Greetings friends. It is time for a another challenge! We hope you will join us in the fun. Please note that prizes can only be mailed within the United States at the moment in case you are participating in the December challenge.

Thank you so much to everyone participated in last month's oval/circle challenge. We always love seeing your designs and everyone needs holiday ideas!

The winner of the blog badge was Jenny Martin from the My Paper Epiphany blog. We loved her beautiful circle-framed winter scene:

The random winner selected from all the entries to win the prizes was Chris Dring from the Chrispy's Creations Blog.

Please contact me at stampjournal@gmail.com to claim your prize.

Want to play along in this month's challenge?  The rules are simple - just create a project following the theme, use at least one Memory Box stamp or die on your project and link your entry to this blog post.  You can make a card, a scrapbook page, a home decor item, etc..  To encourage participants with various levels of stamping experience, one entry will be selected at random to win a prize. Enter as many times as you want, but your name will only be entered once into the random prize drawing.   In addition, the design team will select their favorite entry to  be highlighted on the Outside the Box blog and that designer will receive our winner badge to proudly display on their blog. 

You don't have to have a blog in order to participate.   You can upload your project to any online gallery and link it to this post.   In fairness to other players, we reserve the right to remove entries that do not use at least one Memory Box product.  You are also welcome to link your design to other challenges.  Feel free to grab our badge to post on your blog post or side bar.

Please note, because of issues with shipping internationally, only domestic entries will be eligible to be shipped prizes. We are so very sorry that we had to add this stipulation.

Are you experiencing snow lately? Are you preparing for snow? In any case, it is a good time to make some snow-themed cards. Does the snow make you think of white landscapes? Snowmen? Snowflakes? There are so many possibilities.  We would love to see your interpretation of the theme.

All we ask is that you use at least one Memory Box product in your entry.

Need a bit of inspiration? Here are some designs by our team members featuring snow-themed items:

There are several ways for you to enter the contest:

1.)  Link your finished work below

2.)  Enter on Instagram by tagging your sketch project with the #mbchallenge79 hashtag

You have until the end of the day (EST) on Thursday, December 30th.   Don't forget, you have to use at least one Memory Box item on your entry and only domestic entries are eligible to be shipped prizes. 

 

 

Supplies

 

94583 Let it Snow Posh Script craft die

94608 Oval Snowman Collage craft die

Hello and welcome, it's Angie here today with a glittery "Warmest Wishes" card featuring dies and papers from the latest 2021 Holiday Release!

Here's a closer look at my card.

I cut the Memory Box Oval Snowman Collage Dies using papers from both the Memory Box Festive Glitter Pad and the Memory Box Majestic Hues Glitter Pad.  The snowmen and trees are super easy to put together.  I like to use Glossy Accents for my glue when using glitter paper as it's a very heavy duty glue too!  I wanted trees and another snowman so I used the Memory Box Snowman House die set.  

Next I got out the Festive Christmas Greetings stamp for the sentiment strip which was heat embossed in white on black card.  After putting everything togethert, I added white gel pen snow dots to the trees and with markers and I colored the snowmen's noses orange and their mouths and eyes black.

Here's one last look:

I hope you like my card for today!  Memory Box dies cut so well, even from Memory Box Glitter paper which is very thick.  One pass through the die cutting machines and it cuts perfectly.  Hope you will have a chance to look at all the beautiful products in the 2021 Holiday Release!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

 

 

Supplies

 

GP1006 Festive Glitter Pad

94608 Oval Snowman Collage craft die

94604 Snowman House Frame craft die

CL5273 Festive Christmas Greetings clear stamp set

GP1008 Majestic Hues Glitter Pad

In line with this month's blog challenge to use circle and ovals, today's card uses another plaid stitched circle to anchor the sort of oval-ish (okay, that's a bit of a stretch) Large Pine Cone.

These are the supplies I used:

• white notecard
• brown and green plaid papers from PP1018 WOODSY PLAID
• large die from STITCHED CIRCLE LAYERS 30036
• KRAFT WOODGRAIN PAPER SH44003
• LARGE PINE CONE 94594
• GENTLE PINE NEEDLE SPRIG 94597
• PINE NEEDLE TRIO 94600
• Uni-Ball Signo white pen
• Prismacolor pencils, Metallic Copper and medium brown
• white cardstock
• JOY AND CHEER 94590

• I started this card by covering the front of a white notecard with a dark brown plaid.
• I added a large circle from Stitched Circle Layers cut from a light brown plaid.
• I cut the Large Pine Cone from the Kraft Woodgrain Paper and used the Metallic Copper pencil to color in the lower edge sections of each pine cone part and added the medium brown on the radiating lines.  I assembled the pine cone using Glue Dots on each section.
• I die cut two of the gentle Pine Needle Sprig from green plaid paper and the Pine Needle Trio from a different green plaid.  I used the white Signo pen to paint the tips of each for a snowy effect.  I added those to the top of the pine cone.  I used Scor-Tape to attach the pine cone and needles to the circle.

