Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge #24

Haven't played a WMS Sketch Challenge in awhile!  Here is #28!

 Used sweater pattern from Faux Fun, and the snowflake from Sewing Box: Christmas.  Tag and sentiment are from PTI's Friendship Jar series.

It's hard to tell but I used the Woodgrain Impression plate from PTI on the kraft card base to match the wooden button in the center.  It's fun having the day off...while I may not have accomplished much in the "housework" department, I have had fun stamping here and there!

Snail Mail Resolution!

It's that time to make New Year's Resolutions, and that is the theme for today's Friday Free for All Challenge at Splitcoast!  Make a card showing yours!  I really need to send the cards that I make.  It is my one and only resolution this year!  When I posted today, I noted that 2 things get in the way of the mailing...1)  Our local Post Office worker doesn't like me.  2)  I never have the right size of envelope on hand!  When Mr. Postman sees me coming, I can see him rolling his eyes.  He pokes, prods, and BENDS my cards as he decides which pile to put them in.  He asks questions like "Did you put PINS in this thing?" (I politely say "Those are called brads, sir!" with a cheery smile).  I can just see the recipient opening the card, and a shower of buttons falling out of the envelope after Mr. Postman's thorough investigation (before slapping extra postage on and declaring "This thing cannot be machine-sorted!!!")  So I vow to buy extra-large, fleece-lined envelopes this year.  Oodles of them.  I am sure they must have them at Staples! 

Made today's card using a snippet of my cherished "Thin Cherry Real Wood" paper by Creative Imaginations, a scrap of October Afternoon "Modern Homemaker" decorative paper, 2 mini pins (ha!), and the Vintage Picnic set from Papertrey Ink. 

Happy New Year, everyone!  I'll leave you with my favorite New Year's Eve pictures of all time.  I posted them last year, too...

 Claire and Olive rockin' it Dick Clark/Ryan Seacrest style last year.  Yes, only Phoebe (beagle in background) and I ever make it to see the ball drop!

Top 10

I can't believe tomorrow is the day before 1-1-11!  How many mothers-to-be are going to be telling the doctors at 11:45 PM..."BUT I CAN WAIT 15 MORE MINUTES!", heeee!  Seriously, how cool would it be to have that date as your birthdate?

But I digress.  I decided to hop on the Top 10 bandwagon.  Lots of people on the PTI forum have been posting their top 10 favorite cards or projects that they made this year, so I came to my blog and started looking back, too.  It's really hard to "judge" your own work, but here are some cards and things that I had a great time making (and some of the stamps sets that I just LOVED playing with this year)!

Earth Angel & Pic-Nic Patterns, Waltzingmouse Stamps

You're A Jewel, Pink Persimmon

Round and Round & Background Basics: Tin Types, Papertrey Ink

Year of the Flower: Violets, Background Basics: Tin Types, Papertrey Ink

Sewing Box: Hugs, Waltzingmouse Stamps

Believe, Papertrey Ink

Midnight Feast, Sweetie Pouch template, Waltzingmouse Stamps
A Little Argyle, Papertrey Ink

Baby Button Bits, Background Basics: Retro, Papertrey Ink
Ticking Stripe Backgrounder, Cornish Heritage Farms

Wreath for All Seasons, Background Basics: Botanicals, Papertrey Ink

Friendship Jar Fall Fillers, Papertrey Ink

Midnight Feast, Waltzingmouse Stamps

Little Red Wagon, Vintage Greetings, Pink Persimmon
October Afternoon paper!

So there you have it!  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Industrial Acorn Hat

For Mothermark's Teapot Tuesday Challenge at Splitcoast this week!  This week's party is at a construction site, and we were told to bring our best hard hats to the party.  All of the cards from the challenge are destined to go to Joyce, a Red Hatter out in Utah who recently had some difficulties after surgery.  So I chose to deck out Posie (by Anna Wight for Whipper Snapper Designs), in her best Red Hatter wear!  This red acorn hat is of the industrial variety...ask all of the squirrels that have tried to bite it!  Nuttin' (hee!) is getting through this beanie!

