Guest Elf for Christmas Kickstart Challenge #19

I'm so happy to be Jo's Guest Elf at her Christmas Kickstart Challenge!!! 

Today's cards for challenge CKC#19 have a definite Scandinavian look - which I adore! 

My first card uses a background stamp from SSS [a challenge prize, which makes me even happier!]  I think that little open heart was just the place for these love birds from Wplus9 Woodland Basics, in all their Scandi white perfection!

Julie's darling line-drawn Holiday Characters images were left simply stamped for a more Scandi-style!  One of the fun sentiments from Retro Holiday Greetings were stamped with Stampin' Up Crumb Cake - I could use a re-inker [do they still make it LeAnne, or Linda?]

Now.  I might have stopped there... but you know I had tons of those Basics die-cuts left over... why not a little notecard?  This time I used that center heart - yes, they did make it removable!  I adore the not-quite-white of the Masters Touch water color paper from Hobby Lobby!  Do you use it?

A few Teresa Collins real wood dots are a sweet Scandi-addition - do you agree? 
Please don't ask where I found them!!! lol

Thanks, Jo, for the invitation!  I loved being your Guest Elf, and adding to my 2019 Christmas card stash!  I'm on my way over to you, hopefully with a few friends, to see your lovely Scandi cards!

=]  Michele

Playing Cards with Friends 2019

There are few things that give me as much pleasure as getting together with friends to craft - what I call 'playing cards!'  I was the lucky one this Summer to have had a few days of fun!

Today, I'm sharing the fun I had playing cards with Marcia Hill of Marcia's Stampin' Pad at my pad - you know Marcia, right?  So sweet, kind, and generous with her praise - and there is no end to her talent, let me tell you! 

Marcia happened to have a load of the MFT Pure Innocence kids to share!  I love so much … I even grabbed a new one during the sale last week!  [bet I don't have to tell you which one]

Here are Four Seasons of MFT:

Winter

Stamped on Bristol with Versafine Smoky Gray ink; water colored with Distress Ink

 - and Stickled!  Elegant Rectangle Stax

 

Spring

Stamped onto Bristol with Versafine Onyx black ink;

water colored with Distress inks.  Elegant Rectangle Stax

 

Summer

Stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Copic colored

Winnie & Walter Audrey cutaways frame -

Dad's hammer, with embossing folder for interest!

 

Fall

Stamped onto MFT Cement Gray card stock, Prismacolor pencil colored, and

highlighted with Copic N3

[must confess this one was colored while I visited with Bobby!]



Well.  did you guess?  Here's a hint... we've bloomed 252 of them this year!  There are even more kids to come, too - watch for another borrowed beauty on Thursday! 

Thanks, my friend, for the fun we've had - and for the next day of playing cards we have to look forward to!!

Hope you have a great Monday, and exceptional week ahead!  Let's go see what my friend Marcia has to share - I'm grabbing another cuppa, it's gonna be great ...

=]  Michele

This is where I normally would link all the MFT products used... sadly, most PI's are no longer available … except for the Butterfly Kisses, and dies.  Here are the Copics I used for her:

Essentials by Ellen September 2019 Release Blog Hop

Hello my friends!  I'm joining my EH Design Ambassadors, and a few very special guests,  for a Hop … you should have arrived from Erica's unbelievably brilliant blog!   There is so much to amaze from these ladies, I'm going to be quick as I can - there are prizes to be won!!

I did a little 'custom stamping' on The Leading Cat Lady … and added a few elements from Brandi's new Dress-Up Days stamps and coordinating dies! 

Here's how it all started... The Cat Lady provided the cat, her head, feet, and hand which were stamped.  I Copic colored them all, and made her a custom broomstick skirt [what else?], and then I grabbed the wings from Dress-up Days to make a fun witchy collar!  Add her pointy hat, and broom from Dress-Up Days - voila!!
 

Brandi has also provided the perfect way to add fun sentiments with Treat & Boo dies, and Boo-yah sentiments!

