Advent Calendar Extravaganza

Hi everyone! It's been a while since I blogged, but when Taheerah Atchia asked me to participate in her Advent Calendar Extravaganza, I wanted to join in the fun. :)

Advent Calendar Extravaganza is -the- festive event of the season! This ‘hop with a twist’ was dreamed up by Taheerah Atchia and features surprise destinations each day! Joining in the fun with Taheerah are ONE HUNDRED special guests - each serving up some fantastic Christmas inspiration! Just like an Advent Calendar, you’ll never know where you’re going to be visiting next until you ‘open the door’!


And that’s not all! With 25 *amazing* sponsors taking part as guests as well, your crafty wish list is bound to get a boost with a chance to win a prize EVERY SINGLE DAY!!

Here's what I came up with:

I made three cards using two stamp sets from The Stamp Market and paper, die-cuts, and chipboard from Crate Paper's Fa La La collection.

For the first card, I stamped the large flower from the Watercolor Bouquet set in poinsettia colors. The sentiment is from the Holiday Cheer set (I'm not sure if the set is still available?). 

For my next card, I did even more layering:

I stamped the same flower on linen cardstock to add texture as well as the smaller flower in the Watercolor Bouquet set. The background is stamped with the snowflake from the Holiday Cheer set. 

I also die-cut the flower in pink patterned paper and layered a white velvet flower from Maya Road. 

My last card used the same stamps in a more rustic way:

I stamped the flower in my favorite white ink and then embossed the panel with a woodgrain impression plate. The Crate Paper "falala" die-cut is entirely gold, but doesn't it look multi-colored in the photo below? :)

Here are the details about the Advent Calendar Extravaganza:

It’s not a party without a prize - and with prizes every day there are several chances to win! Today’s prize is generously supplied by The Stamp Market so you’ll definitely want to win! Simply leave a comment on this post - then head back to taheerah-atchia.com and leave a comment there too! You must leave a comment on Taheerah’s blog as well as mine in order to be eligible to win! Don’t forget to grab the other surprise destinations from Taheerah’s blog and head over to them to leave comments there as well to improve your odds even more! You have until 23:59 EST on 31st December 2017 to enter.

Don’t forget Advent Calendar Extravaganza runs from 1st-25th December inclusive so make sure you visit taheerah-atchia.com every day for fabulous inspiration and amazing prizes every single time! Merry Christmas!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great day!

Getting Embellish-y with Maya Road

Hi everyone! Are you ready for the holidays? I wish I had one more month. :)

I'm on the Maya Road blog sharing three last-minute holiday cards. It's no secret I like to use embellishments, and I wanted to mix embellishments and the October Afternoon papers from the gorgeous Maya Road Holiday Treasures kit. In addition to the embellishments and papers, the kit has a beautiful stamp set. :)

I hope you'll check out the post (here)!

Thanks so much for stopping by. Have a happy holidays!

Advent Calendar Extravaganza with Taheerah Atchia

Hi everyone! If you're in the U.S., I hope you had a great Thanksgiving! Today, I'm participating in a special Advent blog hop. :)

Here's a little about the hop:
Advent Calendar Extravaganza is -the- festive event of the season! This 'hop with a twist' was dreamed up by Taheerah Atchia and features surprise destinations each day! Joining in the fun with Taheerah are over 60 special guests - each serving up some fantastic Christmas inspiration! Just like an Advent Calendar, you'll never know where you're going to be visiting next until you 'open the door'!

And that's not all! With 25 *amazing* sponsors taking part as well, your crafty wish list is bound to get a boost with a chance to win a prize EVERY SINGLE DAY!! Join in the fun every day at taheerah-atchia.com to see what special surprises wait behind the door!

Fun, right? Here's what I made:

I had leftover supplies from the 2014 Ali Edwards December Daily kit, and I thought they would work for a card. When I saw the tissue paper, I decided to CASE one of my cards from a couple of years ago. 

I started by stamping the "magical" sentiment from the Hero Arts Fa La La La La set on a gold foil tag. The sentiments in this set are beautiful!

After stamping the tag, I tucked a bit of a doily underneath to add texture. I added the tissue circles, part of an acetate die-cut, chipboard pieces, and die-cut papers from the kit using the My Favorite Things Pierced Circles.

I finished the card with a few more embellishments. The velvet ric-rac ribbon was a last-minute addition...I love the fuzzy texture. :)

Here are the details about the giveaway:

It's not a party without a prize - and with prizes every day there are several chances to win! Today's prize is generously supplied by Hero Arts (hello, awesome!)! Simply leave a comment on this post to enter - then head back to taheerah-atchia.com and leave a comment there too to double your chances! Don't forget to grab the other surprise destinations from Taheerah's blog and head over to them to leave comments to improve your odds even more! You have until 7am EST on Thursday, December 31st to leave your comments (winner's will be announced on Taheerah's blog). 

