Wonderful Moose--#tgifc288

 It's another designer take-over at TGIF Challenges this week.  These are really fun! This week's challenge by Stampin' Up! Artisan Team and TGIF Challenges design team member Tammy Wilson was especially fun for me.  The challenge is "Going in Circles".   Fun because I rarely do cards with a multitude of circles.

The first thing I thought of when I saw the challenge was plaids and the Merry Moose stamp set (#150494).  That's what I did:

For the background, I did two layers of Mint Macaron watercolor wash over two separate pieces of Shimmery White card stock.  One piece I die cut in circles using the smallest circle die in the Stitched Shapes dies (#152323). I  adhered those circles randomly over the second piece and then embossed the whole using the Subtle 3D embossing folder (#151775).

The three patterned circles were die cut using the three smallest circles in the Stitched Shapes dies and patterns from the 'Tis The Season designer series paper pack (#153489).  The moose was stamped in Shaded Spruce ink onto the same Real Red pattern as the second largest circle, then punched out using the Moose Punch (#150652). 

The greeting from Wrapped in Christmas stamp set (#153481) was stamped in Shaded Spruce onto Shimmery White card stock and die cut using the Stitched Rectangles dies (#151820). A few Wonderful Gems (#153536), a layer of Shaded Spruce card stock and a Whisper White Thick card base complete the card.  

You can tell the design team and challengers were really inspired by this challenge.  Check out all of the entries over at the TGIF Challenges Blog here.

Have a wonderful day!

--Sara Nell

Creation Station November Blog Hop--The Great Outdoors

 

Hello! Welcome to the November Creation Station Blog Hop.  We are a group of Stampin' Up! demonstrators from around the world who create and share projects with you each first Sunday of the month.  This month our theme is "The Great Outdoors" and we are creating with monochromatic color palettes.  If you landed here from Yvonne's blog, you've already seen some fantastic projects.   You are sure to find more great inspiration around our hop, so remember to click on the "Next" link at the bottom of each post to travel around and see each design team member's projects.

To me, there is nothing cuter in nature than a little chipmunk.  Lucky for me, chipmunks have their very own monochromatic color palette and I went with it:  Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede and Early Espresso.  The chipmunk image is from the Field Journal stamp set (#152609). It was stamped in Early Espresso ink onto Very Vanilla card stock, then colored with Crumb Cake (#154882) and Soft Suede (#154906) Stampin' Blends.  He  It was die cut with a Stitched Shapes circle die (#152323) and layered over an Early Espresso scalloped circle die cut using the Layering Circle dies (#151770).  The "Hello" is from the Free as a Bird stamp set (#149468).  Leaf shapes were die cut out of Soft Suede and Early Espresso card stock using the Forever Flourishing dies (#152714) and then layered under the chipmunk.

The plant image from the Field Journal stamp set was randomly stamped in Crumb Cake onto Crumb Cake  card stock for the top layer of the card.  It was spritzed lightly with water and embossed with the Tasteful Textile 3D embossing folder (#152718).  It is layered over Early Espresso card stock.  A double length of Linen Thread (#104199) tied around the layers and into a bow and a Crumb Cake card base complete the card.

I used the "Hello" greeting, so the card can be used for one of several different occasions or to mail out to a friend.  I made a coordinating tag with no greeting for the same reason: it may be tied to a birthday gift, a Christmas gift or a gift basket:

Many of the same elements used on the card were also used on the tag.  Instead of die cutting the leaves, the smaller leaves on the tag were punched out using the Sprig Punch (#148012).  The Scalloped Tag Topper Punch (#133324) was used to create the tag.  The Early Espresso tag bottom was punched from a 2" by 5-1/2" piece of card stock.  The stamped and embossed Crumb Cake piece was cut 1/8" smaller on both the height and width measurements so it could be layered over the Early Espresso layer as on the card.  A piece of Faux Suede Trim (#152472) was threaded through the tag top hole and tied with a double length of Linen Thread. 

Hope you enjoyed my monochromatic projects half as much as I enjoyed making them for you.  Now it's time to head over to my talented friend Denita's  blog for more inspiration.

To Denita's blog . . .

Have a great day!

