Penguin Happy Holidays

Hi, Friends......

I am here with a fun little penguin card to enter into the Winnie & Walter Rerun Challenge #37. I don't own the adorable Stampets: Penguin Rerun set for this month, so I took inspiration from the penguins that each of the designers used and the contrasting dark and light background that Kelly used HERE.

Supplies used include:
Winnie & Walter - Essentials: Tilda Cutaways die set
Winnie & Walter - In a Word: Happy stamp set
Winnie & Walter - Scenery: Bigger Bang Confetti stamp set (retired)
Versamark ink
White Sparkle embossing powder
Echo Park - Winter Wishes paper collection (retired)
DCWV Scraps
Snowflakes from my stash

Thank you for stopping by today! I hope January is a quiet relaxing month for you after the rush of the holidays.

❤
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Winnie & Walter Rerun No. 37 - Stampets: Penguin
2. Pixie's Snippets Playground Challenge #343
3. Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #419 - AG Christmas
4. ABC Christmas Challenge - A is for AG Christmas
5. Christmas Crafts All Year Round January Challenge - Let it Snow
6. Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Something New (I used my new W&W Tilda die set)
7. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Something New (I used my new W&W Tilda die set)

Introducing a New Challenge You Won't Want to Miss!!!

That's what my cats would say if I tried to put antlers on them!!  lol...

Hi, Friends......

Happy New Year to everyone!  I took a bit of hiatus from my blog during the holidays, but I am back.  I hope you are feeling rested and ready to take on a challenge because there is a brand-new one starting and I am so thrilled to introduce you to it!  

My crafty friend, Dotty Jo, over at Just a Dotty Pudding has just launched her super-fun Christmas Kickstart Challenge to get us going on our Christmas cards again!!  I am so ready.  I love making Christmas cards in January while my supplies are still out and there is no pressure!!  The challenge is fortnightly on Tuesdays and the inaugural theme is:  Rudolph and Friends....so get out your Rudy stamps or deer die-cuts and let's help Dotty Jo get her sleigh in the air!!  You can read all the details HERE.

Here's what I made:

I got brave and did some stamp surgery on this reindeer and tree stamp. It used to have a cathedral shaped arching outline, but I cut the thing off. I rarely use it with that around it, but I kept the outline in case I want it later. I made two variations of this card.....using scraps for my layered background.

On this first one, I tried stamping and heat embossing directly on the background. Major FAIL. lol... The deer had a seam through its middle and the silver blended into the background too much. Ugh. Then I had the bright idea (uh-oh...!!) to heat emboss it on vellum and stick that over the top of the failed attempt at embossing. Much better. I offset it a teence, although it is hard to see in the photo, so there is a bit of a shadow effect.

Here's another variation....with a paler sky and the image embossed on a scrap of white cardstock. Which do you like better????

Supplies used include:
Mark's Finest Papers - Crisp Winter stamp set (retired)
Versamark Ink Pad
Ranger - Embossing Powder
Winnie & Walter - Essentials: Katharine Cutaways die set
Pink & Main Scallop Waves die set
Winnie & Walter - Comfort + Joy stamp set
Versafine Ink - Majestic Blue
Clear embossing powder
DCWV scraps
Vellum
White cardstock scrap

Thank you for stopping by today! I hope you liked my cards and will play along in Dotty Jo's new challenge along with me.
(I'll even let you in on a bit of a secret: Dotty Jo invited me to guest there in a few weeks. Can you guess the theme she chose for that fortnight??? Shhhhh.....)
See you over there!!!

❤
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering these cards in the following challenges:
1. Christmas Kickstart Challenge #1 - Rudolph and Friends
2. Pixie's Snippets Playground Challenge #342 - Use Snippets
3. Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #418 - AG Christmas or New Years
4. ABC Christmas Challenge - A is for AG Christmas
5. Christmas Crafts All Year Round January Challenge - Let it Snow 
6. The Artistic Stamper January Challenge - Anything Goes
7. Tuesday Throwdown Challenge #422 - Winter Sparkles

Happy Hanukkah

Hi, Friends......

