Joy to the World

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by!

One of my favorite views in the Winter is the cardinals spot of color in

the otherwise drab scenery.

The leaves and berries are stenciled using the stencils from the set I used for this card.

I don't use a lot of stencils, but I think this is my absolute favorite!

The rush is on.  Thanks to all the Christmas challenges through the year, I have  plenty of

Christmas cards done and some are even addressed and ready to mail.  It's not too soon to

start on cards for next year though and they are my favorite kind of cards to make

this time of year.

Challenges:

Four Seasons - Winter

Just Us Girls 755 -  ATG Stencil Week

Peace on Earth #77 - 

 

 

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Christmas Sentiments ( Kaisercraft)

Ink:   Verssafine Onyx Black, Evergreen Bough, Forest Moss (DI), Real Red

Paper:   Neenah Solar White, Crumb Cake

Other:  Holiday Sprigs Stencil (SSS), Cardinal Left Facing (Dee's Distinctively), Woodland Branch (MB)

Enjoy!

If you would like to subscribe by email,

please fill out the contact form in the upper right sidebar.

It is also important to add stampingwithklass1@gmail.com to your contact list

so Google recognizes the address and delivers the updates.

To unsubscribe please use the same form on the sidebar adding

unsubscribe to the message.

Thanks to all who have subscribed to my blog by email.

Your sweet and thoughtful comments warm my heart!

Color Hues 100 Happy Hanukkah

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by!

It's a special day at the Color Hues Challenge.

First my card....

Our fantastic leader, Nanc' chose the colors for this challenge...

For this background I ink blended blue and purple Distress ink on a piece of 

Neenah Solar White and splattered water then blotted for some texture.

The menorah is stamped and heat embossed on another ink blended piece

(that had been stamped too high), embossed and die cut then inlaid

in the gold frame.

My inspiration for this card was a beautiful painting in the Jewish synagogue

where we vote.

NOW FOR THE SPECIAL MESSAGE

This happens to be our 100th challenge, Woohooo!

There will be a fabulous prize offered to one of our winners. You can read all the 

details over on the Color Hues blog. 

While you're there you can see all the wonderfully creative

cards the Design Team has made with these fun colors.

This challenge is open until December 29th.

Card Recipe (card 1)

Stamps:  Jewish Celebrations (ret SU)

Ink:   Prize Ribbon, Villainous Potion (DI), Encore Gold

Paper:   Neenah Natural, Gold Foil

Other:  Gold EP, Classy Frames (die PB), Sweet Sentiments die (Alt)

Enjoy!

If you would like to subscribe by email,

please fill out the contact form in the upper right sidebar.

It is also important to add stampingwithklass1@gmail.com to your contact list

so Google recognizes the address and delivers the updates.

To unsubscribe please use the same form on the sidebar adding

unsubscribe to the message.

Thanks to all who have subscribed to my blog by email.

Your sweet and thoughtful comments warm my heart!

Turning the Page December 2024

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by!

Time to turn the page on our calendars to a new month.

 

I make calendars each year for my desk and my family.

 

I thought I'd set up a regular post on the first day of each month to share them.

 

I hope you enjoy my “Turning the Page” posts.

 

Here's our December page using Penny Black's Deco Tree

colored with Copics.  I added some stickers and a glittery star to this one.

By the way, the calendars 4 ½ x 7 inches and and can be displayed on an easel

or hung on a push pin or magnetic hook.  We all have a different way to display them.

Time to do a new calendar!

 

If you would like a word document with the calendar, email me

and I will be glad to send it to you so you can design your own.

Email link is on the sidebar.

Enjoy!

If you would like to subscribe by email,

please fill out the contact form in the upper right sidebar.

It is also important to add stampingwithklass1@gmail.com to your contact list

so Google recognizes the address and delivers the updates.

To unsubscribe please use the same form on the sidebar adding

unsubscribe to the message.

Thanks to all who have subscribed to my blog by email.

Your sweet and thoughtful comments warm my heart!

Happy Thanksgiving and GO7

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by!

Happy Thanksgiving to my US friends and a belated

Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian friends.

I hope you are finding lots of things to be thankful for.

Sometimes it's hard to see those blessings.  I hope that today you can find at least one.

This month the Group of Seven Cardmakers are using die cuts to make

textured backgrounds.

For my first card, I used 2 pieces of Saffron cardstock that's been dabbed with

various Fall colored inks.  I die cut this etched branch from one piece and glued

onto the other piece to create a textured background.

Then I die cut another branch from copper foil, trimmed a bit off and added over top.

A thin frame die cut from foil and some punched dots to add a little bit of

extra pizzazz.

