One evening, four Thanksgiving cards.

I had about zero time to create Thanksgiving cards for everyone. I'll be lucky if they get there on time. As always, I turn to my sketch addiction to help me through at least one part of my crafting. That and making multiples of each card!

First set of cards were Lawn Fawn 'Into the Woods' and Deconstructed Sketch 126. I colored the Acorn and Fox forever ago just for fun, knowing I would eventually find somewhere to stick them. Here they are. Love that cute stamp set!

Next, a stash-buster! I've had that leaf paper in my kit for I don't know how long. It's lovely, and I wanted to show it off. The layout is Retro Sketches #91. 

Now the question becomes who gets which cards?

25th and Pine, all mine!

Not too long ago, my name was drawn from the hat for some sweet goodies from Basic Grey, courtesy of Creating Keepsakes. THANK YOU! I thought I was only getting what they showed in the blog, so imagine my surprise when a huge box showed up at my house with most of the line! We're talking transparencies, journaling cards, washi tape, brads, letters... the works! And don't get me started on the wax seals. What a way to get me to buy the matching papers, Basic Grey! (Twist my arm, why dontcha!) I spotted the 6x6 pad at Archivers, and that brings us to today with the beginnings of my Christmas Card Craftstravaganza.

My first card was intended for Cas(e) This Sketch #52, but I buzzed past the deadline. The enamel dots are from MME, and were a last second addition to cover some errant glue. Whoops! Happy accidents... Anyway, this sketch was a great way for me to play with some of the transparent titles which I have never used before. There are two or three more so I might repeat this card in other colors. Maybe. It's not my favorite—needs more dimension, maybe?

I am rather more fond of this card, based on Retro Sketches #89. I fussy cut (wow! I never do that!) the Joy ornament from one of the "snippets" that came in the pack. I was too lazy to power up the Pazzles for the circles, so I did it with my manual circle cutter... not exactly the most perfect circle-maker in the world, but it does the job. Sometimes. (Thanks, Martha.) Here's hoping you wouldn't have noticed if I didn't say anything! ;)

That's about all the paper crafting I've done in say... the past two weeks? I've gone full-tilt beadaholic since starting my new job. I'll have to make a whole bead post to catch you up on that!

Happy Crafting! 

Supplies: All papers and embellishments from Basic Grey 25th & Pine, with exceptions: ink, Tsukineko VersaMagic Wheat; scrap Navy cardstock; twine, Hemptique; ribbon and marker, American Crafts.

It's not really Halloween until there's blood dripping down the walls!

That's what they say, you know. Or maybe, that's what Dexter says. I didn't like the ending. I could have lived without that last 30 seconds or so. I digress.

I'm playing along with Retro Sketches 87. I needed to cram in a few fast Halloween cards, and this sketch fit the bill.

The first up is the design I had in mind the whole time -- which of course I don't like. The second was what I came up with while making the first, and decided it didn't work with those papers, so I ended up making four total (two of each kind) and using the papers I had got out plus more for the 'blood work'. What do you think? Enjoy!

Supplies: Paper, mostly Authentique 'Enchanted'; Stamps, MME Lost & Found Halloween; red watercolor; Tsukineko VersaMark Black, Brilliance Starlite Black; Queen & Co. dots; American Crafts Thickers / Amy Tangerine

Whoops! Missed a birthday.

I swore she said her birthday was the 25th. Alas. The 22nd. And I am now overdue. By two days! Oh well.

For my belated birthday in a hurry, I used Retro Sketches #86 and a whole lot of Lawn Fawn 'Dewey Decimal'.

I totally dig the salmon and sea foam color scheme. Accented with brown and white. Love it. I think she will too.

ETA: Lawn Fawn themselves pinned this card with the caption "Perfect belated birthday card by Amanda". OMG can I die now, because that makes me so happy!

Supplies: Lawn Fawn 'Dewey Decimal' (stamps, papers, twine); Stampendous 'Typewriter Wishes,' detail white embossing powder; MME dots; Tsukineko StazOn Timber Brown, Black; VersaMagic Cloud White, Pink Grapefruit; 3D adhesive; vellum.

For the lady whose car I dumped my coffee in...

...whoops, my bad. Sorry. It's a small splatter, but it is on the seat. In my defense, I was up at 4:30 am and it was crappy hotel coffee. It kinda deserved to get dumped out...

...just not in your car!

I can only hope this helps. Enjoy!

Inside the bag:

Two More from World Cardmaking Day

I got two more in yesterday, both on Retro Sketches #84. Just screaming for washi tape, isn't it? But we'll get to that in a minute.

First up, this stamp set I bought with my dad in mind: Tool Time from Technique Tuesday. I like how it's multiple stamps, but it's set up on the sheet like a background, which is how I wanted to use it! I arranged the stamps around the sentiment and stamped with Tsukineko Brilliance Starlite Black. It's black ink with a heavy amount of silver sheen, so that it appears as graphite. Seriously, the ink is like pencil lead: metallic dark gray, but not too shiny. I love the effect, especially on these tools! Sorry that it doesn't photograph as well as it looks. I do feel like the sentiment got a little lost, so I wish I had clear embossed it or used a better ink (my 'Night Sky' is kinda dry).

ETA: This card won a Shout-Out from Retro Sketches!

I am sooooo excited! It's my first call-out/win/blog badge ever!!

 

I said I'd get to the washi tape, and here it is. :) I can't decide if I like it. I go back and forth. The colors (and the lines) are taken from Runway Inspired Challenge #45. The two challenges kind of speak to one another, don't you think? But, again, I think I'm too literal. And I look back at the inspiration cards for RIC45 and I feel so 'blah' by comparison. Oh well! I made something, and someone will like it. It goes in the "I made this and I don't know what to do with it" box.

Happy World Cardmaking Day! I've got two so far...

... and one that I technically made Thursday which makes three for this post. :) I absolutely fell in love with CAS(E) This Sketch #48! It has so much potential. I can see myself using this layout again and again. Which is why I made three!

This winter one is the one from Thursday. My 'mother in law' bought me the whole line of Paper Studio 'Winter Wonderland' last year and I've got soooo much of it, I will probably use this as my holiday card. It would have different papers in the back, but it should work. The stamp is embossed with Ranger Embossing Pearl Silver, which is partially see through: you can use a dark color ink and the silver powder will lighten the ink and add the pearlescence.

And here are the two I made today. I'm disappointed in the bird one. It was a cheap stamp set from the dollar bin that I had never used before. I've since learned that cheap photo polymer does not take ink well. Also, I stupidly used the jelly kind of dimensional dots, as opposed to the foam ones. That said, I love the card, it just looks kind of funny. I think I will make it again with another stamp set.

I've been meaning to use this monkey stamp!!! I love it so much. Rather than repeat the icon in the sketch, I chose to repeat the sentiment, and put the graphic in the sentiment's place. I love it!

Supplies: Tsukineko inks, Clearsnap inks; Avery Elle 'Funky Monkey' stamp; Inkadinkadoo 'Fun Flake' stamp; W R Memory Keepers 'Tweet Tweet' stamp; Spectrum Noir markers; 3D adhesive; glue stick; My Mind's Eye dots; Recollections 'Honeycomb'; My Mind's Eye 'Magnolia' orange distress; white cardstock.