!  I reached way back into Kim's gallery to 2008, for a very simple design that would work for me.  I chose this card to case.  I hope she doesn't mind that I dug so deep.  The Saturday challenge for Speedy Fox and Friends (Kim's design team) is to make a birthday card. Hey, I can do that!  My card is fairly self-explanatory.  I stamped my crocus and colored it with Copic markers.  I'm still learning about these markers, so forgive me.  I cut out my image and popped it up over some designer paper and an embossed card base.  I finished it off with a little organdy ribbon, an embossed sentiment and some rounded corners.

I'm going to keep this short and sweet as the wind is blowing in my neck of the woods and I am wondering if we are going to get to keep our power.  I hope so, but if not, I am prepared.  I'm going to start my laundry so that I can have some clean clothes for work tomorrow, too!

Thanks for stopping by!

Details - Stamps: Winter Crocus (MFP), Background Fun (MFP); Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Night & Day Specialty dsp; Ink: Tuxedo Black, Versamark; Accessories: White ep, heat tool, stripes ef, Nestabilities, copics, white organdy ribbon, corner chomper, stampin' dimensionals.

Sew Beautiful

"Sew Beautiful" is the name of today's Ways To Use It challenge hostessed by the fabulous Hannah!  She has challenged us to use stitching on our cards.  With preparation for my hubby's big trip, I have been busy and now am tired.  As much as I wanted to hand stitch these cute little papers together, I went faux!  I normally do white stitching, but went with black today.  I really like the look of the black mats and accents.  I'm not sure why I don't think to do it more, but I think I will be trying from here on out.  It really seems to pop.  Speaking of popping, the head of the flower is popped up off my page.  I realize it's hard to tell, but that isn't shading around the blossom, it is shadow.  I also glitzed up my flower center with some yellow Stickles today too.

I borrowed today's sketch from the ladies at the My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club.   I took a little artistic license and moved my blossom in a bit to work with my image. 

It's chilly today so this little flower gives me hope for a nice warm spring.  Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Details - Stamps: Time To Blossom (Verve); Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, BG Perhaps, BG Eskimo Kisses; Ink: Momento Tuxedo Black; Accessories: Copic markers, yellow stickles, M's rhinestones, black grosgrain, stampin' dimensionals, paper snips.

Can You Digi It

Have you heard?  No really, have you heard?  There's a new game in town, or a new store on the net and it's name is Can You Digi It!  My Ways To Use leader and VSN buddy, Michelle, is running the show, so you know that it is good.  Today is the Grand Opening Blog Hop for the store and I chose to showcase this cool digi set by LilyPink Designs called Shoes & Shopping!  This shoes in this set are super cute with fun sentiments to keep them company.  I colored this shoe, embossed it for a little shine and then popped it up on my card.  Let me tell you, it was fun!  Ready for some more fun???  I'm in the middle of the hop.  Head back to the Can You Digi It Blog to get your full dose of Wednesday eye candy. In case you get lost, here is the  hop order: 

C.Y.D.I? Blog

Michelle Single

Lelia Pierce

April O'Connor

Toni Storie (you are here)

Dana Alley (go here next)

Jan Hunnicutt

Patty Chalas

Nancy Williams

Hannah Clark

Once you're done hopping, you'll want to stop by the store for the fabulous SALE we have going on right now.  Don't forget to use CYDIGOC15 to get 15% off all non-digital goodies in addition to the products our artists have put on sale.

The sale/coupon ends Friday, January 27th when Michelle gets on the plane for CHA.  Make sure you are a C.Y.D.I? Twitter follower to get all the updates from CHA!

Details - Stamps: Shoes & Shopping (LilyPinkDesigns); Paper: Whisper White, Chatterbox Inc. dp; Ink: Versamark; Accessories: Seeing Spots ef, colored pencils, clear ep, heat tool, stampin' dimensionals.