Don't forget the Advent Calendar Extravaganza runs from the 1st-25th, so be sure to visit taheerah-atchia.com every day for fabulous inspiration and amazing prizes throughout the month! 

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great day! :)

Merry Christmas

Hi everyone!

I went a little rustic on the Maya Road blog today with three holiday cards. If you haven't seen them, Maya Road periodically sells kits for cards, minis, and the holiday. I used the new Holiday Treasures kit for my cards. I hope you'll check out the rest of the projects on the blog! :)

Thanks for looking! Have a great weekend!

Happy Holly Days

Hi everyone! Happy Monday!

I'm thrilled to be guesting over on the Simon Says Stamp blog (thank you!) I mixed new and old Paper Smooches to make a holiday card. I hope you check it out! :)

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day!

Holiday Flamingo

Hi everyone!

It's my last week guesting with the My Favorite Things Challenge and Inspiration team. What an awesome month! (A big thank you, Susan!) The new sketch is up, which you can see HERE.

I've been wanting to use my flamingos for a winter card:

I die-cut the Flamingo die in white cardstock and blended a couple of shades of pink. I love the versatility of these dies....they look good in cardstock. watercolors, Copics, inks, etc. Next, I made a teeny scarf from a scrap of felt. After I had her scarf on, I laughed every time I looked at her. :)

In the sketch, there are several circle elements. I used the Jumbo Dot Cover-Up die to emboss the background panel. The hearts are also from the Flamingo die set:

The sentiment is from the Santa's Elves set--I had to go with pink ink. ;) For the snow, I used the negatives out of the Snowdrifts die and added coarse glitter. Isn't it pretty?  Here's a close-up:




I love flamingos. :)

Well, that's it for me. I hope you'll swing by the Challenge and Inspiration blog to see what the fab team has made!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great day!

Happiest of Holidays

Hi everyone! I hope you're having a great week. I'm in D.C. for work, and I'm really looking forward to seeing some local crafty friends at the end of the week. :)

I'm guesting with the My Favorite Things Challenge and Inspiration team again. Yeah! It's a sketch challenge this week, and you can see the sketch HERE.

Here's my take on the sketch:

Isn't the elf adorable?? I love him and had to use him. I colored the little guy from the My Favorite Things Santa's Elves set with Copics. For the bell, I added a little Wink of Stella over the coloring (yes, I know; it's hard to see).

The elf was tucked behind the two die-cut panels. On the bottom layer, I stamped the awesome Sweater Stitched Background stamp and then die-cut the panel with Cross-Stitch Square STAX. On top, I die-cut patterned paper using the Zig Zag Stitch Square STAX.

Below the elf, I wanted to make it look like the elf was dropping the jingle bell into the stocking. I stamped the stockings using the same Santa's Elves set, and then colored and paper pieced them.

Be sure to stop by the MFT Challenge and Inspiration blog. I hope you have a chance to play along!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day!

Supplies

Stamps: (Santa’s Elves, Sweater Stitch Background) My Favorite Things

Dies: (Santa’s Elves,  Zig Zag Stitched Square STAX, Cross-Stitch Square STAX) My Favorite Things

Ink: (Field Day Hybrid Ink) My Favorite Things; (Tuxedo Black) Tsukineko

Paper: (Wild Cherry Cardstock) My Favorite Things; (Ellen's Essential Linen) Ellen Hutson; (stripe polka dot papers) Studio Calico kits

Other: Clear Wink of Stella pen; Copic markers

Be Jolly

Hi everyone! Happy Wednesday! I hope your week is going well.

I'm positively thrilled to be guesting with the My Favorite Things' Card Challenges team this month. Woo hoo! This week's challenge is a sketch, which you can find on the Challenge Team blog.

I flipped the sketch to make this card:

I used the new Trim the Tree die to die-cut the tree from an "oops" watercoloring project. :) On the die-cut, I stamped the garland from the Trim the Tree stamp set in Gold and added a die-cut star from the same stamp and die set.

Next to the tree, I added one of the presents from the Trim the Tree set. The yellow really pops!

I used the new Radial Stitched Circle STAX and blended Sno Cone ink to add some blue. It's hard to see, but I stamped (and stamped off) snowflakes from the Trim the Tree set in the same light blue. I added a little glitter to the edge of the circle die-cut.

