A Merry Christmas Thank You...

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Christmas is literally just around the corner and the gifts are piling up in our tiny apartment! This means I have a ton of thank yous to send out and this week's Color Throwdown is another great reason to get another done to show just how much we appreciate the wonderful presents nestled under the tree. I also thought this would make a great second card for this week's Pals Paper Arts Winter Wonderland challenge as well!
For this card, I chose to marry traditional with the Throwdown's not-so-traditional color combination. The Cool Caribbean (in my case, Soft Sky, as CC was a bit before I started stamping) was the little modern flair here. The large oval background was created with a stencil and some Always Artichoke ink and a sponge dauber. It's difficult to see in the photo, but I sprayed some Glimmer Mist over the sponged image, too. This lovely bird image was stamped twice, with the popped-up image water-colored in Real Red and I added some Stickle berries and some Liquid Pearls along the scalloped frame. I combined two sentiments from Teeny Tiny Wishes and "hung" it to wrap up my Christmas thanks.
BEAN NOTES: Stampin' Up Teeny Tiny Wishes and Inkadinkado Birds Galore Stamps; SU Real Red, Always Artichoke, and Kiwi Kiss Classic Dye Ink; SU Soft Sky, Real Red, Kiwi Kiss, and Very Vanilla Cardstock; Spellbinders Flourish Impressabilties Stencil, Spellbinders Long Oval and Petite Oval Nestabilities; Quickutz Stripes Embossing Folder; Big Shot; Foam Dimensional Squares (generic); Basic Gray Ribbon HAPPY BEANS: Gold Liquid Pearls; Ranger Christmas Red Stickles; Red Embroidery Thread (generic)

A Very Merry Christmas...

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This week's Pals Paper Arts Challenge theme is Winter Wonderland. To me, winter pretty much means hot cocoa wit a tower of whipped cream, cookies for Santa, and Christmas! In all the hustle and bustle of preparing for the holidays, I completely forgot to make a special Christmas card for my wonderful husband. He's a selfless, generous, and amazing husband and father, and his favorite part of his day is getting to spend time with our son.
For this year's card, I decided to make a photo card starring our little rugrat. He just got his very own little Christmas tree and loves to look at the lights and take the ornaments off just to put them back on. I took this photo of him peeking out from behind the tree, and I thought it would put a smile on Daddy's face. Sometimes when I make cards I forget that some of the best material I have is what means the most to me.
Here I created an easy photo frame by first stamping on a solid piece of Real Red cardstock with Whisper White Craft Ink. After heat setting, I carefully cut around the tree image and around the cardstock to leave an opening for my photo. Out came the rub-ons, which are great for adding sentiments to photos. The "ribbon" treatment is actually three 1/18" strips of cardstock threaded through in two different directions. A few Stickles and a gold-star topper later, my special card was all done, and I hope hubby likes it!
BEAN NOTES: (Unless otherwise noted, all materials are Stampin' Up) Patterned Pines Stamps; Chit Chat Rub-Ons; Whisper White Craft Ink; Encore! Gold Stamp Pad; Real Red, Glorious Green, and Whisper White Cardstock; Ranger Christmas Red and Lemon Lime Stickles; Gold Liquid Pearls
HAPPY BEANS: Photograph; Hobby Blade; Fiskars Leave It To Weaver Border Punch

Sincere, Heartfelt Thanks...

