Christmas Kickstart #16 - a Twofer!

I had the best intentions to play along with Jo at the Christmas Kickstart Challenge each fortnight ... you know what they say about the best laid plans?  Life always gets in the way!  But when I saw this smiling elfin face:

 

… I knew I just had to play along with Christmas Kickstart #16, and had just the trees to do so!

Reverse Confetti's Triangle Trees went onto my wish-list right away … then I had to wait for the dies to be restocked, and by the time that happened, Christmas card season was pretty much done - let's just say I'm so happy to have them, and to USE them today! 

Armed with Versamark ink, Neenah 110# cardstock, my heat gun and metal embossing powders in three colors: Altenew Rose Gold, Recollections Gold, and Ranger Super fine Silver, I went to town like Santa!

Here are my Twofer Christmas Tree cards: one Christmas, one Hanukkah!

 

 Lil' Inkers' wonderful wood grain makes for a beautiful snowstorm, right?

The Hanukkah sentiment stamp is from PTI

 

Those fabulous 'stars' are the from that recent fabulous

Pinkfresh Studio prize:  Essentials Jewel Mix!

 

I'm so thankful for your visit today... hope you'll find a bit of time to trim a tree, or twofer, too!

 

=]  Michele

MFT Sketch 447

 

Don't adjust your screens... you're not seeing double - just slightly different, lol!

Turns out, it's a really good thing to stamp/color/cut twice while borrowing a friend's goodies!  It's just the thing for MFT's Sketch 447!

 

Hope you're enjoying your weekend!

=] Michele

Jumping back into Summer

Summertime.... and the living is easy … and so was falling head-over-heels for a certain little bathing beauty I borrowed from my friend Marcia during our Christmas in July day!  

I had fun melon-izing her … watermelon, and honeydew, too! Tell me which one you prefer...

I couldn't help but think of Dawn McVey!  Am I right?

The sentiment is from another little Pure Innocence set - Hula Hoop!

 

Her little 'pool' is one of the dies included

in the Paper Rose Wonky Scalloped Circles set - isn't it cute?

Either Marcia and I are going to have to gather again soon, or this Drinking up the Sunshine set is going to have to come home to mama!!

Thanks for swimming by today...=]  Michele

Essentials by Ellen Christmas in July Hop

I may have mentioned I'd be back with even more Christmas in July holiday cards, right?  Today I'm hopping with the Ellen Hutson Design Ambassadors and we're hoping you'll join us as we stock up on our holiday card stash!  The Notable Nest's Kelly Griglione once again put plenty of pressure on me to perform - thanks, Kelly!! 

As with most Hops, there will be a prize for one random & lucky commenter just by hopping along and leaving a comment at every stop... we appreciate that you'll share your time with us!  We've got a super fun prize: $25 to the EH shop!  Comment before Wednesday, July 31st at 11:59pm PST. Winners will be notified by email.  [if you are a no-reply commenter be sure to check back at the EH blog for the winner announcement!]

Okay!  I have two cards for you today... I had too much fun using two non-Christmas sets in very Merry ways!!  First up?  That Leading Gentleman - there's no doubt he's dressed and ready for decorating - and doesn't mind playing Santa in his spare time!

of course I had to put my spin on the inside!

[See how I Copic colored the clear bulb he's holding!]

 

Next are three of the Good Egg gals … who are tuning up for caroling!!  But, of course, they are French Hens - don't believe me?  I Googled French Hen!!

 



 

My own me, me, mes… and another sentiment from me on the inside! 

The 'baton' is the straw from Life is a Picnic!! he hee!

Here are the Copics I used... 

Pretty fun, huh?  As if there wasn't enough pressure from Ms. Kelly... it's Sandy Allnock up next - now you know Sandy will knock our socks off, right?! 
 

Thanks so much for stopping by!!  Here is the complete list of stops for the Hop, just in case!

 

·         Therese Calvird

·         Emily Midgett

·         Laurel Beard

·         Carolyn Peeler

·         Ardyth Percy-Robb

·         Lisa Spangler

·         Adelina Starace

·         Kelly Griglione

·         Michele Ferguson

·         Sandy Allnock

·         Carly Tee Minner

 

ONE more detail... yep - a three day Christmas in July sale!!!

Here's your LINK - merry shopping!  Don't forget the code!

 

<|=]  Michele 

 

 

 

Products used today:

EBE Leading Gentleman and dies

EBE Conductor of Light and dies

Santa Hat borrowed from MFT Sweet Holiday Penguins and coordinating die

EBE Good Egg and dies

EBE straw from Life's a Picnic and dies [for baton =]

EBE Mountain Holiday for dotted details under the 'Conductor' 

CAS[E] this Sketch #332

Remember that panel I created last week with my new favorite amy T. Distress Oxide colors?  You can bet I didn't let one little bit of it go to waste!

