Just Us Girls #707 - CAS Week and a Fond Farewell

Hi friends!  It's our last challenge for 2023!  What a year of challenges it has been!  This week is our CAS week and Bobby has chosen In a Circle.  Lots of interpretation ahead!

I chose to use this new die set from Spellbinders.  A very simple but elegant ornament.  I also stenciled the background with a holly and berry stencil then cut it down to make it more CAS.  The ornament was simply die cut from red card stock and white glitter paper.  I used gold shiny paper for the hanger and green and red for the holly and berries.  I stamped the sentiment and die cut it with the corresponding die then added gold pearls for a more elegant touch.  I love this and may use it as my main card this year!

You can see more from the JUGs design team and our November guest, Melissa Craig, on the JUGs blog.  This is Melissa's last week with us and I'd like to thank her for the wonderful cards she's made this month!

On another note, it's been 14 years that I've been on this team.  We started it in October 2009 and I've been on it ever since.  I've really loved being a part of this team.  I've seen some amazing talent come across this challenge over the years and made some even more amazing friends.  I've even managed to meet a couple in person...Nancy Leppek while I was in Florida and just recently Sue Vandevusse who traveled from Michigan through my hometown where we met for lunch (I hope you stop again when you are on your way through!).  All this to say that I am stepping down from this team.  This will be my final challenge.  I'll probably regret it next year, but I just felt it was time.  Thanks to all my teammates and best of luck with the new challenge!

Thanks for stopping by! 

Recipe

Stamps:  Elegant Christmas Sentiments (Waffle Flower)

Paper:  White, red, green, gold shine, sugar crystal

Ink:  Versafiine onyx black, candy apple, evergreen

Accessories:  Festive Ornament dies (Spellbinders), Elegant Christmas Sentiments die (WF), Holly & Berries stencil (Honey Bee), stitched rectangle die (MFT), gold pearls

Just Us Girls #706 - Photo or Mood Board Challenge

 Hello everyone!  Carol is the hostess over at Just Us Girls for our Photo or Mood Board challenge.  I just love the photos she chose for the mood board!

I was cleaning my craft room today and found some things I haven't used yet.  This one is a stencil and die set from Pink Fresh.  I stenciled everything in the colors on the butterflies (although the aqua looks green even though the color is Aqua Sky).  I then die cut them.  The pink panel was stenciled with a snow fall stencil and white ink.  I adhered the ornaments and bough to the panel along with the die cut sentiment.  I added the gold pearls and some star dust stickles to the ornaments for sparkle.

You can see more from the JUGs design team and our November guest on the JUGs blog.

Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe

Stamps:  Peace Love Joy (Honey Bee)

Paper:  White, pink

Ink:  Versafine onyx black, unicorn, aqua sky, candy apple, olive, evergreen, rose petals, Delicata gold

Accessories:  Holiday Ornaments stencil and die (Pink Fresh), Joy die (Honey Bee), stitched rectangle (MFT), Falling Snow stencil (SSS), gold pearls, star dust stickles

Just Us Girls #704 - Color Week

Hi friends!  Carol has a great color combination for the week's Just Us Girls Color Week challenge.  Perfect for getting those holiday cards started! 

Of course I thought of a poinsettia for this color challenge, as did a couple of my design team friends did!  I die cut the poinsettia from cranberry and red card stocks and accented them with ink.  I also die cut some leaves and evergreen sprigs from green card stock and accented them with inks as well.  For the background, I used a cover plate to get the snowflake design and accented it with antique linen distress oxide ink.  The sentiment was die cut three times from cranberry card stock and stacked for dimension.  I spitzed it with shimmer spray for some sparkle and added gold pearls.

You can see more from the JUGs design team and our new November guest, Melissa Craig, on the JUGs blog.  

Welcome Melissa!  We are so happy to have you joining us this month!

Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe

Paper:  White, red, cranberry, green

Ink:  Marigold, doe; cranberry, evergreen, antique linen oxide

Accessories:  Lovely Layers: Poinsettia (Honey Bee), Pointy Pine Needle Sprigs (Memory Box), Snowfall cover plate (Concord & 9th), sentiment die (Paper Roses), stitched rectangle (MFT), gold pearls, shimmer

Just Us Girls #660 - Photo Week

Hi friends!  I hope all my American friends had a very nice Thanksgiving Day.  We had a nice time with family, great food, and football (our Buffalo Bills pulled out a win)!