In the background, I embossed the Four Way Chevron die--love that die!

I hope you have a chance to play along with this week's challenge. You can see the sketch and details HERE. :)

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies
Stamps: (Trim the Tree) My Favorite Things
Dies: (Radial Stitched Circle STAX, Trim the Tree, Blueprints 13, Four-Way Chevron Cover-up) My Favorite Things
Ink: (Black Licorice Hybrid Ink, Lemon Drop Hybrid Ink, Sno Cone Premium Dye Ink) My Favorite Things; Delicata Gold Ink; (Black Velvet Color Shine) Heidi Swapp
Cord: (white) Hemptique
Sequin: (4mm Clear) Pretty Pink Posh

WCMD with My Favorite Things

Hi everyone! Happy World Card Making Day! I love this day. If you're a card maker, I hope you're getting a chance to make some cards today! :)

This month, I'm guesting with the My Favorite Things Challenge Team!! I'm so excited! This month's release is so wicked cool--I had a few squeals when I opened my package. ha ha

To celebrate WCMD, the MFT Challenge blog inspiration all day long, and I'm joining the fun. Yeah!! The theme is Christmas, old and new, and here's what I made:

Do you see the new stamps? The stamped images on the sweaters and the sentiment are from the new Winter Wonderland set. This set is adorable with fab scene-building winter images and awesome sentiments. I love this sentiment in particular and had to use it! This set will be released October 6th. 

For my "old," I cut the Comfy Sweaters out of white cardstock and stamped the Winter Wonderland images. I Copic-colored the sweaters. Here's a close-up:

For the background, I made my own stripe by inking Grout Grey through the All Lined Up stencil. After creating the panel, I die-cut it with the Inside Out Diagonal Stitched Rectangles. These dies are cool (and addictive!). I finished off the card with a Field Day card base die-cut using the Blueprints 13. 

Be sure to check out the MFT Challenge Blog--lots of awesome stuff!

Have a great day. Thanks for stopping by!

Our Home to Yours

Hi everyone!

I'm up on Neat & Tangled blog today sharing a card and quick tutorial.

Here's the final card:

I used three different Neat & Tangled sets to make this card: Simple Christmas, So Very Blessed, and Time Warp. There are step-by-step pictures on the Neat & Tangled blog that show how I combined the different sets.

After I was done stamping, I dry embossed the panel with a PTI Woodgrain plate--I love the subtle texture. I finished the card by adding glitter to a BasicGrey die-cut, a sequin from the Classic Christmas Sequin Mix, and some spray mists.

Here's a close-up:

If you want to play along, the Little Tangles team has an embossing challenge right now. You can check it out HERE.

Sadly, this post is my last one for Neat & Tangled. I wanted to give a shout-out to Danielle for being an awesome leader. Thanks for asking me to be on the team, Danielle! *hugs* Also, thank you to my fantastic and supportive teammates! You all are a super talented bunch!!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day!

25 Days of Christmas Tags + A Giveaway

Hi everyone! I hope you had a great weekend! I got home at the end of the week after another week of work travel. I got home in time to see my four-year-old's preschool holiday program...it was so cute. :)

My blogging friend Tracey from In My Creative Opinion has been hosting her fourth annual 25 Days of Christmas Tags. Tracey invited the Paper Smooches team to share tags, and I'm happy to be playing along.

Here's my tag:

I used Paper Smooches' new Cool Dudes set to make the snowman. I die-cut a circle and then stamped the different features and hat. It was really fun to build the different snowmen--much better than getting cold in real snow. ;)

I die-cut some Webster's Pages papers using the Paper Smooches' Gift Tags die. I can't get enough of this die--it's a must-have! Here's a few of the finished tags:

I added the sentiment from the Warm Hearts set on a couple of the tags. Here's a close-up:

As part of the 25 Days of Christmas Tags, there are lots of prizes! Be sure to check out Tracey's blog for details. To enter, comment on Tracey's blog, and for an extra chance to win, comment on my blog below. The comment-to-win ends at 11:59pm ET on 11/27.

Sharing a Sneak

Hi everyone!

I'm up on the Simon Says Stamp blog today (eek!!). I'm sharing some gift wrapping and tags using Paper Smooches. All of the products I used are available at SSS.

Here's a peek:

If you get a chance, please check out the SSS post and leave some love. Thank you!!! And thanks to Stephanie for asking me! :)

Add a Little Dazzle and Neat & Tangled Blog Hop

Hi everyone! I hope you're having a good week. :)

This week, the Neat & Tangled DT is teaming up with the Add a Little Dazzle team. Add a Little Dazzle sells cool craft metal sheets (be sure to check it out!). Each day this week, members of the two teams are hopping. If you're hopping along, you should be coming from Yana's blog.

