Poinsettia greetings - SSC #187

 Hello!  It's time for a new challenge at Sparkles Christmas Challenge!  Our theme is clean and simple.  I have to admit that this is one of the most difficult for me to make, but I think I was able to create a card with lots of white space. :) 

My panel was embossed with Spellbinders Scenic Poinsettia 3D embossing folder.  My poinsettia is Poppystamps Delicate Poinsettias.  My sentiment is Raisin Boat Formal Phrases. 

We'd love to have you come play along at Sparkles Christmas Challenge!

Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed day! 

Blue Christmas - SCC #186

 Hello!  It's time for a new challenge at Sparkles Christmas Challenge!  Our theme is monochromatic wishes" so I've got a blue Christmas for you.  It's actually a blue card, not a sad Christmas like Elvis sings about. ;) 

My paper is O Holy Night from Hobby Lobby.  My poinsettia is Poppystamps Delicate Poinsettia.  My sentiment is a strip from one of the paper pages.  

We'd love to have you come play along at Sparkles Christmas Challenge!

Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed day!

Jingle all the way - SCC #185

 Hello!  It's time for a new challenge at Sparkles Christmas Challenge!  Our theme - chosen my yours truly - is "jingle bells"!  Here are my jingle bells...

Supplies: 
*Simons Says Stamp Sleigh Bell
*Poppystamps Orchard Leaves (I don't have any holly leaf die!) 
*Tonic Studios Warm Winter Wishes sentiment
*Cheapo Dies Stiched Scalloped Rectangles
*Darice Big Dot embossing folder
*Twine from my stash

We'd love to have you come play along at Sparkles Christmas Challenge!

Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed day! 

Christmas gifts - SCC #184

 Hello!  It's time for a new challenge at Sparkles Christmas Challenge!  This month's theme is "gifts"!

Here are my gifts... 

I made my own gifts... I cut rectangles from Hobby Lobby Wintergreen paper and cut the bows in gold paper with Poppystamps Heart and Bow die.  My sentiment is one of the Taylored Expressions All Together - Occasions 3 sentiments and gold heat embossed.  

We'd love to have you come play along at Sparkles Christmas Challenge!

Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed day! 

Happy Christmas Gnome - SCC #183

 Hello!  It's time for a new challenge at Sparkles Christmas Challenge!  This month our theme is "elves or gnomes."  This is a fun theme, but I realized I do not have any elf or gnome stamps or dies. :/  

So I made a gnome... 

I adhered a layer of vellum over my paper to tone down the colors a bit.  And as I said, I made my own gnome.  The beard is made with mulberry paper that I brushed out to look like a beard.  I hand cut his hat and used little circles leftover from a cover plate die for his nose and pompom on the hat.  My sentiment is from my "extras" box...  I think it's an old digi from From the Heart Stamps.  

We'd love to have you come play along at Sparkles Christmas Challenge!

Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed day! 

Snowman wishes - SCC #182

 Hello!  It's time for a new challenge at Sparkles Christmas Challenge!  Our theme is snowman or snowmen or snowpeople if you want to be politically correct. ;)  

Here's my snowman...

This cool guy is a FTHS digi that I found and colored.  I cut him out with Echo Park Stitched Squares. My sentiment is from a set so old that I don't have the name anymore, but I thought the fun font fit well with this fun snowman.  The snowflake is cut from silver paper.  It is the center of an ornament from Echo Park Snowflake Ornament Trio. 

We'd love to have you come play along at Sparkles Christmas Challenge!

Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed day! 

Shiny Christmas - SCC #181

 Hello!  It's time for a new challenge at Sparkles Christmas Challenge!  Our theme is "baubles" for this challenge.  

Here's my card...

My ornaments cut with Echo Park Snowflake Ornament Trio were dry embossed with CB Swiss Dots, Crackle, and CB Heritage.  I added the bows with Poppystamps Little Bow and Strong.  My heat embossed sentiment is Sweet n Sassy (now Creative Worship) Little Christmas Tags.  The BG panel is Hobby Lobby Wintergreen paper. 

We'd love to have you come play along at Sparkles Christmas Challenge!

Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed day! 

Peace & Joy - SCC #180

 Happy New Year 2026!!  It's time for a new challenge at Sparkles Christmas Challenge!  I hope you had a blessed Christmas season and aren't too worn out to be thinking of Christmas cards again! LOL

Our first theme of the year is "animals and trees."  Here is my card with a horse (aka animal) and evergreens (aka trees)... :) 

I inked my background using a circle mask for the moon.  I splattered some white paint then stamped and heat embossed my image and sentiment which are from Creative Worship Old-Fashioned Christmas.  

We'd love to have you come play along at Sparkles Christmas Challenge!

Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed day! 

