adventures in holiday preparation

While I was playing with the Halloween theme last week (I designed a card for next month's Card Buffet and did a few cut-and-paste pages in a junk journal), I remembered this kit I received as an incentive prize several years ago.  At TGIF Challenges inspiration this week they said "now is the perfect time to get started on all those holiday projects," so I pulled it out and completed it:

stamp set - Toxic Treats (retired); ink - Old Olive, Tuxedo Memento Black; Stampin' Write markers - Basic Black, Old Olive; Howl-O-Ween printer's tray kit (retired); photo of the two cutest grandsons in the known world!

I had so much fun, even including the fussy cutting (I KNOW! what has happened to me, right?), that I decided it was finally time to update the twinchies shadow box I made a few years ago.  In the past I only had summer and winter themes, and Tom wondered why not spring and fall?  Since the Halloween one will be in that spot on the wall this year, I skipped fall and went for Christmas:

stamp sets - Antique Tags, Best of Christmas, Holly Berry Happiness, Santa's Sleigh, Seasonal Bells, Scentsational Seasons (all retired) ink: Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green, Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark, White Craft; Stampin' emboss powder Silver; card stock - Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green, Silver Foil, Whisper White; designer series paper - Dashing Along; punches - Bell, Holly Builder, Five Petal Flower (all retired, not sure the name is right on the last one); Big Shot with Layering Circles, Santa's Sleigh (retired), and Scentsational Seasons (retired) framelits, and Pretty Pines thinlits; Basic Rhinestones (retired), Dazzling Details - Cherry Cobbler and Silver Sparkle (retired)

In addition to being holiday preparations, these are also things 70 and 71 in my #DWPB100ThingsChallenge, and no new purchases were involved!

a miscellaney of adventures

I recently completed cards 181-185 of #365cards2018 for #365somethings2018 which are also thing 65 for #DWPB100ThingsChallenge:

I posted the Christmas cards previously. I needed a Halloween card for next month's Card Buffet, and it redirected my attention (squirrel!).  I spent an evening  playing with the Halloween theme, just cutting and pasting in a little junk journal I received from a YouTube creator I follow:

This morning, I'm in default mode, creating cards again.  This one is going in the mail with a junk journal page I created for a swap.  I used the new Try Stampin' On Tuesday sketch and added some texture for the Tuesday Throwdown:

stamp set - Sassy Salutations (retired), ink - Wisteria Wonder (retired); card stock - Wisteria Wonder (retired), Very Vanilla; designer series paper - Afternoon Picnic (retired); Big Shot with Chevron textured embossing folder (retired) and Apothecary Labels framelits (retired)

I didn't realize until I was typing that pretty much all the supplies are retired, they just happened to coordinate with the tea-party theme we were given.  I hope the recipient likes her page :-)

♫ It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas ♪♫ adventures

So, I once again took the summer off, traveling out west with no time for card making.  It put me seriously behind in my #365somethings2018 challenge, and I've had several mini-buying-spree failures in my #DWPB100thingschallenge.  But, as a friend pointed out, I've done better since I've tried than I would have done had I not tried!  Here is a photo of #365cards2018, numbers 171 through 175, which also qualified as Thing number 60.

I haven't given up yet - cards 176 through 183 are on the crafting table right now, and you won't be surprised that several of them qualify for card challenges :-).  You may not even be surprised that many of them are Christmas cards, since I'm also behind on the number of those I'd hoped to have completed by now. 

This first one uses a technique I recently learned from a fellow Stampin' Up!® demonstrator, using Epsom salts.  The results reminded me of a peaceful winter night sky, which will fit in at Jingle Belles:

stamp set - Itty Bitty Greetings; ink - Night of Navy; card stock - Night of Navy, Vellum, Silver Foil, Whisper White, Shimmer White; Big Shot with Stitched Shapes framelits and Seasonal Layers thinlits

I CASE*'d the Muse ChristmasVisions 108 using some retired supplies to capture the feel of the original:

stamp sets - Christmas Pines, Peaceful Pines (retired) ; ink - Whisper White Craft, Island Indigo (retired); card stock - Whisper White regular and thick, Coastal Cabana; designer series paper - Winter Frost (retired); Big Shot with Perfect Pines framelits (retired)

While I had the retired designer series paper out, I pulled out some of my all-time favorite for this CASE*.  Just before I glued it together I decided it needed just a touch of ribbon, so now it works for Winter Wonderland:

stamp set - Bells & Boughs (retired); ink - Versamark, Real Red, Crumb Cake (on envelope); card stock - Real Red, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla thick; designer series paper - Home for Christmas (retired); ribbon - 1/4" metallic woven (retired)

