Nativity Scene Christmas Card

I love Christmas cards! I especially love when they focus on Jesus' birth--the "reason for the season." This border nativity die from Taylored Expressions makes Jesus the focal point of this card. It's such a lovely die, and with a little gold leafing on the star and the wiseman's gift, it makes such a pretty scene.
Our church bought new hymnals recently and let members take home some of the old ones for their homes, so I used one to make some pretty background papers, including the paper on this card. I used Spellbinders Labels 8 to cut out the hymn and Spellbinders Decorative Labels 8 for the mat. I tied some twine on the bottom and my A2 Christmas card was done! Quick and easy but elegant, I think.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
We Love 2 Create  - 2W, E1, SIO - #19 Anything Creative / Mixed Media/ Creative (W1 of 2)
Incy Wincy Designs - W, 5E - No Rubber Stamps
A Snowflakes Promise 2W, E3, Must be Christmas/winter themed #5 - Winter or Chritmas Themed (Week 1)
Creative Card Crew 2W - #95 Christmas (week 2)
Cuttlebug Mania W, 3E - Anything Goes (Week 2) (I used my Cuttlebug to cut out the Taylored Expressions border die)
ABC Christmas Challenge - 2W, Christmas -  'S' is for Silent (Week 1 of 2) I'm hoping the words to the Christmas carol don't really count as they are part of the background paper rather than a sentiment
Crafting for all Seasons - 2W, 3E - #110 Layering It Up (Week 1 of 2 )
Crafty Gals Corner -  W, E2 - #37 Anything Goes
Inspiration Destination - W, F- #51 Always Anything Goes 
Simon Says Stamp - W, 5E - Die Crazy

WordArt Wednesdays - W,5E , scriptural word art freebie offered each week - #201 - Anything Goes
Card and Scrap (2W, P1/15) #103 Use Dies
Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge Extra (M,P1) Anything goes as long as it is Christmas
Handmade Bliss (M, P1, E3, SIR) Anything Goes with a product they sell (I used a Taylored Expressions die)
The 12 Months of Christmas Link Up (M, P1, E3) #9 Anything Goes Optional Theme: Oh! Christmas Tree
Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - 2W, E1, Must be Christmas-  (W1 of 2)  - Lots of Layers
Jingle Belles - 2W - must be Christmas - (W2 of 2) - Use Something From Your Stash that's at least a year old and tell what it is (I've had the green cardstock I used for the mat behind the hymn for several years!)
Simply Create Too - 2W - No.94 - (W2 of 2) - Early Holiday Wishes
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas W,must be Christmas something beginning with p  (Prince of Peace)

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Fall Faith Card

Right now there are a lot of fall-themed card challenges going on, and it's wonderful to see all the lovely cards with dark reds, oranges, greens and browns. When I see the beauty of this season, I can't help but feel grateful that the Lord loves us so much He lavishes beauty all around us. He didn't have to cause the leaves to change color in the fall. He did that to show His glory and how much He loves to create beautiful things for people to enjoy.
I found this pretty autumn cardstock at a craft store this week and just loved the colors. I decided to make a larger card than usual with it, so I cut the 12x12 cardstock in half width-wise and then cut each piece to be 8 inches long after making a flap on the front piece to adhere the back piece onto.

Here's the front of the card once I adhered the back to it.

Here's the finished card:

I was following the 3rd sketch of the month over at the Viva La Verve challenge, so I cut a banner freehand using some of the paper scraps left over after cutting my card.
Then I cut a square using Spellbinders Adorning Squares. I used my Fiskar's Fuse leaf die set to cut the two large leaves and a die from the Our Daily Bread leaves set for the small one. I used a Spellbinders Lattice Rectangles die to cut out the sentiment which I had stamped onto another scrap of the leftover cardstock. The verse is from Verve Stamps. I love their clear Scripture stamps. Scriptures make the best sentiments on cards!