I think this photo below shows best the lovely glimmer that the metallic copper pencil added to the pine cone.

• For the sentiment I used just the detailed lettering from JOY AND CHEER 94590 cut from white cardstock and applied with a glue pen.  I liked the white cardstock lettering with the white-tipped pine needles and the white lines in the plaid circle.

A dusting of snow here yesterday morning...just enough to encourage me to get out the holiday decorations and start planning what will go where this year.  Have a few more cards to make still and more stamps and dies from the Holiday 2021 Collection that I haven't used yet.  With colder weather coming I'm looking forward to more indoor crafting time.  

Happy Crafting to you!

 

 

Hello there! Michelle here, sharing this adorable snowman gift tag/ ornament. I used the House Frame and Snowman House Frame dies. 

After the images were die cut, I used Copic Markers to color them. The front side of the frame has a snow mound. The back frame is plain and I adhered the fence to the inside of the back frame. I assembled the trees and snowman than adhered them to the front house frame. 

Than I adhered both frames together. I used some red twine to make a handle. I also added a black button. I added some Dewdrop Glitter glue to create snow. Thanks for stopping by today! Hope you enjoy today's post.

 

 

Supplies

 

94601 House Frame craft die

94604 Snowman House Frame craft die

40125 Dewdrop glitter glue

The new Contempo Poinsettia and Stencil set is great for detailed paper-piecing when you have some leisurely crafting time...and it's perfect for quick stenciling when you don't.  Hi, Jean Okimoto here with a double-stencilled design for the holidays.

Brush or sponge a light layer of Rocket Red Gold Brilliance onto white cardstock.  Rotate the stencil and re-align it with offset petals.  Stencil the center with a very light layer of Squeezed Lemonade Distress Oxide, then let it airdry.  Stencil it with a second layer of Rocket Red Gold. Dry the ink.

Trim the cardstock with the 3-½" x 4-¾" Rectangle Basics die. Trim the outer edges with a corner rounder.  Cut a circle of the yellow sheet from the Twinkling Jewel Glitter Pad with the ½" Circle Basics die.  Attach it to the poinsettia.

Spray Imagine's Gold Sheer Shimmer Spritz onto white cardstock.  Dry the ink, then cut the Contempo Poinsettia.  Trim the top, bottom and left edges with the 5-¼" x 4" Rectangle Basics die. Trim the outer edges with a corner rounder.

Attach the stencilled cardstock to the Contempo Poinsettia diecut just along the top, bottom and left edges of the diecut.  Don't adhere the poinsettia outline or center - let them 'float' over the stencilled design.

Stamp the greeting - from the new Yuletide Moments Clear Stamp Set - on white cardstock with Rocket Red Gold.  Cut it with the 1-½" Circle Basics die.

Cut, score and fold a white A6 card (4-½" x 6-¼") and round the corners.  Attach the diecuts - use foamtape for the greeting.  Add Winter Fantasy Fairy Gemstones.

Contempo Poinsettia is very versatile - use it to also pressure-emboss watercolor paper or heavy cardstock, or quickly cut petals for paper-piecing.  Use the petals as leaves too!  

Thanks for visiting...have a great weekend.  See you in December.  December!

 

 

Supplies

 

94607 Contempo Poinsettia and Stencil craft die

CL5274 Yuletide Moments

30087 Circle Basics Set

GP1003 Twinkling Jewel Glitter Pad

GEM102 Winter Fantasy Fairy Gemstones

30086 Rectangle Basics Set

Greetings friends. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Today I am already moving on to getting some Christmas gifts and decorations done.

My ornament today features some of the new house dies. I made mine into an ornament because I like to have some small gifts on hand for the holidays. We don't have our Christmas tree up yet, so I hung it up on our Christmas cactus, which always seems to bloom for Thanksgiving instead of Christmas.

