Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge

I just had to play along with the last Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge! Thanks, Stacey, for keeping this challenge going for as long as you did! It was one that I enjoyed a lot.  This last challenge has a "pine" theme going on, so I immediately went for PTI's Holiday Greens stamp set with matching dies.  The sentiment - also by PTI - was cut three times from Cherry Cobbler CS to give it more dimension.  The V-cut die is MFT's Stitched Basic Elements.  Papers are from Stampin' Up's Trim the Tree pad. 

It was a great, mild winter day in VA with temps up in the 50's!  Perfect for doing some shopping and picking up our favorite ham!
Thanks for stopping by...

Last Minute Cards

I came up with these creations when I thought I was finished with my Christmas cards...only to think of more people I wanted to share with! The first one (plus two others that are slight variations) went out today to our 3 grown kiddos and their families.  I used Stampin' Up's Sleigh Ride edgelit dies and MFT's Stitched Dome Frames and Stitched Fishtail Flags STAX Die-Namics.  The sky was embossed with the Softly Falling embossing folder by SU.

I've had this Holiday Home stamp set and Homemade Holiday Framelits dies - all by SU - since last year and am just now using them!  Sad...right?  The house was colored with Copics and I stuck with the color palette for the current Color Throwdown challenge to use pink, green, kraft and white.  I love all the beautiful plaid papers in MFT's Plaid Patterns Merry & Bright 6x6 pad!

Last, but not least, is this poinsettia creation using Altnew's Poinsettia and Pine stamps and dies.  It's one of my fave Christmas florals!  I gold embossed the images then colored with Zig clean color brush markers and blended with an Aquapainter brush.  The script paper is from Tim Holtz' Christmas 8x8 pad and the polka dots are from my leftover stash and I'm not sure of the source.

Thanks so much for stopping by...hope you are keeping warm in your corner of the world because...brrrr...it is very cold here in VA!

Color Throwdown

It's hard to believe we're at the last Color Throwdown Challenge of 2017! We'll take a brief break for the holidays but we'll be back in January with a brand new year of fresh challenges! Broni is our hostess with the mostest this week and has such a gorgeous color palette of pink, green, kraft and white!  I'm needing a couple of masculine birthday cards this month and am debating if this card will work.  What do you think?  Does the pink make it taboo - lol?  (Edited to add: I mailed out the card today after switching the berries to Riding Hood Red).  😅

I started with creating the plaid background using Garden Green and Crumb Cake inks by SU and the Plaid Background Stamp set by Concord and 9th.  I die cut and stamped a collage of greenery/pinecones/berries from PTI's Holiday Greens stamp set.  The sentiment is from PTI's Pen and Ink stamp set. The edge of the plaid panel was die cut with one of MFT's Stitched Element dies.  Some jute twine tops it off!  

Congrats to Kelly Schirmer from Gingham Girl who is our guest star stamper this week!  Be sure to stop by her blog and say hello. 

We'd love to have you join us in the challenge!  For more details on how to play along, head over to the Color Throwdown blog and you'll find the information on the right sidebar.  You can also visit the rest of the design team's creations for more inspiration by clicking on the links below:

Amy Rohl 
Amy Rysavy
Barbara Anders   
Broni Holcombe
Jodi Collins 
Lisa Henke
Lori Tecler
Lynn Put  
Vickie Zimmer 
Wanda Cullen (you are here)  
Debra James - December Guest Designer 

Oh Deer!

I whipped out a couple more of the same Christmas cards this afternoon. No particular challenge in mind. I like these non-traditional colors for Christmas and combined products from many different stamp companies!

STAMPS: Unto Us (Verve) - deer; Wreath For All Seasons (Papertrey Ink) - wreath and sentiment.
PAPER: Tim Holtz "Christmas/Noel/Navidad" 8x8 pad; Black Licorice & Ripe Raspberry (MFT); White (PTI); Lime Green (Reverse Confetti).
INK: Parakeet, Magenta (Reverse Confetti); Versamark; Versafine Black Onyx.
DIES: Edge Essentials (Reverse Confetti); Stitched Circles and Fishtail Flags STAX Die-Namics (MFT); Holly (Reverse Confetti); Reindeer Fun (Verve).

SFYTT Christmas

Most of my Christmas cards have been mailed, but I still keep thinking of persons that I want to send to! This card uses very non-traditional colors...starting with patterned papers from Reverse

Confetti's Pattern Play 6x6 pad. Jen Del Muro (RC owner/designer) lost her father earlier this year so the holidays will be especially tough for her mother. She asked friends to send a card to her mom to help brighten her days. This card will be heading her way!  No matter what sorrow we have to face, God will never leave our side, so what better Christmas sentiment that this one which reminds us to adore Him!  

I used the layout for Reverse Confetti's December Sketch For You To Try challenge.  

STAMPS: Christmas Blessings (Reverse Confetti).
PAPER: Lime Green, Piggy Bank, Pattern Play by RC; Pear Pizzazz, Chocolate Chip by SU; White by PTI; Brushed Gold metallic CS.
INK: Versafine Onyx Black.
DIES: Leafy Wreath, Branch Out - Reverse Confetti.

