Let It Snow

Belated Merry Christmas wishes to all of you who celebrate Christmas! I hope you enjoyed a wonderful holiday with your loved ones!

I know "Let It Snow" are the last three words many of you want to hear, but here in Virginia we have yet to get anything more than a light dusting. I'm ready for some snow! Today's card is my sample for both Jen del Muro's Sketch for You To Try and for this week's challenge at Our Creative Corner, which is to use something clear on your card. Very little stamping today - just the "Let it Snow" sentiment (by Verve) on the tag. My clear element is a clear button on the snowflake/tag stack. At the bottom of the stack is a Bazzill chipboard snowflake. I coated it with some coarse Martha Stewart snow glitter, then topped it with a felt snowflake, the clear button and the tag. The rest is pretty straightforward, but if you have questions, just ask!

The rest of the SFYTT team's samples can be found here:

Jen (where you'll find the sketch and guest designer Lynn Put's GORGEOUS sample ... Lynn has another one on her blog, The Queen's Scene. Thanks for playing with us this month, Lynn!)
Amy
Carole
Shannan
Susan

All of the OCC's projects can be found on the OCC blog. For more designer chitchat, visit their indivdual blogs:

Cindy Haffner
Dawn Easton
Denise Marzec
Jennifer Meyer
Julee Tilman
Laurie Schmidlin
Lynda Benden

And check this out ... the UBER-talented Jen Tapler is Our Creative Corner's guest this week!! She is AMAZING!

That's it for me today ... thanks for stopping by! I hope you'll play along with one or both challenges this week!



Stamps: Winter Wonder (Verve)
Paper: Old Olive, Riding Hood Red, Baja Breeze, Whisper White, Ski Slope dp (SU!)
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Baja Breeze
Accessories: spellbinders tag die, clear button, burlap string, SU felt snowflake, Bazzill chipboard snowflake, olive ribbon, paper piercer, sewing machine, sponge dauber
Size: 5 1/2" square

Lovey Dovey First Kiss

I am so lucky to have made so many stamping friends over the past year! This week, I've received some amazing handmade cards and goodies. Among those goodies was a stack of pre-stamped Sarah Kay images tucked inside a gorgeous Christmas card from Michelle at Stamper's Dream. One of the images, called First Kiss, was perfect for today's challenge from Our Creative Corner.

Julee Tilman, our December host, is celebrating her 11th wedding anniversary with the love of her life, her awesome husband Mark. If you've been to any of Verve's online release parties, you'll know Mark as Mr. Verve on SCS, and he really IS awesome! The fact that he knows what SCS is, much less has a user ID, makes him awesome in my book. Anyway, Julee's challenge for us is to make our best lovey dovey projects. Think anniversary, Valentine's, or anything for that special person in your life. See what I mean about First Kiss being perfect? It's just the sweetest! And how about that sentiment? From Verve, of course. The set is called Fairy Tales, and it's a fantastic mix of {mostly} sentiments.

Check out the Our Creative Corner blog for all the challenge particulars, plus samples from all the OCC designers. I lovey dovey these girls . For more chitchat on the samples, visit the individual designers' blogs.

Cindy Haffner
Dawn Easton
Denise Marzec
Jennifer Meyer
Julee Tilman
Laurie Schmidlin
Lynda Benden

And how about this: check out who we were lucky enough to snag as our guest designer - Jackie Pedro!! Woo hoo Jackie - so glad to have you this week!

Something else I lovey dovey is when YOU play along! Leave a comment on the OCC blog with a link to your creation so we can check it out. If you upload to SCS, use keyword OCCC (that's three C's). And YOU will lovey dovey this week's prize ... a randomly chosen challenge participant will win a $30 Verve gift certificate!

This card doubles as my sample for Jen del Muro's Sketch for You to Try for the week. This sketch is definitely a keeper for any sketch library - perfect for all of your larger, vertical images especially. Visit Jen at i{heart}2stamp to see the sketch, Jen's sample, and guest designer Lynn Put's sample. Amy, Carole, Shannan, and Susan have samples, too. To play along, leave Jen a comment with a link to your project. If you upload to SCS, use keyword: SFYTT. Can't wait to see what you create!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful weekend!



