Category: Christmas

Gingerbread Christmas Tag

Hello friends!  It seems like it’s been a while since my last post!  I have been feeling a little under the weather for a few days and I’m trying to get myself back on track…so hopefully I’m getting there!  Thank you to all who’ve left comments and a big welcome to my new followers!  So happy to have you here and hope you enjoy the postings!

I have a cute Christmas tag to share with you today using an oldie but a goodie Whimsy Stamps digital image:

Vicki-Oct24-Gingerbreadman Tag

This sweet little Gingerbread Man was so much fun to color and “bling up” a bit with some accents!  I have him colored up with Copic markers in the following:

  1.  Body:  E39, E37, E35, E15, E13 (Cheeks 0blender, R20 and frosting BG000 in certain areas.)
  2. Candy Cane and circle candy:  R39, R37, R35, R32, C3, C1, C0
  3. Nose and arm accents:  G16, G09
  4. Outer Edge of image:  BG10, BG000

I used a manila tag and got out a zig zag image from an older Whimsy Stamps clear set called Basic Backgrounds & Borders (retired) and stamped it on the tag with Rusty Hinge Oxide Ink.  I also used that color along with Tea Stain and Vintage Photo Oxide inks to sponge around the edges of the tag.  I used a water spritzer to add some drops and then blotted it with a towel to get the watermark look.

The gingerbread man panel was cut to fit the tag and I used some Tumbled Glass Oxide ink to stamp a few snowflakes around the gingerbread man from the Whimsy Stamps Snow Flurry stamp set and then sponged around the edges of this panel with the same brown oxide inks listed above.   I also stamped a sentiment at the bottom of the tag from the Whimsy Stamps Penguins Winter Adventure stamp set with Archival Jet Black ink.  I then added a strip of black washi tape from Tim Holtz Ideaology Christmas collection and then added some “faux snow” flakes at the bottom of the gingerbread man panel with some liquid glue.

For the ribbon, I used some seam binding ribbon and sprayed it with distress ink sprays in the same brown colors as inks that I’ve used, crinkled up and let it dry.  I added that to the top of the tag along with some tinsel ribbon.  I thought it went well with the snow!

Vicki-WS-Oct24-gingerbread-close

A closer view of the gingerbread man and you can see the added extra details that I’ve added to him.  For the candy cane and circle candy on his head, I covered them with a Spectrum Noir Glitter Brush Pen.  I’ve added some Nuvo White Blizzard Glitter Drops to the green dots and then some Nuvo Clear Crystal Drops to the frosting lines.  (You can see how it shines in the photo!)

Thank so much for stopping in today!  Hope you’ve enjoyed my tag and I’ll be seeing you very soon!! 🙂

Challenges:

  1.  The Holly & Ivy Christmas Challenge – Anything Christmas Goes
  2. QKR Stampede – Anything Goes #318
  3. Sweet Stampin’ – Chevrons or Stripes
  4. Crafting From the Heart – Anything Goes
  5. Little Red Wagon – distressing (Distress Oxide inks)

Top O Morning Snowman Wishes

Hello friends!  Well, it’s certainly not morning, but maybe it is where you’re from or it’s morning when you see this post! 🙂

I have a really fun Whimsy Stamps digital image to share with you today appropriately named to coincide with my post title:

Vicki-Oct16

This really sweet, faced snowman is called Top O the Morning Snowman which is a digital image created by Crissy Armstrong for Whimsy Stamps.  I thought it was so cute with the little birdie joining him and his little heart buttons!  I had fun coloring him up!

I’ve colored him with Copics and cut it out using the Hand Stitched Nested Rectangles die and matted some black cardstock behind that panel.  I’ve also used the October Digital papers release called Christmas Red, Gold and Green and attached it to the front of an A2 sized white card base.  I then took the wavy die from the Pierced Border Trio dies and cut a piece of glitter cardstock to add at the bottom of the decorated digital paper panel.

I then added the snowman panel over top and then stamped the sentiment below the snowman with the Holiday Mini Sentiments stamp set.  I then added the twine bow and button as well as a few snowflake sequins and filled the centers with some Nuvo Crystal Drops to finish it off.