Sleigh bell Christmas - C4G #265

 Hi!  Time is flying by, and it is time for another challenge at Cardz 4 Galz!  This is our last challenge for 2025!  

Our theme is "Christmas sparkle" and here's my card... 

I am not a fan of glitter, but I do like shimmer and shine.  My jingle bell is SSS Sleigh Bell.  The bow is Poppystamps Little Bow and String.  My paper is DCWV the Christmas Glitter Matstack.  (This is very old paper, but I love it because it is sparkly but DOES NOT shed any glitter!!!  Whoo-hoo!!)  My BG is navy cardstock that I dry embossed with Sizzix 3D Snowflakes after swiping Cloud 9 Lisa Horton Opaque White ink on the flat side.  My "merry" sentiment is Hero Arts Merry Stamp & Cut and "Christmas" is from a freebie I received years ago.  The tiny stars are from MS Diamond Star border punch.    

Challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Sparkle and shine
Word Art Wednesday #728-729 - AG that's family friendly
Die Cut Divas December - Christmas/winter

We'd love to have you come play along at Cardz 4 Galz!

Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed day! 

Embossed Christmas - SCC #179

HAPPY DECEMBER 1st!!  It's only 24 days until CHRISTMAS!!!  

And it's time for a new challenge at Sparkles Christmas Challenge!  :)  Our theme is "poinsettia" for this challenge.  

Here's my poinsettia card...

This was a fun card to make!  I used 3 techniques on my green panel. I dry embossed it with Darice Basket Weave.  Then I inked up the flat/debossed side of Spellbinders Poinsettia 3D EF with white ink and 3D embossed the panel.  The original embossing flattens a little, but it is still visible and gives some texture.  And the inking really makes the poinsettias pop!  I added a bit of gold ink to the center of the flowers.  My sentiment is Hero Arts Merry Stamp & Cut.  

I think this is my favorite card I've made all year!!  It is very similar to a card I made while participating in Justine Hovey's 12 Days of Christmas Cards this year.  Click HERE to see that post.  It's card #3 on day 4.  

We'd love to have you come play along at Sparkles Christmas Challenge!

Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed day! 

Warmest wishes for Christmas - SCC #178

 Hello!  It's time for a new challenge at Sparkles Christmas Challenge!  This month, our theme is "festive wear."  Unfortunately, I don't have an ugly sweater stamp, so I went with hats.  :)

I dry embossed the BG paper with Darice Snowflake Swirl, then swiped white pigment ink over it.  My hats are made from a trimmed Spellbinders Classic Oval die, a handcut piece embossed with Cuttlebug Distress Stripes for the band, and the pompom is 3 snowflakes from SSS Build a Snowman.  My sentiment is from that set, too. 

We'd love to have you come play along at Sparkles Christmas Challenge!

Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed day! 

Be merry - SCC #177

 Good morning!  It's time for another challenge at Sparkles Christmas Challenge!  This month we want to see your cards made using non-traditional colors.  I love my red and green for Christmas, but it's fun to explore other options.  

Here's my card...

I trimmed my card base so it is a 4-1/2 x 4-1/2 square.  I dry embossed a piece of Hobby Lobby O Holy Night paper with Darice Snowflake Swirl and added a navy border on the sides.  My snowflake is TH Vault Winter Wishes.  I added some TH Snowfall Grit Paste which kind of looks like snow on it.  (See closeup below.)  My sentiment is My Craft Spot Joy to the World and cut out with SSS Tiny Tags and attached to the snowflake with baker's twine from my stash. 

We'd love to have you come play along at Sparkles Christmas Challenge!  

Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed day! 

A happy, holly Christmas - SCC #176

Time is flying by!  It will soon be fall!  But there's still lot of time to get your Christmas cards created, and we are trying to help at Sparkles Christmas Challenge!  Our new challenge theme is "Let's see some holly!"  

Here is my holly card...

I could not find any cute holly paper in my stash, nor do I have a holly die, so I pulled out some scraps.  I dry embossed the green polka dot panel with Cuttlebug Holly Ribbons EF, and inked it with white pigment ink.  It's amazing how just a little ink makes it pop!!  My ornament is Echo Park Snowflake Ornament Trio, and the bow is Poppystamps Little Bow and String.  My sentiment is MME Holly Jolly and cut with SSS Tiny Tags. 

Please come and play along at Sparkles Christmas Challenge!  

Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed day! 

Plaid tree Christmas - SCC #175

Hello!  It is August 1 and time for a new challenge at Sparkles Christmas Challenge!  I got to choose our theme this month and chose "include a tree" which is pretty easy for a Christmas card! :). 

Here is my card...

I inked the Kraft panel through Echo Park Star Bright stencil.  My trees are MFT Cool Christmas cut from random plaid paper from my Christmas paper stash.  The sentiment is from Concord & 9th Yuletide Ornament.  

