The Paper Players #767 - I see you Jaydee!

It was so fun when I opened the newest challenge at The Paper Players this week -  Jaydee is our host and it sounds like I may have had a little influence on her seasonal shopping!  I won't apologize as this is one of those 'sorry not sorry' instances!  Be sure you head over to PP767 to see Jaydee's card!  

Just for fun:  I see your hand, Jaydee, and have found the perfect gift for it!

In fact, this little shopping bag die from WF was a gift from my lovely friend Stephanie!

and I'm pretty sure I cut this snowy panel at Marcia's house.  The sparkle is another of

those wonderful papers from my cousin... you could say this is the card that 

wouldn't be as fun without my generous friends!

Last but not least is the square frame from Waffle Flower Crafts that provides

my Grinch Hand from Kat Scrappiness to sneak in - or is it out? hmmm. lol

The papers are some from Scrapbook.com's Merry collection.

You've given me the perfect chance to play with this guy again, Jaydee - thanks so much!

=] Michele

Doe, a deer, a female deer?

When I added this darling Vintage Reindeer to my HoneyBee shopping cart I was certainly thinking about Bambi - he is just as adorable!  But when I cut the layers, using Tracey's combo at Color Hues #123 in mind, and decorated those antlers it sure did make me think it was a doe!  Someone once mentioned that female deer can have antlers - it appears uncommon in the Whitetail family of deer, but both male and female REINDEER have antlers to 'root' for food in winter!  Well since it is a Christmas card, today SHE will be the cutest Reindeer of all...

Pink ornaments and background space, green Betterpress-ed pine.

all topped with another BP'd sentiment, and my card was done!

Of course she has a male counterpart...

He's all ready to be hooked up to Santa's sleigh! hey, why not

bring a red nose to the table?? Back to the drawing board!

Pinkfresh Studio Diagonal Stitched Plaid cover plate - Penny Black Plaited frames.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend planned that might just include a bit of card-making or perhaps Christmas cookie baking?  That last part would make my counterpart very happy!

=] Michele

The Paper Players #766 - Tic Tac Toe

Claire has a really fun Tic Tac Toe board for us to play with for The Paper Players challenge #766! 

Though I started out choosing the left column: white, Christmas, and die cuts

I think you'll catch a bit of sparkle and a quite 'vintage' looking panel of patterned

paper tucked into a thank you from HoneyBee Stamps - thanks for the Free Bee, Melissa!

This lovely HoneyBee Lovely Layers: Dove is delivering a tag for

perhaps a special gift left under someone's tree? along with a Betterpress-ed

sentiment with the best gifts of all...

I'd love to live in this little village - wouldn't you?  Did you catch

that Subtle Embossing here?  It gives it an extra bit of vintage IMHO.

That's it from me this week - thanks for your visits!

=] Michele

The Flower Challenge #109

Well, my friends, if you haven't completed your Christmas cards by now this could be your wakeup call! lol 

The Flower Challenge's December challenge is always about those lovely Christmas blooms - and that always comes down to Poinsettias for me - by now you know how much I love them.  Nothing new in my stash but I often go to this lovely, layered Poinsettia die set from HoneyBee - always fresh, and beautiful!

I've cut the layers from creamy white and added a few neutral

die-cut leaves and branches from several HoneyBee and Spellbinders' sets.

That gorgeous woodgrain is Simon Hurley for Spellbinder: Bark.

A platinum heat-embossed sentiment from 

Pinkfresh Studios: Holiday Large Sentiments completes my design.

Now for some sad news.  December is our final month for The Flower Challenge. Please know that this wasn't an easy decision to make.  Don't even think we haven't loved every moment/card/team member and lovely floral card you have all shared with us over the years!  Beyond that, I cannot thank YOU ALL enough for the love and support you've given me personally in your kind comments!

We'll each have one more reminder card for you on the 15th.  Until then, I look forward to all the cards I just know you all will add to our gallery this month!  Let's go out with a bang, shall we?

=] Michele

Freshly Made Sketches #715

Hello again, my friends!  BIG news: We have TWO new designers and we're so excited to welcome Donna Mikasa and Michelle Langley to our FMS family!  welcome, ladies! 

A fresh and fun new Freshly Made Sketch to play with!  Karren has a dandy for us ...

Do you agree it's just tricky enough to make us think a little?

Well, here's where my thoughts took me...

I know I have a few friends who live in warmer climates where

sand dollars may be found more often than snowflakes!

