Pinkfresh Studio's December Challenge

This month's challenge at Pinkfresh Studio, there were lovely colors and the theme "holiday everything!"

I chose a merry and bright winter forest scene using Forest Friends and lovely coordinating die...

I colored the scene with Zig Clean Color markers and a waterbrush. A little Distress Ink blending here and there along the sides.

Splattered the scene with snowy white gouache and a few white gel pen accents..

I've had Ultra Thick Clear Embossing Powder forever, and today was the day to try it out!  I love the bumpy texture it gave the trees! A few mini clear rhinestones for some sparkle and a sentiment from Great Joy. 

I just love the whimsy and detail of Pinkfresh Studio's sets!

Cabin Sketch

Narelle at Freshly Made Sketches has a fun layered sketch that is oN their blog until the new year...

I made a little cabin scene using a house die cut from Neat and Tangled's Winter Village plate and some rustic accents. The house was cut from birch tape and sponged with Aged Mahogany Distress ink.

Used a MFT's stencil to make the hills and a mini tree from Pinkfresh Studio's Skating Bunnies. The sentiment is from Hello Bluebird's Christmas is Coming.

A snowy embossing folder matched the Nuvo Drop blizzard that I added to my scene. Some pine boughs cut with Simon Says Stamps' Pine Trio, red pearl berries, and some woodgrain patterned paper to finish off my card!

Snow Party!

Playing along with this week's Wednesday Challenge at the Simon Says Stamp blog. School is out for Christmas and I am ready for a snow party! I actually love it, and hope for more than the one inch we have on the ground.

"Party Time" is the theme this week, and Pinkfresh Studio's Forest Friends stamp set and coordinating die made me think of a little winter woods celebration!

Stamped the images on the awesome one layer scene die that coordinates with the set, then colored the animals with Copics and a white gel pen.

Sponged Tumbled Glass Distress ink, and also stamped PTI's Celestial Skies with white pigment ink over the top, as well as adding some white Nuvo Drops. The inside is snowflake patterned paper stamped with a treeline image in the set, which I heat embossed in white. Added some tiny clear rhinestones. The sentiment is from Verve Stamps.

Love Pinkfresh Studio's unique stamp and die combinations! They are whimsical and fun, but have incredible details!

Freshly Made Sketches #367 & Design Team Call

Another versatile sketch at Freshly Made Sketches, and this week's is by Karren Johnson. A perfect one for the holidays!

I thought it was the sketch Santa would choose himself when designing his very own stationery!

I stamped Concord and 9th's "Plaid Background," then added a piece of Rustic White cardstock embossed with PTI's Woodgrain Impression Plate to the back.

Santa's seal of approval (checked twice of course) is from Waltzingmouse Stamps' "Around Christmastime" stamp set. I stamped then heat embossed with detail clear powder, and added some Glossy Accents.

The pine boughs are cut with Simon Says Stamps' "Pine Needle Trio." I'm pretty sure Santa would not send a letter unless it jingled ...so added some gold bell brads from Tim Holtz! 

Thanks for stopping by...I'm pretty sure you all will have a note like this on file at the North Pole Headquarters 😊!

Papertrey Ink's Create Along with Us

It's Papertrey Ink's monthly release time, and they host "Create Along with Us," a challenge to create a card inspired by a Design Team member's post. I was inspired by Melissa Phillips' delightful pastel heart card seen here:

With Christmas and winter on my mind, I decided to use my new Fence Line: Winter set with her color scheme...

Wanted a pink polka-dotted background like Melissa's so I sponged Distress Inks, stamped Celestial Skies with Versamark, and then heat embossed with white powder for my "snow." Added the little scene in soft yellow, aqua, pink, and kraft with a sentiment from In the Meadow.

Had to add some glitter and sequins to sparkle up my card making it a bit more special...I call that Melissa-fying my card 😉!

