Feminine Pinks and Greens

GrEeTiNgS!

I didn't want to be the one to bring you this news, but I think it's best if you know so you can take a deep breath and slow down for a minute. I'm talking about the fact that March will be here in less than a week. March!

I spose if you live in a place with nasty winter climes you will be happy to hear that news, but working on our Christmas card for today's post, the happy little paws and I felt like it had only been days, not weeks, since we made our 2015 cards! I mean, give us a second! And, of course, it's even more frightening when we know what March is famous for ~ marching, right?! Oy.

I haven't played in the Papertrey Ink (PTI) blog hop for a while and the photo inspiration was too fetching to pass up. I've also not made a single Christmas card for 2016 and since the third month of the year is already breathing down my neck, nothing was going to keep me from getting the Cc ball started! So let's roll on ...

First my PTI card:

Here is the beautiful Papertrey Ink February Blog Hop Challenge photo inspiration, which I think has an Asian feel to it:

I immediately thought of my design when I saw that sweet little vase laying down on top of the circular green plate. I added the tiny sweet butterfly to my card because of the one shown in the bottom of the photo and Hammy tried his darnedest to figure out how to add a froggie, too. We finally decided to put a tiny tree frog down in the soil inside our pink vase. He seems quite happy there.

For my card I used glossy card stock for the base and over that is a single glossy layer with a stitched Lil' Inkers circle opening. (In other words, it's not a see-through aperture.) Using my Paper Smooches "Crystal Clear 3" dies, I cut a pretty pink vase from fun foam. Next I went all NBUS by using a Nestabilities die to cut the stem, a Memory Box die called "Fancy Blossoms" to cut the flowers out of pink vellum, and a stamp from the "Make A Wish" set by PTI for the sediment.

I'm also entering: the Anything Goes challenges at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge where the showcase is Memory Box products and Mrs. A.'s Butterfly Challenges, where the brief is G is for Glitter (on my wee butterfly) or Grape; and the Work it Wednesday February 2016 Simon Says Stamp Challenge, where we are to use something floral in our projects.

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And now for my first Christmas card of 2016:

Nothing NBUS here, slap, but this QACAS design sprungled to mind. The sediment from PTI's "Think Big Favorites #9" is heat-embossed in SU blushing bride. The watercolored Noel postage stamp image is from All Night Media. 

Yay, the first of over 200 Ccs done and dusted and I'm playing in these Anything Goes challenges:

•  Rudolph Days Challenge
•  Christmas Card Challenges
• TWOFERS (my first time here!)

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Reminders:

"Inspired By all the Little Things." I'd love to have you play along!

and

Only 4 More Days! NBUS #6!

The next semi-annual NBUS (Never-Before-Used Schtuff) Challenge is just around the corner! Mark your calendars for two weeks from today!! Wheet!! If you are new to NBUS and would like more information, please click here for the rules.

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Enjoy your day! No, seriously, enjoy! LITS!*

As always, thank you for coming by to visit the Playhouse and special thanks to you if you take the time to join as a follower! Please let me know you came by, so I can be sure and return the flavor. I've been having a bit of a rocky time of it the last coupla weeks with migraines and a Crohn's Disease flare, but it's wonderful to have this happy community to enjoy when I'm able!

*Life is too short!

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Shriveled Baubles ~ CCC #9; FFC #24; MM #93; NBUS #100; SSS

Hey, how's it going? Don't look now, but one whole month just whooshed by!

Yesterday, the hamster's sister-in-law got married so I gave him the day off. What a mistake! Trust me, don't ever let your hamster have a day off!

Lemme just show you my card.

The baubles are purple IRL, not black and blue.

Since the title of my post gives it a way, I won't make you guess what's wrong with the perspective on my card.  Those are either pine cones on steroids or shriveled balls! We call Christmas ornaments balls in America, but maybe when we are adjectivizing them with the word shriveled, we should use the British word baubles. Thank you, yes.

Needles to say, I didn't notice it until after I uploaded the photos. I was originally going to replace the pine cones with baubles, but I couldn't agree with myself on the ornament shapes and embossing, and then I remembered I had these cute little sequint baubles and with no hamster there to stop me ... well, there you have it.

It took me three and a half hours of fussy work to make my card, so I'm linking it anyway to the challenges below, but my hamster is not getting another day off! (Sam, please don't report me to the Hampster's Union!)

Challenge link-ups:

Christmas Challenges has an "anything goes" theme.

Festive Friday has a photo inspiration of pinecones and ornaments.

Merry Monday's challenge is ornaments.

Simon Says Stamp Work-It Wednesday. This is a brand-new challenge and for the first challenge we are to share something new. The die I used today is new.

For all the challenges, just click on the links for all the details on rules, sponsors, and prizes. The Design Teams work hard to bring you these challenges and they love it when you play along!!

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In my New Friends Corner, it is a pleasure to introduce you to:

Casandra Bennett of Scrappin Bliss. Casandra is a mother of two and a CTMH consultant who has been scrapping since 2007 and stamping and blogging since 2011. She is proficient in both layouts and card art! You'll be inspired and delighted when you visit her!

Welcome Casandra and thank you for joining!!

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Back-slapping!

The Memory Box pine cone die on my card is NBUS (never-before-used schtuff), which makes this the 100th post where I used NBUS since I started my crusade last June! It's indecent how much NBUS I have (both old and new) and with companies continuing to make great schtuff, I see this as never-ending! Thank you for joining the crusade and using your NBUS, too!

~~~

Enjoy your day!  No, seriously, enjoy.  LITS!* 

As always, thank you for coming by to visit the Playhouse and special thanks to you if you take the time to leave a comment and/or join as a follower!  Please let me know you came by, so I can be sure and return the flavor! 

  

 

*Life Is Too Short!

Project Details
Paper	PTI white, dark chocolate SU baked brown sugar, old olive
Stamps	Hero Arts A1556
Ink	SU perfect plum
Accessories	Memory Box "Pinecone Corner" Darice sequin ornaments

To open the pop-up comment box that let's you jump to the end w/o scrolling:

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Mwah!