ColourQ #61, WMSC #25, Paper Players #26, & Moxie Fab All Occasion challenge

That's a mouthful of a title for a simple little card, wouldn't you say?  I've been so busy lately, I haven't been playing many of my favorite challenges, so the best way to get caught up is to put together as many as I can handle at once!  The inspiration for this card comes from this week's ColourQ challenge, which is a combo that I absolutely adore.  Check out the gorgeous bit of eye candy Arielle has chosen this week:

This week's sketch at the Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge got the wheels turning in my head to use Teeny Trees.  I heat embossed the background, which qualifies it for the challenge at The Paper Players to use wet embossing.  Finally, I'll enter this one over at Moxie Fab World for the All Occasion card challenge.

Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! (Tempting Turquoise, Soft Suede), Papertrey Ink (white)

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse Stamps (Teeny Trees)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Wild Wasabi, Pacific Point), ColorBox (Frost White), Fiskars (brown)

Tools:  Spellbinders (square Nestie)

Accessories:  The Twinery (baker's twine), Stampendous (white embossing powder), Sakura (brown pen)

Another tree and birdie on the inside:

The recipe:

1.  Make square card base from turquoise cardstock.  Stamp background pattern along edge and heat emboss with white embossing powder.

2.  Die cut square from white cardstock.  Stamp tree, leaves, and sentiment.  Stamp bird on scrap cardstock and cut out.  Adhere bird to tree image.

3.  Mat stamped panel with suede cardstock.  Wrap panel with baker's twine.  Attach to card with foam adhesive.

I hope you'll stop by and see what the Royal Court DT has to share with you this week.  You won't be disappointed!  And don't forget to link up your creation using this week's colors, too!

Thanks for stopping by, friends!

Curtain Call Act 58 & Mojo Monday 166

Hello, dear readers, and happy Sunday!  It's time for another Curtain Call Color Challenge, and this week Stacey has chosen a gorgeous and sophisticated combination of neutrals with a punch of purple!  Check it out:

I also used this week's Mojo Monday sketch, though I just couldn't bring myself to use a skewed panel! It seems to mess with my equilibrium.  *heehee*

I used my Prismas to color the large flower from PTI's Delightful Dahlia, then added Glossy Accents and tiny glass beads to the center.  I'm still not so sure about that little detail, but I never know how to finish the center of this flower.

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (True Black, white), Stampin' Up! (Concord Crush), Bazzill (kraft)

Stamps:  Papertrey Ink (Delightful Dahlia, Background Basics:  Retro)

Ink:  Inkadinkadoo (Black), Versamark, Adirondack (Eggplant)

Tools:  Papertrey Ink (flower, leaf dies, Diamonds impression plate)

Accessories:  Stampin' Up! (ribbon), Michaels (rhinestones, glass beads), Ranger (Glossy Accents), Prismacolor Premier pencils, OMS

To make this card:
1.  Make card base from kraft cardstock.  Cut panel from black cardstock; stamp background pattern with Versamark.  Adhere to card base.
2.  Cut panel from purple cardstock; deboss with impression plate and adhere to card.
3.  Die cut dahlia shape from white cardstock; stamp flower and color.  Add Glossy Accents to center and sprinkle with glass beads.
4.  Die cut leaves from kraft cardstock;  stamp, then attach to back of flower.  Attach to card with foam adhesive.
5.  Wrap gray ribbon around card and tie bow.  Embellish with black rhinestones.

Be sure to stop by to see what the rest of the girls have created this week!




Jean Martin at Stampin' Scrapper
Julie Lacey at Stamps & Taxes
Laurel Seabrook at Seabrook Designs
Makiko Jones at MakInk Studio
Monika Davis at M.A.D. Stamper
Piali Biswas at Touch of Creation
Silke Ledlow at My Life
Stacey Schafer at Stacey's Stamping Stage
Teresa Kline at Enjoy the VA Sunshine



and November Guest Designer, Marlene Peters at Hands On

...then play along with us and post your Curtain Call Color Challenge creation using Mr. Linky over at Stacey's Stamping Stage.

Thanks for dropping in!  Have a great Sunday!

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving!

