Faux Mass Production

Greetings!
It's my turn to host the challenge at the Papertrey Playhouse blog, so hold on to your hats and settle in, this is a long one.
As I stated on the Papertrey Playhouse post for the challenge, I do not like to mass produce cards; it's just not fun for me. I can manage about four cards before I start to get bored with the process, and it no longer feels like I'm being creative.
Something that helps me with that is what I referred to in the cheesy title- "faux" mass production.
Just take a basic layout and switch out a few items to change the overall feel of the card, without having to create a new layout each and every time. It proved to be a great timesaver for me, when I created the cards I'm about to show you. I don't mind doing cards in pairs, so that is what I did here, and ended up with eight cards in four styles from one design. Here they are:

So why don't you head over to the Papertrey Playhouse blog, and check out the challenge? We would LOVE to have you play along with us!
Materials used:
Traditional "Merry":
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink- White, Blueberry Sky, New Leaf, Pure Poppy
Patterned paper: Papertrey Ink- Christmas Prints
Stamps: NONE
Dies: Papertrey Ink- Holly Jolly, Tag Sale #5, Damask Snowflakes, Doily Details, Wonderful Words: Holiday
Ribbon: Papertrey Ink- Pure Poppy Saddle Stitch
Glitter: Martha Stewart- Coarse Crystal
Pearls: K & Company (colored with R29 Copic)

Non-traditional "Merry":
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink- White,Sweet Blush, Hibiscus Burst, Spring Moss, Hawaiian Shores
Patterned paper: My Mind's Eye- Alphabet Soup "Sunny Stripes"
Stamps: NONE
Dies: Papertrey Ink- Holly Jolly, Tag Sale #5, Damask Snowflakes, Doily Details, Wonderful Words: Holiday
Ribbon: Papertrey Ink- Hawaiian Shores Saddle Stitch
Glitter: Martha Stewart- Coarse Crystal
Pearls: K & Company (colored with RV17 Copic)

Rustic "Merry":
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink- Rustic Cream, Kraft, Spring Moss
Patterned paper: Fancypants Design- Beach Bum paper pad, Basic Grey- Wassail "Snow Dust"
Stamps: Papertrey Ink- In the Meadow ( snow flurries image used on tag)
Ink: Fresh Snow
Dies: Papertrey Ink- Tag Sale #5, Damask Snowflakes, Pine Boughs, Wonderful Words: Holiday
Twine: Papertrey Ink-  Rustic Cream button twine
Impression plate: Papertrey Ink- Woodgrain
Buttons: Papertrey Ink- Scarlet Jewel, Simply Chartreuse

Vintage "Peace":
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink- Vintage Cream, Fine Linen
Patterned paper: Graphic 45- Christmas Emporium Collection "Happy Holidays"
Stamps: Papertrey Ink- Background Basics: Sheet Music
Inks: Papertrey Ink- Tea Dye Duo- Chamomile
Dies: Papertrey Ink- Holly Jolly, Tag Sale #5, Damask Snowflake, Doily Details, Wonderful Words: Holiday
Felt: Papertrey Ink- Vintage Cream
Glitter: Martha Stewart (bottle says "Coarse Crystal", but these are extra large flakes); Diamond Dust
Pearls: K & Company (colored with E42 Copic)
Ribbon: Hug Snug seam binding (soaked about 30 minutes in a leftover cup of black coffee)

Whew! My fingers are tired now, and I'll bet your eyes are too!
Just remember to check out the challenge over at Papertrey Playhouse, if you get the chance.
Above all, I hope you have fun, no matter what!

Stocking Exchange Party

Well, not really, but it sure does sound like fun, and I'm hoping one of these days to host one.
In the meantime, I'll just have to be happy with the invitation that I created for the current Papertrey Playhouse challenge, holiday invitations.
Just in case I ever will be mass-producing these, I wanted to keep it fairly simple.
Here it is:

What's in it:
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink- White, Pure Poppy, Kraft
Patterned paper: My Mind's Eye- I Believe (Wreaths)
Stamps: Papertrey Ink- Polka Dot Basics, Stocking Prints, 2008 Holiday Tags
Inks: Memento- London Fog (polka dots), Pure Poppy, True Black
Dies: Papertrey Ink- Tag Sale #3, Stocking, Limitless Layers 1 3/4"
Fibers: Papertrey Ink- Pure Poppy baker's twine
Marker: Sharpie- white paint pen
That's all for now; I think maybe we'll be doing a bit of Christmas shopping today- wish me luck.
Smooch!