Cindy Motherway hosts Teapot Tuesday every week.  We all make a card inspired by one of her crazy stories and a picture of a teapot that she chose.  She then sets up a Destination Station, and provides a name and address of somebody to send the card to...whether they are having a special birthday, are battling an illness, are serving in the military, or just plain need a "pick me up!".  ANYONE is invited to play, and you can find the Teapot Tuesday thread HERE. 

Cindy also sends out weekly emails with updates on the Destination Stations, and it is so nice to see photos of recipients with their cards, and to read their sweet thank you notes.  Come join the fun!

Papertrey Ink Blog Hop!

Time for another Papertrey Ink Blog Hop!  The traditional hop after Christmas day is to make a project with recycled Christmas stuff...wrapping paper, boxes, tissue paper, ribbons, cards, etc...

I made the background for the card using a piece of recycled wrapping paper.  I crinkled it up and then glued it down onto cardstock and added Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Pumice Stone over the top (kind of like faux silk but with paper).  But THEN for Santa's coat, I did the Faux Silk Technique (without the stamping!).  I took a piece of red tissue and crinkled it up, then smoothed it out on cardstock.  Then I stamped the Santa from the Believe set, and paper pieced his face and the white cuffs.  Here is a close up of his coat:

This tissue paper is kind of shiny and with the wrinkles (and some added Distress ink) it gives such a handsome look for Santa!

I was all excited for some down time, and so I made this card.  To my dismay, I went to take a picture and I had left my camera at my niece's house.  That didn't stop me...a 35 minute plus round trip (with a side trip of 15 minutes to the gas station and the grocery store) and I made it to the hop!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone!

Icy Sleek Modern House

Part 2 in a series with the Home Made stamp set and template from Papertrey Ink!  This one was much easier than the first one...and a note:  if you are using 2-sided paper, be sure to print the template on the "wrong" side of the paper (that was my mistake on House #1).

I filled these houses with a family favorite (a dozen peanut butter balls) for Eva and Claire's teachers.  The first one was quaint and went to Claire's teacher who lives in a sleepy little country village called Bristol, NY.  This one is for Eva's teacher who lives in Rochester, so we went with a sleek urban design!  Her name is Heather, so I decided to add some "heather" purple just for her! 

Peanut Butter Ball recipe (NO COOK!):

1 jar crunchy peanut butter
1 package mini chocolate chips
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 cup nonfat dry milk
6 tbsp. water
graham cracker crumbs

Mix first 5 ingredients in a bowl.  Roll into 2 inch balls, then roll balls through graham cracker crumbs.  Refrigerate for 1 hour, and you are ready to go!

Krischeery Greetings!

LOTS of special challenges going on in this card.  Today's Color Challenge at SCS is a classic that has never been featured before...red, white, and black (how could that BE)!  I also made this card for Mothermark's Teapot Tuesday Challenge.  This week the teapot featured was white.  Plain white.  Not a thing on it.  Cindy said it was a blank canvas for us to use to impress her friend Leonardo, a famous art director.  So I channeled my favorite artist Warren Kimble to come up with this card for my friend Krischir...aka Kris!  She is having surgery tomorrow so Mothermark chose her house as the Destination Station for all of the cards this week! 

Kris just happened to be Featured Stamper #199!  I chose THIS card by Kris as my inspiration.  We like a lot of the same things...folk art, gingham, the Top Note Die from SU, and lots of patterns on a card.  So this snowman (by Inky Antics) is headed to you in Minnesota, Kris!  I have a feeling he'll be right at home in your current climate.  Hope you are feeling better soon!

Classic JO-y

For this week's Queen for the Day at SCS, Jo aka Reddyisco (cool screen name huh?!).  I chose to case her lovely Joy card seen HERE.

