Merry Monday: Tis the Snow Season

This week's challenge at the Merry Monday Christmas Challenge is plaid!

I love the warmth and the rustic look of plaid!!  But I didn't go that way.  Mostly because I could not find my brand new paper pad of Christmas plaids and I got frustrated. So given that my hour of crafty time was already down to a half hour before heading out to church,  I used the winter plaids that I was able to find!

Speaking of not being able to find something - I just got this stamp set from The Cat's Pajamas.  It's a Limited Edition re-release of a discontinued set.  When I saw the sneak peek of it - I was convinced that I had it so I dug through all of my stamps and paged through my stamp index - it's not there.  I'm still convinced I own it, but just the words "Limited Edition" worried me, so I ordered it again!!  I'm sure eventually the first one will turn up, but until then no worries.  And aren't both of these stories just sad statements of my addiction!!
SUPPLY LIST
The little jewel snowflakes are from Memory Box. I've had them from years and I can't find them anywhere to link them.

The Cat's Pajamas J*lly H*liday	Lawn Fawn Perfectly Plaid Winter	TE Stitched Banner Stacklets	PTI Smokey Shadow Ink
SSS Smoke CS	MFT Berrylicious CS	Versamark	WOW Calypso Embossing Glitter

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Freshly Made Sketches: Fa La La

It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches! Today we have a sketch by Linda from Stampin' Seasons.

I had just unpackaged a recent order from Reverse Confetti that included a wreath and some Christmas ornaments so given the round element on the sketch - it was a no-brainer!

I'm not 100% sold on the big stripe in the background, but I'm trying really hard to incorporate more current patterned paper.  I love it when I see it on other people's cards, but on my own cards, I always lean toward my older paper pads of small prints or monochromatic patterns. But it's the first patterned paper that I have purchased from Reverse Confetti and I had already pulled my colors from it - so it stayed.  (I'll know that I have succeeded in embracing patterned paper when you see more than one pattern on my cards!)
I hope to see you playing along this week.  Remember that the big circle in the middle of the sketch is "any shape" so there's lots of room for you to work!
SUPPLY LIST

Reverse Confetti Vintage Ornaments

Reverse Confetti Vintage Ornaments dies

Reverse Confetti Leafy Wreath Confetti dies

Reverse Confetti Very Merry 6×6 Pad

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Taylored Expressions: A Merry Scene

Last Christmas, Taylored Expressions' holiday paper pack included pre-made scenes.  They add a really nice backdrop to a scene, particularly when paired with the wide variety of Christmas dies.  I had an idea that I would spotlight part of the scene.  Not literally, but by adding a Christmas frame then only decorating the scene inside the frame.


I love little scenes made out of dies.  They can be a bit frustrating to put together because they are so teeny-tiny.  First, make sure you have a good tweezers.  Second, the adhesive...I use either a fine-tip glue or Stick It Adhesive.  (I prefer the Stick It Adhesive, but sometimes I have everything cut out before I remember it.)


The third difficulty is getting everything down in the right place.  I get everything laid out but not adhered, then I use my phone to grab a quick picture.  Here's the picture for this one.

Then I take it apart and adhere things piece by piece.  I use various cues to get things lined up.  I see that the pond goes over to the second "R" and it goes through the middle of the M, E and R.  The deer's nose is right under a snowy branch.  Two of the sequin stars at the top are next to the little white dots.  This way I can lay down my little piece with the glue on it and get it right on the first try!

SUPPLY LIST

Build a Scene - Central Park	Little Bits - North Star	Picture Perfect - Vertical	TE 6x6 Paper Pack - Build a Scene Christmas
TE Premium Cardstock - Blue Corn	TE Premium Cardstock - Sugar Cube	TE Premium Cardstock - Salt Water Taffy	TE Premium Cardstock - Toffee
TE Sequins - Snow Flurries	TE Sequins - Hello Happiness	TE Sequins - Sweetheart

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The Paper Players: A CAS Leaf

This week's challenge at The Paper Players is a clean and simple leaf.  I could not let this one go by.

It's been a long time since I've made a 10 minute card.  The kind of card that comes together instantly - and I love it.  This is one of those rare cards.  For this challenge, I knew right away that I had to use the Concord & 9th Give Thanks leaf set.  I must have been really lucky with this one because I have read on many, many blogs about people spending a long time on waiting lists for this set.  I naively ordered it one day, apparently the very hour it came out before it totally sold out, but it's been sitting in my not-yet-used stash. So...today's the day!! 

Then, to add to my excitement - I just opened a package from Papertrey Ink that included the Choose Joy stamp set.  I have absolutely no idea when this came out but somehow I didn't notice it until I saw Leigh Penner's absolutely stunning card. (Funny...I didn't notice until I was linking it that she paired it with a Concord & 9th stamp set too!!)  The sentiments in it are amazing and unlike anything else in my stash - and all in simple, trendy fonts.  When I saw the sentiment with the "heart" and the background to the leaf is a heart - my own heart sang!!!

I did two versions, sort of by accident.  This is the intended version - I wanted it to be fall, but a very soft fall - so I decided to pair PTI's Summer Sunrise with Melon Berry.

This next card is the first card that I did. For both cards I used my Mini Misti to add the color.  On this next card, I "over-layered" the Summer Sunrise such that the Melon Berry lost its pink cast, but I love the depth of color that I got.  Since the look of the Melon Berry changed, I used Summer Sunrise in the background.  Exact same card, but I think it's a very different mood.

Both of these stamp sets are going to take prominent places on my cards for awhile - LOVE them!! (And I haven't even used the matching leaf dies yet.)
SUPPLY LIST

Concord & 9th Give Thanks	PTI Choose Joy	Mama Elephant Femme Frames	PTI Summer Sunrise CS
PTI Summer Sunrise Ink	PTI Melon Berry CS	PTI Melon Berry Ink	PTI Smokey Shadow Ink
SSS Clearly Beloved Sequins

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Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge: Glitter Gourds

It's time for a new challenge at the Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge: Glittery Gourds.

domainehome.com

This was an easy one!  First - I love all things autumn.  Second - I still need to make quite a few Thanksgiving cards.  And finally - the inspiration photo is totally clean and fresh!


I pulled out a pumpkin stamp from an not-yet-used stash and did the whole thing in glitter with just a few pops of colors.  

It's a beautiful detailed image.  I think it works on this neutral card - but my fingers are itching to start again and use Copics or Zig watercolors or something to give it some rich fall colors. Be sure to pop over to the Curtain Call blog. Besides inspiration from the design team, we have two fabulous guest designers:

Carol Mayne,  Just Me: C
 

Susie Moore, The Dies Have It

SUPPLY LIST

I used just one side of the frame die to give my pumpkins a shelf.  I like the stitching on it.

Bushel of Blessings	Bushel of Blessings Dies	Frame in Frame 2 Cutting Plate	Embossing Folder - Dotted Lattice
TE Premium Cardstock - Sugar Cube

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