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This was the second of my submissions for the Guest Star Stamper Challenge for December. The category was "Best Use of Leaves Project" and I decided to create another Thank You card to give to someone after the holidays. Our very loving and generous family members have sent us mountains of packages already, so I thought this was a grand opportunity to get some thank you's going.
For this card, I stamped my large leaf image in Basic Black Craft Ink and heat set it. Because I wanted the card to still have a festive flavor, I over-stamped the image a second time with Ruby Red Craft Ink. Next, I created a mask and stamped over that with my text image and some Encore! Gold ink. After I removed the mask, I outlined each leaf in gold pearl, which I thought would give the card an elegant look. The ribbon treatment was created with a few slits in my cardstock and some satin ribbon, and I think the "sincere" sentiment says it all!
BEAN NOTES: Papertrey Ink Turning a New Leaf, Text Style, and Big & Bold Wishes Stamps; Stampin' Up Basic Black and Ruby Red Craft Ink; Encore! Gold Ink Stamp Pad; PTI Ripe Avocado and Spring Moss Cardstock; SU Very Vanilla Cardstock; Kate's Paperie Red Satin Ribbon; Foam Dimensional Squares (generic) HAPPY BEANS: Gold Liquid Pearls; Hobby Blade

Countdown on the Avenue...

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I decided to be ambitious this month for Nichole Heady's Guest Star Stamper Challenge and make something that I hope can become something of an heirloom keepsake. I have always loved advent calendars and have wanted to create my own for quite some time. After many starts and stops (and a few little tears!) I finally finished and I was pleased with how it turned out.
We recently moved to Manhattan, and, though the skyscrapers are breathtaking, it's the older, lovely brownstones that speak to me. For my project, I was inspired by these beautiful buildings. First I chose my colors, which was a combination of black, red, green, and light blue. For my masonry, I printed a brick background using my computer and an inkjet printer.


Next, I stamped and embossed all the windows on heavy vellum, cutting each one out and then gluing on paper-pieced shutters and then adhering each to a piece of vanilla cardstock (some with pretty curtains!) for a lighted glow. As a wintry touch, I sprinkled a bit of Fun Flock on the rooftops and the sill of each window.


To add some holiday festive flavor, I made pine branch swags to decorate my embossed vellum lamps, with a few Stickle-berries thrown in.


For my doors, I stamped onto colored cardstock and carefully painted each doorknob with Shimmer Paint (the knobs are so tiny I had to use a needle!) For my sweet wreath, I again used a pine branch punch and trimmed them down, layering around a circle and adding more berries. A shimmery outlined ribbon punch spruced up my blue door, and I made a tiny door hang with the letters J-O-Y stamped on tiny pieces of cardstock with an itty-bitty nail for good measure.

Assembling the houses took quite some time, as I had to make up my own template. Each window/door opens into a little box inside the houses, and each frame had to be hand cut into the walls with a hobby blade. The countdown numbers were printed on the computer in an elegant script and hole-punched into circles.

(The teeny window on top of the green house is just large enough for a plump jelly bean!)

I used a cornice punch for my rooftop, layering in the same textured cardstock as used in the large masonry behind each door on the first floor.

I then added a "wrought-iron" fence to each house and then attached all three houses to a base. The finished advent calendar is approximately 9-1/2" tall x 13-1/4" wide.


Now, since December is already well underway, we'll enjoy this calendar without any treats inside it this year (the above chocolates were for display, and I'm pretty sure my husband has already eaten them!) - but we'll be filling it with yummy goodies in the next!
BEAN NOTES: Papertrey Ink Home Made and Simple Alphabet Stamps; Stampin' Up Basic Black Craft Ink; SU Riding Hood Red, Wild Wasabi, and Baja Breeze Classic Dye Ink; PTI Stamper's Select Vellum Cardstock; DVWV Dark Gray Textured Cardstock; SU Riding Hood Red, Basic Black, Baja Breeze, Wild Wasabi, and Very Vanilla Cardstock; Martha Stewart Pine Branch, Cornice, Picket Fence, and Ribbon Bow Punches; 1/16" and 1/4" Hole Punches (generic); Hobby Blade; Computer and Inkjet Printer; Black Embossing Powder (generic); Foam Dimensional Squares (generic); Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll Pen
HAPPY BEANS: Scor-Pal; SU Silver Shimmer Paint; Needle, Ranger Christmas Red Stickles, Fun Flock, SU 2-Way Glue

Joy & Peace...