My dear next-door neighbor is Jewish....(a rarity around here!)...and so I always try to make him a Hanukkah card.  Fortunately for me, Hanukkah lasts all week so I have several days to remember about it and several days to procrastinate and still get the card done before the Festival is complete!!  lol....  But although the card was on time...I am just finally getting this posted today!

I found these super-pretty Hanukkah napkins at a thrift store sometime back and decoupaged one of them onto cardstock for the card.  (You can see my other recent foray into napkin decoupage HERE.)

Men don't generally have time for fussy and fancy things, so I kept this card very, very simple and let the napkin do the work.  I accented the candle flames with some Sakura Souffle gel pens that really glow against dark backgrounds. 

I just love the rough crinkly texture of my imperfect decoupage technique!!  lol...

I did some stamp surgery on a holiday stamp and mixed the sentiment with "Bright" from a different company.  Good thing I used my MISTI (on my second attempt, that is....lol) because it wouldn't stamp right.  Turns out the thickness of the two companies' clear stamps is different!!  The thicker "Bright" word was preventing the nearby parts of the other words from contacting the paper!  I had not ever had that happen before....live and learn, I guess.  :)

Here's the inside view:

 

Supplies used include:
Napkin from thrift store package
Mod Podge - Matte Finish
Simon Says Stamp - Big Holiday Wishes stamp set [retired]
Memory Box - Making Spirits Bright stamp set [retired]
A Creative Journey with Melissa - Fall and Winter Holiday Sentiments stamp set
Versafine Ink in Majestic Blue
Distress Ink in Hickory Smoke
Core'dinations cardstock
Sakura Gelly Roll Souffle Gel Pens

Hope you liked this light-filled card. I really love how it turned out. Thank you for stopping by. Hope you are getting all ready for your holiday festivities!!!

❤
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Crafty Hazelnut's December Patterned Paper Challenge
2. DL.ART December Linky Challenge
3. Crop Stop December Link Party #46 - Anything Goes w/ product from brand CS carries (I used Tsukineko Versafine Ink, Distress Ink, Core'dinations cardstock, and Plaid Mod Podge)
4. Dare2BArtzy December Challenge - Winter
5. TCP Tuesday #352 - Winter Holiday
6. ABC Christmas - Z is for Zero Embellishments (Hanukkah is okay for this Christmas challenge, too.  Thank you!)
7. Simon Says Stamp Work-it Wednesday November Challenge - Ho Ho Holiday
8. Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Warm Winter Wishes
9. That's Crafty Challenge #5 - Anything Goes
10. Little C's December Prompt Challenge - I used Day 7: Star(s)
11. Three Amigos Challenge #21 - Christmas/Winter/Holiday
12. Memory Box Challenge #44 - Holiday Sparkle and Shine (Hanukkah and Shining Candles go together!!)
13. Christmas Cards All Year Round December Challenge - AG Christmas/Winter/Holiday
14. CARDZ-TV Anything Goes Challenge #77
15. Kat Scrappiness Charity Blog Hop for Coffee Oasis
16. Joy Clair Dec/Jan Challenge - Mood Board (Winter Wonderland) or Anything Goes

Good Tidings

Even cats can't resist a lovely sunset.....  :)

Hi, Friends......

Taking time out from the Coffee Hop to post a Christmas card in non-traditional colors.  I realize that not EVERYWHERE gets snow at Christmas so maybe this scene looks a little more like home to some of you.  :) 

I was inspired by the Winnie & Walter November Color Challenge.  Look at this beautiful color palette that Heather chose for us this time:





I knew I wanted to try making a blended sky with those gorgeous colors and heat embossed some W&W silhouettes to go with it.  LOVE!!!!

Supplies used include:
Winnie & Walter - Our Town stamp set
Winnie & Walter - Comfort + Joy stamp set
Winnie & Walter - Essentials: Katharine Cutaways die set
Distress Inks in Seedless Preserves, Mermaid Lagoon, Spiced Marigold, Rusty Hinge, and Black Soot
Versafine Ink in Onyx Black
Clear embossing powder
Core'dinations - heavy duty white cardstock

Hope you like this non-traditional Christmas card! It's fun to do something different sometimes. Thank you for stopping by and leaving your sweet comments. They mean so much to me!!!

