Thursday, December 31, 2015

Catching Up On Christmas!

Happy New Year's Eve (or Happy New Year 
in other parts of the globe)!

Man, December was a BLUR. Wow. 
And now, here I am on the last day, with a little free time to help catch up on my blog. Yay!

No supply lists on these guys, but if you'd like to know more details on anything I've used, feel free to drop me a comment or email and I'd be happy to fill you in!



Wintry Window


Dear Santa, some Peace on Earth please


Merry Merry Reindeer


Short and sweet, and now, on to more photo-editing!

I've enjoyed reading blog posts from around the 'net, seeing year-in-review card parades. I love when crafters do that. Happy eye candy. :-)

Once again, Happy New Year, and thanks for every visit and comment you've blessed me with!

Friday, December 11, 2015

Vintage Christmas

Hello there! I'm back to share another Christmas card, and this one uses no stamps at all.


That "tweet" tag is from Cavallini & Co., and it comes pre-glittered, and with the twine attached. That made this card very easy to put together! A couple of die-cut borders from K & Co. beneath it, and pretty papers from Basic Grey, and bam, it was finished. 

Have I wished this out loud before:  that Thanksgiving was mid-November, so the Christmas season was a smidgen longer than it already is?? Like everyone else, I'm in a mad dash to "get it all done", and I'm not really able to thoroughly enjoy and soak in what the season is truly all about. And...I'm an organized gal, too! Can't even imagine the stress if I were not organized. 

Last night, after work, I spent two hours mostly finishing up shopping for gifts. Four stores, and my last stop was Home Goods. Now, THERE'S a happy place (besides Ikea, and any crafting stores)!! It just feels good to be there. :-) I found Kahlua Peppermint Mocha bagged coffee for $5.99 each (not long ago, I saw them on eBay 2 for $22!!!!) = score! Some eggnog-flavored coffee jumped into my basket, too.  It's my FAVORITE flavor of coffee, so I needed to stock up. I bought delicious gifts of food for people on my list, too, and a candle that smells divine for our home.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend! Enjoy!



Paper: patterns - Wassail - Basic Grey; River Rock - Stampin' Up! Ink: Walnut Stain - Ranger Fibers: white cotton string Accessories & Tools: vintage tag - Cavallini & Co.; flourishes die cut borders - K & Co.; gold doily - Wilton

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Amaryllis Wishes

I've never grown an amaryllis, but boy, they sure are pretty! This is an amaryllis K & Co. sticker, set atop branches from Peaceful Wishes (Stampin' Up!). 


Salmon satin-shimmer patterned paper for a holiday card? Sure, why not!


Gotta have "Joy to the world" alongside "Peaceful Wishes."  They go hand-in-hand, don't ya think?

Sending you peaceful wishes today, and thanks for dropping in!



Stamps: Daily Designs Sentiments - Papertrey Ink; Peaceful Wishes - Stampin' Up! Paper: pink - Luxury Stack - DCWV; text, Handsome Hunter - Stampin' Up!; white, Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Handsome Hunter, Old Olive - Stampin' Up!; Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko; Antique Linen - Ranger Fibers: crochet trim - Hero Arts; vintage thread Accessories & Tools: Tiny Tags die - Papertrey Ink; pink, white pearls - Queen & Co.; amaryllis sticker - K & Co. 

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Peace, tied up with a big bow

If only it were that easy to give peace, and hand it over with a big bow tied on it.


We live in a dark world, and I'm trying my very best to be a bright light to others. As a believer, my hope comes from the Lord. Each morning when I wake, I pray that I always put others first, that it's not about me, that others need to be lifted. 


“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” ~ Mother Teresa 

The little acts of kindness add up!



Stamps: Merry Christmas Trees - Hero Arts Paper: River Rock patterned paper - Stampin' Up!; Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink Fibers: champagne satin ribbon; ivory braided trim - Waverly Accessories & Tools: pearls - Recollections; Arches border punch - EK Success

Monday, December 7, 2015

Greetings of the Season

Hello there! 

