Cards In The Mail - Autumn

It's been a couple of weeks since I got a blog post up for you! Thanksgiving was last week, which was wonderful for my family- I hope it was for you too! Honestly, there's been a lot of things going on, but that's the holidays for ya! And that's okay!
The big, huge, downside is that I had to cancel my Christmas card classes. I was really looking forward to my classes, and I was fully prepared to hold them...I just can't be everywhere at once... I have an idea I will probably share in my December newsletter, so watch for that.
I still have plenty of Christmas card ideas to share in the coming weeks so if you're still stamping yours, you'll definitely want to come back. I'll share some Christmas gift ideas too!
But since today is still November, I am sharing the autumny swaps I've gotten in the mail over the last few weeks. Thank you cards are useful and appreciated all year long!

Christmas in the Making!

THIS is a super cute set! I have seen dozens of other stampers say it reminds them of their childhoods... well not me, haha, but I have been sorting and organizing pictures of my mom's childhood and it definitely fits that! I love these girls and I thought they'd be a lot of fun to color!

Wellllll....I hit a snag while coloring and since this one is for a class I needed to keep it simple...and I may have missed, haha....
The problem really comes down to logistics. My classes are set up as "stations". I have a little plastic box holding everything you need to make 'this' card, and either the boxes stay put, or the card maker does, til everyone gets a chance to make the project. That means I need certain supplies in certain boxes and sharing is difficult. The next issue is using what I already have here instead of ordering more, haha...!
So this lovely card is a compromise! The dress and hat are colored using the ink/aquapainter method. I wanted needed to use Fresh Fig because I have the ribbon, and because I thought the rich color worked beautifully with the gold for Christmas! Everything else (hair, boots, mailbox...) are colored with the Watercolor Pencils and a Blender Pen! And even tho that is a little bit complicated for a class setting, I think it turned out gorgeous and we're just going to do it anyway! *grin

Supplies:
Stamps: Christmas In the Making
Ink: Fresh Fig, Archival Basic Gray
Paper: Fresh Fig & Shimmery White card stocks, Gold Glimmer DP
Accessories: Fresh Fig sheer ribbon, Watercolor Pencils, Blender Pens, Aquapainter

Star Of Light

This is a set I bought last year as a bundle and fully intended to use, but we moved in to our house the day after Thanksgiving and trying to get settled into our life here and still had such a tiny baby and it just could not happen, darnit. So this year I am going to use it up! haha! As a matter of fact, I was stuck on this card for a couple of days...I couldn't decide which die to use, which stamps to use, where exactly to use the Glimmer paper...! SO many options!

To make this card, I used the latest from Freshly Made Sketches, except that mine is a standard sized card instead of square.

Supplies:
Stamps: Star of Light
Ink: Night of Navy, Smoky Slate
Paper: Night of Navy, Whisper White card stocks, Silver Glimmer paper
Accessories: Big Shot, Starlight thinlit dies, Dimensionals

A Snowy Card!

I haven't officially decided if this will go in my Christmas Card class or not...I created it with that intention, but we'll see. I used a greeting that is included in the stamp set, along with the snowflakes and that means it can be a card you send anyone in the winter time, or it could be for Christmas if you added a bit inside! Of course if I do use it at a Christmas class, stampers can use any greeting that fits. *wink

In the meantime, I used a recent Clean & Simple sketch, and some nice, cool colors for the card. I haven't used Tempting Turquoise in a while, even tho it is one of the first ink pads I purchased. I am certain of this fact because there is still green sharpie on the top where my son "helped" in my craft room, many years ago, haha...
And here's another view, taken at the front of my house in the shade, because it seems to me the Soft Sky ink was washed out by the sun!

Supplies:
Stamps: Colorful Seasons
Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Soft Sky, Memento Black
Paper: Tempting Turquoise, Soft Sky, Whisper White card stocks
Accessories: White Perfect Accents, Wink of Stella pen, Big Shot, Seasonal Layers Dies

Annnd because Wink of Stella is tricky to see, here's a closeup to maybe help... It is only on the white snowflakes.

Stampin' Blends!

A new product was released on November 1st (a little earlier for demonstrators!) and I haven't had a chance to share that with you.

Stampin' Up! has new alcohol markers that are perfect for blending! This adds so much to any coloring project, and I am excited to get some of my own! They come in 12 of our Stampin' Up! colors, plus two that are ideal for skin tones, and a color lifter!
Not only that, but a fun line-image stamp set and card kit are also available for a limited time to kick-start your blending! You can buy the stamp set and card kit as a bundle or separately.

You will definitely want to check out these fun and informative youtube videos, and click on the brochure on my sidebar for ordering information.



*If you remember a few years ago, we had Blendabilities Markers...these are similar, but much better!

Blog Hop: Pumpkin Style!

Wow, another month down...
Anyone else dragging today with post-Halloween-wipeout? I am just so utterly exhausted, lol... and maybe too much junk food...definitely not enough real food... annnyway, my Halloween can be summarized with these two frames:

Charlie Brown, a pumpkin and "Hermione from the third{Harry Potter} movie"...
annnd a Harry Potter themed party!

(inspiration & sources found all over Pinterest...I have a Harry Potter board...)

So today is November and temperatures are supposed to start dropping! Fortunately for you, a new month means a new blog hop, bursting with inspiration! Just in case you have enough energy to stamp today! Or later this week works too!

Today, I have a stepped up thank you card, which, of course everyone needs in November! I love the idea of sending a thank you card each day, tho I haven't ever pulled it off... If nothing else, you'll want a sweet way to thank whoever hosts your Thanksgiving dinner, or if you're hosting, then whoever helps your Thanksgiving dinner! This one is perfectly autumnal!

The inspiration came from HERE, and actually, I used the stamped version at my card class last month! 

Supplies:

Stamps: Swirly Bird, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Tangerine Tango, Pear Pizazz

Paper: Pumpkin Pie & Whisper White card stock, Color Theory DP

Accessories: Old Olive Mini Chevron Ribbon

And for my stepped up version, I definitely stuck closer to the inspiration, and I used the same supplies except the dies instead of the stamps. Super easy!

(I just forgot to stamp a greeting on the front til I went to photo it, ha!)

Supplies:

Stamps: none

Ink: none

Paper: Pumpkin Pie, Pear Pizazz & Whisper White card stock, Color Theory DP

Accessories: Old Olive Mini Chevron Ribbon, Big Shot, Swirly Scribbles Dies, Fine Tip Glue Pen

Both are quick little cards you can whip up ahead of time! 

Now you can hop on over to Cheryl's blog and see what she's shared to get your creative juices flowing! Then continue thru the hop and be sure and leave all of us your thoughts! We all love comments on our work!