DeNami August Mini Cards Blog Hop!

Hello fellow followers in blogland!  It's that time again, time for another DeNami blog hop!  This months theme is to create some Mini Cards using DeNami Design stamps!

Hopefully, you came here from the wonderful, incredible, amazing blog of one Paulina Nakamura!  WOW I can't believe I have to follow her, but I'll do my best!  =)  Of course, if you need to start back at the beginning or see the full list, check back HERE at the DeNami Blog.    

So, this time around I chose to use my DeNami stamps to create a fabulous card set!  It's a seasonal/all occasion set containing five cards that all have similar elements!  Here's what I came up with: 

As you can see, each card is 3.25" by 3.25" and has 6 similar elements: a DeNami critter, a sentiment, pearls, baker's twine, glittered areas using the Spica glitter pen, and an accent panel on the inside!  Finishing off the insides was an idea that I got from this "All About Stamping" video of contributing designer Britta Swiderski!  She used patterned paper, but I chose to use solid colors that match some elements on the front for each mini card.  Here are the insides of the cards: 

I used several DeNami stamps, including three from the new release!  =)  Here's close up pictures of all of the cards: 

 

 

I love LOVE making mini card sets, and this one was no exception!  I really enjoyed the chance to have each card contribute its own look while still making each card a part of a set that has similar elements!  Did you spot the Lawn Fawn stamps in the holiday card?  I thought it was appropriate to use one card to show how well DeNami and Lawn Fawn work together after the fabulous Denami/Lawn Fawn blog hop this past week!  =)  

OK well you still have lots of hopping to do!  Your next stop is Heidi Spoelhof, whose cards are AWESOME!  You won't be dissapointed for sure!  =)  

Enjoy your hopping friends!  Don't forget to comment on each blog for a chance to win a $20 DeNami gift card!  =D  Have a happy, hoppy day!  =D 

Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas readers!  =D  I've been SO busy this past week getting things ready here at home for this weekend!  At this point, I have *almost* all of the gifts bought and wrapped, all of my cards are made and mailed (unless they were for my close family!), and tomorrow I will bake the cookies.  Usually, I've been working on cookies for a few weekends by now, but this year that just didn't happen.  So tomorrow will be a day filled with baking and happiness!  =)
I just have a Christmas card to share with you today to say that I hope that you all have a happy and wonderful holiday with friends, family, and all of your loved ones (and loved critters too!!!)

Have a wonderful holiday!!!


Paper:
*Bazzil Cardstock
* DCVW Patterned Paper
* Textured Paper from my stash

Embellishments:

* Vellum Sentiments
* Blue Rhinestones
* Snowflake Dazzlers from Petaloo

Happy Birthday and a Christmas Tree!

Hello readers!  So December isn't just the month for Christmas for me, it's also my birthday month!  Since my Christmas cards are just about finished, I decided to make both a Christmas card and a birthday card today!  I've been really getting a lot accomplished at my crafting table this week!  Yay!

Ok, so here's the Christmas Card:

I had SO much fun making this card!  I used one of my border punches to create the tree, curled up the edges, and blinged it out!  =D  I also had fun stamping the snowflakes (lawn fawn) and the sentiment (denami design).  Here are some close up shots:

I'm submitting this card to two challenges:
1. Denami Design Product Challenge 5 - Paper Punches
2. Wee Memories Challenge 34 - Holiday Song Inspiration

Ok, now here's the birthday card:

This card was also very fun to make!  I was influenced by several challenges when making this card!  I stamped the party hats, sentiment, and gift, paper pieced the gift and the hats, and added the embellishments!  I also curled up the end of the ribbon on the gift as well.  Here's a few close up pictures:

 

This card was inspired by several challenges:
1. OTWC 36 

 

2. EBTKS 28 - Textures (I used velvet ribbon and twine)
3. Caardvarks - Monochromatic Card

4. Mojo Monday Sketch 168

Ok well that's all I have for you today!!!  I hope you enjoyed my cards!

 
Merry Christmas Tree Card: 
Paper:
*Neenah and Bazzil Cardstock

Stamps and Ink:

* Lawn Fawn - Frosties

* Denami Design - Sentiment

* Memento - Tuxedo Black

* Versamagic Ink - Sea Breeze

Embellishments:

* Pearls, Rhinestones, and Demensional Stickers
* Fiskars Border Punch 
* Star Punch
* Stickles - Crystal

Brown Birthday Card: 
Paper:
*Recollections and Bazzil Cardstock

Stamps and Ink:

*Lawn Fawn - Hats off to You, Bows and Holly

* Staz On Ink - Timber Brown

* Ranger Distress Ink - Antique Linen

Embellishments:

* Brown Velvet Ribbon
* Brown Twine 
* Brown Leaf Pin

More Daytime Craftiness!

