Wreath of Joy

It's the most festive and crafty time of year!  The 30 Day Christmas Card Making Challenge is back in full swing and I'm having so much fun playing along!  Join along in the fun...you'll have so much fun AND 30 Christmas cards ready to mail out on December 1st. 

Day 5 was a color challenge...one of my favorite challenges!  I used Poppy Parade, Mossy Meadow and Soft Sea Foam to play along.

The latest Freshly Made Sketches sketch challenge gave me the perfect opportunity to use some of the beautiful Christmas Greenery Dies and Traditional Wreath 3D embossing folder.  And thanks to this joyous die from the Abundant Joy dies (Paper Pumpkin add-on dies), there was no stamping required!

 Happy Stamping!

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Elf Hustle

It's time for an all new sketch challenge over at Hand Stamped Sentiments this week!  A sketch is always a great place to start the creative process!

In keeping up with the 30 Day Christmas Card Making Challenge, I had to pull out these retired elves from Jolly Words to play along with the Elf Hustle challenge!

I paired these joyful elves up with the Take a Bow DSP and added an additional sentiment from Peaceful Season.  Everyone needs a little joy in their heart all year long, but even more so during the holidays!

Be sure to join along in the fun and share you creations with us!

Happy Stamping!

Let's Tear It Up - TGIF Challenges #500

We are celebrating our 500th challenge over at TGIF Challenges with a fun technique...tear it up!  Have you ever created with torn paper?  It's one of the easiest techniques out there that adds so much to any project!

I chose the Winter Meadow Designer Series Paper, with just a little bit of Fresh Freesia from the Subtles Designer Series Paper, and tore some wintery hills for the background.  Don't you just love how the white core of the paper adds a snow covered feel?

I stamped the Peaceful Evergreen trees in Smoky Slate, Fresh Freesia and Misty Moonlight.  These colors were pulled from today's 30 Day Christmas Card Making Challenge.

Be sure to join along in the fun with our 500th challenge!  We love seeing what everyone is inspired to create!

Happy stamping!

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Frosty's Wonderland

 

It's a Merry Monday Montage 30 Day Christmas Card Making Challenge kind of day!  Whew...say that fast 3 times!

If you've been following along with me over on Instagram @craftsomnia, you know I'm playing along with the #30DayChristmasCardMakingChallenge again this year.  I love all of the fun challenge ideas that Martin comes up with and it's a great way to build up my Christmas card collection!  Today's challenge is Frosty's Wonderland.

The cute little snowman snow globe from the Snowy Scenes was perfect for today's challenge.  And the pretty wintery snowflake pattern helped to complete Frosty's Wonderland.

When you have paper as cute as this, you don't need much stamping. A stamped sentiment was all the this needed!  And I can't forget the White Loose Snowflakes...I love these little embellishments!

Be sure to check out @craftsomnia to see what all of my Monday Montage friends have to share with you today...you will be filled with creative inspiration!

Happy Stamping!

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Candy Cane Wishes

Happy Friday stampers and welcome to an all new TGIF Challenges Sketch Challenge!  If you've been following along on my Instagram @craftsomnia, you know that I've also been playing along with Martin's 30 Day Christmas Card Making Challenge.  This sketch went along nicely with today's Candy Cane Wishes theme!

When I think of candy canes, I think of peppermint hot chocolate!  More Than Autumn bundle and the super cute Snowy Scenes DSP came together to make the cutest candy cane inspired card!

Poppy Parade and Petal Pink make fun color buddies for this sweet holiday card.  I may have to turn this into a hot chocolate packet holder...stay tuned!

I hope you'll join in the fun this week and share your sketch inspired project!

Happy Stamping!

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Festive Merry Monday

 

It's that time again...time for another amazing Monday Montage Blog Hop!  We are missing a few in the lineup this week, but we've still got a ton of creative inspiration to share with you!

I'm still plugging along with the #30DayChristmasCardMakingChallenge. The theme for day 20 is Festive Vibes Only.  It doesn't get much more festive than bright, shiny Christmas lights, right?

Merry Bold & Bright DSP has been my go-to Christmas paper this year...if you haven't noticed!  I paired up with brightly lit bulbs with the Poppy and Melon stripes, along with a row of fussy cut lights.

Oh, what fun the sentiment is to finish off the card.  Granny Apple Green has been my go-to Christmas green this year too.  Give me all the bright colors!

Hop on over to see what my crafty friend Cathy has to share or take a hop back to see what the amazing Wendy has in store.

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Merry Monday and Weekend Recap

Happy Merry Monday friends!  It's Day 13 of Martin's Mayhem #30DayChristmasCardMaking Challenge and the theme is Elfed Up.  I love all of his themes and the fun inspiration and interpretation that come from them!

I used the cute elves from the Jolly Words stamp set.  After stamping and coloring the images, I fussy cut each piece and rearranged them in a fun and festive way.  I have a newfound love for Bubble Bath, especially when paired up with Poppy Parade and Granny Apple Green.  What do you think?!?

Before we jump in to a new week, I want to share a bit of a recap from this past weekend.  Many demonstrators from all over the world gathered for the OnStage@Home virtual event.  While nothing beats in person events, my heart is still full after spending time with everyone virtually.

Along with some business updates, demonstrations and stamping, some BIG news in my crafty world was finally revealed.  I am honored and beyond blessed to have been selected to be a part of the 2023 Artisan Design Team!