Donna's Sketch #332 gave me the purrrrfect opportunity to use those snippets!

I did give it a flip first... it was time I used these cute little MFT fur-balls from Del and Artie's fabulous IG Mystery Box prize - have I been the luckiest girl lately, or what??

The detail my Spellbinder's Hemstitched Circles gives to this really CAS panel of Bristol was easy to add to my blended strip, just by lining the die up again, and sliding the strip under it, taping it in place,  and taking it to my Cuttlebug! 

I kinda love how this turned out - hope Donna does, too!  You know she'd love it if you played along this week, right?  See you in the CTS#332 gallery!

=]  Michele

Inspired By #82 ... centerpiece

I'm in love with this photo-inspiration... I'd set my table with these sweet vases of blooms every day if I could!  Today, I'll be satisfied by stamping, and coloring a few Altenew Weekend Doodles for Inspired By #82- and use a sweet little set of dies to create 'vases!'  Those Essentials Basic Label Frames dies I recently won from Pinkfresh Studios have really served me well today!  Take a peek at how I created my card panel:

Starting with a few Copics to replicate

the background color in the photo...

I then cut it to size, and added a bit of texture using

Kathy Racoosin's technique with a scrap of terry cloth towel,

and blending solution.

I took it one step further by debossing the panel with the

Gradient Stripes background die from Altenew.

A really fun variety of Copics were used to color my Doodles … then it was just a matter of arranging them in those fun vases which are a few Pinkfresh Studio Label Frames.  It cannot come close to filling my table... but will be a pretty cute  'first look' on some special person's bedside table.

Hope you are Inspired By #82, and have fun playing along!

=]  Michele

MFT Sketch 446

I'm keeping that Christmas in July theme going this week … a sweet set borrowed from Marcia just had to be shared... MFT's Sketch #446 was the inspiration for my card design using her little Happy You Day Pure Innocence stamp and die. 

I've used their Drifts & Hills stencil to create a little walk in the Winter wonderland across the three scored panels from the Sketch - which you may have noticed has been flipped.  The sentiment was borrowed from Stacey Yacula's Warm & Feathered Friends.  Those sweet little snowflakes from Hand Lettered Holiday.

It has really cooled off again, and the humidity has lifted - such a welcomed change!  I may just have a few more Christmas in July surprises for you this week!

=]  Michele

The Flower Challenge #34

I was the lucky duck who won a prize a few months back from The Flower Challenge - I quickly made a few cards with that wonderful prize, but until today, hadn't posted them!

Challenge #34 to the rescue!  I think one of these is pastel enough... thanks ladies!   I LOVE this set!

You'll have to look in The Flower Challenge gallery to see which one I chose... while there, why don't you make a Pretty Pastel card of your own to enter?

Guess who put the coordinating die in her cart yesterday?  Yep.  you guessed 'er!

=]  Michele



Christmas in July with Marcia

My friend Marcia [of Marcia's Stampin' Pad] lives a mere 42 minutes from me, and it has taken years for us to get together!!!  Isn't that just the way life goes?  I suggested to her that we take the hottest Michigan day of the Summer to make Christmas cards... she quickly took me up on it, and even offered lunch if I drove to her on Wednesday - think I could pass that up?  Not on your life! It was so delicious, too!

I brought a mountain of my own Christmas sets to share, and my own basic supplies, inks, and card stock and both my mini and regular MISTI.  Marcia graciously shared her motor-driven Big Shot, a paper cutter, and a few sweet Christmas sets that I don't own - yes.  there are a few.

What made it even more fun, was the fact that we crafted back-to-back and had no clue what the other was making until one of us couldn't stand it another minute - I must have said 'what are you working on over there?' a dozen times! lol

Okay.  Enough chit chat - here are the TEN cards that I started at Marcia's, and finished in my own craft room on Thursday.  I had a mission to make pretty, but mail-friendly cards!

First up:  Christmas Greenery by Gina K Designs:

Altenew inks, Spellbinder's Hemstitched Squares

on MFT Natural card stock, gold water color splatters,

MFT Kraft card base.

Altenew Seashore inks, gold foil paper from Michael's,

splattered Gansai Tambi water color splatters,

PTI Hanukkah stamp set

Gina K inks: Warm Cocoa, Kraft, and Sandy Beach,

Altenew December to Remember sentiment

Gina K Asparagus card stock, Spellbinder's Hemstitch Rectangle dies

Altenew Field Green's ink set

Lil' Inkers Wood grain cover plate, PTI sentiment

 

Next up:  Stamploration's The Bee's Knees, Layered Mistletoe

 



Catherine Pooler Eucalyptus Ink, Spellbinder's Hemstitched Rectangle,

Gina Kay Asparagus card stock

Catherine Pooler Green Tea, and Black Licorice, and Rockin' Red, and Rouge inks.

