Crafty Elves Countdown To Christmas January 2022 Edition

Welcome back!!  It's a new year and me and my fellow Crafty Elves are doing it again this year!  Every month on the 25th we share the Christmas cards we made during that month.  We try to do a card a week and we've all pretty much made it every month!  I have a drawing each month from all of the comments and pick someone to get happy mail the following month so be sure to come back each month to see what we've created!

I'm in the midst of busy season but I've been managing to stay caught up with my projects and believe it or not I actually made 5 cards this month!  I used two different sets and here's how I was inspired:

I recently picked up the adorable Yuletide Mice stamp set from Reverse Confetti and I used some of the images on the first of this month for the Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge!  (You can find that one here if you'd like to see it).  I had stamped, die cut and colored all of the images while I was away and decided to use the rest of them for today.  I also used a couple of the other elements from that card including these great Scalloped Square frames from RC and those snowflakes.

If you're new here I like to share my Copic colors as there are times when people ask.  If I'm coloring ahead of time like I often do when away, I take a pic of the markers with my phone so I can easily pull them out once it's photo time for my cards.  These were easy to remember though because they're some of my most often used color combos.

The Caffeinated Christmas Challenge is to create a Christmas Card with a coffee, tea or cocoa theme and for January, you must include at least one snowflake on your card.  The January challenge ends today!  You have 'til the end of the day to play along and you can check out all of the rules here!

These BGs are among my faves too!

I found these llamas from MFT (retired, but they've got some new adorable holiday llamas here) laying around already stamped on some Copic friendly paper so I decided to use them... because why wouldn't I??  Along with some pretty plaid paper from my stash-probably from either Lawn Fawn or MFT).  For this one I used that pretty Lacy Scallop Circle die from Reverse Confetti and those super fun Skinny Mini Fiesta Borders from Taylored Expressions.

And for this one a lot of the same elements, except for the frame I used that cute scalloped frame from Paper Smooches... I sure to miss Paper Smooches.

Those E40's... also a favorite combo.

And some blue plaid for this one... I LOVE these llamas!!  I also love the new ones... (I don't need any more llamas... I don't need any more lllamas... I don't......)

I had started coloring this llama already when I found the images, so I grabbed the markers I thought I used and was able to finish it off.  I like this combo too!

Well, that's me for today!  I hope you enjoyed your visit and be sure to hop on over to Debra and Michaels places!  And we have a very special guest with us this month... the super talented Liz McGuire is hopping along too so be sure to visit her place!

Now for last month's winner of some happy mail:

Becca!  Send me your snail mail!

Thanks so much to everyone who stopped and said hi!  Doing it again this month!  See you in February!

 

Caffeine Fueled Paper Play - S'More Love

I'm up on the blog over at the Coffee Loving Cardmakers Blog with some Reverse Confetti fun!  I'm playing along with the RC Stock Your Stash Challenge for this month which is Love Is In The Air!  I'm also playing along over at Double Trouble Challenge Blog and Bitten By The Bug with a Layered Design and some Warm and Cozy elements (don't forget to use at least one die)!

You'll find more links and details up on the CLC blog and be sure to check out each of the challenge posts for all of the rules!

Thanks so much for stopping and hope you'll come again soon!

 

Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge #1 - Coffee & Snowflakes with Reverse Confetti!

It's a special day!  Today is the very first challenge of 2022 for the new Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge!  Amy from Coffee Loving Cardmakers fame is at it again!  We're bringing you this new monthly challenge and today is Day 1 of 2022!

Here's how I was inspired:

This month we're sharing projects with some Reverse Confetti goodness!  I used the Yuletide Mice stamp set along with the coffee cups and donuts from the retired Coffee and You stamp set.

Since our theme this month is Coffee and Snowflakes, I used some RC Snowflakes from my stash.  I decorated those beautiful frames from the Scalloped Squares Confetti Cuts with some old RC banners cut from glitter paper.

I cut out and colored all of these cuties from the set and I'll be sharing them with you later this month.  Now!  It's your turn!  Head on over to the Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge Blog for more inspiration!  Then play along! Create a coffee or tea themed Christmas card that includes at least one Snowflake on it and link it up for your chance to win a $30 gift code to our January Sponsor, Reverse Confetti!  Also, the top three designs that are picked will be asked back as Guest Designers for the March challenge!  Link up over at the blog and good luck!  We can't wait to see what you create!

Thanks so much for stopping and please do come again soon!

 

CLC Challenge - Caffeine Fueled Paper Play October 2021

It's time for a new challenge over at the Coffee Loving Cardmakers and I've got a cutie patootie for you today!

