Glowing Lights At Christmas!

I recently went on a five-day crafting retreat with my group of 10 to 12 crafty lady friends. There were only nine of us attending this time, which is the smallest number we've ever been in the last seven years we've been going and sometimes twice a year, due to different health issues from colds to surgery recovery for two of our friends. We really missed the four ladies who planned to attend, but were unable to as time drew closer to departure.  The bulk of us are cardmakers, but we have one lady who was making fabric bags, zippered pouches, and starting a quilt and another was making a paper-crafting Halloween mini album for a niece.

I was making a Christmas card for Splitcoaststamper (SCS) challenges, plus four alternative Christmas kit cards.  SCS challenges can be the current week's challenge and/or a make-up challenge from several months old to several years old as challenges can be entered at any time you want. I started a personal goal for challenge completions of all the different challenge categories available since 2017 by making a WORD table list of all these different SCS challenges. Eventually, I am trying to catch up by participating in all them up to the most current week of challenges. Most challenges on Splitcoaststampers have a new challenge each week. There is no limit to the number of different challenges that a person can enter with one card, though you may not enter the same challenge category with the same card more than once.  For instance, if I enter the Color Challenge, I can enter only one week's Color challenge, but I may enter the Ways to Use It Challenges, the Sketch Challenges, the Teapot Challenge, etc. as long as I only enter one week's challenge date for each.  

Each week, I check out all challenges left that I have not yet entered from my list and try to adjust my card design so as many will fit as is allowed. I am usually able to enter 10 to 15 challenges each week. It will be the higher number if it is a Christmas card as that opens up at least two additional challenge categories involving the Christmas theme. Check out my Christmas card finished this week below. I was able to fit 15 challenges, because of the two Christmas card challenges available.

Ingredients: Stampin' Up products: Cardstock--Evening Evergreen, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White. Papers--Distressed Gold, Glow Lights dsp (strip). Stamps--Brightest Glow (sentiment). Dies--Twinkling Lights (tree), Decorated Pine (stars). Basic Rhinestones. Other: MFT--Photo Corner Die-namics. Copic Marker (gem coloring). Chatterbox verse (inside). Size--4-3/4" x 6".

Kind Thoughts Sent Your Way!

Just a few weeks ago, we received the heart-wrenching news that my niece just had major surgery and is looking toward a long and tedious recovery.  She is just nine months younger than my oldest daughter, and they were great pals growing up, flying back and forth each summer to spend a few weeks with one another to keep in touch.

We, of course, sent flowers right away. alternating weeks sent so she would always have a fresh bouquet, but my daughter and I wanted to each send a special card, made from the heart, to remind her we are keeping her in our thoughts and prayers.  About two months ago, we bought card kits from Stampin' Up that would make four each of four different card designs, and this last week-end was the time to get it out and spend time making the cards we needed.  We, of course, did not want to follow the four design samples exactly, because we did not want four sets of four designs exactly the same.  With this in mind, we went to work finding our own design deviations and remodels.

I like to participate in Splitcoaststampers challenges, so I did a little research before getting started.  I decided to start with the Old Olive green card parts from the card kit from my research.  Take a peek below at my change-up, alternate-design for the "green card," which I think my niece will enjoy.

Ingredients:  Stampin' Up products:  Cardstock--Old Olive, Dapper Denim, Whisper White, Flirty Flamingo, So Saffron, Myths & Magic Glimmer paper.  Stamps--You're Inspiring.  Ink--Dapper Denim, Baked Brown Sugar (ink distressing).  Dies--Pretty Pines framelits.  Punches--Leaf, Boho Blossoms (ret.), Petite Petals (ret.); Heart Confetti Border (ret.).  Glitter Enamel Dots (Copic colored).  Blue Fishtail Curvy Banner: Hand-drawn/ Fussy-cut.  Perennial Birthday Kit: materials from two card designs: green bg + white diagonal die-cut + white curvy banner + ribbon/ twine).  Other: Punch: EK Victorian Medium Photo Corners. Wink of Stella/ Clear (flowers).  Chatterbox verse (Bob Marley quote modified).  Size: 4-1/2" x 5-3/4".

THE CARD-MAKING STORY

The papers and patterned papers provided in the card kit coordinate with Dapper Denim, Old Olive, Flirty Flamingo, Whisper White, and Gold Foil colors. My first step with my kit was to cut the front and the back of the folded card base into two separate pieces, because I planned to add new cardbases and layers using one of the coordinating cardstock colors to supplement where needed.  This actually gave me the potential of 32 different cards instead of just 16, though I would probably use some of the solids for inside layers to host my verses, so ultimately, I will not create 32 different cards. 

I decide to start with the "green card" materials.  This card was supposed to have balloons layered onto of the white diagonal lattice.  I used the solid olive paper that came with the kit and added it to a white cardbase.  I added an olive glitter layer under my white diagonal lattice, and flowers below.  I borrowed the curvy double fishtail banner from another of the card design and hand traced and enlarged its curvy shape on Dapper Denim cardstock to add the under mat.  I finished with Dapper Denim photo corners to add more blue, seeking to eliminate quite so much olive.  I added a different sentiment from a another stamp set than that recommended for the kit cards.