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Christmas is really in the air and this week's Moxie Fab World Challenge honors all the Creatures Great & Small that venture out onto our creative projects during the holiday season. For my project, I decided to make an ornament featuring a tiny dove, a symbol of peace and joy.
I don't usually put step-by-step instructions, but I thought some of my readers might find it interesting to see just how simple this ornament was to create.
1. First I stamped the wonderful star image three times and cut out the holes with a die cut and my Big Shot. I also hole-punched the ribbon hole as well.
2. Next, I scored all three stars straight down the middle of each for easier folding. I then set those aside and created my dove.
3. The little avian was modeled after Stampin' Up's Birds & Blooms Sizzix die, which was a bit too big for my star. I drew my own template for the body and wings, then used a tiny hole punch for the eye.
4. Using some white embroidery thread, I attached the dove and then fastened the thread to the star.
5. The "Joy" tag was simply stamped with the sentiment with craft ink and weighted down (a dime turned out to be the perfect size and weight!)
6. For the bow at the top, I fashioned one from ribbon and glued on two little red buttons to bring it all together.
BEAN NOTES: Waltzing Mouse Seasons of Love Stamps; Stampin' Up Riding Hood Red Classic Dye Ink; SU Whisper White Craft Ink; SU Whisper White and Riding Hood Red Cardstock; Spellbinders Classic Circle Nestabilities; 1/4" and 1/16" Hole Punches (generic); Paper Shapers 1-1/4" Circle Punch; White Taffeta Ribbon (generic); Embroidery Thread (generic); Red Buttons (generic); Hero Arts Gemstones; Scor-Pal
HAPPY BEANS: a Dime

A December Birthday...

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My wonderful Dad-in-Law has a birthday a couple days before Christmas. As a boy, he always received the "Happy Birthday/Merry Christmas" presents, which isn't nearly as fun as birthdays far away from the most celebrated birthday of all! Fear not, he'll be getting his own special dinner and birthday gifts, including this card I made for him. I decided to combine two challenges this week: Mojo Monday and Color Throwdown. Interestingly, the colors for this week's Throwdown were very Christmas-y. So, despite our efforts to keep the two special days separate, this card combines both the Christmas festive spirit with some hearty birthday wishes!
I made use of some fun designer paper for the background using this creative Mojo sketch. For some added texture, I ran some cardstock through my Big Shot with embossing folders. I also paper pieced this cute little cupcake, adding some "sprinkles" along the way. A simple sentiment, a pretty ribbon, and lots of good wishes later, I had a finished card for a very special Dad.
BEAN NOTES: Stampin' Up Sincere Salutations Stamp; Jolly by Golly and DCWV Ultimate Christmas Stack Designer Paper; SU Riding Hood Red, Soft Sky, Pixie Pink, Soft Sky, and Sahara Sand Classic Dye Ink; SU Wild Wasabi, Riding Hood Red, Soft Sky, Whisper White, and Pretty in Pink Cardstock; Cuttlebug Snowflakes and Quickutz Small Dots Embossing Folders; Big Shot; Foam Dimensional Squares (generic); Mini Brads (generic) HAPPY BEANS: Sakura Yellow Star and Pink Star Gelly Roll Pens

Christmas Thanks...

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It's a Pals Paper Arts Inspiration Challenge and despite my terrible time crunch today, I decided to whip up a thank you card for the wonderful gifts and good-wishes we will be getting this year. The awesome design team at PPA unearthed this lovely image as this week's inspiration and I chose to use the colors in my card.
Okay, so I'm completely addicted to Rub-ons, especially the Chit Chat set from Stampin' Up. For this card, I actually selected words from two different sentiments, one in Chocolate Chip and the other in Whisper White. It's a great way to say what you want without a lot of hassle! I created my snowy park scene with a self-made stencil, a sponge dauber, and some craft ink. I wanted a very soft look, so I used only craft ink, and I was pleased with the effect.
BEAN NOTES: (Unless otherwise noted, all materials are Stampin' Up) Pendant Park Stamps; Chit Chat Rub-Ons; Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, and Very Vanilla Craft Ink; Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, and Riding Hood Red Cardstock; Kate's Paperie Olive Organza Ribbon
HAPPY BEANS: Sponge Dauber

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...A Winter Hop!

