Christmas cards

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know I have been MIA for a few weeks and I apologize. Getting ready for Christmas took a good part of my free time as I am sure it did for most of you. It was a much needed down time that I enjoyed spending with my family. I did quite a bit of baking so the kids and DH each had their favorites. Even though I sent some back with the kids I still have a lot that I will be taking into work. I certainly don't need it around here or around my midsection.

I have posted the Christmas cards I sent out this year. I made 50 total and as I said in a previous post, I was going to live on the edge and make a few different styles. I didn't want to post any of them before they were received so here they are (no spoiler alerts here). The top one was my favorite, but the pictures do not do it justice. You can get a better idea of the shimmer in the second photo. The embossed trees were a sparkle embossing powder and you can see it even better if you click on the photo to enlarge it. I also used gold paper which is seen better in the second photo. That card was a 5x7.

 

 

 

 The above card was a smaller A2 size card and I used the same stamp as the first card. It is amazing how different the card looked between the stamped image and the embossed image.

 This card was also a 5x7 done in navy and silver. I did a few with red and silver but didn't like them as much. I stamped the Mary and Joseph over top of the Christmas background and added some rhinestones for extra sparkle.

The last chicklin is in the air and should be arriving home in Raleigh shortly. It was nice to have them home but I am enjoying the peacefulness now that they are gone. I've had the week off from work which was also wonderful. Back one day and then off for New Years. Hearing that alarm clock at 5:30 am is going to be brutal.

~Have fun and enjoy!

Old gent on 3 wheels

It's my baby brother's birthday tomorrow and this is the card he will be receiving in the mail. I can't believe he is 40 already. He is the baby of the family and my sister and I will always see him as such.

This is a great stamp for a masculine card. It is from Rubbernecker - "old gent on 3 wheels" and nothing is better for a man's card than stripes. The designer paper is called Oliver by Basic Grey. I have it in a 6x6 pad. I have mentioned it before but it is worth mentioning again. The designs on the paper of the smaller pads is smaller and fits a card much better than the same design of a 12x12.

I stamped the image in Midnight Muse and the card stock is Night of Navy, both from SU. I then used  Spellbinders Label 18 to cut him out. The card needed just a little something and I found the gold border in one of my packages of Magenta's sticker borders.

The kids will all be home for Christmas and there is still some decorating I need to finish. Unfortunately yesterday I was out with the DH putting up a few more outdoor decorations and as I stepped back to see how it looked, I tripped over the dog who had decided to lay down right behind me. Needless to say I looked like a tasered crazy lady as I was trying to catch my balance and ended up falling to the ground. Can you just picture the arms and legs flailing in all different directions? I am sure anyone who saw it would not have used the word graceful what-so-ever. Anyway I managed to get up and give the dog a look that made him even run.  I landed on my chest with my right arm underneath me. I didn't feel too bad until I tried to climb into bed last night. 800 mg of Motrin wasn't giving me much relief and I was amazed I was able to crawl out of bed this morning. I will give it a few days to see if it is just a pulled chest muscle. Even if it is a cracked rib or two, there isn't anything more that would be done for it except added radiation to tell me it's cracked.

I am sure hoping those elves find their way into my house to finish the decorating and maybe even some baking. What- I've been a good girl this year! OK even if they just finish the decorating I would be happy.

~Have fun and enjoy!

To heal your heart

 As I look out the window I am seeing the first snow flurries of the season. A far cry from what is falling in the UP. Yesterday they woke up to 4 inches of snow on the ground and were expecting another 6-8. Let's just say I very happy to be a lot further south than that.

I made this card awhile ago for a dear friend whose brother had just passed away. She was very close to him which makes it all the more painful. I think the memories from our childhood helps us to stay young and she certainly had enough great memories to stay a kid forever. I hope her heart is starting to heal. There is nothing like friedship to help make bad things feel better. When I think back to my childhood I am very fortunate to have such wonderful memories. My parents provided a very safe and loving home. We didn't get everything we wanted but we got more than some. In hind site I am thankful for my parents setting limits with us, and I am sure the people that are in my life are just as thankful. No one likes a spoiled brat.

