52 Christmas Card Throwdown: Christmas Sweater

I got a new die set that screamed out to be a "Christmas sweater" for the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown challenge.  I love sweaters with classic nordic prints, but I am very much not a red/green person.  I know - that's almost blasphemy in the Christmas season.  I just prefer the softer, gentler side of the season including the colors. So my Christmas sweater card is pink!

These dies are actually separate borders. I used five of them in this card.  It's not my idea to use them that way - The Ton talked about it on their blog post introducing the dies. Also, the dies are the length of a slimline card so multiple uses.  The bold Merry Christmas is also from The Ton. I am a huge fan of unique fonts and styles so I adore this die!

Thank you to 52 Christmas Card Throwdown for the inspiration!

SUPPLY LIST

Dies: The Ton Merry Christmas Sentiment and Holiday Borders

Paper: Taylored Expressions Cupcake and Sea Salt

Other: Studio Katia Pink Carnation, Pretty Pink Posh Sparkling Clear Snowflakes

Color Throwdown: Together in Spirit

 I don't do many Halloween cards.  I just don't have people who appreciate them.  Therefore, I haven't bought Halloween products in years.  But I made an exception this year.  I got the Trinity Stamps Slimline Boos stamp set.  Can you guess why?

The set comes with a mask!!!  I LOVE IT!!!  Then when I saw the way that end ghost was looking at the smiling ghost - he needed the mask.  One of my sons will definitely appreciate this!

The stamp is a full slimline.  I could not find my big Misti to stamp with.  I have everything in my craft room - and it's fairly well-organized.  Where would a Misti in a pink box disappear to?  So I really had no way to to get a good stamped image.  To hide the worst of my problem areas, I put the image behind this trio of squares. I ended up liking the way they are peeking out even though there are dozens of funny little ghosts you can't see.

I had not planned on working on this card this weekend, but the colors at Color Throwdown were just right.  It really hadn't occurred to me to use kraft but how perfect for my sons!

On a sad side note - I've talked about the fires in Colorado.  They don't get much coverage because they are dwarfed by the fires on the west coast but they are still burning.  A month or so ago, one of the fires became the largest in Colorado history - that fire is now out.  But another fire that is just above Fort Collins (where my son is at Colorado State University) has now beaten that record.  It's dwarfed the earlier fire by almost 50% again and it's not out.  Plus there are high winds and no moisture in the forecast.

Here's the town of Estes Park.

And in the foreground of this shot is the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park. (Those are the lights from the hotel, not fire.) It's a beautiful hotel, but have you seen The Shining - this is where it was filmed and is still considered haunted! It couldn't look any more haunted than it looks right now.

Fort Collins is very close to the fire. The maps of the burn areas and the evacuation zones are horrifyingly close.  But there's a very big reservoir and no trees between the fire and the town so other than being engulfed in smoke for the last two months and perhaps the next few, it should be OK.  But there are other towns that aren't so protected - so sending up prayers.

Even crazier, new fires started today.  Towns are being evacuated.  We haven't had any storms - so they aren't caused by lightning.  There is supposedly no old, unsafe electrical equipment in the area (as with some of the California fires).  So these must be human-caused. Don't even get me started on the idiot in my own neighborhood shooting off fireworks last night.

2020 needs to be over.

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Trinity Stamps Slimline Boos

Dies: Trinity Stamps Slimline Series: Modern Embossed Panels die, Little B Halloween (bat) - very old

Paper: Stampin' Up Pumpkin Pie and an old patterned paper

Other: Little Things by Lucy Tangerine Mix

Poppystamps: Peek-a-Boo

I'm on the Poppystamps blog today with this fun peek-a-boo card!

I love the expressions on this trio of Squeaker Ghosts from Poppystamps!  I used the Haunting Pumpkins to give them something to play peek-a-boo with.  I don't have a "peek-a-boo" sentiment but Poppystamps has this small alphabet so I could create my own. Then I added some detail on the black panel with a frilly cobweb from Halloween Ingredients. 

There are lots of other details and pictures on the Poppystamps blog - be sure to check it out!

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Poppystamps Halloween Ingredients

Dies: Poppystamps Squeaker Ghosts, Haunting Pumpkins, Poetic Uppercase Alphabet

Paper: Memory Box Frosted Glitter Paper Pad

Freshly Made Sketches: Give Thanks

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!

This card relied entirely on the die.  I've been doing that more and more often lately.  It's surprising when I look back how often there's no stamping (other than a sentiment) on my cards!  But there are such GORGEOUS dies available - I cannot resist!

