For Unto You is Born...Inkspirational Challenge #151~Designer's Choice: Stamping Only

Hello,

I hope you had the merriest Christmas and are ready for the happiest New Year - not just for the day, but for all of 2018!  My Christmas was simply sensational and you wouldn't believe the awesome, amazing, gorgeous gift my niece made for me! Once I get a proper photo, I promise to share! Thrilled to bits and pieces with her artistry!

I came back home on Wednesday to be with with my husband (he was at his mom's - and with our moms getting older, we've decided to spend Christmas apart -with our respective moms/families - then have our own, together. May seem odd but it's 'right' for us - plus we have opportunity to celebrate twice. Win-win!). Work calls him away for several days, starting Jan. 2, so, when he heads west, I'm aiming to turn back north. More mom, niece and nephew time! Yayyy! Hopefully, by then, the roads will be less sketchy and the temperatures warmer. It's been freezing here: -25C to -43C for the past several days. Guess who isn't even sticking her nose out the door!

Anyway...Welcome to Inkspirational Challenge #151~Designer's Choice, where our lovely Sandie invites us to 'stamp only'.  Perfect, right? A chance to show us some of the new crafting goodies you received over Christmas...

Laurie, from Stamping Up North, is our fabulous guest designer, whose card will bring a mega-watt smile to your face.  Please be sure to drop by and leave her some love; then the same for my fabulous team:

Sandie

Shauna

Yvonne

Nonni

Kylie

Marina 

Bear with me (here and in upcoming posts), pretty please, as I share a *few*  more Christmas cards/projects with you.  This was one of my favourites of the season - and several versions made their way to the cards mom sent to family and friends.  A bit of ombre inking with a trio of Memento inks, a silver star and a lovely sentiment...so easy to recreate.  Gina K Designs' City of David all the way; a timeless oldie...

Looking forward to seeing your *Stamps Only* designs in the gallery!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

Thank you for dropping by!

Penguin Wishes...Less is More Challenge #359~Birds/Feathers

Hello,

Hitched up my big girl pants yesterday and headed north to my mom's. So thankful to have arrived safely. This morning, I'm off to kindergarten with my nephew; the afternoon, Gr. 2 with my niece. Excited! Plus, it's pajamas day at the school!

Before I dash off, a duo of VERY  CAS card for Less is More Challenge #359~Birds/Feathers

The sweet penguins are from Gina K's Merry Little Christmas set; the snowflakes, from Uniko...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Thank you for dropping by!

Layered Holly Twofer...STAMPlorations December CAS Card Challenge Reminder~Anything CAS Goes (optional colour twist: Gold)

Hello,

Four more sleeps to Christmas!!

Hopefully, in the midst of the hubbub of festive preparations, you can carve in some 'me' time for crafting. If so, then we have a challenge for you...

Welcome to STAMPlorations December CAS Card Challenge #21: December 21 Reminder Post

I have a duo of easy-and FUN-to-make cards today using the awesome Layered Holly stamps. A scattering of holly and berries, paired with gold embossed sentiments...and two more cards winging their way to special people....

 Layered Holly stamps

Stitched Snow Hills

 Crazy Double Running Stitch Nesting Dies

Before I send you off on your merry way to see the lovely designs by my teammates, an announcement of absolute joy:  our sweet Shery, her husband, David and 'big sister', Kat, welcomed a new member to their family yesterday: please welcome Baby Winter to the STAMPlorations family! I'm sure Shery will be posting photos soon; Winter is a gem!!

Looking forward to seeing your CAS Cards, with or without the colour twist, in the gallery!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Also sharing at:

Jingle Belles - Taking Back Our - Seventh - December

Merry Monday Challenge #270~Tic-Tac-Toe (used the first column: stamping, die cut, red)

Thank you for dropping by!

For smiles and inspiration head to: STAMPlorations blog | STAMPlorations shop

Winter Wonderland...Serendipity Stamps December Blog Hop #2 and THANK YOU!