Welcome to the third 2009 Holiday Hop! A group of talented Stampin' Up! Demonstrators are ready to show off their paper crafting skills with inspirational ideas using Stampin' Up! products for the upcoming Christmas/Winter holiday season.

For today's Hop project, I wanted to make something other than a card, but I didn't have a whole lot of time. There are a lot of heavy readers in our family, so I thought a nice little treat might be a handmade bookmark. These were quick and easy, and could certainly be embellished in any number of ways.

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First, I found some tags (picked up at any local craft store) and used a border punch along the bottom. Then, I stamped this wonderful snowflake image from Stampin' Up's Patterned Pines set in the color of my choice (for these three I chose Sage Shadow, Ruby Red, and Dusty Durango) in a random pattern to create a pretty background. I then used a sponge dauber along the edges and added a strip of matching cardstock. With a Stampin' Write marker, I colored each hole-punch reinforcement to match as well. Next, I stamped three of the terrific images from Christmas Punch to on colored cardstock in Whisper White to create my dangling bookmark charms. A cute snowflake from the same set and a little ribbon later and I'm all done!

BEAN NOTES: (Unless otherwise noted, all materials are Stampin' Up) Christmas Punch and Patterned Pines Stamps; Whisper White Craft Ink; Ruby Red, Sage Shadow, and Dusty Durango Classic Dye Ink; Ruby Red, Sage Shadow, and Dusty Durango Cardstock; Stampin' Write Markers (Ruby Red, Sage Shadow, and Dusty Durango); Grosgrain Ribbon; Wide Oval,Curly Label, and Scallop Oval Punches; Fiskars Scallop Punch HAPPY BEANS: Tags (generic)

**To order these or any other current Stampin' Up products, please email me HERE.

HOLIDAY HOP LINE-UP

Click on any of the sites listed below to start hopping! We're thrilled to have you visit and excited to hear what you think of our hop. Feel free to leave as many comments as you'd like along the way...

1. Kris Kilcoyne (Kween Bee Kreations)

2. Carla Bazhenow (Carla's Scraps)

3. Linda Callahan (Stampin' Seasons)

4. Melanie Collins (Oops a Daisy)

5. Mary Fish (Stampin' Pretty)

6. Tricia Gillam (Soul Stamper)

7. Jill Gregory (Stamping Heart)

8. Kim Lampone (Stamp, Scrap, Get Kreative)

9. Kalshelia Lloyd (Stampin' Fabulousity)

10. Regina Mangum (The Stampin' Bean)

11. Margaret Moody (Margaret Moody)

12. Debbie Pierce (Stampin' Sunshine)

13. Ann Schach (The Stampin' Schach)

14. Gina Shaw (Cards by Gina)

15. Lourdes Torres (Cozy Crafty Corner)

If you've hopped over from the fabulous Kalshelia's Stampin' Fabulosity, I'm stop #10. Now head on over to the inimitable Margaret Moody and check out her wonderful Hop project. Thanks for stopping by!

Five for Thanks...

My post title today is ambitious: I'm assuming that I will actually be making five projects before the weekend is out. Let's stay positive and say that this will definitely be happening. The inimitable Julee Tilman put out five Thank You/Gratitude challenges on Black Friday and was nice enough to give us the weekend to complete them. I'm adding my completed projects to this post as they get completed, so please check back today and tomorrow to see if I managed to do them all!
You can scroll down to view details of each project, or click the links below to view each one.