Hello again readers!  So we once AGAIN had a snow day today, so I'm tucked in comfortably working on stuff for the next week of challenges!  Today I have two cards to show you!  I've also been working on some fun stuff for the DeNami Gift Tag Blog Hop for next week! And hopefully, I'll get some more stuff done for tonight!  Anyway, here's the first card I have for today:

  I just can't get enough of these penguins!  This card is a CASE study challenge from Repeat Impressions!  I was using CASE #N24 originally created by Dana Joy, here's her card:

 

And now, onto the next card I have to share with you today!  

  I love the CAS design of this card!  This one didn't take very much time, but I think that it is very elegant!  I always love any chance I get to use some pretty gingham ribbon!  This card was inspired by several challenges:
1. The Play Date Cafe 58 - Red and White
2. Jay Gee's Nook Challenge 2 - Inspired by the Photo Below

 

3. Tuesday Throwdown 28 - Clean and Simple
4. City Crafter Challenge 34  - Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!
5. Etsy - Inspired Challenge 117 - Paper Seeds Shop: I was inspired by this picture:

Well, that's all I have for you today!  =D I hope you enjoyed my cards, happy crafting, and stay warm! 

 
Merry Christmas Penguins: 
Paper:   
*Neenah and Recollections Cardstock
* Basic Grey Patterned Paper

Stamps and Ink:

* Repeat Impressions - Christmas Penguins

* Memento - Tuxedo Black

* Ranger Distress Ink - Barn Door

Embellishments:

* Gold Pearls


Red and White Joy Card: 
Paper:   
*Neenah Cardstock

Stamps and Ink:

*Lawn Fawn - Frosties

* Inkadinkado - Warm Christmas Wishes

* Ranger Distress Ink - Barn Door

Embellishments:

* Red Button
* Red and White Baker's Twine from AR Creations

I'll have a Blue Christmas...

Hi crafty friends!  WOW it's been a really long time since I've blogged!  Last week was so busy that I really had very little time for crafting!  We spent the week putting up the tree, decorating the house (inside and out!), and preparing for something that we do every year called "Friendsgiving."  The first Saturday in December, my hubby and I have all of our closest friends (and some family too!) over for another huge, potluck thanksgiving-type dinner!  This year the celebration was enormous, and we had such an amazing time!  I'll get some pictures of both my decorations and from friendsgiving up sometime this week!

After such an amazing weekend, I was a little bummed to go back to work without having gotten any crafting done at all!  However, we had a SNOW DAY today from school, and so I got to stay home and complete both some errands and crafting projects!  How awesome is that?  I was pretty glad for another day to be productive! Anyhow, here is the card I have to share with you this afternoon:

 I'm still having so much fun with my Frosties from Lawn Fawn!  Today it was especially fitting with all of the snow!  =)  This card used a lot of different techniques!  I wanted to go with a cute snowy theme for City Crafter's Blue Christmas challenge!  Broken China distress ink was ALL over this!  On the scalloped circle, I did an emboss resist that turned out really great!  I also did some distress ink on the punched border, the sentiment rectangle, and on the mat for the gray PP.  Also, how cute are these embellishments?  The brads I got in a great winter brads pack, and the snowflakes are from Petaloo.  The larger of the two ribbons started out as gray satin and is also distressed!  Here are some closer shots of the details:

  

This card was made for the following challenges:
1. City Crafter Challenge Blog 33 - Blue Christmas
2. Tuesday Throwdown 27 - Embellish It
3. Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge 82

4. Wee Memories Challenge 34 - Holiday Song Inspiration (mine was Let it Snow!)

That's all I have for you so far today!  I'm working on a few more things and hope to post again tonight!  =)  As always, thanks for your kind comments and well wishes!  They mean so much to me! 

 
Paper:
*Neenahl Cardstock
* DCVW Patterned Paper

Stamps and Ink:

*Lawn Fawn - Frosties

* Whispers Clear Embossing Powder
* Versamark Watermark Ink

* Versamagic Ink - Sea Breeze

* Ranger Distress Ink - Broken China

Embellishments:

* Gray Satin Ribbon - 1.5" and 3/16"
* Silver Snowflake Brads - Recollections
* Silver and White Glittery Snowflake Dazzlers from Petaloo

Twas the Night Before Christmas... Embellish Challenge Style!

So when I was little, "Twas the Night Before Christmas" was always one of my favorite children's stories during the holidays.  I can probably still recite it from memory!!!  Ever since I got Lawn Fawn's "Critters in the Snow" I imagined making a card and making reindeer to fly through the sky!  I finally decided to go for it when I saw the current Embellish Holidays Color Challenge!  The challenge was to make a holiday card with some non-traditional colors:

 

 Now, the red, green and brown made sense for reindeer and my sentiment, but for the life of me I wasn't sure what to do with the pink!  Then it hit me: make the snow pink!  Since it's a light pink, I thought it would add a fun, feminine touch to the card!  Here's how it turned out:

Didn't this card turn out fun?  I loved the baker's twine for a touch of red, and then green sentiment!  I also just bought this Versamagic ink, and I absolutely love it!  By far, it's the nicest chalk ink I've used!  =)

So I counted yesterday, and I'm almost up to 50 Christmas cards... WOO HOO! =)  I only need about 60 to be finished for this year!  =)  Don't worry, I still have a LOT of tags to make so the holiday cheer will keep flowing!!!

