Christmas, Bring It On Home!

LOTS to show today, lots to show!  It's the day before Christmas, and I'm cramming in the last Christmas cards of 2013.

Up first, one for hubby:

I gold-embossed a beautiful word tree from O Christmas Tree (JustRite) and gave it a tree-topper made of twine and a pearl.  Hubby knows to expect pearls and some feminine touches on the cards I give him.  It's just what I do.  ;-)

Instead of mounting the lace trim on vanilla colored cardstock, I slipped a thin strip of black underneath.  It creates a bit more shadow.  The tree trunk is a bit of burlap I rescued from a ruined art project of my daughter's (wet basements - ugh).

One for the shop:  a mistletoe card for someone's sweetheart.  It's pretty straightforward, and uses an Inspired By Stamping sentiment.

Up next, a Christmas card for the employees of Arts Plus Gallery, where I sell my cards.  They are the kindest folks, and I am grateful they give artists a beautiful place to sell their handcrafted wares.

I used modern snowflakes (made from little Christmas trees!) from Verve's Christmas Is In The Air.  They were stamped full-strength in kraft ink, then stamped off for a lighter effect.   I used a dab of Platinum Stickles in the center of each.  Linking this up to Verve's Diva Dare "Favorites" challenge.  :-)

Here's a cute, happy snowman for my sweetest 12 year old daughter.  She's got a personality to match this card.

The colors in this beautiful wreath were my inspiration:

Photo source

I used Flourishes' Warm Winter Wishes, a set I was fortunate to win a few years back, and a sentiment from Verve.  Plenty of icy glitter found its way onto this, too!

I'm putting this card in the Merry Monday challenge:  use an animal on your card (I've got the bird).  The deadline was extended until 1/5/14, so I can play!  Yay!

Originally, I was planning to give this last card to my husband.  It's just not really 'him', though, so I made the card that you saw at the top of this post instead.

Been a while since I dusted off Stampin' Up!'s Branch Out set, and I really do love it.  It makes cards that are perfect for any season.  I used Iridescent Ice embossing powder, also from SU, to create some drifting snowflakes.  The sentiment is from Flourishes.

Have I mentioned before that white seam binding, to me, is like the ubiquitous little black dress?  I LOVE using it on so many projects.  It creates soft bows that flatten nicely for mailing, but still looks good when  arriving to its destination.  I get mine from Zipper Stop.  The 100-yard roll lasts and lasts and lasts, and the price is great, too.  They offer, like, a million colors.  But white...well, it goes with most everything.

Friends, I wish you the Merriest Christmas and the Happiest New Year.  May your holidays be filled with wonder, love, blessings, and perhaps a few crafty trinkets.  ;-)

Crafting and blogging make my heart happy and I would be here even if no one ever came by.  It's gratifying to know that other eyeballs see what I make, though.  Thank you so much for your visits and comments throughout 2013.  I truly appreciate you.

See you all in 2014!

Card #1 - Christmas Tree in Gold

Stamps: O Christmas Tree - JustRite Paper: Vintage Cream, white - PTI; Lost & Found Madison Square - My Mind's Eye; Chocolate Chip, Basic Black - SU Ink: Versamark - Tsukineko Fibers: burlap; twine - Creative Impressions; lace crochet trim - Hero Arts Accessories & Tools: pearl - Queen & Co.

Card #2 - Mistletoe

Stamps: Christmas Greetings - Inspired By Stamping Paper: white - PTI; Garden Green - SU Ink: Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Accessories & Tools: Branch with Leaves - Sizzix; pearls - Queen & Co.; corner rounder punch - Fiskars

Card #3 - Mod Snowflakes

Stamps: Christmas Is In The Air - Verve Paper: Very Vanilla - SU Ink: Crumb Cake - SU; Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Fibers: white seam binding - Hug Snug Accessories & Tools: Platinum Stickles - Ranger

Card #4 - Happy Snowman

Stamps: Warm Winter Wishes - Flourishes; Winter Mittens - Verve Paper: Tempting Turquoise, patterns - SU; white - PTI Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko; Night of Navy - SU Fibers: white satin ribbon - Nicole Accessories & Tools: iridescent glitter; Copic markers

