Welcome Christmas!

This is a sweet little Christmas card I did with my sister Gini again to meet several challenges. I've found it really fun to start participating in various challenges, more than anything to make me think outside of my comfort zone. New sketches, new stamp images, colors I never would have mixed and other areas that push me creativly. I think in the long run this will make me have a broader experience that I'll be able to share with all of my great customers. I think this little Magnolia stamped girl is just precious with the mistletoe dangling over her head wating for the Christmas kiss. Here is a list of all the different challenges this card was created for:
RoP- Romance
Simon Says- Winter Love
Magnolia Down Under- Christmas
Creative Belli- Chipboard
Magnolialicious- sketch
La-La- recipe: 3 patterned papers, 2 cardstocks,1 embellishment

Stamptacular's Sunday Challenge

Stamptacular's Sunday Challenge this week was to stamp something, and use only colors that remind you of the fall. I always think of Fall as having crisp, clear blue skies, with the lovely browns, greens and yellows thoughout the landscape. Living in the Western NC Mountains I'm so blessed every fall to see the spectacular show that nature has to offer. This card displays some of those rich fall colors I just adore. I used the beautiful Close To My Heart Paper pack Caprice. This is one that is set to retired this December and I'll miss it. I just think it's beautiful. The stamp set is also from Close To My Heart "Grown with Love" and for whatever reason this tree reminds me of one of my favorite books "To Kill a Mockingbird ". This weekend has continued to be such a blessing to me spending it snuggled in with my boys and my paper. I wish the same happiness to you.

Have a Holly Jolly Christmas

I did my card this afternoon with my sister, and thought it would be fun to see how many challenges I could enter with this one card. Why don't you see if you can enter some challenges on this nice, long Thanksgiving weekend.

Here are the challenges I have entered:
Pink Persimmon (sketch)
A Spoon Full of Sugar - brown/blue
Cuttlebug Challenges - Sparkle
Sparkle Creations- Christmas
Pollycraft - Christmas
Whimsy Stamps - Christmas
Everybody Art- Christmas
Flourishes- Christmas
Papertake Weekly - Christmas
Whiff of Joy - Christmas
Charisma Cardz- Christmas
Creative Card Crew - Favorite things (snowmen)
Pixie Cottage - stitching
Pink Elephant - Plaid, brads, no ribbon

Wizard of Oz Card

I did this card for my husband for our fifth wedding anniversary and was also able to enter it in several challenges...Always fun. Simon Say Stamps Challenge this week is animal antics and I certainly think Toto fits that bill. I stamped the yellow brick road with one of the brick stamps from this months Close To My Heart Stamp of the Month...I've really used that stamp a ton. The challenge at Corrosive Challenges was to be inspired byLet's go to the Movies - obviously, this would be the Wizard of Oz. The adorable Dorothy/Toto image is from Michelle Perkett and if you haven't looked her up yet, you should. I just love her images, they're wonderful to color. The sketch came from the Get Sketchy Challenge this week. It was a sketch that really challenged me, so thanks for making me think outside the box. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving Holiday.

Give Thanks, Baby!

This time of the year, it really is the season to pause and reflect on everything we have to be thankful for. Our families, our country, our lives and the love that truly is around us. I'm thankful first and foremost for family, they are my heart and this evening I was blessed to be able to hang out with the worlds greatest sister. My son calls her EE, I've always called her Ninny but the rest of the world knows her as Gini. She has always been more than just my sister and I love her so much, so whenever we get to be together and just be ourselves is such a joy. She is the queen of card challenges so with her guidance towards the challenges, I did this "Thankful" card this evening for Lala Land Crafts challenge creating a card that shows thankfulness. They are giving some amazing blog candy - but you need to enter by midnight, Monday 23rd. I thought this image from Sassy Studio Designs was just adorable and really wanted to add BABY to it but just didn't want to overdo it...so even though the baby didn't make it on, the name of the card is Give Thanks Baby. I used the sketch from Pixie Cottage, simple but just perfect. Lastly I used the cuddle bug embossing folder to add the wonderful detail and texture of the circle to the side of the card, The Cuttlebug spot is also having a challenge for a card using a turkey...so boy did this card fit a lot of bills. I hope you enjoy the artwork, but more than anything I hope you will take a few minutes to think about what exactly it is you have to be thankful for and may your blessings abound!