Today's card is once again using the designer paper as the focal point of the card. It is from Pinkpaislee called London Market. I went over the main designs with a Stardust Gel pen which you can see better in the image below. I stamped one of the labels from Our Daily Bread's Bird & Butterfly Labels that coordinated with Spellbinders Label 18. Even though the ODB stamps are rather pricey this is one that I was very much willing to spend the money on and I find I get a big bang for my buck with it. The three newspaper print embellishments in the upper right were purchased at a stamping convention and since I emptied them into jars, I no longer have the packaging. They look like the left over pieces from punching holes in card stock. I am sure you would need an industrial punch for this and a strong arm. I have others that are metallic with dots and stripes.

 

 

Ok, I am back from a two hour siesta. I have the house to myself this weekend and I take every chance to do exactly what I want, when I want. My hair hasn't even seen a hairbrush today (or shampoo as far as that goes) and I'm lovin' it. No, not the image of myself in a mirror, just the fact that I can. I think I will spend the evening up in the studio making some thank you cards for recent birthday gifts and then onto some Christmas cards. I usually make all 45 cards the same and it's a major production line but that is because I usually don't start them in time and that it the quickest way I can get them all made. My friend says she would get too bored doing them all the same. This year I am trying it her way and because I am starting early enough I might just be able to pull it off. Wish me luck!

 

~Have fun and enjoy!

All brown

I just love this background stamp from Stamp Camp because it looks like designer paper. I did stamp it on paper that looked distressed to begin with. I picked it up as an unmounted stamp at a convention and it is very versatile in any color. I decided to keep the colors in the same hue family. The frame is from Our Daily Bread called Bird & Butterfly Labels and it fits the Spellbinders Label 18. The stamp set has 5 different sizes and there is a die for each one. I was very hesitant to buy this set of stamps because it was very pricey for 5 stamps, but it I felt it was worth the money. The birthday sentiment is from Stampin' Up called Petite Pairs and I stamped everything in Momento Rich Cocoa. I have a nice stash of seam binding ribbon in several different colors. A few of my friends and I each purchased a bolt of ribbon that came in 100 yard lengths and then we spilt them into 20 yards each and shared. It is a nice way to get a variety of good quality ribbon. There is nothing better than sharing.

 I cooked a turkey dinner this weekend. Each employee at the hospital where I work receives a turkey and since I didn't have room in my freezer, I had to cook mine as soon as it thawed. I cooked the whole Thanksgiving dinner except for the rolls and pumpkin pie. I have to let you in on a little secret. My husband is all into these little contests the car dealerships offer. I think since he is home all the time he is into anything that gets him out of the house. He never wins it big but usually it's a blanket or a grocery gift card. This time it was a voucher for a turkey or ham up to $12, so it looks like we will have another turkey for the real day. What ever floats his boat.

This week I am teaching our stamp club how to stamp on dominoes to make jewelry. I did this several years ago so I had better dig out my notes to refresh my memory and make a few samples. I hope you are all enjoying fall. It is one of my favorite seasons even if it means snow is right behind it.

~have fun and enjoy!

Designer paper is your friend!

 

 

Happy November, well maybe it will be after November 6th. I am not looking forward to the long lines for voting this year. I swear, just when I think I have it figured out, another add comes on TV supporting the opposite of what I was planning on voting. As the adds have pointed out that when you read the proposals just as they are, there is a lot of unsaid messages. I guess I won't know until I hit the booth, or the bottle!

 

This is a very quick card again with the designer paper doing most of the work (I am having a lazy month). The designer paper is 6x6 London Market from Pink Paislee. There is quite a bit of Paris themed paper in it as well. I put some glitter on the pink flowers that is part of the paper and then I highlighted the words and butterflies with my Stardust Sakura gell pen. I wish I was better at photography that I could capture these in my photos, but since I am not, you will just have to take my word for it. I also used Spellbinders Resplendent Rectangles.

 

 When you are in a hurry to make a card, let the designer paper do the work. I find that paper that has images and words can usually do the trick and I tend to gravitate to the vintage and shabby chic paper. I also like to use the smaller pads of paper (3x5, 6x6 or even 8x8) because the images are smaller and are a better proportion for a card. The next time you are in the paper isle at your favorite store and they have the same product in several sizes, take a look and you will see what I mean. The other great thing is you can buy two different ones for the price of a 12x12 pad.