Card #5 - Bare Tree Christmas

Stamps: Branch Out - SU; Warm Winter Wishes - Flourishes Paper: Chocolate Chip, Soft Sky, pattern - SU; white - PTI Ink: Versamark - Tsukineko; Chocolate Chip, Riding Hood Red, Baja Breeze, Basic Gray - SU Fibers: white seam binding - Hug Snug Accessories & Tools: rhinestone brad, Iridescent Ice embossing powder - SU

A Christmas Wish

Well, you could say my mind is going....

I thought I posted this before - like, last year - but I couldn't find it among my posts.  If any of you have a better memory than I do, and this has appeared here before....my apologies.

Notably Ornate (Stampin' Up!) has the most gorgeous detailed frame.  I paired it with a sentiment from SU's Home For Christmas and bits and pieces of K & Co.'s die cut borders.

It's been unseasonably warm here in the Northeast.  Seventy-some degrees yesterday!  We've got windows open and shorts on.  It's crazy.  The temps will drop again later today so that we will have a cold Christmas, which is what I'm used to and love.

Just two more days!!  :-)  Thanks for dropping by today!

Stamps: Notably Ornate, Home For Christmas - SU Paper: Very Vanilla, Whisper White, pattern - SU Ink: Baja Breeze - SU; Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko; Antique Linen - Ranger Fibers: red seam binding - SU; twine - Creative Impressions Accessories & Tools: K & Co. die cuts; pearls - Recollections; doily - Wilton

One More Inexpensive Framed Wreath

At the time I posted all of my inexpensive wooden craft framed candle rings HERE, I had yet to finish one more:

The  frame was painted white, then washed with Heavenly Hues Gold Wash.  Gives it a bit of a rustic feel.  The harlequin patterned paper is retired Stampin' Up!, and the curlicue corners are Elegant Scrollwork by Memory Box.

Time to wrap it up as a gift for a loved one.  I think she'll like it.

Thanks for giving me a bit of your (in short supply) free time today!

Frosted Berry Ornament Frames

Glad Tidings to you!  If you have a moment to stop and look, I'd like to show you some ornaments I made as gifts for a few folks.

Couldn't find 'frosted' berries at the craft store in November, so I bought a 6-foot berry garland for half off (it came to $7.00), plucked them off and glittered them myself.

The wooden frames were $1.00 each, and I painted them with shimmery Martha Stewart craft paints.  I really like those paints!  I punched some Martha holly leaves and branches and gathered the frosted berries, then stamped Girl Land Tea Cup by Webster's Pages / Unity on white scrap cardstock.  They were overstamped with snowflakes and sentiments.

Hope you're doing well with your Christmas preparations!

Stamps: Serene Snowflakes - Stampin' Up!; Girl Land Tea Cup - Unity/Webster's Pages Paper: white - PTI; Old Olive, Always Artichoke - SU Ink: Sahara Sand - SU; Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Accessories & Tools: Branch Punch, Holly Punch, Crystal glitter - Martha Stewart; berry garland; wooden frames; rhinestones - Queen & Co.

Noel

Hello there!  Gosh, we're just days away from Christmas.  Can you believe it?  The mad rush that began with Thanksgiving seemed to go by in a blink.

I'm hoping this card was picked up at the shop.  I love it and almost didn't part with it.  But the thought of a little extra jingle in my pocket cried out just a little louder.  ;-)

The sentiment and harlequin frame are from Inspired By Stamping, and I used an old page from a book picked up at a thrift store.  Thirty years ago, my dad used to buy old books from junk shops, and I thought he was crazy.  As I've gotten older, I realize he was ahead of his time and had a fantastic eye for antiques and vintage ephemera.  What did I know back then?  You think you know everything when you're young.  Ha!

Thanks for giving me some of your precious time today.

