Santa Reads to His Reindeer

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to visit with The Charmed Life Blog this Labor Day weekend. Can't believe it's September already and like most people wondering where did the summer go and what did I do?

But on a good note (for me anyway), we are heading into my favorite seasons and holidays of the year. I love Fall and Thanksgiving as well as the Christmas Holidays.  For my card today I am using the newly released Santa Reading to his Reindeer and the Santa Express Tag dies from the Christmas Part 1 release. So let's get started with some details of how I created my card.

Design Steps:

I decided to use the popular slimline design technique and create a little outdoor scene. I looked for some background paper that I thought might work. I just bought this new "Snowflake Splendor" paper from Stampin'-Up and I liked this subtle pattern. 

Balmy Blue card base: 8 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Designer Paper Layer: 8 1/4" x 3 1/4" 

Next, I cut Santa and his reindeer. I used colored cardstock for the images. You could also use white cardstock and color with your favorite coloring medium.

I attached the images to the designer paper using glue dots. 

I was going to stamp a sentiment across the top of the panel but I didn't have one that fit this image. So I thought the Santa Express Tag would work well in the corner of my card. 

I cut it from red cardstock and then again from white cardstock. I used the die inlay technique and glued the words and scallops with Ranger multi medium matte.

To finish off this little outdoor Santa scene I attached the image panel to the blue card base with double sided tape. I scattered a few snowflake sequins to complete this card.

Well, that's it for me for this post. So until next time..........God bless.

dies I used to create card:

I am also entering:

1.  CHNC Challenge is Christmas with optional to use patterned paper. 

2. Sweet Stampin' has an anything but a birthday card. 

3.  C.R.A.F.T. Challenge is Christmas. 

4.  Crimbo Crackers has an anything goes Christmas challenge. 

5.  ABC Christmas Challenge is "S" for snow. I used snowflake sequins.

6.  Christmas Craft Creations has a Christmas animals challenge. 

Good Vibes

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog today. 

It's the last Saturday in August. Can you believe it? Just wondering how did the summer months fly by so quickly. Although we have plenty of warm days ahead, in just about 3 weeks it will be Fall. Coming into my favorite holidays of the year soon but I just wish not so fast (LOL)!!

Anyway let's move onto my card for today. This one I created for my weekly DT post on the CottageCutz Blog. I used the colors from this week's color challenge #806 on Splitcoaststampers and also as part of the DTGD challenges on Splitcoaststampers. For this last challenge you have to be a Fan Club member to get all the details and to play along in the challenges. 

This card is for my daughter-in-law's birthday. She is a California girl and she surfs so this will be perfect for her. 

The colors for the SCS color challenge are so saffron, poppy parade and pool party. 

so saffron, poppy parade, pool party

I used cardstock in those shades for my surf mobile. The background designer paper is from the Stampin'-Up "see a silhouette" collection. I was going after a hippie vibe with this designer paper. I think I found it (lol)!

The Surf Mobile is a new die from CottageCutz and the Peace phrase is part of a CottageCutz Christmas die. I computer generated the "good vibes" sentiment.

That's it for me for this post. So until next time........God bless.

card details:

Paper: poppy parade, so saffron, pool party, basic black, see a silhouette dsp (Stampin'-Up)

Paper Size: A2

Ink: pool party, so saffron (Stampin'-Up)

Accessories: surf mobile, stitched rectangle, peace, love & joy dies (Stampin'-Up)

Dies I used to create card:

I am also entering:

1.  Festive Friday FF0066- I chose bright colors, pretty paper, uplifting sentiment. 

2.  Polkadoodles has an anything goes challenge. 

3.  Aud Sentiments has anything goes + a sentiment

4.  Creative Knockouts has an anything goes challenge. 

5.  Krafty Chicks has an all occasion challenge. 

Top Hat Snowman

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog this last Friday in August. 

We have had a stormy day here in Pittsburgh. Lots of rain but we are so in need of it. It's been an extremely dry summer. Not much rain and the farmers need it for their crops plus all the local gardeners. 

My hubby has been watering almost daily with all his plants and vegetable gardens. But his garden has been a big success this year. We will have lots to enjoy over the winter months. 

Now let's move onto my card for today. This one I made for the color challenge #802. Stef was our hostess and she chose shaded spruce, just jade and melon mambo for her color trio. 

Two of the colors she chose are some of Stampin'-Up's newest in-colors. I thought they would be perfect for a snowman. So I colored up this image with Stampin' Blends.

The snowman is from an older Stampendous set that I bought several years ago and never used. This set comes with a snowman template and that enabled me to do my background stamping.