Stamps: Sarah Kay First Kiss (Stampavie); Fairy Tales (Verve Stamps)
Paper: SU Chocolate Chip, Riding Hood Red and Old Olive; Neenah 80# Solar White; SU Holiday Treasure dp
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; SU Chocolate Chip classic and craft; Ranger Antique Linen Distress ink
Accessories: Copic markers; SU ribbon, buttons, sponge daubers, sponges, dimensionals, clear embossing powder, paper piercer, and scallop border punch; Nestabilities; Pink Hedgehog Papercrafts burlap string; Close to My Heart paper flowers; Boss Kut flourish die-cut; sewing machine and brown thread
Size: 5 1/4" square

Two CASEs and a Friday Funny

I used scraps from these cards and CASE'd this card to crank out two more Christmas cards for my oldest son's teachers. I really, really love these blue and green papers from K&Co's Christmas Cheer pack! Here they are:





And the inside:





Have you seen the Anita Renfroe Mom's Overture? It's been circulating for a while, but here's another take on the original that's worth a look (especially if you missed the original). Thanks to my friend Sandra for emailing a link to this blog post with the new video.


The Mom Song from Northland Video on Vimeo.

[By the way, the video takes a LONG time to load (at least it does for me, and I have a decent high-speed connection), so be patient. Just when you think it's not working, it starts.]

That's it for me today. Thanks for stopping by, and I'll see you manana for my regular Saturday SFYTT and OCCC challenges!

O Come All Ye Faithful

Here's another look at that gorgeous Christmas church set, Worship the Lord, available from Our Daily Bread Designs. I was going for a design here that I could make multiples of fairly easily (clean layout, no designer paper), and then I got carried away with the stick-on pearls and the little ribbon flowers. I just can't help it! I've resigned myself to the fact that there will be no mass-producing this Christmas. Which is perfectly fine, since I have decided to send photo cards this year (a first!) - our appointment is this evening and turnaround is only a few hours. I could conceivably get them in the mail tomorrow!

I colored the image with Copic markers, then used some liquid applique for the snow and added some Golden Wheat Shimmerz (coming soon, soon, soon to the Our Daily Bread Designs store) to the windows. I love the way Cindy Haffner ran her image through the Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder to look like snow on this card, so I gave it a try here. I dotted each dot on the church with a white gel pen, but it looked way too uniform, so I added some extra random white dots. Hopefully, it looks a little bit like you're looking at the church through falling snow. I created the diamond dry embossed pattern on the red background panel with my Scor-Pal.

Here's a look at the inside. The sentiment, also part of the Worship the Lord set, is heat embossed.



Thanks for stopping by today!




Stamps: Worship the Lord (Our Daily Bread Designs)
Paper: Birchtone, Blush Red, and White Prismatics card stock (Prism)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black
Accessories: Copic markers, Nestabilities, Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder, liquid applique, white gel pen, Golden Wheat Shimmerz, stick-on pearls (source unknown), pre-made, handstitched ribbon flowers and white satin ribbon (Offray), Martha Stewart lace border punch, Scor-Pal, clear embossing powder, dimensionals
Size: 5 1/4" square

Fan Club Sneak Peek

It's been a while, huh? More on that another time, but right now, I have some really, really exciting news to share!! I know a lot of you are already familiar with the SCS Fan Club and the monthly Dirty Dozen gallery. In case you're not, each month, the Splitcoast Design Team, aka the Dirty Dozen, dirty girls, dirt pile, etc., get to create projects around a monthly theme, and then on the 15th of the month (that's today!), the gallery is opened up to the Fan Club members. Well, this month, Splitcoast has a big ol' gift for everyone - the December Fan Club Gallery is open to EVERYONE! Head on over and get registered as a member (it's FREE), then feast your eyes on this month's gallery! [June, that means you, too!]

Even more exciting than the opening of the gallery is the announcement of the two newest Dirty Girls. Each month, two designers rotate out, making room for two new ones. And this month's pair is a sure hit! It's a rockin' mother-daughter team: Dawn Lusk (DawnL) and Amber Hillman (bambi64). They've both dazzled us with their creations this month - you MUST see!

If the many perks of a Fan Club membership sound appealing, a one-year membership can be yours for the special holiday price of only $19.95 (regular price $24.95). Already a member? Consider giving Fan Club memberships as gifts!

From a purely selfish standpoint, I'm so excited about the gallery being public because I spend sooooo much of my stamping time on these projects and then can't show them here (sniff, sniff). This month, you can see some of what's been keeping me so busy that I haven't been blogging as much. How about a preview?



