Christmas Time, in July?

It really is hard to believe we are half way through this year already.

But is you are one of those that really likes to plan ahead, we are tempting you this week over at the Cheery Lynn Challenge Blog with a Christmas July theme.

My creation today goes along with that theme.

I know I have mentioned before how I  love to use my Mary Engelbreit calendars as pieces for focal points of my cards.

What I wanted to do with this card was to somewhat mimic the scene that was going on in the Mary Engelbreit image.

You can see here the Window C, peeking from the back of the card image..

When you open up this tri-fold card you will see the small, simple scene inside the Window. I made the snow with Scalloped Circles, the stars are from the Patriotic Swag, the trees are upside down leaves from the Frangipani, and the festive colored flower is the  Frangiapni with leaves.

I also embossed the white scalloped circles with Eccentric Circles Embossing Plate to give them more dimension.

On the inside of the card, I used the Mini Pearl French Flair die for a large background piece and decorated it with the Frangiapni with leaves and Bird on Branch 2.

The white space gives a nice area for a personal note.

I love how the Franipani doubles as a “hook” to catch the corner of the image and holds this card closed.

Be sure to check out our challenge blog and we’d love for you to play along with us on our challenge for your own chance at winning a shopping spree worth $20.00 of Cheery Lynn Designs Dies.

I hope you had a wonderful holiday.

This has been Jeannie with The Polka Cabana with today’s post.

Gel-à-tins & Authentique Paper = Fabulous

Today I am using the set called Christmas Wreath.

To start out what I did was to very faintly stamp the wreath onto white paper.

I only wanted the shape and did not care about the image showing up too much.

Next, I pretty much made a mess with paint, again I only wanted the shape and was not too concerned with how it looked at this point.

I added some sparkle to the paint in case any or the painted wreath showed through in my final product.

I also die cut a couple of different sized leaves in different papers and die cut little pears also.

Then I took the 2 smaller stamps from the stamp set and stamped each leaf.

After I stamped them I ran them through a paper crimper a couple of times to distress them.

After that was done, I adhered them to the wreath background, creating a 3-d wreath.

I added some fibers and embellishments and embossed the saying in black on the card front.

Ahhh, I could just stare at this for hours I think the colors are so gorgeous and relaxing!

All of the decorative papers are from Authentique Paper’s Free Bird – COMFORT series.

The decorative corners are from Authentique Paper’s - Wonder Headlines.

I hope you have enjoyed seeing how I came up with this design.

I am just loving playing with these stamps and know you will love them too!

This has been Jeannie from The Polka Cabana with today’s post.

I have entered this card into Embellish.com’s color chalenge.

http://embellishmagazine.com/blog/2011/12/mixed-patterns-color-trends-challenge/

Wednesday Wowzer PLUS!!

How are you today?

It is ME, you know the blog writer, with a fun new project with some {ippity} stamps.

I can say I do make these things for fun, but it is my effort to invite you over to I Heart {ippity} in hopes that you will try these fun stamps for yourself.

It also happens to be a time for celebration.  Our {ippity} leader in inviting you all to her birthday celebration where she is having some FABULOUS giveaways.

Be sure to check her HOME blog here:

http://www.papercrafteranonymous.com/

Today I wanted to show you a little ornament I came up with using the set CUPPY CAKES.

I took a Canvas Corp star and stamped the cupcake image onto it…

…I then stamped the cupcake on to various papers from the

My Minds Eye Ooh La La For Her line.

I added some hot fix pink pearls in swirl fashion and made the BABY trinket from Epiphany Crafts Shape Tool that I got the most wonderful deal on from YOUR SCRAPBOOK SUPPLY.

My final touch was to add the dangling beads and a flower made from Cheery Lynn Designs new roll up flower called CUTIES 3.  I made it this way so it could be used as a Baby’s 1st Christmas OR just a BABY of the family ornament.  It could even just be a room decoration, what do you think?

Think outside the box, that seems to be my motto!

Head on over to I Heart {ippity} we have such creative gals!

I love everything they make, every week.

Go and see for yourself.

Have a great day and remember this is the season of giving, not the season of stress and greed!  Relax and enjoy and don’t get caught up in the worldly view of this season.

Have a wonderful Wednesday.

Supplies:

Canvas Corp Canvas Star

Staz-On Ink-Timber Brown

 Epiphany Crafts Shape Tool

My Minds Eye Ooh La La For Her

Silver Twine, Ink – Stampin’ Up!

Hot Fix Items – Rhinestone Hues

Beads – Michaels & Hobby Lobby

Cheery Lynn Designs dies

New Sweet Stamps Card and Challenge

It is Tuesday and it is that time of the week when Sweet Stamps has issued a new challenge.

This week we are challenging you to do a Christmas Bling Card.

Here is what I came up with.

Bear with me.  This was extremely hard to photograph.

If I was able to capture the sparkle and bling, the background was washed out or the wrong green.  If I got the green to be right, you could not see any of the shimmer and sparkle.

I tried outside, inside, in the shade in the light, in the sunlight and nothing worked.  This is the best I could get and I am still not happy with the final outcome.

On the positive side, I have to say, the Holiday Sweets Set is just about the most fantastically fun set ever.  I love how all the candies look stamped.

I could use this set forever and never get tired of it.

Other items used:

Flower Tree

Authentique Paper – Wonder

If you like the sound of our new challenge and would like to enter to have a chance at winning a $20.00 gift certificate to Sweet Stamps.com, head on over to the Sweet Stamps blog.

Have a terrific day!

 Thanks for your visit and if you have time to leave a comment, I love reading every single one.  Your comments make my day.

New Cheery Lynn Designs Challenge, are you in?

We have a new challenge to tempt you with on the Cheery Lynn designs website.

