The Story

It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes, or bags!

Gathered around his feet at Christmas time in our flannel jammies, my father would read How the Grinch Stole Christmas to us. Then as we grew older, we watched the cartoon on television. Each time I read the story to my boys or see the cartoon (only in the original version with the nice bright, bold colors and the low deep narrative voice), I realize that the story never gets old. It is all about carving roast beef, Cindy Lou Who and the true spirit of Christmas. The story is one of my favorite holiday books and movies, back then and now.

My favorite childhood holiday movie provides a clue for the newest releases at Practicing Creativity Designs as well as the inspiration for my clean and simple, easily reproduced in mass quantities card. Check out the current Caardvarks Challenge, I think this card fits the bill! Today, make sure you hop along to Dana's, Paulina's and Courtney's blogs and a leave comment, as a winner will be chosen at random from one of the comments on all of our blogs to win both sets! That's four chances to win!

I'd love to know what your favorite childhood holiday movie was and if it's still the same today. Please check back tomorrow, and the the rest of the week, it's going to be an exciting one!

Supplies Used: 
Cardstock: (Kraft) PTI
Patterned Paper: (Blue) Daisy D Designs
Stamps: (Christmas Wonder) Practicing Creativity Designs
Ink: (Onyx Black) Versafine
Embellishments: (Green Striped Ribbon) May Arts, (Black Brads) SU
Other: (White Gel Pen) Signo by Uniball, (Black Pen) Pilot, (Labels 4 Nesties) Spellbinders, (Corner Chomper) WR Memories

The Warbler

Her head bobbed back and forth, looking, searching. Slowly she flew down, her wings gracefully tilting in the air and upon landing she hopped a few itty bitty hops to reach her destination. She lingered for a while and decided to flew to a new destination, her wings flapping in a rhythmically.
I think I should pick up bird watching for a new hobby. Surely its got to be a bit lighter on the ol' pocketbook! I chose to work with The Play Date Cafe Challenge colors of black, pink, white and gray. I rotated the sketch from Caardvarks so that the bird had something to look at. She was colored with inks and a blender pen and highlighted with colored pencils. A few touches of glitter and ink distressing soften the overall look a bit.




Supplies Used: Cardstock: White (Georgia Pacific) Pretty in Pink, Basic Black (SU) Patterned Paper: Going Gray (SU) Digital Image: Warbler (TiffanyDoodles) Ink: Pretty in Pink, Going Gray (SU) Embellishments: Sentiment Sticker (SRM Stickers) Pink Twine (May Arts from Practicing Creativity Designs) Button (Cloud 9 Fiskars) Ice Stickles (Ranger) Tools: Scallop Slit Punch, Corner Rounder Punch, Watercolor Pencils (SU), Thread

Instant Human

The alarm goes off. And maybe it goes off again. I methodically do my morning chores and try to wake the boys. And then I maybe try to wake them again. I'm rushed. I send one on the school bus and drive the other to daycare. I punch in the code to enter the building. And I maybe have to punch it again. I drop off my purse, grab my most favorite mug and waltz to the coffee pot. I pour coffee. I maybe pour some more. Aah, now I can begin my day. Instant human. Just add coffee.
This card was created with the Moxie Fab World Get Sketchy Challenge in mind. Something a bit witty that perhaps might put a smile on your face? There are tons and tons of great entries so if you wanted to grab a cup o' joe and take a look see like I did, its worth your while!

I'm going to give this a whirl in the Caardvarks Monochromatic Challenge as well. I'll call it the coffee or coffee bean sack colors.


Supplies Used: SU Nutural White Cardstock, SU Linen Background Stamp, SU Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron, Close to Cocoa, True Thyme Pigment Ink, Ranger Distress Ink in Walnut Stain, Karen Foster Stickers, Sunflower Pearls from Queen & Company, CM Journaling Pen, Cardboard, Brown Linen Thread

Truth About Purple...& Lace

I don't really like the color purple. I find it hard to work with. It may stem from growing up as an identical twin, as I always chose pink, my sister purple. Maybe it is because I have two boys now and nothing around is purple to convince me to like it. I agree with Kim Hughes: Purple. "It's pretty... well, that's all I have to say about it." I also pulled out lace for the Caardvarks Lacy Days Challenge. I feel the exact same way about lace as I do purple. Even though my preference isn't to pull out purple paper products and lace, I still did and had just a teensy bit of fun doing it (ok, making any kind of card is fun...) For this card, I first cut a circle from the front, layered the scalloped lace behind it and then stitched the two together. To cover the mess from the inside, I adhered a white panel, that showcased the lacy texture nicely, I think. I then added the lace border, pearls and buttons to contradict/compliment (can work either way) the frilly-ness of the lace. For the sentiment, I colored chipboard with black and added Glossy Accents to match the pearls.

Supplies Used: SU Vintage Violet, Whisper White and Pale Plum Cardstock, Lil' Davis Designs Stripped Chip Alphabet Playtime, Lace by Offray, CM Circle Cutting System, Queen & Co. Pearls in Nightfall, Ranger Glossy Accents, SU Basic Black Marker, Button (no source), DMC Floss, Thread

This is my second post for today, if you have time to check out my two other cards for Kim's challenge, please do!

