CHRISTMAS STAMPIN' ALL YEAR LONG...

and I have been invited to be their 
guest designer

this week for an terrific challenge of

"Gimme the Bird"! 

So much fun and wonderful to be a part of such an great team and challenge. This is the first year of my entire life (and I'm not telling exactly which decade that would be!) 

that I have had any kind of Christmas card completed. 

Thank goodness for challenges like this that light a fire and get me movin'!

I used the image "Kissing Penguins" from Pink Cat Studio. Such a fun image and combined with the current Mojo sketch I couldn't help but make such a cute Christmas card. 

If you participate this week with
 Christmas Stampin All Year Long 
you will have a chance to win 
5 images of your choice from Pink Cat Studio



Now, let me introduce you to my interpretation of "Kissing Penguins"!

So get out your stored away Christmas paper crafting supplies, rev up your mojo,

find a bird image and make a Christmas card and get that stash a growin'!

I am entering this in the following challenges:

Top Chef - Catered Crop - my recipe is a mixture of 
Copic coloring, glitter and die cut shapes.

Craft Us Crazy - is anything goes

Do It with Digis - Christmas in August

Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge

Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge - Christmas

Paper Play Challenge - Christmas in August

The Shabby Tea Room - mix and match 3 designer papers

Totally Gorjuss - Christmas

Thanks for stopping by

and

Merry Kissmas to All!

SAM

Beachy Summer Dreams...

An impromptu visit to St. Louis netted me a couple new stamp sets

- one being tropical -

that inspired me to take up all the summer challenges posted now

 and see what I could do with it.

 Now for my list of challenges!

By the Cute and Girly - by the sea
Cooking It Up with Katie - recipe: old [flourish die cut, buttons, ribbon],
new [stamps, Pattern paper], favorite techniques [embossing on PP and sanding]
CES Challenge - feeling the blues
Crafty Calendar - water theme
Craft Your Passion - open
Deep Ocean Challenge - sea
Incy Wincy Designs - monochromatic
Lil' Red Wagon - heat embossing (the sentiment)
Paper Issues - make a splash
Paper Take Weekly - Anything goes
Pixie Dust Studio - Monochromatic with favorite color - BLUE!
Saturday Challenge - Monochromatic
Tuesday Morning Sketch -

Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger -

Your Next Stamp Challenge - beautiful borders, use border punches
CCEE Stampers - seasonal either 'summer' or winter
Crafty Anns Challenge - Summertime...and the living is easy
Craft Your Days Away - summer time
Crazy Challenge - Sun is Out
Creative Craft Challenge - Summertime
Creative Inspirations - Summer
Critter Challenge - summer fun
If the Shoe Fits Scrap It! - summer
One Crazy Stamper - fun in the sun
Paper Pretties - Lazy days of summer
Pile It On - Fun in the sun
Really Reasonable Ribbons - Sizzlin' Summer
Stamp Something - summer fun
Try It On Tuesday - from the beach
Tuesday Throwdown - summertime
Frosted Designs - circles
365 Cards, Day 156 - cheer someone up "When Life Gives You Lemons"

Whew! That should be enough for one day!

SAM

Happy Birthday times 5!

5 Challenge cards are posted here, please scroll down.

Going back to work in another week and have accomplished most of the goals I set for myself this summer. Except for two. I set a goal to complete a whole week of 365 Cards. So with that being my beginning point I decided that I could accomplish another goal by adding to my Birthday card collection.  Check mark, two goals accomplished! Now for the cards and challenges entered.

365 Cards, Tuesday, Day 148 - repeat stamp the background. Did that and added red glitter paper hearts at the end of the scroll.

4 Crafty Chicks - Get your bling on

Cardabilities - sketch

Totally Papercrafts - bling it up

365 Cards, Wednesday, Day 149 - Divided background into 4 parts, 2 parts solid, 2 parts PP

Crazy Challenge - ribbons

Stampin' Bs Design Challenge - ribbon

Deep Ocean Challenge - ribbon

This card is totally made from scraps. I used a die cut for the flowers and leaves with PP, highlighted with copic markers, stamped the brocade swirls, then 'embedded' it all with an embossing folder. Technique of Faux pressed flowers.

