Joy to All

Hello, friends!  I'm stopping in one last time before Christmas to enter a card into several challenges.  After this, I'm tuning out for the celebration of Christmas with family.

My card is for the following challenges:

(1) Freshly Made Sketches #318

(2) Merry Monday #270 {Christmas Tic-Tac-Toe} -- I followed the first row down: stamping/die cut/red.  I stamped the snowman, die cut the white panel using a wonky rectangle die, and added a paper-pieced red hat to the snowman.

I stamped one of my favorite (retired) snowman images from Jane's Doodles "Vintage Christmas" set and paper-pieced his hat and scarf for some pattern and texture.  The silver glitter tape adds some sparkle, and the sentiment from Hero Arts is my wish for all of you...JOY!

Thank you for stopping by and I wish all of you who celebrate it a very Blessed Christmas. Happy New Year to all, too!

Take good care,

Judy

CASology #280: KINDNESS - Giveaway & Farewell

Hello, friends!  I'm sorry to say that I am here with my final design team card for the last cue of 2017 at CASology.  After five full years, I have decided to step down from the team in order to spend more time focused on family.  With my four teenage kids (one in in middle school and three in high school -- and two preparing to go off to college in 2018), I need to reprioritize my time.  After prayerful reflection, I realize that my "online life" needs to take a back seat for a while!

I am so grateful to Melissa Chipperfield, the creator and coordinator of CASology, for inviting me to join the team five years ago. I was so excited  because clean and simple is my favorite style, and I had played along with CASology challenges since day one.  The past five years have been so fabulous...CASology has been a huge part of my life (and even my family's life) and I know I am going to miss it.

Thank you to all the lovely ladies, both past and present, on the CASology Design Team. I am inspired by all of you each week and I have loved every second of our time as teammates.  Thank you, thank you!  (Jen, I'm still willing to travel to Bermuda if you ever decide to host a CASology reunion of any sort...just putting it out there!)

Finally, thanks to all of you who play along with us at CASology each week and take the time to leave us some love.  I enjoy visiting your blogs and seeing your awesome CAS creations.  Keep up the good "clean and simple" work!

In gratitude, I have a little giveaway!  I will give THIS STAMPlorations die to one person chosen randomly from all who comment on this post.  My birthday is next week, so let's celebrate together!

Without further ado, our current cue card to finish out 2017:

I am so happy that STAMPlorations is sponsoring our two-week challenge because it is a company that I got to know and love through their generous sponsorship of CASology. Shery Russ has been so kind and generous to the design team and to those who play along at CASology!  Kindness is a word that Shery exemplifies in my book.

For my card, I used a sentiment from Hero Arts paired with a gift image from the STAMPlorations "Warm Hands, Warm Heart" set.  I masked the gift, then masked a base and added Spun Sugar distress ink behind the gift.  I watercolored the present using distress inks, and added some splatters for fun.

I can't wait to see how you interpret the KINDNESS cue in the next two weeks!  You will also be inspired by the many ways our Design Team and Guest Designer interpreted the cue...be sure to check out their blogs!

Anna Uhras
Deidre Payne

Jacquie Southas
Janet Ribet
Jen Wills
Joyce Mehrberg
Judy Marino --> that's me!
Kymona Tracey
Melissa Chipperfield
Rachel Bergfeld
Sherrie Mannion

Guest Designer: Bharati

Our Sponsor This Week: STAMPlorations

I'm entering ths card into the current STAMPlorations December CAS Challenge where anything goes, as well as the STAMPlorations Never-Ending Anything Goes Challenge.

I'll be back to announce the winner of my giveaway on January 1, 2018.
Thanks for visiting!   

Judy

Three Winter Landscape Cards

Hello, friends!  I'm here to share three cards I made for several challenges using the STAMPlorations (CUTplorations)  "Stitched Spring Landscape" die.  I actually used the die as a winter, snow-covered scene for three Christmas cards!

My first card pairs the landscape die with a STAMPlorations "Warm Winter Wishes" phrase die.

I'm entering this card into the HLS December Christmas Challenge: Anything Goes as well as the HLS December Anything Goes with Dies Challenge.  I used the landscape die as well as a scalloped border die and the warm winter wishes sentiment die.

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My next card paired the landscape die with a sentiment from the STAMPlorations "Warm Hands, Warm Hearts" stamp set.  I spritzed the background sky with Perfect Pearls mist and added Stickles to the snow surface for some sparkly shine..and the red gems are pretty sparkly, too!

I'm entering this card into the current Addicted to CAS #126: Sparkle challenge as well as the AAA Cards: CAS Game #105 - Sparkle.

 

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My final card pairs the landscape with a Papertrey Ink sentiment and a snowflake embossed card base.  The little snowflakes needed a little pop of color, so I added lilac gems to the centers.

I'm entering this card into the current Muse Christmas Visions #90.

Since all three of my cards used the STAMPlorations landscape die, I'll be adding all of these cards to the STAMPlorations Never-Ending Anything Goes Challenge.

