12 Tags of Christmas - Funkie Junkie Style #5

Here's my fifth post today for the great tag challenge at The Funky Junkie blog, the Funkie Junkie Twelve Tags of Christmas. Most people started in September. Linda introduces a new tag each week for us to CASE. The challenge runs until December 17th.It's being sponsored by her store, The Funkie Junkie Boutique. She'll have a drawing for great prizes for several who enter all twelve tag challenges.

Here is Linda's inspiration tag that I "CASEd."

 I loved the Noel theme of this tag and copied the hymn from a vintage hymnal that I'd been lucky to find in a thrift store. I chose Kraft cardstock to go with this theme, Cricut cut the Noel title and the flower. Here's my take on this challenge:

I wanted the music to be the focus, so I scanned it and reduced the size to fit on my tag. It was a little dark, so the title didn't show up well and needed to be matted separately on the banner.  I stamped "Noel" with a large script background stamp.l

Tags are a great place for large flowers that would be smashed in an envelope or scrapbook. My Cricut flower was fun to make. I inked the edges with a sponge and Ruby ink, rolled it, used Liquid glass to adhere the bottom edges to the circular bottom, added a small CTMH flower that was inked to the bottom, then added 3 black pearls.  The CTMH leaves were actually yellow, but I inked them with Olive ink to match "Noel." The flower gave my tag a feminine feel so I added a large bow out of seam binding and tied more cream colored fibers at the top.

I'm sharing this tag with the following challenges:
Anything Goes Challenge #81 - Tags
The Funkie Junkie 12 Tags of Christmas - #5
Through the Craftroom Door #46 - Anything Goes
Crafts and Me #112 - ribbons or trim

12 Tags of Christmas - Funkie Junkie Style #4

Here's my fourth post for the great tag challenge at The Funky Junkie blog, the Funkie Junkie Twelve Tags of Christmas. Most people started in September. Linda introduces a new tag each week for us to CASE. The challenge runs until December 17th.It's being sponsored by her store, The Funkie Junkie Boutique. She'll have a drawing for great prizes for several who enter all twelve tag challenges.

Here is Linda's inspiration tag that I "CASEd."

Her checked background inspired me to use a barn red houndstooth check paper from CTMH. I embossed a barn red panel, added "stamps" where she had newsprint, a postal cancelation where she had the words "Post Card" green pine instead of holly, a corrugated star with different words.  Here's my result:

I really liked the shape of this tag that I cut on Cricut Artiste. The papers, stamp, ink, star, red glitter glue, flower and brown pearl are from CTMH. The stamps were cut from The Paper Studio paper.

I'm sharing this tag with the following challenges:
Anything Goes Challenge #81 - Tags
That Craft Place - No Squares Allowed
The Funkie Junkie Challenge - Tag #4
The Paper Girls #20 - Christmas theme







 

12 Tags of Christmas - Funkie Junkie Style #3

Here's my third post for the great tag challenge at The Funky Junkie blog, the Funkie Junkie Twelve Tags of Christmas. Most people started in September. Linda introduces a new tag each week for us to CASE. The challenge runs until December 17th.It's being sponsored by her store, The Funkie Junkie Boutique. She'll have a drawing for great prizes for several who enter all twelve tag challenges.

Here is Linda's inspiration tag that I "CASEd."

I CASEd her color blue, the snowman, snowflake, heart, grid and tiny gold or silver element.

The night before I made these I had colored several of these snowman images for cards and fussy cut all of them. So this was a quick pick for this tag. I used glittered snowflake paper which shows up better in the next photo. I used a felt snowflake and put a gold and silver "star"??? thing on the center. I especially chose this sentiment which goes with this set of snowmen who have hearts. My grid was a type of rough woven fiber that looks like a grid. The fiber, felt snowflake, and snowman stamp I've had for many years. They are definitely oldies but still goodies.

Here's how shiny the embossed snowflakes are:

 

I'm sharing this tag with the following challenges:

Oldie But Goodie - Snow

 Stampin' Royalty #152 - Tags

The Funkie Junkie - Tag 3

 

12 Tags of Christmas - Funkie Junkie Style #2

Here's my second post for the great tag challenge at The Funky Junkie blog, the Funkie Junkie Twelve Tags of Christmas. Most people started in September. Linda introduces a new tag each week for us to CASE. The challenge runs until December 17th.It's being sponsored by her store, The Funkie Junkie Boutique. She'll have a drawing for great prizes for several who enter all twelve tag challenges.