365 Cards, Thursday, Day 150 - wet or dry background

Anything Challenge - pick a bunch of flowers

Hand Stamped Sentiments - Flourish forever theme

Paper Play Challenge - in the garden

Stamps R Us - Birthday Challenge

Sugar Creek Hallow - make your designer paper

365 Cards, Friday, Day 151 - minimum of 3 layers

Alphabet Challenge - metal

ColorQ Challenge - Early Espresso, Calypso Coral, Pool Party, Island Indigo + White

Sketch Frenzy - sketch I used

Stamptacular Sunday - Friends are Heaven Sent, this is for my DD coz she is always up for a challenge!

365 Cards, Saturday, Day 152 - paint the background, I used white acrylic and glaze

Cute Card Thursday - sketch

Just Us Girls - use fabric and ribbon does not count

Speedy the Cat Friends Challenge - use anything such as twine, etc. but not ribbon

One Stop Craft Challenge - vintage
Paper Craft Star - open
The Play Date Cafe - color: Coral, Petal pink (in the fabric flower) and Antique Gold (pearls)
Friday Mashup - handmade flower and colors of turquoise, red and black. I picked the flower!

Thanks for stopping by! 

SAM

Snowman and A Flower

Talk about being oppositional! Two cards to post, one for winter and one for summer.

No doubt in my mind though that in REAL TIME, we are definitely experiencing summer.

So maybe a winter card will help bring on a cool down...

I was inspired by the Sketch Sunday on 365 Cards, Day 146, Super Sketchy Sunday

The following challenges worked their magic in inspiring too!
Paper Pretties - no markers - I used colored pencils and OMS
Picture Perfect Creations - color challenge (night of navy, crumb cake, whisper white)
Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - favorite color, I like vintage looks,
so crumb cake is used a lot!
Craft Your Passion - Christmas in July
Designed 2 Delight - free snowman digi for participating in monthly progressive challenge
Designed 2 Delight Designers Challenge - Christmas in July
Paper Cutz Challenge - Anything goes
Polly Craft Challenge - Ho-Ho-Ho Christmas
Totally Gorjuss - Punch or die (the oval cutout with a nestie)
Cupcake Craft Challenge - Vintage Glitter
Party Time Tuesdays - Anything goes

And I was motivated by Pam's challenges this week at 365 cards with the focus on backgrounds.

This is my first attempt at making a rolled fabric flower. Probably need to practice more. But I think I'll wait till the blister on my ring finger heals from using hot glue to keep it together... :(
Challenges entered in:
365 Cards, Day 147, Monday Background Challenge - 1/2 polka dots, 1/2 solid
Paper Craft Star - Anything goes
Crafty Ann's Challenge - Emboss
Stamp Something - embellish, oh yeah, that blistering fabric flower!
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Anything goes
Totally Stampalicious - Anything Goes
Sentimental Sundays - Focus on Sentiment
Sugar Creek Hollow - Let's play tag

Keep your cool!  SAM

Nutty Coconuts!

Not quite sure what I would use this card for but it is a cute image/sentiment

with a sense of humor which is what I like best about it!

The image is a surprise digi from the Hot Spot Challenge so

I decided to use it on several challenges with a summer/beach theme.

365 Cards, Day 144   -  So Random, well, this card really fits that challenge!

Charisma Cardz - challenged to make a bright, colorful summer card

City Crafter - "It's a Shore Thing!"

Crafty Calendar - under the sea or a water theme

Do It with Digis - summer fun

Fussy and Fancy - summer theme
The Hot Spot - Time for Vacation

Lexi's Creations - At the beach

Off the Wall Craftiness - Beach theme, any colors

Polly Craft Challenge - summer fun

Designed 2 Delight Designers Challenge - Let's go to the Beach

Clean and Simple - sketch

Please note:  No embellishments were harmed in the making of this card...

G'Day!

SAM

PEACOCK BEAUTY...

I have not step foot out of my house today.

I do not believe a 103 temp outside

deserves my attention.

So I chose to ignore it.

I made a card instead and enjoyed my dwindling vacation.

(2.5 weeks and back to school/work!)

Wish you could see this IRL. I shimmered the peacock with a gelly roll pen Clear Star.

My inspirations for this card include the following challenges:



Allsorts Challenge - Free and Easy July

By the Cute and Girly - Things with wings

Card Positioning Systems - sketch below

CCEE Stampers - Hug Week, card of encouragement

Creative Card Crew - animal antics

Craft Us Crazy - anything goes with digi

Designed 2 Delight - free Peacock digi for participating in progressive challenge

Do You Stack Up - Wings

Freshly Brewed Designs - get wild with animals

Robyn's Fetish Challenge - animals

Incy Wincy Designs- colors: black, white + one

The Play Date Cafe - one color of choice, just a splash

Tuesday Throwdown - something metallic

Stay cool all -

SAM

PEACE ON EARTH or...

