Hello Everyone,
It’s Wednesday and time for the Wednesday Stamp Club Sketch Challenge at MFT! Here is the sketch for this week:

I hope you have time to play along.  There is a wonderful prize up for grabs - a $15 voucher ($20 if you used MFT stamps) to the MFT Boutique. You can submit your entry using the keyword MFTWSC109 to the Gallery at Splitcoaststampers. Entries for this week’s challenge will close on Tuesday, February 5th at noon EST.  I hope you join in all the fun!

Without further ado here is my card:

 This picture was taken outdoors in the rain!  I stayed under the back porch overhang so it is not the best angle or view....sorry!

This one was taken indoors in my light tent. Isn't light fascinating when it comes to photography?!?  I could play all day if I had more time...LOL!!!  I am definitely still trying to get the hang of how to take the best photo for my blog!  It is a challenge!

I used one of my very favorite stamp sets for this card - "Clearly Sentimental About Teaching".  I have a big soft spot for all the teachers who work with my son each day.  They have a very important job and I think they are underpaid for it!!!  So I like to try and give them a little something extra on Holidays and special occasions.  This card is going to my son's homeroom teacher for Valentine's Day.  I had made another card for her but it was given to one of my friend's daughter's who is in kindergarten.  She asked to come downstairs to see my studio the other day and her eyes lit up like the 4th of July (she is 5 years old).  I ended up sending her home with a mini scrapbook album all ready for pictures, some embellishments, and a valentine card for her Kindergarten teacher.  She wants to come and spend the day with me and craft which tickles my heart!   

Here's a little close up of the sentiment panel.  Love that I found that sweet heart-shaped button in my blue button jar!  The papers are from one of my favorite paper collections of all time from The Girl's Paperie!  Love them!  Wish I could buy more or get it digitally and print it out whenever I wanted to use it!  I did alter the paper a little bit by filling in those pink lines you see next to the blue with a copic marker RV11 - pink.  I thought it needed a little more substance to compete with the red polka dots on this card.

Thanks for taking a look at my card!  I hope you join in this week's challenge!  It is also teaser time for the February 2013 release!  I am loving what I am seeing as I do each month.  See - I really, really, really DO need that $20.00 voucher so I can grab some new yummy crafting supplies at MFT!  LOL!!! 

:)  Jill

Silent Night, Holy Night....

Hello,
I am starting to steal a few minutes here and there to work on Christmas cards and tags as we are into November and the time really does start to fly by.  I sent a bunch of cards and tags home with my sister Beth who was visiting from Oregon and forgot to take any pictures of what I created.  Oh well.

Tonight I wanted to play with a nativity silouhette 4x4 die from Cottage Cutz.  Here is the card that I made in just a few minutes tonight and it would be easy to reproduce to send to many.  I plan on giving it to the Pastor at my church who has been so kind to my family and performed Stuart's Funeral Mass back in February.  Thanks for taking a look at my card!  I have been enjoying seeing so many holiday cards starting to be posted on everyone's blogs in the last few days or so.  This is such a fun time of year to be creative....well really any time of year is fun for creativity!

 I die cut the nativity die from the center of the card base.  I then embossed the dark blue cardstock base with the "old parchment" embossing plate from Cheery Lynn Designs to give it some lovely texture.  Next I cut out a nativity silhouette die cut in white.  I then backed the opening in the cardbase with some double sided paper with "starlight" on it in yellow and white.  Once this paper was in place I glued the white nativity silhouette die cut into the opening.   I placed a portion of the semtiment in the center of the nativity silouhette die cut on the front of the card by masking it.  The full sentiment says "Silent Night, Holy Night". 

   I then worked on the inside of the card.  I first placed the second half of the sentiment - "Holy Night" - on the inside of the card on the left hand side.  I added a second sentiment to the right hand side.  (Note: Just click on the pictures if you want to see a bigger photo)

To finish the card I added some stickles to the star, the stable and the halos on each of their heads. Then a nice blue and white twine bow on one end. This is a beautiful card in person and very simple to make!  I love that!

Thanks for taking a look!
:) Jill

I tried to link to the Nativity Silhouette die but the website of the store was down tonight.  I purchased mine from The Scrapping Cottage which should come up if you do a search.

A few tags and cards on a lovely Thursday afternoon....

Well I spent last week and weekend decorating for Christmas and having lots of company so not much card making got done.  The past couple of days I have had a little bit of time in the afternoon and did get some cards made.  One is a baby card for my friend who is due at the end of December and the rest are more Christmas cards...here are some of the pics...I will add the rest later when I take them...happy crafting... : )