Here’s a closer view of the coloring:

Vicki-Oct16-close

I have used all Copic markers to color this image in the following colors:

  1.  Hat and Snowman body/snow:  C8, C5, C3, C1, C00
  2. Hat Band, buttons, bird hat/scarf:  R37, R35, R32
  3. Holly:  YG67, YG63, YG61, (hollies colored with pink glitter gel pen and covered with Nuvo Crystal Drops
  4. Snowman Scarf:  G24, G21, G20 + green glitter gel pen for lines and ends
  5. Snowman nose and cheeks:  R20, R00, R000, YR18, YR15, Y11
  6. Bird:  B34, B32, R00, E000, Y21, Y11

I’ve also used a white gel pen for the cheeks on both the snowman and bird as well at the eyes on the snowman and to randomly add some dots for falling snow effect.  I also went around the outside of the image with a B000 marker for a bit of sky behind him.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Hope you’ve enjoyed my card!  See you soon!

Challenges:

  1.  CRAFT – Christmas
  2. QKR Stampede – Anything Goes #317
  3. Allsorts – Christmas
  4. The Merry Christmas Challenge – Anything Christmas Goes
  5. The Creative Crafters – Anything Goes

The Feeling of Happy Mail

Hello friends!  Back with you again today to share another Whimsy Stamps digital “pretty”!  If you missed my Guest Design post for the Retro Rubber Challenge Blog, please click on the link or scroll down below this post. – thank you

You all know the feeling you get when you receive “happy mail” from the mailbox, and I think this cute image on my card today really sums up that feeling:

Vicki-WS-Pretty Girl Happy Mail- Oct 9

I have used the brand-new October digital stamp from Whimsy Stamps called “Pretty Girl Happy Mail” on my card today.  Oh those curly locks are adorable!

I have colored her in with my Copic markers in the following:

  1.  Coat/hat (darker tone) – R85, R83, R81 and for trimming – E11, E00, E000 (also coat fasteners)
  2. Coat/hat (fur) – W5, W3, W1 and highlighted with white gel pen flicks.
  3. Hair – E47, E43, E42 (eyebrows too)
  4. Skin – E21, E11, E00, E000, R20, R00 (eyes BG49)
  5. Mail – B00, B000 (unsure of tiny bit of color on postage stamp or coat fastener centers and string)

I then took a retired Whimsy Stamps clear set called “Handmade From Me” which had a couple of tiny solid hearts in it, and I took some pink colored ink to stamp a few hearts around the girl.  She really loves all her mail after all! 🙂

I cut her out with a stitched circle die and then mounted her over a piece of silver foil cardstock cut with a scallop stitched circle die.  I have used the same stamp set that I’ve mentioned above to heat emboss the sentiment with silver EP and cut it out with a banner die cut.  This is the same-colored cardstock I’ve used for the A2 sized top folding card base too.

The snowflake paper is from my stash and some I’ve been hoarding because I love it so much, but the snowflakes on it are silver metallic and have the texture on it as if it was heat embossed.  I placed this panel over my card base, attached the banner and then added the circle image panel over top of that including some craft foam to raise it up slightly over the design.

I was thinking that this image would work for either Christmas, winter or Valentine’s Day.  Yes, I know, I said the V word already!! Oops!

Vicki-WS-Pretty Girl Happy Mail-Oct 9-close

Here’s a closer view of the coloring that I’ve done on her as well as the heat embossing.  Had so much fun coloring her up.  I think she especially looks wonderful on such a simple style design!

Thanks so much for stopping in and sharing your thoughts with me!  I appreciate that so much!  See you soon!

Challenges:

  1.  Creative Fingers – Anything Goes
  2. QKR Stampede – Anything Goes #316
  3. Crafty Friends – Use more than 1 die (I’ve used 3)
  4. Stamp & Fun = Creativity – Die cuts
  5. Crafting From the Heart – Anything Goes

Guest Design for the Retro Rubber Challenge

Hello friends!  I’m super excited to have been asked to be a guest designer for one of the challenges over at the Retro Rubber Challenge blog!  Yay!  I really enjoy playing along in their challenges when I feel the need to break out some of my older stamps that have either been unused or neglected for a while.  If you have some stamps that are at least one year or older…or older yet as many of mine can be, then this is a great challenge to play along with!  Be sure to pop on over there and see what it’s all about, check out the inspiration from the design team and play along!