Inspired by Debby's Cups

Debby Hughes posted a wonderful video on her blog Limedoodle Design HERE using the WPlus9 Studio stamp set "Cookies and Cocoa."  Debby's coloring techniques are a-ma-zing and I was inspired to try watercoloring with gouache (except I had to use watered-down white acrylic paint) after seeing her awesome card!

I forgot to add marshmallows and my cups turned out much brighter than I had planned, but still pretty! My watercolors were actually Zig Clean Color markers, colored on an acrylic block, then picked up with a small brush.

Debby's video was so easy to follow and I promptly went and bought gouache ( which I pronounced wrong at Michael's 😅) so I could try this again the right way...and with marshmallows!😉

Wreath Sketch & DT Call

At Freshly Made Sketches this week, Cécile Ribon has a lovely sketch for the holidays, as well as for their Design Team call. I decided to throw my card into the challenge and DT call mix!

Here is the sketch...

...and here is my card using Reverse Confetti's Fall for You wreath and Bitty Banners!

I stamped the wreath and colored it with Copics, then added the banner stamped in red, and some die cut and colored mini berries and flowers included in the set.

For my "lined" panel in the sketch, I used woodgrain patterned paper, and a snowy paper for the background. Coated all the leaves with Crystal Snow glitter, wish you could see the sparkle in the sunlight 😊!

A few red berry and "snowy" Nuvo Drops, and another Christmas card done!  

Thanks to Cécile for the lovely sketch, and thank you for stopping by!

25 Days of Christmas Tags: Bonus Day 26 Inspiration

This is it, my last tag! I managed to make 26 tags during Tracey's extravaganza, and have never been so stocked before Christmas 😊!

Tracey hosted A Jillian Vance Design on her bonus Day 26, and I was inspired by the hostess herself...Tracey McNeely! Loved her beautiful cascading poinsettia tag with its lighter shades of color!

This tag was all about older "vintage" stamps. For the poinsettia, I layered four flowers stamped with an old Stampin' Up set (Something like Sew Seasonal?) and the background has a layer of Gingham Backgrounder from Cornish Heritage Farms, and flourishes from Close to My Heart.

The poinsettia petals also have SU's Linen Background stamped on them in a light ink. The sentiment is from Waltzingmouse Stamps' Alpine Christmas.

I curled the petals under with a paintbrush handle, so there are two square dimensionals under there!

Such a BIG thank you to Tracey McNeely for putting this fun stamping event together each year! Also many thanks to all the generous sponsors, to the fabulous designers for all of their beautiful, inspiring samples, and to everyone who stopped by to share a sweet comment.

Now only 11 plus months of sleeps until next time 😉!

25 Days of Christmas Tags: Day 5 Inspiration

On Day 5, Tracey had a showcase of sweet designs from Newton's Nook! I was inspired by
Zsofia Molnar's adorable kitten tag with its red gingham background and scalloped sentiment panel at the bottom.

I couldn't find a cat stamp (I don't have a cat stamp?!), so this furry polar bear from Papertrey Ink's Holiday Folk had to step in. Also used Cornish Heritage Farm's Gingham Backgrounder. 

 The polar bear is embossed with white powder on kraft paper. The sentiment is from Verve Stamps.

The greenery is also from Holiday Folk, and the stitched hill is cut with a Lawn Fawn die. The star was coated with Glossy Accents. 

Tomorrow I will post my last tag for this celebration, can't believe how prepared I am for Christmas! What a blast this has been...🎁🎄!

25 Days of Christmas Tags: Day 6 Inspiration

Day 6 of Tracey's Tags was all about Paper Sweeties! I was inspired by Debbie Marcinkiewicz's lovely black tag with the embossed white sentiment, holly, and perfect black gingham ribbon bow!

I used Lawn Fawn's Milo's Alphabet set to created a whimsical chalkboard greeting...with just the right number of fa las in a verse of Deck the Halls! 😋 Stamped then heat embossed in white. 

I stamped over the entire tag with Hero Arts chalkboard background with PTI's Fresh Snow ink. .