 

 

Not much new on the home front. Getting ready for winter means putting away all the summer things and emptying out all the flower pots. Hubby is doing that today. The arrangement is that I do all the planting in the spring and in the fall he empties and puts everything away. I love that arrangement.

 

~Have fun and enjoy!

October Queen

 

This is a birthday card fit for an October Queen. I am just not sure who the Queen is (mine isn't until next month). The colors were just fitting and the crown was a last minute thought to add to the card. I love this pad of designer paper. It is Lost & Found -Two from My Mind's Eye that I got 50% off from Hobby Lobby.

 

I feel a little bad because there is very little stamping on this card, but it it a great way to make a quick gorgeous card. Look for designer paper that has images or panels like the one I used today. The only thing that is stamped is the birthday sentiment which I embossed with copper embossing powder. I am not sure who makes the birthday font. It is a cling that I have in with all of my wood birthday stamps, but any thing would work. The brown swirls are a Memory Box die called Scroll work and I cut them out of bronze metallic paper. The other swirls are part of the design in the paper. The flowers are some from a dollar store. The crown is a package of diecuts from Kaisercraft called Lost Icons.

 

 

Below is a better picture of the scrolls. I just love this die because it can be added in a small area or behind something to fill in yet it doesn't overtake the card.

 

 

Another beautiful fall day here in Michigan. I wish this meant it was going to be a mild winter but I'm not putting any bets on that one. The leaves have passed their pretty colors and there are a few bare trees now. We will have to wait to see what the next few weeks brings.

 

~Have fun and enjoy!

 

A pretty corset

 Another quick week has flown by. It seems like just yesterday I was in my studio for the entire day last weekend. I had the house to myself (and you all know what a vacation that is for me) so I just spent the time doing what I enjoy most. Not only did I do a lot of die cutting but I managed to make a few cards as well. This is a stamp that I bought at a stamping convention back in August made by Stampendous called Rose Corset. I had these ivory panels that I picked up at a sale the YMCA was having when they were moving to a newer building. My son Elliot was working there at the time and I was able to buy quite a bit before the sale started. I don't think I will ever run out of envelopes. Most of the stationary items had been donated and several were unopened. Before anyone starts asking what embossing folder I used on them let me tell you that the panels came already embossed. If you click on the images you can see the detail a bit better.

I got out my Prisma colored pencils which I don't use as much as I should. The blending with Gamsol didn't work as nice on this paper as it wasn't very smooth. I used the following colors on the corset- Jade Green 1021 and Slate Green 936. The flowers were done with Blush Pink 928, Spanish Orange 1003 and Yellowed Orange 1002. The leaves were done with Marine Green 988 and Zest De Lime 1005. I added some glitter to the flowers and silver pearls for the buttons. I didn't add a sentiment because I didn't have much room and I wanted the image to stand alone.

 

 

 It has been raining most of the day but I am just happy it isn't snow. We have had a few nights that were a bit frosty, but the plants still look good. The leaves are still beautiful but it won't be long before they are all on the ground. It is going to be windy tomorrow so I am sure the lawn will be a pretty color of red and orange. Every thing is calm on the home front. My son did 8 more days of high dose radiation. The margins of the tumor they removed were clean, but when they dissected the tumor, it was still very healthy inside. The tumor board at U of M suggested radiation but said it was his call. His cancer is rare so the treatment plan isn't routine. They said there is a high chance it will return in two years, but we will deal with that if and when it happens. We just have to get through this first. I don't have the time or energy to be worrying about something that we have no control over. I just saw a quote that said the other side of fear is freedom and that is what I choose.

~Have fun and enjoy!

Doily Squares

 I am on vacation in my own house. I have it all to myself to do whatever I want, but you won't find me dancing naked on the table. It is a perfect fall day and the colors outside my window are absolutely beautiful. I fell like I should be posting something more for fall but this is one of my favorite creations that I made lately.

I used the dies from Quickutz called Nesting Doily Squares. The designer paper is from ColorBok-Sweet Summer which is a brand that Walmart carries for only $5 a pack. The card stock is of course from SU- Buckaroo Blue (old color) and Lucky Limeade. The leaves on the flower are from MS punch called Frond and I punched them out of SU Pear Pizzazz. The flower is from Trico that is a brand at the $ store. The white floral trim is exactly that - satin trim from JoAnn Fabrics and it is on top of a panel that I punched out with MS Deco Fan edge punch. If you click on the image above, you can see a crystal stick pin which is from Maya Road. The main image is from the SU stamp set called Punch Potpourri and I went over the flowers with a Sakura Gelly Roll Clear Star pen. I put some blue rhinestone gems on the flowers and the corners of the white doily square.