The background stamp is from this same set and has the word snow and snowflake in several different languages. I stamped with just jade ink and stamped off twice to get a faint image.

I stamped several snowflakes and added some magenta madness enamel dots to complete this card. And, that's it for me for this post, So until next time........God bless. 

card details:

Stamps: jumbo top hat snowman (Stampendous)

Paper: shaded spruce(stampin'-Up), solar white (Neenah)

Paper Size: 4 1/2" x 5 3/4"

Ink: just jade (Stampin'-Up), tuxedo black (Memento)

Accessories: stampin' blends - magenta madness, just jade, shaded spruce, pumpkin pie, magenta madness enamel dots (Stampin'-Up)

I am also entering:

1. Crimbo Crackers has an anything goes challenge. 

2.  ABC Christmas Challenge has a Q for quiet. What's more quiet than a snow fall and a snowman.

3.  Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge is anything goes. 

Ahoy Matey Birthday

Hello Blogger Friends Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog this 3rd Saturday in August. 

Hope you all are enjoying the summer months in-spite of the restrictions that are still in place. I have been busy with our garden harvest, waling every day, a gym workout once a week and keeping up my passion of cardmaking.  

There is also a big event that will be coming up on Splitcoaststampers starting next Saturday and I am busy preparing cards for that. It's an annual event for the Fan Club members over there. I will be one of the hostesses' for the challenges. 

Now onto my card for today. This one I created for both the color challenge #804 on Splitcoaststampers and for my weekly DT post on the CottageCutz Blog. For the color challenge we were to use granny apple green, mango melody and misty moonlight.

granny apple green, mango melody, misty moonlight

 

For my card today, I am using the Ahoy Matey die and created a birthday card for a 7 year old boy. He loves Pirates so this one will be perfect for him. I usually give him 2 cards and this Pirate card is the other that will be his. This one is part of the Pirates & Sea Creatures release. 

Once I had the colors, I cut the parrot and the Ahoy Matey phrase in the challenge colors.

I found this layout online and decided to use it for my card design. It would allow me to use designer paper and have several layers for my card. These are 2 elements I really like for my cards.

For the horizontal rectangle, I wanted a look to complement the stitched circle I used. The Pierced Rectangle set doesn't cut this size so I worked the die to get the size I wanted. First I took a piece of mango melody cardstock and cut it 4 1/4" long x 3" high and then I made my first cut with the die.

Then I marked this piece at 1 1/4" and laid the die back on cardstock for my 2nd cut. I used Purple Tape to secure the die. This brand is easy release and doesn't tear your cardstock. 

This is the finished piece- a perfect 4 1/4" x 1 1/4". It's just another way to get more mileage out of the dies you own.

Next, I selected my designer papers. I decided to focus on the granny apple green for the 3" and 4" rectangle layers. The circles are cut with the 3rd largest Stitched Circle & Circle dies. 

Now that all my card elements and images are cut, I am ready to start card assembly. I attached the parrot to the circle panel with dimensional adhesive. The layers are attached to the white card base (4 1/4" x 5 1/2") with double sided tape. The image panel is next and that also is attached with double sided tape. 

To finish off my card I added the "ahoy matey" phrase. I did cut it twice to give it more depth on my card. A few enamel dots in the misty moonlight color and it's done. And, that's it for me for this post. So until next time.....God bless.

card details:

Paper: whisper white, granny apple green, misty moonlight, mango melody, black, brights designer paper (Stampin'-Up)

Paper Size: A2

Ink: granny apple green (Stampin'-Up)

Accessories: ahoy matey, stitched rectangle, circle dies (CottageCutz), 2021 in-color enamel dots (Stampin'-Up)

dies I used to create card:

I am also entering:

1.  Send a Smile 4 Kids has an anything goes challenge. 

2.  A Gem of a Challenge has an anything goes. 

3.  Crafter's Castle has an anything goes challenge. 

4.  Craft Rocket Challenge is Birthday. 

5.  Cute Card Thursday has a bright colors challenge. 

   

Tropical Bouquet

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog today. 

It's been a busy week with trying to get my tomatoes processed. We have so many right now and lots more on the way. It will be a nice winter bounty. I also have made several loaves of zucchini bread that is in the freezer for wintertime enjoyment.

My hubby also harvested the garlic and red onions from the garden. Our garlic bulbs are a lot bigger this year. And growing your own is like nothing you can buy from the store. Maybe because the garlic in the US comes from China. The garlic that comes from there has no roots or a stem and is chemical laden. That's why I convinced my hubby to start growing our own. He plants it in October and then in June we harvest the garlic scapes. They are the stalks that grow from the garlic bulb. I use those in cooking just like garlic and for pesto. Garlic scape pesto is so delicious and has a different flavor than basil pesto.  