Ok readers, I hope to have more to post this week!  It's a busy busy week here at my house, and I want to get a few more things made but we will see how the week goes!  Have a lovely day!  =)


Paper:

*Recollections and Bazzil Cardstock

Stamps and Ink:

*Lawn Fawn - Frosties, Harold's ABC's, Critters in the Snow
* Memento - Tuxedo Black

* Versamagic Ink - Pixie Dust

* Ranger Distress Ink - Antique Linen (Reindeer's Antlers)

Embellishments:

* Red and White Baker's Twine

Snowy Window!

Hello everyone!  I just have one more card to share with you today!  I was inspired yesterday by our first snowfall of the season!  Considering I live in Pittsburgh, the fact that the first snowfall wasn't until November 27th is actually quite amazing! And even then it didn't stick.  None the less, I was looking out my window at the snow and feeling excited!  Later in the day, I checked out the new Etsy Inspired Challenge (#116) whose Etsy inspiration this week is a shop called Heartsong with beautiful artwork.  There, I found a photo of two people sharing a moment looking at the snow:

 

  Between these two snowy inspirations, my card was born:

  

My goal was to make the card look like a snow frosted window!  I stamped and distressed the window, and then covered the entire window part with clear embossing powder.  You can see that it is shiny in the pictures!

I then used ribbons to make the window appear to have "curtains."  I wanted the curtains to be sheer so the window could still easily be seen, and to tie back the curtains I used a velvet ribbon.  I also free-handed the candle and stole the little flame from Lawn Fawn's "Happy Hannukah" set.  The holly surrounding the candle was from an Inkadinkado' Holiday set.  I finished off the card with a little "Merry Christmas" from Lawn Fawn's Harold's ABC's!

Along with Etsy Inspired Challenge #116, this card was also inspired by the Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge #81.  This week I used the simplifed sketch:

 

  I hope you enjoyed my snowy inspired Christmas card tonight!  Tomorrow I'm looking forward to my last day off (gotta love hunting season in Western PA!) so that I can get some more crafting done and also get my house decorated for Christmas!  Yay! 

Paper:

*Recollections Cardstock

* Basic Grey PP - Jovial Set

Stamps and Ink:

*Lawn Fawn - Frosties, Harold's ABC's, Happy Hanukkah
* Inkadinkado - Warm Holiday Wishes
* Memento - Tuxedo Black

* Ranger Distress Ink - Broken China '

* Versamark Ink

* Whispers' Deep Impact Clear Embossing Powder

Embellishments:

* Sheer Brown Organza Ribbon
* Brown Velvet Ribbon
*  Red Rhinestones

Penguin Ornament CASE Study and Play Date Time!

Good evening bloggers!  Tonight I'm participating in my first CASE study challenge from Repeat Impressions!  I really enjoyed casing the work of such an amazing card crafter like Darsie Bruno!  Here's her card:

This card is just SO soft and beautiful!  I used different colors but tried to recreate the sketch, soft bow and several textural likenesses.  Here's what I came up with:

I really loved how this card turned out!  My style is generally to use brighter colors and solid papers, so I think this turned out quite well considering!  I made the rosette behind the penguin using a tutorial from Kelly Marie over at Lawn Fawn (you can check out that video HERE.)  I wanted to make it look like the penguin was looking through a glittery clear ornament, so I added some crystal stickles and then glossy accents over that.  Finally, I wanted a big and soft ribbon, so I used a strip of red felt to tie a really big, soft bow that would best match the sketch.  I've never used a felt bow before, but after how nicely this one turned out I'll definitely use them again!  Here are some close up shots of the ornament, rosette, and bow:

              

Since I wanted to use brighter but wintery colors, I took inspiration from this week's Play Date Cafe Challenge #56: 

Overall, I'm super happy with how this one turned out!  Every once in awhile, you make a card that you have a really great idea for, and it actually lives up to that idea!  It's fun when that happens.  =)

Well, I'm off to start preparing for the upcoming craziness at the end of the week!  Thanks once again for all of your sweet comments and ideas!  You are all a constant source of inspiration!  =)

 
Paper:

*Bazzil Cardstock and old paper from my stash

Stamps and Ink:

*Repeat Impressions - Christmas Penguins Set
* Memento - Tuxedo Black

Embellishments:

* Red Felt Ribbon
* Glossy Accents
* Aqua and White Baker's Twine
* Crystal Stickles