My friend Carol sent me home with her beloved case of Memory Box dies to use this weekend. I felt like I needed an armed guard to follow me home with such a prized possession. I am very lucky to have such a wonderful friend in my life- not just because she shares her things with me, but because she is just such a beautiful person. We are always there for each other and when she hurts I hurt, so I am sending my love and prayers to her today.

~Have fun and enjoy!

It's the little things

I had a lot of time to play today so I got out some of my new Spellbinders. I was hesitant to buy this Basic Lattice but thought it would be very versatile. After I cut it out, I wasn't sure how I was going to use it as a full sheet. I thought about cutting in half but wanted to see what I could do with it full size. It is actually SU Regal Rose but I can see that I didn't have the settings right on my camera. The blue is actually a bit lighter ( SU Bashful Blue) also than what you see in the picture.

I used the Scalloped Edge embossing folder from Cuttlebug on the main part of the card. You can just see the edges peeking out along the edge of the lattice. I shifted the lattice slightly to the left because I wanted to add rhinestones along the right side. I wanted to put the rhinestones only on the right side to balance the leaves and nest that are on the left side of the card. I used Spellbinders Label 8 and then ran it through the Cuttlebug with the Swiss Dot folder. It didn't click with me that this would take out the embossed edge on the label, but it still worked.

 



 

 

I used a sentiment from the SU set called You're a Gem. I love the small saying for these little places. I punched it out with a 3/4" punch and then layered it on two die cuts from Spellbinders Asian Motifs. The circle part is layered over the other so it is hard to tell there are two of them. The leaves are from Sizzix called Branches w/Leaves. I use this quite a bit and it can be cut down for smaller sprigs. The nest is from Prima and have you ever seen such tiny eggs. The card looked like it was missing something so I added the ribbon punch next to the nest. It is Floral Band edge punch from the Martha Stewart collection

 

 

 

It was busy a week at work, so it was nice to have a weekend with nothing on the agenda. I need those mental health weekends so I can rejuvenate myself for the upcoming week. I learned long ago that I need to take a break or I will burn out in the end. I must say it is much easier and less guilty to accomplish this now that all of the kids are gone. I have long given up the guilt of putting chores on hold. My sanity is much more important than getting rid of any dust bunny.

~Have fun and enjoy!

Journey

Life is a Journey

I wanted to share with you a new technique we did in our stamp club last week. It is called Faux Patina. You can find the tutorial here. This was my second try. On the first one, I was a little heavy on the Versa Mark and the result was too much embossing powder. The key is to keep it light so there is just a bit of embossing powder here and there. Most of the samples show a floral or tapestry pattern but I chose to use Tim Holtz's clocks embossing folder.  Go to the tutorial and then come back so you will understand where I was using the inks. I used SU River Rock on the embossing folder. Then I randomly sponged  Ragner Distress inks Peacock and Shabby Shutters over the embossed image. On top of that I used SU Soft Sued as my darkest color. After I swiped my Versa Mark pad across the top of the image I used copper embossing powder and hit it with the heat gun. It gave it a real vintage look. I used different settings on my camera for the pictures below so you could see the embossing powder yet still see the embellishments.

The card stock is a retired color from SU called Blue Bayou. It more of gray teal color and isn't as bright as it shows in the pictures. I layered SU Certainly Celery on a piece of Copper card stock and then the embossed layer. The 3D flourish along the left side of the card is a sticker from Jolee's called Steampunk Flourish. It comes as two 12" pieces in a package. The pattern allows it to very easily be trimmed down to fit a card. The Journey sticker is from K & Company called Engraved Garden. I don't recall who make the copper flowers, but I remember I got them at Michael's. I used a punch for the clock hands and put a line of pearls around the lower clock.

 

When I finished the embossing I thought this was going to make a great card for a man, but leave it to me to start adding the bling. Before I knew it, there wasn't a man in my life who was going to look at this card and say thanks for the "girly" card. Oh well, there are plenty of my girlfriends who would love this card.