This is our last challenge for 2022 over at Just Us Girls.  We are taking December off and will be back in January with some exciting changes.  But this week is Photo Week and Carol has chosen this comfy looking photo. 

I saw that painting of the deer over the fireplace and knew exactly what stamp I was going to use.  This is an older stamp set from Papertrey Ink that I cannot part with.  It's a multi-step stamp set and comes together so nicely.  I chose a fun polka dot pattern paper for the back and a pretty teal for the frame.  I stamped the sentiment and die cut it three times (as I did for the deer) for dimension.  I spritzed it with shimmer spray and added red pearls.  

You can see more from our JUGs design team and our November guest, Karren Johnson, on the JUGs blog.  Thanks goes out to Karren for being such a great guest this month!

Have a wonderful holiday season and we will see you in January!

Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe

Stamps:  Fawn & Flora (PTI), Ornamental Christmas (SSS)

Paper:  White, North Pole (Doodle Bug)

Ink:  Versafine onyx black, sand castle, over coffee, candy apple, key lime, evergreen, gathered twigs

Accessories:  Fawn & Flora dies (PTI), Ornamental Christmas die (SSS), Nordic Frame (Greetery), shimmer spray, pearls

Just Us Girls #659 - Color Week

 Hi friends!  Carol is the hostess at Just Us Girls for our Color Week challenge.  I love that she chose these classic holiday colors.

I chose these bells as the focus of my card this week.  I die cut them from two different green colors and gold for the accent. The bow was die cut from red and burgundy card stocks.  I chose to display them on this pattern paper I received free from Honey Bee.  It was the perfect back drop for the bells.  The sentiment was embossed in gold on red card stock and stacked with two other pieces for dimension.  I popped up the bells and added shimmer on the red berries to complete the card.

You can see more from the JUGs design team and our November guest on the JUGs blog.

Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe

Stamps:  Ornamental Christmas (SSS)

Paper:  Red, green, burgundy, gold, Honey Bee designer paper, white,

Ink:  Versamark

Accessories:  Layering Holiday Bells (Honey Bee), Ornamental Christmas die (SSS), gold embossing powder, shimmer, dimensionals

Just Us Girls #656 - Holiday Gift Tags

Hello everyone!  It's getting to be THAT time of the year!  The holidays are literally right around the corner.  Carol Mc has the perfect Wild Card challenge for us over at Just Us Girls...Holiday Gift Tags. 

I love making tags, but I hate when I see them get thrown out with the crumpled wrapping paper!  I don't usually put this much time into them, but I got carried away!  This is a Papertrey Ink tag set that I've had forever.  I'm not even sure it's still available.  I die cut it from white card stock and colored the ornaments with copic markers.  Then I had the idea to make it into a flat shaker, so I die cut another from white for the back and the top from white glitter card stock (which you can't see in the photo).  On the top one, I cut out the ornaments.  I added the clear pieces to the bottom and middle layers and added diamond dust glitter in between and adhered them together.  Then I adhered the white glitter piece on top.  I added the ribbon and die cut sentiment to finish it off.

You can see more from the JUGs design team and our October guest, Lynne Jardine, on the JUGs blog.  This is Lynne's last week sharing her beautiful designs with us.  Thanks Lynne!

Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe

Paper:  White, red, white glitter

Ink:  Copic markers

Accessories:  Christmas Cut Tag die (PTI), Winter Words die (Reverse Confetti), diamond dust, ribbon

Just Us Girls #612 - Photo Week

 Hi friends!  I'm the hostess for this week's Just Us Girls challenge and I chose this picture for inspiration.

I know I had something in mind when I chose it back in August, but I couldn't remember for the life of me!  When I went through my Christmas stamps, I found this sentiment and thought it would be perfect.  I saw swirls on the paper bags in the photo and used a 3-D embossing folder on kraft paper to mimic it.  I lightly inked the raised parts with white pigment ink to highlight those areas.  I then inked up the border with several layering stamps and inks.  I added the border with dimensional squares and cut off the pieces hanging over the edge.  I used those pieces on the bottom of the white panel.  I added star dust stickles to the red berries for some sparkle.

You can see more from the JUGs design team and our guest, Rachel Davis, on the JUGs blog.  This is her last week with us as guest for this month.  Thanks so much for being such a great guest!

Just a reminder that we are taking the month of December off, so we will be back January 1, 2022.