And then, my order arrived with new designer series paper, and the Freshly Made Sketch 354  provided a great way to showcase it without using it all up right away:

stamp set - Hearts Come Home; ink - Versamark; embossing powder - Gold; card stock - Real Red, Whisper White thick; designer series paper - Dashing Along

I'll leave you with cards 176 through 180 of #365cards2018 for #365somethings2018 and number 64 in my #DWPB100ThingsChallenge - the next four are done, so I should be back soon when I have a fifth card for the group shot:

*CASE = Copy And Share Everything

just a few more challenge adventures

In addition to the other challenges I've posted about this year, I set myself a personal challenge to use every new stamp set at least once before putting them away.  Pick a Pennant was another set I received free for attending OnStage this year.  It's also another that I wouldn't have ordered for myself, but only because I have another small alphabet set.  The pennants make this one unique, though, so I was glad to put it to use with the Color Throwdown palette:

stamp set - Pick a Pennant, ink - Soft Saffron, Calypso Coral, Pool Party; card stock - Whisper White, Lemon Lime Twist, Calypso Coral, Pool Party; Stampin' sponge

I love those little tassels!

I told you not long ago about #dwpb100things, and last week I made thing 13 by using the last bit of spray paint from the back of my cabinet to alter the Army green index card file box I've used for several years to house my ICAD collection:

I planned to cover the bubbled-up rust spot with lettering but they didn't balance out right that way.  Oh well, it's still far better this year than ever before!.  And speaking of ICAD, today marks the end of week two in #dyicad2018; I've counted each week as a "thing" so today's card completes thing 21!  

I'm attempting to keep it simple this year so I have a better chance of completing 61, so I decided on Sharpie markers and twice through the alphabet (upper and lower case) with a few numbers thrown in at the end.

I've also given myself permission to double count the cards I'm making for #365somethings2018, so cards 131 through 137 of my #365cards2018 are also thing 18:

I'm about 30 cards behind on this one, but still pretty confident I can hit 365 by December 31.  How are you doing on your challenges?  Let me know where to find you and I'll try to share some encouragement!

some new challenge adventures

I've found some new challenges recently that appeal to my sense of adventure - I hope you enjoy them, and maybe even join in? 

Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda had a booth at the Scrapbook Expo I attended last year, and I bought some stamps I think will be great for art journaling.  They have very unique rubber stamp designs, and I've recently discovered they also have a challenge blog - yay!  This card from Fiona Bradley was so perfect for the orange and yellow prompt, I just used the same Stampin' Up! design she used:

stamp set - Flourishing Phrases; ink - Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight; Stampin' Write marker - Pumpkin Pie; card stock - Whisper White

Crazy Rebecca at Dances With Pit Bulls is doing her second year of #DWPB100ThingsChallenge.  The rules are pretty simple - make 100 things with the craft supplies you already own before you buy any more!  I needed a little book in which to record my 100 things, so my thing number one is these paper-napkin-covered journals made of flattened toilet paper roll tubes:

Thing number two is a sign for Rebecca to use in her YouTube videos. I don't want to post it before she sees it; if I remember I'll show you later, although it's not really all that special - just some clip art I copied and pasted, with a fun font, on metallic card stock.

Thing number three is a junk journal page for a swap - another new thing I've gotten involved with this year:

The base page is long-retired Flirtatious specialty designer series paper; the tags and pocket are bits and bobs from my stash.  It's not complete in this photo - I added a mini envelope to the front that I made from a scrap of deli paper.  I could have used vellum, but the deli paper was on its way to the bin, and seemed like a better choice for a junk journal.  I'm looking for something that says Mother's Day to put in the envelope, to tie into the monthly swap theme.  I hope to also add a decorated paper clip when I work on that challenge later this month.

And then thing number four is a postcard for the Sunday Postcard Art challenge I've just started following.  This week they're looking for crowns & wings - I added a bit of fun & fantasy:

stamp sets - Lucky Elephant (retired), Favorite Thoughts (retired), Extreme Elements (retired), Timeless Textures, Touches of Texture; ink - Pineapple Punch, Wisteria Wonder, Elegant Eggplant, Tangerine Tango, Peekaboo Peach, Tempting Turquoise, Rich Razzleberry, Strawberry Slush (retired), Lemon Lime Twist, Island Indigo, Wild Wasabi, Rose Red, Hello Honey (retired); card stock - Whisper White and Wisteria Wonder; punch - Pretty Label; Big Shot with Beautiful Butterflies Bigz die (retired) and White Tea Lace paper doilies (retired)

This is the first postcard I've ever made from scratch.  In retrospect I think I probably should have coated it, and possibly also added a second layer of card stock.  I mailed it in an envelope, though, so it will arrive safely in spite of my oversights.