Buy less, create more! and a cute Christmas bears free digital image, paper and embellishments card

I have decided I am going to go a year without buying any new nonessential craft supplies – no digis (I don't use rubber stamps), no paper, no cutting dies, no embellishments. Exceptions will be basic craft consumables such as glue, white paper, colored pencils and if needed digital supplies in order to fulfill magazine commissions. Also, any digistamp wins or freebies would not be included. After years of serious crafting, I have so much stuff – so much stuff I've never even used – that it feels wasteful to buy more. Instead of inspiring my creativity, I feel like I'm smothering it. I want to use up what I have, dig out the things I've never used, challenge myself. Stay tuned for further updates!

This Meilleurs Vœux card (sentiment is explained on my recent Champagne Mice card) uses a free digital image from Irina Chepikova. I've had this sweet digi quite some time now and just never used it.

The paper is from Granny Enchanted Freebies Let It Snow digital paper pack. The paper 'ribbons' are Pixel Scrapper freebies. The sticker stars I have had for years and years and never used a one until this card. They're so old calling them stickers is a bit of a stretch (I had to add some glue to secure them). The sentiment was created with Milkshake font.

Supply List
Paper – cardstock, Granny Enchanted Freebies Let It Snow digital paper pack
Digital stamp –  Irina Chepikova
Color – Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils
Dies – Die-namics square stax
Embellishments – digital paper ribbon, star stickers
Font – Milkshake

I'm linking up with: The Corrosive Challenge #1 2020 – ATG and Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #122 – ATG.

2019 Paperesse Retrospective

Every year about this time I like to do a yearly retrospective, looking back over the year and choosing a favorite make from each month. It's interesting to see how my style has changed through the years. Postage changes have had an effect. Anything over 3 cm thick when packaged is incredibly expensive to mail and requires a massive amount of paperwork to send internationally. As a result, my cards are flatter and lighter now, with less embellishments. And I've developed a penchant for brighter colors (look back at 2013 and you'll see what I mean).

That's okay, I like a simpler look. I think it's a reflection of this time in my life. I've worked on decluttering my home (not easy with Monsieur who is something of a pack rat), my wardrobe, my crafting supplies; it only makes sense, I suppose, that my cards would reflect this, too.

To find out more about each project simply click on the month.

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Happy New Year! How to say Happy New Year in France, and a Champagne Mice New Year's card

Happy New Year, everyone! My first card of the year is a New Year's card, or rather the French equivalent thereof. Meilleurs Vœux literally means 'Best Wishes', but it's used here in the sense of  'Best wishes for the New Year'. Many people in France don't send Christmas cards per say, they send Meilleurs Vœux cards that encompass Christmas and the New Year, or just the New Year if one isn't particularly religious. France, in general, is a secular society and prides itself on being an état laïque. A benefit to all this is that as long as your Meilleurs Vœux cards arrive in January, they aren't late!

Another thing you might not know about New Year's greetings in France, you don't wish someone Happy New Year (Bonne Année) before midnight on the 31 December; after that you can, but not before. I've noticed in Switzerland they do, but in France, no.  Additionally, you can say Bonne Année for a couple of weeks afterwards if it's to someone you haven't seen yet in the New Year.

This card features the Champage Mice digistamp from Di's Digi Stamps, accompanying sentiment was created with Monterey BT font. You can see where I used this same digi on a Meilleurs Vœux card from last year (as we French are big consumers of champagne, I find this digi very appropriate for French card recipients). The paper and paper ribbon are freebies from Salt Town Studio Light Up the Night digital paper pack. Embellishments are some gold metal champagne flute stickers I've had for a while now and am glad to finally use them.

Supply List
Paper – cardstock, free Salt Town Studio Light Up the Night digital paper pack
Digital stamp –  Di's Digi Stamps Champagne Mice
Color – Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils
Dies – Die-namics square stax
Embellishments – champagne flute stickers
Font – Monterey BT

I'm linking up with: Di's Digi Challenge – Winter Holidays and Little Red Wagon #529 – Use your NBUS (which in this case would be the champagne flute stickers that I've had for years).