Here is Linda's inspiration tag that I "CASEd."

I chose her layout, gears theme, silver, red, and Santa.

Once again, I cut the tag using the Cricut Artiste image that featured gears. I also cut the black gears from other elements on those two pages. "Jolly" was cut using the Artiste as well. I embossed the Vanilla cardstock using the Clockworks embossing folder that was brayered with embossing ink. After running it through my Wizard, I sprinkled it with silver embossing powder and heat set. I punched some white snowflakes on red cardstock with a 1.12" circle punch and placed those three red elements inside three of the gears. The retro/vintage Santa was also punched from cardstock. Last I used red twill tied with black and white baker's twine.

Now I just have to decide which of the men in our family will get this on their gift bag this Christmas! (Maybe I'll make more!)

I'm entering this Christmas tag in the following challenges:
Catered Crop - Silver or Gold
Sisterhood of Crafters - Embossing
The Funkie Junkie - Tag #2
Try It On Tuesday - Christmas Sparkle
 

12 Tags of Christmas - Funkie Junkie Style #1

I needed to make some Christmas tags for My daughter-in-law's open house this weekend. While searching for ideas I came across a great challenge at The Funky Junkie blog, the Funkie Junkie Twelve Tags of Christmas. Most people started in September. Linda introduces a new tag each week for us to CASE. The challenge runs until December 17th.It's being sponsored by her store, The Funkie Junkie Boutique. She'll have a drawing for great prizes for several who enter all twelve tag challenges.

Here is her 1st tag.

I cased her design and most elements. My tag was cut from CTMH Vanilla cardstock using Cricut Artiste. There are so many fun tag shapes that I wanted to try. Mine are all cut at 5.5."

I stamped my background with Bamboo pigment ink and clear embossed it. I used a CTMH stamp called Jardin. It had butterfly wings which I substituted for the angel wings.

I sponged hollyhock and desert sand inks over the embossed surface and stamped music staffs on the bottom with Desert Sand.
The numbers and stars were cut from La Belle Vie patterned paper, using the darker Smoky Plum side. They were cut, along with the cardstock heart, using the Cricut Art Philosophy cart. The heart was dry embossed using a Sizzix embossing folder. Last of all I added more bling, some silver glitter glue around the edges and stars. and a couple of violet sparkles.

I've made 5 of the tags since last night, so I'll post all 5 of those today in separate posts. Thank you for visiting!

I'm sharing this tag with the following challenges:
Charisma Cardz #47 - Christmas, but no green, gold or red ( mine is pink, desert sand, smoky plum and silver)
Divas by Design #63 - Glitter and Sparkle
Simon Says Stamp and Show - a project with Heart
The Funkie Junkie - tag #1


 

PSC57 - Recognize Someone

This week at The Perfect Sentiment Challenge I had the opportunity to create a different kind of card. Here's the challenge:

Create a card with a sentiment to fit this twist - A major holiday just passed where we give thanks for all that we have and for all those we love. But, I bet there is someone out there, who could use a little recognition simply because they mean a lot to you. Maybe it is someone who provides a great service to you or your family but there isn't a holiday to recognize them.

I decided to mix a Christmas card with an appreciation to someone in full time Christian service. I need several of these cards for our pastor and the Christian school teachers who educate my grandchildren. I want them to know that I don't take them for granted, that I appreciate all that they do.  This card I made specifically for our pastor. As I made it I tried to maintain a masculine tone.

This challenge is being sponsored by Pattie's Creations, who will give a free digital stamp to one lucky winner in our challenge.

 

I used this sketch from Papertake Weekly. I knew that I needed a large horizontal shape and a small vertical area for my sentiment. This sketch was perfect for that.

The sentiment I used on the front of my card comes from the digital version of Clear Dollar Stamps "Church Chatter."  The Bethlehem scene is their Little Bethlehem color digital image. It also comes in outline version for you to color. I took the quick route and printed the color version on the same designer paper I used to print the sentiment strip. Then I fussy cut the image and pop dotted it on an oval cut with Cricut Art Philosophy.

My inside sentiment comes from Clear Dollar Stamps, Christmas Card Sentiments. If you're looking for a great variety of inside sentiments, that set has about 21 verses and scripture to use on Christmas cards for only $3.00. I was amazed when it was introduced.

