12 Kits of Occasions - Christmas in July

One of the best things about the cardmaking world is celebrating Christmas in July, and we are doing just that today over at the 12 Kits of Occasions Blog.  Kim, who has a knack for putting together fabulous Christmas kits, sent us a super fun one this year full of a little bit of everything. It felt so good to sit down and make a bunch of cards! 

First up are the critter cards.  How cute is this Furry Christmas bunch from Simon Says Stamp? I was thinking of my sister's dogs when I colored them. My favorite part is the plaid scarf...I love plaid!

Next up, this fancy feline from Avery Elle's Dear Santa. She has a super sparkly bow (which I love), but capturing the shimmer of Wink of Stella still elludes me. 

This next one is super simple, but you know how I feel about simple things. I really love MFT's Hand Lettered Holiday, and was so excited that Kim included some sentiments in the kit.  Oh, and so far everything I've used came from the kit (you can see the full supply list HERE), but I did add some stamped holly leaves to this card.

I added just a bit of twine and some stamped images from Essentials by Ellen's Cozy Christmas and Neat & Tangled's Winter Wishes to this next card. 

Sometimes when we get these kits I end up with items that I absolutely must have after working with them.  Neat & Tangled's Merry & Bright Dies are one of those things for me.  This card could not be simpler, but the dies are so awesome that I just had to let them shine on their own.  Especially at a time like Christmas, I LOVE supplies that make for quick and awesome cards.

MFT's Dashing By is the star of the show for this next card.  I actually pulled out one of Kim's previous kits for the patterned paper on this card and one of my previous kits to get the white snowflakes.  How fun is that?

I'm not a coffee drinker (I don't care for hot drinks in general...I'm more of a smoothie kind of gal), but boy did I ever fall in love with Hero Arts's Coffee set that Kim sent.

 I also fell in love with colored embossing powder.  I really must get some more of that.

Are you still with me? I made a whopping 9 projects with this kit, and we're on the home stretch now.  This last project uses another few products I'm anxious to add to my stash - Taylored Expressions Sing of the King and Bethlehem Border. The tag is from Winnie & Walter's Essentials: Carly Cutaways, and it's extra large size was perfect. 

There you have it folks.  I think this is the first time I've had to go out on the deck to take a photo of my projects because there were just so many.  Anyone else feeling slightly less bad that summer is ending (school starts in about a week here), and that Christmas is closer than we think? 

Many thanks to Kim for the awesome kit!  Make sure that you head over to the 12 Kits of Occasions Blog to check out the other ladies' projects as well as to see a peek of our fabulous guest's project as well.  Your headed for lots of holiday fun!  Thanks so much for sharing some of your time with me today!  Hugs to you all!

Where Creativity Meets C9 Sneak Peek

Hello!  Wow, has it been a long time!  Well friends, I'm finally back, and I have a sunshine-filled post up on the Where Creativity Meets C9 blog today. I hope you join me.  I've sure missed you. :)

Where Creativity Meets C9 Challenge #11

Good morning, friends!  I am SO happy to have a card to share with you today!  It has been such a long time.  Between taking care of my mom and then going to Utah to visit (more about that in a second...really, you don't want to miss that part), I have had no spare time.  So I'm extra excited to share with you my card for the newest Where Creativity Meets C9 Challenge. 

Challenge #11 is embossing.  I used heat embossing on my card.  Funny story about that. I found out about the challenge theme the night before we left on our trip.  I was short on luggage space, so I grabbed a few ink cubes, a couple card bases/envelopes, scissors, glue, a waterbrush, mini misti, stamping block, and two Concord & 9th stamp sets.  All my supplies fit in a little pencil box.  I really thought one of my sisters-in-law had a heat gun and planned to use it, but grabbed the only embossed image I had, a cake from Happy Day, just in case.  Well, turns out I was wrong, my SIL did not have a heat gun, and I only had that one embossed cake to work with.  I have never been more nervous in my life to watercolor an image because I knew there was absolutely no way for a do-over.  Thankfully it turned out okay!  

The colors for the wedding I attended were blush pink and navy.  I knew the bride had a pink cake, so actually my embossed cake from Happy Day worked out perfectly.  I just used the ink from the ink pads and my waterbrush to color the image. 

While the cake was drying I stamped several images from Many Mandalas in light grey onto my card base.  You can see them a tiny bit better in this photo.  It is subtle but really adds so much.

Many Mandalas is one of my new favorite Concord and 9th sets.  I love the variety of sizes and layering possibilities of the images (even though I didn't layer any on my card).  But I have to tell you, my most favorite thing about the this set is the sentiments.  LOVE them!  If you haven't picked up Many Mandalas, you really should.  You won't regret it.  And actually I loved the images and sentiments so much that in addition to using them on my card, I used theme to create a simple coordinating envelope.

Okay, I told you I would tell you more about my Utah trip, so here it goes.  If you follow me on Instagram, you'll know that I had the most amazing opportunity (blessing, really) to meet the Concord and 9th team last week.  Concord and 9th started just a month after I moved away from Utah (although I didn't know about them until several months later), and their headquarters happens to be about 15 minutes (or less) from my old home.  Meeting Angie, Greg, Robyn, and Amy was AMAZING!  

They are kind, generous, talented, and just SO FUN to be around.  Honestly, I wish I could hang out with them every day.  I smiled so much my cheeks hurt.  I laughed lots. I shook with excitement (okay, and maybe some nerves at first, too...I can be shy).  And I literally skipped and giggled while I was touring their office. (I have a hard time hiding my emotions and the excitement I felt just could not be contained!) I saw all of their stamps and dies, their card/project samples, the rooms they create in, work in, photograph in, etc.  I got to see and hold all of the new products being released today as well as all of Robyn's cards they have been sharing during this month's release sneak peeks.  Honestly, it was one of the happiest days of my whole life.  I feel like I've always made it pretty clear that I'm head over heels for Concord and 9th's products, but after meeting them I'm even more a fan.  Knowing the people behind the company makes me love them even more!  I didn't know that was possible, but really they are the best of the best...the kind of people who truly brighten the world around them.  My soul was filled with sunshine that has had me smiling for days.  It was truly a dream come true.  Now if you have made it this far, thank you for letting me gush!  And don't forget to get out your Concord & 9th goodies and join us for our Where Creativity Meets C9 Embossing Challenge, so you can have a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Concord & 9th or a chance to guest design for an upcoming challenge.  I'm so grateful for you, friends!  Have a blessed Sunday!