Hello,

Eek..we had internet disruptions today, so my post is late, but here I am!!

Welcome to the  Serendipity Stamps Blog Hop #2 , where my talented DT and I are sharing a a range of fabulous Serendipity Stamps. To be in the running for a $20 gift certificate, just hop along throught the DT blogs (you should have come from incredibly talented, sweet Patti Kehl's blog) and leave a comment. Here's the list.

Mary's Blog

Beth Chiu

Patti Kehl

Carol Mayne

Miriam Napier

Julie Warner

Vickie Zimmer

Marybeth Lopez

This will be my last post as a member of the awesome Serendipity Stamps Design Team. A huge THANK YOU to Mary, for believing in me, and allowing me the opportunity to showcase her fantastic products. To Beth, Patti, Miriam, Julie, Vickie and Marybeth: such an honour to play alongside you. Your creative expressions have spoken loud and clear to me on many occasions; you are, each and every one, incredibly talented and wonderfully inspiring.  I will miss you, but...I know where to find you! *grin* To all the wonderful visitors who have commented on my Serendipity posts: your encouragement is deeply appreciated! You sure know how to lift spirits!

Today, I'm sharing a card that was remarkably quick to create, which is precisely what we need at this time, and, in my view, rather pretty. All the credit goes to Mary: the products did 110% of the work!

Snow Bird Branch die set

Happy Holidays (sentiment)

Please head over to Serendipity Stamps Blog for more how-to-win details. 

The 50% off Stamp of the Month: Steeple (so pretty!)

Happy hopping! Next on the list is wonderfully talented Miriam Napier. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Thank you for dropping by!

Merry Christmas Little Forest....STAMPlorations CUTplorations December 2017 Challenge Reminder Post

Hello,

On this countdown to Christmas week, I'm joining my talented team for the STAMPlorations CUTplorations December 2017 Challenge Reminder Post.  

Many of you have called this year's Christmas card-making a 'wrap'; others are still making (that would include me!); others are well in to  creating for next year's season. Whatever the case, we're inviting you to take inspiration from the photo provided, use die cuts and create a card/project to share in the gallery. 

My inspiration - which really is quite literal -  comes from the lovely white boughs and the pretty decorations, which I translated into a mini forest of trees, decorated with Nuvo drops, enveloped in a landscape of gently falling snow...

Trendy Christmas Trees dies and stamps

Stitched Snow Hills

Crazy Double Running Stitch Nesting Dies

Please visit the rest of my talented teammates to see their wonderful CUTplorations creations, then bring your STAMPlorations products out and play along with us! 

We have three prizes to be awarded to the winners chosen by the DT at the end of the month. The guidelines are simple: 

• Use our inspiration photo (and include it in your post plus a link back to this post). 
• Use any brand of die cuts, just be sure to use at least one STAMPlorations product on your project. Don't have any STAMPlorations products yet? There is a free digi here, you can use. Cards, tags, scrapbook pages, mixed media projects ... all are welcome.

See you in the gallery!

Thank you for dropping by!

Saturday 16th December Release Day - Design Team Blog Hop and showcase of the freebie 'So Much'

Hello,
*** Alert:  photo heavy!*** The Uniko team and I have been teasing you all week with sneak peeks as a lead up to today: the BIG Reveal, Release and GIVEAWAY of this month's new stamp sets from Uniko.  I'm thrilled that you're back for this wrap-up bout of showcases that, hopefully, will have you dashing to the shop HERE to place your order (or maybe let Santa know what's caught your eye...).
Without further ado...let's scroll along.  First card features Spring Botanicals Snowdrop and Large Background Scattered Polka Hearts. No sentiment...yet...

Next, the Doodle Flower stencil paired with a sentiment from Spring Botanicals Snowdrop.

My pair of two-from-one cards, featuring Doodle Flower stencil (I coloured the hearts with a Tombow Marker...) and sentiments from the December Release FREEBIE "So Much". Yes, you read that right: FREEBIE (with qualifying orders...)

