Christmas Time Is Here

Hi Everyone,

I can't believe that Thanksgiving is already a week behind us! Time is so weird...

I've been busy getting ready for Christmas, but unfortunately that means I haven't been working on any cards this week. I have been doing other crafty things, but I'm not prepared to share those just yet. Soon though, I promise.

Until then, I thought I would show you some pictures of my trees.

This tree is in my living room. It's one of those "fancy" rooms that is pretty much for decoration only. We sit in it on Easter and Christmas. Believe me, I wish I lived in a new home with a great room. It is such a waste of space, but at least when you walk in my front door, my home always "looks" neat and orderly.

This tree is an ode, homage, throwback...you pick the word...to the trees of my childhood. When my mom passed away, my dad didn't want to put up a big tree anymore, so I brought all the ornaments to my house.
The garland is popcorn and cranberries... My mom loved angels of all kinds so the tree topper is in honor of her.

The ornaments are a big variety...

Every year I get the chocolate ornaments wrapped in foil imported from Germany. They hung on my grandparents tree every year and I loved picking one off and eating it whenever we went over there. I don't remember if there were any chocolates left by the time Christmas Eve came around.

Then of course there are the homemade ones. This is a stocking I made after I took some sewing lessons. I think I was 11 yrs old. I made TONS of these felt ornaments, but I only put up the ones I remember being my favorites from back then.

Here is a Santa I made in first grade. Yes, he is a walnut...

I love the vintage ornaments from the 50's and 60's. They aren't expensive, but they are nostalgic for sure...

Well, that's tree number one...Stay tuned, two more lovely trees and ornaments to go...(Hopefully a card here and there too!)

Ho, Ho HO!!

An Award

Hi Everyone,


My sweet friend Tanis, whom I have never met because she lives in my computer on the Internet (Hey, that rhymes!) passed on this award to me the other day. Even though we haven't met, from reading her blog I know that she rides horses, likes to bake and eat, which means she likes(?) to run, makes great cards and has a passion for Almond Joy. Which, to her dismay, is not readily available in Canada! Thanks Chickie, you are a great blogging friend! Here are the rules for accepting this award:

Answer the following questions using single word answers. Then pass the award to 5 other people. (I'll try my best with the 1 word thing, but that is hard!)

Your cell phone? Purse

Your hair? Highlighted

Your mother? Heaven

Your father? Here!

Favorite food? Chocolate

Your dream last night? None

Your favorite drink? Coffee

Your dream/goal? B&B

What room are you in? Office/craft

Your hobby? Expensive (This was Tanis's answer...too good not to copy!)

Your fear? Pain

Where do you want to be in 6 years? Florida

Where were you last night? Home/kitchen

Something you aren't? Filthy rich

Muffins? Chocolate chocolate chip

Wish list item? Jaguar (Car, not the real animal!)

Where did you grow up? Ohio

Last thing you did? Walked

What are you wearing? Sweats

Your TV? Old

Your pets? None

Friends? Awesome!

Your mood? Grateful

Missing someone? Mom

Vehicle? Saturn Ion

Something you're not wearing? Tiara

Your favorite store? Target (They have everything!)

Your favorite color? Plum (at least at this moment)

When was the last time you laughed? Breakfast

Last time you cried? Breakfast

Your best friend? Amazing

One place that you go to over and over? New York City!

Facebook? Yes...unfortunately.

Favorite place to eat? Lola

The five wonderful bloggers whom I have chosen to pass this on to, are people old and new to me:

Cassandra

Gina

Cheryl

Nettie

Jackie

Thanks ladies for inspiring us with you blogs!

Quick -N- Easy Christmas Card

Hi All!

It's Monday again...Are you in the full swing of things for Christmas?

I mentioned that I've been working on cards for myself, and while I'm excited to show you this, I'm also embarrassed. Excited because it is so cute (in my humble opinion!) and embarrassed because it is sooo super simple! Which is exactly what you need when you want to mass produce a Christmas card.

I also mentioned I scored some inexpensive, 2 sided paper in my post here, well this is the other side! Doesn't it look like lots of different strips of matching paper? I know, right? Nope. Just one piece. Love it!

How great is the simple medallion embellishment I made from the Christmas Cupcake Wrapper set from Lindsay's Stamp Stuff? Isn't it cute the way the holly berries match the paper? Here is a close up of the sparkle I added to the berries.