We have a lot of red onions as well. More so than in previous years. My hubs is just getting better at growing vegetables and that makes me happy. He uses no pesticides and gets his soil from his mulch pile and it's really rich. 

Well enough about vegetables for today. Let's move onto my card. This one I created for the color challenge #803 on Splitcoaststampers. Barbara was our hostess and she chose whisper white, real red and crumb cake for her color trio. Optional was to have 3 layers on your card. 

whisper white, real red, crumb cake

I started my card by stenciling an oval in the crumb cake ink color. I just bought this oval stencil from MFT and it makes stenciling so easy. The hibiscus and leaves are new dies from CottageCutz. They are part of the July Beach and Tropical die release.  For the leaves I used the neutral of mossy meadow. It's a dark green color and part of the Stampin'-Up neutral line. 

The sentiment is from an old Verve set and I stamped in mossy meadow ink. Added some crumb cake ribbon and a few real red enamel dots to complete my card.

Well that's it for me for this post. So until next time......God bless.

card details:

Stamps: poppy birthday (Verve)

Paper: real red, whisper white, crumb cake, mossy meadow (Stampin'-Up)

Paper Size: A2

Ink: crumb cake, mossy meadow(Stampin'-Up)

Accessories: Tropical Bouquet, Hibiscus Flowers dies (CottageCutz), oval extraordinaire stencil (MFT), crumb cake ribbon, real red glitter enamel dots (Stampin'-Up)

I am also entering:

1.  Crafty Creations has an anything goes challenge. 

2.  Arty Divas has an anything goes challenge. 

3.  Lemon Shortbread has an anything goes challenge. 

4.  Shopping our Stash has a keep it simple challenge. I used older ribbon and enamel dots from my stash. 

5.  Tuesday Throwdown has a stencil challenge. 

Tis' The Season

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog this Saturday in August. 

I have lots to do today with our garden harvest. We have so many tomatoes and I have decided to roast them this year instead of doing my water bath canning method. The water bath method is so much work and I like the finished product. But we really enjoy the flavor of the tomatoes when they are roasted. I roast them with onions, garlic, olive oil and balsamic glaze. Then I puree them when they are done in the oven. 

Roasting brings out such an incredible flavor. I use this as a pasta sauce with nothing else added. I love pulling this sauce out in the winter and top our pasta with it. Along with a salad and some meatballs, it makes for an easy dinner. Our tomato harvest has just begun so I am hoping to get a lot to prepare with this method. 

I am also going to stuff banana peppers. We have so many of these right now as well. I usually like to use a hot and sweet Italian sausage but I don't have any so I am going to try a different recipe with ground beef. Hopefully this one turns out because that's what I have in my freezer to use. 

I also have a zucchini that I am going to turn into zucchini bread. I like having these available in the colder months to enjoy. They don't always make it that far because my hubby loves them. So that's my kitchen day now onto my card for today.

This one I made for the color challenge #802 on Splitcoaststampers. Stef was our hostess and she chose shaded spruce, just jade and magenta madness for her color trio. Optional was Christmas in July. 

shaded spruce, just jade, magenta madness

Two of the colors she chose are some of Stampin'-Up's newest in-colors. I thought they would be perfect for a snowman. So I colored up this image with Stampin' Blends. They are alcohol ink markers.

 

The image is from Suzy's Snowmen watercolor prints collection. I purchased them on Simon Says Stamp. They are meant to be watercolored but I used alcohol markers. 

I added a few magenta madness enamel dots and this CAS card is complete.

Well that's it for me for this post. Time to get into my kitchen. So until next time.......God bless. 

card details:

Paper: shaded spruce (Stampin'-Up)

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)

Accessories: Stampin' Blends-Magenta Madness, Just Jade & Shaded Spruce, in-color enamel dots,(Stampin'-Up), Suzy's Snowmen Watercolor prints

I am also entering:

1.  Crimbo Crackers has an anything goes Christmas challenge. 

2.  Cute Card Thursday has an anything goes challenge. 

3.  ABC Christmas Challenge - Q for Quiet- snow and snowmen are always so quiet and beautiful.

4.  Christmas Craft Creations has a Christmas characters challenge.

5.  The Holly and Ivy Christmas challenge is anything goes.  

  

Poinsettia Christmas

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog today. 

The harvest is starting to come in with our vegetable garden. The zucchini are plentiful and I made 3 loaves of zucchini bread with blueberries. My hubby picked the blueberries at one of our local farms. They offer a "you pick your own". 