We are also looking to add a design team member to the team.  See the JUGs blog post for details!

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Holidays!

Recipe

Stamps:  Seasonal Borders: Winter and Favorite Things (PTI)

Paper:  Neenah white, kraft

Ink:  unicorn white; sage, spruce, rockin' red, cranberry fizz, It's a Boy, Icing on the Cake

Accessories:  Swirling Snowflakes embossing folder (SSS), star dust stickles

Just Us Girls #611 - Color Week

Hello everyone!  We have a great color challenge over at Just Us Girls.  Vicki chose aqua, brown, and cream.

 

I was lucky enough to snag this Tim Holtz/Simon Says Stamp collaboration set during Stamptember.  It sold out pretty quickly.  I thought it would be perfect for this week's colors.  I started by stamping the sleigh and the trees (several times to get a forest on the bottom) in Memento rich cocoa ink on a cream cardstock so I could use copic markers.  A moon two-step stencil came with the set.  I temporarily adhered the first solid stencil down and masked the sleigh with masking paper.  Then I was able to stencil the clouds with a cloud stencil.  Keeping the sleigh stencil in place, I replaced the solid moon stencil with the detail one and used a light blue ink with it.  Once that was finished, I removed the stencil and masking paper.  I used very light blue copics to color the sleigh, Santa, and trees then stamped the sentiment.  I added some star dust stickles to the Santa and trees.  That panel was die cut with a stitched rectangle and mounted onto an aqua panel die cut with a bigger rectangle.  I'm going to make more of these for my holiday cards this year.

You can see more from the JUGs design team and our November guest on the JUGs blog.

Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe

Stamps:  Tim Holtz/SSS stamp set

Paper:  Vintage cream, aqua, recollections white

Ink:  Memento rich cocoa, antique linen and speckled egg distress oxide, copic markers

Accessories:  Stitched rectangles (MFT), cloud stencil (MFT), masking paper, star dust stickles

Just Us Girls #609 - Word Week

Hi friends!  The first challenge of the month over at Just Us Girls is the Word Week challenge.  Nancy chose the word MERRY. 

I was so happy Nancy chose this word because I finally got to try out my new hot foil system.  I've been on the fence about adding a new technique with new products into my craft room, but I found it to be fun and rewarding!  I was so worried about this coming out messy, but when I took the foil off the paper, it was perfect and so pretty!  I can't wait to try more things!  After I foiled the word, I used a Pink Fresh stencil set to create the wreath around it.  I used several shades of green inks and the red for the berries.  I stamped the word Christmas in dark green and added gold crystals.  I matted this onto red cardstock and then onto a white base.  First of the Christmas cards done!

You can see more from the JUGs design team and our new November guest on the JUGs blog.

Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe

Stamps:  Written in Ribbons Holiday (The Greetery)

Paper:  Recollections white, red

Ink:  Rockin' red, sage, spruce, deck the halls (C. Pooler)

Accessories:  Holiday Botanical stencil (Pink Fresh), stitched rectangle (MFT), hot foil Merry die (SSS), gold hot foil, crystals

Color Hues #14 - Black & White

 Hi friends!  I saw that the current Color Hues challenge was a black and white challenge this time around and I had to play along!

I made a version of this same card in 2008!  I kept this stamp because I knew I'd be using it again.  I stamped the main image with Versafine onyx black ink, die cut it and mounted it on a black mat.  The vertical piece behind it was also stamped.  I used a long border wood mounted stamp and stamped it in the same ink.  It's also mounted on black cardstock.  The main panel was added with craft foam and I added pearls and shimmer spray.  This has always been my favorite Christmas card and I love the black and white.

Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe

Stamps:  Ornate Christmas (Inkadinkadoo); Stampers Anonymous wood mount stamp

Paper:  White, black

Ink:  Versafine onyx black

Accessories:  Rectangle dies (Spellbinders), pearls, shimmer spray, craft foam

Time Out #177 - Photo Inspiration Challenge

 Hi friends!  It's time for a new Time Out challenge.  This is our photo inspiration challenge.  The beautiful monochromatic photo is below.

We are sponsored by STAMPlorations for this challenge.