CHRISTMAS IN JULY!

Several challenges this week with a Christmas theme, I think everyone is trying to get a jump on getting their Christmas cards. Probably not a bad idea. I'm always at the last minute getting them done, mostly because I can't make up my feeble mind on the design I want to do. [heavy sigh]

This card is all SU! materials except for gold thread holding the earth 'ornament'. I used crystal lacquer on the earth. Now I probably shouldn't be sharing this with you - but - the lacquer made a perfect dome on the little earth, until...I touch it with my thumb! You see, I really thought it was dry. So I turned it over and 'smoothed' it on my craft mat. Ahhh, it looks OK, but probably wouldn't work well in snail mail!

I am entering this in some Christmas challenges and some, well, not so Christmas challenges!

365 Cards, Day 142 -Imagine this Earth, I took this pretty literal!

Creative Belli Challenge - Christmas in July, My old and forgotten embellishment is

the crystal lacquer, I had to take the top off to get it to work!

CES Challenge - Christmas

Christmas Blog Challenge, Winter Wonderland - wet or dry embossing

Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - the sketch I used and I turned it on it's side

Craft Us Crazy - Christmas in July and/or distressed/vintage

Craft Your Passion - "Text It"

Crazy Challenge - Christmas in July

Creative Inspirations - Christmas in July

Deep Ocean Challenge - Ribbons

Kaboodle Doodles - embossing

Saturday Challenge - holiday fun, Christmas in July

Simon Says Stamp and Show - embossing

Simply Create - Christmas time

Stamp Something - Christmas in July

Friday Mashup - I chose the color challenge portion, Riding Hood Red, Pink Pirouette (the rhinestone), Early Espresso (the earth), Old Olive, and Whisper White

HO, HO, HO! Merry Christmas!

SAM

Strawberry Fringed!

I have posted 2 cards today. The Strawberry card is first and the pink fringed card is second.

This card represents how I know that summer is here and it is time for school to be out!

Strawberries! I love Strawberries!

My birthday is in June and every year I asked for strawberries and angel food cake.

My mom actually made the angel food cake from scratch. Yummm!

This year our garden produced a 'lot' of strawberries.

I could have ate more. Did I say I love strawberries?

My inspirational challenges for this card are...

Do It with Digis - use spots or stripes or both

City Crafter Blogspot - See the Sun or the word Sun -
The yellow left side represents the sun

Craft Your Passion Challenge - "Just for You"

Crazy 4 Challenges - summer theme

Crazy Challenge - summer theme

Hand Stamped Sentiments - Good Day Sunshine

Just Us Girls Challenge - Ho-made Buttons

One Stitch At A Time - anything goes

One Stop Craft Challenge - Summer Time

Paper Issues - Live is Sweet

Paper Take Weekly - Hot Hot Hot - hot colors, I used red and yellow

Party Time Tuesdays - Blue skies and sunny days, I sponged the sky/clouds and
the yellow half circle represents the sun. 
I love how it looks like the strawberries are floating in the sky, after all,
they are my heaven!

Pile It On - favorite technique - I love sponging sky scenes

Polly Craft Challenge - the great outdoors (my strawberry bed!)

Sentimental Sundays - anything goes

Totally Gorjuss - Summertime

Totally Scrumptious - sketch time

Tuesday Throwdown - Fun in the Sun

Moving Along with the Times - favorites things: strawberries!!!

Designed 2 Delight - free image for playing along in the progressive challenge

My second card is a birthday card and is not at all what I imagined. I needed fringe for Pam's challenge at 365 cards. Didn't have any, so I decided to make my own my using a hole punch and weaving the ribbon like the fringe on a rug ( I did a lot of this many years ago on many of the afghans I crocheted)  I finally thought about a Martha Stewart border punch, much easier!

BTW - the color in real life is pink, not so red like the picture.

Inspirational challenges:

A Spoonful of Sugar - Color challenge, pink (it really is!)

Stamp, Scrap and Doodle Saturday - color challenge, cream, brown + one other color

Simon Says Stamp's Challenge - Anything goes

Sugar Creek Hallow - Paper Piercing

Freshly Brewed Designs - July-long Challenge: 2 pattern papers, 2 shapes, 2 embellishments

Cute Card Thursday - Going round in circles

Stamptacular Sunday Challenge - sketch

365 Cards, Day 135 Collage Card - chipboard, patterned paper, and fringe

Thanks for stopping by!

SAM