Whittling Away

There are so many great card designers out there that I admire from afar for their use of patterned paper-two or three different patterns or the ability to stamp on patterned paper and make it look like it was meant to be! I've been scared, so scared of patterned paper. But, I wanted to conquer my fear and I'm slowly whittling away at it. I started with the inspiration photo from Caardvarks, Sarah Martina's bonus sketch at 2S4Y, chose a few muted patterns from a single paper pack, and softened everything up. I also wanted to try my hand at a real twig on my card, as one of their crew members, Lucy, had done as well, and the twig was the first thing I noticed in the picture. I really like how the greens of the paper complement the red-ish/brown-ish of the twig and the ink. I really like how the blue patterned paper represents the sky and the green the earth. (And I really like how I actually did whittle away at the backside of the twig to have it lay flat on my card!)

I've had so many uplifting comments (thank you!) that made me open my eyes and understand that it is just fine to like my own cards because that is what can make you enjoy creating again. I've also learned that it is just fine and fun to participate (and not win) in challenges if they get you to create, assist you in creating something you like and challenges do something you normally would not have done. This my friends, is how I'm learning.

Supplies Used: Georgia Pacific White Cardstock, Sweet Pea DSP SU, Colorbox Chalk Ink in Creamy Brown, Inkadinkadoo Happy Days Clear Stamp Set, SU Chit Chat Rubons in Chocolate Chip, Fiskars Corner Rounder Punch, CM Circle Punch, Twig

Relaxing During Retirement

Wouldn't it be nice to retire for the sole purpose of relaxing, dreaming, discovering and just...playing? I created this masculine retirement card for the Caardvarks latest challenge: Stuck on You. Tons of fabulous entries using stickers! The basis of the card stemmed from wanting to use this odd, but very intriguing hardware piece that I recently acquired. Thus, the masculine basis, then I found some patterned paper that invoked "retirement" (although I'm sad to say I'm a long way from it-I admire all the ladies that can craft and spend time with their grandbabies!) and catered my stickers towards that theme. I added the two eyelets to complete the visual triangle of the metal. On the focal sticker "play" I backed it with some coordinating paper and edged it with the same deco scissors, it sticks out a bit from the card.

Here's to retirement in 35 years!

Supplies Used: SU Very Vanilla Cardstock, K&C Company Hopscotch DSP, Making Memories Silver Metal Findings, SU Eyelets in Pewter, Twine, Bo Bunny Clear Stickers in Rambling Thoughts, Ranger Distress Ink in Walnut Stain, Fiskars Corner Rounder Punch, Fiskars Deco Scissors

Mr. & Mrs.

Cardvaarks is having a Wedding Card Challenge with the opportunity to get published, and since I missed the last deadline for the magazine I thought I should give it a shot! Here's my attempt at a classical style union with modern design.

Supplies Used: Bazzill Textured Cardstock, CM Smokey Gray Cardstock, White Cardstock, SU Medallion and Tag Stamp Sets, SU White Embossing Powder, CM Circle Punches, Versamark Ink, SU White Embossing Powder, CM Corner Round Punch, Ribbon from Michaels, Rhinestones (unknown source)

Together Forever

My children are so very lucky to still have parents that are together, both sets of grandparents that have been married thirty years plus, and two sets of great-grandparents that have been together forever. It is my dream that when they each meet the lovely woman of their choice that they will still have all of us happily together as examples to live by.

This card came together from the Caardvarks Red Heart Challenge as well as the sketch from Everything But the Kitchen Sink. My hope was to create a detailed yet subtle textured panel background with thread so that the heart (colored with prisma pencils) could pop and be the focal point. The sentiment was strategically computer generated and printed before sewing the panels. The ribbon was pleated, sewed, cut down and then glued to a full width panel of ribbon. There are three red gems on the kraft cardstock and then one placed on the heart.

Supplies Used: SU Kraft Cardstock, CTMH All My Love Stamp Set, SU White Craft Ink, Prisma Colors, Signo White Gel Pen, Gems, White Ribbon, Thread

Plant Smiles

Plant Smiles. Grow Laughs. Harvest Love.
Wow. Amazing. My new words to live by! This entry is for the latest and greatest sketch challenge at Caardvarks. So much fun. I started with my only paper pack from a couple of years ago because it had the general feel of the top layout on the sketch, then added the chipboard rings attached with ribbon. I originally had the ribbon on the bottom but by chance my little three year old with his sticky fingers got in my craft area and turned things around. Then I saw a Window Box with grass growing! My dear husband then wanted to add to the card by stating that I should make a tomato plant, not sure where that came from, but it lead to the idea of adding the crystals for something growing. I like crystals better than a tomato plant. I then added the sentiment on the bottom part to tie it together.

Supplies Used: Bo Bunny DSP, SU Chipboard, CTMH Cardstock, CTMH Treasure Life Stamp Set, SU Paper Piercer, SU Chocolate Chip Ink, Color Box Chalk Ink in Creamy Brown, Basic Gray Filing Set, Zva Creative Crystals