Stamps: Christmas Greetings, Fancy Labels 2 - Inspired By Stamping Paper: white, Vintage Cream - PTI; Basic Black - SU; vintage book page Ink: Real Red - SU; Frayed Burlap - Ranger; Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Fibers: red satin ribbon Accessories & Tools: Parisian Motifs - Spellbinders; Fancy Labels 2 die - Inspired By Stamping; Decorative Doily die - My Favorite Things; pearls - Queen & Co.

Button Wreath in CARDS Magazine

Gotta celebrate the times you're published...even if it was last year.  Here's something that made it into an issue of CARDS magazine, before they went all digital:

I've got buttons here from my favorite aunt's stash, and they are indeed vintage.  The sentiment is Verve.

Thanks for celebrating with me!

Stamps: Winter Mittens - Verve Paper: white - PTI Ink: Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Fibers: white twill ribbons Accessories & Tools: lots of buttons; Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder - SU; circle die - Spellbinders; red pearls - Queen & Co.

Damask Christmas Greetings

I went big and bold for this Christmas card:  6" x 4.5".  The drama of gold, red and chocolate demanded something larger than my normal A2-size.

The damask pattern is Hero Arts, and the distressed sentiment is from Tinsel & Twig, an older Girls' Paperie set.  Are they even in business anymore?  I'm not sure.  How excited I was to find that stamp set -- and other fabulous goodies -- in a big kit for $20 at a Tuesday Morning store in Nags Head, North Carolina.  Felt like I'd hit the jackpot!

This is yet another magazine-reject.  I sure do seem to have quite a few of those!

Stamps: Large Fabric Design Background - Hero Arts; Tinsel & Twig - The Girls' Paperie Paper: Whisper White, Real Red, Early Espresso - SU Ink: Versamark, Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Fibers: sheer chocolate ribbon Accessories & Tools: oval die - Spellbinders; gold embossing powder - SU; Scallop Diamond punch - EK Success

Give Thanks for CARDS Magazine

I'm often late to 'the party' when it comes to sharing cards of mine that have been published.  I wanted to time this thankful card with the Thanksgiving holiday, but it didn't work out. ;-)

Some gold-embossed Verve goodness....

I had hand-stamped my patterned paper using Elements of Style, Linen Background, En Francias, and Bella Toile - all by Stampin' Up!.  

Okay, now back to Christmas!

Stamps: Elements of Style, Linen Background, Bella Toile, En Francais - SU; Happy Fall - Verve Paper: Whisper White, Soft Suede - SU Ink: Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, Sahara Sand - SU; Versamark - Tsukineko Fibers: white ribbon Accessories & Tools: gold embossing powder - SU; chocolate pearls - Recollections

Ho Ho Ho!

I've seen people do Santa suit cards before, and this is my first.   I loved making it!

I embossed the "fur" on Santa's suit, and gave him a gilded belt buckle (frame from Fancy Labels 2, sentiment from Christmas Greetings - Inspired By Stamping).

The inside sentiment is also from Christmas Greetings.

Ho-ho-hope you're enjoying your holiday season so far!

Stamps:  Fancy Labels 2, Christmas Greetings - Inspired By Stamping Paper:  white - PTI; Basic Black, Real Red - SU Ink: Versamark, Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Accessories & Tools:  Kassie's Brocade embossing folder - Cuttlebug; gold embossing powder; red Copic markers

Gilded Tree

Who can resist a Golden Christmas Tree?  Apparently magazine publishers...

Remember Snow Swirled from Stampin' Up!?  What a gorgeous tree is in that set.  I fashioned a trunk out of different-sized pearls.

And finished it off with a gold and pearl brad tree-topper.

I'm almost ready for Christmas -- wrapped, shopped, cards mailed out, homemade gifts done -- but we haven't fired up the oven for cookies yet.  I'll tell ya, Christmasing is a full time job!  LOL

Stamps: Snow Swirled - SU Paper: white - PTI; Basic Black - SU Ink: Versamark - Tsukineko 

Accessories & Tools: gold embossing powder - SU; gold/pearl brad - BRIDE'S (Michael's); Starry Night embossing folder - Sizzix; pearls - Queen & Co.