Here’s the card that I’ve created for the challenge but be sure to check out the full details along with lots more photos below!

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For my card, I went with the bottom row of “animals, window and circles“:

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I have pulled out some stamps from my “penguin stash” as I like to call it!  LOL!  I have lots and lots of them and most of them are years and years old.  I’m actually not really sure how old this stamp set that I’ve used on my card today is, but it’s from Darcie’s Stamps and they haven’t been in the store for quite a while now I think.

For my card, I’ve taken a circle die and cut out my colored images.  I had to mask the hat so that it looked like the penguin was wearing it as well as mask that giggling penguin along with the hat so that I could stamp the mug so that it looked like the penguin was in front of the mug.  I also white heat embossed the sentiment and cut it out with a banner die at the top.  The sentiment also came with the stamp set.  I cut out a scallop circle and then cut the center out with the same size circle as the penguins to create the frame around the penguin scene.  I’ve used some older SU! papers from my stash to go along with my theme and then lastly added some red baker’s twine at the top along with some white enamel dots as well as a cute little wrapped up peppermint candy accent.

I have cut the center of the heart on the mug with my craft knife and now we are going to zoom in on the mug….

Vicki-rrcb97-GDT-windowcloseup

Here you can see the glittery heart window with the penguin on the other side!  I have made a window by cutting out the heart on the mug and then on the other side, I’ve used some packing tape with the sticky side exposed through the window so that I could add some glitter to it.

Vicki-rrbc97-GDT-insidecard

And then of course when you open the card, you can see this cute little penguin trying to balance himself on these glittery rolling peppermint candies!  LOL!  This is why the penguin on the front was giggling.  I think they had too much sugar!

I colored in a penguin from the set, fussy cut him out and then layered him over this line of peppermint circles that I found from an older card kit I had in my stash.  It’s from a piece of patterned paper that I cut out.  I added some shimmer over them with a glitter brush pen.  At the top you can see the cut-out heart I made.

Vicki-rrbc97-GDT-inside

This is just a closer view of the penguin on the inside.  There is plenty of room above him to write a message.  Wasn’t sure if I wanted to leave this blank or put a Christmas sentiment on the inside yet.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my card for today!

Challenges:

  1.  Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Get Ready for Christmas
  2. 4 Crafty Chicks – (4CC423) Something Old is Something New (old stamps and paper)
  3. Crafting with An Attitude – Anything Goes
  4. Happy Little Stampers Christmas – Anything Goes with Optional Twist:  ribbon
  5. Crazy 4 Challenges (C4C455) – Make any card in honor of WCMD
  6. Crafting By Designs – Anything Goes

Anything Goes For Cute Card Thursday!

Hello friends!  It’s Thursday and time for a new challenge over at Cute Card Thursday!

This week is an easy “Anything Goes” challenge!  So please share with us what you are working on this week weather it be a card, a scrapbook page, journal page or altered item, etc.  We look forward to seeing what you’re doing!

I’ve decided to use another newly released image from Whimsy Stamps (our sponsor this week) on my design today:

Vicki-CCT550-WS-Oct 4

Isn’t this cat just too stinkin’ CUTE?!   I’ve used the newly released October digital stamp Scruffy Cat by Crissy Armstrong for Whimsy Stamps on my card today.

*Edited to Add Copic marker colors I’ve used! *

For hat:  R59 for darkest shadows blended out with R29, R27 and R24.  I’ve used a white Prismacolor pencil for some highlighting.  I did use some B000 for shadows on the hat trimmings, but the loose glitter I glued on covers it up in the photo.

For cat:  I used W5, W3, W1 and W0 and started with the darkest color along edges and flicked in with the other colors.  R20 blended out with R00 for his ears and cheeks.

Collar:  G07 and G05.  I used a glitter gel pen for the tag.

I have used the Whimsy Stamps Notched Rectangles die set to cut him out with and mount him over a piece of red card stock.  I’ve also used a strip of red card stock cut with the same die and white heat embossed the sentiment from the Whimsy Stamps Holiday Mini Sentiments clear stamp set and attached under the kitty.

