Father Christmas

The title of this post should really be Father Christmas - Take 2. I made this card a few days ago and once I saw it finished, I didn't like it so I remade it. I know I am my own worst critic but this time I was right.

I have 2 more Christmas cards to make in order to match my list and then I can get them off in the mail.  While I have enjoyed making them, I really want to do something else.  Now we will see how many I have to add the extra postage to.

I am going to enter this card in the following challenges:

2 Sisters - Holiday
Craft Your Days Away - Buttons or Bows
Fairy Tale - Christmas
The Poodles Parlour - Christmas
Simply Create Too - All About Christmas
Totally Papercrafts - Christmas
Sassy Cheryl's - Anything Goes

Image:  Father Christmas (Sassy Cheryl's)
Sentiment:  Computer Generated using Circle Blank (Digital Delights by Louby Loo)
Card Stock:  Recollections
Paper:  My Stash
Colouring Medium:  Pencil Crayons (Prismacolors) with OMS (Gotrick)
Tools & Embellishments:  Classic Oval Nestabilities (Spellbimders), Corner Rounder Punch (Marvy Uchida), Buttons (Dress it Up), Chalk (Mungyo)

Fancy Fold for Sugar Creek Hollow

Good morning and welcome to another Sensational Saturday at Sugar Creek Hollow. This week our challenge to you is FANCY FOLDS. So think outside the box or past the single fold and let us see vintage, shabby chic or primitive cards with fun and fancy folds.

This week one random winner will receive a digi of our choice and a winner's badge to display. In addition, the Design Team will choose one project as Card of the Week and the creator will receive a badge and will be in the running for a Guest Designer spot.

Don’t forget, we also have Christmas Blog Candy for one lucky winner to be chosen from our challenge entries between now and Christmas Eve.

The ladies on the Design Team are joined by a Guest Designer today. Please welcome Brenda Brown, who was chosen from the October Cards of the Week. All the designers have created some cards with very fun folds for your inspiration. To get details just click on their name and you will be taken directly to their blog.

I found this fun fold when I was surfing around and thought it was interesting enough and easy enough to make this week. It is an upright Z fold and I found the pattern here. Just one comment, my card only stands if it is clipped together (see the little circle), otherwise it wants to fall down. I am not sure if it the fact that I used card stock for the back section and that gave it too much weight but I don't mind, I still like the look of this card.

I am going to enter this card in the following challenges:

C.R.A.F.T. - Unusual Christmas
Paper Crafting Journey - Anything Goes
Crafts and Me - Shabby Chic/Vintage
Little Red Wagon - Christmas
Papercraft Star - Anything Goes
Scrapbook Sisters - Christmas
Truly Scrumptious - Christmas Project with Pearls or Vintage
Everybody Art Challenge - Christmas Card
Top Tip Tuesday - More Than One Fold
Bunny Zoe's Crafts - Anything Christmas with Pearls

Image: Far Far Hill
Sentiment: Computer Generated
Card Stock: Green (Bazzill), Dark Cream & Light Brown (Recollections)
Papers: Floral (Basic Grey), Cream Patterned (My Stash)
Tools & Embellishments: Fleur de Lis Rectangle Nestabilities & Fancy Tags (Spellbinders), Circle Punch (EK Paper Shapers), Script Embossing Folder (Cuttlebug), Gold Star Gel Pen (Sakura), Vintage Photo Distress Ink (Ranger), Flower (Prima), Pearl Button (My Stash)

A Sprinkling of Snow

The challenge at Phindy's Place this week is called A SPRINKLING OF SNOW. If you don't have snow where you are consider yourself fortunate because there are some areas about one hour north of where I live that already have 6 inches of the white stuff (at least it was white when it landed).

I love this little winter cutie and decided it would make a great Christmas card.  I counted all the cards that I made and I thought I was doing really well but discovered that I am at least 6 cards shy of my goal so I guess I have to put my nose to the grindstone or remove someone from my list since I only have 1 week to meet my goal.

I am going to enter this card in the following challenges:

4 Crafty Chicks - Snowflakes
Charisma Cardz - Snowflakes
Shopping Our Stash - Christmas or Winter Related
Stamp 'n Doodle - Snow
Kaboodle Doodles - Baby It's Cold Outside

Image:  It's All Downhill From Here (Phindy's Place)
Card Stock:  White (Staples), Metallic Blue (DCWV)
Paper:  My Stash
Colouring Medium:  Pencil Crayons (Prismacolors) with OMS (Gotrick)
Tools & Embellishments:  Snowflake Edge Punch (Martha Stewart), Petite Scalloped Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Stardust Stickles (Ranger), Christmas Tree .svg File cut with my Cricut (Online - sorry can't find source), Chalk (Craft-T Products)

Santa Bell Ringer

Here is another Christmas card that I have made on my mission to get them all done by the end of this month. I love this funky Santa ringing his bells to let everyone know that they better get out of his way because he has lots to do before Christmas arrives in just 35 days.

