Merry Monday Christmas Card Challenge

 If you are looking for my Whimsy and Stars Studio Blog Hop post, please CLICK HERE. 

Featured Designer Marisa Ritzen

Welcome to the Merry Monday Christmas Card Challenge! It is a brand new month and that means we are welcoming a new Featured Designer to the team for the "Merry" month of May! Welcome to Marisa Ritzen!! Marisa lives "across the pond" from me and I was so happy when she agreed to join us this month. I asked her to share a bit about herself.

Hi, my name is Marisa Ritzen and I was thrilled when Lesley invited me to be this month's Featured Designer!  I live in beautiful British Columbia, Canada  -- the same province as Lesley!  Hopefully, we will be able to meet face to face one day!  Until then, I look forward to working alongside this wonderful design team for the month of May as well as getting some Christmas cards done early. 

I am a SAHM who runs a before and after school daycare in my home, and I also work for my husband's company.  I have two amazing children: a 12 year old son and a 14 year old daughter, as well as a husband who appreciates my need to have "me time".  

I was first introduced to stamping ten years ago through a Stampin' Up demonstrator whose daughter was at the same preschool class as my daughter. Three years later, I discovered Splitcoast Stampers and my stamping hobby/addiction took off with a vengeance.  Nothing gives me more joy that being able to create a hand-made card for a friend as well as being able to meet so many wonderful stampers around the world. Stampers are amazing and caring people!

Thank you Marisa! I can't wait to see what you share this month! Here is our sketch for the next week!!

For my card, I went with a clean and simple approach. My poinsettia was created using a retired SU! punch, I love that punch! I decided to use some light blue textured cardstock for my card, and I liked how the stamped sentiment looks on the texture! I have to tell you, I was not sure how it would stamp but I was pleasantly surprised!! I love taking risks!! 

I am entering my card into the following challenges:

Challenges 4 Everybody - 2W, 3C - Always Anything Goes 

Great Impressions - M, 3E, SIO - (May) Celebrations (ends 31st May) 

{Supplies Used}

Stamps: My Favorite Things

Inks: Island Indigo

Papers: White (Flourishes), Artichoke & Red (SU!), Blue (Bazzill)

Extras: Baker's Twine, 5 Petal Punch (SU!), Gemstones (CTMH), Spellbinders, Big Shot

Welcome to our Guest Designer this week Benzi!! She won our challenge a couple of weeks ago! Would you like to be a Guest Designer? Be sure to play along, as our weekly winner is our next Guest Designer!

LeAnne Pugliese	Bonnie Klass	Nina Forsyth
Wendy Aungst	Vicki Burdick	Sue Joyce
Sherry Eckblad	Marisa Ritzen (Featured Designer)	Narelle Farrugia
Brenda/Benzi (Guest Designer)	Margaret Moody	Allisa Chilton

Merry Monday Winners

Wow, April has come and gone!!! Thank you to Amy Tsuruta for being our Featured Designer in April! We loved having you!!! 

Last week's cards were fantastic! Wow, you are all doing a great job getting ahead on your Christmas cards for 2013! Way to go!!

Now onto our TOP PICK for the week!

Kim Badelt

We hope you will join us as our Guest Designer for Monday, May 11th.  Please email Sherry at seckblad@aol.com. Be sure to put "Merry Monday Guest Designer" in the subject line.

And our Honourable Mentions were voted on as well, if you received a vote from a design team member, your card and link is below. Congratulations! We hope you will display your badge with pride! If you are viewing this in Google Reader, you may have to visit the blog to see the actual cards that are linked below.

Paper Issues, Moxie Fab World & MOJO Monday {Mother's Day Wishes}

Happy Sunday friends! This is my second post for the day, if you are looking for my Whimsy and Stars Studio Blog Hop post, please CLICK HERE. 

I made this card for the current ISSUE challenge over at Paper Issues which is a Mother's Day Theme and we are featuring Pink Paislee! I LOVE Pink Paislee and I was so excited to get some of their Indigo Blue Collection out of my stash to make my card today! I was inspired by the amazing inspiration photo on Moxie Fab World's Trigger Tuesday. I loved the pink blooms and the wood grain background, which I tried to mimic with my middle pennant. 