Merry Christmas! and a Christmas card featuring Twelve Bears of Christmas HoHo digital stamp

Merry Christmas to everyone celebrating the holiday! This card – my last 2019 Christmas card – features a digital stamp from Kristi W. Designs Twelve Bears of Christmas stamp set, the same stamp designer for this Mike the Moose Christmas card from last year.

Papers are magazine freebies from longgggggg ago (always feels good to use up a bit of  the 'ole stash). 

I tried all sorts of embellishments on this card. Nothing looked right. Then I tried this new outlet shop die-cut find and went, 'That's it!'. I think I may end up using this die a lot. It's part of Dovecraft's Happy Birthday die DCDIE088. There's this little embellishment and the sentiment. I would have included a link, but each link I found was so much more expensive than the outlet price I paid, I couldn't in good faith give one. However, if you're interested enough to give it a search, it is still available on the internet.

Supply List

Paper – cardstock, magazine freebie paper

Digital stamp – Kristi W. Designs Twelve Bears of Christmas 

Color – Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils

Dies – Dovecraft's Happy Birthday DCDIE088, no-brand square stitched dies

An original Christmas card idea – Summer snowmen!

Even snowmen need a vacation sometimes! These three little guys have said 'Adiós' to Santa and the North Pole and are catching a few rays somewhere. Hope they didn't forget the sunblock!

I'm a firm believer in using something other than red and green on Christmas cards; in fact, using non-Christmas paper. For this card, I've used scrap digital paper from a 2016 Simply Cards & Papercraft magazine project I did on tropical themed cards. The digital stamp is from Pretty Grafik's Summer Snowmen digital stamp set. There are 11 stamps in the set and it's on sale right now for $0.99, making it a very good buy indeed. I just recently discovered these Pretty Grafik stamps and I have to admit, I really like them. The prices are very good and I like how they are illustrated. I used another one on my last post's Monster Christmas card.

The sentiment was created with Candy Round BTN font.

Supply List
Paper – cardstock, digital paper
Digital stamp –  Pretty Grafik Summer Snowmen
Color – Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils
Dies – Artemio large circles, Die-namics circle stax, no-brand bow
Embellishments – button
Font – Candy Round BTN

Digital stamp Monster Christmas card featuring Pretty Grafik Christmas Monster digistamp

If you're a Paperesse reader for a while now, you know I'm always on the lookout for Christmas stamps that are just a little bit quirky, not your everyday run of the mill Santa stuff (although, hey, I like those, too!).

Today's card fits the bill, featuring a Christmas Monster stamp from Pretty Grafik. There are 6 different monster stamps in this kit, as well as other stamp goodies, making its current sale price of $0.99 a real buy! The sentiment was created with Smarty Pants BTN font.

I also like using non-Christmas paper on Christmas cards. I dug around in my scrap file for these. Although they aren't Christmas papers per say, the first project I used them on was also Christmas – this Hanging With My Gnomies card.

Supply List
Paper – cardstock, digital paper
Digital stamp –  Pretty Grafik Christmas Monsters
Color – Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils
Dies – Toga Polaroid die
Embellishments – felt brad, googly eyes
Font – Smarty Pants BTN

I'm linking up with: Little Red Wagon #526 – Wrap it.

Digital stamp Christmas card featuring Di's Digi Stamps Mice Making Snowman stamp

Got your Christmas cards all done? No? Me either.

Today's card features Di's Digi Stamps Mice Making Snowman digital stamp. And as I am want to do, I've teamed it up with a digital sentiment from Kim's Digital Stamps - Twelve Christmas Greetings sentiment sheet. I find these circular sentiments go so well with Di's stamps (case in point, this Di's Digi Stamps Ellie Elephant birthday card).

The paper is a grocery store find – Craft Sensations Christmas pad. I'd give you a link...if I could find one. Most of the real 'papers' I buy (not digital) are grocery store finds – my local Aldi, or as in this case Coop. Not because I'm trying to avoid craft shops, it's just that there aren't any here!

Embellishments are ribbon and a sparkly star sticker.

Supply List
Paper – cardstock, Craft Sensations Christmas paper pad
Digital stamps – Di's Digi Stamps Mice Making Snowman, Cuddly Buddly Crafts Kim's Digital Stamps - Twelve Christmas Greetings sentiment sheet
Color – Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils
Dies – Die-namics circle stax
Embellishments – ribbon, star sticker

I'm linking up with: Di's Digi Challenge 29/11/19 – Animals acting like humans.