Besides, I just could not resist this gorgeous paper from HoneyBee's Vitamin Sea collection.  My little Gina Marie Designs Sand Dollar brings me back to my very first meeting with my friend Marcia at a craft show - the rest is history, right, my friend?

Here is her closeup where you might see the snowflake embellishments,

and the PTI's Elegant Edges: Snowflakes, a big die cut snowflake from

HoneyBee and one more of those Betterpress-ed sentiments.

I look forward to seeing how YOU interpret Karren's Sketch soon -

you have until Monday, December 8th at 3:00PM EST!

=] Michele

Color Hues #123

I'm still so upset that I missed the last challenge at Color Hues, I thought I'd make up for it today... it's been some time since I've made 'second helpings!'  'Tis the season for it, I think!

Tracey has a lovely color combo for us this month - and they've given us a WHOLE MONTH to play with challenge #123!  

 

Another of the goodies from The Greetery shipment to share - their gorgeous Capsule Christmas Gallery Prints... though those berries might be more 'berry' colored than pink, I couldn't resist this vintage beauty framed in eucalyptus green and tied with a gold bow...

I couldn't help but send that oval through my Subtle Texture EF from SU!

The layers are: Capsule Basics Small Scallop, Capsule Filigree border, the berry branch cutout, and to top it all off a gold hanger and bow cut from vintage gold foil using the 

wonderful freebie enclosed in my order shown below:

My 'seconds' were so simple I should make 'thirds!'

A beautiful Betterpress: Season's Greetings Evergreens from Spellbinder

using PF Ballet Slipper and Altenew's Sweet Leaf, and Just Green inks.

This just makes my CAS-loving heart happy!

=] Michele

As promised! Rosemal in grey!

Happy Monday!  Is anyone else happy to go back to their regularly scheduled days?  I wasn't even mad about laundry day!

I promised you a look at my grey Rosemal card from The Greetery so I'm here to keep that promise.  My MIL has a December birthday, so I decided to make her a card collection to last until Christmas!

As much as I love these oval cards, they are next to impossible

to 'stand up' without a 'kick stand!'  You'll forgive me for these

'flat' photos.  Cut from MFT Steel Grey card, then swiped with

Hero Arts white...

Under the small oval birthday card is an ornament for her tree

and under that is the Christmas card.  I just love the burgundy

Regency bow and Poinsettia, don't you?

I'm less-than thrilled with the swiped gold on her Christmas card,

but was too invested by this time to remake it differently.  

The whole kit-and-kaboodle was placed inside a cellophane envelope

for giving.

Next is one using the Rosemal Reflections stamp set - and I couldn't have done it easily without the fabulous stamping guide that Betsy offers free for printing!

After all the stamping is done, it is embossed with the coordinating 

Rosemal Reflections Embossing Folder.

One more... in all this glorious creamy Neenah Solar white... Shortbread Shapes Snowflake:

Right in the center I've placed one SSS Alexis Snowflake, and one

bright red Regency bow...

but I just could not add a sentiment!

Enjoy your Monday and thanks so much for stopping by!

=] Michele

Color Hues #122 - but I missed it!

The lovely Nancy Leppek is the host with the most at Color Hues for challenge #122 - Nanc' you almost stumped me this time, my friend!  it looks like I missed my window of opportunity but that won't stop me from sharing.

A wonderful package of goodies arrived from The Greetery that I was thrilled to spend some time with today.  I have to say I'm more pleased than I thought I would be with this color combo you've chosen!  Thanks for pushing me beyond my comfort zone!

It might be a little hard to see, but there is a scalloped panel of

sparkly silver paper between those layers and a trio of silver doo-dads on each

of the largest flowers.  I was totally bewitched by Betsy's creations using

her November release.  My card features: Rosemal Reflections EF, Details dies, and Capsule basics dies.  I can't help but give you a closeup up:

I love that all the die-cut pieces can be put into the EF for adding all those details

and dimension!  I found my teals from MFT: Tropical Teal, and C&9th Aqua Sky and Oceanside.

Just wait until you see the one in grey I made for my MIL's birthday/Christmas!

Until it's light enough for photos, you'll just have to wait to see!

=] Michele

Freshly Made Sketches #714

Cecile has a delightful sketch for us this week!  Take a look...

 Since this one falls on the eve of Thanksgiving, and I knew there would be LOTS of cooking going on in our kitchens, I have 'worked ahead' and I had a bit of fun with this character again - I hope you will all get a chuckle out of it!

