The Christmas Comes Early Hop With A Christmas Card How To

Hello Creatives & Friends!

Welcome to INSPIRE!

Well, the holiday season is officially upon us, and what better way to get started than with an exciting & inspiring holiday blog hop!

Today is the launch of the 

"Christmas Comes Early Hop"

hosted by Rita Barakat & the 

Rita Barakat Design Team.

This hop is jam packed, guest artists, with holiday inspiration, fun & loads of PRIZES too!!

I invite you to come along!

Be sure to visit ALL the blogs listed below, lets know you visited, and be eligible to win!!!

My creative inspiration for the hop, is a holiday card, inspired by one of the most recent die cut releases by Rita Barakat, the Fairy Tales collection.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/652459073/faitytale-ephermera-alice-red-riding?ref=shop_home_active_2

Upon first seeing the Red Riding Hood die cut, I was inspired to create a "woodsy" themed card.

Why not make it a Christmas card?

And this is how I did it.

I first cut a 6x6 card from heavy cardstock the base.

I decided to layer the background using traditional Christmas colors, green & red. The first layer is a plaid pattern, the top layer, is patterned with little tree's,  and very light splatters of white.

I used various sizes of miniature tree cut-outs, left over from a project last Christmas, which were PERFECT for this card. Using Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Squares to attach each tree.

Following the same concept, I used additional squares to add the Red Riding Hood die cut, after lightly gluing a portion of baker's twine in green, to add the tag greeting.

Once all was in place, I used ScraPerfect's 

Best Glue Ever to go around the tree's & 

Red Riding Hood, followed by some white glitter to add some sparkle to my card.

A perfect, fairytale inspired Christmas card.

How cute is this!

So easy to put together, and made PERFECT 

by Rita's ADORABLE die cut!

Follow the following link to Rita Barakat's Etsy store to see the complete Fairy Tale die cut collection, and so much more!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/RitaBarakat

Remember, to check out ALL the blogs listed here, be sure leave a comment on each blog to be eligible to win prizes!!!

So excited for this hop! A bunch of your favorite designers getting together to bring you Christmas early! 

The artist line up includes :

Rita Barakat https://ritabarakat.com/index.php/2018/11/12/hop-with-us-christmas-comes-early-blog-hop/

Eileen Hull https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eileenhull.com%2F2018%2F11%2Fchristmas-comes-early-blog-hop.html%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR32XFqyIi5oQVBbCEdLwZuAvNH2A9llCB4fA_KglQmqKZjeSKfCLW09XnI&h=AT3hE_eELPfPzxF5E4nhUHM1QbvfXrtItkxSBxcTSkidL1HW6MtFPC2e4bZo44cziL-hNfrFgpTZ5tpMGjeDfZ9kER7srbV_yhoHf59tlCgRiSQlhHk_xtDDypudzovwYhMoX2LM40UV

Betz Golden https://betzgolden.com/2018/11/12/christmas-blog-hop-with-rita-barakat

Joe Rotella https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createncraft.com%2Fportfolio-items%2Fdiy-cookie-box-and-amaretto-apricot-chews-cookie-recipe%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0N5mrDLPp0Go4oPbHtgSZ9AGV-Oo4dkhWjoYT7pOyohztPXCYaPBXIVK0&h=AT2sKI4b-QNbA8tZzvpX_CK8p4tplTt_OrpCIN8G4UxzTDRJDXPig2APaq5yjGffT-EWnag1Dw-z9CgQuaL1YTMAboPLxv0e8fvx8X00NElGyAzg60RHguiUH0qCpco-DlveGImzN_0V

Yolie Burke http://www.justyolie.com/2018/11/christmas-comes-early-blog-hop.html

Midge and Madge https://www.midgeandmadgemingle.com/blog/christmas-comes-early-hop

Susan Hiles https://youtu.be/Hbs0QK9u-DQ

Carolina Moore https://30minutecrafts.com/2018/11/woven-christmas-ornament.html

Michelle Wells https://histrulybeloved.blogspot.com/2018/11/the-christmas-comes-early-hop-with.html

Candy Rosenburg: https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcandyscraps.typepad.com%2Fscraps%2F2018%2F11%2Fholiday2018bloghop.html%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR3jTp4GU3pARtAgwMXt2AoqSrDedQMC2CLld6WUxUUGfTaOr0PDTdpPcEo&h=AT21dAS7woPCJmR0ypS0pCzMt6Ygq1zEJmaA_GlIMKvxzGJ_Z72-0pJibyW-VVhN1k5ZX_lu2KiuuGRsKCy9gVW4VRE8E15XrOnpInCbIDNcP2Iio1A9IlHMPmsOzJx8qHoM

Please visit each of the blogs listed above, and leave a comment!

If that isn’t enough we have over $100. In crafty prizes including the entire line of Rita Barakat diecuts/ephemera and fabulous paints and glitters from @plaidcrafts! 

This is going to be awesome!!!

To enter to win you must visit and comment on each post! Bonus, stop by Plaid and like their FB Page! https://m.facebook.com/InspiredByPlaid

You have one week and Rita will announce the winner live on Facebook Monday, Nov 19, 8pm CST on Mixed Media Monday! @ritabarakat1 

https://m.facebook.com/ritabarakat.1

Thanks so much for visiting today!

See ya again real soon!

Be Blessed!