I hope this gives you some ideas for your own cards and may God bless you as you bless others in your cards and giving.

I am sharing this card with the following challenges:
Cards for Men #24 - Christmas
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #100 - for someone special - our pastor
Papertake Weekly Challenge #74 - Use any of their sketches. (I used this week's sketch.)
The Paper Girls Challenge #20 - Christmas/winter themed

6" x 6" Christmas Card Recipe:
Paper - Recollections "Naughty or Nice," Prima "Madeline" for green background;  white cardstock
Digital Stamps - Clear Dollar Stamps "Church Chatter," "Little Bethlehem," and "Christmas Card Sentiments"
Accents - gold sparkle and fiber unknown
Tools - Printer, Martha Stewart punch, Cricut Art Philosophy (oval)



 

Scripture Display Albums as Christmas Gifts

Through all of life's ups and downs I find that Scriptures I've memorized over the years quickly come to mind and see me through any circumstance. For this reason I love to share favorite verses to help others through such situations. Usually I do this through cards. However, last month I had wanted to make some framed word art Scripture verses as gifts, but I couldn't decide which verses would be most important for such a project. Then I remembered some 6" x 6" display albums I had previously bought. They are for displaying photo layouts while sitting upright and open on a table or mantle. The great thing is that it has twelve page protectors which means it can display 12 - 24 layouts. So I've been making 120 pages for ten different albums.

Here is the cover and a side view. I used a lot of dimensional embellishments, so it doesn't need the bottom "stand" opened to help it stay upright, but I opened it so you could see how it's made.


Feb 15th word art:

The cover and the following pages were made using the scripture word art that you can save at Word Art Wednesday. The verses they've selected are great encouragement for anyone to show in their home. I kept the layouts fairly simple because I've been making 10 of them.  please leave me your email address and I'll send you the information. (If you're interested in getting these blank albums to make gifts, they can be purchased temporarily here. Close To My Heart is discontinuing these albums by the end of January. )

I will post the next 12 pages over several posts so that each post will upload more quickly for you. I will give you the dates where you can find the word art at Word Art Wednesday. Here are some of the pages:

August 8th word art:

August 29th word art:

August 1st word art:

February 29th word art:

I'm sharing this project with the following challenge:
Word Art Wednesday Challenge #55 - Anything Goes
Inspire Me Fridays #86 - Anything Goes
Simply Create #10 - Anything goes with digital

Mojo Monday 268 - Shabby Christmas Love and Joy

Even though this week is busy, I just had to make another Christmas card using this week's sketch from Mojo Monday.

I was so happy to use this sketch because I had a doily with a badly wrinkled side that I could cut off for this card. I always think I can find some use for even a "damaged" element. (Is that a quality of a hoarder?) I altered the sketch to make my card horizontal instead of vertical. I combined the elements from several challenges and here's the result:

The Shabby Tea Room has a Bingo challenge this week along with their photo inspiration.

I chose the middle vertical row: doily, pearls, and a sentiment. However, I also used stitching, a button and ribbon from other rows. I chose the silver color of the skate blade and frosty windows along with the cream, brown, red and green in the photo.

I used Cricut Art Philosophy to cut the dark green scalloped circle on the doily. I used punches for the rest of the circles and the evergreen branches. The green dotted circle was cut with a 2" scallop punch and the sentiment circle was punched with a 2.5" punch.

The front sentiment is from Close To My Heart's stamp set, "To You and Yours." Because it spoke of "love" and "joy" I chose an inside digi sentiment from a Clear Dollar Stamps set, "Christmas Blessings." They introduced so many Christmas sentiments in November that I want to use them all!