I have a kit from My Mind's Eye called Winter Wonderland. It has patterned papers, stickers and chipboard pieces, all in a whimsical style (read: not my usual style). I created a bunch of cards using the bits and pieces from this kit, and would like to share with you today!


Stamps: Holiday Sayings - Hero Arts Paper: white, kraft - Papertrey Ink; red polka dot - Winter Wonderland - My Mind's Eye; stripe, snowflakes - Stampin' Up! Fibers: gold cord Accessories & Tools: matte gold sequins - MJ Trimming; gold sequins - Pretty Pink Posh; Decorative Doily Duo die - My Favorite Things; chipboard pieces - Winter Wonderland - My Mind's Eye



Stamps: Tag-Its #8 - Papertrey Ink Paper: white - Papertrey Ink; houses - Winter Wonderland - My Mind's Eye; stripe, snowflakes - Stampin' Up! Ink: Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko; Soft Sky - Stampin' Up! Fibers: vintage thread Accessories & Tools: red felt snowflakes - Stampin' Up!; Tiny Tags dies - Papertrey Ink; rhinestone - Queen & Co; chipboard pieces - Winter Wonderland - My Mind's Eye; holly die cut border - K & Co.


Okay, so at this point, I am not including the supply lists for the remaining cards, but feel free to ask me if you have a burning question!  Be sure to leave a way for me to reach you. :-)




That's it for now!  It's Saturday morning as I type this, and I'm heading out to take my youngest to the stores so she can do her Christmas shopping. 

Be Merry, Be Blessed!


Sunday, December 6, 2015

Deck The Halls

I've long been a fan of the stickers and embellishments by K & Co. My local JoAnn store carried a gorgeous assortment, and I stocked up. When I recently went to buy some more, to my chagrin...they are GONE. They still carry a few by K & Co., but nothing that suits me. They don't even carry 'em on their website anymore. My heart broke a little. ;-)

The card below uses a puffy, glitter-filled sticker and holly border die cut by you-know-who, a golden doily, some pretty patterned papers from Anna Griffin, and sequins from Pretty Pink Posh....and it was done! 


Paper: patterns - Calisto - Anna Griffin; River Rock - Stampin' Up! Accessories & Tools: gold doily - Wilton; puffy sticker, holly border die cut- K & Co.; gold sequins - Pretty Pink Posh  

The next card has a more vintage flair. It started with a sweet little vintage embellishment, given to me from a friend. The old-fashioned image of children on a sled, surrounded by wine-colored frame encrusted with glitter and topped with a mini clothespin, was my starting point. Then I added a striped die cut frame, another golden doily, chipboard numbers from Girls' Paperie, and poinsettia stickers from...K & Co.


I used a piece of text-y patterned paper from My Mind's Eye behind it all.


Feels good to be blogging on a Saturday morning. :-)
Enjoy your day!!



Paper: Handsome Hunter, Sahara Sand - Stampin' Up!; text -  Lost & Found Union Square - My Mind's Eye Ink: Frayed Burlap, Old Paper - Ranger Fibers: twine - May Arts
Accessories & Tools: vintage embellishment - a friend; poinsettia stickers - K & Co.; gold doily - Wilton; striped frame die cut - Bo Bunny; chipboard numbers - Girls' Paperie

Saturday, December 5, 2015

Pink Polka Dot Christmas Tree

It's December, and only 20 days 'til Christmas!!!! How did that happen??  We've had a warmer-than-normal fall, and so it doesn't really feel like the holidays are coming at us so fast.  


Our girls surprised us by decorating the house, and even dragging down the Christmas tree from the attic and setting it up themselves (ornaments yet to come). That is a HUGE help. Huge. I just finished decorating our office this past week, and I sure wasn't ready to do the same to our home just yet. Wasn't that nice of the kids?? I am grateful.


