Chilly Challenges

Over the past 24 hours, it's gone from an unseasonable (and kind of freaky) almost 70 degrees here to cold enough for sleet and icy stuff. And, I've completely finished making and addressing my holiday cards. I just need to print a photo of Cosmo the crazy dog to include in the card I'm sending to my vet's office. Yes, I send a holiday card to the vet--we spend so much time there and they take such good care of Cosmo and are so tolerant of his quirkiness that it's the least I can do to thank them! So, I'm back in the mood for some cold weather cards tonight. I took my inspiration from several different challenges to create these cards.

This one is for Kristina's latest color inspiration challenge. The colors to incorporate are Baja Breeze, Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, So Saffron, and Very Vanilla. I love Baja Breeze! Every year, I fall for the (or one of the) blue shades that SU! features as an In Color and worry about how much I'll miss it when it's gone. Hopefully this summer will bring a new blue that I will grow to love once Baja Breeze disappears . . .

I used one of my favorite patterned papers on this card--Pinstriped from Sassafras Lass. It has three of the challenge colors in it, so I knew I'd be pulling it out for my card.

I stamped the coffee mug image from Papertrey Ink's stamp set on a scrap of So Saffron cardstock in Chocolate Chip ink, then trimmed around it. I stamped the coaster and the sentiment on a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock. I like how the sentiment has a blank spot in it so you can "fill in" the beverage you want. Here, I used coffee (even though I rarely drink it!) and highlighted the word with a little So Saffron Stampin' Pastel for emphasis. I attached the mug to the stamped panel with dimensionals, then assembled the panels on the card.

Materials Used:

Warm Happiness stamp set (Papertrey Ink); Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze, and Close to Cocoa Classic inks, Baja Breeze, Close to Cocoa, So Saffron, and Very Vanilla cardstock, Chocolate Chip 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, Stampin' Pastels, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); Threading Water punch (Fiskars); Dew Drops; cream satin ribbon (Target); Pinstriped patterned paper (Sassafras Lass from i {heart} papers)

The second card uses the colors from today's SCS color challenge--Baja Breeze (again!), Kiwi Kiss, and Basic Grey--along with Julee's Mojo Monday sketch.

I randomly stamped two of the different size snowflakes from Papertrey Ink's Snowfall Additions set in Baja Breeze ink on shimmery white cardstock and added self-adhesive green rhinestones to their centers. I rounded the corners on the panel and layered it on Kiwi Kiss and Basic Gray panels. I tied a piece of elegant gray taffeta around the panel. I haven't used this stuff in a while--I'd forgotten how nice it is!

The sentiment, from the Snowfall set, is stamped on the Baja Breeze panel in Basic Gray ink, then again in White Craft ink for a faux embossed look. It looked a little too simple, so I went back and stamped one of the rows of snowflakes from the large border image along the bottom of the card, just underneath the sentiment, again using the faux embossing technique. It added just enough to make the card look "finished" to me.

Materials Used:

Snowfall and Snowfall Additions stamp sets (Papertrey Ink); Baja Breeze and Basic Gray Classic inks, White Craft ink, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Basic Gray, and Shimmery White cardstock, corner rounder, gray taffeta ribbon, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); green self-adhesive rhinestones (Michaels)