SPDMIU25 - For Unto Us

Time for the next SugarPea Designs Mix it Up Challenge! Here's the inspiration:



I used both the photo and the sketch as my inspiration this week.

I cut a circle and masked a triangle before sponging distress ink on the sky. I used Nativity Scape SugarCuts die and O Come Let Us Adore Him.

AJVD - Joy to the World

Another pair of  cards using the same stamps for my AJVD post today! Pop over and check them out!

CASology 226 - Candle

This week's CASology Cue Card is Candle!

One way to keep your cards very CAS is to let your sentiment be your focal point. By using a little WaffleFlower raindrop stamp (Rain Check) over the i in birthday, the simple MFT (Delicious Birthday) sentiment is transformed into something more.

Now it's your turn! Be sure to check out the rest of the DT blogs for more inspiration!

Deidre Payne

Hannelie Bester
Hazel Hodgkins
Jacquie Southas
Jen Wills
Joyce Mehrberg
Judy Marino
Kymona Tracey
Melissa Chipperfield
Sherrie Mannion
Tracey McNeely

and this week's Guest Designer: Rachel

FS512 - Joy

This week's Splitcoaststampers' Featured Stamper is Precious Kitty. Her gallery is full of amazing work and she is often a player in the weekly Featured Stamper challenge!

I chose this card as my inspiration:



I focused on Kitty's:
-leaf/floral theme
-general layout (sentiment in top right)

I changed:
-season (spring to Christmas)
-fewer layers
-fewer colours
-fewer embellishments

I used:
-MFT Pretty Posies
-MFT Hand Lettered Christmas
-Copics
-Stickles

MCV72 - Peace, Love, Joy

Anyone else running late this week? We didn't even have Thanksgiving (I'm Canadian), but somehow the week got away from me and I'm behind in my cardmaking. It could be the 80 family Christmas cards that I'm making for my friend to send (coming to my blog in December!)

Anyway, here's my card for this week's Muse: ChristmasVisions, where Cornelia has given us a tag as our inspiration:



I focused on Cornelia's:
-colours (blue and silver)
-theme
-tilt

I sponged a panel with Salty Ocean and Chipped Sapphire before splattering it with water. I cut the die from Stampin Up Silver Glimmer Paper and added little dots of the same paper.

I used:
-Stamplorations Peace Love Joy die

Muse 193 - Happy Birthday

Here's my one-layer take on this week's Muse Challenge, where Jenni gave us this sweet, fresh inspiration:

I focused on Jenni's:
-layout
-white focal point on green background with pink accents

I used:
-Papertrey Doodlie Do
-Papertrey Birthday Bash Sentiments
-

SPDMIU24 - Thanks!

The next SugarPea Designs Mix It Up Challenge has started! Here's the inspiration for this week:

This week, I focused on the photo. It seemed to have a strong sketch implied so I went with it. Love the strong colours and festive feeling. No stamps this week, just die cuts.

I used:
-Beautiful Bauble (this may be my new favourite holly die!)
-Coffee To Go Cup
-Birthday Journal Card
-Thanks

AJVD - Warm Wishes

Two more cards today for A Jillian Vance Design. Pop over for more details!

CASology 225, OLS33 - Peace on Earth

This week's CASology Cue Card is Soft!

I chose some soft colours and themes - soft greys, snow is softly falling and peace is soft, right?

I used an old A Muse Artstamps background stamp. Because the grey I used is so 'soft', the space around my MFT focal point-sentiment appears to be clear. (even more so in real life - I have a hard time photographing white cards! lol!)

I am also (finally) linking up with this month's One-Layer Simplicity Challenge - Peace be with You.

Now it's your turn. We can't wait to see what you come up with!

Deidre Payne

Hannelie Bester
Hazel Hodgkins
Jacquie Southas
Jen Wills
Joyce Mehrberg
Judy Marino
Kymona Tracey
Melissa Chipperfield
Sherrie Mannion
Tracey McNeely

and this week's Guest Designer: Nonni

FS511 - Joy

This week's Splitcoaststampers Featured Stamper is Patti (aka MommaPatti). I chose this card from her gallery as my inspiration:

I focused on Patti's:
-snowman theme
-joy theme
-snow background

I changed:
-colours (left out the blue)
-layout
-scale of snowman

This little snowman stamp has a white snowman on a coloured snowy sky. I loved the idea of him peeking through the red joy die and then echoing the snow with black polka-dot patterned paper.

I used:
-Stampin' Up Snowman
-Savvy Joy die

Muse 192 - So Amazing

This card is for this week's Muse challenge. It was inspired by Tracey's beautiful autumn card:

I focused on Tracey's:
-colours
-leaf theme

I dialled down the elegance and dialled up the graphic. I left out the gold and added some kraft. I used a Stamplorations stencil with distress inks and their Hashtag Authentic sentiment set.  I love how the negative part of the leaf looks like a bare tree!

At this time of year (my favourite!) I find myself thinking 'amazing' several times a day. I love to go for long walks and the colours of the leaves and sky really are amazing. We've been fortunate with the weather here - cool, crisp and lots of sun.

SPDMIU23 - Joy to the World

Welcome back! It's time for the next SugarPea Designs Mix it Up Challenge! Here's the graphic:

Once again, I attempted to combine both the sketch and the photo, by focusing on the greenery. I coloured the holly and berries with copics and a white gel pen. I love the font of the sentiment!

I used
-Beautiful Bauble (the stiched circle and the holly)
-Come Let Us Adore Him

AJVD - Shine Bright!

This week, I made a sparkly star-themed shaker card. Head over to the A Jillian Vance Design blog for more details!

CASology 224 - Sending Bear Hugs

This week's CASology Cue Card is Embrace!

