Banana Split Sunday!

It's time for another Banana Split Sunday challenge, and if you're like me, you're happy that it involves Christmas cards! I still need to make a few more, so I am happy that many challenge coordinators are keeping us procrastinators in mind as December approaches! ;)

I had so much fun coloring today's image! When I was about 6 years old and in first grade, they stood me on a stool in a red and white flannel gown and had me sing *I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus* for the school Christmas program. When I first saw Penny's Christmas Tree, for whatever reason, that was the first thought that came to mind! I thought this cute Cosmo Cricket Jolly by Golly paper would be perfect for paper piecing her pj's, along with some liquid applique fluff for the cuffs, collar and hemline. I colored the rest of the image with Copic markers, adding a little Spica sparkle to the bow, star, and Penny's eyes. I used a gold gel pen to dot in some beaded garland, and used pearls of graduated sizes to add ornaments to the tree.

As simple as it is, I wrestled with the layout of this card. Maybe that's exactly why...it wanted to be simple and I kept fiddling around trying to add more. I finally added a big stitched twill bow and a sparkling snowflake and declared it finished.

Visit the Banana Blog to see the creations from our other designers. You'll want to link your card there so you'll be eligible to win this week's prize, Penny's Christmas Tree!

CenterStage Spotlight Challenge

It's time for another GinaK CenterStage Spotlight Challenge Blog hop! You might have expected more Christmas cards and I should still make several more, but I needed a soft, serene card for a friend who is going through some tough times and this is what I ended up with...you know how that is when a card just seems to take on a life of its own?!

Our challenge for today's CSS Blog Hop was to stamp on patterned paper. Most of the patterned paper I have is bright and busy and would not elicit the calm peacefulness that I was hoping for, so I opted to try one of Emily Giovanni's textured digital prints. I printed it on a single sheet of card stock, trimmed it into several pieces, stamped the pears (from Asela's Fruitful Harvest) in Memento Rich Cocoa onto one, then used OMS with Prismas in greens and teals to add some shadows and highlights. I added a light umber shadow with the pencils where the upper pear overlays the lower, but all the rest of the shadows around the images were added with Copic markers (W1, W3 and W5). I used a waterbrush to layer on a thin glaze of Stickles to add the sparkle that was the second requirement of today's challenge.

For the card base and layers, I used GinaK Pure Luxury card stock in Green Apple, Moonlit Fog, and Tan Leather. All of the edges were inked with Tim Holtz distress ink and then distressed and stitched. I kept the embellishments simple, using some organdy ribbon and self-adhesive pearls. For the bonus challenge to coordinate the inside, I repeated the same layers and embellishments, including a sentiment framed by pearls, with plenty of room left to write some encouraging words.

For me, even though this isn't a spectacular card, it epitomizes the ideal in card-making...it was simple and relatively quick to create, it uses classic imagery and embellishments which transcend time, and it was made specifically for the personality/style (classic, understated elegance) of the one who is to receive it for this particular time in her life...every stroke and stitch was made with compassion and care, and it will be sent full of prayers, well-wishes, blessings and hugs. That's what it's all about!

Here are the links to the rest of the designers participating in today's hop!

Brenda Turner
Carla Suto
Carolina Buchting
Cheri Weston
Geri Utterback
Giovana Smith
Gina Krupsky
Janice Melton
JenMarie Taylor
Jennie Harper
Jessica Fick
Joy Hadden
Karen Knegten
Kay Simmons
Linda Payne
Melisa Waldorf
Melissa Cash
Melissa Shultz
Nina Brackett
Pam Imholz
Peggy Wainman
Selma Stevenson
Shannon Bracken
Sharri Seffens
Sue Morris
Sue VanDeVusse
Sue Walsh
Tina Gilliland

Black Friday SALE!

Kate from i {heart} papers is having a huge Black Friday Sale from now through Sunday, so head over to Splitcoast Stampers or Paper Craft Planet to grab the code from the ihp banner ads, then run to the store to fill your cart! You can click HERE for all the details! Have fun!

Happy Birthday Nona!

Turning 75 is something really special, so I wanted to make a special card! I used JustRite's beautiful Autumn Blessings, a Karen Foster leaf print with some harmonizing Basic Grey Porcelain dp, Kaiser pearls, and gold metallic card stock to make an easel card reminiscent of the one I made for our Thanksgiving menu.

Here's a picture of Nona (my MIL) from last summer with Emily and Matthew!

I hope you have a very special day! We love you!

Color Dare #44

Just as I was about to start my Color Dare card for the week, I got an email from Kendra asking our OCL designers if they had any samples of the set Giving Thanks to share on the OCL blog...it's this week's Spotlight Set of the Week. After considering this week's colors (So Saffron, Soft Suede, and Real Red) I thought hmmm...I could make this work!

It LOOKS like I cheated and added some orange, but I didn't! I love that about prisma pencils! I colored red and yellow on opposite ends of the leaves and blended them toward the center and they made a beautiful, soft orange that is perfect for this image. That smooth transition of color is one of the things that drew me to this medium in the first place!

