Christmas Kickstart: Slimline Cards

 The challenge at Christmas Kickstart is to create a slimline card. When I started adding to my slimline stash I was planning to keep it to general dies and stencils but I couldn't resist this Christmas stamp.  Then I never got around to using it at Christmas! So here it is!

The image panel is cut with Trinity Stamps Modern Embossed Frame Panels.  These types of dies are some of the most boring dies to buy but, for me, they are the most used.  They are just rectangles, but I love finished edges especially when I am doing nothing but putting it on background paper. 

I added glitter to the star and it's on the top edge of the "ground" also which I added just as a balance to the star.  A few sparkly sequins as starlight - and this card is done.  I actually played around with it for quite awhile trying different colors of different embellishments but I love the stamp and thought it worked well on its own.

Thanks to Christmas Kickstart for giving me the inspiration to use this stamp!

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Woodware Peaceful Night

Dies: Trinity Stamps Modern Embossed Frame Panels, Simon Says Stamp Holy Star

The Paper Players: Feline Fine

Given the felines in my house, one of whom is currently sitting on the card for this challenge that I need to get a photo of, I had to play along with the current challenge at The Paper Players which is "Feline Fine"

My boys helped rescue the mother of our two cats.  When my guys were in elementary school, on an extremely cold day, the mother was a kitten trying to survive under one of the temporary classroom buildings.  The school wouldn't let them crawl under to rescue them during the school day, but they said any families could come back after hours (in the dark, when it was even colder).  We were one of two families dumb brave enough to risk the bitter cold. After belly crawling on the ice, one of the kids in the other family rescued the kitten and they took her home.  So when that cat later had four kittens, we visited them weekly from the day they were born. When it came time to find them homes, the girls in the other family were struggling with splitting them up so they kept two and convinced us to keep two.  The idea was the cats were the boys' pets.  Right.  Boys grow up - and leave home - but cats seem to stay. And they are such a big help!

Thanks to The Paper Players for the inspiration to create a cat card for my stash to send to one of my boys.

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Poppystamps Whittle Love Sentiments

Dies: Poppystamps Whittle Cat, Whittle Clouds and Little Bit of Turf, Memory Box Postage Square Layers

Paper: Memory Box Madras Plaid Coral and Green, Dashing Stripes and Dots, Lush Green Collection and Earth Neutral Collection

TGIF Challenge: Sale-A-Bration!

The current TGIF challenge is to use something from this year's Stampin' Up Sale-A-Bration.  Given I got three different things, I just had to play along.  I even got two different patterned papers and I'm not a huge user of patterned paper.  The Oh So Ombre pack fits my CAS personality - but I also got the Flower & Field dsp which should be out of my comfort zone with the bold patterns but I love it! Although notice I still didn't use a lot of it!

When I do get SU dsps, I tend to use the backside of the paper which is typically a subtle pattern. In the Flower & Field papers, it was the florals that called my name, especially the pattern that I used on this card. I used the Pretty Perennials stamp set and the coordinating dies. It's one of my favorites and works well with the paper.  For a little sparkle, I pulled out an older sequins set - the Iridescent Sequin Assortment because it includes Pool Party which is an accent in the paper. 

I also almost have the Sale-A-Bration Heal Your Heart stamp set. It's on the way but it didn't arrive in time to use on the card for this challenge. Having said that, "Happy Mail" is the type of sentiment I'm using a lot of right now as I still have friends and family who are staying in their homes so I send cheerful cards.

Thanks to TGIF for the inspiration!

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Stampin' Up Pretty Perennials

Dies: Stampin' Up Perennial Petals

Paper: Stampin' Up Flower & Field dsp, Just Jade CS

Ink: Stampin' Up So Saffron (newly inked so darker than usual!), Flirty Flamingo

Other: Stampin' Up Iridescent Sequin Assortment

Freshly Made Sketches: Sympathy with Floral Doodles

It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches! Today we have a sketch by Judy and here’s what I did with it!

   

I pulled the colors from the washi tape. I had already added texture to the background and like it before I realized the sketch showed the sentiment directly on the background. I simply added a black sentiment strip which made the sentiment pop so ended up working out well. Obviously I branched out from the square on the sketch. I had planned on putting a square behind the flowers, but as I added the leaves and the tulip, the square would have just been too big. 

The flower dies are gorgeous.  I love the layers.  I went with white on the top layer to keep the card very fresh and clean - but could easily add coordinating colors. There are other options in the die set so I definitely will be doing an even bigger bouquet in the future.

I hope to see you playing along with us this week at Freshly Made Sketches.