I have used a stencil from their ARTplorations line, however I could not find it on their site.  It may have been retired.  However, it's a cool one and I thought perfect for this challenge.  I started with die cutting a fog cardstock panel with a stitched rectangle then used Versamark ink through the stencil.  I embossed it with silver embossing powder.  Then I found a small snowflake die and a merry die and cut from white cardstock.  In the center of each snowflake, I placed a silver crystal.  I forgot to mention I spritzed the panel with shimmer spray before adding the die cuts.  

You can see more from the Time Out design team and our guest for this challenge, Vicky, on the

Time Out blog.

Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe

Paper:  Fog, recollections white

Ink:  Versamark

Accessories:  Artplorations stencil, stitched rectangle (MFT), Christmas Greetings die (MFT), Warm Wishes snowflake (C&9th), crystals, shimmer spray, silver embossing powder

 

Time Out #176 - Inspired by Words

 Hi everyone!  The new Time Out challenge is our Inspired by Words challenge.  Here's the quote:

"Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings."

I've had this Sunny Studios stamp set for quite some time and haven't used it yet.  The bells and bows are three-step stamps.  I love those bells!  They look so shiny, and yet it's just the colors of ink used and the design of the stamp.  I started by die cutting the panel with a stitched rectangle, then blended some tumbled glass oxide ink on the background.  I aged it a bit with gathered twigs oxide ink.  Then I stamped the branch twice to fill in the panel.  The bells and bows were stamped and die cut and adhered to the panel.  I found this sentiment in an old Papertrey Ink stamp set.  I added crystals and before I adhered the panel to the base, I spritzed it with some shimmer spray.  That shimmer is so pretty!  I added crystals to finish it off.

You can see more from our Time Out design team and our guest for this challenge, Jenny, on the Time Out blog.

Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe

Stamps:  Holiday Style (Sunny Studios), Communique Curves (PTI)

Paper:  Recollections white

Ink:  Versafine Clair nocturne, silver stone, industrial diamond (Altenew); rockin' red, peppermint scrub, spruce (C. Pooler); tumbled glass, gathered twigs (Distress Oxide)

Accessories:  Holiday Style dies (Sunny Studio), stitched rectangle (MFT), crystals, shimmer spray, craft foam

Just Us Girls #564 - Photo Week

 Hi friends!  This is the last Just Us Girls challenge for 2020.  The JUGs design team is taking a break for December...we will be back in January 2021!  But for this Photo Week challenge, Cecile chose this photo of a tower of gifts. 

I immediately thought of this very cute Presents Stack tag die from Simon Says Stamp.  It's only about three inches tall.  There are two dies in the set.  One cuts the base of the tag and the other cuts all the present details.  I die cut the detail one four times:  three times from different pattern papers and once from the silver glitter cardstock.  To put them together, I used the negative from one of the pattern papers as a guide to inlay all the different pieces.  I added black and white baker's twine to complete the tag.  I saved all the pieces left over so I can create three more tags

You can see more from our JUGs design team and our November guest, Joyce, on the JUGs blog.  This is Joyce's last week with us and we'd like to thank her for joining us and for her beautiful cards the month!

I hope you have safe and happy holidays!

Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe

Paper:  Recollections white, silver glitter cardstock, pattern paper scraps

Accessories:  Present Stack Tag die (SSS), baker's twine

Time Out #175 - Quick Card

Hello everyone!  The new Time Out challenge is to make something quick.  It can be a card that you've made quick, time going quickly, kids growing up quickly, etc.  Use your imagination!

We are sponsored by Catherine Pooler Designs for this challenge, and I used many of her products on my card.

I thought I would make a "quick" card, meaning it wouldn't take long to make.  Well, that was a challenge because I had to find a background stamp I wanted, the Catherine Pooler products I wanted to use, and find the darn glitter paper I wanted to use!  I have a bunch of it, but I could not find it even now!  That being said, once the materials were found and decided upon, I believe this card could be make very quickly!  I started with the background.  Watching a Jennifer McGuire video today, I used her technique for it.  I blended three blue distress oxide inks on white cardstock then spritzed a background stamp with water and stamped it on the inked cardstock.  It leaves a soft impression and looks almost velvety.  I then die cut the frame, sentiment, and snowflakes as well as the background and adhered them onto the background.  I wish I could have captured the sparkle from the glitter paper.  It's so pretty!