VSNOV09A * VSNOV09B * VSNOV09C * VSNOV09D * VSNOV09E

Color Challenge - VSNOV09A

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First up was a color challenge using Turquoise, Olive, Black and White. I'm out of Old Olive so substituted Kiwi Kiss. No sketch to work off of for this one, so I did a simple card, creating background paper with a stamp and an embossing folder. For just a little extra touch, I sponged the edges of all my elements to give it a smoky look.
BEAN NOTES: Verve Grateful Elegance and Waltzing Mouse Vintage Labels No. 1 Stamps; Stampin' Up Basic Black, Tempting Turquoise, and Kiwi Kiss Classic Dye Ink; SU Whisper White, Basic Black, Tempting Turquoise, and Kiwi Kiss Cardstock; Cuttlebug Moroccan Screen Embossing Folder; Big Shot; White Grosgrain Ribbon (generic); Black Brads (generic); Foam Dimensional Squares (generic) HAPPY BEANS: Sponge Dauber

Sketch - VSNOV09B

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My second card turned out to be quick and easy due to the fun sketch provided by a few of Julee's fabulous design team members. I substituted these pretty leaf images for the rectangles and went for my favorite color combo (which would be any kind of blue and brown!) I used a Stampin' Up rub-on for my sentiment (which sometimes feels like cheating, but they are SO convenient) and finished off with a little white gel pen.
BEAN NOTES: Papertrey Ink Turning a New Leaf Stamp; Stampin' Up Chit Chat Rub Ons; Making Memories Chloe's Closet Designer Paper; SU Baja Breeze, Whisper White, and Chocolate Chip Cardstock; Blue/Green Brads (generic); White Signo Uni-ball Gel Pen
HAPPY BEANS: Crop-A-Dile Chomper

Embellishments - VSNOV09C

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This challenge was, well, challenging as we had to create something using a combination of embellishments that started with a particular letter, in this case V-E-R-V-E. Alas, I wasn't able to use all of the letters, as I didn't have a second "V." What I did have was "V-ellum," "E-mbossing," "R-ibbon," and "Eco-Friendly," (as in re-cycled paper and ribbon from another card!) I tried embossing on vellum for the first time and was quite pleased with the results. Here I used Basic Black and black embossing powder, which gave my blossom an interesting slick effect. I created my own designer paper with the same stamp for a cohesive look.
BEAN NOTES: Stampin' Up Fifth Avenue Floral and Papertrey Ink Big & Bold Wishes Stamps; Vellum (generic); SU Kiwi Kiss, Perfect Plum, and Basic Black Classic Dye Ink; SU Whisper White Craft Ink; Copic Sketch Markers; SU Stampin' Write Markers (Old Olive and Kiwi Kiss); SU Whisper White and Old Olive Cardstock; Eggplant Textured Cardstock (generic); Paper Shapers 1-3/4" Circle Punch; White Organza Ribbon (generic) HAPPY BEANS: SU Basic Black Craft Ink; Black Embossing Powder (generic); Microbeads (generic)

Mini Pizza Box - VSNOV09D

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So, it looks like I might be able to pull off all 5 challenges, as I just completed number 4, but I shouldn't count my chickies... I know that this was a "thankful" set of challenges, but I really needed to make a gift box for my lovely sister-in-law, and this wonderful mini pizza box tutorial from Jen del Muro had me hard at work on one for Christmas. For this project, I relied mostly on paper, cutting out images from designer paper and zipping cardstock through my Big Shot.
BEAN NOTES: Taylored Expressions Holiday Wonder Stamp; Stampin' Up Melon Mambo Classic Dye Ink; Jolly by Golly Designer Paper; SU Melon Mambo Designer Series Paper; SU Soft Sky, Regal Rose, Whisper White, and Old Olive Cardstock; Foam Dimensional Squares (generic); Signo White Uni-ball Gel Pen; White Grosgrain Ribbon (generic)
HAPPY BEANS: Tim Holtz Faded Jeans Distress Stickles