Christmas Comes Early Blog Hop: A Simple Gilded Card Challenge

Hello friends!

I am back again for my second challenge for the 

Christmas Comes Early Blog Hop Party Challenge.

The inspiration for my second challenge is the lovely 

Pink Haired Angel Angel Die Cut from 

Rita Barakat's Angel Wing Die Cut Collection.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/638625652/angel-ephemera-angel-die-cuts?ref=shop_home_active_1&crt=1

Every time I look at these angels, I literally think of a host of songs, both holiday and inspirational, but kept coming  back to the Christmas classic,

"Angels We  Have Heard On High".

I decide to go with a a basic 5x7 card, and add some gold & glitter, and of course soft feathers 

to add to the angel wings.

The gold foil paper, by Rinea, made the perfect

northern star, and some Gold Dew  Drops form the Robin's Nest, gilded stars in the "distance".

https://www.rinea.com/collections/all-products/products/metallics-foiled-paper-variety-pack

https://www.shop.robinsnest-scrap.net/Metallic-Gold-Dew-Drops-dd42.htm?categoryId=-1

I used gold ink, and stamped miniature sheet music in the background, and added gold metallic thread.

Your challenge,

is to create a simple card, layout and design up to you, but add some glitz & sparkle, ANYTHING to give it spark.

Instructions for this challenge:

• Use a basic card
• Add some kind of glitz, bling or sparkle
• If you have Rita Barakat stamps or die cuts, please feel free to use them in this challenge.
• This is not a requirement though, any products or images are just fine. 
• You have one week to complete all challenges and a random winner will be picked for each challenge and announced on Monday Nov 19th on Mixed Media Monday at 8 pm CST at Ritabarakat1 And don't miss a chance to enter our grand prize by participating in our hop starting Mon Nov 12 at 9am est.

Follow these instructions in sharing this
for your chance to win!

When you have completed your project, please share it on the GET CREATIVE WITH RITA BARAKAT Facebook Page post on the original post in the comments and tag your post with challenge name.

Be sure to visit the Christmas Comes Early Blog Hop Event Page on Facebook, and let us know you will be joining us this week for this FABULOUS event.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1751472101642410/

We will have great projects full of inspiration by the talented Rita Barakat Design Team, as well as a host of some of your favorite artists & crafter's in the crafting community.

Did I mention there will also be a chance to win a

"GRAND PRIZE"?

Full of Rita Barakat products, PLAID and additional goodies.

You don't want to miss this!

Thanks for joining the party today, and for visiting the INSPIRE blog.

If you have any questions, or would just like to leave a comment, please do so below.

Hope to see you again real soon!

Time to Party! The Christmas Comes Early Blog Pre-Launch Fun! Holiday Image Challenge!

Hello Artsy & Crafty People!

Welcome to INSPIRE!

If you have been following me on 

Facebook or Instagram,

you must have seen the announcement 

for the INCREDIBLE

Christmas Comes Early Blog Hop, 

with Rita Barakat, featuring quite a 

line up of talented designers, and guest designers,

launching TOMORROW Monday November 12th!!!

https://www.facebook.com/events/1751472101642410/

But today, do we have a treat for you!

A day full of fun projects created by the 

Rita Barakat Design Team, that is full of fun, inspiration and CHALLENGES!!!

With your chance to win great prizes!

I am sharing with you, the first of two challenges

that I am presenting today.

My example for my challenge, is a tag in which I used the fabulous 

Rita Barakat Stamp "Reflections", and turned into a Winter Holiday Beauty.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/608141324/face-stamp-reflections-womans-face-stamp?ref=shop_home_active_15

I used the stamp in a wintery theme, added a holiday hat, That I first texture embossed, followed by using Rita's Kiss The Fairies Magical Mysteries Embossing Powder.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/631948189/kiss-of-the-fairy-embossing-powder-pink?ref=shop_home_active_2

I also added a snowflake embossed "sweater" using the same powder, and extra texture with adding cotton to the hat, foam snowflakes throughout.

An adorable tag, with lot's of texture, and a different kind of holiday feel.

For this challenge:

• Take a stamped or digital image, an "everyday" image, and turn it into a Christmas or Winter Themed project, only using from your stash.
• You can create ANYTHING, the only two things it must feature, are an image & holiday theme, that's it!
• If you have Rita Barakat stamps or die cuts, please feel free to use them in this challenge.
• This is not a requirement though, any products or images are just fine. 
• You have one week to complete all challenges and a random winner will be picked for each challenge and announced on Monday Nov 19th on Mixed Media Monday at 8 pm CST at Ritabarakat1 And don't miss a chance to enter our grand prize by participating in our hop starting Mon Nov 12 at 9am est.
• When you have completed your project, please share it on the GET CREATIVE WITH RITA BARAKAT Facebook Page, post on the original post in the comments and tag your post with challenge name.

That's all you have to do.

And please leave a comment here letting me know you have joined the challenge.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment here as well, and I will be happy to answer them!

Oh, and be sure to stay tuned to the 

Get Creative With Rita Barakat FB page throughout the day today, to take part in more challenges presented by Rita and the amazing 

Design Team!

Good Luck! And have fun!!!!!

Be sure to tune into tomorrow, here on INSPIRE as the Christmas Comes Early Blog Hop begins,

with your chance to win this AMAZING prize package!

See You Again Soon!!!!