Craftin Desert Divas Holly Jolly Blog Hop!!!

Welcome to Craftin Desert Diva's Holly Jolly Christmas Blog Hop!!

I'm so happy that you could join us today! If this is the first time that you have hopped with us, you won't be disappointed. This is the Craftin Desert Divas design team's first hop and I have to say that I am lucky to be a part of such amazing, creative and talented bunch of ladies!

This is Day 2 Holly Jolly Christmas Blog Hop! You will not only get some inspiration, but you could win GREAT prizes, too!! You must FOLLOW and COMMENT on all of the stops both days to have chance to win.

Here are the wonderful sponsors for this hop...

For this two day hop each blog will be offering a prize from one of the sponsors listed above!!! You must visit each stop both days to be eligible to win.  Winners will be announced on Dec 18. The entire winning list will be posted on  Craftin Desert Diva's website.

  

My sponsor for today is..

Sarah is one fantastic designer who does custom blinkie designs, blog makeovers and other cool graphic needs (click here for her list of extra graphic designs).  Designs by Sarah is providing a two column blog makeover!  That is a $50 service!  Woo-who!!  What a great way to start 2014 with a blog make over!  Thanks so much, Sarah!

Here is my project that I've created for today's hop.  

It is getting close to Christmas so I am working on cards that I can easily make several in a night.  This card is not very time consuming, has some fun texture with the corrugated base and is not too CAS.  :)

The paper (Lily Bee Design's Jingle paper pad) and twine (Holly Berry) are from Trendy Twine (another wonderful sponsor on our hop).  Also used were Spellbinders Labels Thirty One and Decorative Labels Twenty Eight, and  JustRite Christmas Antique Labels One stamp set.

Thanks for stopping by!  Here is today's lineup in case you get lost along the way.  Your next stop in line is the creative and lovely Donna K.

 1. Tara                      

 2. Lori                      

 3. Janis              

 4. Michelle P                     

 5. Migdalia            

 6. Kathy Jo <<>>              

 7. Donna K    

 8. Robin C         

 9. Mayra 

10. Jessica

Have a great Sunday!  Good luck on the hop and thank you for your sweet comments!

Hugs,

Kathy Jo

Craftin Desert Diva Challenge- Tag You're It!

Hello Crafteteers!

It is time to introduce the new challenge at Craftin Desert Divas: Tag You're It!

I made a simple shabby tag for the design team post.  The reason for simplicity was so that I could create several of them if I wanted.  I also wanted to make it multi-functional so I chose a size that can also holster a gift card on the back.  

The medium die from Spellbinders' Radiant Rectangles was a perfect size for a tag and a gift card.  The tag base was made from Kraft card stock, white card stock on next and then white card stock stamped using JustRite's Snowfall background stamp in Tim Holtz's Broken China.  The lovely sentiment is from JustRite's Christmas Inner Thoughts.  The snow flake is Sizzix' Snowflake (657048).  Stickles was added to the snowflake as were pearls.  The base edges were distressed and then inked using TH Antique Linen.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I look forward to seeing your tag projects at Craftin Desert Divas!
If you have a chance, pop in tomorrow.  I will show another tag project that I completed for my husband.  :)
Have a wonderful day!
Hugs,
Kathy Jo

This card is entered into the following challenges:
Word Art Wednesday, AG
613 Avenue, AG
Sister Act Challenges, AG
Craftyhazelnut Extra, Christmas
Ribbon Carousel, Holidays or Celebrations
Paper Crafting Journey, Bling it up
Challenges 4 Everybody, AG
Divas By Design, Make it Pretty
Die Cut Divas, Celebrate

Craftin Desert Divas Challenge #19: Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Monday!

Today starts a new fun challenge at Craftin' Desert Divas: Happy Thanksgiving.  The prizes are a $15 credit at KaDoodle Bug Designs and a Royal Prize Pack from The Scrapbooking Queen!  Woo-who!

For my card I used an image from Graphic 45's A Place in Time Paper.  Spellbinders A2 Locking Loops was used to die cut paper from G45's French Country paper.  A banner was also made from French Country and layered under the image.  Be Thankful (Inkadinkado) was stamped and fussy cut then applied in the upper corner.  Burlap paper was placed in between the large Locking Loops die cut and the medium Locking Loops die cut.  Burlap Twine (what a find!) was applied as shown.

I look forward to seeing your creation at Craftin Desert Divas!
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!
Hugs,
Kathy Jo

Craftin' Desert Divas Challenge- Anything Goes!!