❤
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Winnie & Walter November Color Challenge
2. MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge #414
3. The Artistic Stamper December Challenge - Christmas
4. Creative Fingers Challenge #154 - Anything Goes
5. TCP Tuesday #352 - Winter Holiday
6. ABC Christmas - Z is for Zero Embellishments
7. Simon Says Stamp Work-it Wednesday November Challenge - Ho Ho Holiday
8. Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - 'B' is for...Black
9. Visions of Sugarplums Challenge #1 - Christmas/Winter
10. Double Trouble Challenge#16 - Winter/Holiday - I did Thing One: Embossing (my images are heat embossed) and Thing Two: Entering at Three Amigos
11. Three Amigos Challenge #21 - Christmas/Winter/Holiday
12. Crop Stop December Link Party #46 - Anything Goes w/ product from brand CS carries (I used Tsukineko Versafine Ink, Distress Ink, and Core'dinations - heavy duty white cardstock)
13. Christmas Cards All Year Round December Challenge - AG Christmas
14. Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #414 - AG Christmas opt use stickers
15. Joy Clair Dec/Jan Challenge - Mood Board (Winter Wonderland) or Anything Goes

 

Coffee Lovers Hop - Let it Snow!

Hi, Friends......

Here I am with another card for the 2018 Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Hop.

Quite some time ago (I just checked...it was FOUR years ago!!) my crafty pal and coffee enthusiast, D.Ann at D.Ann's Crafting Whims, sent me a coffee prize that included some super-fun "Cafe Presse" napkins. I always wanted to decoupage one onto cardstock to use as a card background and I finally did it....4 years later!!! (I am so ashamed!)
 

I am following the MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge #414 today.  The simple design is perfect for my card.






I didn't want to put too much over the fun coffee press background image, so I tucked doilies around the edge and placed a simple heat-embossed sentiment strip with lace across the panel.  A few snowflakes add to the wintery feel.  I love the crinkly texture of the delicate napkin paper decoupaged onto the card!!

Supplies used include:
Cafe Press napkin panel
Mod Podge - Matte Finish
Core'dinations cardstock
Unity - "Let it Snow" from One of a Kind Winter
Versafine ink in Majestic Blue
Clear embossing powder
Doodlebug - Mini Doilies
Snowflake sequins from stash
Lace ribbon from stash

Thank you for stopping by today. I hope you enjoyed seeing my card. It's not a very Christmasy winter image, but this will be made into a Christmas card with the inside sentiments. It's cold and clear today here in Idaho...so winter is on my mind. We don't have very much snow left at the moment, but it is sure crunchy outside!! Stay warm, everyone!!

❤
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. 2018 Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Hop
2. MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge #414
3. Crafty Hazelnut's December Patterned Paper Challenge
4. Creative Fingers Challenge #154 - Anything Goes
5. TCP Tuesday #352 - Winter Holiday
6. DL.ART December Linky Challenge
7. Simon Says Stamp Work-it Wednesday November Challenge - Ho Ho Holiday
8. Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - 'B' is for....Blue
9. Visions of Sugarplums Challenge #1 - Christmas/Winter
10. Double Trouble Challenge#16 - Winter/Holiday - I did all three things!! Thing One: Embossing (my sentiment is heat embossed) Thing Two: Entering at Three Amigos, Thing Three: Included snow on my card. YAY!!!
11. Three Amigos Challenge #21 - Christmas/Winter/Holiday
12. Crop Stop December Link Party #46 - Anything Goes w/ product from brand CS carries (I used Tsukineko Versafine Ink and Core'dinations cardstock, Plaid Mod Podge)
13. Christmas Cards All Year Round December Challenge - AG Christmas
14. Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #414 - AG Christmas opt use stickers
15. Tuesday Throwdown Challenge #420 - AG
16. Dare2BArtzy December Challenge - Winter
17. ABC Christmas - Y is for Your Favorite Thing (I LOVE Snow!!)
18. Joy Clair Dec/Jan Challenge - Mood Board (Winter Wonderland) or Anything Goes

 

Warm Holiday Wishes - Coffee Lovers Blog Hop

Hi, Friends.......