I tied some twine on the top in keeping with the sort of rustic, country feel of the cardstock.
I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Verve Inspiration Challenge: Fall Lovelies
http://www.vervestamps.blogspot.com/p/inspiration-challenge.html
Viva La Verve Sketch Challenge
http://vlvsketches.blogspot.com/
Di's Digis Designs 3E,2W,SIO (W2)fabulous fall colours 
Fantasy Stampers Challenge Blog 2W,E3 (W2) No digi  autumn leaves  - see below 
Hiding in my Craft Room W,1E freestyle 
Outlawz Challenges  W Must belong to enter autumn
Scrappers Delights  M, First Saturday of the M  Always Anything Goes 
Speedy  Fox and Friends W banners 
Sweet Stampin W, 2E, emboss it 
613 Avenue Create - W - #141 Anything Goes with optional "Love Me Do"
AAA - 2W, 3E, CAS - #48 Autumn Colors with optional twist fabric (W1 of 2)
Fashionable Stamping - M, 2nd Sunday, 3E, no digi allowed - #103 Words...please remember words must be stamped
Crafting from the Heart - W, E3 - Always Anything Goes
Craft Your Passion - W, E3 - Always Anything Goes
Love to Scrap - 2W, 3E, F, digi or real stamping - (Week 2) At least 2 patterned papers
Our Crafty Corner - M, First Monday, E3 - Autumn Color Inspiration*
Vintage Stamping Challenges/Flonz Craft - M, P1, 3E, Must Stamp, does not have to be vintage - (September) Tic Tac Toe* ( I have twine, vintage tones and people)
Cardz 4 Guyz W, 3E - #87 embossing (large leaves are embossed)
Cuttlebug Mania W, 3E - Anything Goes (Week 2) (I used my Cuttlebug to cut out the Fiskar's Fuse leaf die cut, the Our Daily Bread die cut and the Spellbinders die cuts)
Clear It Out 2W, 3E, Must use stash item - Challenge Theme: Autumn  Stash: Leaves, Foliage (week 1) I hope my leaf die counts as something I have in my stash
Creative Card Crew 2W - #96 Fall (week 1)
Crafting for all Seasons - 2W, 3E - #110 Layering It Up (Week 1 of 2 )
Crafty Gals Corner -  W, E2 - #37 Anything Goes
Creative Moments - 2W, 3E - #76 Anything Goes/Use A Sentiment (Week 22 of 2)
Inspiration Destination - W, F- #51 Always Anything Goes 
Simon Says Stamp - W, 5E - Die Crazy

WordArt Wednesdays - W,5E , scriptural word art freebie offered each week - #201 - Anything Goes
House That Stamps Built - W, SIO, 4 challenges at the same time starting each Wednesday weeks  - Photo Inspiration
Sisterhood of Crafters  - 2W, 3E -  Photo Inspiration  (Week 2 of 2)
Card and Scrap (2W, P1/15) #103 Use Dies
Ching-chou Kuik Digital Stamps (M, P1, E3, SIO) The Colours of Fall
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper (M,P1) Anything goes with Patterned Paper
One Crazy Stamper (M,P1,E5) Christmas/Halloween/Fall (no digital images allowed)
Our Creative Corner (M,P1,3E) Shades of Autumn
Sassy Studio Designs - W, SIO: #299 Banners
Artbymiran Challenge - 2W , SIO, 3E, no digital projects - No.41 - (W1 of 2) - Anything Goes
QKR Stampede – W, 4E, SIO – No. 157 - Three is a Crowd (I used 3 leaves)
The Stamping Boutique - 2W, (2nd & 4th Friday) SIO - No.66 -  (W2 of 2) - Banners
Crafty Friends Challenge 2W,(W2) - something beginning with B (Bible verse)
Card and Scrap (2W, P1/15) #103 Use Dies
Your Scrapbook Place (M,P1,E3) Anything Goes 

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From the Heart Stamps September SOTH card

I just love getting my free Stamp of the Month set from Faith at From the Heart Stamps each month for playing along with her monthly challenge! This month she created an adorable fall scene with a sweet girl surrounded by pumpkins. She included some great sentiments, too. "Hello, Pumpkin," "If friends were pumpkins, I'd pick you," "When I count my blessings, I count you twice," and "Blessings come in many ways, and the nicest come as friends." This card is for a friend with a fall birthday, so I used a "Happy Birthday" sentiment from another FTHS set.
This card is also being entered into this week's sketch challenge at FTHS, and the sketch showed vellum running behind the focal point one way and a banner running the other way. I decided to stamp some orange pumpkins on my vellum to give it a little more color and to match the pumpkin theme on the card. I used some fun orange spotted Washi tape for the banner. The card is a 5x7 Kraft card which I embossed with a dotted Cuttlebug folder for the background to go with the spots on the Washi tape and some of the pumpkins in the digi stamp. I used a frame I had in my stash to frame up my digi stamp, added the sentiment and finished it off with a few candies on the side.