Before attaching the kitty panel, I’ve used some of the Whimsy Stamps Christmas Cool Mix digital papers and added a white organza ribbon around it.  I also sponged around the edges with some white ink using a sponge dauber and then I attached that to the front of a red top folding card base.  Lastly, I’ve attached the kitty panel along with the ribbon bow underneath and finished the card with snowflake sequins and silver glitter in the centers.

Vicki-CCT550-WS-Oct 4-close

Here’s a closer look at my coloring as well as the glittery details on the kitty collar tag and the loose fine glitter on the hat trimmings.

Please be sure to check out the challenge blog to see the details of the challenge and catch the inspiration from the rest of the design team!

Hope you’ve enjoyed my card today and look forward to seeing what you come up with!  Thanks so much for stopping in!

Challenges:

  1.  QKR Stampede – Anything Goes #315
  2. The Paper Players (PP412) – Tic-Tac-Toe:  Green, any embossing, sequins/glitter
  3. Crafty Animals – Anything Goes
  4. Crafty Cardmakers – Lace or Ribbon

It’s New Release Time at Whimsy Stamps!

Hello friends!  Can you believe that October has gotten here so fast?!  I thank you SO MUCH to everyone that has shared about my give away and I really have been enjoying your comments about the way you share smiles through your creations.  It is such an inspiration and joy to hear about this.

For my card today, I am sharing a sweet and fun festive image from the new release:

Vicki-PenguinElvesWorkshop-Oct2

Yes, I cannot get enough of the penguins that Crissy Armstrong makes up for Whimsy Stamps!  This image is called Penguin Elves at the Workshop and I think they’re having lots of fun for Christmas!  They’re colored up with Copic markers and then I’ve taken a white gel pen for highlights as well as a silver and gold gel pen for detailing.  I took some fine loose glitter and attached with liquid glue on parts of the penguins’ hats and then a glitter brush pen on the bow the penguin is holding.  I have used the Pierced Border Trio dies to cut the panel on the top and bottom of the image.  I then took an ink blending tool to add some distress ink around the panel.

For the sentiment banner, I printed out the new released Penguin Christmas Sentiments 1 and cut out a banner and then went over it with a Copic marker so that it matched up with my design.  For the front panel of my card, I also took the newly released digital papers called Christmas Red, Gold and Green and printed them out and trimmed it to size my A2 white card base.  I also took my ink blending tool to distress more coloring on the edges to match my image panel.  I then took that and mounted it over the papers and then glued some gold thin ribbon on the top and bottom of the image panel and added a bow along with some festive sequins filled with Stickles tinsel glitter glue.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my card today using the new digital release from Whimsy Stamps this month.  Be sure to check back for other creations I make from the new release this month too!!  Thanks so much for stopping by!

challenges:

  1.  The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge – Anything Goes with Christmas
  2. Christmas Card Throwdown – Technique:  Coloring
  3. Crafting By Designs – Get Ready for Christmas
  4. Aud Sentiments – Use a 2 word sentiment
  5. Winter Wonderland – Anything Goes + Christmas
  6. Crafting From the Heart – Anything Goes
  7. Make My Monday – Animals

Traditional Mermaid Christmas

Hello friends!  Although it still feels a bit like summer outside where I’m from with the temps in upper 80s and 90s all week long, I enjoy creating Christmas and snow-themed cards any time of the year!  Besides, I know that once Fall hits, it will soon be time for Christmas to come along right behind it!  I have used this adorable September release from Whimsy Stamps once again to inspire you with a more traditional Christmas themed colors and design this time:

Vicki-ChristmasMermaid-Sept18

I have used this gorgeous Christmas Mermaid digital stamp by Crissy Armstrong for my card today.  She is an amazing image for the coloring enthusiasts for sure!

My last card with this image showed her in more soft pastel tones.  (You can see that post by CLICKING HERE if you don’t remember it.)  This time I went for a more traditional Christmas color theme.  I found some really cool green with white splatter pattern paper to use, so I worked around that by coloring the mermaid outfit in reds with gold trimmings.  I took inspiration from the gold ribbon, bells and buckle and added in more elements with some gold on my card as well.

