HLS December Watercolor Challenge

Happy December 1st! 

And a big 'Happy Holidays' to everyone!

The countdown's on, and I'm here to offer inspiration for HLS

latest Watercolor Challenge.

Our optional twist this month is: Christmas!

HLS: Christmas Joy, has the sweetest freeform tree, which I used for a focal,

stamping it 3 times with Versamark and embossing with white.

Gave it a contemporary flair with pink and lime colors.

Did the same with the bg using the holly stamp from the same set.

Sentiment also from Christmas Joy.

PTI: Berry Wreath Tag Die.

Kuretake Watercolors

Play all month for a chance to win a $20. gc to the HLS store.

Happy Holidays, and Happy Stamping!

12 Kits of Occasions November '17

Hello! And welcome to the last day of November and 12 Kits of Occasions.

Our hostess this month is Jessica Davis from the Paper Parade.

and her kit was a magical mix of holiday fun!

Take a look

Is he not the cutest? Blue Yeti is holding star decorations (fussy cut) and he's in front of

a shaker of snow and stars. 

All the fun papers Jessica included in the kit... LOVE!!

For this card, I colored and decorated the baking elements Jessica sent, along with the darling bear. All are arranged around PTI's Sprig Wreath, which I stamped in blue.

More fabulous papers for my sweet snowglobe. There's diamond Stickles on the fairies wings and

snow on the rooftops (hard to see in the photo)

PTI's A2 Scallop die & MFT Wonky Stitch

I mean, how cute are these bears? I used some leftover red paper to create a rug for the tree,

and die cut a circle to stencil on light rays. 

Poppystamps Stitched Pinpoint tag.

Jessica stamped and sent the 'Deck the Halls' sentiment, which I bordered with her

felt snowflakes. 

And that's all for me. Plan to do more with what's leftover.

such sweet characters make the perfect cards for grandchildren.

Sleigh Bells Ring

Laurie Schmidlin from PapertreyInk has the spotlight this week with her MIM 

tutorial: creating layers on our cards.

Loved it from start to finish. Gave me the nod to create all the lovely layers I want!

Beginning with an Ocean Tides and Pinefeather color scheme, I cased Michelle Phillips'

card using Mix & Mat Plaid, where she edge embossed the corners, as though kissed by snow.

Stampendous Shabby Blue Embossing Enamel has flecks of white, gold and aqua.

The Dash Away All stamp and die set haven't left my table since they arrived. 

I love how the deer seems to take flight no matter where I use him!

Peaceful Pinecones and a big red bow with lots of foam,  just as Laurie instructed,

gives the card my Love of Layers.

See Laurie's video on Nichole's blog here:

Make it Monday #305: Love of Layers

Happy crafting!

Papertrey Ink November '17 Blog Hop

It's PTI's November Blog Hop, and I'm getting this in just under the wire.

Had family all week, it was wonderful. But itching to get crafty 

with Nichole's inspiration.

Our large family celebrates several birthdays in November, and I needed a card for a special aunt.

I had this idea for a cuckoo clock and combined several sets to create one.

Only the stag head and wood grain stamp is not PTI, everything else on the clock is.

For the life of me, I can't find or remember where the stag head came from. 

If anyone knows, please jot down the company so I can mention it.

Hands of Time

Give Thanks

Holiday Greens

In Stitches

Stitched Sentiments

Gatsby Glamour

Canyon Clay Pattern Pack

Off to see what you all did! 

Hugs and hope your Thankgiving was wonderful!

November 2017 Blog Hop

Dashing through the Snow

It's the day after Thanksgiving, better known as 'Black Friday' to savvy shoppers,

and we're bringing you a new challenge at Tag You're It. 

It's a great excuse to stay home today, away from the crowds and create a tag.

Our featured artist for this challenge, is Jessica Frost-Ballas, and she's given us this

frosty pink yummy to case.

And here's some more inspiration from me:

Loved the pink, loved the snowflakes, and cased her deer with a stag head at the tag's top.

Created a shaker with a iridescent sequin mix from Poppystamps.

the window is also from Poppystamps: Evangeling Floating Square.

Platinum embossed wood snowflakes scattered on top.

Sentiment is an old Memory Box die called Curved Dashing.

There's plenty of inspiration on the Tag You're It blog from our designers. Come by and take a look.

You have 2 weeks to play along. We love to see what you do.

Thank you Jessica, for a beautiful tag to inspire us!

Believe for 25 Days of Christmas Tags

Good Sunday morning to you!

Rushing to post this tag for 25 Days of Christmas Tags, before church.

On Day 15 Tracey featured Muse, and Christmas Visions, a Christmas Card Club.

Chriss Blagrave was my inspiration with her gorgeous all over snowflake embossed tag.

Didn't stray from her simple design, with the exception of my focal piece.

She used a penguin, I added the sweet Santa from PTI's Believe.

My snowflakes are PTI's Silver White Winters & What the Doodle: Snowflakes.

Chriss edged her tag with black emboss, I used Stampendous Shabby Blue EP.

Tag: PoppyStamps Stitched Main Street Tags.

