Star of Light

Finally all my fall commitments are done, and I have several weeks at home. I can dig in and craft my Christmas cards.  The fall / Thanksgiving cards are done...I send only a few of those out. Thanksgiving cards to the family and fall cards for blogging friends.

 This card is for two challenges.  The design comes from Case this Sketch, and the theme comes from Addicted to Stamps and More: Holiday.

My supplies were simple, clear  and silver embossing powders, Hero Arts Silver ink, Distress Ink in Chipped Sapphire, Versamark, the stamp set from Stampin Up called Star of Light, and a bit of masking paper and the misti to stamp versamark over the colored inks so the embossing powder would stick well.




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Clean and Simple Christmas

Submitted to Simon Says - Wednesday Challenge Blog - Clean and Simple Christmas.  Dies by Memory box and MFT.   I am also submitting to  Memory Box Challenge #5 - Black and white (I am counting the silver as a neutral :-).)

  

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3 in 1

It has been hot, humid and to this transplanted Southern California desert dweller just miserable. I love the seasons, but I despise the humidity.  Couple that with bouts of insomnia and my mojo went on vacation!  It has been about 8 days with very few cards made or contemplated.

Today, I sat down to work on three Christmas Card Challenges-a mini marathon of card making.  I like to group them all in one post, so about every 2-3 weeks I have a 3 for one post.

The challenges are Merry Monday - Penguins,  One Layer Christmas Cards -Anything goes with option of gift(s), and Muse Christmas Visions #11 an inspiration challenge (I loved the fresh color combo).

                         

 Do you clean up between each card, or do you have a marathon with all parts strewn about?  When I scrapbook, I clean up completely between each set of pages, even when at a crop.  Cards....oh it could be 2-3 4 before I give myself a clean work area...maybe because they are smaller formats.

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Supply Lists:

Happy Holidays Penguin

Copics (C01,03,07; YR04,07;B95,B99;100; 00)

Lawn Fawn Winter Penguin Stamps and Die

Memory Box Die  Swirling Cut Work

Simon Says Stamp Stitched Circle Dies

Darice Sequins, Stickles

Papers - SU, Neenah

Merry Christmas  - One Layer

Stamps Happen – Birthday Presents

Mama Elephant – Basic Borders

Lawn Fawn – Joy to the Woods

Hero Arts Silver Ep,  Versamark Ink

Paper – Stampin Up

Paper  SU, Neenah

Season's Greetings

Ellen's Esentials - Prized Stag Die

Simon Says Stamp Stitched Circle Dies

Simon Says Stamp - Be Joyful Stamp set

Hero Arts Gold Ep, Versamark Ink

Papers - Stamping up, burgundy scrap, DCWV Gold Foil paper

Christmas Card Challenges

 I am loving that Muse has a Christmas Card challenge.  This is the 4th...I am kinda bummed I missed a couple while on vacation.  It is JUNE people...Christmas is coming!  Get started on those cards.

Tracey's pretty trees and snowy  backdrop (pictured below with the challenge icons) are just lovely and one can't help but smile looking at them. I was inspired by the two trees, the simple sentiment in black and that wonderful blue snowy sky.

Supplies: SSS Be Joyful, ME Landscape trio, Epoxy stars, versamark, LF black licorice, DI in Broken China, SSS ink in Leaft Green.

I don't make a whole lot of one layer cards... I find them intimidating. One wrong stamp...and guess what.  I have two stamp positing tools...but neither is fool proof. On to my entry for the One Layer Christmas Card Challenge, anything goes with the optional element a Poinsettia.

Supplies: Stampendous Cling Poinsettia, WPlus9 Festive Greetings, Versamark, LF Black Licorice, Prismacolor Pencils, Gamsol, Black liquid pearls, Stampin Up Cardstock.


The last of my holiday cards for this week is for Merry Monday #161-sparkle, bling and shine.

I used Delicata Gold ink and some gold confetti from Pretty Pink Posh for the bling.  Other supplies include SSS Merry and Bright stamp set, On Point SU embossing folder, PPP Stitched duo one die. I also put a few glossy accent dots for some subtle shine.



To get to these challenge pages you may click the link above or click on the challenge icons below:

Muse Christmas Card Challenge #4

   

A little bit of Christmas

I managed to knock out another Christmas card for the Merry Monday Christmas Challenge - Santa.

I do not have a Santa stamp.  So I improvised.  I found hat and boot images, colored them with red and black wink of stella.  Next I die cut my front panel with Simon Says Stamp's Tri Square Die,  then embossed it with Holly Leaves by Darice.  I placed the hat and boot images behind the openings.  For the center opening, I colored it red with a red wink of stella brush pen and added a gold heat embossed greeting using Lawn Fawn's Milo's ABC's to mimic Santa's torso and belt.

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One Layer

Another new to me challenge is the One Layer Christmas Card Challenge. It runs bi-weekly and this is the first one of the new year. The theme is anything goes, with an optional twist of using red; the challenge runs to the 19th of January.

One layers cards are tough for me, but I thought I would give it a go.  I so loved this Lawn Fawn stamp set that I picked up during my fall trip to visit my Dad. I didn't play with it nearly enough during my Christmas Card making frenzy in November.

My images were colored with pencils and blended with gamsol. I added a bit of red WOS to my cardinal- my very favorite bird. The background was sponged and I did some masking as well. I just love that font!

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Supplies:
Stamps - Lawn Fawn - Joy to the woods
Inks- Memento Tuxedo Black, Simon Says Stamp - Lipstick Red,  Distress Ink - Stormy Sky
Aritist's Loft Pencils & Inky Antic's Gamsol
Red Wink of Stella

Getting a Head Start

I was so impressed with people playing in Christmas Card challenges that run year round, last year.  I wanted to join in but felt I had stumbled on the challenges too late for my way of doing things.  I like order, I don't always achieve it but, I do like it.  So with the new year, I am going to give it a try.

My first play along is with Merry Monday #141 Christmas Critters.  I picked up a few Lawn Fawn stamps duirng my fall visit to California and the critters...well they are so cute. 

I die cut this little penguin out of white paper, then 4 times more out of black paper.  I stamped him and colored him on the white paper using black ink and colored pencils to which I applied gamsol for blending. 
I wanted the little guy to really stand out, and I love giving heft to diecut words, and decided to try the same stacking technique with the penguin. To embellish him I added red and black WOS.  I love how it turned out. 

I stamped small snowflakes, and the sentiment.  Drew in a little ice patch to ground the penguin and added a festive red ribbon and bow to the card front.  After looking at the card I decided the opening corners of the card needed to be rounded.  This little guy makes me smile and I am sure his recipient next year will too.

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies
Stamps- Lawn Fawn Winter Penguin
Inks- Memento Tuxedo Black, Simon Says Stamp Lipstick Red, Hero Arts Silver
Ribbon - Michaels
Glitz - Wink of Stella (Black and Red)
Pencils - Artist's Loft,  Gamsol from Inky Antics