Welcome back Season of Joy!

This stamp set has been in the catalog forever! Sometimes I pass over my older sets in favor of newer unused options...but not today! But to keep things fresh I've paired it with some newer products and guess what? Its like a whole new stamp set!

And Of course instead of just making a boring card, there is also a matching tag!

Did you spot the new-ish stuff?

Mostly its just the silver glimmer paper. You really only need a little of this stuff to add a perfect amount of shine! And to stick with the glimmer theme, I added a basic rhinestone to each of my trees and TA DA! A perfectly jolly Christmas card!

And here's the wee little tag:

I need more of these!

... and I also need to think of some presents, order them, wrap them, ship them...AH!!!

I used:

* Season of Joy stamp set

* Real Red and Whisper White card stock

* Real Red and Wild Wasabi ink

* Real Red designer paper

* Silver Glimmer Paper

*Basic Rhinestones

* Scallop edge punch, tag corner edge punch

* Real Red 1/4" grosgrain ribbon

Give Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!

With so much to be thankful for I'm not even sure where to start. Mostly I'm grateful for a loving Father in Heaven who has blessed me with so much. For my family, for perfect children, for a selfless husband, for a job, for a roof over our heads, for food in the cupboards, for good friends and neighbors, for the fun things in life like stamping and for the things that make life easier, like the internet and my cell phone.

Life is good.

I'm thankful for it.

I used:

* Lovely Letters alphabet stamp set

* Soft Suede ink

* very Vanilla, More Mustard and Soft Suede card stocks

* Autumn Spice Designer Paper

* Color Spritzer Tool and Soft Suede Marker

* Perfect Pennants die

* 1 1/4", 1 3/8", 1 3/4" scallop circle punches

Hooo is Merry and Wise and Plaid all over???

Christmas Owl!!!

I know, he's pretty much identical to "fart" owl, except he seems to be past his little problem...and he's plaid!

Here's another great example of why I LOVE the Frostwood Lodge designer paper. It's so easy to use!

Here's a shot of the inside. I love the Petite Pairs stamp set! It's so nice to have sets of greetings that go on the inside and outside!

I used:

* Woodgrain and Petite Pairs stamp sets

* Early Espresso ink

* Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Basic Black and Whisper White card stock

* Frostwood Lodge Designer Paper

* Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border, Scallop Oval, Large Oval, Owl Builder and Bird Builder Punches

* Color Spritzer Tool and Early Espresso Marker

Card Box Christmas Gift

Anyone need a Christmas Gift?

Decorated Card Box with 12 Cards

$30

This lovely box is perfect for that person who you NEVER know what to give.

If you're interested in purchasing one (or ten), just let me know in the next couple weeks and I'll take care of the rest!

Here is a link to my For Sale page with a few more deltails for purchasing this box.

Keep checking back for more to be added!

Or if you'd like to make you own, I can help with that too!

I used a Stampin' Card Keeper from the holiday Mini Catalog, and a few sheets of card stock but you could go all kinds of crazy adding ribbons and flowers and tags and all kinds of stuff. The possibilities are endless!

The box comes unassembled but is really easy to whip together, (covering it in paper was a small nightmare, but that might have just been me) it comes with 6 dividers and will hold up to about 25 cards depending on how thick they are.

Cute right?

I'll be making one for my Grandmother for sure...even if she still doesn't believe I make the cards myself:)

Christmas Card Class 2011!!!

Christmas Card Class 

November 19th

Open house 10:00 am - 2:00 pm

Cost is $20

Price includes:

12 Handmade cards (all supplies provided)

Brunch

Games and Prizes

Reserve your spot today!


Here are the 3 cards we'll be making!
( 4 of each of them!)

Snowman:

If you'd like the cards but can't make it to the class I'm happy to stamp the cards for you and mail them to you!

Finished box of cards: $22.00

(Plus shipping!)

Christmas Trees:

I got the idea for this fabulous little card here!

So cute right?

Well its also so quick and easy!

Holly and Pines:

Christmas Lodge

Can't love it 'til you try it!

Now that I've tried it...I LOVE IT!!!

I love this stamp set and I love the designer paper even more!

The images are big and beautiful. Easy to use too! And the greetings are classy and vintage.

And did I mention the paper? The Plaids!!! There are so many of them and they're all lovely and warm and just so darn great. I want to put this paper on everything! Actually, in the next few weeks you'll see that I actually am putting this paper on everything. Just you wait and see!

I used the new Dazzling Details (glitter glue) on the snowy parts of the house to add some shimmer. For the greeting I inked only the words with an Early Espresso Marker and then stamped them on. So versatile! Oh, and of course I distressed this card a bit too with my color spritzer tool. Which I also love.

See what I mean about classy!?! This card is actually really simple but looks like a lot of work!

This features the Woodgrain stamp in the background but I could have easily used a piece of designer paper instead...but I'm saving them all for the plaid sides! Oh and a bit of Log Cabin Smooch Spritz.