How about a little embossing and ink blending? Pure Florals: Rose here (Happy is from my stash and I'll decide Happy *what* down the road...)

Some prismacolour pencil colouring for this simple card, featuring that lovely FREEBIE previously mentioned...

Finally, something you see me do rarely: a water-colour showcase of the Pure Florals: Rose. First time I 'kind of' achieved something that looks okay-ish.  No sentiment outside...maybe I'll just pass it along to mom to put on the mantle (provided she likes it...).

Whew...thank you for bearing with me on this long journey!

Sending you off to participate in the Design Team Blog Hop.  Be sure to comment as you visit for your chance to win the ENTIRE December 2017 Release!! Details are HERE.  Oh, and as an extra perk, Bev has a Release Day Bundle Offer: CHECK HERE (a fabulous deal!!).

Bev
Carol - me

Deborah
Izzy

Jane

Lindsey

Rahmat

Sarah

Below are images of the new sets. I'm sure you'll agree: they are sensational!

  

  

    

December Release FREEBIE

This mini clear stamp set will be added to all Release Day orders of £20* or more, while stocks last.  The item will not show in your order basket and will be added to qualifying orders during packaging and prior to shipping.

* Qualifying orders must total £20 or more after any discounts (loyalty points, coupons) and shipping is applied. 

Thank you for dropping by!

Stockings...Inkspirational Challenge #150 Word Prompt~Gift, TIME OUT Challenge #98~Home Sweet Home

Hello,

TEN DAYS!!! Eeeeeeeee! I'm wavering between super excited and super panicked about the approach of Christmas. Kind of ready; sort of not...How about you?

Welcome to Inkspirational Challenge #150~GIFT! Perfect timing for this word prompt, right? 

We're delighted to welcome wonderfully talented Valentyna, as our guest designer. Her card is gift-a-licious! 

My gift-themed card was inspired by the lovely festive decor over at TIME OUT Challenge #98~Home Sweet Home

STAMPlorations Warm Hands, Warm Heart images for the stockings and sentiment, placed on a kraft panel stamped with the Barnwood Background from Concord and 9th.

Please visit my teammates over at Inkspirational; they have 'gifts' to share with you! Hope, in this busy season, you'll find time to join us! See you in the gallery!

MERRY CHRISTMAS! (we'll be with your throughout the holiday season, too!)

Also sharing at:

Words 2 Craft By Challenge #48~Christmas     

"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year." ─ Charles Dickens

STAMPlorations Never-Ending Anything Goes Challenge

Jingle Belles~Taking Back Our Seventh December

MUSE ChristmasVisions #90~Festive Free for All

Thank you for dropping by!

Friday 15th December - Introducing... Pure Florals Rose

Hello,

We're back with Day 4 of sneak peeks for Uniko December 2017 New Release.  Today's set is absolutely, totally and completely WOW (as are all the others!):  Pure Florals: Rose. Filled with solid and outline roses and buds, in two sizes, outlined leaves and stem, and several 'painted' sentiments: this is a set for everyone, regardless of your stamping/colouring/creating style.  

To be honest, the beauty of this set overwhelmed me and I spent far too much time 'thinking' about how to do it justice that...well, I wound up kind of lost (I'll blame that on all the Christmas cards/projects I've been doing of late...hard to shift gears)! Eventually (and in a bit of panic as time was a ticking), I defaulted to my typical  style: CAS.  

Yes, a single rose is enough to express love - and that's what I banked on in putting together a solitary rose, inked in three colours (a dab here; a dab there), with sparkles of Nuvo "dew' drops, which I left to stand as the star of the stage....

The rest of the team have created outstanding cards with this set...and I'm hoping to do so as well - very soon (fingers crossed)! I just need to get over being 'bedazzled'!

Tomorrow is the BIG REVEAL! Hope you'll have a chance to visit and maybe, just maybe, add a couple (or several) of these new delights to your Christmas gift list!

Thank you for dropping by!