If you haven't checked out the new dies, there are designs to help you make a gingerbread house, a nativity, a birdhouse, and a forest/snowman scene. The dies are all the same size, so you can mix and match to make lots of different ornament or card scenes.

To make my ornament, I cut out the gingerbread pieces from two colors of kraft cardstock. I wanted the frame of the house as well as the window and door frame to be in a darker kraft color than the main house.

I couldn't help myself. I had to keep decorating the house with peppermints, gumdrops and faux frosting. Here is a close up of the house:

I hope you can see the extra detail on the roof. I cut out my gumdrops from glitter paper so that they would look like sugared candies. To adhere the gumdrops, I added some glitter glue to the roof to look like sparkling snow. When the glitter glue dried, it held my gumdrops in place.

Do you make your own ornaments or gifts? I would love to hear about your designs.

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

 

Supplies

 

94603 Gingerbread House Frame craft die

94606 House Frame Background craft die

94601 House Frame craft die

GP1007 Glitzy Glitter Pad

40125 Dewdrop glitter glue

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  Today I have an easy Thank-You card for you.

To create the background, I used Simon Hurley's Stamping Foam and pressed it on the Ringadings 3D Embossing folder.  

Next, I rubbed the ink pads directly onto the stamping foam, misted it lightly with plain water and stamped it onto white cardstock.  

I mounted the background on a black cardstock mat and used foam tape to adhere it to a white card base.

I die cut the word Thanks from glitter cardstock and the shadow from white cardstock.  

Then I glued it onto the shadow die cut and adhere it to the card.

To finish the card,  I added some Clear Fairy Drops.  

That's it for today!  I hope you all have a wonderful day!

 

Supplies

 

EF1015 Ringadings 3D Embossing Folder

CLD101 Clear Fairy Drops

GP1006 Festive Glitter Pad

94011 Thanks Jotted Script

Create fresh greetings with garden dies from 2021 Holiday Collection. Open Studio Glitter Glue, Fairy Crystals and Fairy Jewels add sparkly highlights...a Christmas card isn't complete without sparkle!    Hi, Jean Okimoto here with another slimline idea for the holidays

Cut Curled Holly Branch and Pine Needle Trio from two shades of the bluish green sheets in the Lush Green Collection.  

Cut Layered Poinsettia from a coral sheet in the Berry Red Collection.  Shake the Goldfinch Glitter Glue vigorously to blend the contents.  Squirt some Goldfinch on the tip of each poinsettia diecut and spread the glue - start at the tip and work towards the base of each piece.  Crease them gently along the center line, then set them aside to dry.  

Cut or punch a 1" circle of the coral sheet and cover it with glue.  Use it as the base to assemble and adhere the poinsettia.  That's easier than trying to glue the pieces to each other, trust me - and it adds dimension too.

Cut the sheet from the Madras Plaid Coral and Green 6x6 with the 6-¼" x 1-⅜" Rectangle Basics Die - cut it vertically for the full length of the sheet to get the extra ¼" at the top.  Cutting plaids is so much easier with a die - no measuring or wonky strips! 

Attach the diecuts to a white slimline card (3-½" x 8-½").  Add tiny green Christmas Fairy Jewels and clear Christmas Fairy Crystals. Cut a slimline-sized layer of cardstock to protect the card front for mailing.

I love designing slimline cards.  They're a nice surprise for the recipient who didn't expect a handcrafted greeting in that skinny white business envelope.  

Here's a better view of the glittered poinsettia. Goldfinch Glitter Glue adds a clear glossy background and sparkly highlights - and emphasizes the details of the diecuts.  

Thanks for visiting...Happy Thanksgiving if you're celebrating tomorrow!

 

 

Supplies

 

SP1003 Lush Green 6x6 pack

SP1001 Berry Red 6x6 pack

94599 Holly Branch craft die

94600 Pine Needle Trio craft die

94605 Layered Poinsettia craft die

94556 Slim Basic Rectangle Layers craft die

PP1013 Madras Plaid Coral and Green 6x6 pack

CRY102 Christmas Fairy Crystals

40118 Goldfinch glitter glue

JWL005 Christmas Fairy Jewels

Hi everyone.  I have a another golden glitter card but this time using the Layered Poinsettia and Fairy Sugar glitter glue.  