Since everything that has happened in my family, I find myself feeling so grateful for the little things. Today it was sitting out on the deck with the warm sun shinning on my face, the sound of the wind in the trees, the smell of fresh baked pumpkin muffins, seeing a cottontail bunny dart across the yard and talking to my best friend. I am still enjoying the simple things in the Journey of Life.

 

~Have fun and enjoy!

Happiness

Happy Tuesday. No reason why, except that it isn't Monday. I am going gaga crazy over all the new Spellbinders. It is pure torture when you have to choose only one because you can only use one coupon. I'm not complaining about store policy, I certainly understand. I am only saying it has been very hard for me to choose just one. Just when I think I have the one I want in my hand, I see another one. It is like a kid in a candy store with only 25 cents ( ok so back in the 60's and 70's you could buy quite a bit with a quarter).

This was actually a very quick card to make. I ran the designer paper through my Cuttle Bug with the Kassie Brocade  5x7 embossing folder. The DS paper is from DCWV that I got at Jo Ann's. You can click on the picture below to see the texture of the embossing folder. I like to do this with printed paper for an added effect yet it is very subtle. Remember how I am always saying certain things give the card depth. That is what this texture is doing without jumping out at you. The flower in the lower right is a new punch from Martha Stewart. At least I think it is new as I didn't have it and I had not see it before this weekend. Jo Ann's has several 50% off coupons right now. I was happy that the MS products were not included in the sale flyer so I could use a coupon. Never thought we would be happy about something not being on sale. This punch is called Embroidery and I used a page from an old book to punch it out. There is actually another hole in the center but I put a gem for some bling. I used Decorative Labels Eight for the sentiment. It is a bit tough to get it out of the die, but with some patience and a pin it will come out. It's funny that I only have patience when it comes to stamping. I am not sure who manufactures the sentiment. I got it used and there is no label on the wooden block.

 

 

 

I have some wonderful news to share with all of you. I hesitated to say something sooner because I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out. My son finished radiation last month and the tumor hadn't shrunk much at all, but again it didn't spread to his lungs or get larger. He had surgery two weeks ago. The tumor was the size of a orange but they removed the size of a grapefruit to make sure they got clean margins and they did. The surgery was a success and he has 95% use of his arm which is a miracle in and of itself. I have to thank all of you who said prayers for him and myself. The doctor's at U of M are my heroes. Life couldn't be better.

 

 

~Have fun and enjoy!

 



Creative Elements

 

 I have quite of few cards that are entirely Stampin' Up products and I though I would share another one with all of you. This card is bright and cheerful. I used Island Indigo, Calypso Coral, Pear Pizzazz and Whisper White card stock and ink. The stamp set is Creative Elements. I love a stamp set that has all the elements for a card. The tag and sentiment are what completes this set. I stamped the tag, flower and butterfly on a separate piece of white card stock and then cut them out. I did not initially stamp them on the background. I stamped the flower twice and made it 3D by adding the extra center layer. It may be hard to see in the images. I probably should have taken a picture from the side so you could see it better. Had I just stamped these images on the background it would certainly not have been as beautiful. The depth of the images are what make this card on a very simple background. The seam binding is Pear Pizzazz and the Ticket Corner punch was used on the corners of the white layer.

 

 

 

I have to tell you a little story that is a bit embarrassing. I have been looking at some small TVs the past few weeks to replace the one in my studio. I have an 15"old style bulky one with a built in VCR on the bottom. It was taking up too much valuable space on my counter top. Yesterday morning I was again on-line looking at 19" TVs. I wanted to make sure I could mount it on the wall, so it had to go between two of the brackets that hold up the long shelf that runs the entire side of one wall. If you look at the pictures of my studio (New Stamp Studio- posted 1/22/12) it is the shelf that is holding my punches. I want to put the TV in the same area of the old one. So I went up to my studio and measured between the brackets and from the back splash up to the shelf. Mind you I measured the area directly behind my TV, so I even had to move it out a bit to reach the back splash. I figured out I could even handle a 22" in that space. Through all of this my husband is commenting on all the ones I am looking at. He disappeared and called me from up in my studio. When I got up there he was sitting at my desk and he said "what is wrong with the TV you already have"? I started to say that it was too big, when I noticed that my TV wasn't there but instead there was a different one. I stared at it in shock and ask him if he had taken the TV from bathroom and put it there. I realized this wasn't even the one from the bathroom and there was a good size burgundy bow on it with a tag that said Happy early Birthday (stamped with one of my Birthday stamps). My husband had gone out the day before and bought it and had it all hooked up that night. I am embarrassed to say that I had actually moved that new TV out of the way to measure the wall behind it and I didn't even realize it was a new TV. Now there is a world of difference between the new one and the old one. They weren't similar in any way, shape or form. I can't believe I didn't notice it- and I thought I was an observant person. So much for that.