Hello Crafters!

Craftin' Desert Divas has probably everyone's favorite challenge theme for the next two weeks: Anything Goes!  Woot-woot!  The sponsors this challenge are providing some awesome prizes:

Cardz TV - Set of CTV stamps

Designs on Cloud 9 - $20 giftcard

My Scrap Chick - $10 giftcard

Are those prizes fantastic or what?

For my Anything Goes project, I decided to share the birthday card I made for my wonderful Ma-in-law.  I used the gorgeous Graphic 45 Secret Garden paper.  (It definitely is one of my favorite Graphic 45 paper collections!)  The card base was made using ivory paper die cut with Spellbinders Timeless Rectangles.  The next size smaller die was also from Timeless Rectangles.  The ivory oval was die cut using Opulent Ovals.  The butterflies were scraps of Secret Garden punched with Martha Stewart butterfly punches.  Gold was applied to the edges of the butterflies and on the antennae.  

For the back I applied more Secret Garden paper and fussy cut a bird's nest.  (Isn't is cute?) The inside was more G45 paper and a personal birthday sentiment to her.

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope to see your AG project at Craftin' Desert Divas!  Don't forget to stop by the CDD team member's blogs...their projects are amazing!

Hugs,

Kathy Jo

Craftin' Desert Divas Challenge- Halloween

Hello Crafters!

Today starts a new challenge at Craftin' Desert Divas: Halloween!  Yay!  This challenge is too fun and I look forward to seeing all your Halloween projects!

For the design team card I went to my Graphic 45 paper again and made this card.  You may think I am going a little overboard with the Graphic 45 collections lately.  Well, I rearranged my craft room for better work flow and to better access my most often used or favorite product.  My Graphic 45 treasures were so difficult to get to before the rearrangement and now it is super easy.  I am making up for lost time and just going full steam ahead with Graphic 45 cards.  :)

Here is a close up of the candle that I fussy cut and popped using cut pieces of foam tape:

On the original G45 sheet, the candle's flame was straight up.  I wanted to capture the gasp of the gentleman by leaning the image and also leaning the candle flame towards the gasp.

I really like the two pumpkins and had to fussy cut them to add to the card.  They look too nice! 

I am still travelling so I probably am not responding to your comments or visiting the blogs I follow.  I will return soon and will be visiting your cool crafty blogs!

Hope to see your Halloween projects on Craftin' Desert Divas!

Thanks for stopping by!
Halloween Hugs,
Kathy Jo

Baby Shower gatefold card

Hello again!

A work colleague is having a surprise baby shower tomorrow.  This is her first child and it looks like it will be a boy.  Guess what I made for her?  (lol)

This was a last minute card.  I was checking my blogs this morning and saw Lisa's post for Paper Playtime's challenge- use three different patterned papers.  I thought "Hey!  I have three different patterned papers."  ;)  Then I saw Craftin' Desert Divas new challenge which is babies.  I thought "Hey!  I have a baby shower card to make for Friday...perfect!"  Then I remembered the email on Friday stating there was a last minute change and it is now Tuesday for the shower.  D'OH!  So, I went up the the craft room and started at it.  Two hours later was this baby shower card.  (That is actually very fast for me.  I am usually doing laundry or I get distracted by dies and start playing with scrap paper...and then I realize I have been in and out of the craft room for a while.)  Anyway, on to the card!

The card is a gatefold (base is 8.5 x 4.25 and then scored at 2 1/8 and 6 3/8).  I used Anna Griffin dots and damask paper on the small folded sections.  The striped paper is MME's Be Amazing.  Ivory paper was die cut from Spellbinders' Stately Circles.

The outside has a die cut stack starting from the bottom: ivory (Stately circles), stripes (Standard Circles LG), ivory (Stately),  and dots (Circles LG).  The Bundle of Joy sentiment was stamped in Versafine's Vintage Sepia and then embossed in copper.  The stamp is from Michaels $1.50 CA ($1 US) bins.  Kaisercraft copper pearls were applied.  Stickles Waterfall was inserted in the stars.  A baby blue bow with a button/twine embellishment was the finishing touch. 

Thanks for stopping by and have a great work week and back to school week!
Hugs,
K-Jo

This card is in the following challenges:
Craftin' Desert Divas, Babies
Paper Playtime, 3 different papers
D.L. Art, linky par-tay
Word Art Wednesday, AG