Margaret Moody

Another Tic-Tac-Toe at Merry Monday

It's time for another Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge (#55) at Merry Monday!  If you've never played one of these challenges before, you should really give it a try!  Choose a row on the Tic-Tac-Toe board, going across, down or diagonally, and use the elements in your chosen row to make your card!  What row do you think I picked?

I chose the bottom row going across to make a clean and simple one layer card!  I used a little Santa set I've had in my stash for quite some time.  The Santa reminded me of a Santa doll I had when I was a little girl in the 60s!  The sentiment says it all and works perfectly with the jolly old elf!  This card required minimal supplies and was so quick and easy to make!

Get a jump start on your Christmas cards and join me and the rest of the Merry Makers for this fun challenge!  Visit their blogs and leave them some love!  I know you'll be inspired by their wonderful creations!

Lesley Croghan

Wendy Aungst

Vicki Burdick

Allisa Chilton

Sherry Eckblad

Narelle Farrugia

Nina Forsyth

Sue Joyce

Bonnie Klass

LeAnne Pugliese

All supplies are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:

Stamps:  Hampton Arts (Santa), Clear Pattern Stamps (Martha Stewart)
Paper:  Whisper White card stock
Ink:  Real Red, Basic Black
Tools:  3/16" Corner Punch

Merry Monday #50 - Theme Challenge

We're challenging you at Merry Monday this week with a Theme Challenge (#50) to create an elegant Christmas card!  I'm a fan of simple elegance and the old adage that less is more.  With that in mind, I created a clean and simple card using a beautiful botanical stamp from Stampin' Up!  This image reminds me of a beautiful blooming plant I received one Christmas from a dear friend! 

Stamped in Riding Hood Red on Very Vanilla, this gorgeous floral is strong enough to stand alone, needing little or no embellishment.  The sentiment stamped in Always Artichoke completes the traditional color scheme and finishes the card without overpowering the image.  Quick and easy, yet very traditional and elegant!  I hope you like it as much as I do!

Be sure to visit the blogs of the rest of the Merry Makers and take a peek at their elegant cards!  You'll love the beautiful work of these talented ladies!  Then, I hope you'll join us at Merry Monday and get a jump on making your Christmas cards!  It's never too early to get started!

Lesley Croghan

Wendy Aungst

Vicki Burdick

Allisa Chilton

Sherry Eckblad

Narelle Farrugia

Nina Forsyth

Sue Joyce

Bonnie Klass

LeAnne Pugliese

All supplies are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:

Stamps:  Sweet Floral
Paper:  Riding Hood Red, Always Artichoke, Very Vanilla card stock
Ink:  Riding Hood Red, Always Artichoke
Tools:  Stamp-a-ma-jig
Extras:  Stampin' Dimensionals

Merry Monday #48 Color Challenge

We've got a new challenge this week at Merry Monday, hosted by Lesley Croghan at Always Playing with Paper!   It's a Color Challenge (Merry Monday #48) using non-traditional colors of Pumpkin Pie, Marina Mist and Basic Gray! 

I used My Digital Studio 2+ to create the stamp image for my 5.25x5.25 inch card, using the Something for Christmas stamp brush. The coloring tool feature in MDS2+ makes it super simple to add different colors to an image.  I printed the image on Whisper White card stock, trimmed it to 4x4 inches, layered it on color coordinating mats, and then my card base.  A quick and oh so easy, contemporary Christmas card!

I hope you'll play along with us this week at Merry Monday!  Get out your supplies and get a jump start on making your Christmas cards!  Need some inspiration?  See what my fellow Merry Makers have done with this modern and fresh color combination by visiting their blogs!  I know you'll be inspired! 

Wendy Aungst

Vicki Burdick

Allisa Chilton

Sherry Eckblad

Narelle Farrugia

Nina Forsyth

Sue Joyce

Bonnie Klass

LeAnne Pugliese

All supplies are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:

Stamps:  Something for Christmas Stamp Brush (My Digital Studio 2+)
Paper:  Pumpkin Pie, Marina Mist, Basic Gray, Whisper White card stock
Tools:  1/4" Circle Punch (retired)
Extras:  Blue/White Baker's Twine (my embellishment collection), Stampin' Dimensionals, Tombow Multi-Purpose Adhesive

Tic-Tac-Toe at Merry Monday

Lesley Croghan at Always Playing with Paper promised to mix things up for 2013 with the Merry Monday Challenge and she's holding true to her word!  We're hosting a Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge #47 this week that offers you different combinations for creating your Christmas card!  Just like the game, choose a row from the board below, going across, down or diagonally.  Use the 3 elements shown in your chosen row to make your card.  Can you tell which row I chose to play with?


If you guessed the first row going across, you're right!  My challenge was to use:  Blue, Dry Embossing and Snow.  My goal was to create another clean and simple Christmas card for you that could be easily mass produced and required minimal time and effort.  This card fits that description and was quick and easy to make! 