Cardstock:  Bazzill (kraft)

Patterned paper:  DCWV (Amber Autumn premium stack)

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse Stamps (Teeny Trees)

Ink:  Papertrey Ink (Dark Chocolate), ColorBox (Dark Brown)

Tools:  Papertrey Ink (Woodgrain impression plate, Medium Scallop border die, Tag Sale #1 die, Beautiful Blooms dies), Fiskars (scallop border punch)

Accessories:  Papertrey Ink (felt, button, twine), Michaels (pearls, ribbon), DMC floss

Other:  Target (kraft bag), tissue paper

Hey there, friends!  Sorry I have been absent from blog-land for a few days, but I took a little time away to spend with my family for the Thanksgiving holiday.  I hope my American friends had a wonderful day spent with loved ones and lots of good things to eat!  I know I did!

I thought I'd share a little gift bag I made up for the hostess of our Thanksgiving dinner, my husband's cousin.  The kraft bag came from Target and it had pink ribbon handles, so I switched those out for brown satin to match the papers.

I'll be back at midnight with a new Curtain Call Color Challenge, so come back soon!  Thanks for stopping by tonight!

ColourQ #60 & SSSC #94

Hey there, friends!  It's time to share another round of color inspiration over at the ColourQ!  We've started to have some frosty nights around here, so I'm in love with these adorable and toasty-looking mittens that Arielle has chosen this week.  I paired up these colors with Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch.

This beautiful lighthouse image is from WPlus9's Guiding Light stamp set.  I stamped it in brown, then on scrap piece of cardstock in red.  I cut out the red stripes to add to the main image.  (Guiding Light has a second, larger lighthouse with a separate stamp for stripes, too.)  I added shading with my Prismacolor pencils, as well as a beam of light.

Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! (Cherry Cobbler, Soft Suede, Early Espresso, More Mustard), Papertrey Ink (Vintage Cream)

Stamps:  WPlus9 (Guiding Light), Fiskars (All Year Greetings), Papertrey Ink (Background Basics:  Retro)

Ink:  Papertrey Ink (Dark Chocolate), Versamark

Tools:  Spellbinders (circle, scallop circle dies), Papertrey Ink (Woodgrain impression plate)

Accessories:  buttons, Papertrey Ink (jute twine)

Coloring medium:  Prismacolor Premier pencils, odorless mineral spirits

To make this card:

1.  Make card base from red cardstock.  Cut a strip of suede cardstock, impress with woodgrain plate, distress edges, and adhere to card base.

2.  Cut a strip of espresso cardstock, stamp stripes with Versamark, distress edges, and adhere to card.

3.  Die cut scalloped circle from mustard cardstock.  Trim and adhere to card.

4.  Die cut circle from cream cardstock; stamp lighthouse and sentiment.  Add shading and light beam with colored pencils.  Stamp lighthouse in red on a scrap piece of cream cardstock.  Trim stripes and adhere to main image.  Add shading to stripes.  Attach with foam adhesive.

5.  Adhere twine-tied buttons.

Thanks for stopping by, friends!  Don't forget to hop over to ColourQ to see what the rest of the Royal Court DT has whipped up!  Have a great Tuesday!

Curtain Call Act 57

Hi everyone!  It's Sunday, which means it's time for another round of the Curtain Call Color Challenge! Have a look at the combo Stacey has picked out for us this week:

I really like this color combo, but I definitely struggled with it.  I finally decided to make this layered butterfly with PTI dies and a Martha Stewart punch.  The flourish is also from PTI, and the sentiment is from Verve's Accent Notes.

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Dark Chocolate, white), Stampin' Up! (Basic Gray, Cajun Craze)

Stamps:  Papertrey Ink (Fancy Flourishes, Background Basics:  Text Style), Verve (Accent Notes)

Ink:  Papertrey Ink (Dark Chocolate), Ranger (Antique Linen), Versamark

Tools:  Papertrey Ink (butterfly dies, Polka Dot impression plate), Martha Stewart (butterfly punch)

Accessories:  Me & My Big Ideas (rhinestones)

Sorry to keep this brief, but I'm off to bed!  I hope you'll hop over to see what the rest of the gals have done with this color combo!

Jean Martin at Stampin' Scrapper
Julie Lacey at Stamps & Taxes
Laurel Seabrook at Seabrook Designs
Makiko Jones at MakInk Studio
Monika Davis at M.A.D. Stamper
Piali Biswas at Touch of Creation
Silke Ledlow at My Life
Stacey Schafer at Stacey's Stamping Stage
Teresa Kline at Enjoy the VA Sunshine



and November Guest Designer, Marlene Peters at Hands On

...then play along with us and post your Curtain Call Color Challenge creation using Mr. Linky over at Stacey's Stamping Stage.