Thursday 14th December - Introducing... BIG & BOLD Hugs & Scattered Polka Hearts Large Background

Hello,

Back with my fantastic DT and our wonderfully talented Bev for Day 3 of  of the  Uniko December 2017 New Release. Today's introductions include an addition to the Big and Bold line and oodles of sweet hearts. These sets - solo or paired with one another or with a variety of other Uniko products - offer an abundance of possibilities!

My cards focus on the Big and Bold set and, between the two, I've used nearly all the images in the collection. Hope that's not 'too much' of a giveaway *grin*

Card #1 is filled with a bunch of hugs..and kisses...and love. Uniko images plus Uniko colours (aiming to stay in Bev's good books *grin*)...

Card 2 was inspired by the way the stamps are arranged in their package; I just shifted a couple and ta dahhhhh....a simple card to let a special someone know she/he is in your thoughts...

Please head over to the Uniko blog HERE where you'll find all details about the schedule, dates for introductions along with the BIG reveal, release, freebie and traditional blog hop GIVEAWAY! 

I hope you'll return tomorrow, as we yet another AWESOME set is waiting in the wings...

Thank you for dropping by!

Wednesday 13th December - Introducing... New Uniko Stencils

Hello,

Still have your pen next to your Santa list? Good...because lovely Bev, my fabulous team and I have a whole lot of delights for Day 2 of the  Uniko December 2017 New Release. Today's introductions are a trio of stencils, all of which are sure to add a little extra 'something, something' to your cards.

As you may know, I'm a CAS card-maker (most of the time), who loves stencils. I don't do very much 'fancy pants' with them, because I so enjoy leaving them to sing on their own. That approach is precisely what I did here, with my focus on the Broken Lines stencil (Doodled Flower stencil cards will appear late in the week...we're still having fun playing!).  It's pretty obvious I'm still in Christmas card making mode, too *grin*

For my first card, I masked off a few of the 'broken' lines to create hangers for my pretty snowflakes (Stunning Snowflakes) framing the sentiment (Festive Sentiments).

The stencil is full on visible in my second card, in its background role for my Christmas-themed coffee card (I Love Coffee, Festive Sentiments, Flower Power #1, Designer Dies Flower Power #1 - 6 collection, Background Builders: Vines Winter Additions).

This one is heading off to the 2017 Coffee Lovers' Blog Hop (the days are passing too quickly...need to guzzle drink more coffee to create more coffee cards!).

Two more days of intros to come, before the BIG release and giveaway; details are at  the Uniko blog HERE. You'll also find links and peeks at the gorgeous stencil feature cards from the rest of the team. Do visit their places; not only will you be dazzled by their designs, but prizes are part of the mix, too!


Thank you for dropping by!  Hope to see you on Thursday...and Friday...and Saturday (the BIG event)...

Tuesday 12th December - Introducing... Spring Botanicals: Snowdrop & Scattered Polka Dots Large Background

Hello,

If you haven't already sent your crafting must-have list to Santa, hold on for just a few days more, as I think you may have some additions!  After two days of the Uniko December 2017 New Release sneak peeks, it's time for the 'reveals' to take the stage.  Hold on to your stockings; there's some absolutely lovelies in the mix!

Today, we're introducing Spring Botanicals: Snowdrop & Scattered Polka Dots Large Background. The snowdrop is soooo pretty, with its delicate line detail, which I decided to highlight on my card. I stamped the polka dot background in lilac, using a new-to-me line of ink from Your Next Stamp (stamps/dies I know about...the inks...oh my!), fussy cut the snowdrop and accented it with sentiments from Simply Said Blocks.

Plotting and scheming some copic or pencil colour practice with this elegant bloom in the near future.

We have three more days of introductions before the BIG release and giveaway; details are at  the Uniko blog HERE. You'll also find links and peeks at the gorgeous cards from the rest of the team. Do visit their places; not only will you be dazzled by their designs, but prizes are part of the mix, too!

Thank you for dropping by!