Since Christmas is just around the corner, I used this technique for another

Christmas card.

This time I used a NBUS die and cut it multiple times to add randomly

over a card front.

I die cut another from Mixed Media paper and watercolored with ink pressed

into the top of my ink pads and a waterbrush. 

I die cut Joy from my Twiggy Alphabet three times, sponged color on one,

and stacked them for the sentiment.

I hope you'll go to the Group of Seven blog to see what the fantastic textured

backgrounds my GO7 friends have done. Maybe you'll want to try the technique

yourself and link your card.

Challenges:

Group of Seven Cardmakers - Textured backgrounds

NBUS #68 - Never Before Used Schtuff (Holly Branch)

Rudolph Days - ATG Christmas

 

Card Recipe (card 1)

Stamps:  Teeny Tiny Wishes (ret SU)

Ink:   Early Espresso, Crushed Curry, Pumpkin Pie, Tangerine Tango, Cherry Cobbler

Paper:   So Saffron, Copper Foil

Other:  Privet Branch Die (SSS), A2 Thin Frames die (SSS), Punches

Card Recipe (card 2)

Stamps:  

Ink:   Garden Green, Real Red, Cherry Cobbler (SU)

Paper:   Neenah Solar White, Mixed Media (Strathmore), Christmas Pine (GKD)

Other:  Red and Greens Die (PB), Twiggy Alphabet dies (MB), Stitched Rectangles die (SSS)

Enjoy!

If you would like to subscribe by email,

please fill out the contact form in the upper right sidebar.

It is also important to add stampingwithklass1@gmail.com to your contact list

so Google recognizes the address and delivers the updates.

To unsubscribe please use the same form on the sidebar adding

unsubscribe to the message.

Thanks to all who have subscribed to my blog by email.

Your sweet and thoughtful comments warm my heart!

We Three Kings

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by!

Before I need to dig out that roasting pan and start cooking, I've got another

Christmas card to share.

After stamping the Three Kings in black and embossing with clear powder, 

I went to work on the background.

I used a piece of acetate that had come in a stamp package and blended ink along the

edge while tipping it in different directions.  I hadn't used this technique in a long time.

I don't know why because it's a fun technique and makes an interesting background.

There's a star on this stamp, but I masked it (and the frame) while stamping and used

the mini Northern star stamp that I got with the Wise Men.  I was able to place

it right where I wanted it and I used gold embossing powder to give it a glow.

All of these stamps including the sentiment are from my NBUS box.  I'm trying to use

all my Christmas NBUS before buying any more.  I can't say that I've succeeded as

this joined my NBUS box quite recently.

Challenges:

Christmas Kickstart #92 - Wise Men Three

Krafty Chicks #743 - CAS

NBUS #68 - Never Before Used Schtuff

  

Card Recipe

Stamps:  We Three Kings (Lavinia), Northern Star Mini (Lavinia), Star Cluster (Lavinia), He is Born (PTI)

Ink:   Nocturne (VC), Blue & Purple Distress inks

Paper:   Neenah Solar White, Black

Other:  Clear EP, Gold EP, Infinity Circles, Circle Thin Frames die (SSS), Subtle EF (ret SU)

Enjoy!

If you would like to subscribe by email,

please fill out the contact form in the upper right sidebar.

It is also important to add stampingwithklass1@gmail.com to your contact list

so Google recognizes the address and delivers the updates.

To unsubscribe please use the same form on the sidebar adding

unsubscribe to the message.

Thanks to all who have subscribed to my blog by email.

Your sweet and thoughtful comments warm my heart!

Holly Bear Christmas

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by!

My friend Michele recently shared some Christmas images for me

to play with.  This one tugged at my heart.

This one was on Neenah cardstock so I pulled out my Copics and smiled the whole

time I was coloring.

I stuck to traditional colors and used a pierced snowflake background behind the

design piece. I had trouble figuring out where to put the sentiment and ended up using

it as a tag and popping it up in the corner.

I had so much fun with it that I colored another.

This time I used a more non-traditional color for his scarf and added some

dots with a white gel pen.

I cut around the top holly leaves before I die cut the image so the

leaves would be outside the die cutting.

This sentiment is again popped up and one that I pressed when Michele 

came to visit.

Thank you for sending me an envelope of fun, my friend.  I'm looking forward

to coloring up the rest of them. My friend Michele is Guest Designer at the

Penny Black Saturday Challenge this month. Do check out the challenge and

 see the scene she created. 

