A little Birdie

I've been thinking about this card all week and nearly thought past the Saturday deadline without putting it together. This Penny Black challenge was to use a great sketch by Beth to showcase a delightful Penny Black image.


The design team for these challenges always presents awesome works of art -- please go see for yourself. I inherited these papers as scraps from an unknown source and they made the making of this card so easy with an addition of a little lacy edging by Fiskars. Our little hedgehog is layered a la Tole to really make him fat and happy and so is his little birdie friend. The little birdie sparkles with Art Institute Glitter and liquid laminate. The Poinsettia (also painted with liquid laminate) is a Sizzlet, embossed on the backside for dimension with a small flower punch and gem for center impact. "Friend" is from Stampendous. My son likes this card but, as always, gave me a severe critique. Ahh, but we are still "friends."

Santa's Helper

Polka Dots! That's what the House Mouse Challenge was for the week. Take the link to see what the Design Team has done with this theme. Because I made a Funky Pink Christmas card for my darling little granddaughter -- I could do no less for my wonderful grandson. This card is for him as he has a real sweet tooth. Perhaps I'll sneak him a real candy cane when his Mom isn't looking. I made the polka dot background with a pencil eraser, top boss, and gold embossing powder. "Santa's Helper" is by my hand. The House Mouse image "Little Candy Striper" is colored with Prismacolor Markers I sneaked out of my son's studio. Thank you for coming by to look -- please take a moment to tell me what you think.

Have Yourself a Funky Little Christmas

I am so excited to find yet another challenge blog spot -- this one requires the use of a Penny Black image. Another one of my favs! -- and I probably have a drawer full of these too. This week's challenge was to use untraditional colors to make a funky card. Here are the specifics on the challenge and a link for you to see some awesome creations by the Design Team.

I immediately thought of my dear little granddaughter who insists on everything -- I mean everything -- being pink from her shoes to her lunchbox. So I've made this for her. The trees are by Sizzix, the pink swirly "snow" and the frame is by cuttlebug, Penny Black's "Ladies Divine", and the mailbox - Good Stamps Stamp Goods are edited to suit the purpose and the phrase is by my hand. Get those letters off to Santa -- time's a wasting!

With or Without?

The House Mouse Challenge for the week is to create a Christmas card using a House Mouse image. Having a House Mouse image is the easy part. What comes next is illustrative of my indecisiveness when it comes to the creative process. With the poinsettia on the side, or without it? With or without? My son says "without." What say you all? I think my final answer is "without" because it gives a more natural feel to the wintry scene I was trying to create. Here is the process: Memories Midnight Blue Ink for a "midnight" sponged background skyline, PSX trees and Stampin up stars finish the scene. PSX "Believe" stamped on a sizzix die cut tag. The blue frame (Sizzix) for the House Mouse "Warm Tree Light" is stamped with one side of a Stampendous texture cube and then heat embossed in gold. If you like the addition of the poinsettia, it is created with a sizzix die and scored for dimension. And, the best part of the making of this card is that I just inherited my son's Prismacolors and I used them for the first time on these little mousies. Crystal lacquer accents the Christmas Bulb. I can't wait to decorate my tree!