BYSHC "Spring Into Christmas" Linky Party! - Card #2

Back with a second card for the Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers "Spring Into Christmas" Linky Party.  This one uses a variety of products from sponsor, Taylored Expressions.  

I started with the Create In Quads - Ever In Bloom stencil set.  I have loved using this set for spring and summer flowers and thought it would make a great Christmas card by switching up the colors a bit.  TE's Dots of Diamonds embossing folder added some texture to the red card base and the second largest rectangle from their Diagonal Stitch Rectangle Stacklets was used around the image panel.  I added some white, black, and gold splatters and finished off with one of the sentiments in TE's Merriest Christmas Foil It pack along with a few gold and red sequins.

One of the great things about the Create in Quads stencils is getting four card fronts at one time! I love this more traditional color combination for Christmas cards.

Here's hoping you can make time to join us for the Spring Linky Party.  It's a great way to get a start on holiday cards.  The prizes from our list of generous sponsors is added incentive!

Thanks for stopping by my blog.  In kindness, Cathy

BYSHC "Spring Into Christmas" Linky Party!

Excitement is in the air because the first of three annual Linky Parties for the Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers Blog begins today!  The Linky Party lasts for a week! There are sponsors and wonderful prizes! It's such a great way to get a head start on Christmas cards. 

 My card features two products from Unity Stamps, one of our generous sponsors. 

I started with Unity's Christmas All Around Background for the card base and used three colors of green ink to give it a color-dipped look.  I then used red ink with Simple Stories Pine Trees stencil on top.  Finally I die cut the circle out of the panel.  Unity's Happy Holiday Wishes was used to create the tree and the sentiment.  The tree was inked on top of patterned paper, fussy cut, finished with red sequins and one yellow sequin on the star.  I raided my scrap drawer for the papers behind the tree and the red checked paper strip on the card front.  

I hope you can join in this week's Linky Party fun!  More details and a list of sponsors can be found on the Build Your Stash Cardmaker's Blog.  Thanks for stopping by my blog!

In kindness, Cathy

BYSHC Sketch Challenge #44

 This month's sketch for the Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers Blog is another fun idea to play with in card-making.

For my first card, I went to my stash of patterned paper and found some red foiled "Merry Christmas" paper which I cut out with the largest Pleated Lace Rectangle die from Gina Marie.  The image panel was made by ink blending the die cuts from a Papertrey Ink holiday border panel in my stash.

Fingers crossed that you have a chance to play with our sketch this month.  Add it to the BYSHC FB gallery - as always, there is a prize winner each month!  Thanks for stopping by my blog.

In kindness, Cathy

Let's Craft & Create Challenge #206 - Optional Theme: Beautiful Butterflies

 Back with a new Anything Goes with an optional theme challenge for you on the Let's Craft and Create Blog.  This month's optional theme is Beautiful Butterflies.  My cards feature some new products from Pinkfresh Studios.  They came in their recent online Create and Connect event and were released in March.  The top card features their Fluttering Butterflies Washi Tape.  The bottom card uses the Fluttering Butterflies STAMP and STENCIL sets and all were cut using the Fluttering Butterflies Dies. Everything came in the class kit!  

I hope you have a chance to play with us this month!  Thanks for stopping by my blog.  

In kindness, Cathy

BYSHC Sketch Challenge #43

 Here is my second card for this month's sketch #43 on the Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers Blog.

This one uses Stamping Bella's Bundle Girl with a Winter Branch and a stencil from Simple Stories called Rustic Trees.  I used Taylored Expressions' Glitter Grab on the stencil and when it was dry ran it through my Mini Minc with silver foil.

Try your hand at the sketch and add it to the BYSHC Sketch #43 FB Album.  One random winner will be chosen for a prize at the end of the month.  Thanks for stopping by my blog.

In kindness, Cathy

BYSHC March Sketch Challenge #43

 It's been a while since I posted a card for the Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers group on my blog.  I have been working through a housing transition and moving through a creative funk.  I am happy to say things are feeling more settled and the creative dry spell has lifted.  My collection of layering stencils and last month's Pinkfresh Studios Create & Connect event were instrumental in getting me back into the craft room!

This card came during my dry spell - and I found most of the elements for it in my stash. Crystal's great sketch and all of the layers helped me.  I think I have had the card base ready to go for more than three years!  The embossed white square was die cut for this card from  a time I was "playing" with a new technique.  I saved the paper, knowing it would be good for "something".  Santa was stamped and waiting to be colored (and then fussy cut).  The only element I created for this card was the tree.  It's from Taylored Expressions Through the Woods stamp set. 

I hope you are feeling creative and can play along with the BYSHC Sketch Challenge this month. It's a greta way to work on holiday cards, plus there are always prizes!!  Just add you card to the Sketch Challenge 43 album in our FB group.  

Thanks for stopping by my blog.  In kindness, Cathy

Let's Craft & Create Challenge #205 - Optional Theme: Thank You Card

 Back with this month's Let's Craft & Create Blog card. Challenge - #205 has an optional theme of "Thank You".  Thank you cards are so nice to have in my stash, so I love this theme.  

My card features a layering stencil and die set from Taylored Expressions, called Autumn Array.  This card was made specifically for my neighbor who delivered a bouquet of flowers to me in these colors last week.  It was a lovely surprise!!  Hope you have time to play along with us this month and post your card in the LC&C Gallery.  Thanks for stopping by my blog.

In kindness, Cathy

Let's Craft & Create - Challenge #204 Polka Dots & or Stripes

 Back with a card for the Let's Craft & Create Blog.  This month's optional challenge is to use polka dots and /or stripes.  I went to my stash and found some Deco Foil polka dot toner card front panels and combined them with Wild Cherry foil.  My image is a cutie from the talented imagination of Sandra Caldwell.  I had the privilege of being part of her design team several years ago. Sadly, cancer took her all too early.  This card is going to a friend who just received some bad news.  I think the "Ugh" die from Whimsy Stamps is perfect for this occasion!  I hope you have time to play along with us this month.

Let's Craft & Create - Challenge #203c- Penny for Your Thoughts

 Back after a long absence with Challenge #203 for the Let's Craft & Create Blog.

Let's Craft & Create November - Challenge #201 Stitched Up (Real or Faux)

 Back after a hiatus on the Let's Craft & Create Blog with November's optional Challenge - Stitched Up (Real or Faux).

{BYSHC} Blog - November Sketch Challenge #39

November 1 - already!!! I am not sure I am ready for the cold weather we have recently had a taste of in MN! Yikes! The good news is I will have more time to hunker down in my craft room and create.  

Crystal has a fun sketch for us to play with this month on the Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers Blog.  

I have been paper shopping recently and I actually cut it and used some of my new purchases on my first card this month!

 Both papers come with the gold foil, so I knew they would come in handy and made this card super-simple.  The deer is the reverse image of Woodland Reindeer Deco Foil Adhesive Transfer from Taylored Expressions and a sentiment strip from my stash.  I trimmed the border off of a different patterned paper scrap in my stash for the black border between the colors.  See - saving those papers scraps pays off!!

I hope you will give this month's sketch a try!  My mind of already rolling around what I will do for my second card!  Thanks for stopping by my blog.

In kindness, Cathy