Double Wreaths

Holiday goodness coming your way.  First up, in honor of American Thanksgiving tomorrow, I have a gratitude card.

Stamps: Woodland Wreath (Wplus9) ; Big Day-Today (Waltzing Mouse Stamps)

Ink: Versamark

Paper: Very Vanilla Cardstock (SU)
Accessories: Liquid Platinum Embossing Powder (Ranger); Woodland Wreath Die (Wplus9); 1/8" Silver Taffeta Ribbon (Stampin' UP!); Metallic Bronze Sequins (Pretty Pink Posh)

Both of my cards were made using the current sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch.

My second card got its color inspiration from a new blog challenge showCASe your style.   This week's challenge is sponsored by Whimsy Stamps.  Not a new company, but new to me.  I just placed my first order last weekend and my stamps were already in my mailbox today!  Clear across the county.  I love fast customer service!  Hopefully I will have energy to play with my new goodies after turkey tomorrow.  :)

Such an elegant combination.  I had to try to make an equally elegant card to go with it.

Stamps: Woodland Wreaths (Wplus9); Alpine Christmas (Waltzing Mouse Stamps)
Ink: Versmark
Paper: Basic Black & Whisper White (Stampin' UP!)

Accessories: Woodland Wreaths Die (Wplus9); Princess Gold Embossing Powder (Ranger); Deco Labels (Stampin' UP!); Silver Wired Ribbon (???); Gold Sequins (Pretty Pink Posh)

Check out my next post to see how I took the sketch and made it snow.  :)

Wreath on Weathered Wood ~ Video

Merry Monday to you.  Christmas is getting closer and I'm so excited to start decorating our house next week.  Every year my mom orders a wreath for herself and another one for me and it usually arrives Thanksgiving week.   Every time I walk through our front door, after my wreath arrives, I think of my mom and the fact that she is enjoying her wreath as much as I am.  It has become a sweet tradition since moving from CA to WA.  The miles may separate us, but love and tradition knit our heartstrings together.

This new tradition is probably why I love wreath stamps so much.  Each year I have to make a few cards with a wreath on them.  When I saw the new photo inspiration at Stampin' Celebration challenge I knew instantly I had to make a wreath on a weathered wood door.

The technique I used to create the faux wood is soooooo easy.  Here's a video to show you how.  Don't blink or you might miss it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ACiVIHvMzY

Stamps: Woodland Wreaths (WPlus9); Seasonal Flourish (WMS)
Ink: Basic Gray, Smoky Slate, Versamark (Stampin' UP!); White Paper (Fresh Ink)
Paper: Basic Gray, Whisper White (Stampin' UP)
Accessories: Crystal Effects (Stampin' UP!); Princess Gold Embossing Powder (Ranger); Woodland Wreaths Die (Wplus9)

Want more fresh ideas for your Christmas cards and tags this season?  Be sure to check out A Very Trendy Holiday 2.0.

http://www.catherinepooler.com/trendyholidayHN

eta:  It just so happens that this card fits the new CAS(E) this Sketch challenge.  Great minds think alike.  I have 2 more cards sitting on my craft table that I hope to enter later this week, but I thought I would link this one up today.  :)

Hope You Can Cling To

October is breast cancer awareness month, a subject that is near and dear to my heart, as it is to so many of you.  Every woman on my dad's side of the family, over the age of 50 has had breast cancer.  Most of them have fought the battle and survived, which gives me hope.  My aunt fought cancer and went into remission.  She started feeling sick about 10 years later and ignored it.  By the time she went to the doctor her cancer had come back and quickly spread through her body.  She passed soon after.  

My hope is that a cure for cancer will be found soon!  In the meantime, be sure to get your yearly exams and have every lump checked.  Early detection is key and it might just put your mind at ease to find out your cyst is benign.  If not, then girlfriend, we are in this fight together.  Just today I said a prayer for you for strength to make it through the day and healing for your tomorrows.

Chiatali created a wonderful stamp set for Breast Cancer Awareness in honor of her mother who was recently diagnosed. I will be ordering this stamp set soon.  In the meantime, you can check it out, read her story and hop along with her blog hop here.

My card colors came from last week's Colour Q challenge.

The current inspiration at The Cutting Edge Challenge is a card with an adorable airplane in the sky.  My card design is similar, with the wreath of hope at the top of the card, gaps in the die cut to see the background paper behind it and lots of "white space".  (or pink space, in my case)

Last, but not least, is the hope you can cling to month long challenges at Splitcoast Stampers.  This card fits at least 3 categories.  Missing element (the hole in the wreath), Holding It Together (I used a safety pin to stick my ribbon onto the wreath), and Chicks Stick Together (I used silver ink to ink up the word friend on the background stamp).

Supplies:

Stamps: Defining Words (Wplus9), Fight Like A Girl (A*Muse Studio), Woodland Wreaths (Wplus9)

Ink: Pink Pirouette (SU), Black Onyx (Versamark), Silver Shimmer Delicata (Tsukineko)

Paper: Pink Pirouette, Basic Black, Whisper White (SU)

Accessories: Woodland Wreath Die (Wplus9), Pink Pirouette Taffeta Ribbon (SU), Basic Rhinestones (SU)