Holiday cards {laina lamb designs/mft}

A few months ago, Laina Lamb asked if I would want to work with some of her holiday release stamps and dies offered at My Favorite Things, and of course I jumped at the chance. A fan of hers for many years, the quality of her stamps is excellent and her designs on-trend and fun.

Today I'll share with you a few cards and a tag that I made using a variety of her products you can find at My Favorite Things.

For this first card, I used the dots border, chevron die cut and little snowflake stamp. All are stamped in a dark gray chalk ink. I used the Holiday Subway Art stamp set and the Holiday Traditions Elements dies.

For this second card, I used the Holiday Traditions stamps in conjunction with the Holiday Traditions Elements dies. 

Here you can see the deer stamp and die cut seal, and also the snowflakes and a snowflake die. I love how easy it is to use the stamps and get an easy cut when you match them with the die and your Big Shot or other die cutter.

This kraft tag was fun to make. I used the long word "CHRISTMAS" and layered it staggered across the width of the tag, also incorporating one of the border stamps. The DEC circle stamp is perfect for advent calendars or December Daily kits, too!

For this last card, I really wanted the stamps to be the star of the show on a white background. I used a 3-tone green ombré effect on the HO HO HO stamp, a bright red burst for the stars border, and then a white-on-white for the word HOLIDAY cut from the December Memories die set.

I love how crisp this turned out! It would be easy to make a whole set of these for the season.

Check out My Favorite Things / Laina Lamb Design if you are looking for that perfect holiday stamp set for cards, a December album or holiday tags.

Thanks for stopping to see my holiday inspiration, and thank you to Laina for letting me play with her new collections!

Card sketch {lily bee}

Hello! Today I am sharing some cards I made this week using Lily Bee's new We R Family collection. I also made a sketch to get you motivated to make some cards this month.

For this first card, I made the strips with one sheet of paper (Family Heirloom), but cut out the triangles to help separate the lines on the card. 

Fun enamel hearts (Sweet Spots) add a pop of whimsy to the card. I used the TOGETHER pennant stamp for my sentiment.

For my second card, I used strips of paper from the 6x6 tiny tablet version of the same Family Heirloom pattern. 

The smaller triangles helped to narrow the focus of the strips, unlike the larger triangles above. I used the heart and circle from the stamp set for a central focal point on the card.

I really like how these turned out, and I hope you're now inspired to get started on some cards. Check out the Lily Bee blog this week for some more work from the new We R Family collection.

Supplies: We R Family (Family Heirloom, 6x6 Tiny Tablet, Clear Stamps, Sweet Spots Enamel Stickers)

What's new at Bella Blvd {cards}

If you are looking for the Samantha Walker Creative Team Hop, please click here.

This week at Bella Blvd I shared these two cards focusing on the newest of the product at Bella Blvd. I hadn't had a chance yet to focus on the feathers, so I chose to use the feathers paired with the Snapshots collection. 

For this first card, I cut the feather to a smaller size to accommodate a horizontal card. I love the smaller feather just peeking out of the inspirational message on the card.

Supplies: Snapshots (Daily Details Snapshots, Paper Pieces), Feathers (Gulf), Buttons (Text)

For this second card, I used the feather as another layer on a card that already had so many great patterns and layers on it.

Supplies: Snapshots (Paper Pieces, Captions, Tabs), Feathers (Carnation), Daily Chevies (Backside), Alphabets (Pink-Red High Fives)

Check out the Bella Blvd blog for more inspiration using the Snapshots collection and feathers.

Samantha Walker Creative Crafters Hop {thankful}

Welcome to the Samantha Walker Creative Crafters Team Blog Hop! You should have come to my blog from Claudia Harvey. If you found me first, make sure to start back at Samantha Walker's blog to catch all of the fun from the beginning.

This month's lucky winner will receive the Carta Bella Paper Giddy Up Boy 12x12 Collection Kit!

...and be eligible for the free SVG/Silhouette file for this month. Be sure to look extra closely at Step #4 below to learn how you can get this FREE SVG and Silhouette Studio file:

To enter, just leave a comment on Samantha's blog during Wednesday 11/13 until Sunday 11/17. The winner will be announced on Samantha's Facebook page on Monday 11/18.

For additional entries:

1. Receive an additional entry for commenting on each of the other blogs in the blog hop.
2. Go here and follow Samantha Walker's blog. 
3. Follow her on Facebook.

4. Sign up for an e-mail subscription to Samantha's blog and you will automatically receive a link to a free SVG cutting file that you can download and use on your personal electronic cutter. If you are already a subscriber, just enter in your information in the secure form on Samantha's blog!  The free files will be e-mailed early next week!

To receive the additional entries and get the free files, mention in your comment on Samantha's blog that you have done so! 

Now for this month's theme: Thankful

For this month's theme, I made little gift bags for thank you treats. These little bags can be filled with small candies, no-light candle melts, gift cards, etc. What a nice gesture for the hostess at the next party you attend.