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Anything Goes Challenge #80 - stitching - mine is real
Craft-room Challenge - punches and diecuts
Crafts and Me #111 - circles
Mojo Monday #268 - sketch
Papertake Weekly - ribbons and pearls
Stamptacular Sunday #190 - Recipe: ribbon, pearls, dies & punches, stamping (front sentiment)
The Shabby Tea Room #141 - tic tac toe (doily, pearls, sentiment)

5" x 6.5" Christmas Card Recipe:
Paper - The Paper Studio (music dp); Close To My Heart New England Ivy, Ruby, Colonial White cardstock
Stamps - CTMH acrylic stamp "To You and Yours," Clear Dollar Stamps digi set "Christmas Blessings"
Ink - CTMH Ruby, Black
Accents - Wilton doily; CTMH Cocoa Ribbon, button, poinsettia brad, pearls, Cranberry waxy flax
Tools - CTMH Cricut Art Philosophy, CTMH 2" scallop circle punch; 2.5" circle punch



 

CIC64 - CAS (Clean and Simple) Christmas Card

Life is getting really busy with the holidays approaching. So this is a great time to focus on SIMPLE. Here's a card I quickly made for the Clearly Inspired Challenge CIC64 - to make a clean and simple card.

I used the large sentiment and holly from the Clear Dollar Stamp set: Light of Winter for the front of my card. I printed the sentiment on a 4X6 piece of cardstock, aligning it on the bottom. I trimmed half an inch off the length of the card, lined up the upper portion on my cuttlebug embossing folder and embossed it, avoiding the area with the sentiment. I wrapped it with ribbon and the holly that I'd printed separately and colored. I pop dotted it on the card base. Quick and Easy!!

I wanted to finish the inside also. I chose a verse from Christmas Blessings that talked about Peace. I copied it, then opened a new file sized 4x6. I reduced the size of the holly I'd already printed to a width of 1." I flipped it horizontally then I copied and pasted it above the sentiment. After I printed it I matted it in red to match the ribbon. DONE!

I looked at my card for a while and decided that since the ribbon was so shiny I would add sparkles to the highlight spots of the holly berries.

I hope this will help someone else to be able to make a quick Christmas card (or more)! I was so glad to be able to use this great sentiment. I thought I had a great selection of Christmas sentiments until I saw these new ones. There are many more among the new releases that you might want to check out on the Clear Dollar Stamps website. Look under the new digis for November.

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Dream Valley Challenge #45 - Anything Goes
Forever Friends Challenge #49 - Use Ribbon or twine
Little Red Wagon #159 - Texturize it (holly ribbon embossing folder)
Penny's Papercrafty Challenge #102 - Anything Goes
Twist of Faith #11 - Religious Christmas

5.5" x 4.25" Christmas Card Recipe:
Images: Clear Dollar Stamps "Light of Winter," "Christmas Blessings"
Paper - white and red cardstock from stash
Accents - Really Reasonable Ribbon: CTMH red sparkles
Tools - Printer, Photoshop CS, Cuttlebug "Holly Ribbons" embossing folder
 

November Digi Day at Clear Dollar Stamps

It's time for the November Release of digital images. If you're getting ready for Christmas I know you'll find images and sentiments that will help you make cards and gifts. Here are the cards I'm sharing, but you'll want to check out the rest on our blog: Clearly iStamp.

The digi stamp I'm featuring is Cool Ride, but I also used the Corvette images. I have five grandsons and never have enough masculine cards. I hope this gives you some ideas if you need to make more for men, too.

Here are the details on this card. I'm sharing it with the Cards for Men challenge #23 - Anything Goes

Images: CDS digi Cool Ride, Corvette outline
Markers - Copics N0, N4, N8 (neutral grays), B00 Frost Blue; CTMH alcohol markers Juniper, Juniper Light
Paper - CTMH Cruisin,' white and red, and black cardstock
Accents - CTMH Pewter Durables, Black grosgrain ribbon
Tools - printer, Photoshop, Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge(ovals)
Technique - I used copy and paste to make the background paper using most of the Cool Ride phrases as well as inserting it near the corvette image. After I copied and pasted each one I used the Copy Merged function under edit to copy the set and paste it two more times. That way you don't have to flatten all the layers before copying.

 

I'm also sharing this card with the Cards for Men challenge #23 - Anything Goes. I used the same word file that I made for the previous card but added the emboss feature in Photoshop. Here are more details:

 

Images: CDS digis Cool Ride and Corvette outine
Markers: Copics N0, N4, N6 (Neutral Grays), R35 Coral, RV29 Crimson, B00 Frost Blue, 0 Colorless Blender
Paper - CTMH Cruisin', White, Black cardstock
Accents: CTMH black baker's twine, Tulip brads
Tools: printer, Photoshop CS
Technique: I used the Cool Ride phrases that I'd copied and pasted from the previous card, then I added the filter called "Emboss" under the heading "Stylize." I accepted the default and voila! The background was supposed to be grayish with the words embossed! 