Gift Card Holder - VSNOV09E

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Yay! I finished up my fifth project just as Sunday wound to a close. The fifth challenge was to create a gift card holder and Julee's team provided some great tutorials. I especially liked this pop-up gift card tutorial and thought I'd make my own version. This is a super quick little way to really make a gift card special. For mine, I chose to stick to white and turquoise for a clean and simple look. I made use of a snowflake punch (using both the positive and negative) to decorate both outside and in. A bit of scoring and a gemstone finished off my sweet little card holder.
BEAN NOTES: Papertrey Ink Holiday Button Bits Stamp; Stampin' Up Basic Gray and Tempting Turquoise Classic Dye Ink; SU Whisper White and Tempting Turquoise Cardstock; Martha Stewart Snowflake and Simple Scallop Punches; Scor-Pal; SU Word Window and w-1/4" Circle; White Grosgrain Ribbon (generic); Punches
HAPPY BEANS: Clear Gemstone (generic)

Sending You...

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I've enjoyed participating in the Color Throwdown of late, so I thought I'd make one last card before the Thanksgiving festivities begin. I like the big bold colors for this week's challenge, and so I wanted to pair them with a big and bold card. For this one, I decided to let the sentiment remain the focal point. I wanted a very even coverage of ink, so I stamped a polka-dot background with Stampin' Up Craft pigment ink (Bean Tip: If your ink looks light or off-color, just heat set for a quick dry and you'll be left with vibrant, rich color.) I added a little lacy canopy and used two different ribbons tied together to add a little bit of "oomf" to my otherwise simple card. To help keep the ribbons together, I used the "stay-put" ribbon technique (see sidebar for a tutorial).
BEAN NOTES: Papertrey Ink Big & Bold Wishes and Polka Dot Basics II Stamps; Stampin' Up Elegant Eggplant Craft Ink; SU Old Olive, Dusty Durango, and Very Vanilla Cardstock; Eggplant Textured Cardstock (generic); Clear Gemstones (generic); Martha Stewart Lace Border Punch; Foam Dimensional Squares (generic)
HAPPY BEANS: Kate's Paperie Light Green Organza and Purple Satin Ribbon

A Joyful Season...

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I was having a bluesy Tuesday, so I thought I'd perk up a little with one of the card sketches over at 2 Sketches 4 You. (Nothing like creating to make some sunshine!) This week's is from the very talented Kazan and I chose to make a Christmas card to add to my growing stash. For some reason, I hemmed and hawed over this sketch until, finally, the elements came together for what I hope is a bright, pretty card.
First, I disassembled the various parts of the "JOY" image and paper-pieced the sweet bird, holly, and ribbon, adding a little bling and flock for good measure. For the sentiment, I used markers to highlight the scripted words, a technique I just love for it's subtle bit of something special. Finally, I added a big, happy satin bow and a single red button to finish off this festive card. Now I have a smile on my face!
BEAN NOTES: Taylored Expressions Wings of Joy Stamps; Memento Tuxedo Black Ink; Stampin' Write Markers (Real Red, Brocade Blue, and Old Olive); Memento Tuxedo Black Marker; Stampin' Up Riding Hood Red Classic Dye Ink; Jolly by Golly Designer Paper; SU Whisper White, Baja Breeze, Real Red, and Old Olive Cardstock; Quickutz Large Polka Dots Embossing Folder; Big Shot; Red Button (generic); Paper Shapers 1-3/4" Circle and 2" Scalloped Circle Punches; Clear Gemstones (generic); White Fun Flock; Ranger Diamond and Christmas Red Stickles; Signo Uni-ball Gel Pen; EK Success Dotted Scallop Punch; Foam Dimensional Squares (generic) HAPPY BEANS: Kate's Paperie Red No. 53 Satin Ribbon; Crop-A-Dile Chomper Corner Rounder

Classic Navy for All Occasions...

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I know that with the holidays coming up, I will need to have many thank you cards on-hand. This week's Mojo Monday sketch presented a perfect opportunity to get going on those, and I really loved the sketch because I thought it would make for a quick card (I wasn't disappointed as this one took about a half hour). For this card, I stamped my background stamp with white craft ink on navy cardstock, using a heat tool to speed up the drying process. The lovely butteryfly/bloom image looked nice and crisp stamped in Night of Navy ink on white paper, and I didn't want to detract from that with anything else. I popped up the top element to add a little dimension and finished off with a simple bow. I chose not to add an additional sentiment as I felt this card would be appropriate for many occasions...not just as a thank you!
BEAN NOTES: (Unless otherwise noted, all materials are Stampin' Up) Verites terrestres and Tres Chic Stamps; Whisper White Craft Ink; Night of Navy Classic Dye Ink; Bordering Blue, Night of Navy, and Whisper White Cardstock; Kate's Paperie Silver No. 28 Grosgrain Ribbon; Foam Dimensional Squares (generic)
HAPPY BEANS: Martha Stewart Cornice Punch

Warm Winter Wishes...

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I haven't had a chance to do the Color Throwdown in a while, and I thought I'd give it a whirl today. I chose not to use the optional Olive, but instead stuck with the chocolate, cream, and dark red. For this clean and simple card, I created a little nest for my cute red winter chick, complete with Stickle berries. The sentiment is embossed in clear embossing powder and Real Red Craft Ink. For some dimension and interest, I ran my Close to Cocoa paper through the Big Shot with this nice stripey embossing folder.
HAPPY BEANS: Papertrey Ink Holiday Button Bits Stamp; Stampin' Up Real Red Craft Ink; Clear Filigree Embossing Powder; SU Very Vanilla, Riding Hood Red, and Close to Cocoa Cardstock; Quickutz Stripes Embossing Folder; Big Shot; SU Birds and Blooms Sizzlit Die
HAPPY BEANS: Martha Stewart Branches Punch; Ranger Christmas Red Stickles

I just wanted to remind you that December 1 marks the third installment of the Holiday Hop! The theme is Christmas/Winter, and it's sure to be a day filled with wonderful ideas and inspiration. Thanks for visiting!

Bobbing For Apples...

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Margaret Moody has come up with another fabulous sketch for the Pals Paper Arts Challenge. I got out my square punch and punched out four apples from this darling Stampin' Up designer paper. For my background, I thought I'd make my own designer paper with the matching apple stamp. Using a marker, I colored in the little seeds on the punched apples for a little contrast. I thought the green apple could speak for itself, so I left the rest of the card clean and simple.
BEAN NOTES: (Unless otherwise noted, all materials are Stampin' Up) Tart & Tangy and Designer Label Punch Stamps; Real Red Classic Dye Ink; Summer Picnic Designer Series Paper; Old Olive, Basic Black, and Whisper White Cardstock; 1-1/8" and 1-1/4" Square Punches; Foam Dimensional Squares (generic) HAPPY BEANS: Stampin' Write Marker (Black)

The Toast of the Town...

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I'm (finally!) done with my Thanksgiving cards, so it's time to replenish my cache of celebratory cards. Today I felt like doing some coloring and waded through my stash for a good image. For this card, I eventually chose these two cute little mice and colored them in with markers. For some added dimension, I double-stamped the image and popped out just the foreground. This week's Mojo Sketch is nice and easy, and I created my "toasty" sentiment on my computer before adding a little red button. Aren't these little critters sweet?
BEAN NOTES: Penny Black Micey Day Clear Stamp; Stampin' Up Basic Black Classic Dye Ink; SU Stampin' Write Markers (Real Red, Basic Gray, Bordering Blue, Sahara Sand, Creamy Caramel, Pretty in Pink, So Saffron, Blush Blossom); DCWV All-Occasion Designer Paper; SU Riding Hood Red, Ballet Blue, So Saffron, and Whisper White Cardstock; Cuttlebug Herringbone Embossing Folder; Big Shot; SU So Saffron Grosgrain Ribbon; Red Eyelets (generic); Crop-A-Dile; Foam Dimensional Squares; Red Button (generic) HAPPY BEANS: Computer; Printer