Thanks for stopping by!  Enjoy your Sunday!

2S4Y #66 & CTD #119

Hello, friends!  I hope you're having a great weekend so far.  We just got back from our town's Christmas parade (before Thanksgiving, I know!), and thankfully the weather was much warmer than last year!

Before we leap headlong into the Christmas season, I have at least one more fall card to share.  This one is inspired by the challenge at the Color Throwdown, Kazan's sketch at 2 Sketches 4 You, and my "happy birthday to me" new Leaf Prints stamp set and dies from PTI.

I substituted PTI's Terracotta Tile and Dark Chocolate for the Cajun and Espresso so that I could use this felt that I've been hoarding.  I stitched some leaf veins with DMC floss to give them a little extra something.

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Dark Chocolate), Stampin' Up! (Pear Pizzazz)

Stamps:  Papertrey Ink (Leaf Prints, 2009 Autumn Tags)

Ink:  Papertrey Ink (Dark Chocolate)

Tools:  Papertrey Ink (leaf dies, Linen & Canvas impression plate)

Accessories:  Papertrey Ink (buttons, jute twine), DMC floss

Here's the recipe:
1.  Make card base from brown cardstock.  Cut a slightly smaller block of brown cardstock and stamp with leaves.  Deboss with impression plate and distress edges with scissors.  Adhere to card base.
2.  Cut a strip of green cardstock and stamp sentiment.  Deboss with impression plate, distress edges, and wrap with twine.  Adhere to card.
3.  Die cut leaves from felt.  Stitch leaf veins with embroidery floss.  Stitch buttons to leaves.  Adhere to card.

This one's for my hubby for Thanksgiving.  He definitely prefers my cards with more realistic, rather than whimsical images, and he's a nature lover, so this should be just right.

Thanks for stopping by today!  Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

ColourQ #59

Good morning, friends!  It's Tuesday, and that means another ColourQ challenge!  Just wait until you see what the Royal Court DT has cooked up with this luscious color combo:

The wreath in the inspiration photo is absolutely gorgeous!  I knew that I wanted to use another of the stamps from SU's Grand Cornucopia that I received in the mail last week.  This cornucopia image was perfect for combining these rich colors.

Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! (Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive), Papertrey Ink (white)

Stamps:  Stampin' Up! (Grand Cornucopia, retired), Papertrey Ink (2009 Autumn Tags)

Ink:  Papertrey Ink (Dark Chocolate), Stampin' Up! (Old Olive), Copic markers

Tools:  Papertrey Ink (woodgrain impression plate), Spellbinders (Labels 3 die)

Accessories:  Stampin' Up! (ribbon), Prismacolor Premier pencils

I am SO happy with the way this turned out!  I colored the image with my Prismas, then used a T1 Copic marker to add some shadow to the bottom of the panel and B0000 to highlight behind the image.  The sentiment is from PTI's 2009 Autumn Tags.

Here's a peek at the inside, with the same image I used on my card on Sunday.

Thanks so much for your words of encouragement lately!  Life seems to be getting back to "normal", and hubby will be coming home tomorrow night (yay!).  So I hope to settle back into my crafty routine this week.  

Don't forget to hop on over to ColourQ to see the seriously amazing samples the DT has to share this week!  Then upload your creation to be in the running for Colour Queen!

Have a fantastic day, and thanks for stopping by!

Curtain Call Act 56

Hello friends!  I'm back (finally!) with another card to share for this week's Curtain Call Color Challenge.  This week's inspiration photo is drool-worthy, wouldn't you say?

I hope you don't mind another fall card!  I was recently the happy recipient of a retired stamp set from Stampin' Up! that needed a new home.  Thanks to Pam for offering up this beautiful set!  She still has some goodies up for sale on her blog if you want to hop on over and check it out.

I can't say I'm out of my slump yet, as my first card wound up in the recycle bin and I feel like this one needs something more.  But it's a start!  The last week has just been incredibly stressful, and now my dear hubby is out of town for a long weekend so I'm just sort of muddling along.  Thanks for hanging in there with me!

Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! (Chocolate Chip, Pear Pizzazz, So Saffron), Papertrey Ink (white)

Stamps:  Stampin' Up! (Grand Cornucopia, retired), Papertrey Ink (2009 Autumn Tags)

Ink:  Papertrey Ink (Dark Chocolate, Chai tea dye), Copics

Tools:  Papertrey Ink (Mat Stack die, Woodgrain impression plate), Spellbinders (circle die)

Accessories:  Prismacolor Premier pencils, thread

You know the rest of the crew will have some fabulous creations to share, so be sure to hop along and check them out!