Winnie & Walter Audrey cut away die, Pure Poppy PTI card stock for base.

 

Altenew's Majestic Mistletoe is up next...

 



Altenew Majestic Mistletoe, Gina K Warm Cocoa card stock,

Spellbinders Hemstitched Rectangle dies, Gina K,  Altenew, and Delicata Gold inks.

Gina K Tranquil Teal card stock, Altenew Field Greens, Lagoon, and Emerald inks.

Stamping? - perfectly imperfect!

 

Marcia had one particular set waiting for me … you know my love of winged things?  This one just had to get some attention!  From Gina K Designs, Marcia picked this one up when we visited Gina's store in Wisconsin last fall with two other friends!  Enter Fruit of the Seasons ...

 

Altenew Brown woodgrain card stock, Gansai Tambi gold water color

Spellbinder's Hemstitched Circle dies

 

Last, but certainly not least... Marcia and I decided to use the same set for our cards for the current The Flower Challenge - Pretty Pastels!  Enter Altenew's Poinsettia and Pine.  Stamped with Versamark, and heat embossed with Brutus Monroe Gilded embossing powder, I chose to color mine with Milled Lavender, and a bit of Pumice stone for the leaves. 

 

Spellbinder's Hemstitched Square

 

You know I didn't stop at Christmas, but I'll save those for another day.  I'm so happy to have TEN Christmas cards made to add to my stash for 2019!!! 

 

Thanks, Marcia, for lunch, for welcoming me into your home, and sharing your wonderful craft room with me... we'll have to make it an annual event - our very own Christmas in July!

 

=]  Michele

 

                              





CAS[E] this Sketch #331

Brian King's Sketch this week leaves lots to the imagination...

My imagination was helped along by my friend amy T's gorgeous DOX combination on Instagram last week … and the need for a condolence card.

Distress Oxides:

Scattered Straw, Tattered Rose, and Worn lipstick

Blended onto a panel of Canson XL Bristol paper,

and spritzed with a Ranger Mini mister.

 

One sweet little Dainty Blossoms bloom from Pinkfresh Studios, and an Altenew sentiment, stamped with Versamark heat embossed with Altenew Rose Gold embossing powder, and I'm calling this complete!

 

We hope you are completely taken with Brian's Sketch #331, and will play cards with us this week!  See you in our gallery!

 

=]  Michele



Inspired By #81 ... let's have s'more!

Summer time, and the eating is easy!! 

S'mores, and more!  Please!

 

Here's a little note card to attach to a picnic - of course it would include all the ingredients shown above!

 

Queen & Company's little white poms worked a charm for my teensy little toothpick-skewered toasted marshmallows… while I created my own

chocolate bar with Catherine Pooler Icing on the Cake ink,  and EBE Classic Block Alphas - the perfect size to mimic the raised letters on a Hershey bar.   

My graham cracker was created with

Pinkfresh Studios Pretty Frames 2,

all set on a sweet little red gingham pinked panel

found in my snippets bin!

 



 

We can't wait to see how you will create this scene!!!

Join us, won't you?  We'll save a seat around the fire

for you at IB #80!

 

=]  Michele

The Library Challenge #37 Five days in a Balloon

Five days in a Balloon, I've learned, is the first published novel by Jules Verne - I enjoyed his fantastic imagination in a few later ones which were made into movies that I loved as a child... Journey to the Center of the Earth, among them.

I've never had a hot air balloon ride.  It's something I've always dreamed of.

This little guy had the same
dream...

Drop In - The Cat's Pajamas

MFT - Stitched Speech Bubbles - retired

I just knew I had a stamp with a balloon - so happy I found it, and had the chance to play along with The Library Challenge #37!

=]  Michele

Happy Color Sale at Ellen Hutson!

I'm elbow-deep in butterflies these days, but couldn't

let this sale go unnoticed!  25% is a goody!

 I created a little bloom using a snow globe die from MFT...

my own version of Christmas in July, you might say!

 

 

My little 'bloom' is created with a few hand-drawn, hand cut, 

petals on patterned paper...

here's how I made them fit over the shaker pouch:

 

 

Almost* all of the products I've used today are on SALE in the

Happy Colors Category along with thousands of items to create a rainbow of colorful cards!

 

Hope you find everything your color-loving heart desires!

Don't forget to add the CODE HAPPYCOLORS at checkout -
because it even works on those items that are
already on SALE!!

 

=]  Michele

 

MFT Dome Shaker Pouch

MFT Dome die

MFT Over the Rainbow DP

EBE Butterfly Sequin Mix

EBE Modern Graphics pattern paper

sentiment from

*EBE Pure Magic - sadly not on sale, but the

perfect thing to say to my flutter-by kids as they leave!