This last card is the quickest and easiest of the bunch but you wouldn't know it by it's looks.

I stamped the tree image off once before stamping the card so it would be a little less than full strength. That and tiny bit of quick distressing and this card was a snap!

I used:

* Christmas Lodge and Woodgrain stamp sets

* Early Espresso and Garden Green inks

* Frostwood Lodge Designer Paper

* Garden Green, Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso and Whisper White card stocks

* Early Espresso marker and Color Spritzer tool

* Cherry Cobbler and Early Espresso Quilted Satin Ribbons

* Basic Rhinestones

* Log Cabin Smooch Spritz

* Dazzling Details

 

Mr. Dasher, welcome back.

Its time for Dasher Again!!!

Happy Dance! Happy Dance!

I love him so much.

SO. MUCH.

This week's challenge at the Pals Paper Arts is all about the browns. As soon as I saw these colors I knew what to do. Dasher was made for this!

Don't they look good on him?

Ok, well he'd look good in anything but still, Soft Suede brings out the elegance of his sparkly antlers like no color I've ever seen :)

Here's one last view. Hopefully you can see how the paper is a bit shiny around the edges and on the stamped images?

 I used a bit of Champagne Mist mist shimmer paint (of COURSE he goes for the Champagne. He's so classy!) on a sponge dauber over the inked up stamp for the images. On the edges I used a clean dauber to add some subtle sparkle for the overall shimmery effect.

And I've been holding on to these Mini Vintage Tags forEVER. I should have known my muse would be Dasher!

I used:

* Dasher, Many Merry Messages and Snow Swirled stamp sets

* Soft Suede ink

* Champagne Shimmer Mist and sponge daubers

* Very vanilla, Soft Suede and Early Espresso card stock

* Mocha Morning Designer Paper

* Mini Vintage Tags

* Chantilly Crochet Trim

Pines and Poinsettias

I love when everything comes together to make a perfectly simple, mailable, reproducible pretty card. I can see myself making 80 of these without getting burned out or sick of them. There's nothing too fussy, expensive or bulky about it and its great. I know that not all cards can be this low maintenance but I sure like when they are!

I saw this lovely card at Julie's Stamping Spot and it really was just too great to pass up. Easy and cute!

I used this holly pattern from the Holy Berry Bouquet paper pack but I think any of the patterns would do just fine.

The card uses the 1 3/4" circle punch paired with the 2 3/8" scallop circle punch.

And there's a tag to match! Woot!

The tag uses the 1 3/8" circle punch paired with the 1 3/4" scallop circle punch.

I know. Its a lot of punches but its better than a lot of cutting!

I used:

* Pines and Poinsettias stamp set

* Crumb Cake and Chocolate Chip ink

* Chocolate Chip, Pear Pizazz ( I don't have Wild Wasabi) and Cherry Cobbler markers

* Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip and Very Vanilla card stocks

* Holly Berry Bouquet designer paper

* Crop-o-dile, 1 3/8", 1 3/4" circle punches, 1 3/4" and 2 3/8" scallop circle punches

* Two tags Bigz Die

* Paper Piercing tool

* Cherry Cobbler quilted ribbon

Stocking Tag

This is a pretty quick and easy "neighbor" gift idea. It's a box of Christmas Treats wrapped as a nice festive gift. It could be fancy cookies, a small nativity, Mickey salt shakers...anything. And wouldn't it be a great gift to hand out to neighbors, friends, teachers and those spur of the moment carolers that pop by out of nowhere? I love cookies as much as the next neighbor but I seem to get way overloaded around Christmas, so instead of giving the baked goods, I might give out a pretty holiday plate, or vintage cookie cutters instead. Who knows?

And who doesn't love opening a present?

I used the Holiday Stocking Die with the Holly Berry Bouquet designer paper (both from the Holiday Mini) to whip this tag together. So easy and fun. I LOVE this die!

I used:

* Dear Santa stamp set

* Early Espresso ink

* Wild Wasabi card stock

* Holly Berry Bouquet designer paper

* Holiday Stocking Bigz L Die

* Early Espresso 1/4" grosgrain ribbon

* Hemp Twine

* Crop-o-Dile

Blog Candy Winners!!!

Congratulations to ...

Brynde and Helen!

Thanks to everyone who played along!

Flashback Friday (October 2010)

Flashback Friday take two!!!

Here are a few projects I especially liked from last October. Enjoy!

Angelic Joy Card Box

Winter Wonderland

Jolly Bingo Bits

Christmas Postcard and Gold Accent Ink

Snow Much Fun!

Every year, there are certain stamp sets that every demonstrator owns! Sometimes I'm a bit cynical about these stamp sets. What makes them so popular? Why is everyone loving them so much?

Because they're awesome!
And if you use them, you will love them too. And they're not just cute, they're easy to use and they make great stuff.

There's something about these snowmen that, after using them, I'm not sure they can make a bad project. Look around!