 

  Ready for the reveal?

 

Don't you just love the expressions on their faces? 
and the snarky way she's pointing at Boo instead of saying it?

I did mention prizes, right?  We've got super fun prizes!!! One random & lucky commenter will win $25 to the EH shop and one will win the whole September Essentials by Ellen release!!!  To enter for a chance to win, make sure to leave comments at each stop along the hop!  Comment before Sunday, September 15th at 11:59pm PST. Winners will be notified by email.

 

Okay, as much as I love to have you stopping by... off you go … no broom required... Adelina has a fabulous treat for you!  As do all of my teamies - here's a complete list:

 

Ardyth
Emily
Kelly
Erica
Michele - you are here
Adelina
Laurel
Carissa
Carolyn
Lisa
Mindy
Julie
Sandy
Therese
Brandi

All the new products are available NOW

at Ellen Hutson, LLC!

=]  Michele

Supporting products:
Waffle Flower Crafts Nested Domes
EH Slate Grey cardstock
Honey Bee The Bee's Knees paper pack
Copics:

MFT Wednesday Sketch #453

I've spent my day with MFT... in my craft studio that is!

oh you'll see more about that on Monday... but here is my newest, truly darling set - she's got a cupcake for a special girl - and she's sharing it with MFTWSC453!

 

 

 

No more small talk - there's a pizza heading my way!  Delivered by the cutest guy I know!  wink. 

Happy Friday everyone!

=]  Michele 

 

Pinkfresh Studios Lacey Edger 1 set

MFT Sweet Birthday Wishes stamps, and dies - Copic colored

A very old embossing folder - no label!!

CAS[E] this Sketch #338 Retro

Looking back at CTS #58 from 2013 was such a treat!  New faces, old friends, and a TON of entries - it's a beautiful gallery and we can't wait to see what you'll do with it today!  Wait until you see who the special guest designer was!  SO cute!

I had such a fun sleepover with Bobby at her cottage on Higgins Lake ... talk a lot, stamp a lot - perfect get-away in my view!  I managed to get another one of my MFT Thankful Friend kids colored, too!

For CTS#338/58...

As much as I love Summer, I'm always ready for Fall!  Hope you can set aside a bit of time to play cards with us this week!  OH, don't forget to share your original CTS#58 if you played - so fun!

=]  Michele

Inspired By #88 ... Fall is near

 

Fall is near … but there are still a few lovely days of Summer to celebrate!  There is a certain end-of-Summer bloom I love the most … it's the one I've chosen for my Inspired By #88 card!

 

My splattered sunflower is an ages-old Poppy Stamps die

called Bountiful Sunflower.

 

That background is WAY out of my comfort zone, but it turned out pretty cool, right?  I used my smooshing technique again with Scattered Straw, Wild honey, and Carved pumpkin Oxides, and applied them to a water color card panel until I saw the field and leaves in the photo represented.  A tree circle stencil was used to apply Vintage photo ink as a stand in for that fun farm implement - does anyone recognize it?  Hay baler?  Thrasher?  who knows? 

 

I sure hope you'll play along this week - how is Fall showing up around your house? 

 

=]  Michele



Christmas Kickstart Challenge: Head-er

I've fallen way behind on my Christmas cards - with every intention of making one every week!  This was my inspiration today... from the Christmas Kickstart Challenge #18:

Yes, that is our fabulous inspiration this week!  In all of my favorite Christmas colors!  I just happened to have my Altenew Brilliant Bauble set out for a spin... it was my after Christmas buy at the beginning of this year.  So without a snowman - will this qualify?  Even if it doesn't, I love playing cards with Jo and adding to my Christmas stash!

The sentiment is a Right at Home set from last year [maybe two years ago] I love that font!  Lil' Inker's wood grain cover die is perfect no matter what the scene, I think!  Hope Jo does, too!

Thanks for stopping by!
=]  Michele

Inks:  Altenew Sea Shore, and Red Cosmos sets along with Delicata Silver.