I'm fairly well-organized, so most of my shopping is done. Most. Not all. As much as I love Christmas time, it sure is stressful. Year after year, I usually have a little meltdown right about now, and feel completely overwhelmed. 


About this card: I have an affinity for pink and blue Christmas cards. (HERE is one I made in 2010.) They are so sweet. I used a pink polka dot pattern from My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Madison Avenue paper pad and the Christmas Tree die from Papertrey Ink. First I die-cut the tree from white cardstock, I think 3 or 4 times, gluing each layer together. The final layer is the thin patterned paper. Princess Pink sequins from Neat & Tangled make great ornaments. :-)


I stamped Stampin' Up!'s Dictionary background on a cream cardstock base. Sigh. Really love that look. What a shame it is now retired!

Thanks so much for taking a peek today. I hope you have a weekend that is full of things that make you happy!



Stamps: Dictionary - Stampin' Up!; Tiny Tags - Papertrey Ink Paper: Vintage Cream, white - Papertrey Ink; pink polka dot - Lost & Found Madison Avenue; snowflake  - Be Merry - My Mind's Eye Ink: Going Gray, Crumb Cake - Stampin' Up  Fibers: cream twine - American Crafts; crochet trim - Inspired By Stamping; vintage thread Accessories & Tools: Scallop Circle Bigz die - Sizzix/Stampin' Up!; Tiny Tags, Christmas Tree dies - Papertrey Ink; Princess Pink sequins - Neat & Tangled

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Silver Wedding Rings

Hello Again!


It's going to be a while before I can catch up here on my blog that which I've been doing behind the scenes.  So many cards made.  All photographed.  Very few photo-edited.  And so it goes when one's calendar is full! 

I thought I'd wake up my blog - at least for a day - with a simple wedding card I made a few months back.  


The Precious Wedding Rings die (Memory Box) came to the rescue, helping to make a plain and simple card a little bit more fancy. I die-cut it from white cardstock, then used a Versamark marker only on the wedding bands portions.  Coated it with silver embossing powder, and held on to the 'strings' with crafting tweezers.  After hitting it with the heat gun and letting it all cool down, I added rhinestones in strategic places once this embellishment was glued down to the paper.

It kind of bugs me that there is no sentiment on the front, but I had to let it go. There really was no good place to put one. 

I joined a ministry called Sisters In Spirit at my church very recently. On Friday night, about 10 of us gathered together to make Thanksgiving cards (and a few Christmas cards) for home-bound members of our congregation. I brought along some already-stamped-and-trimmed autumn leaves, and a few twine bows, to contribute to the pile of crafting goodies we used. 

It was very gratifying to know that 40 people will get a little surprise in their mailbox, letting them know that someone is thinking of them. :-)



Paper: gray stripe pattern - Momento; True Black, white - Papertrey Ink Ink: Versamark marker - Tsukineko Fibers: black seam binding - Hug Snug - The Zipper Stop Accessories & Tools: silver embossing powder - Stampin' UP!; rhinestones - Queen & Co.; Precious Wedding Rings die - Memory Box 

Monday, November 9, 2015

'Tis the Season

Hello there!


I finally took down our Halloween decorations this past weekend, amidst a very hectic schedule. I am running at a fast pace these days (for me). It made me laugh yesterday when I realized that I never put a Halloween decorative flag outside (it hangs from our porch) this year. I enjoy flying a different flag for each season or holiday. I've had a pineapple -- the 'welcome' symbol - flag hanging since about the beginning of September, and it was only yesterday that I noticed it was still there...all throughout September, October, and into November. 


I know that doesn't sound too crazy, but it just made me realize how busy things have been...that I haven't had a chance to 'look up' and see what's around me. 