There are three stamps sets that I just can't seem to stop using this Christmas, including PTI's A Wreath for All Seasons.  The other 2 are PTI's Holiday Button Bits (which I used just as much last year) and Waltzingmouse Stamps Sewing Box Christmas.  I kept the sentiment, the touches of text and gold, and the side bow as Jo did in her original card, then changed the colors and layout a bit, and added the wreath image!  The striped decorative paper at the bottom is more delicious October Afternoon paper from the "Modern Homemaker" Collection!

Thank you, Meredith!

I received the MOST special gift in the mail yesterday from my stampy friend Crafty Math Chick, also known as Meredith!  She absolutely spoiled me for Christmas, and sent a box full of stamping goodness.  Enclosed was a sweet Gingerbread set from Martha Stewart Crafts that I had never seen before.

I got RIGHT to "work" using it for yesterday's Inspiration Challenge at SCS.  The theme was "Don Cherry's Jackets"!  He is a Canadian Sportscaster with an eye for some of the craziest fabrics and "embellishments" you have ever seen!  I fancied this jacket.  I think I might prefer it as a holiday tablecloth :)  The Pic-Pattern stamp set from Waltzingmouse Stamps provided the perfect plaidy strip to recreate Don's daring design!  Browse the entire slide show, he does NOT disappoint!

So thank you SO MUCH to Meredith!  She is just one of the nicest people you would ever want to "meet".  That is the craziest thing about this stamping world...though we have never met in person, I feel like I have known her for a long time!  She and her husband are moving to Pennsylvania this summer.  So my New Year's wish is that we will get to meet and stamp a flurry of cards together.  I think it would be a Crafty Good Time!!!!!

Another tag down!

Another tag done!  This time using PTI's Friendship Jar Holiday Fillers...and a jingle bell, of course!

Tagathon!

You can never have too many tags.  Something about the small scale usually scares me away from them, so this year I challenged myself to a weekend long tagathon.  If I stamp something in the next few days, it had better be a tag!

  Here are some more I made to get ready for next week:

Used PTI's Holiday Button bits snowman, sentiment from Tiny Treats Christmas, and made snow using Background Basics: Botanicals.  There's that PTI bookmark die again...

This time I used the Sweet Scallop Tag die from Verve Stamps, combined with Rustic Branches stamp set from PTI.   Also used the plaid strip from Waltzingmouse Stamps Pic-Nic Patterns at the bottom, and the retired Aida Cloth Background from Stampin Up' (LOVE that thing almost as much as my retired Linen Background!)

Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge #27

Time for another Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge...here is #27!

I used a brand new line of decorative paper from October Afternoon called "Modern Homemaker" for the background and to paper-piece the little house.  The green and red papers in it are so festive!  Also used the house from Sewing Box Christmas, and made snow using a pattern from Pic-Nic Patterns.  The snowman and sentiment are from Heather Nichols's adorable set Holiday Tree from PTI.  I have collected quite a few jingle bells this holiday season, and can't seem to make a card without one.  LOVE these red ones that I found at JoAnn's!

Sparkling Noel Tag

For Kim Hughes's FIRST Ways to Use it Challenge as the new hostess!  Today she wanted us to find ways to use glitter.  I chose a glittery embossing powder to sparkle up the leaves from PTI's Turning a New Leaf to make a Christmas tag. 

Gingham paper is from A Muse (LOVE IT!).  I actually made the tag by running PTI's bookmark die through my Cuttlebug, and then cutting it down in length.  Rounded the ends at the bottom with my corner rounder punch...insta-tag!  Also used Waltzingmouse Stamps Musical Background stamped in Smokey Shadow ink, and a sentiment from PTI's Holiday Tree set.

Gingham Dream House

For Julia Stainton's last  "Ways to Use It" Challenge at Splitcoast.  She is handing the reigns over to Kim Hughes after hosting 300 challenges over almost 6 years!  Her last challenge was to go back and try to do at least 3 challenges on one card, and then to try something new!