And a close-up?




See that fuzzy collar?! I used some Baby Pink Flower Soft to get that look. Her friend has an Ivory Flower Soft boa, and there's some on the pink lady's fuzzy boots, too. This stuff is soooooo cool! And super easy to use!

Now don't wait another minute ... run, run, run visit the complete gallery. Enjoy!

Snow Wonderful

I was more than a little afraid of today's SCS color challenge colors (Riding Hood Red, Taken With Teal, and Baja Breeze) - after all, anything with Taken With Teal is scary. But I ended up really liking the wintry feel of this combo.

The adorable snowman and sentiment are from Verve's new Snow Wonderful set. For the snow, I layered some torn strips of white, then glittered the edges with Frosted Lace Stickles. The white snowflakes were punched with the Martha Stewart snowflake punch and also coated with Frosted Lace Stickles.

Hope you have a wonderful day!



Stamps: Snow Wonderful (Verve Stamps)
Paper: SU Riding Hood Red, Whisper White, Baja Breeze, Taken With Teal
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Riding Hood Red
Accessories: brush-tip Fantastix (for coloring the scarf), Take with Teal and Pumpkin Pie markers, Frosted Lace Stickles, Martha Stewart lace border punch and snowflake punch, Snowflakes Cuttlebug folder, clear embossing powder, Riding Hood Red striped ribbon, 1/4" circle punch, SU Vintage brads, mini glue dots

Spellbound!

All I'm doing these days is making more Christmas cards! It's about the time of year when I tell dh we're just going to send out the photo cards and call it done. Honestly, this might be the year I break down and do it :)

For now, though, here are two more. This first one is my sample for Jen's awesome Sketch for You To Try this week. I love this non-traditional color combo! The patterned papers are all from the K&Co Christmas Cheer mat pack. I also got to play with some new Spellbinders products that came this week. I used the Labels 2 Nestabilities for the olive panel, and I used the Victorian Border Piercabilities for the decorative edge on the blue patterned vertical strip. The fun trim is something I found at Hancock Fabrics yesterday. The ornament is chipboard that's been covered with dp and embellished. I used a ton of "pearl" dew drops for accents.

Check out the sketch, Jen's sample, and a sample from the NEW guest designer at i{heart}2stamp. The rest of the crew has put together some awesome samples, too:

Amy
Carole
Shannan
Susan


Next up is my sample for this week's challenge at Our Creative Corner. Julee Tilman is our host this month, and she's starting us out with a fun sketch challenge. Here's my take:




For this one, I again used the Labels 2 Nestabilities on the sentiment panel. The poinsettia is a combination of Making Memories, Prima, and the Martha Stewart branch punch. The edges of most of the panels as well as the card base have been edged with a thin band of gold. I just dragged my Encore gold metallic pad across the edges. The white poinsettia has been painted with Angel Wings Shimmerz. Along the bottom, you can see some dry embossing and piercing that I did with the Victorian Border Piercabilities.

Be sure to check out the sketch at Our Creative Corner. You'll also find all the details on this week's PRIZE, generously provided by Alma de la Rosa of The Cat's Pajamas. Thank you for joining us, Alma! She also made the most beautiful sketch sample! As usual, you'll find samples from the OCC regulars there, too, and guess what, Laurie Schmidlin is back playing this week. We've missed you Laurie! For more chitchat about their projects, visit their blogs:

Cindy Haffner
Dawn Easton
Denise Marzec
Jennifer Meyer
Julee Tilman
Laurie Schmidlin
Lynda Benden

I received some questions yesterday about where to get the Shimmerz. I bought my Angel Wings a month or two ago at Jacksonbelle Embellishments. Now there is a Shimmerz blog, where you can find a list of online stores that carry them, including My Favorite Things and soon Our Daily Bread Designs, as well as tons of how-to and inspiration. They are great!!

Also, my friend Angel suggested I show my decorated insides. These are both very simple. I'll add an inside sentiment when I'm ready to send these:





Thanks for stopping by, and have a great weekend!