Papertrey Ink November Blog Hop

Hi! Happy Black Friday, and Happy Blog Hop Day, too!

Tough decision on which one of these two favorites of mine I wanted to do today, but alas, my darling hubby had to work today (he's my Black Friday shopping bud- my enforcer, if you will), so the choice was made for me.

We have a great inspiration photo to work with. Not too rustic, not too county, just a nice, warm, homey, traditional Christmas setting.

So I decided to go with the color combination and my perceived overall feel of this scene, and this is what I came up with:

So just in case you didn't have enough uses for the Parisian Lace Doily die, it makes one wicked cool wreath (in my humble opinion, of course).

I cut the Parisian Lace Doily from Simply Chartreuse, and the interior was cut using the scalloped circle from the Limitless Layers 1 3/4" set. I stamped the mistletoe looking image from Winterberry around the wreath in Versamark, and then heat embossed using clear embossing powder.

The patterned paper is some Bo Bunny paper that I discovered in my stash. I've had that paper so long, it's practically vintage, Ha!

The holly leaves are cut from Ripe Avocado using the Holly Jolly dies, and I stamped the pine bough images from Bells & Boughs on them using Versamark ink. The bells  were cut from Vintage Cream and embossed with gold embossing powder. The bow was also cut from Vintage Cream, and stamped using Pure Poppy ink. (I am really those the bows from Bells & Boughs).

The sentiment banner is cut from Vintage Cream using one of the ribbon banner dies from Spellbinders, and the sentiment is stamped using the Year of Flowers: Poinsettias set and True Black ink.

Thanks for visiting, and enjoy the hop. I'm going to go check out everyone else's creations now!

Make It Monday- Layered Background with Sentiment Stamps

Hello again!
I'm going to tell you Happy Thanksgiving today, 'cause I'm pretty sure I won't be posting anything tomorrow. I'm doing some prep work for tomorrow's feasting- my spiced cranberry sauce is finished and cooling, and after I leave you here, I'll be starting on the pumpkin cheesecake.
But first, I wanted to play along with this week's Make It Monday challenge- creating layered backgrounds using your sentiment stamps. That (for me) ended up not being as easy as it sounds, and certainly not as easy as Betsy made it look.
I gave it go, and here it is, one more Christmas card to check off my list- chip, chip, chippin' away...

I used sentiments from Peace Be Still, Winterberry, Bells & Boughs, and Holiday Tree. The adorable little tree is from Winterberry, and I used snowflakes from Snowflake Serenade and Winterberry. The snowflake background was stamped on Rustic Cream using the Chamomile ink from the Tea Dye Duo, and ended up being my favorite part of the card.
So that's it for me today; I wish you all the best, and I'm thankful you chose to give me a small part of your day by visiting.
Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Happy Holidays

Hi there! Happy Friday to all of you out in blogland.
If you're like me, you're knee deep in preparations for Thanksgiving (which is just next week, can you believe it?), and working on getting your holiday cards completed in your spare time. Spare time, yeah, I know, that's funny.
I've been quite busy with all sorts of things, but I've been missing out on challenges left and right. Today I'm sharing my project for two challenges, the Championing Award Medallions challenge at Moxie Fab World (to incorporate medallions), and the Make It Monday challenge at Papertrey Ink (Essential Glue Pad Tips).
I've fiddled with this card all morning, switching out the trees, because I did them first in Spring Moss ink before stamping them with the glue pad, and that color was just all wrong; I don't know what I was thinking. Then I was having a dickens of a time getting those flower stamens to cooperate, and I ripped a medallion while making them, so I had to make another. So, I really hope the recipient of this card appreciates my struggles- lol!
Here's the card:

In addition to stamping the trees with the Essential Glue Pad after stamping them in New Leaf ink, I also stamped the largest snowflake from In the Meadow with the glue pad. Gold glitter was applied to the snowflakes, and crystal glitter to the trees.
What's in it:
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink- Vintage Cream, Scarlet Jewel
Patterned paper: Graphic 45- Christmas Emporium Collection (Santa Express and 'Tis the Season)
Stamps: Papertrey Ink- Trees with Trimmings, In the Meadow
Inks: Papertrey Ink- New Leaf, Dark Chocolate, True Black
Dies: Spellbinders- Classic Rectangle
Impression Plate- Papertrey Ink- Sheet Music
Glitter: Martha Stewart- Yellow Gold, Coarse Crystal
Other: flower stamens (from the floral department at Hobby Lobby and colored with a Copic marker); pom pom trim (purchased from fabric.com)
That's it for now; I hope you all have a splendid weekend.
Smooch!