I chose these past challenges..."Ways to Use" pearls, ribbon, paint, and an un-inked set.  I have never used the Home Made set that I purchased on the PTI boards this summer, or the home template that I downloaded that coordinates with the set.  So in honor of Julia's last challenge, I went crazy and made my Gingham Dream House! 

For those of you that don't know, this is actually a little box...the roof is the lid!  At first, I was too scared to attempt this again because it was soooo hard for me (templates and I don't usually mix), even with using previous projects by Kittie Carraciolo and Melissa Phillips as my inspiration pieces.  But I think I will give it another go around, and turn this into a teacher gift filled with a family favorite...peanut butter balls!

Mitten Weather

I have been missing participating in the Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge, so I am quickly uploading a card before this week's sketch is closed!  Plus, who wouldn't want a chance to win the sweet stamp set Bountiful Baskets?

Here is this week's sketch:

And here is my card:



Flipped the sketch (to cover an "oopsie", of course!)!  Used sweater pattern from Faux Fun, the mitten from Sewing Box: Christmas, and the plaid stripe from Pic-Nic Patterns, all Waltzingmouse Stamps.  Used the sentiment from Papertrey Ink's Friendship Jar Holiday Fillers.

Mitten weather has arrived here, as we've been getting snow in our area all week.  But the BIG event is in the forecast for Sunday night...could it be a snow day this early in the season for us?!

Celebrating Colors!

This week's Color Challenge (#300!) at Splitcoaststampers is to celebrate all of the OTHER 299 color combinations that have been posted!  The colors are listed using Stampin Up names, but you are free to substitute whatever papers, patterned papers, inks, markers, and embellishments that you have that are close!

For my first card, I used Color Challenge 53:  Chocolate Chip (dark brown), Bashful Blue (light blue), and Certainly Celery (light green).  Made my own background paper using PTI's Guide Lines set with the coordinating grid paper, and a little scroll from Faux Ribbon.  Also featured the gingerbread man from Holiday Button Bits:

Next up is Color Challenge #90, which was Blush Blossom (light pink), True Thyme (an "olivey" green), and Cranberry Crisp (burgandy/red).  I chose Bamboo ink by VersaColor, PTI Scarlet Jewel Ink, and Tim Holtz Spun Sugar Distress ink.  Made the background using PTI's Background Basics: Botanicals, and used Wreath for All Seasons:

Betty challenged us...she said, "I wonder who will do the most different combinations?"  Okay, so maybe that was just pondering, but I took it as a CHALLENGE, hee!  It was so addicting to go back and see the master list of all those little color blocks in a row. I hope to get to more this week!

Seven-Layer Poinsettia

Finally got to play an Inspiration Challenge at Splitcoast today!  On Saturdays, SmilynStef picks the best websites for us to go and visit for inspiration.  Today she chose the website Bronner's Christmas Wonderland.  I chose this German-made Opal Champagne Heart with Poinsettia glass ornament for my inspiration piece.

Christmas is my favorite stamping time of year!  I have lots of old treasures (retired stamping sets!) that I refuse to part with, and one of these is from Stampin' Up.  It's called "Sew Seasonal".  I stamped the flower from it SEVEN times, cut them out, and layered the pieces to make this poinsettia card:

It was like eating potato chips...once I started stamping and layering the petals, I couldn't stop!  Stamped the flower 4 times on cream paper, then used a sponge and burgandy/red inks to color the petals.  Then stamped the flower 3 more times on PTI's Aqua Mist paper and tucked them in the back.  Used PTI's Turning a New Leaf set for the background leaves, and a sentiment from PTI's Wreath for All Seasons set.  Wish I had a heart-shaped Nestie, but had to settle with a circular one. 

Go check out Bronner's website...it will have you singing holiday tunes in no time!