I am going to enter this card in the following challenges:

One Stitch at a Time - Anything Goes
Wags 'n Whiskers - Christmas Themed
Winter Wonderland Challenge - Any Cute Christmas Image
Shelly's Images - Anything Goes
Cooking it up with Katie - Christmas, Die Cut & Tag
Sassy Cheryl's - Stump the Boss (Anything Goes)

Image: Santa Bell Ringer (Sassy Cheryl's)
Sentiment: Computer Generated
Card Stock: Mustard Brown (Bazzill)
Papers:  Red Spotted (Lasting Impressions), Tree and Medallion Papers (Sandylion Sticker Designs)
Colouring Medium:  Pencil Crayons (Prismacolors) with OMS (Gotrick)
Tools & Embellishments:  Card Candy (Craftwork Cards), Crinkle Ribbon (Gift), Tag Punch (Martha Stewart), Open Scalloped Die (Nellie Snellen), Vintage Photo Distress Ink (Ranger), Chalk (Mungyo), Golden Star Gel Pen (Sakura)

Sweet Holiday Wishes

It is Saturday and we have a really fun challenge for you at Sugar Creek Hollow this week. We want to see a vintage, shabby chic or primitive card or other paper-crafted project that features a RECIPE CARD. The recipe card can be shown either on the front or inside your project and the recipe itself should be a family favourite that has been passed down over the years.

If your recipe isn't easily read from the photo of your project, then we would ask that you detail it in your post. It would also be great if you could show a photo of the finished recipe. Your recipe can be of any type and we would love to hear the story behind it. Soon your family's favourite could become someone else's family favourite so thanks for sharing.

This week one random winner will receive a digi of our choice and a winner's badge to display. In addition, the Design Team will choose one project as Card of the Week and the creator will receive a badge and will be in the running for a Guest Designer spot.

Don't forget, we also have Christmas Blog Candy for one lucky winner to be chosen from our challenge entries between now and Christmas Eve.

Our designers have shared some wonderful recipes so click on their name to be taken directly to their blog where you will find many more details about their recipe and their project.

I have created a card with a recipe inside.

The recipe is a cookie recipe that I just make at Christmas called Ginger Sparklers although they could be made any time of the year. These ginger cookies are easy to make and freeze well. My husband has been known to eat them right out of the freezer while they are really crisp but if you let them thaw they are slightly chewy. The recipe was given to me almost 30 years ago by my Sister-in-Law but I understand that it might have originally been printed in a Robin Hood Flour recipe pamphlet.

I know this is a really long post but here is the recipe:

I am going to enter this card in the following challenge:

Cupcake Craftroom- Sweet Christmas
Frosted Designs - Die Cuts

Image: Mom's Helper (Isabella's Sketchbook)
Sentiment: Computer Generated
Card Stock: All (Wassau)
Paper: Brown (Sweet Tweet), Gingerbread Boy (Online but forgot where - oops)
Colouring Medium: Pencil Crayons (Prismacolors) with OMS (Gotrick)
Tools & Embellishments: Card Candy (Craftwork Cards), Edge Punch (Martha Stewart), Ribbon (Arton Beads), Button (Dress it Up), Pearl Stickers (Dollarama), Chalk (Mungyo), Circle & Star Die (Nellie Snellen)

Holly Fairy

The challenge this week at Phindy's Place is CHRISTMAS and the timing is perfect since Christmas is only a little more than 5 weeks away - sorry but I had to say it - so the deadline for sending cards is looming fast.  Of course the deadlines for shopping, decorating and baking are too - oh my!

You don't have to use a Phindy's image but there are so many wonderful images that would be appropriate for your Christmas cards in her store, that you should rush right over and pick up a few. Besides, if you do use a Phindy image, you can follow the instructions under the challenge rules to enter twice for more chances to win one of the two prizes available.

I am going to enter this card in the following challenges:

Charisma Cardz - Lace & Pearls
Crimbo Crackers - Make it Sparkle (must be Christmas)
Shelly's Images - Anything Goes
Ruby's Rainbow.  - Anything with Wings
Truly Scrumptious - Christmas with Pearls or Vintage

Image:  Flower Top Fairy Holly (Phindy's Place)
Card Stock:  Green (Bazzill), Red (Recollections)
Paper:  Provo Craft
Colouring Medium:  Pencil Crayons (Prismacolors) with OMS (Gotrick)
Tools & Embellishments:  Pearl Stickers (Recollections), Lace (My Stash), Ribbon (Bouclair), Chalk (Mungyo), Gold Stickles (Ranger), Petite Scalloped Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

Helpful Elves

I just picked up some new images from Sassy Cheryl's so I thought I better put at least one to good use and make something for their current challenge. Since I am on a mission to get my Christmas cards all made before the end of November, that is what I made and of course it is very flat so it can be mailed without requiring me to float a loan for postage. I have said this before and I will say it again, I really do prefer a bit more embellishment so these cards seem almost naked.