--Sara Nell 

 

Trick or Treat!--#tgifc287

It's a theme challenge this week over at TGIF Challenges:  Trick or Treat.  for my card, I started with a couple of my unused paper patterns from the Magic in This Night designer series paper pack (#153517).   Then I added some bats, some glitter and some Iridescent Pearls (#153549) to the mix to complete my card:

 

The bats and and Pretty Peacock label were die cut using the Halloween Magic dies (#153565).  The bats and a layer on the card are Black Glitter Paper (#153518).  The greeting layer was die cut using a Stitched Rectangle die (#148551).

The greeting is from the Festive Corners stamp set (#153462).  It was stamped in Versamark and heat embossed with White Stampin' Emboss Powder.

There are some really fun Trick or Treat projects over on the TGIF Challenges blog.  Check them out here.

Have a spooky Halloween!

--Sara Nell 

Warm Wishes--#tgifc286

The TGIF Challenges team has an inspiration challenge for us this week.  Inspiration challenges are fun because you can take any element of the inspiration piece out and focus on that element for your project--or you can focus on two elements or three or the piece as a whole.  I pulled out two pieces of the inspiration piece for my project today:  the wood grain background and the circle motif:

My idea was to create a wreath hanging from the side of a doorway entrance into a house.  I wanted to use this wood siding photographic paper from the In Good Taste designer series paper pack (#152494)--so I couldn't put my wreath on a door!!!  I layered the paper on Gray Granite card stock with a Gray Granite card base--house colors! To soften the "siding" a bit, I lightly sponged Whisper White craft ink over the paper.

 

For my circle element, the wreath, I used a Gold Hoop Embellishment (#152474).  I got these early in the new annual catalog year but have shied away from using them.  I wasn't sure how to attach things to them.  Turns out--it was easy.  I used a thin stream of Multipurpose Liquid Glue along the back of the curved leaf element (from Forever Flourishes Dies (#152714), die cut in Garden Green), carefully layered it over the metal hoop and let it dry.  Then I continued to layer the other pieces on using Multipurpose Liquid Glue for the gold balls [die cut out of Brushed Metallic card stock (#153524) using the Poinsettia Dies (#153522)].  I used Stampin' Dimensionals to adhere the two Real Red Poinsettias.  They were die cut using the Poinsettia dies, then two were layered together and centered with Gold Glitter enamel dots (#152155).  The wreath was attached to the card front using glue dots, adhered under the foliage.  I looped a piece of Gray Granite shimmer ribbon (#152463) around the hoop to "hang" the wreath.

The greeting is from Poinsettia Petals stamp set (#153475).  It was stamped in Early Espresso on to a 5/8" x 3" piece of  Real Red card stock.  I punched the fish tail ends using the Banners Pick a Punch (#153608).  I used my bone folder to create a bit of a wave in the banner, then attached it with one dimensional on one end and two stacked dimensionals on the other end. 

See how others were inspired by this piece over at the TGIF Challenges blog here.

Thanks for stopping by!

--Sara Nell 

Simply Thankful for Autumn--#tgifc285

 A little Autumn weather finally came our way last week with some clear, crisp mornings and beautiful afternoons.  It's a little warm now--but the leaves are falling! This hint of Autumn was the inspiration for my entry in the TGIF Challenges sketch challenge this week:

The first layer is a piece of Gilded Autumn specialty designer series paper (#153520) adhered to a 5-1/2" x 4-1/4" Very Vanilla Thick card stock base.  Next is a band layer created with Cajun Craze card stock embossed with the Tin Tile 3D embossing folder (#151801).  A piece of Mint Macaron basket weave ribbon (#153553, combo pack) was adhered to the top and bottom of this piece with 

Seal+ adhesive.  Next is a layer of leaves stamped in Cajun Craze and Mint Macaron inks on Vary Vanilla card stock.  The images are from the Forever Fern stamp set and were die cut using the coordinating Forever Flourishing dies (Bundle at 10% off, #154094).  These two leaf images are very similar to the images in the designer series paper.

The circle layer was die cut out of another pattern in the Gilded Autumn specialty designer series paper pack using a Stitched Shapes die (#152323). The greeting from the Country Home stamp set (#147678) was stamped in Cajun Craze on Very Vanilla card stock and die cut using a Stitched Rectangles die (#151820).

Check out all the inspired creations using this sketch over at the TGIF Challenges blog here.

Have a great day--and enjoy this beautiful weather!

