Time Out #101...Reminder...Friendship is the True Gift of the Season

There is still time to play along with our current challenge at Time Out.  

I love this two step pile of gifts stamp from PTI.  It makes it really easy to create a large focal point using two different colors.  It can be a bit tricky to line up, but once that is done, it is very easy.  I die cut and stamped some of the little bows and such and adhered them with foam tape for extra dimension.

Please head over to Time Out to see more inspiration from our Design Team and Guest Designer. Our Guest Designer this week is Michele, so please stop by her blog to see what she has created for this challenge.  Birch Press Designs is our sponsor for this challenge.  Details for the prize are on the Time Out Challenge Blog.


This challenge will run another week.  I hope you will take some Time Out of your busy schedule to play along with us.

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Holiday Cards

Welcome to my Sunday evening wrap up.  I've been working on holiday cards this weekend.

First up is a card inspired by the photo at Retro Rubber #77 and I am using Dashing stamps that are 1 year old by Avery Elle.  The card is paper pieced using Lawn Fawn papers.

I am also entering this card at AAA #105 and Addicted to CAS #123 who both have Sparkle as the challenge this week.  It is a little hard to see in the photo, but the star atop the tree is coated with WOS and the ornaments are gold glitter.

My next card uses the colors at Color Throwdown #472 and is also for Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Gift It.

I got some new snowflake dies, and made 3 cards playing around with those dies and some new sentiment dies.

I was inspired by the sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch #250 for my first card.  I die cut the snowflakes, and then inlaid them back into the card.  I do not recommend this technique for such an intricate die, as it was kind of a pain, although I do like how it came out.

Next up is a card using the same sketch, but embossing the snowflake into the card front.  Much easier, but a more subtle affect.

Here is a close up of the embossing...

I am entering this card at Addicted to Stamps and More #271: Anything Goes and CAS on Friday #122: Christmas.

I used the larger snowflake die to create a white on white texture for my last card, which I am entering at Simon Says Monday Icy Inspiration Challenge.

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My Crafty Weekend

I fell in love with this card by Betsy during the PTI release, and so decided to CASE it for the PTI Play Along With Us challenge.  I used Doodlie Do stamps heat embossed in white on Dark Indigo card stock.

The toppings at Seize the Birthday are presents, and I used PTI Gifts of the Season for my next card.

I spent the most time playing with the sweet mice from PTI Christmas Critters.  I have been pretending that these mice are actually rats--many people do not know that (domesticated) rats make great pets--they are very sweet and cuddly, too.

The rats (mice) on the next three cards are colored to look like the 2 rats we had as pets.  Ivy is the grey one and Ace is the tan one.

Here we see Ivy on a card that I am entering at CAS on Sunday #96 where the challenge is pets, Simon Says Wednesday where the challenge is Christmas Critters, and The Paper Players #322 where the challenge is Clean and Simple Christmas.

This next card stars Ace and uses the sketch at the Fusion Challenge, and I am also linking up at  Simon Says Wednesday where the challenge is Christmas Critters, and The Paper Players #322 where the challenge is Clean and Simple Christmas.

And finally, we have Ace and Ivy (brothers) celebrating their birthday.  I am linking this one up at Seize the Birthday with the topping of presents.

That's it for me today.  I am off to take my current pet, Sherlock, to the dog park for a romp with his friends.  I think he may be a bit peeved with me for showcasing the pet rats and not him on my pet cards today.  I hope to have some time later this week to dive into my many dog stamps to make a card that features a canine.

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My Crafty Weekend

I fell in love with the sweet little mice in PTI Christmas Critters, and knew I could use them in lots of different ways.  We had two pet rats before we got our dog--one was tan and one was grey, and so I am pretending these mice are 2 cute pet rats, and they are getting ready for daughter Rachel's 19th birthday.  Yes, she has a lot of presents!  I based my card on this card by Betsy during the PTI release.

I was inspired by the colors at Color Throwdown #312 and am also entering this card at Simon Says Wednesday Challenge Anything Goes.

My next card was inspired by the Back to Black challenge at Poppystamps #25.  I used the Trim Tree Craft Die #1551, cut when Marybeth came to visit me this summer for our annual stamping day.  (see end of post)

I am also entering this card at The Male Room #45:  Leaves and or trees.

I am entering my last card at Simon Says Monday Challenge: Power Power and CAS on Sunday #93: Heat Embossing.

And, here is a picture that I realized that I never posted after Kim and Marybeth came over this summer for a day of crafting fun.  More talking and laughing than actual crafting....

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Birthday Gifts and Sympathy

I had so much fun playing with Cupcake Inspirations last week, I'm back again this week for Cupcake Inspirations Challenge #377.  

What is a party without a pile of gifts, right?  I took my inspiration from the colors of the balloons as well as the little banners in the upper left side of the photo.  As soon as I saw this card by Lizzie during the latest PTI release, I knew I had to have that pile of gifts stamp and knew I would make this card.

I am just sneaking in under the wire with a card for CAS Colours and Sketches #192.  I made a sympathy card to add to my stash.  I really liked the clean and spare design of this sketch.

I am also adding this card at Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes.

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