I wanted this layout to be relatively clean and simple, so I chose to mat my image with some layers of square Nesties backed with a little bit of texture. The light, open space really makes the colored image stand out. I actually tried adding a bit of red (ribbon, buttons, paper) to the mix but it overpowered the softness of the image, so I went some So Saffron ribbon embellished with a Basic Grey button that was a perfect match for the Soft Suede.

Giving Thanks is from OCL's Winter Release...but just this weekend we had our brand new Valentine Release! Kate from i {heart} papers is carrying every set of this new release! You should go check 'em all out! AND...she's having a big Black Friday Sale in a couple of days, so you can find great deals on some of your favorite papers and other card-making supplies! Watch for the discount code on ads that will run on SCS and PCP!

As you're reading this, I'm probably busy in the kitchen preparing for tomorrow's feast! This Fall wreath is a wonderful symbol of the beauty that surrounds us every day...we have so much to be thankful for! I hope you have a wonderful day!

Calendar Bits Blog Hop

It was an adventurous weekend in the Felts household! Because of Patrick's upcoming work schedule we decided to try to get some holiday decorating done. For me, that is like an extra Christmas in itself, bringing in boxes and unwrapping each decoration to put it in its special place! We've got a LOT of decorations because before I became a card-maker I was a tole-painter...each piece has a story behind it and many special memories. I just LOVE this time of year! Here's a picture of our hallway with some of my hand-mades.

I don't know how it is for you but it seems that for us, nearly every year, there is some little decorating fiasco! Sometimes it is something small, like a button coming unglued...this year, the fellas got the pre-lit Christmas tree light cords tangled up in the mechanism of the attic ladder, so...heheh, we'll be shopping for a new tree sometime this week! ;) (This tree is history! LOL!)

My calendar stamp set arrived Saturday afternoon, but with all the excitement of an upcoming Thanksgiving dinner with guests, and Christmas decorating, I didn't get to stamp until this afternoon. I had this idea loosely organized in my head, and I'm wishing the daylight hours were longer so I could have gotten a brighter picture (re-take in the morning!).

Each year our community has a Messiah Sing where local church musicians of all ages, denominations and skill levels gather to sing the Christmas section of Handel's Messiah. The feature soloists prepare in advance, but the choir has a single impromptu rehearsal before the crowds appear to listen to their performance. With Tami's Calendar Bits and Pieces, Nina's Vintage Borders, and Melanie's Festive Frame I had the perfect combination of images to make a special invitation to this event. I used Pure Luxury Card Stock (tan leather and cranberry tart), a Nesties Labels 4 and some pretty satin ribbon, but kept the design very simple. Loved adding that tiny embossed crown for The King of kings down in the corner! There are even a couple of treble clef flourishes! The details of the performance are hand-written on the pull-out tag that is tucked into the pocket on the front of the card. Plenty of room inside to include directions and a scripture or Christmas greeting.

For more inspiration, please visit Calendar Bits and Pieces' illustrator, Tami Mayberry, then to the following Blog Hop Participants from the GinaK Designs team:

Carolyn, Erika, Donna, Jessica, Lee and Nina

{the GinaK Designs CSS team}
Deb, Sharri, Sue, Melissa.

{Tami's Guest designer}
Jennie Harper

Make sure you stop by Gina's blog to leave your comment for a chance to win this amazing stamp set for free! Remember to check our Idea Center for even more samples, tutorials, and links!

Banana Split Sunday!

I missed last week's 2RB challenge, but all week long I had an idea rolling around in my head, so I was happy to get to combine this week's gratitude challenge with last week's sketch. Here's what the sketch looked like:

I flipped the sketch upside down to make this matchbook fold gratitude journal. Inside there are pages for each month of the year, with room to jot down a word or two each day for the things I'm grateful for. At first I had planned to use some Indian Summer paper and a Fall image, but then I decided that it should be something that would look at home on my coffee table or night stand year-round whatever the season, so I opted for this adorable Rachelle Anne Miller magic fairy, Lily, along with Colorfall and Mushroom Fancy designer papers from Imaginisce's Twitterpated Collection. I really love how she turned out, bright and fun in colors that are timeless.

I colored my image with Copic markers and highlighted her dress bodice and edges of her wings with some Spica sparkle! I then used my Nestabilities Labels 3 to cut and emboss the image...since this was the largest of the set and matting therefore was not an option, I sponged heavily around the edges to define them and give the illusion of layers. I did the same with the tag for the sentiment, from the October/November Journaling Spot. The only embellishment is a dotty bow tied with a button and some cording.

I like for the inside of my card to look as pretty as the outside, so I finished this with more of the orange dotted paper on the flip side. Normally I would adhere a flap to the clasps of the brads so the mechanics would not show, but in this case I would like to be able to replace the pages each year, so I left them accessible.

I hope you'll play along with this week's challenge...we each have something to be grateful for! I also hope my fellow Americans have a marvelous Thanksgiving! Have a terrific week!

OCL Blog Hop!