To make this card you will need:
1 card 4 1/4" X 5 1/2"
1 piece of patterned paper 4"x 5 1/4"
1 piece of ribbon
Circle punch 1 5/8" and the Stampin' Up! Scallop Punch

To attach the ribbon, I cut a small slit in the fold of the card and threaded it through and tied a bow in front.

Check out what Lindsay and everyone else has made for a quick and easy Christmas idea!



Cassandra

Jennifer

Joy

Cheryl

Nettie

Kristen

Lindsay

Details not mentioned above-Paper:Bazill and Heidi Grace, Stickles, Gel Pen, and ribbon from my supplies.

FYI- Lindsay has just released some new sets, as well as a new FREEBIE in her store!

Grinch Pills

Happy Black Friday!

I am one of the few people (at least it feels like that) who do NOT shop on this day. The reason? I did it...once. The deal I got was sooooo not worth the hassle. At least for me.

What do I do instead? I decorate. I have lots of stuff to put out, 3 trees and I try to have it done by the end of the weekend. Then I can focus on baking and shopping.

So, these Grinch Pills are in honor of all you Black Friday shoppers who may need an extra boost of cheerfulness at the end of the day. The poem was copied down awhile ago...I don't remember who it was from, and I printed the picture off my computer.

Here's hoping you found the deal of a lifetime! Thanks for dropping by...

Details- Paper: Bazill, Candy: M&M's

Happy Thanksgiving

Hi Everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

FYI- Everything at Lindsay's Stamp Stuff is 20% off for today only!

Tea Box with Mini Notes and a Tag

Good Evening Everyone!


It's the 25th of the month and that means it's time for a Papertrey Ink Blog Hop! Yay! The theme of the hop is quick wraps or tags, so I am showing off one of my Tea Boxes I have made for gift giving this holiday season. I used my Cuttlebug and the Tea for Two set to decorate my box. To keep things simple, I stayed with a monochromatic color scheme of navy and white, which provides a clean , crisp look.

This is the view from the top...

And these are the simple tags I used to complete the wrapping in a simple cello bag. Just a quick stamp, and cut out with my Nesties (Labels 4) and the package is complete!

This photo is the back of the box, showing off the mini-notes and envelopes I included to make this gift more complete. As you can see, they are a simple stamped image on a card that is 3 3/4" x 2 3/4".

I hope this reminds everyone that not every card, wrap or tag has to have tons of layers or embellishments to make a beautiful gift and presentation.

Thanks for hoppin' by!

Details not mentioned above- Paper: Bazill, Ink: Stampin' Up!, ribbon from my supplies

A Re-Purposed Bag

Hi Everyone,

If you are thinking you recognize this bag, like it looks like one from that famous, overpriced lingerie store, you would be correct!

These bags are way too nice to just throw away, yet I don't want to advertise for Vicky after I have given her my money, so I thought I would re purpose it into a Christmas gift bag. (My husband laughed and rolled his eyes at the word "re purposed"..."Is that what it's being called now?"...Well, yes. In the crafting world it is.)

I thought the row of ornaments from the Christmas Potpourri set from Lindsay's Stamp Stuff would be prefect for this idea. I colored them in with 2 different pink markers, added a couple of layers and did some fake stitching with a zig zag stamp. And, because this has the stitching on it, I'm linking this over at Practical Scrappers for their challenge this week.

I then sprayed the image with spray adhesive, and sprinkled it with stamping glitter.

Voila! Cute, and most importantly, free bag!

Just so you know, you can win a free digital stamp set in a contest that Lindsay is having over at her group, Lindsay's Stamp Stuff. So, if you are a member of My Grafico or join there, pop over to Lindsay's and check it out!

That's it for now, thanks for the drop in and hope your day is sparklin' good!

Details not listed above-Paper: Bazill, Office Max, Markers & Ink: Stampin Up, Bic Mark-Its, Marvy Markers, Glitter: JoAnn's, Zig Zag stamp: Kelly Panacci Borders

Holly Wreath

Hi Everyone!

I have been feverishly working on Christmas cards for myself. I thought I had plenty, but no, not enough, so I am scrambling!

I scored this paper at Big Lots last week...$1 for 25 sheets... And it's 2 sided! If you live near one run, because I'm sure I'm not the only one who was excited by this great deal.