Stamps: Ornamental Christmas (first card, Verve Stamps); All Year Cheer (second card, Stampin' Up)
Paper: Christmas Cheer mat pack (K&Co); SU Old Olive, Not Quite Navy, Very Vanilla
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Certainly Celery, Old Olive, Garden Green, Encore Gold Metallic
Accessories: Labels 2 Nestabilities and Victorian Border Piercabilities (Spellbinders); gold and pearl dew drops, SU ivory taffeta ribbon, Offray wide satin ribbon, Making Memories Christmas Blossoms, Prima leaves, Martha Stewart branch and snowflake punches, gold stickles, SU gold metallic grosgrain, foam adhesive, Angel Wings Shimmerz, chipboard ornament (source unknown), gold cord, Wright's trim, paper piercer
Sizes: SYFTT card is 5 1/2" square; OCC card is standard A2 (4 1/4 x 5 1/2)

Christmas Elegance

I combined this week's SCS color challenge and sketch challenge to make today's card. I love, love, love the crisp elegance of this neutral color combo! See the shimmery snowflakes? Or maybe you can't see the shimmer very well? I punched them from Very Vanilla using the Martha Stewart snowflake punch, then painted them with Angel Wings Shimmerz (I can't say it enough ... I love this stuff!!). They are each topped with 1/4" Sahara Sand circles and a K&Co stick-on pearl.

The ornament image and sentiment are from Ornamental Christmas by Verve Stamps, and the snowflakes I stamped on the inside are from Snowflake Splendor, also by Verve. The set includes a few different ornament images, as well as a bunch of different holiday sentiments, all designed to fit in the middle band of the ornament. I stamped in Versafine Onyx Black and then heat embossed. The band is colored with Copic markers (W1-warm gray and 100-black), and then painted with Angel Wings Shimmerz, just like the snowflakes. I also colored over all the black mats with a black Spica glitter pen. When the light catches it just right, it's ooo-la-la sparkly. Last, I added some black satin ribbon and a punched bottom border.

Here's a detail shot of all that sparkle and shine:



Right now, you can save 10% on the Ornamental Elegance stamp set during Verve's holiday sale! All month long, select sets are discounted between 10% and 20%, and this one is part of the sale. As are quite a few other winter sets, plus a whole bunch more!

Last, I'm hoping this card also qualifies for today's 12 Days of Christmas challenge on Papercraft Planet. Verve is today's sponsor, and the challenge is to make a project that is all black and white. Optional: add a small splash of color. Enter your project by midnight tonight (EST) for a chance to win a prize from Verve! Hope you can play! (You don't have to use Verve stamps, by the way.) Now I've gotta go figure out how to start an album on PCP - haven't done that part yet :) [Update: I did it! Easy peasy :)]

As always, thanks so much for visiting. I know my posts have been getting more and more sporadic here lately. My youngest, who's 18 months old now, is transitioning from two naps to one. Ack!!! There goes a chunk of my stamp time! I've also been working on my dirty dozen projects plus all the usual holiday stuff (stamping and otherwise). I don't know when things will get back to normal, but I'm sure it won't be this month! Thanks for your patience. I know we're pretty much all in the same boat this time of year. I'll keep posting as often as I can! And I'll try to make things extra, extra pretty in case they have to stay up top a few days (grin).



Stamps: Ornamental Elegance (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla, Basic Black, The Story of Us dp (ATD)
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black
Accessories: clear embossing powder, W1 and 100 Copic markers, black Spica pen, Angel Wings Shimmerz, Nestabilities, Offray ribbon, Martha Stewart snowflake punch and border punch, Scor-Pal, 1/4" circle punch, K&Co pearls, foam adhesive

Rejoice!

Here's another look at that gorgeous winter church from Worshop the Lord by Our Daily Bread Designs. It's available TODAY, along with an advent wreath set called I Wait For the Lord. I know lots of stampers have been waiting for this release. It's such a great one! And thank you so, so much for all the comments on my Christmas Church card from last week. I didn't expect anything like that kind of a response! But truly - it's the beautiful image that does all the hard work! Be sure to visit the ODBD gallery for more ideas for both sets.

I stamped on watercolor paper and colored with a combination of Stampin' Up markers, reinkers, an aqua painter, and sponges. The snow on the ground is done with Dazzling Diamonds glitter from SU, and the snow on the roof is done with a Sakura Stardust gel pen. The flowers are by Prima. I got the idea to make the sentiment into a banner from the amazing Anna Wight. It's tacked down at the left and right and bows out in the middle. You can't see it very well in the photo, but I added two score lines just above the lacy punched border.

Thanks for stopping by! And how did it get to be December, by the way?!