Once upon a time I was an Artisan Finalist, back when it was only US residents who made up the team.  There were 20 finalists and only 10 were selected.  Unfortunately, I did not make it on the team at that time, but I didn't give up on trying.  It took some time, but thanks to the amazing guidance, support and love from so many stamping friends, my dream finally came true!

            

This beautiful tin arrived before the OnStage@Home event, but I waited until the morning of the event to open it.  Along with personalized Artisan stamp, we also received a beautiful engraved clear block.  I love it and will proudly display it in my craft room!

I can't wait to create with all of the amazing Artisan Design Team members in 2024.  Hopefully some of us will have the opportunity to meet up in Houston!

Happy Stamping!

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A Beary Merry Monday Montage Blog Hop

 

We're back with another Monday Montage Blog Hop!  Be sure to hop all the way through to see all of the amazing talent!

Once again, I'm sharing some Merry Monday creations...this time using the Beary Christmas DSP along with the fun sentiments from Merry & Bright.

I absolutely LOVE to fussy cut images from Designer Series Paper and make them come to life on cards. I sat down with the adorable polar bears and friends this past weekend and fussy cut my heart out!

In keeping up with the #30DayChristmasCardMakingChallenge, I had to use this cuddly polar bear and bunny Topping the Tree for Day 6 of the challenge.  I'm pretty sure I could use the tree pattern of this DSP for ALL of my Christmas cards...it's so awesome!

It doesn't get much cuter than a momma bear and her baby toting gifts through the snow to wish you all a Happy Christmas.  I love the sweet simplicity of this card..nothing more than ink, paper and stamps!

Caribou and deers in sweaters and scarves are also pretty stinking cute too!  I love the footprints in the snow pattern of DSP...it goes along perfectly with these Christmas critters!

Be sure to keep hoping along to see what all of my crafty friends have created!

Happy Stamping!

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Shining Merry & Bright

Happy November friends! Today officially kicks off the @martinmayhem 30 Day Christmas Card Making Challenge on Instagram and I am so excited!  I play along last year and had so much fun!

The first theme challenge is Shining Bright.  How about some bright and shinny Merry & Bright Christmas lights?

I stamped these fun little lights in Melon Mambo, Parakeet Party, Bubble Bath and Pool Party, topping them with the amazing Silver & Gold Adhesive-Backed Glimmer Paper.  (I hope this makes a comeback soon!) Aren't the shimmery filaments the cutest?!

Inspired by this weeks Global Design Project Sketch Challenge , I arranged the lights behind a Deckled Circle topped with Merry & Bright. I pulled a few strands of the White Iridescent Ribbon to tuck in behind the sentiment.

The light wires were perfect to go along with the sketch in the background, adding just a bit more sparkle.  And just when you think you have enough shimmer and shine, you remember the super cute Iridescent Discs that go along with these colors perfectly!

If you don't follow @martinmayhem on Instagram, you are missing out!  He creates the most AMAZING projects and has a month full of fun and creative Christmas card challenges!

Happy Stamping!

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Wreathed in Joy

It's the end of November and I'm wrapping up the #30daychristmascardmakingchallenge, hosted by the marvelous Martin Stone.  I wasn't sure if I would be able to keep up and make all 30 projects, but I DID IT!

The final challenge is all about the Christmas wreath.  I don't know about you, but I love a fresh, full Christmas wreath hanging on my door.  The pine tree scent is the best!

I used the Decorated Pine Dies to create a giant wreath, complete with some Distressed Gold bells.  What is a Christmas wreath without a big Cherry Cobbler bow and baubles?  Some golden Festive Pearls added just a bit more Christmas glimmer.

The laser-cut sheets from Santa Express Memories & More Card Pack have been a favorite throughout the month.  I heat embossed Happy Holidays in gold and LOVE how it turned out!

I adhered the wreath to a Kraft card front, stamped with a few white snowflakes and some gold Wink of Stella splatters.

It has been so much fun playing along with this month long challenge and I can't wait to do it again!  It was a great way to use all of my Christmas stamp sets and supplies.

Wishing you all a Happy Holiday as we move on to the month of December!  So much fun is yet to come!

Happy Stamping!

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'Tis the Season To Be Warm and Cozy

Here we are at November 3rd and we have snow in our foothills.  I'm not ready for winter...fall just got here!  

On a happier note, we are also on day 3 of #30daychristmascardmakingchallenge and today's them is Warm and Cozy.  I am definitely ready to be warm and cozy!

When I think of warm and cozy, I think of fuzzy sweaters and a good hot cup of coffee or hot chocolate.  The sweater from Forever Friendship and the mug of something warm from Yeti to Party were just what I needed for this warm and cozy card!

I used the trusty old mirrored image stamping with a piece of Window Sheet to stamp one of the sweaters backwards so they could link arms.  Isn't this the cutest?!?  I tried to do the same with the mug, but photopolymer stamps on Window Sheets are slippery and my hands were a bit too shaky from too much coffee.  I'll have to try again!

A soft Pool Party background with a few die-cut snowflakes from the Celebrations Tag Dies helped to create a snowy background.  It's a pretty simple card, but I love how all of the elements came together!

I am hoping to play along with all 30 days of the challenge, but I can't promise I will get all of the cards posted here.  But you can be sure to catch any that aren't posted here on Instagram.  You can find the link on the home page of my blog.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Happy Stamping!

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