 

 

This last card features Simple Gifts. I loved the variety of shapes and paper designs on these.

I couldn't decide which gift to use for this card, so I used more than one of the gifts to make my image. I'm sharing this card with the Nutcrafters Challenge #31 - gifts, and Little Red Wagon #159 - Texture.

Images - CDS Simple Gifts
Markers - Copics B00 Frost Blue, RV29 Crimson; CTMH alcohol markers-Sweet Leaf, Ponderosa Pine, Blush
Paper: My Mind's Eye 12 Days of Christmas; CTMH White Daisy, Topiary
Accents: CTMH white organdy ribbon, red waxy flax
Tools: Printer, Photoshop, Cuttlebug "Holly Ribbons" embossing folder
Technique: I copied and pasted individual gift boxes to make a group. It's important to keep the same resolution in your new document as each of the gifts (about 300dp)

I hope you'll visit the Clearly iStamp blog and see more fabulous cards made with the other new digis.

Mojo Monday 267- Another Pieced Background

I was playing with scraps again tonight like the card I made for The Perfect Sentiment Challenge Blog. This one used snowy scraps and a cardstock sticker from the Wonderland Paper Pack and pieces of Basic Grey from the cover sheet in one of the collections. If you'd like to know how to piece a background this way, I explained it on my blog post yesterday.

This fun sketch from Mojo Monday gave me the inspiration to use another pieced rectangle.

I usually put a sentiment on the front, but I hoped it would look enough like a Christmas Card that I wouldn't need to fit anything else into the design. The inside sentiment is one I love. It goes really well with snowy or wintery Christmas cards.

It says: May the spirit of Christmas warm your heart All Year Long.

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Mojo Monday 267 - sketch
Divas By Design #61 - Anything Goes
Just Keep On Creating - Christmas projects
My Mum's Craft Shop #84 - Winter Wonderland

4.25" x 5.5" Christmas Card Recipe:
Paper - Close To My Heart "Wonderland" paper pack scraps, Crystal Blue and White Daisy CS scraps; Basic Grey "Dasher" cover sheet images
Stamp - CTMH retired "Festive Thoughts"
Ink - CTMH Twilight
Accents - CTMH Sparkles, Wonderland Stickease; Making Memories lace, unknown white organdy ribbon


 

PSC56 - Piece It Together with Peace and Joy

Today we have a new challenge from The Perfect Sentiment that will last for two weeks because of our upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday next week. I hope you'll join us with your own fun ideas. Here's the scoop:

Create a card with the sentiment of your choice. The twist: Grab your stash of scraps and pieces and create the background for your card.

We're being sponsored by Shelly's Images. One lucky winner will get one of their images free.

I had been wanting to try this idea for a while. All of the pieces used to make this card were scraps, except for the card base. In making this card, I raided my bag of blue scraps,  took long rectangles of different widths from .75" to 1.5," and cut them lengthwise diagonally. I found that it's necessary to measure the paper from one corner to the other diagonally so that I'd have some strips long enough to fit. Next, I put adhesive on my white backing rectangle (3.75" x 5") and began arranging the long triangles side to side. They all hung off the edge of the paper, so I trimmed them to fit when I was finished. That pieced portion of the background was layered on a black mat and then a black patterned card base. I added the stamped image and sentiment pop dotted with a black mat. The gold ribbon and gold star cut using Cricut Art Philosophy were the final simple touches. With the pieced background I wanted to keep the other elements simple.

The wise men were stamped with black dye ink on a scrap of blue paper that had white spots. I wanted them to look like stars. The sentiment is tiny. It says "Peace and Joy," which goes with the Peach and Joy definitions I stamped inside, making a border.

I keep nearly all of my scraps. Periodically I file them in large plastic zippered bags by color. I have one set of bags for solid cardstock and another set for patterned paper. Sometimes before I file them, I whisk them off of my work area into a "holding bag." Sometimes when I need inspiration I pull out some scraps and see how different colors or shapes go together. It's a great way to get new ideas.

May God bless you today with peace and joy in your life and may  you share it through your own card-making!

