Hydrangea Hippo

Hydrangea Hippo is the Sew Many Layouts Challenge sponsor this week. HH provided some of the supplies for creating the layouts. This week's challenge is to cut everything out by hand. I must be strange because I normally cut everything by hand. I own several paper cutters but love my Tim Holtz Tonic scissors. I own 3 pairs and have bought them for family members as well.

I wanted to share some pictures of the daffodils trying to survive the wild weather in Missouri this spring. We've had 60 degrees - 30 degrees, 18 hours of rain, 6-8 inches of snow and a few hours of sun - all in the last week. The green background paper is from HOTP but the smaller swatches were provided by Hydrangea Hippo as were the multicolored wide ribbon, the die cut circles and the stars. I accented the smaller pieces with 3mm crystals from Mark Richard. The butterfly digi is from Sew Many Cards. I just gave it two different but coordinating color treatments.

I will be using more supplies from Hydrangea Hippo in the new future but don't let that stop you from visiting the shop.

Sew Many Cards Challenge & Friday Freebie

The new challenge and the Friday Freebie can both be found at the new Sew Many Cards Challenge Site. We hope that by putting all challenges (cards, layouts) and the Friday Freebie in one place it will be easier for all you to find.

As always, Angela comes up with the perfect digis at just the perfect time. I loved all of the new releases last weekend. Oliver Owl is one of the them. He seemed perfect to go with the picture out my scrapbook room window of the cove during the snow days. I was quite content to stay in and scrap.

Friday Freebie & Paper Cutz Challenge

Two new creations to share with you.

The Friday Freebie from Sew Many Cards is the Christmas tree. It is fairly plain to let you decorate - embellish - it as you wish. I had fun adding several helpers to the decorating. Toga brought some gifts for under the tree. Hershey had some trouble with an oversized ornament and Eris is tangled in more lights. The digis were colored with Copic markers. The background paper is DCWV Christmas Stack from a couple of years ago. The red pearls I believe are Hero Arts and the snowflake brads I picked up through Paper Wishes.

Paper Cutz Challenge that will go up tomorrow (sorry, I'm asleep by midnight) is to make a project using a snowman or snowflake. Again I'm using a Sew Many Cards Digi colored in Copic Markers. The paper is from the same DCWV stack and the same snowflake brads. There is also a thin mat of light blue that was in a DCWV small mat stack of solid colors.

Hope to get my cards addressed - at least they're made! - this weekend and out to the PO on Monday. Got a lotta shopping to do too! Take time to enjoy the season

Sir Chester Katt & Mary Ski

So Much Happening!

First of all, have you made your guesses on the Sneak Peeks for Sew Many Cards? Email your guesses to Sarabeth, Jeri or Angela through the SMC Social Site (NING).

I have included two pics this time. The Tasty Memories card has the new Friday Freebie from Sew Many Cards. Remember you must sign up to receive the newsletter in order to get the Freebie.

The other pic is a Hershey kiss or Candy Cane holder. This week's challenge at Paper Cutz is to use a stamp: rubber, acrylic or digital. Obviously from looking at my posts, I am addicted to digis. Somehow I can't use the kind with an ink pad. I admire those that can.

So check out the New Release Party & Sneak Peeks for SMC, get your Friday Freebie and enter the challenge at Paper Cutz. Now don't say you are too busy. Whatever you make for the challenges can then be sent on to a friend. A Christmas card for someone special or a little something for coworker. Relax and enjoy scrapping.

Mary Ski

Sneak Peek Day #1 December 1, 2009

Yes I know it may say November 30th, but I'm tired. It's either now or late tomorrow. Here is a sneak peek of a new release image from Sew Many Cards.


This is a week long party with new peeks each day on various blogs of the design team. When you think you know who the character is send an email to Jeri or Sarabeth or Angela on the NING site (Sew Many Cards Social Site). There is a link to the site on the right column of this site. By sending your guess by email, no one else can profit from your detective skills. Look closely and see if you have a guess yet. The answer will be revealed on December 8th.