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Papertrey Ink Round & Round

Dies: Altenew Floral Doodles Die Set, Altenew Featured Sentiments die set

Cardstock: Stampin' Up Cherry Cobbler, Blushing Bride, Crumb Cake

Other: Stampin' Up Tasteful Textiles embossing folder, Carpe Diem washi tape, Pretty Pink Posh Seaglass

Fab Friday: Garden Floral Stencil

I have not used a lot of stencils.  Maybe a few as light backgrounds but not much more than that.  No reason for it, I just have so many other products, why deal with one more?!  But finally, not only did I use a stencil but I used a five layer stencil!  I might be a convert because I love the results.

I didn't spend any time thinking about this one.  It was really supposed to be a practice image.  I pulled out some colors that I knew would blend.  Then when I got this big flower done and decided I liked it, I wasn't sure how to use it. I'm kind of a small-little-groupings cardmaker - these big things stump me.  Fab Friday to the rescue!

The fabulous design team for Fab Friday are Stampin' Up demonstrators although it's OK with them if our cards don't use Stampin' Up products.  I have more than my fair share of SU products and I felt a tad guilty not using them. So at the last minute, I added a background using the  Stampin' Up Tasteful Textiles embossing folder! I like it - it gave it a nice soft look. The pinkish color is also Stampin' Up - I adore Flirty Flamingo - which is amusing because #1 I don't like pinks and #2 when I read other blogs I notice that many others actively dislike it!

This was fun and so much easier than I would have expected. I think I'm going to go try some different color combos!

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Avery Elle Simple Sentiments

Stencil: Pinkfresh Garden Florals set 

Dies: Pinkfresh Garden Florals, Taylored Expressions Stitched Rectangles, Scalloped Rectangles

Cardstock: Stampin' Up Flirty Flamingo

Other: Stampin' Up Tasteful Textiles Embossing Folder, Pretty Pink Posh Marigold jewels

Poppystamps: A Whittle Animal Lover

 I'm on the Poppystamps blog today with this card for an animal lover!!

I love that row of Whittles - they make me smile.  I did this for a co-worker who adores animals and loves blue, but can you imagine it in pink with the Whittle Unicorn and hearts.  Or what about with about a bold stripes and various zoo animals from the Whittles line?

Check out the Poppystamps blog for all the details.

SUPPLY LIST

Dies: Poppystamps Happy Birthday Poe Script, Whittle Birds, Whittle Rabbit, Whittle Cupcake, Whittle Paper Hedgehog, Whittle Mouse

Paper: Memory Box Garden Folly

The Card Concept: A Big Hi

It's time for a new challenge at The Card Concept.  The theme is Welcome Wee One with a fabulous nursery as the inspiration photo.  I don't need any baby cards, but here's what I came up with.

The main thing I saw in this photo was the variety of patterns and colors.  That's not something I'm good at.  I'm very matchy-matchy.  (As a proof story - about 2 1/2 years ago, we bought a new house for the first time in 30 years.  I fell in love with a house. We got in a bidding war and many would say we overpaid for it.  We don't see it that way.  It was totally finished in ways that I adored but am truly terrible at it. Like the bathrooms have tile and flooring that aren't matchy-matchy - but are absolutely perfect together! Don't even get me started on the richly colored accent walls. My craft room has a fabulous rust wall - one of my favorites - but the living room is a calm and relaxing blue. So for us it was move-in ready and totally worth the price.)

That was a serious sidetrack!  In the inspiration photo I saw stripes in the throw, a pattern in the rug (although I didn't use animal print), and the colorful curtains.  I also saw a unique mix of navy (I think that's the striped throw but it might be black), peachy/pink and aquas.  There's also a hint of greenery on the dresser. I pulled out a giant "hi" and added patterns and colors around that.

BTW - continuing on my theme of the last week of organizing - one of the things I did was purchase this packet organizer from Amazon (another version is on Simon Says Stamp which is where I first noticed it). I was going to use it for scraps but I ended up pre-cutting a variety of standard-sized cards and fronts, and I also added all of the white backgrounds and frames that I had created and never used.  The background on this card is out of that stash.

I'm new on The Card Concept design team, but I have decided that I truly love inspiration photos.  They take me in new directions.  I really like my card today but it's not a card I would ever have come up with on my own.  And that's why they call them challenges! I hope to see you playing along.

SUPPLY LIST

Dies: The Stamp Market Hi, Altenew Dotted Swirls Debossing Cover Die, Memory Box Scribble Leafy Branch Outline

Paper: Sunny Studio Dots & Stripes Pastel, Stampin' Up Pool Party and Mint Macaron, Taylored Expressions blue corn (the flowers are washi tape - I don't know where it's from)