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Stampin' Sisters in Christ #165 - Use something broken and put back together
Order of the Opus Gluei #143 - Figures (numbers or silhouettes) silhouette of the wise men
Stamping Sensations November challenge - Traditional Christmas
Fashionista Challenge #9 - Blue Christmas
Twist of Faith #11 - Religious Christmas
 

Winter Snowflakes

I used another one of the Clear Dollar Digi Stamps, "Charlie Snow Horse."

The light blue and green paper that I used had white polka dots that I covered with glitter gel. I cut out Charlie after lightly coloring him. I placed him on a bed of snow made of two rows of torn paper edged with glitter gel and tied with white baker's twine. I added extra glitter gel on Charlie, the snow base, and the title.

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

Charisma Cardz #44 - Feeling Blue (two blue patterned papers)
Crimbo Crackers #28 - Snowmen (how about a snowhorse!)
Crafty Calendar November Challenge - Wrap Up Warm for Winter (optional fiber - baker's twine)
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #98 - for a boy
Send a Smile 4 Kids - Happy Holidays for Kids





4.25" x 5.5" Winter Card Recipe:
Paper - The Paper Studio "The Linen Door;" CTMH WHite Daisy cardstock; scrap of blue dp ?MME
Image and Sentiment - Clear Dollar Stamps "Charlie Snow Horse"
Copics - N0 (neutral gray) G20 Wax White (light green)
Accents - Close To My Heart baker's twine, Glitz Glitter Gel
Tools - printer

Christmas Printers Tray

When I was at the Close To My Heart convention in the summer, I saw a printer's tray that someone had made and decided I would learn how to do it, too. This printers tray was so much fun to make using a set of chipboard embellishments that match the Pear and Partridge paper from Close To My Heart. It was so easy, so I thought I'd share my procedure.

To decide what goes where, I set each piece in a compartment about the right size before I adhered them. The longest ones were later adhered with liquid glass to the top of the compartments in places where they could touch the those narrow divider edges.

I measured each compartment to the nearest 16th of an inch to cut the paper. I tried to alternate papers from the paper pack so that they would be different from neighboring compartments. All of that from start to finish took about an hour. After compartments were filled I went back to add extra "finishing touches." I added extra sparkles, buttons, flowers, and ribbons.  I also added snowflakes and branches punched with Martha Stewart punches.

I left three horizontal compartments for Christmas photos. Two of my friends are making their own. Can't wait to see what they come up with. I hope these simple directions can help you if you're interested in making your own.

I'm sharing this tray with the following challenges:
Craft Us Crazy #30 - favorite color  or holiday theme ( I used both, red and Christmas)
The Crafty Blogger's Network - Christmas Anything Goes
Crafty Catz #158 - Anything Goes
Challenges 4 Everybody #7 - Anything Goes
Dream Valley Challenge #25 - Anything Goes
One Stop Craft Challenge - Anything Goes
Inspire Me Fridays #84 - Anything Goes
Crafty Ann's Challenge #78 - Tic Tac Toe (top row across)



 

Mojo Monday 266 - Fall Blessing

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I chose this simple sentiment of blessing from Verve to be shared with someone in gratitude for all they do. Last week was really hard for me. I spent three days setting up and working a craft fair in an area church. Arthritis in my hip gave me horrible muscle spasms and when I got up the next morning I almost fainted. Everything went black for about 15 minutes. I ended up on the floor, but still conscious, praying. My husband brought me water, then medicine, then helped me up. I was determined not to disappoint the ladies of the church this year, because last year I'd gotten sick with a high fever the second day of the craft fair and had to stay home. When I got to the fair I asked Diana who organized it to pray for me. We prayed together and amazingly, the arthritis and spasms were better and there were no more blacking out spells. I had a wonderful day meeting so many lovely Christian ladies. I was able to thank Diana and tell her God had answered her prayers and I was thanking Him for that blessing. He blesses me in so many ways and I feel it's important to let others know that and to be thankful.

Today was a beautiful fall day here in Missouri. The sun highlighted the bright colors of the late season trees whose leaves have just turned. They're so much more brilliant in the bright sun. Their colors inspired this card that uses the sketch from Mojo Monday this week.

I embossed the background of the card with a plaid embossing folder. The leaves were embossed and debossed on the two rectangles. The embossed leaves (Sizzix embossing folder) are raised so they were inked with Honey and Autumn Terracotta inks. The debossed leaves were made with a Basic Grey "Indian Summer" scrap which was already multi-colored. The red ribbon coordinates with the red scalloped circle that was cut with the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge. The leaves from Reminisce  are very textured and the wooden button is tied with white jute to make a little collection in that corner, which always seems to give a more finished look.