Challenges:

Penny Black Saturday - ATG using Penny Black or optional Create a Scene

Can You Handle the Pressure - ATG with embossing folder/twist of Winter Fun

Darnell's I.D.E.A.S. - ATG

 

Card Recipe (card 1)

Stamps:  Love and Magic (PB), Festive Snippets (PB)

Ink:   Copic Friendly

Paper:   Neenah Solar White, Real Red

Other:  Copics (C00, C0, C1, YG17, BG09, G24, R29, R39, R22), Pinpoint Snowflake Plate (MB), White Gel Pen, Chunky White EP (Stampendous), Baker's Twine 

Card Recipe (card 2)

Stamps:  Love and Magic (PB), BP Sending Joy Sentiments (SB)

Ink:   Copic Friendly, Real Red

Paper:   Neenah Solar White

Other:  Copics (C0, C1, C2, G24, G43, G46, YG03, YG17, BG11, BG13, BG15, R37, R29), Curvy Cap Pinpoint Layers Die (MB), White Gel Pen, Chunky White EP

Enjoy!

If you would like to subscribe by email,

please fill out the contact form in the upper right sidebar.

It is also important to add stampingwithklass1@gmail.com to your contact list

so Google recognizes the address and delivers the updates.

To unsubscribe please use the same form on the sidebar adding

unsubscribe to the message.

Thanks to all who have subscribed to my blog by email.

Your sweet and thoughtful comments warm my heart!

Sunflower Thanks

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by!

Wow, this month has sped by and I'm just under the wire for a couple of challenges.

My friend Nance and I recently had a playdate and this came from one of the

beautiful embossing folders she brought.

I embossed it with Strathmore watercolor paper so I could watercolor, then

colored with my Zigs and a waterbrush.

Feeling very Fallish these days, I pulled out my copper foil for the sentiment

and some little punched dots.

I don't know what took me so long to get this done.

Too many fun things to do and so little time!

Challenges:

The Flower Challenge #97 - Thanks

The Four Seasons - Fall

Card Recipe

Stamps:  

Ink:   

Paper:  Watercolor (Strathmore 300 series), Neenah Natural, Copper Foil 

Other:  Sunflower Embossing Folder (Erin Lee Creative), Zigs (yellow, bright yellow, deep red, olive green, dark brown), Yana's Wonderful Scripted Sentiments, Yana's Layered Scripted Sentiments (SB), Punches

Enjoy!

If you would like to subscribe by email,

please fill out the contact form in the upper right sidebar.

It is also important to add stampingwithklass1@gmail.com to your contact list

so Google recognizes the address and delivers the updates.

To unsubscribe please use the same form on the sidebar adding

unsubscribe to the message.

Thanks to all who have subscribed to my blog by email.

Your sweet and thoughtful comments warm my heart!

Noel Wreath

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by!

Here's another Christmas card from my UFO box.

The grapevine wreath was in the box and I did what I do with the wreath on the door

when the seasons change.  You can add anything you want (or what's punched or die cut

in the bits boxes) and change the whole look.

This time it's finished off with pine and holly with a poinsettia added in.

A bird cut from gold foil and then embossed and a big red bow added some

more color and elegance.

The foiled Noel looks a bit off, but my Glimmer Machine doesn't work the best

and it could be off due to the shine that the camera doesn't like.

I'm adding this to a new to me challenge where my friend Nance is guesting for

the next several weeks.

Challenges:

AAA Colourful #10 - Reds, Greens and Gold

Just Us Girls #754 - Mood Board - See that wreath?

Jingle Belles - CASE their Banner

 

Card Recipe

Stamps:  

Ink:   

Paper:   Neenah Solar White, Shaded Spruce (SU)

Other:  Nordic Frames (Grty), Funky Wreaths (TH), Holiday Blooms (Spl), Fit to be Tied (Grty), Birds (IO), Perfect Sentiments Holiday Foil Plate (PFS), Gold Foil

  

Enjoy!

If you would like to subscribe by email,

please fill out the contact form in the upper right sidebar.

It is also important to add stampingwithklass1@gmail.com to your contact list

so Google recognizes the address and delivers the updates.

To unsubscribe please use the same form on the sidebar adding

unsubscribe to the message.

Thanks to all who have subscribed to my blog by email.

Your sweet and thoughtful comments warm my heart!

Santa

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by!

When I was cleaning out my UFO box, I found some of these Santas

all stamped and ready to color.  So I pulled out my Copics and got to work.

This stamp set was retired long ago, but I love the stamps in the set and continue to 

use them. I hope you don't mind.