I am here with another card for the 2018 Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Hop.  

I was inspired by a couple of other challenges, also:
 

1. Time Out Challenges #123
The theme this time is Black + White + One Other Color.  They also have an optional twist of making a One-Layer Card....which I did!!  YAY!!!  lol....



2. Winnie & Walter Rerun  No. 36 In Bloom - Frenchy's Festive Florals
I don't own the Rerun set, but I do have a similar build-a-bloom set from W&W which I used.  I drew inspiration from Gayatri's beautiful red and white card with the lovely stamped holiday floral elements HERE.

Here's my card......

I stamped the sentiment on the mug itself and thought myself so very clever to have the curvy "wishes" word above the swirly decoration on the mug. Hahaha.....I wasn't clever at all......it just worked out that way!!! Where was I going to put it otherwise??? The sentiment wouldn't work with the words in any other order!! LOL... (Just seeing if you all are awake out there!!)

Products used include:
Unity - Java Friend
Winnie & Walter - In Bloom: Hollie's Festive Florals stamp set
Winnie & Walter - Sentimental: Gift stamp set
Versafine Inks in Onyx Black and Satin Red
Core'dinations 110# White Cardstock

Making one layer cards and stamping borders are both definitely out of my comfort zone, but it was a lot of fun making this card. A little scary, too, but fun.....just like challenges are supposed to be, right?

I hope you are enjoying the Coffee Lovers Hop. I don't always take the opportunity to participate in it, but this time I was inspired. Thanks for stopping by!!

❤
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. 2018 Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Hop
2. Time Out Challenges #123 - Black + White + One other Color with Optional Twist: One Layer Card which I did.
3. Winnie & Walter Rerun No. 36 In Bloom - Frenchy's Festive Florals
4. Creative Fingers Challenge #154 - Anything Goes
5. TCP Tuesday #352 - Winter Holiday
6. Off the Rails December Challenge - Anything Goes
7. Simon Says Stamp Work-it Wednesday November Challenge - Ho Ho Holiday
8. Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - 'B' is for....Black leaves and other elements.
9. Visions of Sugarplums Challenge #1 - Christmas/Winter 
10. The Artistic Stamper December Challenge - Christmas
11. Crop Stop December Link Party #46 - Anything Goes w/ product from brand CS carries (I used Tsukineko Versafine Ink and Core'dinations cardstock)
12. Dare2BArtzy December Challenge - Winter
13. Christmas Cards All Year Round December Challenge - AG Christmas
14. Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #414 - AG Christmas opt use stickers
15. Joy Clair Dec/Jan Challenge - Mood Board (Winter Wonderland) or Anything Goes

Coffee Lovers Hop - Jumbo Pumpkin Spice Latte

Hi, Friends......

I am here with a card for the 2018 Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Hop today.

I couldn't resist joining in this time around so I could use this hilarious AI set that Nichol Spohr sent me in a prize recently.  (THANKS, Nichol!!!)  Great sentiment and I love the image of the besties enjoying coffee together!!  (Talk, talk, talk....!) You can barely detect (amid the saturated colors of the background) that I used a pastel watercolor background for this panel.

The stamped image is BIG and is placed appropriately on a LARGE format card!!  Ha.

Supplies used include:
Simon Says Stamp: Art Impressions - Pumpkin Spice stamp set
Memento Ink in Rich Cocoa
Mixed Media Paper
Spectrum Noir markers
Distress Ink in Walnut Stain
DCWV patterned and foiled cardstock
Shimmery ribbon from stash

Thank you for stopping by today. I hope you liked my card and that you will join in the 2018 Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Hop, too!

❤
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. 2018 Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Hop
2. Art Impressions Challenge #246 - Anything Goes
3. Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - 'B' is for....Besties, Baggy shirts, and Big card format
4. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
5. Creative Fingers Challenge #154 - Anything Goes
6. Crafty Hazelnut's December Patterned Paper Challenge
7. DL.ART December Linky Challenge
8. Joy Clair Dec/Jan Challenge - Mood Board (Winter Wonderland) or Anything Goes