Stamps: Worship the Lord (Our Daily Bread Designs)
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black; Riding Hood Red, Cranberry Crisp, Baroque Burgundy, Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip, Going Gray, Bashful Blue, Basic Black reinkers and/or markers
Paper: Canson watercolor paper; SU Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Whisper White, and Riding Hood Red
Accessories: Prima flowers, SU riding hood red taffeta, Vintage brads, paper piercer, distressing tool, sponges, Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder, Martha Stewart lace border punch
Size: 5 1/4" square

Winter Wonderland

This week's challenge at Our Creative Corner is to use snowflakes and/or snowmen on your card. Easy, right? So no excuses for not playing along ;) Be sure to hop on over to the Our Creative Corner blog for challenge details, plus a beautiful sample from special guest Janice Melton (catcrazy on SCS), as well as samples from the regular OCC designers. For more chitchat on the samples, visit the designers' blogs:

Cindy Haffner
Dawn Easton
Denise Marzec
Jennifer Meyer
Julee Tilman
Lynda Benden

The layout is from Jen del Muro's awesome Sketch for You to Try this week. You can find the sketch, guest designer Becca Feeken's sample, and Jen's sample at i{heart}2stamp. I can't wait to see what the rest of the team put together with this sketch:

Amy R
Carole
Shannan
Susan

I was so excited to ink up this charming little snowman from Verve's new Snow Wonderful set. Isn't he adorable with that sweet, innocent face looking up? I stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black ink, colored with Prismacolor pencils, Gamsol, and a blending stump, then layered the three snowman parts using the Paper Tole method. I adhered the snowman to a Soft Sky panel that had been glittered with Icicle Stickles.

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!



Stamps: Snow Wonderful (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Baja Breeze, Baja Breeze textured, Whisper White, Soft Sky textured, Ski Slope dp (all SU!)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: liquid applique, Prismacolors, Gamsol, blending stumps, dimensionals, Icicle Stickles, classic and scalloped circle Nestabilities, Soft Sky double-stitched ribbon, Baja Breeze double-striped ribbon, white satin ribbon, Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware, half-back pearl from the SU Pretties kit, paper piercer
Size: 5 1/2" square

Season of Joy

I recently got a sheet of something called Cotton Scraps from Crafty Secrets. In case you haven't seen these, what you get is an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of cotton twill that's been printed with all sorts of wonderful, vintage images. I cut one of the images from the "Winter" sheet, frayed the edges a little and used it as the focal point of my card. So quick and easy! I was comparing my stash of Christmas cards with my list and realizing I still have a LOT of cards to make. I'm feeling a little more encouraged after this quickie.

So it's Black Friday in the US - are you shopping today or staying put? Me personally - I don't do mornings or crowds willingly. You're not likely to catch me anywhere near a store today! No thanks :)

Unless it's an online store, of course. And speaking of shopping and sales and online stores, here's a little something ...

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'd like to wish all of my American readers a Happy Thanksgiving. And I hope everyone, American or not, has a wonderful, blessed day! I have so many things to be thankful this year, and I'm looking forward to spending the day enjoying my friends and family and reflecting on all of God's blessings this past year. One thing I'm thankful for is this awesome hobby we all share, which has given me a chance to get to know so many other stampers and papercrafters. You all are the best!

Sorry no card or project :( Sick kids, traveling, etc. I have some winter and Christmas stuff ready to go for tomorrow and Saturday, though. See you again then!

Big hugs,
Amy

Christmas Church

I have a peek today of one of the two new sets coming on December 1 from Our Daily Bread Designs. This beautiful Christmas church scene is from the set Worship the Lord, which also has two sentiments and a Scripture stamp. I adore the tranquility of the scene and plan on making a few extras to use as Christmas cards this year. Don't worry - these will go to other artistic types!

I stamped on watercolor paper and colored with a combination of an aqua painter with re-inkers and markers. I sponged some extra ink on the sky using Bordering Blue ink. The snow is a combination of liquid applique, Frosted Lace Stickles, and a Sakura stardust gel pen. I cut the image panel using Stampin' Up's Top Note Sizzix die, then hand-cut a Chocolate Chip mat. The designer papers are from the Frost Collection by Memory Box. I used the Stampin' Up curvy label punch to create the white scalloped trim around the background panel.

Here's a detail shot of some of that sparkle:



Thanks for stopping by!



