Spot the Snark! (challenge reminder)

Here we are, the day after Christmas, if that's your thing, or just happy Saturday! Popping in with a reminder that our current Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers challenge, X is for Xmas, continues for another two weeks while the Sisters recover from their seasonal merry-making. Forgot to send someone a card? Make one now and link it up! Here's one more from me, with just a little bit of snark when you look closely...

Whatever or however you may be celebrating, enjoy your weekend! Our next challenge launches January 9th, 2016.

Supplies: white cardstock, Lawn Fawn Toboggan Together stamps and dies, My favourite Things black liquorice, Ranger classic cherry & milled lavender & tumbled glass distress inks, distress markers, homemade confetti white Perfect Pearls mist, pop-dot tape


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The Stockings Were Hung...

It's Saturday, and that means it's time for a new Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers challenge! Even our mascot Edna is getting into the holiday spirit... and perhaps spirits, come to think of it. ;) Our latest challenge: X is for Xmas! 

NEWS FLASH — to accommodate this busy time of year, this challenge will last

not just two, but FOUR weeks! If you're at all like me, you may have a card or two

left to create. (We won't even talk about getting them in the mail; 

that's not nearly as fun as making them.) 

Here's my latest...

This idea had been lurking in my brain for ages, and I finally let it out onto a card. I found three cats that would more or less fit into the three stockings die cuts, and then gave a vague impression of a fireplace mantle behind them. The sentiment is computer-generated. I'm submitting this card to the current STAMPlorations Stamp & a Holiday challenge. 
I hope you'll join us with any last festive cards you make! Be sure to pop over to the Snarky blog to see what my sisters have created as well as our latest guest designer Ike! 

Supplies: white, grey & Stampin' Up real red cardstock, Strathmore mixed media paper, Echo Park Christmas This and That patterned papers, My Favourite Things I Knead You stamps and dies, Paper Smooches stockings dies, distress markers, Papertrey Ink woodgrain texture plate, Wink of Stella clear glitter marker, Recollections black half-pearls, pop-dot tape 

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Still No Stamping

I have my second stampless card for the current Shopping Our Stash challenge. And this time, I didn't even use patterned paper! 

Embossing paste-stencilled snowflakes on a red card base and a die-cut sentiment panel. I'm also entering this into Simon Says Stamp's current "Let It Snow" challenge as well as the current Just Us Girls word week: Merry. 

It really doesn't get too much easier than this. ;) 

Supplies: white & textured red American Crafts cardstock, Memory Box winter tiny snowflakes stencil, Dreamweavers glossy white embossing paste, Memory Box grand Merry Christmas die, pop-dot tape

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No Stamping???

The current challenge at Shopping Our Stash is No Stamping. Somehow, that always feels a little bit like cheating to me. On the other hand, I have lots of not-stamp supplies to make cards, so why not? Here's my first attempt: 

Here I'm letting patterned paper do all the work. But not just any paper... Christmas Carol paper! (World's biggest Dickens fan here.) While these supplies don't count as ancient stash, I have been happy to just admire the paper pad since I bought it a few months ago, so it was more than time to cut into it. No stamps doesn't necessarily mean no ink, so I sponged some ink around the edges of the card base to match the already-done distressing of the book pages. It seems once I really get going with patterned papers, I don't want to stop, so I decorated the inside of the card as well.  

The sentiment is from a package of die cuts, to keep with the no-stamping theme. 
I do have a second card in mind with an entirely different way to avoid the use of stamps! 

Supplies: Stampin' Up naturals ivory cardstock, Graphic 45 Christmas Carol patterned paper, antique linen distress ink, Kaiser Craft Christmas Carol die cut, pop-dot tape

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Muse Challenge

Having started with Ardyth's Muse: ChristmasVisions challenge, this week I decided to play along with her original Muse challenge. (About time! She's already up to challenge #144.) This week's muse is Ardyth's talented daughter Kate, and this is her card: 

So cute! I chose to be inspired by Kate's line of fun and colourful theme-related images and her clean design. Here's mine:  

 Kate's row of images reminded me of this prehistoric Stampin' Up set. I stamped the trees in bright green, then coloured any ornaments in red. I get a little stuck on realism sometimes, so the trunks are brown. Each star is bright yellow with some clear glitter pen for shine. The sentiment is stamped in matching green on the card base — props to Kate for making a one-layer card! I tend to find them daunting... no room for error! ;) 
This card was so quick and easy to put together, I made another! 

This one is closer to the original inspiration, I think, since I used more colours and there is more variety to the images. Each ribbon and bow is traced with a clear glitter pen for some sparkle. 
Thanks for the fun inspiration, Kate! 

Supplies: white & Stampin' Up real red & basic black cardstock, Stampin' Up Crazy for Christmas stamps, My Favourite Things black liquorice & Ranger lily pad & classic cherry inks, various markers, Gelly Roll clear glitter pen

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The 25th Tag...

And with this post, I complete my goal of making and posting a tag for every. single. day. of Tracey's 25 Days of Christmas Tags! For my final tag, I was inspired by Tracy Gruber's terrific snowman tag to make my own snowman on kraft tag:

I picked a more solid image than Tracy, as I wanted the white to really pop. Instead of a red backing tag, I added a little red heart and some wide red linen ribbon for my colour contrast. With my snow guy taking centre stage, I'm adding this to the new Simon Says Stamp "Let It Snow" challenge. (But no thank you to the real stuff.) 
Thanks again to Tracey for organizing this fun event! :) 

Supplies: Stampin' Up kraft & real red cardstock, Unity Snowbody Warms My Heart stamps, Versamark, Wow white embossing powder, tiny random heart die cut, hole punch, May Arts linen ribbon

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