Merry Monday & SSSC

I'm playing along with the new Merry Monday Christmas challenge to use ornaments in silver/gray and blue and I'm using the layout for the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge.  As you can see, I flipped Karen's sketch so I could utilize a trio of ornaments more effectively.

Here's what I used:
STAMPS: Ornament Keepsakes (SU), Holiday Hellos (Simon Says Stamp).
PAPER: Lost Lagoon, White, Silver glitter CS (SU), Winter Wishes 6x6 pad by Echo Park.
INK: Lost Lagoon, Versamark.
ACCESSORIES: Silver cording, Holiday Ornaments Framelits (SU), Circle Nestabilities, Silver embossing powder, Fishtail Flags Die-Namics (MFT).

Mojo Monday

Hello everyone! We're up to sketch #371 for the Mojo Monday Challenge!  I was inspired by the many winter scenes that I'm seeing all over the web, so combined stamps from 3 Verve sets, one SU and one Simon Says Stamp set.  I masked off the moon using a 1" circle of thin paper then sponged Lake House and Nautical Navy dye inks by WPlus9.  The tree was stamped 3 times with Appletini dye ink.  The card base has splatters stamped from the SU Gorgeous Grunge set; snowflakes are in Lost Lagoon ink.  I embossed the Lost Lagoon panel using a snowflake EF.  The scenery panel was layered with PTI Ripe Avocado CS.  I adhered Martha Stewart Crystal Coarse glitter to the snowflake embellishment by outlining the image with a glue pen.  I tweaked the sketch to create a 5 1/4" square card instead of the A2 size.

Be sure and head on over to the Mojo Monday blog to see what the other Mojomakers have for your inspiration!  You can also click on their individual blog links below:

Carole Burrage

Debbie Carriere

Julee Tilman (Owner)

Marisa Ritzen 

Mary Fish

Sarah Biglow

Teresa Kline

Wanda Cullen (you are here)

Thanks for stopping by...hope to see you in the gallery this week!

Stamp A Pad

The CAS Challenge on SCS is to create a simple background by stamping directly to paper with an ink pad.  I tweaked the technique a bit by stamping the Peacock Feathers distress ink pad on an acrylic block and then stamped it on watercolor paper.  I smoothed out the ink a bit using water with a brush.  I layered a diecut snowflake (SU Bigz die) cut from silver glitter CS (SU) and topped it off witb a die cut button (MFT) threaded with silver cording.  I then clear embossed the sentiment that was stamped with Versamark Onyx Black ink.  I'm not sure I like the kraft card base...the jury is still out on that choice!

STAMPS: Hand Lettered Holiday (WPlus9).

What Does The Fox Say?

Believe it or not...he says MERRY CHRISTMAS! :-) Yes, this is a Christmas card for a co-worker who dressed up as a fox for Halloween! I saw the idea of creating a fox from star dies (I used ODBD Sparkling Stars dies) on Pinterest.  The card base is Cajun Craze and the lighter rust CS is from my scrap pile - not sure of the color.  The SCS Ways to Use It challenge is a "Get Fired Up" theme, so I went with the faux burnt edges technique by sponging Old Paper, Vintage Photo and Black Soot distress inks on white CS then die cut the border with Lil Inker Designs stitched scallop die.  The layout is using the current sketch on the Retrosketches Challenge blog.  The sentiment is computer generated.  The foxy nose has Glossy Accents added.

Thanks for stopping by...

Freshly Made Sketches

Don't you just love Linda's new layout for the Freshly Made Sketches challenge #161?!  I'm also playing along with Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge to create a "thinking of you" card since Remembrance Day is this weekend - a day to remember the service men and women who serve our country.  I wanted to use one of the sentiments in Altenew's Label Love set to go with their Painted Flowers images and thought "missing you" was a way of telling someone you're thinking of them.  After stamping the outlines in Versamark Onyx Black, I then did 2-step stamping with Victorian Velvet and Bundled Sage distress inks.  Love how quickly and easily this came together! 

Color Throwdown

Hey, hey, hey...happy Wednesday everyone!  Joan has a really fun color combo for this week's Color Throwdown Challenge -  inspired by this fabulous Eiffel Tower photo!  I went with a "cool" theme and added another card to my Christmas stash!

This cool dude is from Paper Smooches' Winter Groves stamp set.  The sentiment is from Flourishes' Warm Winter Wishes - retired but one of those timeless sets I won't part with.  I colored with Copics and fussy cut...paper piecing the beanie hat and adding a single pom pom - then popping the guy with foam tape.  Snowflakes and sequins are SU's Frosted Sequin embellishments - adhered with Glossy Accents.  The layout is for Jen's current Deconstructed Sketch Challenge.

I'm happy to announce we have a new guest designer for the month of November!  Big WELCOME to the talented Petra Swart at Cards Creative!  She is a regular player with our challenge and I'm really looking forward to seeing her wonderful work as our monthly guest designer!

Also, congrats to Christy from Snapdragon Stamps who is our guest star stamper this week!

Details on how to post your project are given on the Color Throwdown blog.  For more inspiration, be sure and check out the rest of the design team's creations on the CTD blog or you can go to the links below:

Barbara Anders
Broni Holcombe 
Joan Ervin 
Jodi Collins 
Lori Tecler 
Monika Davis 
Vickie Zimmer 
Wanda Cullen (you are here)

Petra Swart - November Guest Designer

CAS(E) This Sketch

It's a beautiful, sunny fall day in VA!  Just returned from voting and hope you found time to exercise your right to vote as well! 

I created this quick Christmas card by combining the layout for the CAS(E) This Sketch challenge and the colors from the Color Challenge on SCS. I colored the die cut cardinal image with Copics and added some gold EP using a Versamark pen on the pinecones.  The tiny stars were die cut using ODBD new Sparkling Stars die set.  The background paper is also new at ODBD.

STAMPS: His Birth (ODBD), Sing for Joy (ODBD)
PAPER: Christmas Collection 2014 (ODBD), Vintage Cream (PTI)
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark
ACCESSORIES: Queen's Gold EP, Cardinal die (ODBD), Sparkling Stars dies (ODBD), Fishtail Flags Die-Namics by MFT.