Jean Martin at Stampin' Scrapper
Julie Lacey at Stamps & Taxes
Laurel Seabrook at Seabrook Designs
Makiko Jones at MakInk Studio
Monika Davis at M.A.D. Stamper
Piali Biswas at Touch of Creation
Silke Ledlow at My Life
Stacey Schafer at Stacey's Stamping Stage
Teresa Kline at Enjoy the VA Sunshine



and November Guest Designer, Marlene Peters at Hands On.

...then play along with us and post your Curtain Call Color Challenge creation using Mr. Linky over at Stacey's Stamping Stage.

Giveaway WINNER!

Happy Saturday!

Thanks so much to all who played along and told me about your best gift ever.  I really enjoyed reading your responses.  I was a little surprised to see only 10 comments, so maybe 2 days wasn't enough time for everyone to see the post and comment.  If you have any thoughts, feel free to post them!

And now, the Winner of a gift certificate to either Papertrey Ink or Stampin' Up! is:

Julie at Paper and Such!

Congratulations, Julie!  Please email me at christinamaclaren@yahoo.com and I will get your prize to you ASAP!

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:4Powered by RANDOM.ORG

A Birthday Gift

Hi friends!

I had hoped to have a card to share tonight, but I'm just not feeling it lately and decided I'd be better off taking a little crafting break.  Not for long, I hope!  But I do have a little something for you, my dear readers, in place of paper crafted goodness---a giveaway in honor of my birthday!  I don't usually make a big deal of my birthday, but I thought that this would be a fantastic opportunity to share a gift with you as thanks for all of your support and encouragement.

So what's up for grabs, you ask?  I will be giving one lucky follower a $15 gift certificate to the store of their choice, either Papertrey Ink or Stampin' Up!  Think you could find a way to spend it?  If so, leave me a comment on this post telling me what was the best gift you have ever received.

Now for a couple of rules to be fair:  1) Only one comment per person AND 2) Only Followers of my blog are eligible.  (I will have giveaways in the future open to all commenters, but this time I'd like to show some extra love to my followers!)  All comments must be received by Friday, November 12 at 11:59 PM EST, after which a random winner will be chosen.

Thanks again for all of your sweet comments, and just for letting me know you're out there and appreciate what I do here on the blog.  Hope you have a great night, and thanks for stopping by!

ColourQ #58 & SSSC #92

Hi there!  It's time again for the weekly challenge at ColourQ!  Are you ready for a warm and fuzzy fall combo?  Check out the fun rug Arielle has picked out as inspiration this week:

As you can see, I also based my card on Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch.  Sorry to keep this post short on details, but I have a few other things that need my attention before my head hits the pillow!  The supplies I used are listed below, but feel free to leave me a comment if you have questions.

Don't forget to stop by and see what the rest of the Royal Court Design Team has created this week.  You most definitely don't want to miss them!  And while you're there, check out the details of this week's challenge and get ready to play.  I can't wait to see what you create!

Thanks for stopping by, friends!  Have a good one!

Supplies:

Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! (Early Espresso, Always Artichoke), Bazzill (kraft), Papertrey Ink (Rustic White)

Stamps:  Inkadinkadoo (Autumn Foliage), Papertrey Ink (2009 Autumn Tags)

Ink:  Colorbox (Terra Cotta), Stampin' Up! (So Saffron), Papertrey Ink (Dark Chocolate, Chai tea dye)

Tools:  Marvy Uchida (circle punch), McGill (tag punch), Fiskars (hole punch)

Accessories:  Papertrey Ink (ribbon, jute twine)

Curtain Call Act 55 & Mojo Monday 163

Hello, dear readers!  Welcome back for another Curtain Call Color Challenge!  Let's see what Stacey has in store for us this week, shall we?

Aren't those felt flowers just delicious?!  I paired up these colors with the Mojo Monday sketch.  Now I won't lie to you, these colors were a bit problematic for me.  The whole time I was working on this card, all I could think about was the number of times I have said to my hubby, "No, you may not wear a brown belt with black shoes."  Seriously, the black kept throwing me off, but I think I finally came up with something that works.

Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! (Real Red, Chocolate Chip), Papertrey Ink (white)

Stamps:  Papertrey Ink (Masculine Motifs, Fillable Frames 4), Waltzingmouse (Teeny Trees)

Ink:  Colorbox (Cranberry), Papertrey Ink (Dark Chocolate), Ranger Distress (Spiced Marmalade), Inkadinkadoo (Black)

Tools:  Papertrey Ink (Fillable Frames 4 die), Fiskars (border punch)

Accessories:  Michaels (ribbon), Queen & Co. (pearls), thread

A peek at the inside:

Sorry to cut this a bit short on detail, but I've had a few too many late nights recently!  

Don't forget to stop by to see what the rest of the Curtain Call Crew has created--it's sure to knock your socks off!



Jean Martin at Stampin' Scrapper
Julie Lacey at Stamps & Taxes
Laurel Seabrook at Seabrook Designs
Makiko Jones at MakInk Studio
Monika Davis at M.A.D. Stamper
Piali Biswas at Touch of Creation
Silke Ledlow at My Life
Stacey Schafer at Stacey's Stamping Stage
Teresa Kline at Enjoy the VA Sunshine



and November Guest Designer, Marlene Peters at Hands On.

...then play along with us and post your Curtain Call Color Challenge creation using Mr. Linky over at Stacey's Stamping Stage.

Thanks for joining me!  Have a great Sunday!

2S4Y #65 & PDCC #54

Hey there, friends!  I hope you're enjoying your weekend so far.  Just popping in tonight to share a card for the current challenge at 2 Sketches 4 You and the color combo at The Play Date Cafe.  This one also qualifies for the Caardvarks challenge to make a holiday card using die cuts.

The closest color I had to the stucco orange in the inspiration photo was PTI's Melon Berry, so that's what I went with.  This card is reminiscent of one I made for a recent Play Date Cafe challenge.

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Spring Moss, Melon Berry, white)

Stamps:  Papertrey Ink (Peace Be Still)

Ink:  Colorbox (Frost White)

Tools:  Papertrey Ink (tree die), Spellbinders (Labels 4 die), Sizzix (embossing folder), Fiskars (hole punch)

Accessories:  Papertrey Ink (ribbon), Stampendous (embossing powder), Ranger (Glossy Accents

To make this card:

1.  Make card base from white cardstock.  Cut a slightly smaller panel of green cardstock and dry emboss.  Sponge lightly with white ink.

2.  Cut a strip of melon cardstock and dry emboss.  Adhere to green panel.  Wrap two strips of melon ribbon around panel and adhere.  Attach green panel to card base.

3.  Die cut label from white cardstock.  Pierce around edge of label.  Attach to card base with foam adhesive.

4.  Die cut tree from green cardstock.  Stamp with snowflakes and heat emboss.  Sponge edges with white ink.  Punch small circles from melon cardstock, adhere, and cover with Glossy Accents.

5.  When gloss is dry, attach tree to label with foam adhesive.

That's all for tonight, folks!  Have a great one, and don't forget to stop back tomorrow for the latest Curtain Call Color Challenge!

CardPatterns #88 & Color Throwdown #117

Hello!  I'm back with my second post for the night, trying to sneak into some challenges at the last minute.  This time it's for the sketch at CardPatterns and the Color Throwdown color challenge.

I hadn't made anything remotely masculine lately, and these colors seemed like they would work well for a card for a teen or young boy.  I used PTI's Just the Ticket and Star Prints stamp sets and some yummy orange baker's twine from The Twinery.

The details:

1.  Make card base from red cardstock.  Cut slightly smaller kraft panel.  Cut out a window using a square die.

2.  Cut a square of white cardstock slightly larger than the window.  Stamp pattern.  Adhere to card base.  Attach kraft panel to card base using foam adhesive.

3.  Die cut and stamp ticket border and attach with foam adhesive.  Stamp and punch star and adhere.

4.  Wrap kraft panel with baker's twine and tie.

Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! (Marina Mist, Riding Hood Red), Bazzill (kraft), Papertrey Ink (white)

Stamps:  Papertrey Ink (Just the Ticket, Star Prints)

Ink:  ColorBox (Chianti, Frost White), Stampin' Up! (Marina Mist)

Tools:  Papertrey Ink (ticket border die), Spellbinders (square die), Fiskars (star punch)

Accessories:  The Twinery (baker's twine)

Here's the inside:

Thanks for joining me again tonight!  I hope you have a relaxing weekend planned.  Enjoy!