Whirlwind Holiday Season Has Begun!

Has it really been 11 days since I've logged in here? Sheesh! It looks like the holiday season has hit full force! (And, yes, I was one of THOSE crazy people who were out shopping at 5:00 a.m. on Black Friday aka the day after Thanksgiving!) I'm happy to report that I actually have ALL of my Christmas decorations up (including the lights on my house, thanks to my dh, Ron)! With such a busy schedule, however, I have only stamped a grand total of, yes - count 'em, THREE cards in the last two weeks! YIKES!

The first one is for my "Follow the Butterflies" challenge (see the link below - scroll down to Saturday, September 1, 2007). I really had fun with this one. The butterfly was an image sent to me by my friend Christine in California (chrisations.ink on SCS). She stamped it in black craft ink on some lovely shimmery white cardstock, then embossed it with clear embossing powder. It was very pretty!

Follow the Butterflies Challenge

I decided to "cut and color" this one. I used (once again) my plain ol' non-Copic SU markers. I then put my SU Creepy Crawly dsp to the test . . . I think it looks really great with this ol' butterfly, and it doesn't look Halloween-y to me at all (at least in this example!). This was all for SCS Sketch Challenge 150 (SC150).

Stamps: Butterfly image (unknown), Dotted Autumn
Cardstock: Basic Black, More Mustard, So Saffron, Shimmery White, Creepy Crawly dsp
Ink: Black Stazon, Black Craft, Barely Banana, So Saffron, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie

Next, I made this card for FS41 (Shelly, aka papermoon04 was the Featured Stamper). Here is her card (the one I "case'd):

Shelly's Card

I loved her idea for just using a marker around the edges of the diamonds in the Print Pattern background stamp. It gives it a neat effect. I then stamped the French Script bg directly over it. I also got to play with some of my papertreyink stamps (in this case, the snowflake and "joy" sentiment for "Snowflake Serenade). And I am totally loving the rhinestone stickers from Me and My Big Ideas! They are soo fun to add that little bit of "bling" that some projects need!

Stamps: Snowflake Serenade (Papertrey), Print Pattern, French Script
Cardstock: Night of Navy, Bashful Blue, Baroque Burgundy, Whisper White
Ink: Bashful Blue, Bordering Blue, Night of Navy, Baroque Burgundy

I just realized that all three of these cards ended up in the mail to my son, Devan (who is in Germany)!! How funny! I sent the two butterfly cards, as they are my weekly "note from home" to him, and the snowflake one went in his Christmas package! Good stamping week for HIM! I was not feeling very inspired on this card at all. I guess I was just stressing about getting it in the mail. Sigh . . . some days are like that!! I am finally feeling justified in switching to more "wintery" color schemes, though. The main butterflies were stamped with Papertrey's "Butterfly Kisses" stamp set. I used "All in a Row" for the sentiment. I also used some of the vintage violet cardstock from SU's In Color line from LAST year (I DO like that color - wish it were still available!).

Stamps: Butterfly Kisses (Papertrey), Simply Stripes bg, All in a Row
Cardstock: Bordering Blue, Vintage Violet, Whisper White
Ink: Bordering Blue, Vintage Violet, Basic Black

I hope to be able to get to play more in the next couple of weeks, but I also know that I have a PILE of Christmas cards staring at me and wanting to get done! I'll be back soon! :)