Are you ready for Our Craft Lounge's new release? I know you've enjoyed the sneak peeks that we've been sharing and you're probably ready to get your hands on these wonderful new sets! You can find 'em at i {heart} papers or at these retailers!

Today I'm sharing a card made using the Our Craft Lounge set Jungle Love and the November sketch (Thanks, Joy, for the Ooh La La for Him!). Such adorable images and fun punny sentiments in this set! Would you like a chance to win it? There will be a random drawing for a winner from the comments left on this post (ending midnight EST tonight)! Be sure to leave a contact address if your blogger ID does not already have email!

Check out the challenges on the OCL blog! Then visit these designers to see the rest of the sets of this release! Comment to have a chance to win a set...you can enter on each blog, but you can only win one! We gotta share the love!

Bird and Groom - Beth
Hang it Up Cupid - Carol, Vicki
Hearts & Hugs - Holly, Joy
The Journey - Charmaine
Life Is - Amber
Love Notes - Heather, Beate
Out for a Spin - Pam
Fairy Dust is a Must - Cami, Broni
Granny's Truffles - Val
Jungle Love - Deb (you're here), Kendra
Shamrock Blessings - Cindy
Sweet on You - Kisa
Wanted - Lila

Winners will be posted next week on the OCL blog! Hope you have a fabulous weekend!

Vintage Borders Blog Hop

I love Nina's set, Vintage Borders! My favorite image in the set is the music border, but I love them all and will probably wear them out making Christmas cards. Right now, though, I'm feeling the pressure of preparing for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, so I decided to use this set to make a pretty easel card to display our Thanksgiving dinner menu.

I started with the Vivaldi font in MS Publisher to print the menu on Pure Luxury card stock (yay! it went through my printer...sometimes my printer is finicky!) and then embossed a flourish at the bottom with gold superfine detail embossing powder. This was matted with a narrow border of gold metallic paper, and then symmetrically placed onto a pretty Fall designer print. I love the formality that the symmetry brings to this simple design. For the inside, I repeated the matted layers, then added a gold embossed, pearl-studded border and a satin bow. A single larger pearl holds the card fully upright when it is opened.

I just got confirmations from our guests, so I'll be making some pretty place cards to match this card! We have so much to be thankful for! I am happy to celebrate! Blessings to you and yours for the entire holiday season and the year to come!

How about some more inspiration with the Vintage Borders stamp set? First, check in with the Illustrator of this versatile stamp set, our Senior Designer Nina Bracket and her friend Lisa Hjulberg joining in the blog hop tonight.

Then, stop by these GinaK Designer's & Center Stage Spotlight blogs for even more samples:

Asela, Carolyn, Cindy, Emily, Erika, Jessica, Kurtis, Lee, Lynn, Melanie, Tami, and Theresa

Melissa, Karen, Sharri, and Sue

Before you finish hopping, be sure to check in on GinaK's blog to enter your comment for a chance to win Nina's Vintage Borders stamp set. If you already have purchased Nina's set, you can substitute any GinaK Designs stamp set valued at $23.95 or less.

For those of you are who looking for a quick and easy Christmas card idea, check out the Vintage Borders Card Kit available online in GinaK's store tonight. The Kit includes the step by step tutorial as well as all the card stock cut to the exact measurements needed to make 4 cards. For more details and photos of this card kit, see Jessica Fick's blog link as well as this Class Kit link.

OCL Sneak Peeks!

I have two very simple, quick projects to share with you today! The first is a hot little gift for the love of your life using Our Craft Lounge's soon-to-be-released Hearts and Hugs, which will be available at i {heart} papers along with all the other sets of this release! I couldn't resist jazzing up a little bottle of red hots to go along with this fun sentiment. It would have been equally adorable as a stocking stuffer using Christmas colors, but this scrap of Basic Grey Nook and Pantry was already right there on my table...I stamped a heart and quickly swiped it with Copic markers, cut it out, then inked up the sentiment with water-based markers. A couple of quick punches, a button, some ribbon and twine, and it's all done! The whole project took about 10 minutes.

My second project is another sneak peek of OCL's Jungle Love, which I made for today's Color Dare using Rose Red, Chocolate Chip and Green Galore. It came out bright and fun!

Here are the links to some of our talented OCL designers for more of today's previews:

Bird and Groom - Cindy, Kisa
Hang it Up Cupid - Heather
Hearts & Hugs - Deb
The Journey- Kendra
Life Is - Kendra
Love Notes - Pam
Out for a Spin - Lila, Vicki
Fairy Dust is a Must - Carol
Granny's Truffles - Pam
Jungle Love - Charmaine, Joy
Shamrock Blessings - Holly
Sweet on You - Amber
Wanted - Beth, Carol, Cami

Hope you'll come back again soon!

Oh...one more thing! I'm grateful that quite a few of you have recently decided to follow my blog (thank you!!!)...but my follower widget is invisible to me (browsing w/ Firefox)! Can you see it? Do any of you know the fix for this little quirk? If you do, please let me know!