I chose this new, adorable stamp from MFT Polar Pals, and paired it with a matched-up sentiment from older MFT sets (Birthday Bears, Essential Sentiments).

This layout - clean focal image over a centred sentiment - is a classic CAS layout  - it leaves plenty of clear space! Using a kraft card base helps the white focal image pop!

I hope you'll embrace this week's challenge and join us! We can't wait to see what you make! Be sure to check out the rest of the DT blogs for more inspiration:

Deidre Payne

Hannelie Bester
Hazel Hodgkins
Jacquie Southas
Jen Wills
Joyce Mehrberg
Judy Marino
Kymona Tracey
Melissa Chipperfield
Sherrie Mannion
Tracey McNeely

and this week's Guest Designer: Bobby

Nephew Birthdays

We all know masculine cards are difficult to make. Teen (and pre-teen) boys are (for me, at least) even harder! So I thought I'd show you a couple of ideas that I used this autumn for some of our nephews.

My first card uses MFT's new set Chill Wishes. Love the fun, punny sentiments and this super-cool penguin with his goggles. I coloured my goggles just like Keeway - so brilliant the way she captured the glare of reflective lenses! I used a Stampin Up Alphabet to personalize this one.

My second card uses SugarPea Designs Every Day is Christmas and Celebrate All the Things as well as an old Stampin Up starburst stamp. I love how the background gives so much energy to this card. The frog is attached with a wobbler, so he really dances!

Finally, the twins. These cards were made and sent just before the penguins arrived but you can see some continuity in my thinking. I used bold black and neon ombre inks to make these stand out. The Happy Birthday is from Essentials By Ellen's Sock Monkey set. The stars are from Winnie & Walter's Big Bang Confetti.

FS510 - Merry Christmas

Congratulations to this week's Splitcoaststampers' Featured Stamper: Jennifrann. I chose this fun card from her gallery:

I focused on:
-repeated, haphazard stamping
-colour scheme (mostly)
-layout (kind of)

I changed:
-theme to Christmas
-left out the yellow
-reduced layers and eliminated the band

I used:
-Memory Box Open Studio Scribble Christmas
-Mama Elephant Jingle Greetings

MCV70 - Merry Christmas

Here's my card for this week's Muse: ChristmasVisions challenge, where Chriss gave us this inspiration:

I focused on Chriss':
-use of patterned paper as a key element of the card
-gold die cut sentiment
-strip of gold at the bottom
-additional die cuts

I don't often allow patterned paper to take centre stage of my cards, but I was so taken with Chriss' geometric paper and how important a role it plays in the feeling of her card, that I decided to give it a try. I found this old marbled paper in my stash (I think from the Japanese paper shop) and I love how it has almost-Christmas tree shapes in the pattern.

I used:
-marbled paper from my stash (alas, I can not take credit for making this gorgeous background!)
-Stamplorations Merry Christmas
-MFT Chill WishesDies

Muse 191 - Happy birthday

Here's my card for this week's Muse Challenge, where Anita has given us a fun, retro-feeling inspiration:

This colour combination makes me think of the 80s. Loved the 80s! Great music, big hair, bright colours!

I focused on Anita's:
-cupcake, birthday theme
-colour combination
-layout

I used:
-old Michael's cupcake row stamp
-Clearly Besotted Many Mini Messages

25 Days of Christmas Tags - Day 10

I'm back with another tag for Day 10 of Tracey's 25 Days of Christmas Tags. This time, I'm playing with the SugarPea Designs Team.

I made a two-sided tag, so that I could fit this adorable elf as well as leaving space for some writing! I cut the Beautiful Bauble die once in silver glitter and once in a red patterned paper and glued them together.

I used:
-Merry Makers
-Beautiful Bauble
-Happy Holidays Patterned Paper Collection
-Copics

SPDMIU22 - You're Sweet

Time for a new Mix it Up Challenge at SugarPea Designs! Here's the inspiration:

I am missing one piece of the sketch, so let's call this one 'inspired by the photo with a nod to the sketch'. LOL!

I focused on the pretty pink roses.

I used:
-Funky Wreath: Spring Addition and matching dies
-Classroom Cupids
-

AJVD - Beauty of the Season

My turn to post at the A Jillian Vance Design blog today! Pop over for more details!

CASology 223: Team

This week's CASology Cue Card is Team.

I gave this one a lot of thought and actually made two cards (see below). Once you're married you are part of a team, so I made a simple Anniversary card. It's one layer, black and white, has lots of white space and a pop of colour for interest. This whimsical Lil' Inkers Designs set was perfect for this card!

My second card has a very famous team on it. I used two wooden stamps from Impress. My background was made using the Prima Marketing Confections watercolours. They are so fun and come in many vibrant colours! I kept this card CAS by using lots of clear space around my watercoloured focal point (remember, white space doesn't have to be white!)

Now it's your turn! Make sure to check out the rest of CASology's TEAM for more inspiration:

Deidre Payne

Hannelie Bester
Hazel Hodgkins
Jacquie Southas
Jen Wills
Joyce Mehrberg
Judy Marino
Kymona Tracey
Melissa Chipperfield
Sherrie Mannion
Tracey McNeely

and this week's Guest Designer: Sarah

FS509 - Merry

This week's Splitcoaststampers' Featured Stamper is Holly Brown  (aka hbrown). I chose this pretty card as my inspiration:

I focused on Holly's:
-upside down rainbow (started with blues at the top!)
-white sentiment
-white focal die cut
-bling

I changed:
-techniques - I blended distress inks and inlaid my dies
-season
-added a black mat layer for more contrast

I used:
-Papertrey Merry die
-Simon Says Stamp Abby snowflake die