CAS-ual Fridays 80...Gift Tags

Wow...two weeks seems like such a long time, but the two week challenge was a wonderful time of rest and spending time with family...Hope your last two weeks was wonderful as well!!  There was A LOT of blue in the gallery...you all rocked the last challenge!!  We are on to the next....this week at CAS-ual Fridays, the challenge is to make a gift tag...right in time for the Christmas season!!....

This week's sponsor is Bossy Joscie....

How very cool!!  The winner this week will get a $20 shopping spree at their store!! 

I made a few of the same tags in different colors....

Used CAS-ual Fridays Stamps(Snowflake Greetings), a Stampin Up scalloped punch and some circle punches with a Papertrey Ink bookmark die(about 2/3 of the die and round the corners) and gingham stamp.  Stamped the snowflakes with versamark and white embossed...dotted the scallop with some enamel accents. I used Lucky Limeade, Brocade Blue and Poppy Parade(the Poppy Parade colored one has soft suede for the senitment). Come join the fun this week and be a part of the challenge(hey, these were the first tags that I ever made, so I know that everyone has a tag or two in them...it was lots of fun!!!)!!   Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

The Winner of the Simon Says Stamp Gratitude Blog Hop is...

So very sorry this is posting late, I had scheduled it for this morning, walked away from my computer until my husband asked me to look at my email and found the post hadn't posted...so sorry
The winner of the Simon Says Stamp Gratitude Blog Hop is ...
lauraleigh...

Beautiful cards! With gratitude to God for His many many blessings, I am thankful for my wonderful family & amazing church family.

Laura, if you could shoot me your email,  Simon Says Stamp will be in touch with you to see where you would like your charitable contribution to donated to:)!!  

Thanks to all of you who were a part of the blog hop...what wonderful comments from so many...so wonderful to reflect on the things in our lives we are grateful for...I am so grateful for you:)!!  The biggest of thanks to Simon Says Stamp for making the wonderful blog hop happen and for their incredible generosity!!   Hope you have a wonderful day:)!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Snowflake Christmas Cards

I was inspired by amazing and super creative Ardyth and her amazing snowflake card which you can find HERE and used a "love"ly(it looks like little hearts at the tips of the snowflake) and simple snowflake from Simon Says Stamp and a sentiment from CAS-ual Fridays Stamps and made this...

 Used Tim Holtz Distress paper(LOVE the color and texture!!!)...die cut the snowflake with three shades of blue and 3 times in white and the VERY cool thing...you can make THREE cards!!...

 Using all the middle and outside pieces in different places on each card:):)!!

For those of you out shopping today, hope you were successful in your mission to get all your Black Friday deals!!
Things I used:)...

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Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Simon Says Stamp Gratitude Blog Hop and Charity Donation

Hi everyone!  This time of year we count our blessings and the things we are grateful for. I am  full of gratitude to Simon Says Stamp for asking me to be a part of this wonderful Gratitude Blog Hop...how honored I am to be a part of a hop that celebrates this season and holiday of gratitude and with so many incredible artists!!  What are you grateful/thankful for?  I am so very grateful for LOVE...the love for and of my Lord, husband, children, family, friends and followers...a girl couldn't ask for any more than that!!!    This blog hop is a great way to share creative ways to celebrate our gratitude!!...In keeping with love and gratitude, here's what I have made:

I took some Thanksgiving/Fall colored strips(YOU could use any color palette:)!) of Tim Holtz Kraft Core paper, adhered them to a piece of copy paper and die cut with the Simon Says Stamp Thinking of You die on top of the strips. I then die cut another sentiment with white cardstock and adhered the two together.  I used the same colors of paper and die cut all sizes of hearts with the Simon Says Stamp Hearts Stars Die (LOVE the sizes of these hearts!!!).  I stamped with versamark on white cardstock with the Hero Arts Large Fabric Design stamp and clear embossed for a background with some "added interest".  Layered on dark brown and then on some Tim Holtz Distress paper(LOVE the colors and textures of this paper....it's beautiful!!)...here's a closer look ...

I just couldn't stop the love...