I used the Bear Cozy Kit from Ellen Hutson again for this cute gift set and I've got last month's winner and a new chance to win!

Head on over there for links and details!

Thanks so much for coming and please do come again soon!

 

Caffeine Fueled Paper Play-August Challenge!

Welcome back!  I'm up on the blog over at the Coffee Loving Cardmakers with a new challenge and last month's winner!   You can join me up there for more details and links!  Here's a sneak peek:

Thanks for stopping and hope you'll come again soon!

You Are Not Alone - Reverse Confetti

Hello again!  So glad to see you here!  Today I'm playing along with the Stock Your Stash Challenge over at Reverse Confetti!  I recently... idk... sometime since I've been home...not even sure what day it is but I'm pretty sure it's the weekend or I'd be working... or I'm in trouble...lol... ordered some stuff and decided it was time to get it out and use it!  This month's challenge is "Hello/Just Because" so I created a card to send out to a friend just because we're all feeling a little alone right now... maybe both literally and figuratively...

I've been wanting this Butterfly Blossoms stamp and dies since it came out... I've had it in a cart I don't know how many times and finally it's in my house!  It's just SO pretty!  I have lots of butterflies... why I kept talking myself out of it...lol... but THIS is my favorite!  

And that background... when I was getting ready to place my order, I said to Amy, "Amy.  What background die to do I need from Reverse Confetti?"  and she said that this Stitched Scallops Cover Panel was one of her faves, so there it went into my cart!  And I love it too!

And you know I love frames.. and these Scalloped Squares are a new favorite of mine!  

I added a few of my favorite sequins from Trinity and I was done!

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you'll come again soon!

Crafty Elves' Countdown to Christmas - July 2019 Edition!

Welcome to this month's Crafty Elves' Countdown to Christmas!  Debra Davison from Meticulosity and I are the Crafty Elves and we've made a pact to create a Christmas card a week so that when December comes, all of the hard work will be done and we can just mail them out!  We share our makes every 25th of the month and this one is special because we are also participating in an Instagram Hop with our Polka Dot Orchard Teamies to show off some awesome Christmas themed digital stamps!

Each month I draw a name from the visitors who commented the prior month and send out some Happy Mail!  Last month's winner will be announced at the end of this post.  And when you are done here be sure to head over to my Instagram Hop post that begins at 10am EST and follow the instructions there for a chance to win some more!

Here's how I was inspired:

This adorable Penguin from the Penguin Love digi set was just begging to have a Santa Hat on and this one from the Magic of Christmas set was perfect!  The awesome thing about digis is you can resize them so it was easy to make it in just the right size.  I pulled up the penguin and made him the size I wanted and then pulled in the hat and sized it so it would fit on his head.  I then separated them to print because I knew I'd be cutting them out.  I used the beautiful Really Rainbow Christmas papers from Lawn Fawn as well as the Mini Snowflakes.  The sentiment is from an adorable Reverse Confetti set, S'more Love and I layered my papers using some dies from Rubbernecker... these and these!

These images and sentiment are also in the Magic of Christmas set.  And since I printed the sentiment on my laser, I was able to foil it with my Minc.  I used the Lawn Fawn snowflakes and Rubbernecker background dies again.  I used this NEW Rubbernecker Stencil on the top layer and that adorable Santa Hat die from Taylored Expressions.

This one might be my fave... but then you know why that is...lol!  The belt and sentiment are in the Magic of Christmas digital set.  The mug die is from Memory Box and I used a stencil from Paper Smooches for the steam along with some texture paste and glitter.

And my fourth card for this month is this one that I shared a few days ago.  I used digital stamps from The Cutting Cafe and you can find more details on this one here if you'd like them!

Now for the winner from last month's commentors:

Shell!  Contact me at bzscrapper66 at gmail dot com with your snail mail so I can send you some Happy Mail!

Now be sure to head on over to Instagram (after 10am EST) and hop for a chance to win a digital stamp set of your choice!  Head to my Instagram here and look for this graphic!:

Come back soon!

Coffee Lovers Blog Hop Day 8 - Miss Ink Stamps!

Day 8 - Still don't want to talk about it... I'll just say you have until 11:55pm tonight Pacific time to link up to the Coffee Lover's Blog Hop for chances to win one of the awesome prizes offered up by some even more awesome Sponsors!

You have until the end of day this Sunday to comment on any and all of my Coffee Hop blog posts for a chance to win the Honey Bee Stamps Perfect Blend Set I shared in this post here.

