Simple and Shiny

Andie and I have been crafty cohorts for over 16 years now (boy time flies when you are having fun) and one tradition we have established in that time is attending the Mesa Play All Day hosted by Shelby at Embellish It. 

This year Shelby's connection at Photo Play gave us each a free color page sheet.  These are high quality paper with images printed in crisp black toner, you can definitely Copic color these.  However, you can also foil them!  I chose to foil them.  I used my Deco Foil sheets and my Mink machine, but you could use a laminator.

These are so simple and quick, but the shine from the foil makes them quite nice.  These are going into the stack for donation to the holiday card drive at Scrapbook.com.

How do you make simple cards look special?

Peace in Our Hearts - Some Early Christmas Cards Featuring a Concord & 9th Background

When I saw the Concord and 9th Woven Plaid background stamp, I knew I needed it to make a card with a similar design.  My mom's favorite colors are navy and pink and I wanted to make a card close to a Navy flair.  This card is the result using my Papertrey Ink Beautiful Berries - Winter stamp set as accents.  The Shape Shifters Circle 4 die is also Papertrey Ink.  Easy to make with my MISTI, I was able to put together a baker's dozen pretty quickly.

I'm going to link this up to the Simon Says Stamp link party for Concord & 9th.  Check it out.

Oh Deer - Brandy's Fantastic Card Swap Christmas Card Featuring Memory Box

Brandy and I are at the Mesa, AZ Scrapbook Expo tomorrow.  This is an annual tradition that goes back to the CK days and extends well more than a decade (well, rounding makes it closer to two decades, but who's counting?).  We joined the card swap at the Expo last year and so thoroughly enjoyed it that we decided to join again this year.  So here we are with Brandy's entry into the contest.  Die cut heaven with her Spellbinders deer (gotta love eyelashes) and a hand stamped background of the Memory Box Typewriter Holiday Elements background stamp.  Simple, elegant and delightful.  I'm hoping she gets some well earned recognition for this one.

Since she had all the supplies out, Brandy went ahead and made this alternative version that she will use for her Christmas cards.

So much fun, but not as much fun as we'll have this weekend at the Expo.

I'm linking this up with the Simon Says Stamp Stamptember Memory Box linky party.

Festive Christmas Cards

I had some leftover plaid patterned paper and I just couldn't let it go, so I die cut some poinsettia flowers out of coordinating red cardstock.  A white cardstock frame with a frilly sentiment stamp and I have a few more Christmas cards!

I'm linking this card to Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday challenge: Simon Says Christmas.

A Basic Grey Card Set

Part of the cleaning of the stash earlier this year included the unearthing of this card kit.  Basic Grey has been out of business for nearly 2 years and this card kit would have been purchased a couple of years before that.  I figure it is long past time to actually put these together. 

This set reminds me how much I miss Basic Grey (and their calendar kit!).  Easy to put together and packed with lots of extras, this card kit was easy and fun and the cards are quite lovely.  As December has arrived, it's time to start putting together lots of Christmas themed cards.  I have a few pictures of cards already made that I need to get edited and posted.  Christmas will be here soon.

Some FlowerSoft Christmas Cards

Part of the FlowerSoft card toppers from Brandy's stash included these lovely street lanterns.  I filled in the FlowerSoft portions and they just screamed Christmas to me.  Scrapbook.com had this lovely plaid patterned paper from Ella and Viv.  They are sold out now, I'm sure because everyone else thought the paper perfect too.  The red and yellow compliment the image perfectly.  Additionally, I had some of these odd shaped envelopes - from my Grandma's stash which we've been going through since her passing.  All married together for a great set that is perfect for the holidays. 

These will go into the stash to be used in my Christmas cards this year.  I'm ever so lucky to have a bestie like Brandy with a stash so large she'll gift me these wonderful supplies!

Poinsettia Focal Points - Some Christmas Cards

Whoa!  There went the first full week of December.  Here I am tonight slamming together a post because it has literally been a week since I posted.  I've been busy crafting up some Christmas present goodness, but haven't stopped to make a post.  These cards were created as a gift for my grandma - to match the picture cards we created.  I used my Spellbinders classic Poinsettia die with a matching JustRite (I think?! It has been so long!) stamp set.

