Blue Gingham Jolly Christmas Card

In the hot days of July it's soothing to focus on Christmas in July creations. And besides, Christmas is such a joyful time to remember with all the celebrations with family and friends.  I've made quite a few Christmas cards this week, not taking time to post, but looking at the gray deer leaping at the bottom of this PML card and strip of gray patterned paper from retired CTMH "Oh Deer," I thought they would work well with the colors from this week's Color Throwdown challenge:

I thought the border of leaping deer looked like they were excited and  jolly so I chose a sentiment to express that.

 I used the solid back of an old Star Spangled Blue patterned paper and gingham. The sentiment from retired "Frosted Cardmaking Workshop" was stamped with Star Spangled Blue ink, long retired. The aqua snowflakes were cut with one of my favorite recently retired CTMH dies. This card is the reason I never get rid of retired items. They can be combined to give them new life! I actually like what I made better now than what I would have made in 2005!

Thanks for visiting! I hope you have a joyful time making creations to celebrate Christmas with those you love.

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

A Snowflake's Promise #53 - anything goes
Aud Sentiments #208 -  Christmas in July
Color Throwdown Challenge #502 - cobalt blue, aqua, gray, white
C.R.A.F.T. Challenge #477 - Christmas
Shopping Our Stash #362 - Christmas in July
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - use a die (or punch)
The Holly and the Ivy Christmas Challenge #32 - anything Christmas goes
The Merry Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas
The 12 Months of Christmas Challenge #43 - anything goes

Psalm 30:11 (WEB)
You have turned my mourning into dancing for me. 
You have removed my sackcloth, and clothed me with gladness,

365 Promises of God - Promise #201: I will turn your mourning into dancing and surround you with joy.

Yellow, Green, and Gray Easter Cards

After making a bunch of flowery feminine Easter cards I wanted to make a few more that were more Clean and Simple or masculine. I'm not sure if this set of cards fit that plan, but they were fun to make!  The YNS Sketch and Color Challenge #61 seemed like perfect inspiration for these cards.

I made several of these but here are the two main versions. I used yellow, green, Whisper gray, Slate gray, and black from the color challenge. I only vaguely used the sketch, but it gave me the idea for my card. I wanted to use a woodgrain background and this light gray birch bark background from CTMH "Oh, Deer" seemed nice for a springtime card.

The main difference is what portion of my green scraps I used for the word Easter. One part of this scrap (from retired CTMH "Tinkerin'") had the look of yellow paint. I wasn't sure I'd like that but in the end, it was my favorite.

To stamp just one word in a set of words, I place a piece of scotch tape over the unwanted word, ink the stamp, pull off the inky tape which leaves the unwanted word in-inked, and stamp the single inked word you want.

I used the same lily stamp on the inside with the sentiment stamps that are also in the set.

Thanks for visiting! May His love fill your heart, too!

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

Crafting with the Dragonflies #78 - Easter Cards
Crafty Catz #365 - anything goes with option of Easter
Dies R Us Challenge #70 - Easter, with die cuts (tag and happy)
Stamps & Fun = Creativity #299 - spring or Easter

Your Next Stamp Challenge #61 -  sketch and colors

4.25" x 5.5" Card Recipe:
Paper - CTMH White Daisy, Whisper, Slate cardstocks, Oh, Deer and Tinkerin' retired CTMH dp

Stamps - CTMH retired His Love (lily and inside sentiment); ODBD Tulip Tag Set (word Easter)
Ink - CTMH Slate (lily outside), Sweet Leaf (lily inside), Memento Tuxedo Black (text)
Markers - Copic YG00, YG03; Y11, Y15;
Tools - CTMH "happy" word die; MFT StitchedTragTagStax Die-Namics, Scotch tape

Mojo Monday

I was enjoying "playing with paper" so much the last few days that I nearly forgot to post my Mojo Monday card this week. The sketch was so versatile I made several with different papers. This was my favorite.

I used papers from a new paper pack, Oh, Deer. The woodland theme is one I love, especially the birchbark!  The music strip is one of the zip strips off the top of one paper. The stamp on the cocoa leaves is from this month's Stamp of the Month. I stamped the sentiment on one of the PML cards that came with the paper pack and trimmed it to fit.

I'm sharing this card with
Addicted to Stamps Challenge #131 - trees, branches, and or leaves
Crafting with the Dragonflies #65 - music related
Just Us Girls #360 - use sequins
Mojo Monday 484 - sketch.