I've purposely left off a sentiment to keep the 'punchline' on the

inside... now who on my list might appreciate my sick sense of humor?

I'm wishing all of you a happy Thanksgiving!  gobble, gobble!

Hope you're not too full to play along with Freshly Made Sketches this week!

=] Michele 

The Paper Players #765 a Sketch!

It should come as no surprise that designing from a sketch is one of my favorites - thanks to Ann at The Paper Players, I have one more than planned for the week... and it turns out just the right spot for that little cutie I recently added to my stash from HoneyBee Stamps!  First, here's Ann's sketch...

 

HoneyBee's Lovely Layers: Vintage Snowman takes up a LOT of real estate, 

but I hope you can see the DSPs and debossing I added to my trio of

papers from Ann's sketch here...

Most of these papers are from those Scrapbook.com Merry patterned 

papers I bought this year.  Here's her closeup...

I used debossing plates [from the top] WF Tiny Crosses, WF Snowflakes, and 

Alex Syberia's Mermaid's Melody for the drifting snow at the bottom.

Thanks, Ann!

I never make just one when I get something new... here is her 'mate'...

This set does not have any sentiments, but I had no trouble finding

sweet and suitable sentiments in my stash.

Isn't he the definition of 'dapper?' I love his candy cane!

Our shopping is done so now starts the 'toe tapping' - we can't wait to smell the aromas of Thanksgiving and to welcome our family to the table!

I'll have at least one more card to share this week - I'd love to know what you think of my newest 'snowdude & dude-ette!'

=] Michele

Free birds!

My latest order from HoneyBee Stamps included a wonderful black & white postcard/thank you note.  By now you know how much I love birds - I thought I'd give it a bit of color, and it turned out so pretty I HAD to put it on a card - you don't mind, right?  The only error in my judgement was to forget to photograph the 'before!'

The birds were Prismacolor pencil colored then I Copic colored the background to match the DSP.  The sentiment was die-cut using one of those old PFS Label dies and popped onto a matte gold one just one step larger. 

In the closeup, you can see that I've fussy-cut the image from the postcard after coloring. I'm sure you'll agree this was such a nice thank you

on top of their wonderful customer service.

The background is a piece of their Merry Moments DSP that I added

a bit of texture to with my SU Subtle Texture then gave it a good

bit of extra splatter with white acrylic paint, and gold and white gold wc paints!

See that darling little un-twisted twine bow?  Thanks, LeAnne!  I went in

for a try right after I read your post this morning!

Wishing you all a wonderful, creative weekend - grateful that you spent a bit of time with me this week!

=] Michele

Congratulations to Peace on Earth Challenge

Darlene and Diane have the 'magic' in them and have so many wonderful challenges for us card makers to play in, too!  Their Peace on Earth challenge is celebrating its 100th Challenge!  

How could we say no to COOKIES??

These darling little Waffle Flower Cookie Time 

bakers are rolling out the gingerbread Papa, Mama, and

even a baby cookie today!

I've also used the WF Postage Collage die and stencils to

decorate my 'stamps' though I decided they were 'busy' enough

not to include the postage stamping.

That sentiment is an oldie from EH but sure seemed to fit.

My friend TK told me recently I could add two cards to a gallery

from one post - I could never make it work, but I'm going to give it a whirl!

I've zoomed in so you could see the embossed hearts I added

to my cover panel of kraft paper.  Same kids, though this time

they are helping their Gramma with her baking.

That would make it the MOST wonderful baking time of the year!

Congratulations, Diane and Dar!  Keep those card challenges alive, please!

=] Michele

Perfect timing for Time Out #302

When this prompt hit my inbox this morning, I couldn't believe it - kismet, I'm tellin' ya!

 I'll admit that Therese @lostinpaper has a big influence on my shopping habits... she used this sneaky Grinch Hand on a card recently, and I couldn't get it into a cart quick enough!  Oh, it isn't new, but a girl can resist some things for just so long!

Okay, here are the words that inspired my card:

Movie, White and sparkle!  

Of course, the movie is: How the Grinch Stole Christmas - that's too easy!

Now - go find the sparkle...

Did you find it?  It is the teensy little gold star in the middle of my Grinch-green foil ornament!  The White is pretty obvious!  You'll have to wait until next week [when I use this die again] to see the perfect sentiment for the inside of the card... sneaky, aren't I?

It's so long since I've played cards with my friends at Time Out - today I took advantage of a little extra time for a little time out! Thanks for all the fabulous inspiration T.O. team!

=] Michele