Stamps: Worship the Lord (Our Daily Bread Designs)
Paper: Stampin' Up's Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, and Baja Breeze; Memory Box Frost collection dp
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black; Chocolate Chip, Bordering Blue, Going Gray, Sahara Sand, So Saffron, Always Artichoke, Baroque Burdundy
Accessories: liquid applique, Frosted Lace Stickles, Sakura Stardust pen, Martha Stewart star border punch, Chocolate wide satin ribbon, Top Note die, scalloped border punch, curvy label punch, aqua painter, sewing machine, K&Co snowflake brad, K&Co lacy snowflake stickers
Size: 5 3/4" square

New Rubbah!

What an awesome mail week - lots of new images to play with! This sweet little giraffe is from a NEW stamp company: Our Craft Lounge. Have you heard yet? SCS old-timers Cambria Turnbow and Joy Kennedy have teamed up to bring us Marianne Walker's (of Copic marker fame) drawings to use in stamp form. The first collection of images is fantastic, and I'm super excited to see what comes next! You can read more about how the company started here.

I used Jen del Muro's Sketch for You to Try for my layout. Be sure to visit Jen at i{heart}2stamp, so you can see the sketch, Jen's sample, and guest designer Becca Feeken's sample. Check out what the rest of the SFYTT posse has cooked up - I love these girls!!

Amy
Carole
Shannan
Susan

All are welcome to play along. Remember to use keyword: SFYTT if you upload to SCS.

I stamped the giraffe on some of Gina K Designs' new Pure Luxury card stock. Holy smokes, as soon as I took a piece out of the package, I knew I was holding something special. The surface is silky smooth, the weight is nice (it's available in 80 pound and 120 pound - I tried the 8o-pound here), and it works beautifully with Copic markers, which I used for my coloring today. All the pretty papers are from a K&Co/Brenda Walton pad that I found at my local Jo-Ann's. One thing you can't see well, if at all, in the photo, is the subtle shimmer I added with a clear Spica pen. The giraffe is completely coated, but I also edged all the dp panels and the white image panel with a thin line. The touch of sparkle looks really nice IRL.


This next card is my sample for the challenge at Our Creative Corner this week:



Denise Marzec, our November host, has created an awesome sketch! You'll find the sketch, a sample from our guest designer Jami Bova (so glad to have you, girl!), as well as samples from the OCC team on the OCC blog. To play along, link up your sketch creation as a comment on the blog. If you upload to SCS, remember to add keyword: OCCC.

The lighthouse image is from a to-die-for set from Cornish Heritage Farms called "Beacon of Hope." I adore lighthouses and ocean-theme images, and this set is full of them. Not to mention some really touching sentiments. I'm expecting to get lots of use out of this one. I stamped on watercolor paper, colored with an aqua painter and Stampin' Up reinkers, then embellished with some navy grosgrain, rope twine, distressing, piercing (of course), and Antique Brass brads.

Have a great weekend!



Giraffe:
Stamps: Tree-mendous Love (Our Craft Lounge)
Paper: SU Certainly Celery, Prismatics Island Mist Medium, Brenda Walton Small Wonders Boy dp by K&Co
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Copic markers; Spica glitter pen; various ribbons from my stash (sources unknown); SU rhinestone brads, silver brads, filigree brads, paper piercer, and dimensionals; sewing machine; flowers by Daisy D's and Prima

Lighthouse:
Stamps: Beacon of Hope (Cornish Heritage Farms)
Paper: SU Night of Navy; Prismatics Medium Tawny card stock; Granola dp by Basic Grey; Canson watercolor paper
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, SU Night of Navy and Creamy Caramel, reinkers for coloring
Accessories: aqua painter, edge distressing tool, antique brass brads, dimensionals, sponge daubers, paper piercer, rope twine, 1/2-inch navy grosgrain

Thankful Hearts - A Dirty Challenge

On the 20th of each month, past and current Dirty Dozen designers get together for a fun challenge. Sharon Harnist has hosted this month's awesome challenge:

Challenge Focus: Create a thankful card or gift, Thanksgiving table placecard or treat holder, or Thanksgiving home decor item.

Required Element: At least one heart on your project.

Restricted Element: Nothing

Be sure to have a look at all the projects HERE.

