Let the Christmas cards begin!

Here are my first few Christmas cards.  I'm having a Christmas in July class tomorrow, and these are the cards we're making.  I tried to keep them simple and mailable.  Happy Christmas!

a simple thank you

So my friend since high school gave me the best ever birthday present this year... she offered to come help me with any type home improvement project.  WOW!  What a friend!  So we spent two days going through my over-stuffed storage room and cleaned it all up!  We made a great team and really got the job done!  I used this weeks freshly made sketch challenge to help me design a really nice thank you card for her.  Let me know what you think.

And just for fun, check out the transformation of my storage room.

My friend and I resting at a baseball game

Chalk Talk Blog Hop

I'm pretty excited, this is my first time participating in a blog hop.  I have checked out others to see their cool ideas, but this is my first time sharing in this type of forum.  I hope you enjoy my cards and your trip through the blog hop.

There are so many cool new things in the 2013-2014 Stampin’ Up! Catalog and one of the first things that went on my list was the Chalk Talk bundle. 6 awesome stamps with matching framelits!  Lots of cool tag ideas started whirling in my head.  Of course that means that the cards that came up for me featured no tags! 

So anyhoo, the first card that I am sharing actually features the center from one of the stamps.  When I was getting the stamp set ready, I thought what a cool giant polka dot.  I stamped it randomly around my smoky slate card stock (all sides) in smoky slate.  I punched two half circles on each side of the card front to frame up my banner made with a slightly wider and shorter piece of calypso coral and some soft sky, notched like a ribbon on the bottom.  I stamped the happy BIG day greeting in black stazon ink, and colored in the BIG with my calypso coral marker.  A few wraps around with the bakers twine and a floppy bow finished it all off.  Quick and cute!

The second card I made took just a little longer and has a very different feel.  Basic grey, daffodil delight, and so saffron are the base for two quick stripes of the epic day washi tape (love this stuff!) and lots of the small flowers from the boho blossoms punch.  I added in a few flowers in whisper white to brighten up the yellows and sparkled up each blossom with a pearl.  The background for the greeting I stamped in daffodil delight and popped up on two dimensionals.  The elegant greeting is stamped in basic grey.

I hope you enjoyed these cards.  So now carry on with the blog hop for even more wonderful ideas for the chalk talk set.  Thanks for stopping by, click below for the next blog.  Happy crafting--Audra, the crafty yogi.

Nancy Amato http://stampinallnight.blogspot.com
Melissa Bolinger www.stampinup.net/blog/2089191
Jackie Bottomley jackiebottomley.blogspot.com
Susan Carlson http://stampinmomoffour.blogspot.com

Tamra Davis www.thecardladies.com

Connie Deiblerwww.conniestamps.com

Crystal Kondo www.card-ed.com
Deb Lehigh http://thestampinhut.typepad.com/
Anne Matasci www.MauiStamper.wordpress.com
Robin Merriman http://www.trinitydesignstudio.blogspot.com
Audra Monk thecraftyyogi.blogspot.com (you are here!)
Maria Pane http://www.stampinandscrappinwithriri.blogspot.com
Andi Potler - http://www.absolutekreations.com
Michele Reynolds - http://www.inspirationink.typepad.com

Vicki Soni - Www.paperinkle.com
Jeannette Swain http://www.stampsnwhatnot.com/
Janet Wakeland www.remarkablycreated.com

congratulations

For The Paper Craft Crew Challenge #48, I looked to my color coach for inspiration.  Baked brown sugar, crisp cantaloupe and bermuda bay seemed to be just what I was looking for.  I was making a congratulations card for someone I had been working with for a long while who accomplished an amazing feat of perseverance.  The Stampin' Up! flower shop bundle and the new stretchy in color ribbon was just what I needed to convey my pride and joy.

click here to go to PCCCS

A Beachy Get Well

I have a few friends going in for surgery soon.  I am sending them lots of mental positive thoughts, but I thought I should send them a get well card too.  Inspired by this weeks Freshly Made Sketches challenge, summer, and theirs (and my) love of the beach, I came up with this card.  Pool party and chocolate chip, wow!  Nothing says beach and feel better soon than that!

find the Freshly Made Sketch challenge here

A Father's Day card for my Honey

So, it's the day before Father's Day and I haven't made a card yet for my husband.  I've sent my Dad's off in the mail, but I was still percolating on Eric's card.  I looked around on some of the various challenge sites, and was inspired by two.  Create with Connie and Mary's color challenge and the sketch challenge from Freshly Made Sketches (both new to me).  It always amazes me how with just a bit of guidance, ideas abound. After going to the gym to sub a TRX class on Saturday morning, I was inspired on the drive home.

When I got home,  I went to work.  A little bit of the Soho DSP, the banner and letter stamps from the polymer stamp sets, and stamps from two of The Paper Pumpkin kits.  It's fun how lots of different bits can come together. So let me know how you enjoy the card.  Thanks!

and the inside:

Weddings.

This my card for The Paper Craft Crew Card Sketch Challenge.

I have a college friend getting married in a couple of weeks.  He saw some of the cards I made on Facebook and wondered if I could make him a card to give to his wife on their wedding day.  I thought "sure." Then all that happened is I bought paper in their wedding colors.  Then I saw this weeks sketch challenge and I was inspired.

So let me know how you like it.  He's like it to say their names if possible instead of the Mr. & Mrs.  I'm going to try out a few things and I'll let you know.  Happy crafting!