A new challenge in town....Festive Friday Challenge #1

Hello,
It is Friday night and it seemed like the perfect time to join in one of the newest challenges in town the Festive Friday Challenge.  The design team is absolutely incredible!!!! - just go take a look - and they have completely inspired me with all of their GORGEOUS creations!  This is the very first challenge and it is a color challenge:  Here is the inspiration graphic from their website:

I hope you will decide to play along too!  I love these colors and was inspired tonight when I visited my friend Geri's blog "Paper Wishes".  She had just posted this stunning card: HERE.  I loved the silver embossing on her card and immediately wanted to try it....but guess what - no silver powder in my stash...just gold!  Ho Hum...but alas an idea did pop into my mind when I glanced at some red burlap I recently purchased at Hobby Lobby...and here is my card:

 

One of my very favorite Christmas sentiments is "Have yourself a Merry little Christmas".  It just makes my heart smile!  This sweet little stamp is from Lili of the Valley stamps in the UK and is from a set called "Christmas Grungy Messages".  It is set #33.  You can find it: HERE

I die cut 6 small rectangles into my white card stock (using this die from MFT) and then threaded the burlap through to create this ribbon decoration.  NOTE: I first stamped the sentiment in silver ink, embossed it with clear embossing powder, and added some red COPIC marker to dress it up.  I then ran the white panel through my vagabond with the burlap embossing plate from Cheery Lynn Designs: HERE   After these steps were done I threaded the burlap through the die cut holes in the white card stock piece.

To finish the card I matted the white panel on some silver metallic paper and a red card base. I then embellished with three little glass and silver heart buttons with some metallic red floss threaded through them. I sure love how this turned out.  The idea in my head translated well into the finished card!


Thanks for taking a look at my card.  I hope you get to join in the challenge or at least go and check out all the beautiful cards and leave some comment love!
Happy Weekend!
:) Jill

"Blessings to You" - Just Us Girls #173

Hello Crafting Friends,
I am here tonight with a card for the Just Us Girls challenge #173.  Here is the gorgeous inspiration photo:

 And here is the card that I came up with:

The idea for this card came from the lovely Chocolate Frosting ribbons on the wedding cake.  I wanted to try making one of my own so I hand-cut this curvy banner shape and then embossed it with the picnic plaid impression plate (PTI).  Then I decided to layer it onto a piece of book paper which I then trimmed out with my trusty scalloped scissors which I haven't used in a very long time but keep on hand for just this type of situation! It needed that little something extra to make it pop!

 I love this flower die from PTI and don't use it near enough!  I colored the Prima gems with a copic marker to get them to match the green shade of the two Sissix decorative corners that I added to either end of the card.  I wanted to bring the green color into a third area on the card. I also edged some of the petals though it is hard to tell from the photo. 

 The leaves (PTI) are also diecut out of book paper from a vintage Sears catalog book I found at the thrift store.  Love, love, love book paper! In the corner of the picture you can also see that I scored the card-base with my scoring board to add more texture.

And the sweet sentiment "blessings to you" is one that I got at a store right up the street from my home here in Seattle - Amuse Art Stamps.  If you are ever in the Seattle area you should check this sweet store out in person verses in web land!  Such a fun place to shop and you can meet the very kind and sweet owner Linda if she is there when you visit.  Linda helped me pick out my very first COPIC markers a few years back (though she may not remember me) when I was overwhelmed with what colors to choose to get started.  I was lucky that when her store front moved a few years ago it stayed on the same street.  It just moved a few blocks south and I can still walk to it - it just takes a little bit longer now.  Great exercise though!

Thanks for visiting my blog and thanks for all the sweet comments you leave for me!  They make my days and sometimes my 3:00AM middle of the night blog haunts when I wake and am missing my husband so bad my heart hurts. I am sure he gazes down from Heaven and is thinking...go back to sleep silly girl!  The many friendships I have made through card-making warm my heart so much!!!  What a blessing you all are!

That is it for me tonight. I hope you have time to join in the challenge.  I can't wait to go and see what everyone has made!

P.S. I would like to dedicate this card to Jennifer Scull and wish her many blessings!

Take care - and Happy Tuesday! 
:) Jill