ODBDSLC221 Sketch Challenge and Craftin Desert Divas' Linky Party #46

     Oh, dear!  Computer problems all weekend.  The repairman is supposed to be back in the morning.  So depending on what time zone we're  talking about, I may or may not have done this in time for the Our Daily Bread Designs challenge.  I'll keep trying and hoping everything works.
     Love this sketch.    I took the challenge at Craftin Desert Divas Linky Party and did it in Blue & White, my first time playing there. A two-fer!
     I used a stamp from ODBD's Flourished Verses.  Love it!  The papers are all shared to my scrap box from a friend's scrap box.  I like that, too!  It's before 7 p.m. here on the Pacific Coast.  Will I make it?  Gotta run!  Thanks for looking!

PCC's Magazine Monday, #82, and my 'New" Christmas Tree

     So glad to be back into the more normal swing of things.  I've missed PaperCrafter's Corner's weekly challenge and am ready to play again.  I was thrilled to win the Cricut Expression during their 12 Days of Christmas.  I mean really thrilled, but it didn't come in time to set it up and learn to use it for this competition.  Next week! 
     There was something else in the box that I used!  A magazine!  Steph, you are so sweet!  The box even had some of the red polka dot paper on the outside and the Day 12 tag inside.  Fun and festive.  Even DH was tickled.
     Back to the magazine.  Steph encouraged us to use a magazine in our project.  I used a page from the magazine in my prize box, one that didn't have recipes on it, of course.  The paper has a nice weight to it, so I die-cut the letters for my title, punched a border, and used a strip for a horizontal embellishment.  Can you see it?

     DGD turned 5 just after Christmas.  She had been talking for months about having a "Frozen" birthday party, but she also loves to say "gato morado."  I guess it just flows off the tongue.  I dunno.  It's her favorite thing to say in Spanish.  When we tell someone she is in dual immersion preschool, she likes to add, "And I can say purple cat in Spanish!  Gato morado!"  Anyway, just a few days before her birthday, she changed the theme.
     The inspiration piece had a bold title and a purplish background with a scattering of shapes and confetti-like bits.  I used those elements, but didn't go so much with the pastels.  I used pop-dots on most of the "gatos morados."  Wasn't sure I liked it, but when DGD saw it, she loved it.  So I'm happy.  In the end, that's what it's all about.
     And to my Christmas tree!  I decided, after 45 Christmases with my DH, I am through putting up and taking down a tree.  I lifted an idea from Pinterest.  I've spent several days, and a couple of blisters, hot gluing all our ornaments on to a 4 x 6 foot cork board.  I'm very pleased with the results.  When I get it out next year, I will add lights, maybe some ribbon, and be done!  :o)
     Thanks for looking!

DCWV December Scrapbook Sketch Challenge

     After all the busyness of the holidays, scraptherapy was just what I needed.  And I made it in under the deadline for the DCWV Scrap-a-holic Scrapbook Sketch Challenge!
     I used DCWV Brights Cardstock for the background.  All other paper is DCWV Holiday Collection Christmas stack.  That stack has kraft as its neutral color.  Love it!  The tags are from Jillibean.  (Thank you, Nance!)  The stickers are from an ancient sheet by Joy Marie. 

The journaling will be added later.  :o)     Thanks for looking.   

My First ODBD Challenge, ODBDSLC220 Sketch

     I'm so tickled to get to play along with Our Daily Bread Designs!  With the help of a prize gift certificate, I recently got the "Flourished Verses" stamp set, and it is beautiful.  I've only used one stamp so far, but made 5 different cards.  So versatile! 
     Sketch challenges may just be my favorite.  Besides the lovely stamps, I used some paper that came with an issue of Cardmaking and Papercraft Magazine, published in the UK.  So I pretty much won the stamps, and the paper was free, kinda.  :o) 
     I love to try new techniques and this one was new for me.  I'm not a "colorer," but I heat embossed the verse and a tree from Sizzix on vellum and colored it with Marvy LePlume II pens and clear Wink of Stella.  Love the sparkle, but that part didn't photograph well. 

I added a "Happy Birthday" tag to some, "Thank you" tags to others.  I think "Thinking of you" or "Missing you" would work well, too.  And this is just the first stamp!  I will get so much use from this great set!  Thank you, ODBD!  And thanks for the fun of playing along!

PCC Magazine Monday AND DCWV Stack-a-holic Challenges!

DCWV

PCC

   

     Combining challenges may save time and energy for some, but not for me!  It's a stretching exercise.  I think I could save time if I just did one challenge, then the other!  But, in the end, I am happy with my results and hope I did justice to both challenges. 
     I used the card sketch from DCWV and chose my colors and black font and the Christmas sock from PaperCrafter's Corner's Magazine Monday.  In line with the rules for DCWV's Stack-a-holic challenge, I used cardstock from their Glitzy Glitter and Foiled Cardstock Stacks and the Burlap Paper Stack, along with scraps of felt for the stocking.  This was not a 20 minute project!  :o)  More like several hours!  But fun hours spent with DGD and her mommy crafting beside me. 

Thanks for joining me.  Papercrafting is such therapeutic fun!

PaperCrafter's Corner Magazine Monday #80

     Busy as usual.  This time trying, unsuccessfully, to finish up Christmas gifts, but with Hubby singing in multiple Christmas performances this weekend, I ended up with a little extra time, just enough to do a card for PaperCrafter's Corner.  :o)  Besides, I recently read about a technique that I hoped would give me a look similar to the inspiration piece. And I think it did!
     I sprayed a used dryer sheet with adhesive and adhered it over a graphic from my PCCrafter's clipart collection.  Then I poured fine glitter dust over that and rubbed it in.  The dryer sheet was porous enough that the adhesive was on both sides.  It stuck to the cardstock and held the glitter.  Voila!  A snowy scene!  So pretty!  It was so much fun I did a second one!

Because I'm not sure I will use these as Christmas cards, I put a sweet die cut from Poppy Stamps inside that can be used for any occasion.  It's super thin, so I ran my paper through the Xyron before I die cut it to make an instant sticker.

Thanks for checking this out today!

PaperCrafter's Corner, Magazine Monday 79

     I've been busy making cards for money and gift cards for the older grandkids.  I thought the colors of this weeks Magazine Monday would make a good masculine card, but that's where I got stuck!  It seemed too dark for a Christmas card, but I've been wanting to make a box card, so I used the black and neutrals along with the whole seasonal theme to make my card.  I used my envelope maker to make the small envelope that contains a folded up bill.  It seemed like a lot of work, but it was my first.  Maybe it will get easier!  :o)  Thanks for looking!