Colors can be hard for me.  I often rely on color challenges or on pulling colors out of a piece of patterned paper.  Then if I stumble on a color combo I love, I use it A LOT.  My last post said that I was making an effort to get out of my color rut.   This card is another giant leap.  I love the rich look of the Cajun but I had to figure out what to put behind it.  I had all the classic fall colors out to try but it just seemed so heavy.  I put the card aside but this little voice kept saying "seaside spray" (that's the light misty blue).  I think it works.  Not a normal combination for me!! 

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

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Taylored Expressions Mini Strips - Harvest (without the mini strip die)

Dies: Altenew Hanging Garden Die

Paper: Stampin' Up Cajun Craze, Seaside Spray, Bumblee, scrap of gingham

Other: Stampin' Up Tasteful Textiles Embossing Folder, Studio Katia Bluebell Pearls

Pinkfresh WCMD Challenge #12: Flowers

 I'm playing along with Pinkfresh's last challenge for World Cardmaking Day: Flowers.  I love this fun set from Pinkfresh. They are such cute flowers and they have the stamps to fill in the colors.

I made a deliberate decision to change up my go-to colors.  If you read my posts, I think I'm in a bit of a rut with colors although some fall colors have appeared recently.  But even this post from two days ago I used my favorite pink, yellows, blues and greens. And I used the same general colors, the last time I used these flowers.

So I started by pulling a blue that wasn't in the aqua family, then I pulled out a toned down yellow-gold and a toned down pinkish color.  I even totally bucked my norm by not doing green leaves. AND - although most wouldn't even notice this, I'm not huge on gold.  I like silver, not gold.  I went totally crazy on this card - but I might be the only one who notices!!

I think I like it. Of course, maybe that's just because I adore the stamp and the sentiment!

Thanks to Pinkfresh for the week of challenges and inspiration.

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Pinkfresh Believe in Yourself

Dies: Pinkfresh Sending dies

Paper: Stampin' Up Pretty Peacock, Doodlebug Bar-B-Cute Petite Prints (the gray gingham)

Ink: Stampin' Up Crushed Curry, Petal Pink, Pretty Peacock, Pool Party, Simon Says Stamp Fog

Other: Studio Katia Gold Foil Pearls

Tic Tac Toe Challenge: Blessed

 I'm playing along with the current challenge at Tic Tac Toe Challenge. They have a wonderful fall grid to pick from.  I'm using the center vertical column but I might be playing a little fast and loose with the rules!!

The linen/burlap from the grid is the Burlap Texture die from Altenew. This die has been very hard to find in-stock so since I finally just got it, it was my starting point on the Tic Tac Toe grid. Going up the grid to use a leaf was an obvious choice given my overly-large collection of leaf dies.  So then I got to "pumpkin".  I have pumpkin dies - I could have gone there.  But instead I used Stampin' Up Pumpkin Pie cardstock AND Taylored Expressions Pumpkin cardstock.  You can't say I didn't pull inspiration from the grid!

The sentiment is new from Honey Bee Stamps. I absolutely LOVE the font. There's a coordinating sentiment set but I didn't want to cover any more of the card.  I did not adhere the edges of the leaf so I popped the sentiment to make sure it was "floating" above it all.

Thank you to the Tic Tac Toe Challenge for the inspiration!

SUPPLY LIST

Dies: Altenew Burlap Texture, Honey Bee Stamps Lovely Layers Maple Leaf

Paper: Stampin' Up Pumpkin Pie, Taylored Expressions Pumpkin, Concord & 9th Neutrals Foil, Doodlebug Designs Buffalo Check-Wood Grain Rainbow Petite Prints

Other: Studio Katia Gold Foil Pearls

Freshly Made Sketches: Paper Hugs

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

I was quite excited when I realized this "Paper Hug" die fit the sketch!  It's by The Stamp Market.  They are the best at making cards with bright rainbows of colors so I decided to do the same on mine.  I was going to do a row of squares then saw an old banner punch.  I accented it with some funky little flowers also by The Stamp Market. 

I still have a number of people to whom I send cards every week.  My mother-in-law is a total extrovert but has all of the COVID risk factors so has self-quarantined since the beginning.  She is beyond stir-crazy.  She won't even let us come visit in case we bring something.  Of course, we'd have to fly halfway across the country to see her so she's not wrong about the possibility.  But selfishly, it's nice to have a true reason for my cardmaking (besides getting further and further behind on Christmas cards!)

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

SUPPLY LIST

Dies: The Stamp Market Paper Hug, Small Blooms, the banners are from an old Stampin' Up punch

Paper: Stampin' Up Poppy Parade, Flirty Flamingo, Mango Melody, Daffodil Delight, Granny Apple Green, Coastal Cabana; Taylored Expressions Cupcake; Papertrey Ink Aqua Mist