 

All day I could not stop laughing at myself. Remember the saying "if it was a snake it would have bit me" well let me tell you I would have teeth marks on my face it that had been the case. Oh and I have to tell you that the tag my husband made, was stamped in burgundy ink to match the bow. After I had seen the tag, he asked my what I use to clean the stamps. Now that is observant. It is very humbling when we can sit back and laugh at ourselves.


~have fun and enjoy!

So Grateful

 

 So many things to be so grateful for and they usually are the little things. This weekend I am grateful for a long weekend of beautiful summer weather- no rain as they were predicting from the remnants of Isac. It is as if summer is letting fall know it is not going out without a fight and I love it. Last night we sat out in our backyard with a roaring bonfire under a full moon. I actually like it better when the fire dies down to a softer glow. It just seems more relaxing to me. Not to mention it is much better for smores.

Today's card is using some of the new dies from Stampin' Up called Labels Collection Framelits. I used River Rock as the base of the card and then layered it with cream. The Wisteria Wonder was run through my Big Shot using SU Square Lattice embossing folder.  I think the texture of the embossing folder really makes this card pop. The flowers are a hostess set from last year called Posey Punch and works with the current Fancy Flower punch. I punched them out using River Rock and Pear Pizzazz card stock and stamped them in Pear Pizzazz ink. The framelits were used with the Apothecary Art set and it also contains the sentiment which I punched out with the Word Window punch and the Modern Label punch and stamped with Wisteria Wonder ink. Both of those punches are also from SU. I turned the label so it was up and down rather than sideways and put my sentiment on a separate tag running the other way. I am sure the stamped label is meant to go sideways so you can put the sentiment in the banner. Try to look at things from a different direction- it may just surprise you.

 

 









I found a green tree frog up under the glass of our outside table the other day. It scared the wits out of me when I was wiping off the table. Boy those little things can sure make some noise. Speaking of noise, I often sit quietly when I am outside and just listen. It amazing what you hear. I love the sound of a hummingbird's wings, the croaking of the evening frogs, the crackle of a fire, the breeze through the trees and the distant sound of a train whistle. Those are just a few of my favorite sounds that bring me joy and make me grateful that I am able to hear them.

~Have fun and enjoy!

 







Apothecary Art

Well it's almost here. Labor day is just around the corner. In protest I plan to wear white well into September. I know, I am such a rebel. Anyway I really can't believe August is almost over. I am beginning to think I need to live somewhere that doesn't have snow. I don't mind the cold as much as I miss all the summer colors in the dead of winter. I love color and the white just doesn't cut it for me for the length of time we have it. And as I type, there is a hummingbird right outside my window at some phlox. She even came closer to the window to take a peek inside. If that isn't a reason to love summer.

So onto color. Today's card is all Stampin' Up. The colors are Soft Suede, Poppy Parade and Baja Breeze (in the picture the Baja Breeze looks more like a light blue- sorry about that). I used the new die cuts called Labels Collection Framelits. They are much like the Spellbinders but you can't emboss an edge with the framelits. The stamp set- Apothecary Art, was designed to fit these framelits. Way to go Stampin' Up for offering these! The butterfly is from the set Creative Elements and the seam binding is Baja Breeze. The DS paper is also from SU but I can't remember the name. I got it during celebration this past year.



Even though I complain about winter, I do tend to spend more time in my stamping studio during the winter months. I guess that is my creative time of year. On a beautiful summer day I love being outside too much to be inside crafting. I am getting antsy though to do some more altered art. I have been hording away all kinds of little do-dads. We will see what fall brings.

 

~Have fun and enjoy!