The Paper Players: Joy

I posted my first Christmas card of the year yesterday - and I already have #2!!  I started the tag for this card last weekend for a "joy" Christmas challenge but I just couldn't figure out what to do with it so I put it outside.  That challenge closed, but in the meantime, I saw The Paper Players sketch for this week and it solved all of my problems!


Because I started with a "joy" challenge, I went through my "joy" dies and felt like using this one by Reverse Confetti.  Then I saw the Reverse Confetti wreath in my not-yet-used stash and from there I just kept pulling out Reverse Confetti Christmas dies.  I really do love layering dies!!

Here's the sketch - thank you to The Paper Players!!

SUPPLY LIST
Dies (all Reverse Confetti): Topped Off Tags, Holly, Winter Words, Hang Ups, Let It Snow, Wreaths
Paper: Stampin' Up Poppy Parade, Taylored Expressions Granny Smith, Cilantro and Confetti Cake
Other: Simon Says Stamp Frosted Sequins, Taylored Expressions Corrugated and Lots of Dots Embossing Folders, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder (snowflakes)

CtS and Xmas Kickstart: Peace Poinsettia

I have a number of corner dies in my not-yet-used stash so the sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch caught my eye. Then I was inspired by the red challenge at Christmas Kickstart, particularly since one of the dies included poinsettias!  With the inspiration of these two challenges, here's what I came up with!


The first Christmas card of the year is done!!  And so quick and easy!  The corner die is from a trio of dies - Tim Holtz Mixed Media Christmas.  I used another Tim Holtz die for the sentiment. Then it still needed something so I checked out my poinsettia dies and found one with the same general look. 
Thank you to these challenges for the inspiration and the "kickstart"!!

SUPPLIES

Dies: Tim Holtz Mixed Media Christmas and Block Holiday Words, Memory Box Small Blooming Poinsettia

Paper: Stampin' Up Poppy Parade

Other: Little Things Glossy Berry Mixed Pearls

Freshly Made Sketches: Scribble Posies

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

I had just ordered these scribble dies with a leaf that was big enough for the banner.  And I had the big sentiment in my not-yet-used stash.  It was meant to be!!  I did struggle a bit with the flower center.  Sometimes it amuses me what part of a card gives me trouble - and how long I can obsess over it.  There's actually a scribble die to go on the center too - so I tried the same coral colors, then I reversed them, I tried black and white, then just black and just white, I tried brown, I tried brown with dots of sparkle - my desk was littered with flower centers and the scribble part.  I waste so much paper because I cannot visualize; I have to see it.  At this point, I can't remember where the idea for copper came from.  Even with that, after I had it there, I walked away from my desk for awhile but glanced every time I walked by and it seemed good.  I'm actually liking it better as I'm looking at the picture.

I hope to see you playing along this week and if you have any flower centers, may you obsess less than I did!

SUPPLY LIST
Dies: Memory Box Scribble Leafy Branch Outline, Scribble Posies Background and Scribble Posies Outline, Hello Bluebird Happy Birthday Words
Paper: My Favorite Things Coral Crush and Peach Bellini, Taylored Expressions Cilantro, Stampin' Up Pear Pizzazz and their older coordinating dsp, Copper
Sequins: Neat & Tangled Copper Penny

Freshly Made Sketches: Forever Young

It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches! Today we have a sketch by me.  Here’s what I did with it!

I usually make a card before I put together the sketch for the rest of the team.  I just want to make sure that the sketch works and I can do something with it. I didn't do that this time but I did flip through my not-yet-used stash and came up with this half circle die - and the sketch was born!

These dies are from Pinkfresh Studio. There are four arched dies with different scenes that fit into a tag.  Obviously I didn't use the tag, but the dies are an easy way to make a fun shaker!

I hope to see you play along!

SUPPLY LIST
Stamps: Mama Elephant Birthday Messages
Dies: Pinkfresh Studio Teardrop Tag with Fillable Elements, Taylored Expressions Mini Simple Strips die, MFT Blueprints 24 and 24 (the edges)
Paper: Sunny Studio Dots & Stripes Pastels (the polka dots and stripes), Doodlebug Design Dot-Grid-Daisy-Stripe Rainbow Petite Prints (the flowers), Stampin' Up Granny Apple Green, Papertrey Ink Bright Buttercup
Other: Webster's Pages Party Time sequins

Happy Valentine's Day: Memory Box Hearts x 3

Happy Valentine's Day!  I have one last Valentine this year.


I adore this Butterfly Heart Frame by Memory Box.  I love products that can be used for multiple situations.  I had so much fun with those little butterflies on my Valentine, I kept going and added to my card stash.
Here's birthday (on the next two cards the sentiments are also by Memory Box - Big and Little Words.)

And then an entirely direction ...sympathy. 

Memory Box is having a "heart" challenge right now which seemed like a very good excuse to buy this die that I had had on my wishlist.  You probably know how it is - the not-yet-used stash becomes too big and it's hard to justify buying more until you get that sign that it's meant-to-be!!  Sadly for my bank account, a simple challenge can do that for me.  See yesterday for exactly the same story with animal dies!!

Hmmm...I'm thinking I need an Easter card before I put this die away!

CAS(E) this Sketch: Hang In There

Yesterday morning, I wanted to make a quick card of encouragement for my youngest son. I went to a great source of inspiration - the sketches at CAS(E) this Sketch - and  realized the sketch would be a fun way to use some new stamps and dies that I recently added to my stash.


The new stamps and dies are the Poppy Stamps Busy Squirrel Trio and their Whittle Everyday sentiment set (plus I got a number of other Whittle animals to go with many of the stamps in the set!)  I knew I would be using the squirrel for my youngest son.  He's in his freshman year at a college multiple states away and even with all the big new experiences he's having - somehow he was quite thrilled with the squirrels there - "Mom...the squirrels are black!"  I think my "hanging" squirrel is actually just climbing a tree, but I thought if I put him off-kilter, he would definitely look like he needed to hang in there!

 (Poppy Stamps also has a Birch Stitched Frame die which is perfect for the squirrels and was in and out of my cart a number of times - but I looked at the sheer volume of tree dies in my stash and just couldn't justify it.)

Here is my inspiration!

I also want to credit the challenge at Poppy Stamps - Animal Menagerie.  Three squirrels may not be a menagerie, but if you saw all the other Whittle animal dies on my desk right now, you'll see I purchased the full menagerie!!

SUPPLY LIST
Stamps: Poppy Stamps Whittle Everyday
Dies: Poppy Stamps Busy Busy Squirrel Trio, Taylored Expressions Birch Tree Border, The Greetery Sentiment Suite Basics die, Lil Inkers Stitched Woodgrain
Paper: Avery Elle Spring Collection

Freshly Made Sketches: So Happy For You

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

I was looking through my stash for inspiration and ran across a set of dies that I've had for years and years and I don't remember ever using them.  I was thrilled to see that one of them was perfectly sized for a tall rectangle!! From there I just needed a fun paper (also old!) and a few sparkles.  Although I've said it a thousand times before, this story is exactly why I love sketches. This was a 10-minute card because I had a starting point with the sketch!

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

SUPPLY LIST
Dies: Little B Sentiments, Stampin' Up Rectangle Stitched Sentiments
Paper: Bo Bunny Baby Bump
Other: YNS Gumdrops Sugar Rush