 EVERYTHING they make is cute!

So, if you're one of the few people left out there that does not own this stamp set, just buy it already and save yourself the torment!
Seriously.
Buy it!

I made today's card for the Freshly Made Sketches challenge blog.
It's the first of many projects this holiday season that will feature this fat and happy man of snow.
I love him!
So get ready to see him. A LOT!!!

Isn't this a fun sketch? I could spend days making cards to fit this!  Traditional but with a little extra punch of fun!

And the inside of the card:

Because everyone knows that if there's a bird on it...its awesome!

I used:

* Snow Much Fun and Petite Pairs stamp sets

* Real Red, Old Olive, Crumb Cake and Whisper White card stocks

* Old Olive designer paper

* Black Stayz On, Crumb Cake and White craft ink

* Stampin' Pastels and Blender Pens

* 1 1/4" circle, 1 3/8" circle, Scallop circle punch

* Baker's Twine

* Jingle Bells

* Snow Burst impressions folder

p.s. How great are those little jingle bells?

Halloween Wreaths

I keep forgetting to post this!

I made a couple of spooky wreaths a few weeks ago using nothing but some standard craft store finds. Wreath base, black spray paint (which I always have on hand!) silk roses and, of course, some Stampin' Up! striped grosgrain ribbon.

It was super duper easy to put together and will be haunting my Halloween door for years and years to come. Yay!

Here's the oval one I made for my sister, which is perhaps, just a bit spookier than the round one.

Update: This wreath was re-hung so the ribbon isn't being stretched out but we were anxious to get it up there and have a look. And my sister lives 30 minutes away and its not like I ever see her to get a new picture or anything...

And a close up of the bow and flowers.

I love how the flowers retained just a hint of red so they sort of look dried.

Have I mentioned I love spray paint?

Well I do.

Lovely Birds and Books

As I've said before, when I'm not stamping I'm usually reading a book and one of my favorite guilty pleasures is a good historical romance novel. There's something about a proper society young woman and a dashing rogue falling in love that gets me every time! I just can't help myself!

Occasionally I'm able to combine my two addictions into something really great by listening an audio book WHILE stamping. It's heaven!  And sometimes what I'm listening to starts to rub off on my project. Have you ever listened to a Christmas Carol and had an urge to go make a snowman card?

Well, this is kind of the same thing.

I made these while listening to a nice juicy book called Marriage Most Scandalous about a headstrong girl who sets out to find the estranged son of her neighbor/guardian only to find instead a deadly mercenary. Mercenary!!! Seriously, what could be better than that?

Anyway, its good that I was already trying to make a nice pretty card, because I think what I came up with is girlish and feminine enough to please Miss Austen herself!

I used:

* Petite Pairs and Vintage Vogue stamp sets

* Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry, Pretty in Pink, Pink Pirouette and Very Vanilla card stocks

* Rich Razzleberry and Pink Pirouette Ink

* First Edition designer paper

* Extra Large Bird Punch

* Antique Wallpaper embossing folder

200th Post and Blog Candy!

I can't believe this is my 200th blog post. Wow! When I started I had no idea this would be such a great creative outlet for me. I love it and I can't wait to see what the next 200 posts bring!

In honor of this occasion, I have some BLOG CANDY to give out! Yay!!!

This is a pack of 24 6"x 6" pieces of double sided Halloween paper PLUS a 15 yard spool of 5/8" grosgrain ribbon.

And because this is my 200th blog post, I'll 2 give of them away!

All you have to do to win is leave me a comment 

AND be a follower!

Contest will stay open til Sunday October 16th at 11:59 PM

Please play along!!!

Only in the continental United States please.

Halloween Bingo!

BINGO!!!

I made these up for my class tomorrow night.

And while they are super cute and BINGO is just about the best game ever...

...they are a pain to make!

I used:

* Bingo Card and Spooky Bingo Bits stamp sets

* Cherry Cobbler, Cajun Craze, Basic Black,  Black Stayz On, Basic Grey, Old Olive and Whisper White

* Frightful Sight Designer Paper

* 1 3/8" circle punch

* Crop-O-Dile

* Old Olive 1/4" grosgrain ribbon

Baby Shower Invites

 I made these Baby Shower invites for a very special baby boy who is arriving any day now with FOUR older sisters to help welcome him into the world. Imagine the fun!!!

I knew those little safety pins were cute but on baby stuff they're just perfect!

Yay!

 I couldn't stop myself from using pretty much every impressions folder and texturz plate I could find.

Stripes, squares, polka dots...I never decided which one I liked best!

And the insides:

I used:

* Baby Bundle stamp set (plus a couple retired word stamps on the inside)

* Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze, Certainly Celery and Whisper White card stocks

* Early Espresso ink

* Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze and Certainly Celery markers

* Various impressions folders

* Various Texturz plates

* Extra large fancy flower punch, 1 3/4" circle punch

* Vintage Trinkets

* 1/8" Certainly Celery ribbon