By far the most difficult and time-consuming part of this card was digitally coloring the stamp with my Silhouette Design Studio software. Everything but the girl's hair was colored using different patterns and colors from my Silhouette software. I used a marker for her blond hair and the pumpkin on the far left, but otherwise I chose different patterns for the pumpkins and the girl's clothes. Since I've accumulated quite a few (several hundred, in fact!) patterns, it took me awhile to decide which ones and at what percent I wanted them. Then I did an offset cut file and a print and cut of her in 5 different sizes. I think I will use some of the other sizes on fall/Thanksgiving cards.
Here's a close up of the stamp to show the patterns a bit more.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
FTHS SOTM Challenge
http://fromtheheartstamps.com/community/2015/09/02/free-stamp-of-the-month-september-2015/
FTHS I {heart} Sketches #118

http://fromtheheartstamps.com/community/2015/09/14/i-heart-card-sketches-with-a-twist-118/

Di's Digis Designs 3E,2W,SIO (W2)fabulous fall colours
 Pile It On - W #86 Birthday
AAA Cards: Fall Colors with a twist of fabric 
http://www.aaacards.blogspot.co.uk/
Dream Valley Challenges 2W, 3E, C10 - (Week 1) Autumn Colours
Make it Monday with Kraft Outlet - W, 2E, must include Kraft cardstock and/or items that can be purchased at Kraft Outlet - Pick Three* (I used embossing, leaves in the image, and I die cut the stamp using my Silhouette)
Little Red Wagon - W - #307 Try Something New (this is the first time I've stamped on vellum to make a background paper)

Seize The Birthday - 2W - Must be Birthday Card (W2 of 2) - Birthday +  Topping - Anything Goes

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A Day for Daisies Birthday Card

I have had a lot of fun discovering new digital stamp stores since I began making cards with my Silhouette a couple years ago. A Day For Daisies is one of them. They have a lot of cute, whimsical digis and always offer a few freebies in their store. I am finally getting around to using one of them to participate in their challenge this week. I used my Sulhouette Design Studio software to size my digi and make an offset cut file for it. Then I printed it out, cut it on my Silhouette Portrait and colored it with markers.

I used some paper and embellishments that came with an issue of a card making magazine I bought ages ago. I popped almost everything up on foam squares and used glue dots to adhere the sentiment to the frame. I added a few pearls to the left side and am ready to link it up!
I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

A Day for Daisies: must use one of their images plus a frame this week
http://adayfordaisies.blogspot.com/search/label/challenges
Pile It On - W #86 Birthday
Incy Wincy Designs - W, 5E - No Rubber Stamps
Clear It Out 2W, 3E, Must use stash item - Challenge Theme: Anything Goes  Stash: Anything Goes (week 2) I used the paper and embellishments from a papercrafting magazine I've had for ages)
Creative Moments - 2W, 3E - #76 Anything Goes/Use A Sentiment (Week 22 of 2)
Inspiration Destination - W, F- #51 Always Anything Goes 
WordArt Wednesdays - W,5E , scriptural word art freebie offered each week - #201 - Anything Goes
Wonderful Wednesdays -  W, SIO -  Always Anything Goes
House That Stamps Built - W, SIO, 4 challenges at the same time starting each Wednesday weeks  - Photo Inspiration
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper (M,P1) Anything goes with Patterned Paper
Creative Craft Cottage Digi Creations (2W, P1/15, E3) #33 Anything Goes
Digi Galore (M,P1) Anything Goes
Scrap & Craft Challenge - M 1st Thurs, 3E,  #13 Butterflies (until 27/9)
Seize The Birthday - 2W - Must be Birthday Card (W2 of 2) - Birthday +  Topping - Anything Goes
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards - 2W, 3E -  No. 100 - (W1 of 2) - Celebration
Artbymiran Challenge - 2W , SIO, 3E, no digital projects - No.41 - (W1 of 2) - Anything Goes
Crafty Catz - W, 3E – #293 - Special Occasion
Creative Corner - W, 3E  - Party Time
Digitally Sweet - M, Digital images/projects - (Does not have to be 100% digital.) - No. 142 - September - Anything with Wings

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Flower Fairy Card

I received the image for this lovely flower fairy when I joined The Outlawz monthly progressive challenge earlier this month. It was made by Nicecrane and is just gorgeous, don't you think?
For some reason, I couldn't get the digi to import to my Silhouette Design Studio software, so I had to skip some of the playing around with her that I would have enjoyed. It was all for the best, though, as this way I wound up printing out multiple copies of her and water coloring some of them. I wasn't completely happy with how they turned out after experimenting a bit, but I kept the water colored versions and went back to the drawing board, so to speak! I kept thinking about how to really make her pop. She's just so lovely I didn't want her to get overshadowed by the rest of the card.

Today I had an inspiration. I could picture this sweet fairy on a card with a vintage feel. I decided to print her out on some lovely card stock I've had in my stash waiting for a project like this one. I went ahead and printed her out at the same size as my watercolored fairies, and die cut her using Spellbinders Elegant Ovals. Then I began the painstaking process of cutting out bits and pieces from the various watercolored fairies with my craft knife to use on my die cut fairy. I popped the pieces up with tiny foam squares and colored the rest of her in with markers. (Another time when I should have thought things through a bit better and colored her before she had all her extra pieces adhered!)
The die cut I used is a large one, and I didn't want to cover too much of what was left of the matching card stock I had used to print the fairy on, so I decided to make a bigger card than usual. I made another "easel" type card where I adhered two card stock rectangles together by cutting one a bit larger and scoring a small flap on it to adhere the second piece to (if that explanation confuses you, look at my Lemonade Card post where I have some pictures of the process).