Wow, that was a lot of cards in one post, wasn't it? Thanks so much for sticking with me!

Take good care,

Judy

Blessed Christmas - Two Versions

Hello, friends!  I'm here to share two cards I made using the beautiful STAMPlorations Typographia stamp called "Blessed Christmas."  For both cards, I stamped the sentiment with colored ink and then re-stamped using Versafine ink and heat embossed with clear embossing powder for shine.

On my first card, I also stamped the nativity scene from Hero Arts "Greatest Gift" set and clear embossed it as well.

On my second card, I added blue ink to the inside of a snowflake border embossing folder, then ran it through my Cuttlebug.  The snowflakes remained white, while the blue ink covered the card base.  I added some sparkly metallic snowflakes and clear gems to add even more sparkle!

I'm entering these cards into the following challenges:

(1)  Muse Christmas Visions #90 where any holiday card can be linked up!

(2) STAMPlorations Never-ending Anything Goes Challenge.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Take good care,

Judy

Merry Christmas Coffee Sled!

Hello, friends!  I have lots of Christmas cards to share in the coming days, but I wanted to share this card before time runs out at the Winter 2017 Coffee Lovers Blog Hop.

I used two digital images for my card, with a sentiment from Desert Diva (Hannelie) under a sled full of gifts and coffee cups from STAMPlorations.  The die cut holly is from Pretty Pink Posh (an early birthday gift to myself!).

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

(1)  2017 Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop

(2)  Merry Monday #269 (Color Challenge) -- I used red and two shades of green in the photo inspiration.

(3)  Muse Christmas Visions #90 where any holiday card can be linked up!

(4) STAMPlorations December CAS Card Challenge where "Anything CAS Goes" (I did not use the optional color twist) as well as the Never-ending Anything Goes Challenge.

(5) HLS December Anything Goes with Dies Challenge (I used holly dies, a banner die, and a scalloped border die).

Thanks for stopping by today...I'll be back soon with more Christmas cards!
Take care,
Judy

CASology #279: GRAY

Hello, friends!  I'm back today with my card for the new cue at CASology.

I guess with the recent snow we had here in New Jersey, I had gray skies on my mind.  I decided to make a scene by masking a hill and moon and then inking the gray sky with distress inks.  I then removed the masks, inked the moon with Antique Linen distress ink, and stamped the trees in the same distress ink as the sky.  Finally, I splattered some snow with watered down ivory acrylic paint.  The lamp post die cut was adhered, and the sentiment from Hero Arts was stamped in red for a pop of color.  The card base is also gray to compliment the scene.

I'm also linking this card up to two challenges:

(1) The current Muse: Christmas Visions #90, where any holiday card can be linked up!

(2) The Happy Little Stampers December Anything Goes with Dies Challenge -- I used two dies on my card (the lamp post and the wonky stitched rectangle).

I can't wait to see how you interpret the GRAY cue card this week!  Be sure to link up your card by noon on Monday (Central time). You will also be inspired by the many ways our Design Team and Guest Designer interpreted the cue this week...be sure to check out their blogs, too!

Anna Uhras
Deidre Payne

Jacquie Southas
Janet Ribet
Jen Wills
Joyce Mehrberg
Judy Marino --> that's me!
Kymona Tracey
Melissa Chipperfield
Rachel Bergfeld
Sherrie Mannion

Guest Designer: Mary B.

Thanks for visiting,

Judy

Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop 2017 - Sending Hugs

Hello, friends!  I'm stopping by today with my second card for the Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop! 

I made this card using a sweet digi image from Kitty Bee Designs called Coffee or Tea Please Panda.  This card is on its way to Hetty Sanders as my way of saying thank you for all her hard work in organizing a monthly coffee-lovers card exchange through our Facebook group!  I'm raising my cup to you, Hetty!

I printed this cute panda, die cut, and colored.  The card base uses the Tim Holtz coffee cup embossing folder and a sentiment from Hero Arts. Easy peasy!

I'm also entering this card into the current challenge at Kitty Bee Designs #109: Anything Goes w/Optional Twist: Christmas.  I didn't use the optional twist this time around.

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Judy

Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop 2017

Hello, friends!  Today is the first day of the Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop and I had to play along!  I haven't missed a Coffee Lovers Blog Hop yet, and my streak continues. Thank you to Amy Tsuruta and all the lovely ladies who help to keep these hops running...I do appreciate all your hard work.

I made this card using a favorite image from Neat and Tangled called "Warm Wishes."  I stamped it in black on white card stock, then dry embossed a snowflake frame around it. I paper-pieced the mug using a holiday patterned paper.  After matting it on black card stock, I adhered it to a patterned card base.

I am also entering this card into these challenges:

(1) Little Tangles Challenge #87: Gift Giving -- this card is going to a coffee-loving family member with a Dunkin Donuts gift card inside!

(2) Addicted to Stamps and More! Challenge #271: Anything Goes!

(3) CAS Mix Up Card Challenge: December Challenge -- I used stamping, dry embossing, and paper-piecing.

OK, that does it for me today!

Thanks for stopping by!

Judy