The second part of this day's party is the chance to win an envelope full of embellishments to add to your cards and layouts. It will include ribbons, brads, and other fun stuff. To enter the drawing you must answer the following three questions and email your answers to the email listed at the top of the page: purrfectsentiments@gmail.com You may enter once a day from December 1st through December 4th. The winner will be notified by December 6th and on the blog on December 8th.

Q#1 Who is the CEO of Purrfect Sentiments?
Q#2 What is the tiger's name from Sew Many Cards?
Q#3 How many years have I been scrapbooking?

email your answers and be sure to visit the other design team members' blogs as listed on the NING site to get other sneak peeks each day. Good luck!! MEOW!!!!!!!

Tomorrow: 2 Chances to Win!!

December 1st starts the Release Party for Sew Many Cards. The first clue will be available right here. Instructions on how to enter your guess as to the character will be available on Sew Many Cards Social Site (see link on right)

Also tomorrow I will post three questions about Purrfect Sentiments. Email your responses to the address at the top of the blog purrfectsentiments@gmail.com to be entered in a drawing to win an envelope full of embellishments including ribbons, brads, stickers, etc. Deadline will be Friday December 4th at midnight. You may only enter once per day for this drawing.

Finally (and most importantly) Happy Birthday to my daughter, Lauren.

MSki

Aluminum vs Cactus

For those of us over 50, remember the aluminum Christmas trees of the 1960's?? They had a multicolored spotlight on them so they would reflect green, red, yellow... This card using the Christmas Cactus Friday Freebie from Sew Many Cards (did you sign up for the email from SMC???) shows two very different "trees". Neither of which is really a tree. The aluminum tree on the left from the 60s and the macho cactus tree with attitude on the right. Guess you have to be of a certain age to appreciate this card. No disrespect intended toward anyone or anything. It is just my wacky take on a Christmas cactus

Hope everyone had an enjoyable Thanksgiving. I know we did: dinner with friends, good conversation and some challenging card playing.

This week's Paper Cutz Challenge (see link on right) is an anything goes. Total freedom to create holiday items that you still need or an excuse to do a birthday card or something else that isn't red and green = maybe scrap a page of those summer pictures you know haven't made it out of the envelope yet.

Above, I have used a Matchbook (Sarapapers at Paper Wishes) to make a Christmas card that will also hold a gift card. It opens like a match book. then two "doors" open to reveal the final inside message and/or image. On this one I use three different papers. On others I have used 3 coordinating papers. They are a lot of fun to do for holiday gifts or even Birthday and other occasions. Since they are square, a square card require extra postage. However it will fit in a standard envelope for a 5 x 7 card and not incur that "squarepostage" Have fun experimenting this week.

MSki

Cutting Cafe sponsor week

This week's challenge at Sew Many Cards (see link at right) is to use a digi stamp(s) from Angela (SMC) and from Regina (Cutting Cafe) to create your project. Regina has some really nice background digis and wording. The ornaments hanging along the top of the card and the "Magic of Christmas" sign are both from CC. Toga giving the gift to Jaden is SMC of course. Two of my favorite characters.

Hmmmm Two of my favorite characters. They are all my favorites. I like Tayla and Hershey and the Polar Bear (does he have a name Angela??) and Halen and Miki and PJ and....and....and.... I guess I'm just addicted to digistamps. I'm no good at the traditional ones. Take a look at the instructions and give it a try! It is all about trying new things, new talents, new techniques, it is almost New Year.

I have an extra day off (tomorrow) for Thanksgiving. Nice to have the loooooonnnnnngggg weekend. Not doing the Black Friday thing in person at least. May hit some Internet Black Friday sales but no longer up to the pushing and shoving and fighting. I may actually get my Christmas cards addressed. Ha Ha - I do have them made at least. Somehow it is the addressing part I'm hung up on at the moment. I have to put all the address changes into the software before I print labels. Then I have to decide which card is best for which person. I made them all unique so this will take some careful thought.

Take care