You can see more from the Time Out design team on the Time Out blog. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe

Stamps:  Garden Flourish bg (MFT)

Paper:  Recollections white, Nuvo sugar crystal glitter card

Ink:  Speckled egg, stormy sky, faded jeans distress oxide

Accessories:  Stitched rectangle (MFT), snowflake mini cover plate, joy wreath die, good stuff dies (C. Pooler), craft foam

 

Just Us Girls #562 - Trend Week

 Hi friends!  The Just Us Girls Trend Week challenge was a challenging one for me!  No-line watercoloring for me gives me the shivers, but it's always good to try something new.

So I went soooo simple with my first try at this trend.  I honestly don't know how people do this!  LOL!  Have you seen the samples the JUGs design team created?  OMG!  Gorgeous!  I've been taking a Christmas watercolor class over at the Online Card Classes and printed out a template used for one of the cards created.  I used a pencil to scribble on the back of the template then put it face up on the watercolor paper and traced it.  It left behind the graphite image of the template.  That was the "no-line" part.  Then I used Magellan Mission watercolors (I've had these forever and just filled all the wells with the colors) to fill in the tree.  It looks like a five year old did it!  LOL!   Once dry, I used a Nuvo gold glitter brush to add ornaments to the tree.  I also heat embossed the sentiment in gold.  The panel was die cut with a wonky stitches die and I added gold crystals to finish it off.  This card actually looks much prettier than it does here.  I just can't seem to get good photos lately.  I have to research that!

You can see more from our JUGs design team and our November guest on the JUGs blog.

Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe

Stamps:  Snowflake Soiree (The Greetery)

Paper:  Strathmore watercolor, garden green

Ink:  Versamark, Magellen Mission watercolors

Accessories:  Wonky Stitches die (Avery Elle), gold embossing powder, Nuvo gold glitter pen, crystals, craft foam

Just Us Girls #561 - Word Week

Hi everyone!  It's Word Week over at Just Us Girls and Vicki chose the word TRIANGLE.

I got this boxed set from Gina K and Thermo Web recently and the picture on the front of the trees caught my eye when I was trying to determine how I was going to use a triangle on my card.  Perfect!  The insert had pictures of tags (and I love tags!), so I cased that picture.  I started by stamping the mountains on the tags then stenciled the clouds in the background.  Then I die cut all the pieces.  The set comes with a stencil, so I used it to decorate the trees and the gnomes' hats.  I added red stickles to the ornaments on the trees and star dust stickles to the tops of the mountains.  I stamped the sentiments on the tag and added twine to finish it off.

You can see more from our JUGs design team and our new guest for November, Joyce Mehrberg, on the JUGs blog.

Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe

Stamps:  Gnome for the Holidays (Gina K/Thermo Web)

Ink:  Versafine Claire, sand castle, over coffee, tumbled glass, broken china, festive berries, pine needles, unicorn white

Accessories:  Gnome for the Holidays dies and stencil, infinity tag die (Hero Arts), mini cloud stencil (MFT), twine, red stickles, star dust stickles, dimensionals

Time Out #174 - Theme Challenge

 Hi friends!  The new Time Out challenge is our theme challenge, and the theme is festivals.

This was a little perplexing for me as I was trying to find images to fit the challenge.  I did two, but settled on this one.  (The other is posted below as well.)  I chose to use the Pinwheel Party set from The Greetery as I thought it looked festive.  I went with Christmas colors because I thought I could use it as a Christmas card or invitation (although I don't think I'm having any parties any time soon).  I also used a stencil to create the confetti on the bottom half of the card.  The twist on this challenge is to use shimmer or glitter.  I don't know if you can see it, but the cardstock I used for the die cut sentiment is a red shimmer.  I added crystals to the centers of the pinwheels for more sparkle.

This is the first card I made.  It's a trifold card...the JOY word folds down and the main panel folds up.  The main panel was stenciled with a Trinity Stamps stencil in green and red as well as black for the strings.  You can see the shimmer on the word die cut better on this one than in the first photo.

You can see more from the Time Out design team on the Time Out blog.

Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe (card 1)

Paper:  Recollections white, real red, red shimmer

Ink:  Festive berries, mowed lawn

Accessories:  Stitched rectangle (MFT), Pinwheel Party stencil and die (The Greetery), crystals, craft foam

Recipe (card 2)

Paper:  Recollections white, garden green, red shimmer

Ink:  Wild cherry, gumdrop green, black soot, unicorn white

Accessories:  Slimline buntings and lights (Trinity Stamps), Full of Joy Trifold die (C&9th), shimmer