All day yesterday I was a day behind, so by the time I figured out today is the 20th and not tomorrow, I had no brainpower left to create anything more than a card. I used the same overall layout of Tuesday's card, too, except that I turned the Top Note die panel into a raised frame for the main image. The image is from Give Thanks by Our Daily Bread Designs, and is watercolored with an aqua painter, Stampin' Up markers and Stampin' Up reinkers. My heart element is a metal button in the upper left of the frame. I tied some burlap string through it and put a brown twill ribbon tab behind it. The bottom Mellow Moss edge is done with a Martha Stewart border punch. The bottom large panel is raised up on 1/16" dimensionals, and the Top Note frame is raised up on 1/8" foam squares. I'll be giving this one to my mom on Thanksgiving Day to show my thanks that she's hosting the family dinner this year. Hope she likes it! Actually, she has to like it, right? It's a "mom requirement" :)

I was going to save this next project for tomorrow, but I'm terrible at sitting on things. I made this for yesterday's SCS sketch challenge.



The Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus image, also from Our Daily Bread Designs, is from a new set called Joy to the World. The star is from We Three Kings. I did my coloring with an aqua painter, reinkers, and markers. See that gorgeous piercing around the perimeter? Oh my gosh, I've had my eye on the Ornare piercing templates forever! Kelley now carries them at ODBD, so now I have a couple to try! There are lots of different styles - check 'em out HERE.

Thanks for stopping by, and I'll see you again on Saturday for Jen's Sketch for You to Try and a new Our Creative Corner challenge!




Thanksgiving Blessings:
Stamps: Give Thanks (Our Daily Bread Designs)
Paper: SU Chocolate Chip, Canson watercolor paper, Memory Box "Twiggy" designer paper
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black; lots of Stampin' Up re-inkers and markers
Accessories: K&Co metal heart, burlap string from Pink Hedgehog Paper Crafts, Offray brown twill, Martha Stewart border punch, SU Top Note Sizzix die, aqua painter, paper piercer, Chocolate Chip marker

Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus:
Stamps: Joy to the World and We Three Kings (Our Daily Bread Designs)
Paper: CTMH Cocoa, CTMH Simple Pleasures designer paper, Canson watercolor paper
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, lots of Stampin' Up and CTMH reinkers and markers
Accessories: Spellbinders square Nestabilities, Offray brown twill, K&Co metal buttons, Ornare piercing templates, dimensionals, paper piercer, sponge daubers

Triangle Fold Medallion

I played along with yesterday's Technique Lover's Challenge on SCS, which was to create a triangle fold medallion. The medallion is made with four of the patterns from Stampin' Up's Haiku designer series paper, then layered onto a combination of three scalloped circles and a top-note die-cut. The flower center is an Old Olive felt flower with a silver circle brad to hold it in place. I stamped "Birthday Celebrations" from Upsy Daisy, then cut it out with a Spellbinders label die. The bottom lacy edge is done with a Martha Stewart border punch.

Before I go, I'd love to share some recent goodies I've received. A few weeks ago, I posted about using the retired Cranberry Crisp card stock so much, and wondered what I'll do when I run out. Would you believe a pack of Cranberry Crisp card stock and a spool of stitched ribbon showed up in my mailbox a few days later from the amazingly sweet, talented, fellow dirty girl Jessie Rone? It was such a thoughtful and unexpected surprise it brought tears to my eyes! And now I don't have to worry about running out for that much longer. As if that weren't enough, she included this most darling card EVER:



Then, last week, another beautiful surprise from Heather Rolin of H&M Stamps:



Arent those angels the sweetest? Heather is such an amazing artist. Check out the adorable images she has at H&M Stamps!

I have one more beautiful RAK from last week, plus some overdue birthday RAKS from September, but I'll post those on another day!
Thanks for visiting,



Stamps: Upsy Daisy (Stampin' Up!)
Paper: So Saffron, Very Vanilla, Old Olive, Tangerine Tango, More Mustard card stock; Haiku designer paper (all SU!)
Ink: Old Olive, Tangerine Tango, So Saffron
Accessories: circle brad, felt flower, silver brads, paper piercer, dimensionals, sponge daubers, Top Note Sizzix die (SU!); scalloped Nestabilities and label die (Spellbinders); Martha Stewart lace border punch; Saffron grosgrain (Pink Hedgehog Paper Crafts); Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder
Size: 5 1/4" square