Layered Poinsettia:

Die cut the Layered Poinsettia from Memory Box watercolor paper 3 times.  Ink blend the 2, 3 leaf die cut with Distress Festive Berry.  Start heavy on the outside edges and very light towards the center leaving the center of the leaf without ink.  Repeat the same process with the 3rd die cuts but use Distress Shabby Shutters.  Paint with edges of the leaves with Sunlit Gold Fairy Sugar glue and let dry.  Glue the larger leaves set on top of the smaller leaves set.  Shape with a pen.  Die cut the poinsettia centers from the medium gold glitter paper from the Festive Glitter pad and adhere to the center of the poinsettia.  Ink blend the 2 larger individual leaves first with Distressed Rustic Wilderness and then Crushed Olive, heavier on the edges and lighter ink in the center.  

Melted Candles:

Die cut the larger candle and melted wax from Memory Box watercolor paper 3 times.  Trim 2 candles about 1/3" shorter.  Ink blend the candle with Distress Antique Linen, heavier on the edges and lighter in the center.  Add Distress Antique Linen ink to the edges of the melted wax die cuts.  Paint on Distress Collage Matte Medium to give a wax look.  Ink blend watercolor paper with Distress Squeezed lemonade ink, let dry, and die cut just the flame of the candle.  Trim off the wick is needed.  Add Distress Mustard Seed to the edges of the die cut. Let dry.  Add clear glitter to the flame.  Let dry.  Adhere to the candles.

Sentiment:

Die cut the larger die from the Merry Christmas Posh Script die from the same gold glitter paper from eh Festive Glitter pad.  Die cut the smaller die from cream card stock.  Ink blend the smaller die cut with Distress Festive Berry ink.  Glue the smaller die on the larger die.

Frame:

Cut cream card stock to 5"x7".  Die cut the largest die from the Rectangle Basic set from the center of the paper to create a frame.  Adhere a same size vellum to the backsides.  Add foam tape to the backside of the frame.  

Assembly:

Create a 5"x7" card from cream card stock.  Set the frame over the card front and determine where to add the candles, putting the taller candle in the center and shorter to either side.  Then remove the frame and add Distress Squeezed Lemonade behind where the the candles will be to create glowing light.  Ink blend with Distress Antique linen from the outside edge up to the Squeezed Lemonade.  Adhere the frame to the card.  Adhere the candles with double sided tape to vellum, aligning the flame in the center of the yellow glow.  Adhere the poinsettia below the candles with the green in the center.  Tuck the leaves behind the poinsettia and adhere with glue.  Glue the sentiment. to the upper portion of the card.

Supplies

94605 Layered Poinsettia craft die

94593 Melted Candles craft die

94584 Merry Christmas Posh Script craft die

30086 Rectangle Basics Set

40127 Sunlit Gold glitter glue

WP101 Watercolor Paper

GP1006 Festive Glitter Pad

This month's challenge on the Outside the Box blog is to use circles and ovals in one's card designs.  For the two cards today I used die-cut circles, the oval with holly stamp from FESTIVE HOLIDAY GREETINGS and its coordinating die, JOY POSH SCRIPT, LAYERED POINSETTIA, and Memory Box cardstocks as well as more of the WOODSY PLAID papers.

Card One

materials and process

• white notecard; cover with one of the papers from the LUSH GREEN COLLECTION SP1003
• die cut a circle from one of the green plaids from PP1018 WOODSY PLAID and add it to the front of the card
• stamp the oval with holly leaves from FESTIVE HOLIDAY GREETING CL5273D on Memory Box WATERCOLOR PAPER WP101 using VersaMark ink; sprinkle with Detail Gold Embossing Powder and heat set
• watercolor the image using a fine point brush; I used my set of Kuretake paints
• die cut the image once the paint is dry using the coordinating die and attach it to the plaid circle
• die cut the LAYERED POINSETTIA 94605 and the background JOY POSH SCRIPT 94591 from red cardstock (I used a Holly notecard)
• die cut the detailed lettering JOY POSH SCRIPT from a scrap of the background green cardstock
• assemble the poinsettia using Glue Dots; add three yellow Fairy Jewels to the center; use foam dimensional dots to secure it to the painted oval
• use a glue pen to attach the lettering to the background and to add it to the notecard

Card Two

This one ended up as a top-fold card with the plaid paper covering the notecard and a dark blue cardstock circle (OCEAN BLUE COLLECTION SP1005) under the detailed center design.

Two more cards to add to my growing collection of holiday cards I will mail this year...I even bought lots of holiday postage stamps this week so I can start addressing and stamping envelopes while watching Christmas movies this weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving to those of you who are celebrating this Thursday!

Happy Crafting!