Challenges:

Inkspirational #329 - Word Prompt: Santa

Sparkles Christmas #166 - Snowflakes

Card Recipe (card 1)

Stamps:  Seasons Greetings (There She Goes OOB), Mini Christmas Greetings (Spl)

Ink:   Memento Tuxedo Black,

Paper:   Neenah Solar White, Cherry Cobbler

Other:  Copic Markers, Anytime Tags Die (LI OOB), Kars Snowflake EF (ret Cuttlebug), Snowflake EF (MS)

Card Recipe (card 2)

Stamps:  Seasons Greetings (There She Goes OOB), 

Ink:   Memento Tuxedo Black, Weathered Wood (DI), 

Paper:   Neenah Solar White

Other:  Mini Slimline Double Stitch Rectangle Die (Kat Scrap), Winter Stencil (Echo Park), Silver Glitter Paste, Border Builder Die (LI OOB)

  

Enjoy!

If you would like to subscribe by email,

please fill out the contact form in the upper right sidebar.

It is also important to add stampingwithklass1@gmail.com to your contact list

so Google recognizes the address and delivers the updates.

To unsubscribe please use the same form on the sidebar adding

unsubscribe to the message.

Thanks to all who have subscribed to my blog by email.

Your sweet and thoughtful comments warm my heart!

JOY

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by!

How are you coming on your Christmas cards?

When my sweet friend Michele came to visit, she brought her night and day pine press plates 

and they were the first things I dug into.  I had a new set of ink cubes from 

Pinkfresh Studios and we found that they worked beautifully with the Betterpress system.

This was my absolute favorite of the two plates.  It inks the background and leaves the

pine boughs looking white and snowy.

The Immense Joy die cut was a fun surprise in the mail and I thought they went

together beautifully paired with my favorite Nativity die.

I used a little chunky gold embossing powder on the center of the O and heated 

from the back for a "starry" backdrop and layered the white die cut slightly offset

from a gold die cut.

I'm hoping to find these press plates half price one of these days (wink)!

Challenges:

Just Us Girls #753 - Word Week (Joy)

Card Recipe

Stamps:  BP Day and Night Pine plate (SB)

Ink:   Sage (PFS)

Paper:   Watercolor (Canson), PB Porcelain, Gold Foil

Other: Immense Joy die (PB), Nativity die (?), Chunky White & Gold EP (Stmp)

Enjoy!

If you would like to subscribe by email,

please fill out the contact form in the upper right sidebar.

It is also important to add stampingwithklass1@gmail.com to your contact list

so Google recognizes the address and delivers the updates.

To unsubscribe please use the same form on the sidebar adding

unsubscribe to the message.

Thanks to all who have subscribed to my blog by email.

Your sweet and thoughtful comments warm my heart!

Hemlock Chickadee

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by!

I don't mean to alarm you, but do you realize that we're more than halfway

though November and Christmas is just around the corner?

I used to do a lot of different crafts and loved to use the hemlock cones that I

would collect at my Dad's house in VT in the summertime.  I still have a kissing

ball made with these cones and an artificial sprig of mistletoe.

When this die set went on sale, I couldn't resist.

The branches and chickadee were cut from mixed media paper and

watercolored.  I cut the hemlock cones from kraft and added a bit of color

with a marker at the tops.  They are very tiny and my fingers had as much color

as the cones when I was finished.

I put it all together on a piece of kraft embossed and ink swiped for a

snowy forest background.

Challenges:

ABC Christmas - W is for Watercolor or X is for Xylophone

Darnell's I.D.E.A.S. - Third Monday is Embossing

Krafty Chicks #742 - Christmas

NBUS #68 - Never Before Used Schtuff (Hemlock Cones & Chickadee die)

 

 

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Merry & Bright Sentiment Strips (Spl)

Ink:   Rustic Wilderness, Pine Needles, Vintage Photo, Smoky Gray, Basic Gray, Crisp Cantaloupe, Peach Parfait (SU), Black Marker (SU), Whisper White, BP Black (Spl)

Paper:   Kraft, Mixed Media (Strathmore)

Other:  Hemlock Cones & Chickadee dies, Scrolled Punch & Pierce Plate, Mirrored Arch Labels (all SB), Tall Pines 3D EF (SSS), Merry & Bright Sentiment Strips Die (Spl), Sparkle Texture Effects (MS)  

Enjoy!

If you would like to subscribe by email,

please fill out the contact form in the upper right sidebar.

It is also important to add stampingwithklass1@gmail.com to your contact list

so Google recognizes the address and delivers the updates.

To unsubscribe please use the same form on the sidebar adding

unsubscribe to the message.

Thanks to all who have subscribed to my blog by email.

Your sweet and thoughtful comments warm my heart!