I don't usually wish Christmas was tomorrow but I have asked my husband to make me a photo booth for Christmas and given the horrible photo I got for this card, then Christmas can't happen too soon. Sorry about the quality.

I am going to enter this card in the following challenges:

Sassy Cheryl's - Embossing
Daisy Doodles Creative Challenges - Anything Goes with a Digi
Kenny K Krafty Girlz - Emboss Away
Paper Sundaes - Use a Digi
Pile It On - Traditional Christmas
2 Sisters - Anything Goes
Totally Gorjuss - Christmas Traditions
Cardmadfairy's - Digi and Texture
Crafty Catz - Use a Digi
Wags 'n Whiskers - Christmas

Image:  Christmas Elves (Sassy Cheryl's)
Sentiment:  Computer Generated
Card Stock: Green (Wassau), Red (Lasting Impressions)
Paper:  Sandylion Sticker Designs
Colouring Medium:  Pencil Crayons (Prismacolors) with OMS (Gotrick)
Tools & Embellishments:  Chalk (Craft-T Products), Card Candy (Craftwork Cards), Ornament Embossing Folder (Cuttlebug)

Primitive Christmas

It is Saturday and that means a new challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow. We have an easy one this week because it's all about STRIPES AND SPOTS. We want to see both on your beautiful vintage, shabby chic or primitive card or other paper-crafted project.

We will be choosing one random winner who will receive a digi of our choice and a winner's badge to display. The Design Team will choose one project as Card of the Week and the creator will receive a badge and will be in the running for a Guest Designer spot.

As if two prizes aren't enough, don't forget that we have Christmas Blog Candy for one lucky winner to be chosen from our challenge entries between now and Christmas Eve.  Just follow the challenge theme and the rules on the sidebar to submit up to 3 entries each week. 

Our Design Team have created some fabulous projects this week that will be sure to inspire you.  Joining them is our Guest Designer, AUDHILD, who was chosen from the September Cards of the Week. To get details of any of their projects just click on their name and you will be taken directly to their blog.

I took a stab at making a primitive card this week and I hope you like the result.  The image and the papers were freebies that I discovered online and the wonderful birch strip is one of my finds at a florist wholesale shop in England.  The burlap came from my sewing cabinet but don't ask me why I had it.  I love the non-traditional colours - Christmas can be orange and brown - although when it comes to my tree decorations and other decor, they are as traditional as can be with lots of red and gold.

I am going to enter this card in the following challenges:

Meljens Designs - Orange and/or Brown
Paper Pretties - Buttons
Digital Tuesday - Anything Goes (must include a digi)
Top Tip Tuesday - Anything Christmas Goes

Image:  Beccy's Place
Card Stock:  Kraft (Recollections)
Papers:  Cuddlebeez
Colouring Medium:  Pencil Crayons (Prismacolors) with OMS (Gotrick)
Tools & Embellishments:  Birch Tape (Excelsior Wholesale), Burlap, Button & Cord (My Stash), Vintage Photo Distress Ink (Ranger)

Thankful

This week the challenge at Phindy's Place is called THANKFUL and we want you to do Thank You or Thanksgiving cards.

You don't have to use a Phindy image for this challenge but there are many in her store that are suitable for both types of cards so pop over and pick a couple up. If you do use a Phindy image this week just follow the instructions in the Challenge rules to enter it twice.

Because I live in Canada and we celebrated Thanksgiving a month ago, I decided to make a Thank You card. I also decided to make one that could be used for a man or woman and used this peaceful scene as my image.

I don't know what happened when I took my photo but I kept getting an orange glow around the edges so I had to revert to a black mat. A light box with proper lights and a little tripod are on the top of my ever-growing Christmas list.

I am going to enter this card in the following challenges.

Aud Sentiments - Thank You or Thanksgiving
Creative Card Crew - Thankful
Digital Tuesday - Anything Goes (must include a digi)

Image: Birds Go By with Cat (Phindy's Place)
Sentiment: Create with TLC
Card Stock: Recollections
Paper: Provo Craft
Colouring Medium: Pencil Crayons (Prismacolors) with OMS (Gotrick)
Tools & Embellishments: Chalk (Craf-T Products & Mungyo), Brad (Making Memories), Forest Branches Embossing Folder (Cuttlebug), Circle Punch (EK Paper Shapers), Copper Ink (Martha Stewart), Skeleton Leaf (Papermania)

November Trash to Treasure for Sugar Creek Hollow

Welcome to Sensational Saturday at Sugar Creek Hollow. We hope you weren't caught in that early snow storm that found its way to the northeast United States last weekend. If you did, we hope you were able to get some crafting even if the power was out.  Crafting by candlelight sounds so relaxing, doesn't it?