Thank you for visiting my blog and please know that I pray for my visitors and hope that God will bless you wherever you live and that you'll recognize His blessings and give Him thanks.

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Everybody Art Challenge #212 - Embossing
Love to Create Challenge #40 - Shades of Autumn
Mojo Monday 266 - sketch
Paper Playtime Challenge #88 - Autumn Colors
Sentimental Sundays Challenge #127 - Dimension
The Stamp Man November Challenge - Emboss It


 

PSC55 - CAS Fall

It's time for another challenge at The Perfect Sentiment. This week our challenge is for you to make a card with a sentiment for Fall or Thanksgiving.

The twist is to make it CAS (Clean and Simple), meaning few layers or embellishments, lots of plain open "white" space, and a clean, streamlined design. This is always a challenge for me but I greatly admire the examples I see and keep striving to meet this pristine standard.

One lucky winner will get a $15 Flourishes gift certificate from our sponsor this week, Parables of a Crafter.

Here's my sample card. I used fall colors and leaf motif's, but also a sentiment to focus on the blessings for which we are thankful.

I embossed a gold and orange, leafy patterned paper from Basic Grey's Indian Summer collection with the lovely Sizzix embossing folder. I used burlap ribbon for my strip to hold my image and Honey colored sentiment strip. Both stamps are older Close To My Heart stamps that I still love. I used the rock and roll technique to ink my leaf, first with Honey, then just the edges with Autumn Terracotta. My simple embellishment is the addition of three chocolate colored opaque pearls, also from CTMH.

I'm also sharing this card with the following challenges:
Crafting for All Seasons Challenge #39 - Falling Leaves
Dutch Dare Card Challenge #189 - Thankful
Sentimental Sundays Challenge #127 - Dimensions
Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge #164 - Thankfulness or Prayer
Tuesday Throwdown #123 - Autumn Leaves

Please check out the other samples from the rest of the design team at The Perfect Sentiments Challenge.

May God richly bless you and yours with His abundance during this autumn season! May you also realize the many rich blessings you've already received and give thanks!



 

Prize Winners for the Perfect Sentiments Anniversary

 

I want to wish a special thank you to everyone who helped us celebrate our one year anniversary at The Perfect Sentiment.  I loved seeing all the wonderful cards! Here is a list of the winners. You should also check the blogs of the other team members. Some of them had prizes as well.

 

The winner of the $9 Gift Voucher from Shelly's Images from our Happy Birthday/Anniversary Challenge is #52 Lisa M.

The winner of the $15 Gift Voucher from Floppy Latte's Digital Designs from our Bingo with a Sentiment Challenge is #2 Melissa Sunshine Honey Bee

 

The winner of the Crafty City $5 Gift Voucher from our Christmas Critters Challenge is #13 Lorianna

 

The winner of the $15 Gift Voucher from Stitchy Bear Stamps from our Birds and Blooms Challenges is #16 Athina 

 

The winner of the fabulous Grand Prize Package provided by Sarah from her Etsy Store My Little Somethings  is #2 Melissa Sunshine Honey Bee

 

If you were mentioned as a winner in this post please click the email me button on the right sidebar of the Perfect Sentiment blog and include "prize winner" in the subject line and Jennipher will help you claim your prize.

 

 

CIC63 Critters Christmas Card

This week at the Clearly Inspired Challenge we'd like to see your card for "Critters." It doesn't have to be a Christmas card. I chose to use the cute sentiment and papers designed by Lisa Lara to make this card for my daughter's family since they just got a kitten for the first time. My darling daughter has been extremely allergic to cats since she was two years old. She discovered that she wasn't allergic to a friend's Siamese cat, so she took home one of their kittens and her family is enamored with the cute ball of fur.

I used this fun sketch from Merry Monday #39:

Please join us and share your own card featuring a critter.

Image: Meows colored
Paper - Meows dp, Core'dinations white, black, red cardstock
Markers - Copic E33 Sand
Accents - all from Close To My Heart -Sweet Leaf Ribbon, Clear Sparkles, Red/Pink Sparkles, poinsettia, white jute
Tools - Printer
Added sparkles to the inside of some of the O's in "meow"