For Blue, I used punched circles and a simple banner in Bashful Blue.  This shade of blue makes me think of the cold of winter!  Brrrr!!  For Dry Embossing, I used a polka dot embossing folder and white card stock.  The polka dots remind me of falling snow!  And for my Snow element, I used single punched snowflakes with adhesive rhinestone centers, featured on the blue punched circles.  Punches are so easy to use and a super timesaver!  Simple, fast and fun!  Please let me know what you think!  I really enjoy hearing from you!

Be sure to see how the rest of the Merry Makers played Tic-Tac-Toe by visiting their blogs!  You'll find lots of inspiring ideas from all of these talented papercrafters!  Now it's your turn!  Pick your row and get started!  I can't wait to see what you create!

Wendy Aungst

Vicki Burdick

Allisa Chilton

Sherry Eckblad

Narelle Farrugia

Nina Forsyth

Sue Joyce

Bonnie Klass

LeAnne Pugliese

All supplies are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:

Stamps:  Curly Cute
Paper:  Bashful Blue, Whisper White card stock
Ink:  Basic Gray Stampin' Write Marker
Tools:  Big Shot, Polka Dot Embossing Folder, 1-3/8" Circle Punch, 1-1/4" Square Punch, Snowflake punch (Martha Stewart), Stamp-a-ma-jig
Extras:  Stampin' Dimensionals

Super Simple Thank You Cards

 

I thought I'd share some super simple thank you cards with you today!  They're quick and easy to make because of their clean and simple design!  I used brightly colored patterned paper to create a decorative band across the bottom of the card.  Coordinating card stock was stamped with a sentiment and enhanced with a floral embellishment that was created with punches and decorative brads.  If you have extra patterned paper, add it to the flap of your envelope for the perfect finishing touch!  This is a great way to use up scraps of designer paper and extra embellishments in your stash!  Let me know what you think! Have fun playing!

All supplies are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:

Stamps:  Thank You Kindly (Stampin' Up! - retired)
Paper: Whisper White, Calypso Coral, Pool Party card stock; Sweet Nectar (K & Company)
Ink:  Real Red, Gumball Green
Tools:  3/16" Corner Punch, Boho Blossoms Punch, Paper Piercing Tool, Stamp-a-ma-jig
Extras:  Whisper White Medium Envelopes

It's Another Merry Monday!

November is really flying by and December will be here before you know it!  It's the perfect time for you to visit Always Playing with Paper and join in the Merry Monday Challenge #42 to create a few Christmas cards before December 25th rolls around!  I'm thrilled to be joining Lesley Croghan and her team of Merry Makers this month in their weekly sketch challenge!  Here's the fun sketch we used for this week's challenge:

I love this sketch and used patterned papers from Stampin' Up!'s Festival of Prints DSP Stack to create a clean and simple card!  Once again, I turned to the My Digital Studio program to create my sentiment and mittens image.  It allows me to add multiple colors to the stamp brush images so I can color coordinate them to any patterned paper I want to use!  It's really quick, fun and easy to do, too!  I like the way this card turned out and I hope you do too!  If so, please leave me a comment!  I really enjoy hearing from you! 

Be sure to see what the team of Merry Makers did with this sketch too by visiting their blogs.  I know you'll be inspired by their wonderful work!

Lesley Croghan

Wendy Aungst

Allisa Chilton

Sherry Eckblad

Narelle Farrugia

Nina Forsyth

Sue Joyce

Bonnie Klass

LeAnne Pugliese

All supplies used are Stampin' Up!, unless otherwise noted:

Paper:  Cherry Cobbler, Bashful Blue, Very Vanilla card stock; Festival of Prints DSP Stack
Tools:  My Digital Studio 2+ software program, 1-3/4" Scallop Circle Punch, 1-3/8" Circle Punch, 1-1/4" Circle Punch, 1-1/4" Square Punch, 3/16" Corner Punch, scoring board, stylus
Extras:  Stampin' Dimensionals

Week #2 at Merry Monday

It's another Merry Monday at Always Playing with Paper, hosted by Lesley Croghan and her team of Merry Makers!  This is my second week to join the team as Featured Designer for November and I'm thrilled to share my card with you today!  Here's the sketch we all used to make our cards this week!  I think you're going to love working with it!

My clean and simple card features a beautiful patterned paper from the Festival of Prints DSP Stack!  I used the MDS digital program to create my trio of snowflakes, choosing colors to complement the DSP.  A rhinestone was added to the center of each to add some sparkle!  A simple holiday sentiment stamped in Soft Suede finishes off this festive card!  Really fun and really easy!

Christmas is just around the corner, so get out your supplies and create a Christmas card to add to your stash!  Stop by the blogs of the amazing Merry Makers to see how they worked this great sketch!  They're a talented group and I know you'll love their creations!

Lesley Croghan

Wendy Aungst

Allisa Chilton

Sherry Eckblad

Narelle Farrugia

Nina Forsyth

Sue Joyce

Bonnie Klass

LeAnne Pugliese

If you like my card, please leave me a comment!  I really love sharing my work with you and always enjoy hearing from you too!