--Sara Nell

  

Happy Haunting--#tgifc284

This week's TGIF Challenges color challenge is Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie and Rich Razzleberry.  Sounds like a Halloween color combo, doesn't it?  I've been making a lot of Halloween projects lately, so I thought I'd make something different.  Nope, couldn't do it.  My mind couldn't turn off the Halloween ideas, so I just went where my brain took me:  another Halloween card!

I've made a simple layered card for you today:

The greeting is from the Celebration tidings stamp set (#153456).  It was stamped on a 1" wide piece of Basic Black card stock using VersaMark ink (#102283), and heat embossed with White Stampin' Emboss Powder (#109132) using the Heat Tool (#129053).  The ends of the piece were punched with the Banners Pick a Punch (#153608).  The greeting piece is layered over a piece of Magic in This Night designer series paper, die cut using the Stitched Rectangles Dies (#151820).  The paper is decorated with a spider stamped in Blackberry Bliss on Rich Razzleberry card stock, then die cut (Hallows Night Magic Bundle, #155188).

 

The Pumpkin Pie layer is a partial frame created with an Ornate Layers dies (#152726).  The Basic Black layer was embossed with the Cobwebs 3D Embossing Folder (#153578).  Before placing the card stock in the folder, Whisper White Craft ink (#147277) was brayered onto the lifted side of the inside design.  This helped the cobweb design stand out in the background. 

A Pumpkin Pie card base and some Pumpkin Pie rhinestones from the Holiday Rhinestone Basic Jewels pack (#150457) complete the card.

Several of the designers came up with some pretty amazing non-Halloween cards for this challenge.  Check them out over at the TGIF Challenges Blog here.

  

Hope you are having a great October.   We are having absolutely beautiful weather here in Georgia right now: cool, crisp mornings and sunny mild days.

--Sara Nell

 

October Creation Station Blog Hop--Whatever You Wannabe Stampin'

 

Hello and Welcome to the Creation Station October Blog Hop!  I'm so glad you have landed here.  Our theme this month is "Whatever You Wannabe Stampin'" and we are each being inspired by one of the five Spice Girls. This is a fun hop so you'll not want to miss any of the design team's blogs.  Just click on the Next Button at the bottom of each post to hop around to each one.

I have to admit than I am of an age that doesn't know a lot about the Spice Girls. I don't know any of their songs, but I do know that one is married to David Beckham, the soccer player and friend of Gordon Ramsey, and that one was on Dancing with the Stars one season.  I also know all of the Spice Girl names courtesy of our fearless team leader, Elizabeth Price:  Ginger, Posh, Baby, Sporty and Scary.  So, which one did I pick?  It's October.  I picked Scary:

I used the Magic in this Night suite to create this Scary Spice banner with bats and spiders and spooky designer series paper. I pulled out  the Basic Black and Pretty Peacock papers from the Magic in this Night designer series paper pack (#153517).  The banner flags were made with the two frame dies in the Halloween Magic dies (#153565).    The bats on the end flags and the web medallion on the center flag were die and fussy cut from two designer series paper patterns.  They were each adhered to Pretty Peacock card stock and then fussy cut to create a slight Pretty Peacock edge.

  

The spider image and "Happy Halloween" image are from the Hallows Night Magic stamp set (#153356/bundled with the dies at 10% off, #155188).  The spiders were stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento ink, die cut and then mounted on a web created by wrapping the 1-1/2" Silver Metallic Mesh ribbon around the flag.  The greeting was stamped in VersaMark, heat embossed with White Stampin' Emboss Powder, and die cut with an Ornate Layers die (#152726).

Iridescent pearls (#153549) decorate each of the flags.  The flags were strung together with Black Glittered Organdy ribbon (#147897) to form the banner.

This banner is headed out to my grandson for Halloween, but a banner without candy is not a good idea.  So, I decorated one of the Rectangle Tins (#153519) to coordinate with the banner:

I used the same elements from the banner and adhered them to a belly band made with the dark bats designer series paper pattern and metallic mesh ribbon.  The greeting on this tin was die cut using a die from Tasteful Labels dies (#152886).  

Let's head on over to Mikaela's blog to find out which Spice Girl inspired her:

To Mikaela's Blog . . . 

Have a wonderful and spooky October! Sorry, Scary Spice, not wishing anyone a scary one!

--Sara Nell