And here's what I have for you today:

Eeep!!  You may or may not remember that over at The Coffee Loving Cardmakers we hopped along with new stamp company Miss Ink Stamps a little while ago when their proverbial doors opened... and I fell in love!  The two sets I used today... the adorable Say Cheese set with those cute mice and their adorable animal hats!!  And the animals that go along with them... and all of the fantastic sentiments!!  LOVE!  And the gorgeous Coffee plants in the Brewtiful set.. not to mention the cups, the sentiments, the beans!!  Love it all!

I started with the Jitters stencil though... I knew I wanted to make a "rainy" background of sorts and I thought the Jitters stencil would be perfect.  I taped it down over my stitched die cut layer from Kat Scrappiness and carefully added some distress inks over it.  Then I sprinkled a little bit of turquoise Ken Oliver Color Bursts and spritzed with water.

But with all of that pouring rain out there... these two are happily sheltered in this Coffee Bean plant enjoying a cuppa together... I mean what could be better on a rainy day??  Coffee with a friend I think beats just about anything!

I used that cool Reverse Confetti circle to frame them.

And that MFT Tree Branch Die Namic I picked up recently was perfect for this one!  I just love those coffee bean plant images from Brewtiful!  I added some clear dew drops all over.

And then this cute sentiment from Say Cheese... I think it's meant to go with the penguin however I thought it was perfect as a sentiment for an invitation for a friend to just hang.

I'm playing along again over at Double Trouble!  Don't forget!  If you can link up to the Spring/Summer Coffee Lovers Hop (Spring/Summer and Coffee, Tea or Cocoa Theme) you can link up at Double Trouble Challenge Blog's Spring/Summer theme and we're teaming up with them over at Three Amigos which is Food and/or Beverage!  That's a Three-fer!

And there you have it!  I love these sets!!  And Miss Ink Stamps is having a sale!  You can get the code for 20% off through today at the Miss Ink Stamps Facebook Page here!

Thanks for stopping!  I'm gonna have one more post before the hop is over so come back later today!  Or sign up in the right side bar to get email notifications!  Ya know... if you'd like to... I'm not the boss of you....

Caffeine Fueled Paper Play - Reverse Confetti

I'm up on the Coffee Loving Cardmakers Blog and playing along with the current Stock Your Stash Challenge over at Reverse Confetti!  Hope you'll hop on over there to visit and check it out!  Here's a sneak peek:

12 Tags of Christmas - Ellen Hutson/Reverse Confetti

So happy to see you!  I've still got some lingering Coffee Hop ideas that I'm playing around with and sharing one of them with you today!  I'm playing along with the 12 Tags of Christmas over at Ellen Hutson and the current Stock Your Stash Challenge at Reverse Confetti.

For 12 Tags of Christmas the idea is to use inspiration from one of the day's posts.  I used inspiration from the Dec 1st post with Jennifer McGuire and Carolyn Peeler.  My inspiration came from alcohol ink and glitter from Jennifer's ornaments.

I started by creating an alcohol ink background using some pinks and blues.. hoping they'd mix to create purple in some areas and they did!  They are a little darker than I'd hoped and was originally going for more pink, but they're so hard to control!  But I love it anyway!  I cut a tag using the CAS-ual Fridays Scallop Tags die.

I wanted to use the adorable Holiday Gnomes stamp set from Reverse Confetti during the Coffee Hop, but ran out of time so this was the perfect time to use it!  I stamped the gnome, house and tree from the set and colored them with my Copics.  I'm also playing along over at Choux Choux Paper Art's Visions of Sugar Plums Home for Christmas Challenge! To Caffienate this tag, I added the To Go Cup and that cute little mouse from the Coffee and You Stamps and Dies as well as that sweet little Tiny Love Bubble from Waffle Flower that I cut out of the alcohol inked paper.

I was going to cut these fantastic snowflakes from the Let It Snow Confetti Cuts from glitter paper but I was at a crop and had forgotten it!  But I did have my embossing powders with me.  So I cut the snowflakes from some plain white cardstock and smooshed some Versamark all over them and used some Wow Snow Glitter embossing powder to add some beautiful sparkle and texture to them!  Love how they came out!

The Reverse Confetti Stock Your Stash Challenge is all about Thanks, so I die cut the Thanks word from the CDD Greeting Word Dies from the same alcohol inked paper as the tag.  Then I embossed the "you're the coolest" sentiment from the S'more Love stamp set using some purple embossing powder and fussy cut it out so it would not take up too much space.  

I just added a few sequins from Brutus Monroe and some pretty fibers I had in my stash and it was done!

Thanks for stopping and hope you'll stop again soon!  In the meantime check out all of these challenges and maybe play along with one or two or three!