Then I made a tag with the "Have a fairy lovely birthday" sentiment on it because I just love puns. I used my Silhouette Design Studio software to write up the sentiment, then I printed it out and die cut it with A Spellbinders die. I tied the tag with twine and adhered it to the card with foam tape after I was sure where I wanted it to go in relation to my fairy. (For once I thought ahead!) I popped the fairy on with foam tape, as well and then added a small butterfly I had made out of shrink plastic. I wanted a little more texture and interest in the bottom right corner, so I added some seed beads using Bead and Glitter glue.

 

 

 

 

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

 

WordArt Wednesdays - W,5E , scriptural word art freebie offered each week - #200 - Anything Goes

City Crafter: In Pieces  http://citycrafter.blogspot.ca/

 As You Like it Challenge - 2W, E3- (W1 of 2) Favoutire Die (& Why I love Spellbinders dies in general, but the Elegant Ovals set has this lovely large oval that makes such an elegant frame for images.

 

 Aud Sentiments Challenge - 2W, E5 (W1 of 2) #140 Anything Goes (+ a sentiment

 

Inky Impressions - 2W, SIO - #274 Fancy Corners (Week 1 of 2) Each corner has something "fancy" in it 

Crafty Ribbons - 2W, Include Ribbon (W2 of 2)  #126 Happy Birthday (I'm hoping twine counts as a form of ribbon)

Inspiration Destination - W, F- #50 Always Anything Goes 

Little Red Wagon - W - #306 Digi Do 

Scrap & Craft Challenge - M 1st Thurs, 3E,  #13 Butterflies (until 27/9)

Seize The Birthday - 2W - Must be Birthday Card (W1 of 2) - Birthday +  Topping - Anything Goes

TIME OUT Challenges - 2W (W2 of 2) #39 Make Your Mark (any marker, chalk, pencils etc)

Artbymiran Challenge - 2W , SIO, 3E, no digital projects - No.40 - (W2 of 2) - Anything Goes
Digitally Sweet - M, Digital images/projects - (Does not have to be 100% digital.) - No. 142 - September - Anything with Wings
Fairy Tale - 2W, 2E - No. 126 - (W1 of 2) - Photo inspiration (colorful peace symbol)
http://fairytale-challengeblog.blogspot.com/

Crafting with Dragonflies 2W,1E, Cards only (W1) something magical (no Halloween/witches) 

Crafty Friends Challenge 2W,(W1) - something beginning with B (butterflies)

Simply Papercraft - 2W, E3 - No. 13 (W1 of 2) - Anything Goes

Scrappers Delights  M, First Saturday of the M  Always Anything Goes 

 613 Avenue Create - W - #141 Anything Goes with optional "Love Me Do"

Glitter n Sparkle - W - #154 Use something that begins with G (Girl)

Pile It On - W #86 Birthday

Artistic Inspirations - 2W, E3 - (Week 1) Anything Goes with Twist of Magic 

Crafting from the Heart - W, E3 - Always Anything Goes

Craft Your Passion - W, E3 - Always Anything Goes

Get Creative Challenges - 2W, 3E - (Week 2) Use a Tag

 Incy Wincy Designs - W, 5E - No Rubber Stamps
Melonheadz Friends Challenge - 2W, 2E, SIO - (Week 1) Try Something New (decoupage)

Not Just Cards - M, F - Always Anything Goes

Ooh La La Creations - 2W, SIO - (Week 1) Feminine

Scrapbook Stamp Society Challenge Blog - 2W, 3E - (Week 1) Anything goes + Option: Hat

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - W, 5E - Favorite Technique (die cutting)

The Outlawz Greetings Challenge - W, Must have sentiment or greeting, 1E, must sign in to participate

 Vintage Stamping Challenges/Flonz Craft - M, P1, 3E, Must Stamp, does not have to be vintage - (September) Tic Tac Toe*(twine, vintage tone, people)

Whoopsi Daisy - M, SIO - (September) Add Embellishments

Crafty Sentiment Designs W, 1E, SIO - Anything Goes

Die Cuttin' Divas W, must include a Die-cut - #233 Fun with Puns

Paper Minutes W - #400 Anything Goes

Through The Craft Room Door W, 2E - Always Anything Goes

Unicorn Challenge M, 1st Tuesday of M, E3, No fully digital projects September - Mythical & Magical

Card and Scrap (2W, P1/15) #103 Use Dies

The Sisters of Craft (M,P1) Anything Goes

 

 

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