In addition to normal life stuff, I've been working like a crazy Christmas elf in the craft studio. I'm making as many holiday cards as I can, to deliver to Arts Plus Gallery before Thanksgiving.  A coworker asked for two custom wedding cards, and I am also donating cards to two charitable causes in the near future. So....I'm really crankin' 'em out! LOL

Oh, by the way, today's card features lots of Avery Elle goodness, Winter Wreath stamps and matching dies. I bought the set when iheartpapers went out of business, and there were generous discounts. :-)

Not sure when my next post will be...
but until then, I leave you with this Irish blessing:

An Irish Prayer
May God give you...
For every storm, a rainbow,
For every tear, a smile,
For every care, a promise,
And a blessing in each trial.
For every problem life sends,
A faithful friend to share,
For every sigh, a sweet song,
And an answer for each prayer.



Stamps: Winter Wreath - Avery Elle Paper: white - Papertrey Ink Ink: True Thyme, Close to Cocoa, Real Red, Riding Hood Red, Chocolate Chip, Handsome Hunter - Stampin' Up!; Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Accessories & Tools: Marshmallow sequins - Pretty Pink Posh; Winter Wreath matching dies - Avery Elle ; Copic markers

Friday, November 6, 2015

Blue skies from now on

Hello there!


Our church's youth make a trip to Goldsboro, North Carolina each summer to help Habitat For Humanity. This past summer, they helped build a home for a family, and the members of our church were offered the chance to mail a card to the new homeowners. :-)


I jumped at the chance to create a card for the mother and her children.  This is the card I mailed to them, and hope they enjoyed receiving it as I enjoyed making it!

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Chevron Sky

Hello again. :-)


Orange.  Not my favorite color, but I've found myself gravitating toward it in recent months for my cards. Partly because I'm trying to use up what I have, partly to change things up.


I think this is a fun sky for the Stampin' Up! house! I paired the chevron together with other patterned papers that I got in a $1.00 Scrap Bag from my SU demonstrator. The little tag at the top is from Papertrey Ink's Tiny Tags (both the stamp and the heart die cut).

I sure do appreciate your visit today!

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Hello, Little Fox

Hello from me, and from this cute little Lawn Fawn fox!


Totally had fun putting this scene together on top of a My Favorite Things tag.  =D


The best part was coloring the little fella with Copic markers.  I think I did a fair job of creating a furry look! 

You may have noticed this week.....I'm not including the Supply List for my cards.  With limited time, something's got to give, right? If you have a burning desire to know a particular craft item I've used on a card, just drop me a line. You can email me by clicking on the "Contact Me" tab under my blog header photo.

Would love to get this blog updated and refreshed, but where to find the extra time??

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Sympathy Garden

Hello there.


As I sit here on Sunday afternoon, trying to put together a string of blog posts to share this week, I've got a whole juggling act going on.  I'm totally sure you can relate!  I'm making homemade applesauce (lots of it), doing laundry, cleaning the bathroom, and -- earlier today -- I made several Christmas cards for the shop.  I haven't showered yet (ew), and boy, am I bushed.


But some things you just can't stop when you're in the middle of a project, you know?  

The rest of the family is busy, as well, and we're all trying to make the most of a short weekend.  The older I get, the shorter these weekends feel!

Monday, November 2, 2015

New Address (but not for me!)

Happy Monday!


Did you have many trick-or-treaters at your house on Halloween? We had fewer than normal, and that REALLY left us with a basket of candy all to ourselves.  I was planning to take the excess in to work, but my husband said he wants to keep all of it.  Ha ha!  He has a sweet tooth, and so do I.


I'm sharing a new home card that I made a while back, oh, in August.  I'll tell ya, I'm not having trouble getting cards made, but getting them through the photo process is what's been a challenge.


Blogging isn't as fun as it used to be - not with a limited amount of free time - and I feel things are changing for me.  Not sure where the Lord is leading me, but I'm listening. =D



Stamps: house - Holiday Home - Stampin' Up!; sentiment - Purely Sentimental - Verve Paper: Vintage Cream, white - Papertrey Ink; patterns - Stampin' UP! Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Fibers: cream twine - American Crafts Accessories & Tools: Clouds 1 & 2 dies - Papertrey Ink; gold gemstone - Recollections; journaling card - Colorbok; Copic markers
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