SILVER & GOLD

Click HERE to see all the important info regarding how to enter.

I made the following, in less than 30 minutes last night.

The tree layers are made from the French Pastry Doily.

The background I used the Rectangle Stitch Tool and the Eccentric Circle Embossing plate.

If you’d like to join our challenge, head on over to Cheery Lynn designs and check out the details!

http://cheerylynndesigns.blogspot.com/2011/12/cheery-lynn-designs-challenge-5-silver.html

Have a great Monday!

New Sketch Challenge @ Authentique Paper’s blog

I have never made an excuses for my love of Authentique Paper, right?

Well they have a new challenge up starting today.

If you participate in the challenge you have a chance at winning some Authentique Paper goodies.

To get all the specifics on participating, go HERE.

Here are the sketches:

CARD

LAYOUT

Here is what I came up with for the card sketch, using Authentique Paper’s – WONDER.

Here is what I came up with for the layout using Authentique Paper’s – GATHERING.

I hope you have liked my show and tell today, I’d love for you to head on over to the blog and see what the other ladies on our Design Team have come up with for these sketches!

Have a wonderful weekend.

Is it a Babushka or Matryoshka?

I had a vision for what I wanted to do today.  I went on Etsy and bought a digital file I needed to complete my vision and everything.  But as of writing this post, the file still has not been delivered.

Plan B?  I made my own Matryoshka doll.

Too see the digital image I based this off of, go HERE.

I am thrilled as can be with how this turned out.

She is mounted on a 3/4″ piece of MDF.

The dies I used are the following:

Small Lace Butterfly, Oval Stackers, Window Stacker, Heartland America, Anastasia Border, Miniature Rose, Lace Rose & Flourishes and Dotties Ric Rac.

What do you think?  Thumbs up or thumbs down?

I adore her!  I hope she has brought you a smile at least.

ALSO…Have you checked out our weekly challenges?  Our current challenge is A SHAPED CARD.

Check out all the details here:

http://cheerylynndesigns.blogspot.com/2011/11/cheery-lynn-designs-challenge-4-shaped.html

By entering, you have a chance at a 20.00 shopping spree at Cheery Lynn Designs.

Be sure to follow the rules and play along!

Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for visiting today.  This has been Jeannie with The Polka Cabana with today’s post.

A Gel a Tins Christmas Beauty

I am getting in the mood of making all these fabulous Christmas things and thought I would make a nontraditional color card for you all today.

I am using the same set I made my last Gel a Tins card with, you can find that post here:

http://polkacabana.wordpress.com/category/gel-a-tins/

A friend of mine told me about a wonderful site which I used this sketch to make my card.

Here is what I have made, based on the sketch.

I used paper from the Ooh La La For Her, by My Mind’s Eye.

To create lots of texture I used glitter and these micro mini clear glass beads.

My favorite aspect of this is that I stamped the phrase directly onto the twill tape.  I love the way it looks.

It looks very elegant, perfect for a Very Important Person you need to send a card to.

 Are you thinking about making cards for this Holiday?  There is still time.  If you don’t have enough time to make all of them, pick a handful of people and hand make those people cards.

It is truly an expression of love to put your heart into something and what a way to tell someone close to you, “Merry Christmas.”

Have a great Thursday and Happy Crafting.

This has been Jeannie from The Polka Cabana with today’s post.

Wednesday Wowzer with I Heart {ippity}

How are you today?

(Who am I talking to?)  That is the weird this about blogging, you have no idea if anyone reads this stuff.  On the bright side it gives me license to talk to myself! That’s good enough for me.

Today I wanted to make a Christmassy type card with my {ippity} stamps with a set that is NOT a Christmas set.

I have used the set called Flowers + Friends = Priceless.

I took the flowers and embossed them in white with Stampendous CHUNKY WHITE ENAMEL.

It is supposed to be a shabby chic type feel.  The embossing distorts the image slightly on purpose.

I stamped the leaves in green and embellished with flat back pearls and ribbon.

My final touch was to add the phrase.  I always go to using my DICTION stickers from Authentique Paper.

I do not know what I would do without those little guys.

So there you have it.

Do you have stamps that are not “Christmas” stamps that you can try this technique with?

Think outside the box, that seems to be my motto!

Head on over to I Heart {ippity} we have such creative gals!

I love everything they make, every week.

Go and see for yourself.

Have a great day and remember this is the season of giving, not the season of stress and greed!  Relax and enjoy and don’t get caught up in the worldly view of this season.

Have a wonderful Wednesday.

Supplies:

Canvas Corp Kraft Paper

Stampin’ Up! Ink, Paper, Ribbon and embellishments

Stampendous Embossing powder

Authentique Paper Diction

I Heart {ippity} stamps 

Cheery Lynn Designs dies

Sweet Stamps Gate Fold Card

It is Tuesday and it is that time of the week when Sweet Stamps has issued a new challenge.

This week we are challenging you to do a Gate Fold card.

I found this adorable pattern here.

I used the basic design, but added to it.

Here is the card tied up.

This card is actually sized and made to hold a gift card. Here you can see I have untied the bow.

The Sweet Stamps supplies I used are Holiday Sweets Set and Christmas Joy. This is the inside of the card.

I have to tell you, the Holiday Sweets Set is just about the most fantastically fun set ever.  I love how all the candies look stamped.

The image below shows where the gift card enclosure is.

Here is the card with the card portion removed.

If you like this fun looking card and would like to enter the challenge to have a chance at winning a $20.00 gift certificate to Sweet Stamps.com, head on over to the Sweet Stamps blog.

Have a terrific day!

 Thanks for your visit and if you have time to leave a comment, I love reading every single one.  Your comments make my day.