A Pumpkin Spice card idea and a Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in the USA today! Enjoy the feasting, but most of all enjoy being with loved ones; that's what's most important.

Last year I didn't get any specific Thanksgiving cards mailed out (although I got one posted on the blog) and this year is a repeat of same. In fact, this year I didn't even get one made. Which is a shame because I really do like Thanksgiving cards. Oh well, I did create this Pumpkin Spice Latte themed Happy Autumn/Halloween/Thanksgiving card for my niece, and since I did include Thanksgiving wishes in the inside sentiment, it will just have to do for this year. My niece loves all things pumpkin and coffee so it was a perfect match.

The image is a free coloring page from Crafting with Sarah. The papers are free digitals from The Coffee Shop Blog – Autumn Afternoon and Fall 4.

I debated what to use for embellishments. The image and papers are so pretty it really doesn't need anything. Just to give it a little something extra, I decided to add some CANDi dots from my stash (sigh...so sad they don't make these anymore).

Supply List
Paper – cardstock, The Coffee Shop Blog Autumn Afternoon and Fall 4 paper packs
Digital stamp – Crafting with Sarah Pumpkin Spice Latte digital coloring page
Color – Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils
Dies – Die-namics rectangle stax
Embellishments – CANDi dots

Bat birthday card using QKR Stampede's bat digital stamp

This masculine birthday card features QKR Stampede's bat digital stamp. You might think bat = Halloween, but no, not really. You can use it for Halloween, but it works for a birthday or any type of celebration (think Bat wishes! I'm batty about you! Have the bat birthday ever!, etc). My inside sentiment here says, ' ...'cause it's your birthday!'. I've used this same sentiment and another bat image on this Bat Christmas card (yes, a bat on a Christmas card).

I dug around in my digital paper printout scrap bin for the papers. All of the papers (and paper 'ribbon') are bits left over from other projects. It doesn't show up much in the photo, but the center paper has little bats on it. In looking up the aforementioned Bat Christmas card, I noticed this bat paper was used on two other cards before this one and that it actually dates back to a 2017 Bat Halloween card (am I being thrifty or what?!). This card's gray plank paper is originally from that project as well.

Embellishments are simple mat enamel dots that pick up the red in the bat's eyeglasses and that bit of striped scrap digital 'ribbon'.

Supply List
Paper – cardstock, digital patterned paper
Digital stamp – QKR Stampede bat digital stamp
Color – Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils
Dies – no brand stitched circle dies
Embellishments – mat enamel dots
Font – Mister Sirloin BTN Rare

I'm linking up with: QKR Stampede Challenge #373 – ATG,  Colour Crazy Challenge Week 46 – ATG, Polkadoodles Craft Challenge Wk 47 – ATG, Digi Choosday Craft Challenge Week 47 – ATG, and Seize the Birthday #179 – Touch of red.

Masculine cheese-y birthday card featuring The Paper Shelter's Pepe digital stamp

This masculine birthday card was for my cheese loving husband's recent birthday and features Pepe l' Souris digital stamp from The Paper Shelter (for the sake of grammatical correctness I feel obliged to point out that should be Pepe la Souris). Although I'm not a great fan of mice in real life, they do make awful cute digi stamps and there are several cards on the blog featuring them, like this Maurice the Mouse get well card.

This cheese looks like a good Swiss Emmentaler to me, so I decided to color Pepe's beret Swiss red.

Paper is from The Paper Studio Antiquity paper pack (retired). The sentiment was created with Montey font. Embellishment is a simple wooden heart, red button and twine bow.

Supply List
Paper – cardstock,The Paper Studio Antiquity paper pack
Digital stamp – The Paper Shelter Pepe l' Souris
Color – Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils
Dies – Die-Namics oval stax
Embellishments – wooden heart, button, twine
Font – Candy Round BTN

I'm linking up with: Craft Rocket Challenges #65 – Happy Birthday, QKR Stampede #372 – ATG, Polkadoodles Week 46 – ATG, Creative Fingers #175 – ATG, and Colour Crazy Challenge Week 45 – ATG.