All supplies used are Stampin' Up!, unless otherwise noted:

Stamps:  Curly Cute; Jolly Bingo Bits/MDS2+
Paper:  Cherry Cobbler, Lucky Limeade, Very Vanilla card stock; Festival of Prints DSP Paper Pack
Ink:  Soft Suede; Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Lucky Limeade/MDS2+
Tools:  MDS2+ Digital Program; 3/4" Circle Punch, 1-1/4" Circle Punch, Paper Snips
Extras:  Assorted adhesive rhinestones (my embellishment stash), Stampin' Dimensionals

PPA144 Color Challenge

Fall has begun and we've got the perfect color combo to inspire you for our new Color Challenge (PPA144) at Pals Paper Arts!  Join the fun and play along, using More Mustard, Cajun Craze and Early Espresso (or similar colors) to create your card! 

I chose to keep my card clean and simple to highlight the cluster of flowers made with punches and brads.  I added a few punched leaves, some houndstooth embossing, and linen thread to finish out the card.  It really came together quickly and easily!  This card could work for any occasion by simply changing out the sentiment.  I love it and I hope you do too!  If you like my card, please leave me a comment!  It's always great to hear from you and I enjoy your feedback! 

Need a little more inspiration?  See how my fellow PPA Design Team members used this color trio for their creations!  I'm sure you'll love their wonderful work!  Now it's your turn! Get out those supplies and get busy!  I can't wait to see what you create!

All supplies are Stampin' Up!, unless otherwise noted:

Stamps:  Curly Cute
Paper:  More Mustard, Cajun Craze, Early Espresso, Old Olive, Very Vanilla card stock
Ink:  Cajun Craze, Early Espresso
Tools: Big Shot, Houndstooth Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, 1-1/4" Scallop Circle Punch, Boho Blossoms Punch, Blossom Petals XL Punch, 3/16" Corner Punch
Extras:  3/16" Brads - Neutrals Collection, Linen Thread, Sticky Strip, Stampin' Dimensionals

PPA143 Sketch Challenge

We have a new Sketch Challenge (PPA143) at Pals Paper Arts and we hope you'll join the fun and play along!  This sketch is super simple was designed for showcasing a beautiful designer paper or some wonderful stamped images!  I really hope you'll give it a try!

For my masculine card, I chose to stay fairly true to the sketch and show off a great map patterned paper!  Maps are really trendy right now in cardmaking and scrapbooking!  I kept everything simple and clean to highlight the beauty of the map and the gorgeous colors in the paper!  This card is a perfect example of making the paper work for you!  A sentiment from the Word Play stamp set is the perfect complement for this DSP and features a separate stamped and snipped image of the world popped up with a single dimensional!  A quick and easy card that requires very few supplies! 

I hope you like the sketch and my card as much as I do!  Please leave me a comment below if you do!  I love hearing from you and I'm always anxious to know what you think! 

See how my fellow PPA Design Team members interpreted this sketch!  I'm sure you'll be inspired by their wonderful work!  Now it's your turn!  Get out those supplies and get busy!  I can't wait to see what you do with the sketch!

All supplies are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:

Stamps:  Word Play
Paper:  Fan Fair DSP; Crumb Cake, Riding Hood Red, Island Indigo card stock
Ink:  Early Espresso
Tools:  2-1/2" Circle Punch, 3/16" Corner Punch, Paper Snips
Extras:  Stampin' Dimensionals

PPA128 Color Challenge

Red is my favorite color, so this week's Color Challenge (PPA128) at Pals Paper Arts makes me very happy!  The challenge is to use ANY color of red to create a card!  I chose Riding Hood Red and Cherry Cobbler for my shades of red and used them to feature one of my favorite stamps, Sweet Floral!  I believe in making design work for you and this gorgeous image is so striking, it can easily stand alone!  It doesn't need a lot of added embellishment, hence the clean and simple look of my design.  This quick and easy card could work for so many different occasions!  Just change the sentiment to fit the occasion!

If you like my card, please leave me a comment!  I love hearing from you and receiving your feedback!

Use your favorite papercrafting brands and supplies and "play along" with us at PPA!  Our challenge is not exclusive to Stampin' Up! products only, so gather your supplies and join the fun!  For more inspiration, see what my fellow PPA Design Team members did with the color red by clicking here!

All supplies are Stampin' Up!, unless otherwise noted:

Stamps:  Sweet Floral, Thank You Kindly
Paper:  Riding Hood Red, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake card stock
Ink:  Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso
Tools:  Pinking Hearts Border Punch, 3/16" Corner Punch, Stamp-a-ma-jig
Extras:  Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine, Cherry Cobbler Large button/Designer Buttons - Regals Collection, Crumb Cake Small Flower button/Designer Buttons - Neutrals Collection, Stampin' Dimensionals, Mini Glue Dots