Christmas Pines Card...

Today's card was inspired by FreshlyMade Sketches #315.  Yesterday I bought some new Christmas wrap at Hobby Lobby.  Getting new Christmas paper is a vice of mine,  I like it all matchy matchy with my Christmas tree etc. Here in South Carolina we have the scruffly pines and Cardinals.  I often see the cardinals out my kitchen window, and the pines look so beautiful when the snow falls, which isn't often... While I was standing in line the more I kept looking at the paper, I found myself thinking I could use it to make a card..  The sentiment is from the current CTMH annual catalog, it made such a clear impression on the first stamp.   I colored the sequins (retired SU) red with a sharpie and cut the Panel so it would fit closer to the edge of the card base, barely showing the white.   It took very little time and was fun to make.  I will probably make some more for my swap buddies!   Thanks for stopping by.

Vellum Poinsettia Card...

Here is my second Poinsettia card that I have made this week, the other one can be viewed here.  Inspired by Case This Sketch  #248.  I stamped the Poinsettia with Crumb cake ink on a piece of vellum going off on the top end,  I then used colored pencils to try and create veining on the poinsettia petals...the pencils work well on vellum so I shall continue to practice!  I also stamped the sentiment on the same vellum and all went well until I tried to attach it to a plain white panel for its' backing. . Not so good...I ended up having to cut around the poinsettia and layer it onto a new white panel, and then stamping the sentiment again on the new panel.  I backed it with a piece of CTMH Juniper.  The stamp set is SU retired.  I finished the card off using the different shades of crushed curry glittered enamels.   It was fun and very challenging!  Thanks for stopping by.

His Name Christmas...

I made these cards several weeks ago for a Merry Monday Christmas Challenge # 260.  I liked the sketch and it worked well for the Bible Verse I wanted to use.   I will share some of the cards with my swap group.
Thanks for looking!

Poinsettia Christmas card...

This card was inspired by the FreshlyMade Sketches #314 and  I also entered it on Inspired by All the Little Things  #74, because of it's "vintage" feel.  It was also inspired by my first handmade card 58 years ago when I was in first grade.  One day,  my teacher handed out "old" Christmas cards (we didn't get to pick) and using "clunky" scissors I cut out a "boring old Poinsettia" while the rest of the kids were cutting out Santa or Snowmen (needless to say I was miffed and anything but merry as we worked).....I glued it onto construction paper and hand wrote Merry Christmas and gave it to my  mother. She kept it for years, not sure where it finally ended up.    I'm glad I've grown up to realize that not only are they not boring, but poinsettia's are so beautiful and so alluring as part of the Christmas Season setting.   For this card I used a sentiment stamp from a local craft store and a doily from Su and cs crumbcake and tranquil tide SU.  Unlike my first card, the Poinsettia isn't cut from an old card, it's a--do I dare say it--sticker that I adhered to watercolor paper and fussy cut around so that the sticker smooth edge doesn't show.  I then added a glittered enamel (SU) in its' center.   Thanks for looking and may you enjoy reminiscing and making memories this Christmas season.

Thinking of You Christmas...

This card was inspired by the FreshlyMade Sketch 313. 

I kept it simple.   Snowflakes are 3 layered: 2 snowflakes and 1 glittered dapper denim enamel (current) colored over with a green sharpie to match Tranquil Tide.   Paper is All is Calm (retired)  I also used pool party cs.   Card base is smokey slate.   All supplies are SU.  The stamp set (retired Hostess) Time of Year. From the picture camera angle the bottom snowflake looks smaller, but it is the same size and the snowflakes are positioned to mirror the Sketch.   The journey to produce such a simple card, had a few twists and turns which was very educational for me.   It's hard for me to do simple intentionally, I still fight the More is More mentality.   I haven't done an FMS sketch for over a month....so it was definitely something I had been wanting to get back to.   This is a card for someone special, someone who has not had an easy year,  and I know just the person.   In fact I know several people so now that it's designed  I need to make more, and they will be much simpler to make now!     Blessings to all of you this Thanksgiving,  Kathy

PS   I wanted to update my blog look and that didn't go as planned so hopefully you can get through this until I fix things.........Thanks