The kraft die cut at the top is the Thanksgiving Place Cards from Samantha Walker in the Silhouette store. The leaves are the freebie available at the end of this hop. I also used the Samantha Walker Buntings and Banners clear stamps from JustRite for the "Many Thanks" stamp at the bottom of the bags.

The red chevron is a simple glassine bag you can buy almost anywhere, add a doily once you fold over the top and tie with twine. 

Your next stop on the hop is Jamie Cripps... Click on the image below to keep on hopping!

Thanks for hopping along with us this month! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hey Kid for daily pages {pink paislee}

The Pink Paislee's Hey Kid collection is way too fun! I really loved putting together these pocket page layouts to share some of our fun fall activities. The orange, blue and black colors along with trendy patterns and elements, make Hey Kid the perfect choice.

You can never go wrong with a mustache on a 4x3 card! I made this one using some of the ephemera Paper Goods, the Hey Kid 6x6 paper pad and the Kre8•kit for Hey Kid. There are a lot of great circle elements to this collection, too. 

I love all of the orange I was able to use on this second page. The arrows are great, and I love that "SMILE" circle on the striped 3x4 card. 

Thanks for stopping to see my pocket pages today. If you have some of the new Hey Kid collection yet, give it a try in your daily layouts. 

Check out the Pink Paislee blog for more great Hey Kid work this week!

Supplies: Pink Paislee (Hey Kid: Kre8•tiv kit, 6x6 Paper pad, 12x12 Paper pad, Element Stickers, Paper Goods)

Grateful & a winner! {whimsical twist}

Today at Whimsical Twist some of the design team is sharing what they are grateful and/or thankful for. I am immensely grateful for my relationships with these ladies. Each one of them in important to me, and I was so lucky to get to spend a weekend in October with them.

If you aren't sure who these ladies are, here they are from left to right: Renee (a very dear friend of mine who makes me laugh and wipes my tears. I'd be lost without her), me, Sara Z. (bestie, soul sister, scrapbooking Skyper and fellow coffee junkie. She is my "twin" living way too far away), Heather L. (an amazing scrapbooking artist who makes me belly laugh — I love that!), and Audrey Y. (the perfect mix of Upstate NY humor and Texan hospitality. I am blessed to call her a friend). 

This is probably the first time these girls have heard/read how I feel about them…so let's let it sink in for a minute… OK, girls? Love ya!

For my layout, I used some of my favorite brands and pieces from the last CHA release. I love when I can just cobble together elements I love and get them to all work together on one layout. 

Through a series of layers, I was able to get even the transparencies to pop-up off the page without seeing the foam dots. I felt pretty darn clever and am very happy with how this turned out.

Thanks for stopping by here today. Scoot on over to the Whimsical Twist blog sometime today to see what the rest of the gals made. Below you can find links to the Whimisical Twist shop for the items I used (happy shopping!).

Supplies: American Crafts (Dear Lizzy Polka Dot Party - Wood Veneers), (Amy Tan Cut & Paste - Stitched Vellum Pockets, Fabric Stickers), Crate Paper (Maggie Holmes Flea Market - 12 x 12 Printed Bokeh Vellum Paper), Allison Kreft for Webster's Pages (Recorded Alpha Sticker), Fancy Pants (Happy-go-lucky Small Decorative Tags), Sequins

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I also have a winner to announce! The winner of my Krafty Kringle December Days Flair giveaway is…

Tracie Marie!

Tracie, send an email with your shipping info to dianadesigns [at] rochester.rr.com and we'll get that prized shipped to you. 

Thank you to everyone who commented on the giveaway post! 

November sketch challenge {scrapbook circle}

Hello! Dropping by today to share with you the next sketch and a layout using the Home Sweet Home November kit from Scrapbook Circle. 

I also used a lot of the My Happy Place Nov. Add-On Kit. See that fab stencil in white on the gold paper? That is the custom stencil available in this month's add on. I just love it, and know that I will be reaching for it again and again!

Fun feathers and great fall-friendly colors and patterns make this kit perfect for your current pages. If you get a Scrapbook Circle kit, play along with this month with the sketch.

This month's sketch winner will get this fun prize from Endless Inkabilities. I purchased the doilies and sequins when I met the owner and visited her shop in person at the Crop Til You Drop retreat in October. You are sure to love these goodies!

Stop by the Scrapbook Circle blog for more details, and thanks for stopping here today to see my layout and the latest sketch.

Bella Blvd and Kerri Bradford {day 2}

Have you been enjoying the past few days over on the Bella Blvd blog? We've been sharing our work using Bella Blvd products and Kerri Bradford designs. I already shared earlier this week my altered tray/frame and a Halloween layout. I also made this Christmas card. 

I could not pass up the penguin file when I was looking for files to work with. Seriously, how cute is this card?! 

Supplies from Bella Blvd: Paper Pieces: Christmas Countdown, Daily Chevies: Backside (654)

Sophisticates: Ciao Chip Trees

Thank you for stopping to see my card today. Stop by the Bella Blvd blog and Kerri Bradford blog to see the last day of our team up with Kerri Bradford.