Here's my project:

I kept things pretty simple. As soon as I saw the Fancy Pants Oh Deer! reindeer, I knew I had to use him! I used the "warm" from the Warm Wishes stamp set and paired it with two stamps from the Simple Christmas set. For the hearts, I die-cut the A Little Dazzle Scarlet Red sheet with the Neat & Tangled My Plate is Full dies.

Don't the hearts look like Valentine's Day chocolates? It makes me kind of hungry. Ha! Here's a close-up:

Be sure to comment all along the way to be entered to win a $25 prize pack from Add a Little Dazzle and a $25 prize pack from Neat & Tangled. Next up in the hop is Lee-Anne!

Thanks for stopping by! I'll be back tomorrow with another post. :)

Essentials by Ellen Blog Hop

Happy World Card Making Day!

Welcome to the Essentials by Ellen Blog Hop! (Eek!) We’re so excited to unveil a brand new line of high quality Clear Stamp Sets and Designer Dies, designed by the fabulously talented Julie Ebersole exclusively for Ellen Hutson LLC. This collection reflects an eclectic mix of images, sentiments and art styles that are sure to appeal to a wide range of tastes! Just in time for holiday crafting, the entire release is available now at Ellen Hutson LLC. 

All Essentials by Ellen Stamp Sets and Dies arrive in their signature packaging with a durable clear envelope and a labeled card stock backer for convenient storage and organization. The die packaging also features an attached magnetic sheet, to ensure that even the smallest of your dies is stored securely! I've got to say--I've never seen packaging like the Essentials by Ellen line--it's luxurious. :)

Want to see some projects? All of the supplies are linked at the bottom of the post. 

I watercolored the Laurel Wreath die and added one of the cool stars from the Home & Hearth die set. The sentiment is from Cozy Christmas--I love the funky vibe of those sentiments. 

I cut down a Project Life pocket, sewed up three sides, and added a mix of sequins to make a shaker tag: 

Next, I used the Christmas Scribbles stamp set:

The sentiment is long, but I cut it down to fit on the card. See the cute little stars? This set has a ton of options.

Here's a close-up:

Next, I used the Brushstroke Christmas set and Prize Stag die:

The stag die is very elegant. I almost used him as a mask--so many possibilities with this die. :)

I love that this set has several elements besides the sentiments. See the different stars and the black "splatter?" It looks real but I don't risk splattering over the middle of the sentiment (which I actually did in the next card--ha!).

Here's my last card:

I used the Merry and Bright stamps, the "merry" from the Merry and Bright Handwritten die, and stars from the Home & Hearth dies. The stamped star, sunbursts, holly, and sentiment are all from the stamp set. Those sunbursts are addictive. I think I'm going to be using them a lot. ;)

There are a lot of details on this card, so here's a close-up:

I have a fun giveaway for you! The new Brushstroke Christmas stamp set will go to one lucky winner! Please leave a comment here by October 8th; winners will be announced October 9th.

The fun all starts at the CLASSroom, where there is a GIANT prize package being given away—be sure to leave a comment there by October 8th; winners will be announced October 9th! 

Here are the hoppers:

The CLASSroom
Teri Anderson
Laurel Beard
JJ Bolton
Heather Campbell
Kittie Caracciolo
Darlene DeVries
Julie Ebersole
Sharon Harnist 
Amber Kemp-Gerstel
Cristina Kowalczyk
Karolyn Loncon
Nichol Magouirk
Jean Manis
Jennifer McGuire
Chari Moss
Paulina Nakamura
Jocelyn Olson <--You are here
Catherine Pooler
Miriam Prantner
Julia Stainton

Thanks for stopping by! Next up is the fabulous Catherine Pooler!


Supplies
Peace Joy Love
Stamps: (Cozy Christmas) Essentials by Ellen
Dies: (Laurel Wreath, Home and Hearth) Essentials by Ellen
Cardstock: 110lb. Neenah
Patterned paper: (stripe from Merry and Bright 6x6 pad) Pink Paislee
Ink: (green mists from Fresh Lime, Dirty Martini, Lemon Zest Dylusions) Ranger; (Graphite Black Brilliance) Tsukineko
Cord: (Neon Green cord) Hemptique
Sequins: (4mm Sparkling Clear, 6mm Sparkling Clear, Marshmallow, Classic Christmas, Circle Confetti-Gold) Pretty Pink Posh
Pocket: (Page Protector) Project Life