The sentiment is heat embossed with gold and silver embossing powder with the same around the edges of the card.  A simple design with a slightly larger size so that my grandma can quickly put them together and send them out.  She was pleased, I was pleased and we're both very happy girls this week.

I hope all your Christmas card making/gift making is moving along productively and that you are finding joy in the creating!

I'm linking up to the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Blog - Christmas Card Day
Simon Says Stamp's Monday Challenge - Christmas  These are Christmas cards after all
Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge - Gift It  These are a gift for my grandma after all
Word Art Wednesday's Challenge - 312 & 313 Anything Goes

Christmas Poinsettia Cards

I am well on my way to making some Christmas cards.  I purchased some products from Scrapbook.com which is located in Mesa, AZ, just down the road.  Turns out, if you pick up your purchase they offer a free gift.  In this case, these lovely patterned papers which I turned into Christmas cards.  A simple design, but very effective.

I used Fired Brick Distress Oxide ink to stamp the pattern onto these poinsettia die cuts and spritzed with a water bottle to make the color turn chalky.  It is a subtle pattern and works very well on these cards.  The gold foil was a clearance pack of artist trading cards - simple to stamp in Archival Ink and tie with twine.  A pile for the stash which will be used in the coming days to write letters to family and friends.  Yay!

Spreading Peace on Earth

I had bits and pieces leftover from the cards I made for my mom and decided to add this particular design to the mix.  More blue colored houses to create that "cold" feeling which we will decidedly not be enjoying for Christmas here in the desert.  I considered making these shaker cards, but left it more clean and simple. I really like the dimension created with some craft foam.

I do like these light teal colored cards the best.  The ink creates a chill in the air that is not otherwise there.  On the inside - matching sentiments in the matching ink color. 

Piles and piles of cards with more to make.  I'm feeling the mojo and feel inspired to make some more gifts.  Stay tuned for more holiday fun.

A Gift Set of Cards

I so liked the light blue cards that I made for my mom, I decided to make some bolder blue versions.  These create a bit different feel, but I like them as well.

I used my Papertrey Ink Winter Village stamp and die set again.  The inks are a combination of Close to My Heart and Archival Ink.  Strong colors for a stamp set that is less layering than geometrically matching.  These cards are A2 size - a little smaller than I'm used to but it works greate with these stamps.

I'll give these to my mom as well - keeping the set together.  I need to switch gears and get some crafty gifts made.  I'm hoping to be able to pull a post together soon.

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

City Crafter Challenge Blog - I believe in Santa Claus  This challenge is to pick a theme from an old Kenny Rogers/Dolly Parton Christmas album.  I think my card matches their White Christmas song.

Make It Monday #305 - Love of Layers I used Fun Foam to raise up the ovals and the front of the card does have lots of layers with all those die cuts.

Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday's Challenge 310/311 - Anything Goes

All is Calm, All is Bright

Whew!  It has been a whirlwind of family celebrations for the Thanksgiving holiday.  We also squeezed into the long weekend a birthday celebration for my daughter Katie.  Here I find myself at the end of the long weekend - content, tired and having enjoyed myself. 

I had shared that I made my mother some cards for her birthday.  I've finally edited the photos and am sharing here.

I made these cards using my Papertrey Ink Winter Village stamp and die set.  We live in sunny, warm Arizona.  It was record highs in the high 80s all week.  We don't have a white Christmas unless you count the blinding white light of the noonday sun.  So, I thought it might be fun to create these cards which imply a cold winter day.  My mom's favorite color is blue, so I used several shades her.  I super love how the houses turned out and am sure that I will make more cards with this stamp and die set for the season since the stamps and dies are out on the workbench. 

I've seen some of the Christmas creations you are all up to out there.  Keep the inspiration coming. 

Oh Holy Night - A Card Set

I had promised to make improvements to one of my Christmas card ideas and I did jump on that quickly.  Here's the result.  I left the black cardstock die cut made with my Die'Sire nativity die as the stand out on the card and backed part of the die cut with some gold glitter cardstock.  The gold ribbon is once again from the stash - a piece of recycled material that works very well as an offset to the centerpiece.  The sentiment is a Heartfelt Creation stamp onto a Stampin' Up Apothocary framelits die cut.

A few more cards to add to the card stash and I get to say that I've used some of those stored up supplies and tools.  Yay!