My sketch is this week's MOJO Monday Sketch!! It is SUCH a pretty sketch! My sentiment comes from a Verve Set. I thought it would look cute at the bottom of my card, stamped in artichoke but I am wondering now if it is lost down there? Oh well, I hope my mommy will love it. Oh I had a lovely time making this card!!! Have you created your Mother's Day cards yet?

{Supplies Used}

Stamps: Verve

Inks: Always Artichoke

Papers:  Pink Paislee Indigi Bleu Collection, Vanilla, Crumb Cake

Extras: Leaf Die, Lace Ribbon, Pearl, MFT Dienamics

Whimsy and Stars Blog Hop {Happy Mother's Day}

Welcome to another Whimsy and Stars Studio Blog Hop! I am excited to share that Mabelle has invited me to stay on for another term and I am absolutely thrilled to be on her Spring Design Team. Thank you so much Mabelle!

This is our Blog Hop order:

·         Whimsy and Stars Studio / Mabelle R.O

·         Kathy Curry

·         Lesa Smaligo

·         Lesley Croghan...you are here

·         Marsha Sanderlin

·         Melissa Oeters 

·         Suzanne Bier 

Mabelle has a sweet new digital stamp to share with you this week called Garden Joy!! I thought the image would just be perfect for Mother's Day, which is just around the corner!!! I bought some new My Mind's Eye paper and I was so excited to cut into it for this card! 

For my yellow rose, I pulled one out of my embellishment kit and smooshed it down a bit, then I added a pearl to the center. I also wanted to add some black and white baker's twine to my card for some visual interest. 

{Supplies Used}

Stamps: Garden Joy

Inks:  Memento Tuxedo Black and Copics

Papers: My Mind's Eye (Tangerine), Kraft, Black and White

Extras: Baker's Twine, Pre-Made Rose

I am also playing along with the following challenges:

 Paper Take Weekly-Sketch

Our Creative Corner - 3E  M - Anything Goes

Make it Monday - W - always Anything Goes

Click HERE to continue onto Marsha's blog....the more comments you leave, the better chance you have to win a Digital Stamp of your choice from Whimsy and Stars Studio!! Wahoo!

Paper Smooches {Anything Goes} & Simon Says Stamp {Happy Mail}

{Supplies Used}

Stamps: Sentiment Sampler (Paper Smooches)

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black

Papers: Sahara Sand Textured Cardstock (SU!), Whisper White (SU!), Black Cardstock (Recollections),

Embellishments: Bella BLVD Washi Tape-Chevrons, Elegant Butterfly Punch (SU!), Basic Rhinestones Jewel Accents (SU!), 1 3/8" Square Punch (SU!), Dimensionals (SU!)

I shared this card on Wednesday at Paper Issues and I am excited to link it up to the current Paper Smooches Anything Goes Challenge!! I really am exploring the world of washi tape and had so much playing with the chevron pattern. I wanted the design to go any which way...and I added some rhinestone bling to the butterfly...because I love bling. My sentiment comes from the adorable Sentiment Sampler from Paper Smooches. 

 

I am also linking up to the current Simon Says Stamp Challenge to create a card to make someone happy!!! 

Seize the Birthday #16 {Birthday Wishes}

Have you heard the news? Over at Seize the Birthday we are going to a two week challenge schedule! So now, you have two weeks to complete the sketch! Yippee! Also, you are welcome to create as many birthday cards as you would like with the sketch-either masculine or feminine...it is totally up to you! 

Our sponsor this week is the Cutting Cafe and they gave us some adorable digital images to work with! I just adored this sweet Owl and created a clean and simple birthday card!

Paper Issues {I Love WASHI TAPE}

I am so excited to have another post up over at Paper Issues!!! For my second post, I am sharing a brand new card I made using Washi Tape...click HERE to see my post!

Here is a peek!

Pssst!!! Today's the Day!!!

Today is pretty exciting as it is my first post over at the Paper Issues blog...I would love for you to stop by!! 

Click here to visit.