The Merriest Christmas

Hello!

Today's card  is yet another Christmas card using the unusual (to me) colors of red and blue with black and silver as an accent.  I've made it for the challenge going on over at Fussy and Fancy, which is to use dies and punches.  I seriously don't think I can make a card without using at least one or the other, and this one is no exception.  Plenty of die cutting going on here!

All of the printed papers are the newly-released Christmas Digital Papers from Inspired By Stamping (with a little additional stamping by me behind the sentiment).  Check out the background chevron print.  See how light it is?  In its original form it is quite brilliant, but being digital I was able to fade it out a bit so that the sentiment panel wouldn't compete.  That's one of the many beauties of using digital paper, the flexibility to adjust the brightness of the paper to suit one's needs.

These cute little flags are from the Whimsical Banners set, and the Christmas-theme stamps on them are from the brand new Holiday Tags. 

The sentiment panel was heat embossed with silver on the red mat while the sentiment layer was edged with silver glass glitter, the kind that tarnishes with age.  It adds such a nice vintage flair to this card.  The sentiment itself is from the Holiday Sentiments set with the tiny snowflake stamp being from the Winter Wonderland set. 

Some stitching, ribbon, rhinestones and a diecut, glittered snowflake complete this card.

Well, all except for the inside which I stamped with more of the Winter Wonderland set but left otherwise blank for a personal inscription.

Thank you for joining me and here's wishing you a lovely, crafty day!

Happy crafting!

 Challenges entered:

Fussy and Fancy #98 - Punches and Dies

Birthday Banner

1) This is my second post of the day.  For my tutorial for Creative Inspirations Paints, please go here.  (Or scroll down.)

2)  For the Inspired By Stamping Color Challenge, please go here.

Hello!

I made today's card for the current Simon Says challenge, "The Button Challenge."  And I needed a birthday card for my former employer (I'm retired), so 2+2 equals...well, you get it.

I also decided to enter the Divas By Design color challenge, with "challenge" being the operative word.

 

I LOVE these colors, so don't ask me why I had such a problem with them, but I fussed and fussed and threw this away and that until finally I came up with what you see here.  Less fussy after all and very colorful.  My work table is another story. 

The base layer was embossed with a stripe embossing folder, but that was a lot of aqua staring me in the face, so I swiped a deep teal ink pad across it this way and that until I was happy with the effect.  I've been in an ink-swipey mood lately.  Call it instant gratification.

The edges of the two purple die cuts were embossed with silver embossing powder.  I used a lot of stamp sets here, which is part of the reason why my table was a disaster after finishing.  They're all by Inspired By Stamping because they all mix and match and coordinate with each other so easily.  I used Whimsical Banners, Washi Tape (aren't they fun?), Fancy Labels 2 and All Year Wishes II, and I also used the Fancy Labels 2 Dies. 

Some rhinestones and a button complete this card.  Funny story about that button, which was the whole purpose of this card, right?  I made the card, took the photos and was just starting to post when I went to the Simon Says blog for the link, and lo, I had COMPLETELY forgotten to add a button!  ACK!!!  So after much panicked digging through my button tin, I found a lone pewter-look vintage button that was just perfect.  A dab of ribbon behind it and voila, some textile on my card to make me happy.

Thank you so much for joining me today, and I hope you find time to fit in some crafting today!

I still think it's a lot of aqua staring me in the face...

Happy crafting!

Challenges entered:

Simon Says Stamp and Show - The Button Challenge
Really Reasonable Ribbon #73 - Masculine w/Ribbon or Trim
Divas By Design - Color Inspiration
Crafts and Me #136 - Something Old (vintage button, ribbon bought in Jan. 2012)
3 Girl JAM #19 - Anything Goes w/Ribbon
Fussy and Fancy #90 - Bling It On
Eclectic Ellapu - "B" is for... (blue, black, birthday, banner, button, bling)
613 Ave. Create - Anything Goes w/Optional Twist: "Celebrations"

Friday Sketch Challenge #45