Lotsa Fun Stuff

Lots to share today! First up is my sample for this week's challenge at Our Creative Corner. Denise, our November host, has a fun one for us this week - use a silhouette stamp. We also welcome Silke Ledlow (aka sparklegirl on SCS) as our guest designer this week, so you're also invited to add some sparkle to your card if you want. The OCC designers' samples are all posted on the Our Creative Corner blog, and also on their individual blogs. Be sure to check them out:

Cindy Haffner
Dawn Easton
Denise Marzec
Jennifer Meyer
Julee Tilman
Lynda Benden

For my card, I combined Stampin' Up's Upsy Daisy set with some Urban Garden designer paper (also SU!) and used this week's SCS color challenge colors: Basic Gray, Pacific Point, and Certainly Celery. I inked the image in Pacific Point, stamped off once, then sponged Pacific Point onto the flower tips. I liked how this gave me a slight color gradation. I then painted on some Angel Wings Shimmerz. The scallop border is one of the Martha Stewart punches. I got the idea to add piercing to the scallops from OCC teammate Dawn Easton. We'd love to have you play along. Remember to use keyword OCCC if you upload to SCS.

Next up is my sample for Jen's Sketch for You To Try. As always, visit Jen at i{heart}2stamp to see the sketch, Jen's sample, and guest designer Becca Feeken's sample. Then visit Amy, Carole, Shannan, and Susan for more ways to use the sketch. Again, we'd love to have you play along. The keyword on SCS is SFYTT. Here's my take:



The inspiration for this one was the Frosty Day designer paper from Stampin' Up (I think that's the name of it?). I finally got around to ordering some of the Stampin' Up holiday stuff. The sentiment was created with a Harmony Rectangular Stamper Set and the Brayton Font, both from JustRite Stampers. The snowflake I used to stamp on the sentiment panel is from the Christmas Joy set by Clear Art Stamps from Crafty Secrets, and the chocolate brads are from Pink Hedgehog Paper Crafts.

I had hoped to have some kind of "teaser" project to post today as a reminder that the November Dirty Dozen gallery has been unveiled, but I just plain ran out of time. This month's theme was soooo much fun: Chick Lit. Even more fun are the two newest dirty girls, but you'll have to head to SCS for the full scoop ;) Check it all out right HERE. Or, for info on how to join the Fan Club, click here.

If you're here for stamping and stamping only, that's it for today. If you like the non-stamping stuff occasionally, keep reading ...

I mentioned on Thursday that it was my husband's and my fifteenth wedding anniversary - remember? Well, lookie what showed up in my driveway that afternoon:



The limo took us in to Washington, DC for a wonderful dinner in Georgetown, followed by a show at the Kennedy Center. It was kinda rainy and yucky, so I can't tell you how nice it was to have door-to-door service all evening long. That said, are you thinking what I'm thinking? Say it with me: "That's a lot of stamps!" LOL!

Please know that we are NOT extravagant people at all -- he even less than I! I'm 40 and had never been in a limo before. I have to confess that I gave my husband a little bit of grief for let's just say "insufficient hoopla" when I turned 40 two months ago. But now that I think about it, what's worth celebrating more? After all, staying married for fifteen years takes a LOT more work than merely aging a few decades, kwim?

And here we are, me with my bad-hair day and everything:



(By the way, I can't wait to get these braces off and smile like a normal person again. I don't know what DH's excuse is! Maybe that's what you look like after you've been married to ME for fifteen years - ROFL!)

Thanks so much for visiting, and have a great weekend!



You're On My Mind:
Stamps: Upsy Daisy (Stampin Up)
Paper: Certainly Celery, pacific Point, Whisper White, Basic Gray, Urban Garden dp (SU)
Ink: Pacific Point, Certainly Celery
Accessories: pewter jumbo eyelets, ice rhinestone brads, pewter hodgepodge hardware, Pacific Point double-striped ribbon, paper piercer (SU!); Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder; Martha Stewart border punch; Angel Wings Shimmerz

Let It Snow:
Stamps: Brayton Font (JustRite Stampers); Christmas Joy (Clear Art Stamps by Crafty Secrets)
Paper: Tangerine Tango, Chocolate Chip, Bashful Blue, Whisper White, Frosty Day dp (SU!)
Ink: Tangerine Tango, Bashful Blue
Accessories: felt ribbon, sponge daubers, scallop border punch (SU!); chocolate brads (Pink Hedgehog Paper Crafts); foam squares; sewing machine/white thread