Neon Amplify puff pain and Stickles Chrystal.

A little Naughty

Hi everyone! Are you playing along with 25 Days of Christmas Tags?

Avery Elle is the featured stamp artist today, on Day 18 of Tracey's blog.

I just adore this sassy cat from Avery's Dear Santa set, and took inspiration from my 

friend, Michele Ferguson's tag today. Michele's, 'shut the front door', sentiment

brought a chuckle, and love casing her touch of good humor!

 The 25 Days of Christmas Tags 2017 - Day 18 

Cozy Winter Wishes

Day 14 of 25 Days of Christmas Tags, Tracey features the folks at Concord & 9th.

I found a stamp and die set from last year I'd never used, and went to work,

with Lindsey M's tag as my muse.

Really very easy with all the sweet die cut elements. Plan to make a dozen of these and have them ready for packages.

C9: Christmas Cottage

PTI: Basic Bookmark die

Lots of time to join the fun on Tracey's blog!

 The 25 Days of Christmas Tags 2017 - Day 14 

The Card Concept: Retro Holiday

Welcome to a new post for the Card Concept Challenge.

Retro Holiday ~ Sheer joy!

Here's some inspiration for you.

I tried to recreate the feel of that fabulous wreath with the baubles from PTI's Vintage Ornaments 2,

and this Clean & Elegant Card.

Lots of masking, and a few stamped images from Cloche Quarters: Winter.

Sentiment die: Big Ticket Basics

There are plenty of styles you can choose from.

See them all and more inspiration from our designers on the Card Concept Challenge Blog.

Good luck and happy crafting!

25 Days of Christmas Tags - Day 8

I'm playing catch-up with a trio of tags for Tracey's 25 Days of Christmas Tags.

Saw Tracey's tag she did for Sunny Studio's day, and loved the reindeer on 

the snowy tag.

My deer is from PTI, and is called Dash Away All.

Tag: PTI Holiday Tag Along.

Embossed stag with Stampendous Aged Silver.

Next embossed stag with Stampendous Shabby Pink

And one in a chalkboard style with a red embossed stag. 

Paper on bottom from Betsy's Winter Wonderland.

Play along on Tracey's Blog:

 The 25 Days of Christmas Tags 2017 - Day 8 

Create Along With Us - November

I just love Create Along With Us, PTI's release week case of designer's creations.

The month of November presents us with holiday wonders, florals, new dies, and 

designer papers. Always enchanted with the whole affair!

This month Melissa won my heart with this layered and lovely tag,

 attached to a Pillowbox.

I didn't stray far from Melissa's rustic style and colors.

I did have to improvise, not having the tag, star or new stamps Melissa used... yet.

Started with Tagsale #4, and instead of a star, Damask Snowflakes.

Double Ended Banner stamped with Background Basics: Christmas, an old set that 

fit the banner perfectly.

My sentiment is from Beautiful Berries: Winter, stamped onto the round tag

from Bite Sized Tags.

All those Christmas ferns are from Spruce & Sprigs.

Oh yes and that wonderful Pillowbox die, and I'm ready to present someone 

special with an inserted gift card or small item with holiday flair! 

Melissa, always love your inspiration!

Create Along With Us: November 2017

Photo Card for MIM

MIM this week is with Ashley, and she is reminding us of a previous tutorial

she did with stamping on our cards.

I don't send photo cards as an empty nester, but I thought it would be fun

to do it with last year's photo of early Christmas morning and 8 of the 11, posing

for grandma. Sheer torture before opening presents!

From left: Reagan - 11, (holding Jack), Carson -16, Noelle - 6, Little Eli - 2, Shepherd - 5, 

Garrett - 13, Ana - 12, and Nate - 11. 

3 blessings haven't arrived yet, and are MIA from the photo!

Stamped Beautiful Berries: Winter and added a double die cut of Big Basics:

Merry Christmas, from glitter paper

I have pictures in front of the fireplace each year of the grandkids and plan to do

more and line them up for all to see.

Thanks, Ashley! 

Make it Monday #303: Holiday Photo Card

Christmas card

I'm playing along with 'Inspired by All the Little Things', where

Colleen Voelker is the featured designer. You can read all about Colleen,

on the Inspired blog, here:

Inspired By All the Little Things Challenge #71 Featuring Colleen Foelker

Colleen picked this photo inspiration for us

So much inspiration here, I took a bit of this and a bit of that and

came up with this:

PTI: Cloche Quarters, Cloche Quarters Winter Fillers, Wonderland set, 

Mix & Mat: Berry Boughs, Noted: A2 dies.

Very Merry

Merry Monday is featuring a photo and color scheme chosen by 

Marcia Hill, this week.

Kraft and Red! Love the theme, and couldn't wait to join the fun.

It's an all PTI card.

My wreath was created with PTI's Beautiful Berries: Winter.

Stag is from Dash Away All, 

 To The Point: Edgers die

 Plaid Builders, and bow from Merry Kiss-mas.

A bit hard to see, but I scored the bg with my score buddy.

Play along for a few more days here:

Merry Monday #264 {Kraft and Red}