Holly Wreath

I was holding out for the perfect holly dies and I think I've found them - love these Cheery Lynn Design dies (B183)!  They come with six on the strip, in three different sizes, each pair curling slightly the opposite way.  It's so fun to cut a whole bunch of them and then arrange a wreath or garland!  I added some red pearl berries, in fact, probably went a little crazy with them, if I keep that up, they won't last long!  

This is for today's Free for All challenge at Splitcoaststampers, Wendy has us using newsprint/text on our cards.  I used a hoarded bit of some of my favorite October Afternoon dp to add the text.  All edges have been sponged with Ranger Distress Antique Linen ink.

Supplies include:

Cheery Lynn Designs holly die (B183)

My Favorite Things Fishtail Flags STAX Die-namics

Verve Poinsettia Christmas

October Afternoon dp

Lilybee Designs dp

Pearls

Ranger Distress Antique Linen ink

Memento Tuxedo Black ink

Stampin Up Lucky Limeade card stock

Sunset at Sea

Korin gave us a fabulous layout for the Sketch Challenge over at Splitcoaststampers today, and it seemed perfect for this ocean scene.  This is one of my favourite SNSS stamp sets - The Sea.
I love sponging a sky with or without clouds - here I used a cloud die and SU's Pool Party ink.
You can also use a scalloped oval or circle.  Always start at the bottom of your sky.  I don't bother with post-it-notes for this, just hold the die-cut cut from card stock in place and come down with your sponge on the die-cut itself before moving up and off onto the card base - do that all along the top edges of the die-cut. Keep placing the die-cut randomly as you move up the cardstock to get the effect of layered fluffy clouds.  
I also added a sun by masking using a Spellbinders Circle and post-it-notes.  

SU's Blushing Bride is such a soothing pink, it's got soft coral tones, and I used that for the sun.

The bg panels are all embossed with various folders and framed in black.

Supplies include:

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps The Sea

Stampin Up Blushing Bride, Pool Party, Barely Banana ink

Memento Tuxedo Black ink

Papermill Shop white linen card stock

Button

Twine

Spellbinders M-bossibilities So Trendy embossing folder

Spellbinders Nestabilities Circles Small

Post-it-notes

Papertrey Ink cloud dies

Stampin Up Square Lattice embossing folder

Wonderful Day

This weeks Featured Stamper at Splitcoaststampers is Patty (LaLatty) - I chose a lovely card with a nice, clean layout to CASE from her gallery, found HERE.  I'm a huge fan of circles, they always appeal to me in a sketch and here I used a circle cutter to make the image panel as my largest Circle Nestie wasn't big enough. I sponged a background using Papertrey Ink's cloud dies and Stampin Up's Cool Caribbean ink.  

This Flourishes set, Bike Ride, is so much fun - there are a number of different images you can add to the basket such as books, flowers, a picnic and this fun wee dog!  It made me think of the Wizard of Oz and little Toto getting carted around in a basket on a bike!  The sentiment is from another Flourishes set, Magnolias.  This is my favourite kind of card to make - a coloured image against a lot of white space - it was fun!

Supplies include:

Flourishes Bike Ride

Flourishes Magnolias

Fiskars Circle Cutter

M-bossibilities Elite embossing folder

Papertrey Ink cloud dies

Twine

Copics 

Button

Memento Tuxedo Black ink

Stampin Up Cool Caribbean ink

Star Inspiration

Today's Inspiration Challenge at Splitcoaststampers is at Angelic Dreamz - HERE is the star ornament I was inspired by to create this card.  I love these colors together and used a variety of Lillybee Designs dp from the Buttercup pad.  The stars were cut using Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps stars dies - love these little dies, they're a perfect variety of sizes, I reach for them all the time!
This Verve Plain Jane stamp is such a wonderful verse of Scripture - the writer of the Psalms was so real and simply took all his pain, anguish and confusion to the God he knew was listening and who cared.  And even more signifigantly the God who was powerful enough to use all that pain for his ultimate good - as hard as that is to believe sometimes!  I am currently praying this verse for someone I care about very much - someone who's head is hanging very low...praying that loved one will look to God who restores and redeems lost years and who is the Lifter of hearts and heads.
Supplies include:
Verve Plain Jane Psalm 3:3
Verve Plain Jane Notebook Page
Spellbinders Nestabilities Circles
Lillybee Designs dp
Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps star dies
Sewing machine
Jute Twine
Ranger Distress Antique Linen ink
Memento Tuxedo Black ink