I was almost too scared to try this, but after coloring the image, I took some white Shimmerz paint and a paint brush to add some white splattering effect over top of her to give the appearance of snow and to also coordinate with the pattern paper in the background.  I didn’t get too carried away, but just enough and then I cut her out with the Whimsy Stamps Hand Stitched Nested Rectangles die set and took my ink foam blending tool and went around the edges with some Pine Needles distress ink.  I then took some gold cord and wrapped it around the two corners and then added a double bow with some red jingle bells on one end.  I also glued some cheese cloth on each corner before I added some foam tape behind her to mount her on the card design.

For the card design, the base is a red top folding 5.5″ square design with the green splattered pattern paper over it.  I took some chunky glitter and glued it around the edges and then perhaps you remember this “oldie but a goodie” border die from Whimsy Stamps along the edge of the image panel?  I cut it out with mirror gold card stock and then wrapped some gold silk ribbon over it and attached to the card.  I placed the foam taped image panel over top and then added the finishing touches over the image:

Vicki-ChristmasMermaid-Sept18-close

Here’s a closer look at the image where you can see all of the glitter and shimmer on her.  Before I splattered it, I covered her outfit with a clear glitter brush pen and went over her gold buckle and the jingle bells with a gold metallic gel pen.  I went over the tiny holly berries with a red metallic gel pen.  I then took some liquid glue and added some clear glitter to her hat and outfit trimmings along with the tiny creature’s hats.

After she was splattered, I added some gold sequins and then some gold Stickles in the centers of each one.

Those tiny creature faces just make me giggle every time! 🙂

I know she has tons of shimmer and sparkle, but she is a mermaid after all, and I do love adding a little bit of this and that as much as I can!  Do you like lots of bling?

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog, I truly appreciate your time!  I’ll see you again very soon!

Challenges:

  1.  The Holly & Ivy Christmas Challenge – Anything Goes + Christmas
  2. Crafty Creations – Anything Goes
  3. The Merry Christmas Challenge – Anything Goes + Christmas
  4. Winter Wonderland – Use Ribbon and/or Twine
  5. Little Red Wagon – Bling It On!
  6. CRAFT – Christmas
  7. Crafty Gals Corner – 3+ Layers

Dies and Punches for Cute Card Thursday

*I wanted to take a moment to say to those (and those with loved ones) along the eastern coast threatened by Hurricane Florence that we’re thinking of you and wishing you safety and strength.*

Hello friends!  We are quickly rolling through another month here as we are getting into Fall and I know the “C” word will be here before we know it!! LOL!  I’m trying to sneak in little creations here and there so I’m not overwhelmed.  Sometimes challenges can help with that like our new challenge this week at Cute Card Thursday!  Our new challenge this week is “Dies and/or Punches” which is something that I use ALL the time on my projects, how about you?

Vicki-CCT547-ADU-diesandpunches

This week we are sponsored by “All Dressed Up Stamps” and I have used this adorable image called “Little Skater” on my card.  I’ve colored her up with my Copic markers and then I’ve cut her out with a stitched circle die.  I then used a very old Stampin’ Up! Snowflake stamp from my stash and stamped some snowflakes in the background with blue ink and then sponged around the edges of the circle with the same color.

I also heat embossed the sentiment (From My Favorite Things) with silver EP over a piece of pink cardstock and then cut it out with a banner strip die.  I then sponged around this banner with some white ink.  (This pink cardstock is the same color as my card base.

I had a piece of this pretty snowflake woodgrain paper in my stash a long time, pulled it out for the background.  I’ve also die cut the stitched scallop circle behind the circle image panel with some silver glitter paper and attached it to the background.  I’ve also die cut some additional snowflakes in white cardstock and placed those on my layout and covered the centers of them with some silver Stickles.  I used a strip of foam tape to pop up the heat embossed sentiment right underneath the image and then lastly, I’ve added some clear crystal accents to the sides of the sentiment banner as well as on each corner of the background paper.

Vicki-CCT547-ADU-diesandpunches-close

Here’s a closer view of the image.  I have colored her skate blades with a silver gel pen and then I took a clear gel pen and went over the bow in her hair and her scarf as well as the tiny snowflakes around her.  I’ve used a white gel pen for her cheeks and highlights on her leggings.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Challenges:

  1.  All Dressed Up Challenge – Anything Goes #84 + All Dressed Up image.
  2. QKR Stampede – Anything Goes #312
  3. Sweet Stampin’ – sketch

4.  Happy Little Stampers – Anything Goes with Dies

5.  Crafting From the Heart – Anything Goes

Whimsy Stamps September New Digital Release is Here

Hello friends!  I’m excited to be sharing with you my creation for one of the newly released images for this month from Whimsy Stamps!  Yay!

Every first of the month Whimsy Stamps will come out with a new release and the 1st day of the month begins with their digital release and the products become available for purchase as soon as they’re announced!  You may have seen my creation on the Whimsy Stamps Inspirations Blog along with all of the newly released images and inspiration from the rest of the design team!

Vicki-ChristmasMermaid-Sept2

Now what a cute and clever idea from Crissy Armstrong to come up with a Christmas Mermaid image, don’t you think?!  I love all the different possibilities with this one!  I thought it was a good place to start with the amazing release this month!

I kept her very soft and feminine with the pink and teal colors.  Not sure if you can be underwater with snowflakes…but it seemed like the perfect accent to add and I’m pretty sure that’s why the little critters have a surprised face! LOL!

For the image, I have used an oval die and cut around the areas that didn’t fit inside the shape.  I think it makes her look like she’s in a bubble of sorts!  I also layered her onto another teal glitter oval shape, and I have also die cut a sentiment that went perfectly with the image.  I’ve paired her with the Whimsy Stamps Christmas So Soft digital papers and some mint-colored cardstock.  They seemed to go well with the coloring I did on the image.  I popped the oval image panel up with some craft foam and added some fun tinsel ribbon in the strip behind her.  Then attached some snowflake sequins.

Vicki-ChristmasMermaid-Sept2-close

Here’s a closer view of the coloring I did on the image.  I kept the colors softer with pink and mint/teal.  I’ve used a gold gel pen to color in her gold bells and belt buckle.  I’ve also added some Nuvo clear Crystal drops on the “holly berries” the critters are holding and then went over all of the fur trimmings with a shimmer brush pen.

To get the “texture” in the mermaid’s tail area, I just took my “0” Copic blender and dotted it which also helped to blend in the colors.  Super cute and fun image to color!

Hope you’ve enjoyed my card today!  Thanks so much for dropping in!

Challenges:

  1.  My Time to Craft – Christmas in August
  2. The Holly & Ivy Christmas Challenge – Anything Christmas Goes
  3. QKR Stampede – Anything Goes (Challenge#311)

Follow Your Dreams and More Christmas Fair Project Entries

Hello friends!  I have usually posted on Fridays to share some updates on my crafty projects and such, but had some other things to take care of and hubby has been working different hours here and there, so I thought I’d pop on here for Saturday instead!

I made a card for a FB Group yesterday, but thought I’d share it here as well:

Vicki-SnS-dreamcatcher-Aug

The background papers were included with the kit, and I have cut a portion of a piece to put on the top section of my card front.  For the cactus silhouettes, I have taken the Nuvo Dazzling Blue Glitter drops from the kit and used a brush to push it around.  (You can see a closer view of all of the glitter in the photo below.)   I took a piece of black card stock from my stash to mount this piece and then I heat embossed the sentiment (from the kit) with white EP.  I then took some 1/4″ Tear-iffic Tape to go across the bottom portion of the background piece.  I then took the gilding flakes from the kit and attached it to the tape. I then took that entire black piece and mounted it onto a piece of craft foam.  I then attached it to a top folding white A2 sized card base which also came from my stash and not the kit.

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Here’s a closer look at the image and all of the glittery fun texture on this design!  (You can see here how the cactus in the background really shimmer and have a unique texture by applying it!

If you take a look at that circle behind this image, I have cut out a white piece of card stock with a stitched circle die and then covered the entire piece with the Orange Marmalade embossing powder…it is so stunning how this EP looks IRL!  There are some very fine gold mica powders in it that make it really amazing looking!  Not what I expected the first time I used this, in a good way! 🙂  I then took the feather that came in the kit and added some Nuvo Liquid Glue to the ends of it and then sprinkled on some Ultrafine Sassy Silver Glitter and attached it behind the image with foam tape.

For the image itself, it came in the kit already pre-colored and sized to fit on the card.  I have fussy cut the image and put some foam tape on the back with the feather and embossed circle.  I have used the rest of the Nuvo Crystal Drops from the kit and used these to color in the image with a small brush to push the glitter around.

I sure had fun with this card and will be pulling out my kit again to make more, I’m sure!  I like to “mix” things up a bit with them instead of making them all uniformly the same.

I also have some more projects that I haven’t finished sharing with you from what I’ve entered into my local County Fair this year, so here’s some more Christmas projects that I’ve made and had entered:

Vicki-HoopOrnaments-Fair3rd

The category for this one was “handmade ornaments – set of 3” (They were all supposed to be similar in nature as well), so of course being the paper crafter that I am, I made 3 ornaments using paper crafting items from my stash! 🙂

A while back I had bought a large supply of bamboo embroidery hoops because I wanted to have a try at making these ADORABLE ornaments that I found a tutorial for last year on Splitcoaststampers.com – CLICK HERE to check out the tutorial and make one for yourself! (That tutorial called for a 3″ hoop, but mine are a bit larger at 4″ here.)

Vicki-HoopOrnament

So for my ornament here, I used a stitched circle die to cut those lovely plaid papers from Lawn Fawn (looks like it retired!) and then I also cut another stitched circle from some gray colored papers to match.  On the Gray circle, I white heat embossed the Tim Holtz Mini Weathered Winter Snowflake and then took a sponge dauber to add a bit of white ink in some places.  I placed a wood veneer snowflake over top the center of the heat embossed snowflake and then added a dot of silver Nuvo Crystal Drops in the center.

For the outside of the hoop, I’ve had this silver tinsel in my stash for a few years (looks like the package says it is for a mini tree decoration.  LOL…IDK!)  I glued it around the edge of it, attached a silver bow at the top and then ran some silver cord around the top for hanging on the tree.  They are simple, quick and easy to make, but I had lots of fun with it for sure!  So, it was nice to have placed third as a bonus!

Vicki-ShakerGiftCard-Fair3rd

This is one of my entries for “Hand-Stamped item Other Than a Card”.  (I will share my other two entries for this category on another post coming later on!)  If you had followed along with my other blog or “know me” on Splitcoaststampers.com, then you may have seen the tutorial that I made for them called “Shaker Money Holder” (Click name to view tutorial or click the photo for it on the sidebar of my blog here.)  I basically took the same concept for it and adapted the measurements to make it a gift card holder instead.

Vicki-ShakerGiftCardHolder

I have been wanted to play with this really fun stamp set from Pink and Main called Christmas Mugs which I’m sure I’ll be using again this year!  Yum! 🙂  It was the perfect complement for gifting a Starbucks gift card!  (This was one of the “many” purchases I had made when I went to the Collinsville, IL stamp convention earlier this Summer!  So happy that Pink and Main had a booth there!)

For this shaker gift card holder, I stamped the candy cane from the same stamp set with some red Staz On ink before adding the shaker contents to it.  I had fun coloring the mug image with Copics and glitter gel pens.  I’ve also added some shimmer to the liquid in the cup with a Shimmer glitter pen.  I then fussy cut it out and used my Xyron machine to make a “sticker” with it to attach to the plastic.  I white heat embossed the sentiment from the same stamp set over red card stock, die cut it with a banner die and attached it in the same way I did the mug.  If you follow along with my tutorial, i was finished off in a very similar manner.

Now looking at this photo, I’m thinking it would have been cute to add one of those snowflake accents to the center of the bow or around the red banner! LOL!!  It was fun and easy to make regardless and will be nice to have on hand for Christmas!  It was also very nice to see that it got placed 3rd too!

Hope you have enjoyed my post today and seeing the things I have been so busy with creating this, Summer!  I always look forward to Fall and the end of the year projects so I know things will start getting really busy soon!

Thanks so much for dropping in!

*With the exception of the above card, I won’t enter the Christmas projects in any challenges due to the fact that I had made these in July. *

Challenges for card ONLY:

  1.  Use Your Stuff – Summer Fun (What could be more fun than laying in a suncatcher?  LOL!)
  2. Papercraft Challenges – Summer
  3. The Creative Crafters – Anything Goes
  4. Aud Sentiments – Anything Goes + a sentiment.
  5. Creative Knockouts – Sparkle and Shine