Challenges:

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge #760 - Christmas

ABC Christmas N or O - Non-Christmas stash or One layer card (I used a non-Christmas stencil) 

The Holly and the Ivy #188 - AG Christmas 

This year is flying by, so come play along at Sparkles Christmas Challenge and work on your Christmas card stash! 

Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed day! 

Sparkle & joy - SSC #174

 Happy Canada Day to my family and friends!! 

Being the first day of the month means it’s time for a new challenge at Sparkles Christmas Challenge!  This month, our theme is “Christmas sparkle.” 

Here’s my sparkling card… (you can see the sparkle better in the closeup 3rd pic.)

I am not a fan of glitter, but I do like shimmer and shine and sparkle.  I started by making a top fold card in black.  I cut Poppystamps Pointy Lace Plate in silver and added it to the card. I cut out the Poppystamps Delicate Poinsettias with DCWV Hippie Chic sparkly cardstock.  My sentiment is from a set that I purchased when I started card making in 2011... back when I didn't pay attention to who made it. ;)

We'd love to have you come play along at Sparkles Christmas Challenge!  

Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed day! 

Merry - SCC #173

 It's June!!  Time for a new challenge at Sparkles Christmas Challenge!  Our theme for this month asks that you "include the word merry" which is pretty easy when making Christmas cards! :)

Here's my card...

Ardyth - a wonderful card maker - has developed a technique for card making called LIMES.  It's a great way to use the inspiration of another's card without CASEing it.  (I've had a card pinned for along time and used it as my inspiration.  It's the second card in this post.) 

I trimmed down the musical paper and inked the edges.  My "merry" is Hero Arts Merry Stamp & Cut.  My trees are Poppystamps Evergreen Trio, and I inked the branches with white pigment ink.  "Christmas" is from a "Happy Christmas" die that I use often.  At that point I felt it needed a little more, so I added the punched snowflakes. 

We'd love to have you come play along with us at Sparkles Christmas Challenge!

Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed day! 

Fill your stocking - SCC #172

 A new month and a new challenge at Sparkles Christmas Challenge!  Our theme is "Christmas stocking."  

Here is my stocking...

I realized that I don't have a stocking die or stamps, so I hand cut this one.  My paper is Carta Bella A Wonderful Christmas.  I put a piece of vellum behind the stocking so it would stand out better against the plaid.  My sentiment is Hero Arts Merry Stamp & Cut.  A couple of branches from a MS punch and a few adhesive dots finished it off.  

We'd love to have you come play along with us at Sparkles Christmas Challenge!

Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed day! 

A green Christmas - SCC #171

It's April 1st, and I'm not fooling! :)  

It's time for a new challenge at Sparkles Christmas Challenge!  Unfortunately, I've had many green Christmases, but that's not what I'm talking about... our challenge theme this month is Christmas foliage.  (I have to admit that I had to look up to see if flowers were considered to be foliage.  Sadly, they are not.)  So we want to see your greenery. 

Here's my card...

My BG paper is a scrap that was sitting on my desk.  My wreath is made from a MS branch punch and Poppystamps Orchard Leaves cut from a variety of green papers.  The "berries" are the leftover dots from a die.  The bow is Poppystamps Grosgrain Ribbon Bos and the sentiment is Poppystamps Small Freestyle Merry Christmas. 

We hope you find time to come play along with us this month at Sparkles Christmas Challenge!  

Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed day! 

A merry little Christmas - SCC #170

Happy 1st day of March!  A new month and a new challenge at Sparkles Christmas Challenge.  Our theme is Christmas Critters.  Here's my "critter"!

This reindeer is a digital stamp that's been in my stash for awhile from Daydream Designs.  I colored him, but I grabbed the wrong marker so he's much darker than planned. :/  The panel behind him is Papertrey Ink December journal card.   

This year is flying by, so come play along and create a Christmas card for your stash. :)

Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed day! 

You warm my heart - SCC #168

Happy New Year to you!!  Wishing you all a wonderful and blessed 2025! 

New year, new month, and new challenge at Sparkles Christmas Challenge.  I know... Christmas was just last week!  But if you sent all your cards, you need to start working on new ones. :)   Our theme is "warm and cozy."

I embossed the front of an A2 card with Sizzix Eileen Hull Sweater.  My mitten is Papertrey Ink Mitten Die cut from Carta Bella A Wonderful Christmas.  I always cut an extra strip and crimp it for the band at the wrist.  My leaves are Poppystamps Delicate Poinsettia.  My sentiment is Technique Tuesday Hello Winter Sweater that I cut (and matted it) with Die-versions Stitched Circles. I added a double bow of baker's twine behind it.  

I hope you come play along at Sparkles Christmas Challenge! 

Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed day!