Used the Lots of Thanks stamp set from Simon Says Stamp and stamped the hearts on the back of some of the Fall colored Tim Holtz kraft core paper(it's colored and textured on one side and kraft on the other!)and then cut them out.  Used the kraft side of one sheet, cut a strip and punched partial circles out of  the strip.  Ran the strip through my Big Shot with my Simon Says Stamp Circle Border die and my embossing mats embossing, not cutting, the paper.  Stamped the sentiment to fit into one of the cut outs and layered the hearts and border. 

All the products I used are listed at the bottom of the post:)!!

I will be giving away a $50 donation to the charity of a commenter's choice!!  Just leave a comment with what you are most grateful for and you will be entered in the drawing!!  After the winner is chosen Simon Says Stamp will be in touch with you to find out the charity you have chosen.  We will draw winners on Wednesday 11/28, one week from today!!

This Friday Simon Says Stamp will offer a Black Friday discount code to its customers for 35% off selected items in the store...YEAH!!   But blog hoppers get the code early for stopping by my blog ...YEAH ...YEAH!!!  Click here to see the items that are included in the sale. Enter SIMONBF35 in the Promotion Code box (be sure to use all CAPS) and you will get 35% off of those items.  Happy Shopping!! 

Thanks for visiting!! The next stop in the Simon Says Stamp Gratitude Blog Hop is the amazing SHARI CARROLL!!!   If while hopping, you encounter a broken link, you can go back to the beginning  for links to everyone who is participating in the hop.  Hugs to you all and for those here in the states...A Very Happy Thanksgiving!!!  Lisa

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So Very Blessed

Made this card a while ago, and with my daughter and son-in-law in town and my work space occupado, thought this would be a great time to put in up!!

Made this with Papertrey Ink flower stamps/dies and sentiment stamps/dies!  used Soft Suede cardstock to die cut flowers and for card and flower stems.  Versamarked the flowers and white embossed.  Used Papertrey Ink design paper for the "blessed" and Martha Stewart heart punches with glossy accents for the flower centers.  Hope you are having a great week...be blessed!!  Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Necklace Turned Card

Just a quick post to show you what I did with part of a $2 necklace I bought at a local Hallmark store...

I cut the Christmas lights apart and strung them across the white panel(there were enough lights for a little over 2 cards..use less lights, more cards).  I added a sentiment from Lil' Inkers and layered on silver card...how I love inspiration:)!!
Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

CAS-ual Fridays 79...Winter Blues

This week's challenge at CAS-ual Fridays ushers in the unveiling of the November CAS-ual Fridays Stamps stamp set releases....Yeah!!!!....and due to next Thursday being Thanksgiving, this week's challenge will last for TWO WEEKS....yeah!!!   Don't know about you, but more time during a holiday is ALWAYS welcome by me!!!  This challenge is to make a clean and simple card that uses BLUE on your WINTER themed card...

With all the new CAS-ual Fridays stamps....how cool is it that the sponsor this week is CAS-ual Fridays Stamps!!

  A winter card made with blue...what a fun challenge, hope you will join us this next 2 weeks and share your creativity and inspiration!!  Here's what I made...

I made my card using one of the new CAS-ual Fridays Stamps sets called Snowflake Greetings...LOVE the sentiments and the wonderful snowflakes...a SUPER FUN and versatile set!!!  Stamped 3 different snowflakes with versamark and white embossed on tempting turquoise paper.   Used my 1" square punch and punched out the flakes in different areas added sentiment to card and popped up squares on natural white card(has little fibrous specs) and added 3 turquoise rhinestones to the snowflakes.  Super simple, but loved the graphic feel and simplicity!!!

Hope you will check out the CAS-ual Fridays blog ...you will find inspiration from the other Girl Fridays and can join all the fun entering your card into the challenge....Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

CAS-ual Fridays Stamps...Day 2 Sneaks!

Today, I've made some cards with the second set of CAS-ual Fridays Stamps November release stamp sets...this one is called Merry Kiss-mas...a wonderful set of stamps that has pretty Christmas greenery images and sweet sentiments!!  Here are the cards I made...

 This was simply done by stamping the holly and sentiment on a card then twice again on green paper and cut out the green ones. Emboss the card...used an impression plate from Papertrey Ink.   Adhere the green leaves over the ones stamped on the card and color in the berries with red ink.  Dot the red berries with glossy accents .