Merry Little Christmas
Stamps: (sentiment, stars, branch from Christmas Scribbles) Essentials by Ellen
Cardstock: (110lb. Neenah); (Distress Watercolor Cardstock) Ranger
Patterned paper: (25th and Pine 6x6 pad) BasicGrey
Ink: (Antique Linen, Tea Dye, Scattered Straw Distress Inks) Ranger; (Grass Chalk Ink) Hero Arts; (Graphite Black Brilliance; Golden Glitz Delicata) Tsukineko; (Letter Jacket Mister Huey's) Studio Calico
Dies: (Circle STAX) My Favorite Things
Cord: (Bamboo White) Hemptique
Sequins: (4mm Sparkling Clear) Pretty Pink Posh

Joy to the World
Stamps: ("joy," sentiment, stars, splatter from Brushstroke Christmas) Essentials by Ellen
Dies: (Stag) Essentials by Ellen
Cardstock: (110lb. Neenah); (Rouge Glitter) American Crafts
Patterned paper: (hexagon, red and white stripe from Merry and Bright 6x6 pad) Pink Paislee; (black and white stripe from Plus One) American Crafts
Ink: (Grass Chalk Ink) Hero Arts; (Graphite Black Brilliance; Golden Glitz Delicata) Tsukineko
Sequins: (6mm Sparkling Clear, Classic Christmas) Pretty Pink Posh

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Stamps: (sentiment, sunburst, star, holly from Merry and Bright) Essentials by Ellen
Dies: ("merry" from Merry and Bright Handwritten; stars from Home and Hearth) Essentials by Ellen; (Pinked dies) Paper Smooches; (Circle STAX) My Favorite Things
Cardstock: (110lb. Neenah); (Peppermint) Bazzill Card Shoppe
Patterned paper: (Jolly Good) Chickaniddy
Ink: (Grass Chalk Ink) Hero Arts; (Pixie) Avery Elle; (Golden Glitz Delicata) Tsukineko; (Apple) Mama Elephant
Sequins: (Circle Confetti-Gold) Pretty Pink Posh

Paper Smooches August DT Blog Hop

Hi everyone!

It's Pep Rally week and we are here today to share a sampling of the NEW Paper Smooches September release with you! FOUR new stamps and EIGHT new dies will be available to purchase on September 1st. You will find our new releases HERE.

To add extra fun to our blog hop...we are offering up a prize! The prize - a $25 gift code to choose what you like at the PS online store. Want a chance to win a prize? Here are the details:

• FOUR winners will be chosen at random from any of the design team blogs and the PS Blog to win the $25 prize. 
• Just leave a comment on any of the design team blogs listed above or the PS blog for your chance to win (you do not need to comment on all blogs to qualify, but it increases your chances)! 
• Deadline: You have until midnight MT on Sunday, August 31st to leave a comment. 
• Please check the Paper Smooches blog on Monday, September 1st to see if you are one of the FOUR lucky winners. 

Here's the order of the hop:

Ashley Marcu
Betsy Veldman
Emily Leiphart
Erin Lincoln
JJ Bolton
Jocelyn Olson <--You are here
Kalyn Kepner
Laura Bassen
Laurie Schmidlin
Michele Boyer
Pamela Ho
Teri Anderson

To increase your chance of winning:

• Tell us that you Facebooked about our blog hop (leave another comment) 
• Tell us that you Tweeted about the hop (leave another comment) 
• Tell us that you posted on your blog about our blog hop (leave another comment) 

Here's my card using A Blessed Christmas:

Isn't that image so sweet? I love that it's a cute religious, Christmas image. This set has so many fabulous images!

For my card, I simply stamped and colored it with Copics. To add a soft layer, I die-cut a the window out of vellum and stamped the sentiment from A Blessed Christmas directly on the vellum (got to love the Brilliance inks). Finally, I used the matching Blessed Icons dies to die-cut the dove. When I think of Christmas, I don't typically think of rust and black colors. ;) But, as soon as I saw these BasicGrey papers with the image, I had to go with the non-traditional colors. 

Here's a close-up:

Thanks for stopping by! Next up is my sweet and very talented friend Kalyn!

Supplies

Stamps: (sentiment, holy family, dove from A Blessed Christmas) Paper Smooches

Dies: (dove from Blessed Icons); (banner, circle) Silhouette America

Cardstock: (white) PTI; (vellum) Hobby Lobby

Patterned papers: (Spice Market) BasicGrey

Ink: (Graphite Black Brilliance; Tuxedo Black Memento) Tsukineko; (Gold and Opaque White Mister Huey's spray mist) Studio Calico

Copics