We usually do this together but he happened to have been out near the farm and when he saw the sign for picking he stopped. So glad he did as they are so sweet and delicious. And, we really liked them as an addition to the zucchini bread. I used this recipe from Martha Stewart if you are looking for a good one. 

I also stuffed the zucchini with some sweet & hot Italian sausage. They are so delicious and a favorite way for us to enjoy this summer bounty. Here is a recipe that I use from Food Network if you are looking for a good one. 

Now onto my card for today. This one I created using the colors from the color challenge #801 on Splitcoaststampers.  Karen was our hostess and she chose bumble bee (new in-color), pretty peacock and cherry cobbler for her color trio. Optional is Christmas in July.

bumble bee, pretty peacock, cherry cobbler

For my card, I used a new to me poinsettia stamp from Divinity Designs and colored with the Stampin' Blends alcohol markers from Stampin'-Up. Since they don't have a marker for the new bumble bee color I tried to get close to it by using the daffodil delight and pumpkin pie blends.

I also tried a new to me fun fold for this card. It's called a split panel card fold. I like the way this card turned out. I used this fold on another card I made. Here is a link to get all the measurements. 

The background plaid paper is from the Stampin'-Up "wrapped in plaid" collection. My sentiment is stamped in pretty in peacock ink and I added a few peacock rhinestones to complete my card.

Well, that's it for me for this post. So until next time.......God bless.

card details:

Stamps: Joyful Christmas (Divinity Designs), Vintage Christmas Wishes (Hero Arts)

Paper: cherry cobbler, whisper white, wrapped in plaid dsp (Stampin'-Up)

Paper Size: A2

Ink: pretty peacock (Stampin'-Up)

Accessories: stitched rectangle die (CottageCutz), poinsettia die (Divinity Designs), cheery cobbler, pretty peacock, daffodil delight, pumpkin pie stampin' blends markers, noble peacock rhinestones (Stampin'-Up)

Techniques: split panel card fold

I am also entering:

1.  Merry Little Christmas Challenge is anything goes for August. 

2.  Sweet Stampers has a Christmas in July.

3.  12 months of Christmas linkup is anything goes.  

4.  CHNC has an anything goes Christmas challenge. 
5.  Fab 'n Funky has a Christmas challenge. 

5.  Fab 'n Funky has a Christmas challenge. 

Flamingo Birthday

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog this first Saturday in August. Yikes! Is it really August already? The brakes need applied to this summer because it's going by way too fast (LOL)!!!

I made a tropical card today not that it will slow summer down, but it just reminds me that it is still summer and we have 2 more months of it! I need to keep the focus for sure. 

This card I created for my weekly DT post on the CottageCutz Blog. I used 2 new dies from the Beach & Tropical release- Flamingo w/ Hibiscus and Tropical Flower Bouquet. So let's get started with some details on how I created my card. 

Design Steps:

I decided to start with my die cuts this week because I wasn't sure of where I was going with my background. This was a work in progress. I cut my Flamingo in pretty in pink cardstock for her body and magenta madness cardstock for her legs.

Then I cut some flowers in magenta and grape and the leaves in mossy meadow and pear pizzazz cardstocks. I used the packaging photo as a guide. 

I  used some soft seafoam designer paper as the background. I cut a frame in the same shade of cardstock and the card base in magenta madness to coordinate with the hibiscus flowers.

 

Magenta card base: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

Soft Seafoam Frame Exterior: 4 1/8" x 5 3/8"
Frame Interior: 4" 3/8" x 4 5/8"
Designer Paper: 4" x 5 1/4"

Attached the designer paper to my frame with double sided tape. Before I stamped the sentiment I attached the leaves and flowers to the corners. I needed those in place so I could get a good placement for my sentiment. I used double sided tape and Ranger multi matte medium.  

The sentiment is stamped in a moss green ink. This shade matched the darker colors of my leaves. I also used my MISTI tool for placement and in case I needed to do a double inking. And in this case it did require 2 inkings.  I attached the flamingo image with dimensional adhesive. I wanted her lifted slightly off the background. 

To finish off my card, I scattered a few magenta enamel dots and attached the image frame to the card base. And, that's it for me for this post.  So until next time.......God bless. 

dies I used to create card:

I am also entering:

1.  Crafty Friends wants us to make a card using summer colors.

2.  Alphabet Challenge is "I" for island - anything tropical

3.  C.R.A.F.T. has a summer challenge. 

4.  Seize the Birthday has an anything goes birthday challenge. 

5.  Simon Says Stamp has an anything goes challenge.