This week our challenge to you is to turn something from your garbage or recycling bin into a vintage, shabby chic or primitive card or other paper-crafted project. We want you to turn TRASH TO VINTAGE TREASURE. You can include items from your paper scraps but your project must start with something you are re-purposing. Please include a photo of that item in your post so we can say "You went from that to that - wow!"

We will choose one random winner who will receive a digi of our choice and a winner's badge to display. The Design Team will select one project as Card of the Week and the creator of that project will receive a badge to display and will be in the running for a Guest Designer spot.

By entering this challenge you not only have a chance to win our regular prizes but your name will go into the draw for the Christmas Blog Candy every time you enter so let's see your wonderful creations.

Our designer have dug deep into their recycling bins and have transformed some interesting items into wonderful treasures that are sure to inspire you so do check out their blogs to get all the details.

I confiscated this box from my neighbour's recycling bin and jazzed it up.  Then I decided I better make some coordinating note cards to go inside.  This will be a Christmas gift for my Sister-in-Law.  When I started the inside of the box & the lid had some rips in it so I needed to line it.  Well let me tell you, that was a pain in the posterior because I couldn't get the measurements to work out and I wasted so many pieces of paper.  In the end, I really like how it turned out.

Here are a couple more views of the box and the decorated top:

I am going to enter this in the following challenges:

4 Crafty Chicks - Die Cuts
Bearly Mine - Anything but a Card
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes (and a bit of bling, if you like)
Bunny Zoes Crafts - Lace

Card Stock:  Metallic Gold (DCWV)
Paper:  Tuscan Summer (Sincerely Yours from Computer Scrapbooking.com))
Monogram:  Computer Generated
Tools & Embellishments:  Flowers (Wild Orchid Crafts), Leaves (My Stash), Butterfly Punch (Martha Stewart), Lace (My Stash), Pearl Floruishes (Prima), Ribbon (Fabricland), Pearl Button (My Stash), Petite Scalloped Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Open Flower Die (Nellie Snellen), Vintage Photo Distress Ink (Ranger)

Sugar Creek Hollow has Christmas Blog Candy

The holiday season is upon us and we all know that Christmas is a time for gift giving. Thanks to Tracy, the generous owner of Sugar Creek Hollow, we are pleased to offer a gift for one lucky person this Christmas - a Cricut® Personal Die Cutting Machine along with a George & Basic Shapes Cartridge. The random winner will be selected on Christmas Eve from the entries for all the weekly challenges posted from November 5th to December 17th.

The rules are easy:

• You must enter a card into at least one of the Sugar Creek Hollow challenges posted between November 5th and December 17th to be eligible for the draw. The more entries you make following the challenge theme and rules as listed on the sidebar, the more chances you get to win. Since you can enter 3 cards each week that is a possible 21 chances to win.
• You must post the photo above on your sidebar and link it to this post on the Sugar Creek Hollow challenge blog. The linked photo is to remain on your blog until December 24th.
• You do not have to be a follower but we would love it if you become one because we have great challenges each week with wonderful inspiration from our designers and we would not want you to miss anything.

So come to visit each Saturday to see what challenge we have for you and then enter your wonderful creations so you can be included in the draw for this fabulous Christmas Candy.

The Night Before Christmas

It is the first Friday of the month so that means the challenge at Phindy's Place is ANYTHING GOES WITH A PHINDY IMAGE.

Since you must use one of your Phindy images (no Phindy's image! - head straight to Phindy's store and pick up a few) you only need to enter it once this week to be in the running for Card of the Week or to be our random winner.

I love this image of all the little ones fast asleep and probably dreaming about what Santa will bring them. Now if they would just stay in bed until it is at least light out :)

I am going to enter this card in the following challenges:

Crimbo Crackers - Anything Goes (must be Christmas)
Freshly Brewed - Anything Goes
The Paper Shelter - Christmas Fun
The Pixie Cottage - Sketch and/or Christmas Card
Stampavie & More - Anything Goes
Digital Tuesday - Cute & Cuddly (must include a digi)

Image: Babes in dreamland (Phindy's Place)
Sentiment: Elegant Word Art by Bethany
Card Stock: Wassau
Papers:  Green Dot & Stripe (Sandylion Sticker Designs), Red with White Dot (Molly & Max)
Colouring Medium:  Pencil Crayons (Prismacolors) with OMS (Gotrick)
Tools & Embellishments:  Gold Star Gel Pen (Sakura), Poinsettia (Wild Orchid Crafts)