Striped Christmas

This time of year I do more crafting and less blogging as I get ready for craft fair days in our community. Last year we sold so much the first day we weren't sure if we had enough to sell the second day and two of us had to go home and make a lot more Christmas cards. So I may write less, but I'll still try to photograph and post some to share ideas. I also try to use up some of my older papers from CTMH and the scrapbook store where I used to teach classes.

I keep looking for different ideas for using Christmas paper, so one scrap of striped paper inspired these cards when I saw the challenge at Southern Girls Challenge this week. I varied the ink color, embellishments and twines. (If you've been with CTMH more than 10 years you'll recognize the piece of Cocoa Café that I used.) If you'd like to try this one, you may use my Cricut Design Space cut file.

I'm also sharing this card project with the following challenges:
A Snowflake's Promise Challenge #44 -  anything Christmas
Christmas at Sweet Stampin' September Challenge - anything Christmas
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra October - anything
The Holly and the Ivy Challenge #16 - anything Christmas
The Merry Christmas Challenge #37 - anything Christmas
The Twelve Months of Christmas Challenge #34 - anything Christmas

Autumn/Fall Thankfulness Portfolio

This month I'm a guest designer at the Let's Craft and Create October Challenge #130. The theme is anything goes with the option of Witchy/Halloween or Autumn/Fall. I always need a lot of autumn projects for our craft fair in November, so here is one of my thankfulness portfolios or gratitude journal. I like to add scriptures and quotes about gratitude and lots of blank pages for the recipient to write what they're thankful for as well as room for a few photos.

The cover is made from a 6" x 6" kraft card base that CTMH used to sell. I like the scalloped flap that overlaps on the right side and that it's made from extra heavy kraft cardstock, making it more durable.

I used a variety of fall-colored papers, mostly from Authentique. Inside I made three "booklets" embellished with scripture and quote stamps that encourage thankfulness for blessings. 

The first pocket inside is simply a burlap ribbon attached with two brads that go through to the front. I attached the front of the ribbon after inserting the brads so that I could cover them on front so they wouldn't show. I had never tried that but I liked it enough to try it again.

This started as a fall card from Basic Grey paper that was square that I never used since square is not popular with our postal system. I added quite a few pages inside, stapling in the inside center like a book.

The pocket on the right side is made from a 4" x 6" card that I trimmed a little, including an angle following the thankful box, and adhered on the right and bottom only.

This tag booklet is 5.25" x 3. (It really has 4 sides but I didn't unfold all of it.Oops!)

This one is 5.5" x 4" with one of the small cards decorating the front and the rest left blank for photos.

The back has a simple quote stamped and the spine has a strip of bronze shimmer trim. The leaves were cut and embossed with Spellbinders Leaves 8.

Thank you for visiting! May your heart be filled with gratitude for blessings received and those to come.

I'm also sharing this project with the following challenges:

Mod Squad Challenge - Color Me Fall

Shopping Our Stash #323 - Give Thanks

The Crafty Addicts Challenge #41 - Anything Goes/Autumn Colors

Word Art Wednesday #302-303 - anything goes

Hope Shines Through

I wrote to an old friend today that so much has happened in the world since I wrote her last month. There have been hurricanes, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions as well as terrorist acts all over the world. I have a friend who beat lung cancer, then had to go back for more surgery when it produced a brain tumor. Friends from church have been in and out of the hospital. The one constant through it all has been the knowledge that God loves us and wants us to turn to him during trials. That gives us a ray of hope that can shine through all natural or man-made disasters.  I wanted to make a couple of cards for breast cancer awareness that uses one of my new stamp sets, Inspired Words. I used this sketch from Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge this week.

I used two shades of pink (with a little Glacier for contrast), Bashful and Smoothie. Both of the papers, the smoothie ribbon  and the flowers are retired.

The sentiment was stamped with Versamark and heat embossed with Silver embossing powder. The shiny sentiment inspired me to mat the sentiment, ribbon, and the Artistry Cricut cut ribbon with Bashful Glitter Paper.

The first one I made with a different Cricut cut ribbon and flower. I decided to use it so you could see the ribbon type from the Flower Market cartridge.

Inside each card I put this verse of encouragement about Hope from Romans 15:13a:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him.

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

Atlantic Hearts Challenge # 232 - sketch
CCCDigi Creations Challenge #82 - Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness
Heartful Stamping Challenge - anything goes with stamping

October SOTM Blog Hop - Christmas Tunes

It's October already?! It's time for our CTMH October Stamp of the Month Blog Hop featuring our new stamp set, "Christmas Tunes." You may have just come from Gina Brandstetter's blog.  To see the entire list of all 27 participants go to Melinda Everitt's blog list.

I love the Christmas song, O Holy Night, so I chose to make three cards using the wreath entwined with its lyrics. The first symbolically has black paper with white dots (like nighttime stars) from the new Silver and Gold paper pack. All three cards have one of the gold foiled zip strips from one of the papers in that pack.

The next twow have a background embossed with the Buffalo Plaid embossing folder.

Thanks for stopping by! Now you're ready to see what Emily Sararas has created.

If you don't have a consultant and would like this stamp set, you can purchase it here for $5.00 with a $50 purchase or buy it at full price for $17.95.

I'm sharing these cards with the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge #435 - Sentiment in Focus
Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - anything Christmas
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #353 - anything Christmas option: Black, white and one other color
Jingle Belles - Embossing

5.5" x 4.25" Card Recipe Ingredients:
Papers - Silver and Gold paper pack, White Daisy Cardstock, Kraft Cardstock
Stamps - Christmas Tunes October Stamp of the Month
Inks - Memento Tuxedo Black, Cranberry,
Markers - Shin Han Touch Twin Markers: Leaf Green, Carmine
Embellishments - White and Bronze Twine, Bronze Sequins, Enchantment Ribbon Pack
Tools - 5" x 7" Buffalo Plaid Embossing Folder, Cricut Explore (circle cut 3")