mama elephant november challenge: holiday cards and tags

This is 2 of 2 posts for today.  For my Avery Elle challenge post, please click here.

We were simply blown away by the entries for October's Mama Elephant and Me challenge, and I have a feeling we're going to get a lot of amazing entries again this month.  November's theme is Holiday Cards and Tags.

I recently got the Instalove die set, which I instantly loved (heh heh!).  I thought the main die in this set -- the long and narrow picture frame -- would make a fun shaker...the teeniest, tiniest shaker in the land.  Here's what I made...

This tag used Polar Pals stamps and dies, as well as the partial die cutting technique, and yes, I had to channel my inner Pamela Ho in order to make this.  The process was like a crafty GRE question...from the analytical section to be exact.  I had to figure out where to set my die cutting plates so that I could cut some pieces and not others.  After several attempts, I finally got it right.

I had an extra glittery Tags a Lot tag that from Mama Elephants 2nd anniversary party (read all about it here), so I used it for the back.  Initially, I had thought of having a solid background for the shaker element, but I really liked the way the glitter tag sparkled, so I opted instead to make this a clear shaker.

  

  front                                                                  back 

I don't really like to toot my own horn, but this is honestly one of my most fave things I've ever made:)  Its so tiny and cute.  It has a bell and so it jingles.  Its clear, so its kind of cool to see the glittery background...and when you shake it, it appears that the sequins are dancing around magically.  Oh well...toot toot!

The Mama Elephant and Me challenge team has created some amazing holiday cards and tags that are sure to inspire you.  Make sure to check out their projects and join the fun.

Some guidelines for playing along:

• Your entry must use at least one Mama Elephant stamp
• Your entry must be based on the challenge/inspiration source provided
• Your entry must link back to Mama Elephant and Me blog post along with the graphic image
• Winner gets featured here and a stamp set of choice
• Deadline is November 28th
• Link up using the Inlinkz on the bottom of Mama Elephant and Me challenge post
• Have fun, stamp, stamp, stamp!!!

Hope to see your creations!  And, thanks for stopping by.

Supplies:
Stamps: Polar Pals
Dies: Instalove, Polar Pals, Tags a Lot

AEI♥U November Challenge: Holiday

This is 1 of 2 posts for today.  For my Mama Elephant challenge post, please click here .

Its the first of the month, which means its time for a new AEI♥U Challenge.  For the month of November, our theme is holiday.  

I hope you've already seen all the new holiday stamp and die sets that Avery Elle released in September.  There are a lot of cute and festive images that will help you to make some fantastic wintery and holiday cards.  I worked with the Noel set and made this...

The set has a couple large sentiments, which I cut apart (gasp!).  I like having the flexibility to build and change the layouts of sentiments so that they take center stage, and this stamp set allowed me to do just that. 

I embossed the sentiment in white, stamped and colored the birds and their accessories, and with a bit of masking, blended distress inks to make the gradient sky.

I added some glossy accents, which can take a card from simple to sophisticated.  Here's a close-up...

I hope you find some time to join us fun ladies over at the the AEI♥U Challenge.  Please check out the the AEI♥U Challenge blog to get some inspiration from our design team, see the rules for playing, and link up your projects.

Avery Elle Supplies:
Stamps: Noel
Paper: Birch Woodgrain Heavy Card Stock

purple onion designs - holiday sweets and treats

I had a lot of fun using stamps from Purple Onion Designs to make decorations and packaging for some baked goods.  The stamp images are so cute and whimsical, they just make me happy:)  First up, I baked red velvet cupcakes that are great on any day, but the striking red makes them even better for holiday gift-giving and celebrations.  The cupcake toppers were made with Merry Thoughts, a fun set containing a combination of wintery images and sentiments.

I also made almond tea cookies aka Mexican Wedding cookies.  I have made these cookies for baby and wedding showers, but I love making them around the holidays because they look like snowballs.  The simple sign was made using Merry Thoughts.

Finally, snowball cookies in a bag with a cute little snowman in the front, using Winterberry and Winter Wishes! sentiment set.

Baking orders have picked up and I'm excited to be in the kitchen and get to work...though when you enjoy something this much, it really doesn't feel like work.  So thankful that I have the cute Purple Onion Designs to play around with.  They really do elevate a simple treat into something super sweet:)

Check out Purple Onion Designs' holiday sale going on right now.  All stamps are 25% until December 10th.  Yes ya'll, ALL!

Thanks for stopping by.

owl I want for Christmas...

Oh, how I love puns!!!  And, oh how I love the movie Love Actually!!!  And, so does my friend Gary, who asked me to make Christmas cards for him this year.  When I saw Lawn Fawn's Winter Owl, I just *knew* this would be perfect for him.

See, Gary is a Mariah Carey fan, and not your average fan who enjoys one of her tunes from time to time.  Gary owns her piano books, has been to her concerts, and even had a Mariah (or Gariah) -themed birthday party one year.  We all had to prepare Mariah songs to sing at a karaoke spot.  Memorable!

When I showed Gary this stamp set, he said he loved it.  He then proceeded to ask me if I could make his Christmas cards have Mariah Carey on them with her arm extended, on which the winter owl would be perched.  I said no...that this would have to do.

This card will be submitted to Lawnscaping Challenge, where we had to incorporate polka dots into our project.  Thanks for taking a look!

Supplies:
Stamps: Lawn Fawn Into the Woods, Winter Owl
Inks: Versafine (onyx black)
Dies: Lawn Fawn Winter Owl
Other: Lawn Fawn Into the Woods, Peace Joy Love, kraft paper

sparkle and shine

It's been a while since I've made any cards, the reason which I'll blog about another day.  All I know is that I have a bunch of thank you/you're amazing cards that I need to make to show my gratitude.  Happy to be back in the groove of things and to be participating in CASology's challenge where we have to incorporate the key word "bell" into a card.  Here's mine:

I used one of my favorite holiday stamp sets: Winter Wonderland by Mama Elephant.  The sentiments stamp out soooo clearly and sharply.  And, I didn't even think you could strike a balance between cute and classy, but Mama Elephant figured it out.

I *think* those are bells on deers antlers?  My roommate says they're ornaments, but I looked really closely and the bell images have the tiny little notches on the bottom...you know, the holes in the bells that let you hear them ring.  Bells or ornaments...I'm going with bells.

Hope everyone is doing well.  Thank you for stopping by.

Supplies:
Stamps: Mama Elephant Winter Wonderland, No Peeking
Inks: Mama Elephant (ocean, winter); Versamark (onyx black)
Other: Wink of Stella glitter brush (clear)

holiday cupcake boxes

Here's a quick post to showcase these cute little cupcake boxes I made that feature the Holiday Border Tape Set from Purple Onion Designs.

I used the holiday sentiment borders to serve as bands around the little boxes.   And they really are little...just the right size to hold a mini cupcake.  I sprinkled a few sequins in there just for a size reference.

I've been asked to make favors for weddings and showers; these borders can work for holiday themed favors.  I think party guests would be so happy to take one of these home.

Thanks for stopping by!  Check out all the goodies at Purple Onion Designs.  Their holiday stamps are so much fun!  And, if you want some inspiration, check out the design team's creations on the Purple Onion Design blog.