Poppy Thanks

Today's Ways To Use It challenge at Splitcoaststampers is to make a thank you card, and especially a card of thanks for veterans.   Remembrance Day is on the 11th and in honour of it and all those who have sacrificed for our freedom I created this card using a poppy.  I am truly grateful.  I stamped it twice on card stock, sponged the edges with red ink for extra dimension, then popped it up in several layers.  I added some black gems and white dots for the flower centre.  

Supplies include:

Woodware Poppy Single

Stampin Up (sentiment)

Papermania gingham dp

Stampin Up Real Red, Lucky Limeade card stock

Cheery Lynn Designs Fanciful Flourish

Memento Tuxedo Black ink

Stampin Up Real Red ink
Black gems
White gel pen

A Passion for Poinsettas

Don't you just love poinsettias with their deep rich color and thick velvety leaves and petals?  I've been having fun with the set Poinsettia lately - here I stamped it on card stock three times, once on green for the leaves, and three times on deep red for the flower, so I could layer it up.  I also slightly curled the leaves with the handle of a thick paintbrush.  All edges have been sponged with ink to provide a bit more dimension.  I wanted the flower to pop against a lot of white space, so simply added a small strip of dp and a banner sentiment.  Embossing a white or cream background is a good way to add interest without losing all that clean, crisp space!  Don't forget, this set and all of the sets featured in the Design Team Favorites Blog Hop are on sale at 25% off until November 7!  Be sure to check out all the birthday surprises and giveaways over at Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps!

I hope you're having a great Monday, thanks for stopping by!

Supplies include:

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Poinsettia

My Favorite Things Fishtail Flags Die-namic

Spellbinders M-bossibilities Elite embossing folder

Stampin Up Cherry Cobbler, Lucky Limeade card stock

Stampin Up Cherry Cobbler, Lucky Limeade ink

Memento Tuxedo Black ink

Pearls

Stampin Up Festival of Prints dp

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps DT Favorites Blog Hop

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps is celebrating 5 fabulous years this month!  There's a lot of fun planned starting with today's DT Favorites blog hop - and the best part is that all of the sets that the design team have have featured are on sale - 25% off today through November 7th!  I hope you enjoy all the inspiration from the creations using our favorite Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps sets!  

For my first card I've used Everyday Miracles - I don't know how many times I've reached for this beautiful set over the past couple of years since I got it! I colored the butterfly with copics and popped it up over a Cheery Lynn Design flourish for lots of dimension.  Since we're working with favorites, I had to use pearls and stitching too!

Supplies include:

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Everyday Miracles

Pebbles Country Picnic dp

SU Melon Mambo, Lucky Limeade dp

Cheery Lynn Design Fanciful Flourish die

MFT Jumbo Scallops die

Pearls

Copics

Sewing machine

Memento Tuxedo black Ink

For my second card I've used Poppies and Greetings and Vintage Postcard.   Poppies and Greetings has various sentiments in a beautiful font which I use all the time with a variety of other sets, but this time I simply used the beautiful poppies image.
Vintage Postcard is so much fun, you can use any combo of the many postal images included to create everything from shabby chic to CAS!

I distressed the main panel with a distressing tool and inks and colored the image with copics.

Supplies include:

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Poppies and Greetings

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Vintage Postcard

SU Festive Prints dp

SU Cherry Cobbler card stock

MFT Simply Scallops Die-namic

Pearls

Vintage button

Copics

Memento Tuxedo Black ink

Ranger Distress Antique Linen ink

Here's a list of everyone participating in the hop today:
Ceal Pritchett
Bridget Finlay
Dina Kowal
Cathy McCauley
Giovanna Smith
Makiko Jones
Jennie Harper
Jessica Fick
Mary Faus
Kim Schofield
Monika Davis
Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful day!