Used the same holly leaves as the first card on the same green paper. Stamped several times as close to looking like a wreath as possible and then cut out around outside and in the middle.  Stamp 5 or 6 more hollies and cut out.  Adhere all around the already stamped "wreath" and then dot the berries with red liquid pearls.  Place on holly embossed panel and adhere to card.

On this card, I stamped the mistletoe with black on kraft, colored with green Prismacolor pencils and dotted with white enamel accents.  Added red ribbon and popped up on kraft card with this adorable sentiment!!
Hope you will check out the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps blog  to not only see all the new stamp sets, but to see what's been created with them!!...leave a comment on the post of each day's  release and you will have a chance to win that day's stamp set!!  Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

CAS-ual Fridays Stamps... a "Happy" Sneak

I am so thrilled to usher in CAS-ual Fridays Stamps  first set of the November stamp set releases today...the holiday season abounds and is super evident in all the sets...today's set is called 8 Happy Nights!!  This set has a wonderful array of images and sentiments that celebrate Hanukkah!!  Here's what I made...

The dreidel poem sentiment inspired me...I HAD to make some clay dreidels!!  I used  white Primo Sculpey clay, rolled it thin(I used my Tim Holtz acrylic blocks for rolling depth...they are super thin), stamped on then cut out the dreidel image and baked them. Super easy and what GREAT FUN, loved how easy it was to stamp on clay(I researched before stamping and found that Sculpey brand and the Primo type was best for this). Check out the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps blog for cards featuring ALL the wonderful sets for the next 5 days...leave a comment on each day's post and you will make yourself eligible to win each day's stamp set...how very cool it that???!!!!  Christmas music is playing on a radio station where I live...puts me so in the mood to create for the Holidays!!!  How 'bout you?!  Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Wonderful Washi

Just have to say...I didn't get the "washi" thing...heard about it a long time ago, and found it really easy to resist the craze.  A couple months ago, I gave in and purchased a couple rolls...decided to give it a try.  Someone said on a post of a really simple card I made about a month ago with some washi that I should watch out...I'd be hooked, well she was right..I AM HOOKED!!  Let me tell you why!  I LOVE DIES...and when you die cut sentiments, it is really hard to find design papers with design small enough to accomodate dies...the patterns are just too darn large.  So, I had settled to emboss, or stamp on paper with die cutting.  I experimented the other day with washi tape and some Papertrey Ink sentiment dies and LOVED,LOVED, LOVED the small patterns effect on die cutting using the washi...
SUPER SIMPLE cards...but just wanted to show you what washi looks like die cut...

LOVE the intense patterns created with washi tape...and the soft texture after die cutting is super cool, too!!

The dies are Counting My Blessings and stamps by Papertrey Ink.  The blue washi is from AC Moores, the pink is We R Memory Keepers.  Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Retro Squares...Too Much Fun!!

I got the Retro Squares dies by My Favorite Things, sat down to make a card, and couldn't stop!!  I STILL have more ideas...but here are 6 for now(My daughter said these cards looked like they belonged in the Brady Bunch show...I guess being "retro" squares...that's just about right...I just loved the fact that they are cool squares:):)!!)...

 Made with circles cut from Stampin Up Owl punch adhered in the middles of the squares and coated with some Glossy Accents...sentiment Hero Arts Essential Messages

 This one was made with the ENTIRE die(about 6" long) and some punched hearts from a Martha Stewart Heart punch with some scored lines.

This one made with a Papertrey Ink die and a Hero Arts sentiment from Baby set, and the same MS hearts.

This one was made with Papertrey Ink Simple Stripes impression plate run over all three blues in different directions and sentiment from same set as first two.

This one was made with design paper from Stampin Up and the same sentiment as the last one.

 This one didn't photgraph well, but made with 2 shiny papers from Michael's and a sentiment from Hampton Arts done in versamark with silver embossing powder and Taken with Teal ink.   The silver squares are bling from Michael's.  Here's a close up pic...

What a versatile die...and so much fun!!  Just so you know...I love the "layered look" so all the outside die cuts are tripled...the bottoms, just one layer...the hearts 3 layers and circles, too!   Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa