Reindeer Games - Stamped Christmas Card

Jingle Jingle Jingle!
I'm back with ANOTHER Christmas card. I'm not even sorry because this one is just plain adorable. 
I started crafting last night and new I wanted to try out the new Stitched Snow Hills CUTplorations die cuts. What followed was a card that just makes me grin all over my face. 

This post is also serving as a reminder to go play along in the STAMPlorations Theme & Sketch Challenge. 

I chose to play along with the theme portion - but you could use the sketch or the theme and sketch. 

I began by sponging a background using Salty Ocean Distress Inks. 

I created three snowy hills from the Stitched Snow Hills CUTplorations dies and sponged around the tops to give them a little more dimension.

 

I also die cut three bright green patterned paper trees and sponged around their edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. 

I assembled the background and used Picket Fence Distress Spray Stains to create some white splattery "snow". 

Here's the final product. Don't you just adore that happy little reindeer? He is from the Reindeer Games stamp set (designed by yours truly) and he makes me so happy. The sentiment is from the Trendy Christmas Trees stamp set. 

I'm going to link this up to:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Christmas Critters
Just Add Ink - Choose 2 (Die Cut, Patterned Paper)
Winter Wonderland - Poinsettias or Snow is Falling (Snow)
Cute Card Thursday - Christmas/Holidays

Thanks for popping by! I hope this card makes you smile as much as it did for me! :)

Joy to the World Holiday Card - FUSION

Well, my Christmas bubble was popped and now all I can seem to think about doing is making pretty little glittery, snow-filled, wintry cards!! 

But I suppose, when you have inspiration images like the following one from Fusion, you'd want to make holiday cards, too. 

It's the start of Fusion's new challenge today. You can play long with our sketch OR our inspiration image OR both! 

I started out by making a rustic background for the card. Originally, I was going to use gray for the background, to emulate the door, but I just couldn't get the color scheme to work in my head! 

Instead, I focused on the brown neutrals and added hints of gray to the background paper and to the focal die cut using my Distress Crayons. 

Die cuts used: Winnie & Walter In a Word: Joy Cutaway, Stampin' Up Swirly Scribbles Thinlits Die,

I'm going to link this card up to:
Happy Little Stampers - Anything Goes with Dies
Open Minded Crafting - Christmas/Hannakuh
Tuesday Throwdown - Add Gems or Pearls

We hope to see you over at Fusion! My fellow Design Teamies pulled out all the stops!

Giving Thanks Blog Hop

Hold on to your turkeys, ladies and gentlemen, because this is one BIG hop and linky party with some BIG prizes.

STAMPlorations is hosting its annual Giving Thanks blog hop and featuring 38 designers - 15 of whom have been sponsored by STAMPlorations in the past year.

Prior to showing off my card, I'm going to get a little misty eyed and talk about Shery Russ, the owner of STAMPlorations. When we talk about things (or in this case people) to be thankful for, Shery tops the list. She was the one who gave me my first ever design team assignment from an official company. She's given me the opportunity to design stamps (a dream I never even knew I had until she asked) and she's sponsored causes that are so important to me (The Hop to Stop Domestic Violence).

I'm also SOOOO thankful for my STAMPteamies, who are constantly inspiring me with their creativity, uplifting me with their comments, and being all-around badass people. (pardon my French).

Ok - I know you've got some hopping to do, so that's my reverie.

Now here's my card.

I made this sweet shaker using the brand new Be Thankful Bundle (stamps and coordinating die cuts). 

I watercolored my apple basket and turned the card into an adorable little shaker with some fall leaves and shimmery sequins.

I'm going to link this card to the Dragonfly Dreams Autumnal Colors challenge and Fashionable Stamping Autumn or Winter challenge.



I love the brand new bundle sets being released for this hop. Each bundle includes a stencil, die cut, and harvesty stamp set.

And just because Shery is thankful for YOU, her customers, she's giving you all a 35% off discount in the STAMPstore.

Go wild and get to shopping!!

But before that - get to hopping and/or link up to the linky party below- because for all the hoppers and linkers there are 

>>>9 BIG PRIZES<<< 

up for grabs.

Holiday TAGplorations Party

Over at STAMPlorations, we are partying down with a Holiday TAGplorations event. Since there's such a great lineup of beauteous tags, I am gonna keep this post short and sweet! :) 

I created this tag using a patchwork of holiday patterns that I pieced together to make the background. Then I used Trendy Christmas Trees stamp set and coordinating dies to create my Christmas tree and the accompanying sentiment. 

My tag is inspired by this gorgeous tag designed by Naki Rager for at Tracey McNeely's 25 Days of Christmas Tags Challenge. I loved the rosette feature, and the traditional Christmas colors. 

So what is the STAMPlorations Holiday TAGplorations event? For the next 5 days, our talented design team will be showcasing tags and also giving YOU the chance to link up a tag of your own through November 25. You can use any stamps you want! There are 10 prizes up for grabs, so link early and often!!  Go check it out HERE! Now get to hopping!

Bring on the MistleDoe Christmas Card

My mind is switching over to the holiday season, and my brain is panicking at the sheer lack of Christmas card creation I've done over the past year. GULP! 

Never fear, though, I took the opportunity to use the new STAMPlorations Theme & Sketch challenge to create my first <-- yep you read that right, Christmas card of the season.

To play along with the STAMPlorations challenge, you can use the theme OR the sketch OR both. And you can use ANY stamps that you want!

I used my Reindeer Games stamp set because I can't even handle how goofy that reindeer is and it comes with a TON of punny sentiments!

The rest of the card is made with patterned paper and a 3D sticker from Jolene's Boutique. I guess I must be feeling my patterned paper lately because my normal inky techniques have been missing - ha!

I'm going to link this up to:
Aud Sentiments - Cute + a Sentiment Challenge
Moving Along with the Times - Cute Animals
Addicted to Stamps & More - Holiday

Hop to Stop 2016 Winners!!

And now, the time is here, and we shall face the final curtain. 

...if you now have this song stuck in your head, I am terribly sorry (but also not sorry because misery loves company - or so they say). 

Well my friends, the Hop to Stop is officially over. I drew the winning names two nights ago live on Periscope but am just now getting a chance to put the winners' post together. 

Without further ado, here they are: 

Concord & 9th donated two $25 gift cards

Winner 1: #133 - Maria Rodriguez

Winner 2: #50 - Becca Yahrling 

DecoArt donated a prize package valued at nearly $200, which includes Decoupage paper and a mixed media starter kit.

Winner: #116 Maria F

Happy Little Stampers donated a $20 gift card

Winner: #33 Christine Miller

Unity Stamp Company donated over $200 of stamps

Winner: #112 Joyce (Cards by the Sea)

Verve Stamps donated a $30 gift code

Winner: #37 Monika

Jessica Lynn Original donated a $20 gift card

Winner: #17 Carly Pool

STAMPlorations donated a $20 gift code

Winner: #23 Jerrie 

Uniko Studios donated a stamp set of choice

#108 - KT Fit Kitty

Tattered Angels donated purple Glimmer Mists

Winner: #115 Andrea W.

DCWV is donating two paper stacks for every 75 linkups

Winner 1: #100 Julie B

Winner 2: #40 Scrappamondo

Newton's Nook graciously donated a $25 gift card

 Winner: #7 Oh You Made Me Ink

Simon Says Stamp donated 6 of their purple ink pads

Winner: #99 Fiki (Bad Kitty)

Our sponsors are AMAZING! AMAZING! (and did I say AMAZING?) I am blown away by their generosity and kindness. If you haven't done so already, would you mind visiting their blogs and leaving a little note of thanks?

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Ok. Whew! Now that that's out of the way, I can get to what I REALLY wanted to tell you all: 

THANK YOU!!

I don't think I have adequate words to express what this Hop means to me, and how much it touches me to see all the purple washing the web and bringing awareness to domestic violence. 

Through this hop, I've seen survivors of domestic violence build connections and friendships of other survivors. I've read through stories of victims who have finally decided to voice their experiences for a first time. I seen such talented creators supporting this community through their art. 

You all are the heroes here. 

You all are contributing to a culture of awareness.

You all are reducing the stigma. 

I also want to take the time to give a BIG shout out to those of you who've donated cards for the card drive for the domestic violence shelter in Grand Forks, ND. 

Toni from Frankie Helps Craft

Lori Kobular from Lori's Kreations

Samantha Aguilera from Designs by Sammy

I know several other people have requested my address, so I'm keeping an eye out for the mailman. :) 

I will be waiting through November 15 to deliver them, so if you still have some you want to send please email me at bexcruger@gmail.com for my address. 

With that, and one last THANK YOU, the Hop to Stop 2016 is officially over. If you've won a prize, please email me at the above address and I will tell you what the next steps are to claim your prize! 

Layers and Layers of Fun - Birthday Card

Hello All!
I'm going to keep it short and sweet for you today, because I'm playing catch up with the closure of The Hop to Stop and trying to get the final post together.

BUT - there's a new challenge starting today at Fusion Card Challenge and I wanted to show off how I was inspired by it!

 I chose to go with the sketch - mostly so I could use these fun little rosettes that I bought at a garage sale. I love the "crinkly circle" (as my little six-year-old niece called it).

To make this card, I layered and layered and layered some more. Then I got out some Bo Bunny papers and... oh did I mention I layered? 

Haha - I just kind of used an explosion of colors and patterns and every time I thought it was too much, I added a little bit more. The "happy" is a die cut from Winnie & Walter. 

I hope you all will head over to Fusion and check out what the other design team members made and then play along!

I'm going to send my card over to play in the following challenges:
City Crafter Challenge - See a Star
Addicted to Stamps - Lots of Layers
Just Us Girls - Make the Sentiment the Focal Point

Thanks for popping by! I'll be posting the Hop to Stop winners shortly!

Mixed Media Card Challenge - Thanksgiving

Fall is slowly fading here in North Dakota. The first frost planted its icy breath all over my windshield and flower bed late last week. All of the leaves have been blown from the trees and are scattered atop my unraked lawn - a leafy standout amongst my neighborhood's block of well-kept lawns. 

Even though fall is fading, that doesn't mean I can't MAKE my own dang fall scenery. And that's exactly what I did for my card for The Mixed Media Card Challenge this month. I watercolored up a super sweet little autumnal scene.

Our theme is Thanksgiving and our optional element is table. I used the colors from the inspiration image, and also decided to make a sweet thank you card to go along with the theme.

I muddied up a piece of patterned paper by applying a coat of gesso and then adding random drops of Distress Spray Stain in Barn Door, Spiced Marmalade, and Fossilized Amber tones. I dabbed some of the color off while it was still drying to tone down the vibrancy. I shaded the edges and added a big ol' bow.

The deer and the tree are from the Stampendous Winter Trees set. I've probably owned this set for a good 10 years or so. It's a classic and definitely one I turn to when the Holiday season approaches. The sentiment is from the STAMPlorations Grateful Beyond Words set - love the bold lettering! 

I'm going to send my card over to play in the following challenges: 

Simon Says Stamp Monday - Thinking of You 

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - Watercolor (I know, I know, I'm lacking in the snark department, but I wanted to support my girl, Lauren B!)

I hope you'll join in the Mixed Media Card Challenge this month! 

 Psssssstttt - I'll be drawing names for the winners of the Hop to Stop prizes tonight around 9 p.m. CT on my Periscope Channel @damselofdistressed is my handle.