I added the holly and mini snowflakes from Waltzingmouse Stamps' Very Vintage Christmas. A jingle bell seemed appropriate for the singing sure to accompany this tag.  So fun!

25 Days of Christmas Tags: Day 20 Inspiration

Day 20 of Tracey's tags brought inspiration from the designers at CAS-ual Fridays! I was inspired by
Nora Noll's lovely mistletoe tag trio, and used the kraft tag with the sheet music background for my inspiration.

I stamped and die cut a pine bough and berries from Papertrey Ink's Beautiful Berries: Winter set and added some Glossy Accents.

The music background is from Waltzingmouse Stamps. The sentiment is from Beautiful Berries: Winter, and is heat embossed with white powder on vellum. I love this tag inspired by Nora...and nature! 😊

25 Days of Christmas Tags: Day 15 Inspiration

Day 15, Tracey took us on a STAMPloration! I really loved  Monika Skinner's tag with its sentiment stamped in a tone on tone then a highlight ink, ribbon wrap, and sweet tree!

I used Papertrey Ink's Quotes: Favorite Things stamp set with this sweet lyric from The Sound of Music! Stamped the first part in kraft ink, and stamped the twine bow and rest of the sentiment in Versamark, then heat embossed with white powder. Had to add a bit of greenery, so stamped the teeny tiny holly leaf and berries included in the set!

25 Days of Christmas Tags: Day 23 Inspiration

On Day 23, Tracey hosted Lil' Inker Designs at her tag party! I chose Laura Pryor's stitched mitten tags as my inspiration... one had sweet Christmas tree paper, and that was my starting point.

I used Sewing Box Christmas from Waltzingmouse Stamps. Lots of heat embossing with white powder. The top layer of the mittens is paper-pieced with paper from an American Crafts collection called Holiday, and it's popped up over a black cardstock layer.

 Also used the holly image and sentiment from the set, and a stitched circular tag.

Laura inspired such a fun stitched trio, thank you!

25 Days of Christmas Tags: Day 18 Inspiration

Day 18 of Tracey's tags was all about Neat & Tangled! Natalie Elphinstone had the most adorable angel tag that I used for inspiration, with a softly-colored sky filled with stars!

Used Earth Angel from Waltzingmouse Stamps. Paper-pieced her dress and heat embossed her wings on vellum.

Sponged some ink for the sky and heat embossed a sentiment from AMuse...it's from "Joy to the World" like Natalie's and says "Let heaven and nature sing" Die cut stars using Simon Says Stamps' "Hearts and Stars" die then used a Wink of Stella pen to sparkle them up!

This has always been one of my favorite stamp sets!

25 Days of Christmas Tags: Day 17 Inspiration

Day 17 of Tracey's Tags had Avery Elle as a special guest! I loved Carol Mayne's "Dr. Seuss-like" trees (although NOT Grinchy at all)!

I used Papertrey Ink's new Enchanted Forest stamps and dies. Stamped some trees on a scalloped square, then die cut others. Used a Sizzix Snowfall embossing folder for background. Embellished the trees with Stickles or Nuvo Drops. The fun sentiment is also from the set!

25 Days of Christmas Tags: Day 7 Inspiration

Day 7 of Tracey's tag celebration showcased lovely products from Birch Press Design! 

I loved Kim Heggins' beautiful snowflake tag with its elegant jewel tone Christmas colors and amazing die cuts!

I used Waltzingmouse Stamps' Folk Art Medallion set to make a snowflake like pattern on the tag, then added a glittered snowflake die cut over the top that was cut with Papertrey Ink's Silver White Winters dies.

A tiny tag with a sentiment from Jillibean Soup, and some adhesive pearl embellishments.

In this picture, you can see how I heat embossed the large medallion in white then added color details in Pear, Spruce, and Merlot Fresh Inks.

 So much fun getting new inspiration to use older stamp sets in my collection!