Inspired By All The Little Things

I've got a really simple card design inspired by this fun New Year's celebration photo for the new Inspired By All The Little Things challenge!  When I first saw the photo, I immediately went for this patterned paper in the Fancy That! 6x6 pad by My Mind's Eye.  I started to add 2018 to the card, but my number dies were too large and I couldn't find any number stickers in my stash, so I just went with a more generic look that could represent many celebration occasions like a retirement, an engagement, etc.  It would work with a gift of wine, don't you think?  I really love this 'celebrate' die by MFT along with the wine dies...also by MFT! The wine bottle is so fun to paper piece.  

We hope you'll take some time during this busy season to play along with us!  Would love to see your creation in the gallery!

CAS(E) This Sketch Guest Designer

Hello and here's hoping everyone is having a terrific Thursday! I am thrilled to share I am guest designing for today's CAS(E) This Sketch challenge! Leigh has chosen a really fun layout and it was perfect to group some images from Papertrey Ink's Holiday Greens stamp set.

Here's what I used...
STAMPS: Holiday Greens (PTI), Peaceful Pinecones (PTI) - sentiment.
PAPER: Say Freeze 6x6 pad by Craft Smith; Kraft (PTI); Gold Glitter CS; Soft suede (SU).
INK: Baked Brown Sugar, Always Artichoke, Old Olive, Riding Hood Red by SU.
DIES: Mix and Mat: Plaid Die (birch frame) by PTI; Wonderful Words Holiday Die Collection by PTI; Holiday Greens by PTI.

We would love to have you play along, so hope to see you in the gallery!

Tag...You're It Challenge

I missed the deadline, but was inspired to create this tag by Jessica Frost-Ballas' gorgeous pink and gold reindeer tag for the Tag...You're It Challenge! I'm also joining in with Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge with a 'gift it' theme (gift tag). I first painted the blue gold from Gansai Tambi Starry Colors palette then layered Bright Opera paint from Mijello Mission Gold palette. I adhered Simon Says Stamp's Snowflake Block die than added shiny gold sentiment and reindeer dies to the tag.  The shimmer and shine simply does not show up well in the photo.  Boo.  A very cloudy day just didn't work to get a good photograph.

I can finally say I'm finished with my Christmas shopping.  Most of the things are wrapped but my Christmas cards are not yet addressed.  That's next on my holiday 'to do' list!  Thanks so much for stopping by...

Color Throwdown & Viva la Verve

Another Wednesday means another Color Throwdown Challenge is up and running. Barbara is our hostess this week and was inspired by this great winter scene to use red, gray and black.  I used the new Viva la Verve sketch for December and wanted this sentiment to be the focal point.  I can't seem to get enough Christmas cards created this year (Note to self: start earlier next year!). 

I pretty much let the patterned papers do the talking and embellished with snowflakes die cut from silvery white glitter cardstock. Here is what I used:
STAMPS: Richly Blessed (Verve).
PAPER: Tis the Season 6x6 pad by Echo Park.
INK: Versafine Onxy Black.
DIES: Stitched circle, rectangle and scalloped border by Lil' Inker Designs; Stitched Fishtail Flags Die-Namics by My Favorite Things; Let it Snow (snowflakes) by Reverse Confetti.

We're happy to announce that the talented Debra James is our guest designer for December!  Welcome Debra!  (Edited to add...she has the most adorable card for today's challenge!).

I also want to give a shout out to our star stamper this week - Kathy Straw!  Stop by her blog HERE to say hello.

We'd love to have you join us in the challenge!  For more details on how to play along, head over to the Color Throwdown blog and you'll find the information on the right sidebar.  You can also visit the rest of the design team's creations for more inspiration by clicking on the links below:

Amy Rohl 
Amy Rysavy
Barbara Anders   
Broni Holcombe
Jodi Collins 
Lisa Henke
Lori Tecler
Lynn Put  
Vickie Zimmer 
Wanda Cullen (you are here)  
Debra James - December Guest Designer 

Inspired By All The Little Things

Whoa!! December is here already and the days until Christmas are numbered! It's time for another Inspired By All The Little Things challenge and we've got a "cool" inspiration photo to inspire you in so many ways!  I was inspired by the skating theme (my card started with this patterned paper with the skate border!), the pale blue colors, the furry border on the skates and the pompom. The pair of skates led me to use an old image with a pair of mittens and I added white Flower Soft detail to imitate the fur.  I love using this embossing folder that gives the illusion of falling snow and this sweet little penguin just had to have a pompom beanie to complete the scene. 😃  

I'm also playing along with the Paper Players challenge which has a great sketch this week (I did a flipped version of it and omitted the ribbon)!

STAMPS: Warm Winter Wishes (Flourishes), Winter Groves (Paper Smooches).
PAPER: Winter Fun 6x6 pad by Carta Bella.
INK: Blue Bayou, Baked Brown Sugar (SU), Versafine Onyx Black, Versamark.
MISC: Softly Falling EF by Stampin' Up; Stitched Oval die by Lil' Inker Designs; Polar White Flower Soft; Pure White embossing powder by Altenew.

We would love to see how YOU are inspired by this photo! Hope to see you in the gallery!