Christmas Card #29

This card was created for Sketch Challenge 200 on Splitcoaststampers.

The snowflakes were punched with a dimensional snowflake punch by EK Success.

I fluffed the flakes out and coated them with Frosted Lace Stickles before adding the rhinestone centers.

The sentiment is from Festive Favorites by Stampin' Up and is stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.

Papers: Baroque Burgundy (yes, I have hoarded it this long!!), True Thyme, Baja Breeze, and US White by Stampin' Up. The designer paper is Figgy Pudding by BasicGrey.

I finished the card off with a big old bow! Hope you like it! It may be coming to your house this Christmas!!!

Mothermark's Teapot Tuesday

I have been following for many weeks the delightful Teapot Tuesday Challenge posted by Mothermark each Tuesday. Please check her blog This is My Story to read about it and see all the amazing teapots.

When I saw that today's beautiful teapot was decorated with roses and pansies, I knew I had to play along since I would get to use my favorite Kitchen Sink Stamps Hearts & Roses and 3-Step Pansy.

The images were stamped as follows using Stampin' Up Inks:

Rose
Layer 1 - Pink Pirouette
Layer 2 - Regal Rose stamped off once
Layer 3 - Regal Rose
Layer 4 - Purely Pomegranate stamped off once

Rose Leaves
Layer 1 - Certainly Celery
Layer 2 -Kiwi Kiss stamped off once
Layer 3 - Kiwi Kiss

Pansy
Layer 1 - Almost Amethyst
Layer 2 - Almost Amethyst again
Layer 3- Lovely Lilac stamped off once
Layer 4 - Lovely Lilac
Layer 5 - Elegant Eggplant

I colored the center of the blossom with my yellow Prismacolor pencil.

Pansy Leaves
Layer 1- Kiwi Kiss
Layer 2 - Old Olive stamped off once
Layer 3 - Old Olive

The sprigs of amethyst were stamped with an image from Petal Prints by Stampin' Up.
The birthday greeting was stamped in Regal Rose from It's Your Birthday by Stampin' Up.

The cardfront is embossed with the Textile Texture folder by Cuttlebug and the edges sponged with Pink Pirouette.

The circle and scalloped circle were cut with Nestabilities.

Christmas Card #28

I used Sketch Challenge #199 on Splitcoaststampers to increase my Christmas card stash.

I created this Christmas card using one of my favorite Santa faces: Santa Collage by Rubber Stampede. The card base is Handsome Hunter by Stampin' Up. The designer papers are from Happy Holidays with Glitter from Hobby Lobby.

The Santa face is stamped with StazOn Black on US White by Stampin' Up and colored with Prismacolor Pencils and gamsol. Green crystals are attached to the snowflake centers and a single loop bow completes the card! Hope you like it!!

SCS Color Challenge 189

The wonderful colors for today were the perfect opportunity for me to break out and ink up my newest Kitchen Sink Stamps Pansy Multi Step Clear Stamps! I can tell already that this set will be one of my favorites. The layers line up so easily to create these gorgeous blossoms!!

These are the Stampin' Up Inks I used to create this card:

Pansies:
Layer 1 - Pink Pirouette
Layer 2 - Pixie Pink stamped off once
Layer 3 - Pixie Pink
Layer 4 - Pink Passion
Layer 5 - Purely Pomegranate

Leaves:
Layer 1 - Kiwi Kiss stamped off once
Layer 2 - Kiwi Kiss
Layer 3 - Old Olive

Stripes and Sentiment:
Chocolate Chip

Papers: Stampin' Up Pink Pirouette, Kiwi Kiss, and US White.

I started on the US White with the two large pansies which I then masked. Next I added the smaller blossoms. I then masked them and finally added the leaves. The strip of blossoms was then cut out and mounted on top of the card front. Flat back pearls were added as the finishing embellishment.

The Chocolate Chip stripes were created using Plaid Plus! Clear Stamps from Kitchen Sink Stamps.
The sentiment is from Whole Family also by Kitchen Sink Stamps.

Christmas Card #27

I found this wonderful Penny Black stamp while out shopping yesterday and had to use it for today's Christmas Card.

Stamps:
Gathering by Penny Black, 2008
Pines by Stampin' Up, 1998
Peaceful Wishes by Stampin' Up, 2006

Paper:
Soft Sky and US White by Stampin' Up

Ink:
Handsome Hunter, Chocolate Chip by Stampin' Up

The sentiment and deer are stamped on separate white panels and then torn, glittered, and layered on the Soft Sky cardfront.

Sisters

In addition to crafting parents, I also have a stamping sister with whom to share my love of ink and paper. I was the first one to start collecting and using stamps, but Liz is the one to really got us on the committed path of serious card making. She became a Stampin' Up demonstrator and joined Splitcoaststampers and the rest, as they say, is history.

You can find her wonderful work on her blog Right Brain Madness as well as her SCS Gallery were she goes by lazylizard. She is the creative stamper, always coming up with beautifully unique and original designs. I am the paper crafter worried about straight lines and smudges! So our personalities played a big part in my choosing to include left-brained in my blog title. Thanks, Liz, for your inspiration and encouragement! I would not be stamping or blogging now if it weren't for you!

Countdown to Christmas

It seems a natural progression of events that I would end up being a card maker. Every year of my life the kitchen table at our house would be wallpapered with folded cards and cut out pretties ready to be assembled into Christmas cards. You see, for almost 60 years now, my parents have created and sent handmade Christmas greetings to family and friends.

During the years when I was raising my family and teaching school, it would be hit or miss whether or not I made my cards. Mostly not! But about 8 years ago, I finally joined in on this delightful family tradition. Most of those years, I picked a design and produced 60 or 70 cards all alike. Usually I was working right down to the wire during that most hectic of seasons.

Last year I decided to try something different to avoid some of the holiday stress. I began in September trying to create at least one Christmas card a day, each with its own unique design.
When December 1 arrived, my cards were complete and ready to go. What fun having my granddaughters help me decide who got which one!!

That worked so well for me that I have challenged myself to do the same thing this year. So here is Christmas card #26. I hope you like it!!

Stamps: Holly & Mistletoe Multi Step Clear Stamps and Heart & Roses Multi Step Clear Stamps by Kitchen Sink Stamps

Inks: Real Red, Cranberry Crisp, Certainly Celery, Wild Wasabi, Old Olive, and Handsome Hunter by Stampin' Up

Papers: Baja Breeze, Cranberry Crisp, and US White by Stampin' Up
Figgy Pudding by BasicGrey

To create this Christmas spray, the rose was stamped first and masked. The greenery was then added.

New to the Blogging World

Today begins my blogging journey! I'm looking forward to sharing with and learning from other avid stampers!!

The first card I am sharing today was created for the Ways to Use It Challenge at Splitcoaststampers. The challenge is Mad about Plaid. I used the Plaid Plus set by Kitchen Sink Stamps to create my plaid background with the 2008 in colors from Stampin' Up.

Stamps:

Santa Face by Paper Inspirations, 2005
Plaid Plus by Kitchen Sink Stamps
All Year Cheer I by Stampin' Up, 2002
Snowflakes by the Paper Studio

Paper:

Kiwi Kiss, Riding Hood Red, Baja Breeze, and US White by Stampin' Up

Ink:

Kiwi Kiss, Riding Hood Red, and Baja Breeze by Stampin' Up