Anyhow, I made this following the sketch challenge over at Everything But the Kitchen Sink. The digital image is a new one from the Christmas Potpourri set at Lindsay's Stamp Stuff. I used my Creative Memories circle cutter and a Large Scalloped Nestiblilties for the center image and added a scrap of ribbon for a bow. Once I figure out who's getting this card, I will add a sentiment to the bottom.

Thanks for the visit!

Details not mentioned above- Image colored with Bic Mark its

Blessing Mix

Good Monday Morning,

Since this week is a holiday here in the good old USA, I wanted to show off one last fall type item. So, are you ready for a great idea for your Thanksgiving table? How about this Blessing Mix for a favor at every ones place setting? The cello bag is filled with pretzels, candy corn, nuts, dried fruit, and Bugles. I got the idea for this here, and I knew the Sketchy Leaves set from Lindsay's Stamp Stuff, over at My Grafico would be perfect for decorating this little box.

The box is my card box (minus the handle) from this post.

It's made from a piece of card stock 6 1/2" X 10".

Score the 6 1/2" side at 1". Turn paper 180 degrees and score at 1" again.
Score the 10" side at 4 1/2". Turn paper 180 degrees and score at 4 1/2" again.

You will then cut out the middle 1" tabs and fold up the remaining score lines and tape to secure.
Then just decorate as you wish.

I colored my leaf and acorn with Bic Mark-Its and Koh-I-Noor pencils and used a blender pen to soften them up. Then I cut out my leaf, sent it through my Cuttlebug using a leaf embossing folder, which is the reason it has some texture to it.

And a close up of the verse for you.

As always, thanks for visiting me and you can check out Lindsay and the rest of the team here too.

Cassandra

Jennifer

Joy

Nettie

Kristen

Cheryl

Lindsay

Details not mentioned above-Paper: Pat Catan's, Bazill, 1", 1 1/4", 1 3/8" Circle Punches: Stampin' Up!, ribbon from my supplies

My Card is Featured!

Hi Everyone...It's the weekend!



Yes, my wild plans last night consisted of eating soup and salad for dinner, (I must add that it was Homemade Split pea with Ham...So yummy on a cool fall day!) and going to bed at 9:30. Boy do I feel old.



I was texting (there is no real talking with teenagers) my niece yesterday, and she was on a Greyhound heading down to visit her sister for the weekend at OSU. I remember when it was ME on the Greyhound visiting my friend at Penn State! Boy do I feel old.



Well, to make me feel better, I found out my card was featured on the MG Inspiration Board. It's the one from my Monday post, bottom row third from the left! YAY!

So, what are you waiting for? Be inspired and go get you craft on!

My Grafico Design Team

Happy Friday!

I am honored to announce that I have been chosen to be on the Design Team at My GraficO beginning in January 2010! How exciting is that? I can't wait to start creating with the new team, and highlighting all the great artwork from the various stamp designers...Of which Lindsay is one of! This image is courtesy of Clip Art and Scrap.

This set contains different images of this same birdie for the holiday season. I added a pom pom and a little glitter to to his hat for a little extra "festiveness."

So, pop on over to My GraficO and see what they all have to offer. If you've never tried digital stamps before, you really owe it to yourself to check them out. You have no excuse because there are FREEBIES to be had there! LOL!

Details- Stamps: Clip Art and Scrap, Paper: American Crafts, Bazzill, Ink: Bic Mark-Its, Nesties, brads, ribbon, glitter and pom pom from my supplies

Hello and Hugs

Edit: I forgot to thank folks for voting in my goofy Charlie Brown poll. My husband won bragging rights...He likes the Great Pumpkin, I'm for the Thanksgiving Special...I guess no one likes the Easter one!

Good Morning Friends!

Well, today is my day to get caught up on things at home, so that I can craft over the weekend. I have been running around doing everything that got neglected in recent weeks. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten (is that a word? It looks weird typed out!) to do the housework things yet...My husband will be wearing PJ's to the office if I don't do laundry soon. LOL!

I took my Aunt Inge (pronounced In-ga) out to lunch and shopping for her birthday yesterday. She is 78 yrs. old (young) and you would never guess it. The same can be said for my neighbor Betty. She is 84 and I always tell her "I want to be you when I grow up!" There are so many people I am inspired by and grateful for in my life. I try to keep it in perspective that relationships are what matter; Pretty much everything else is just junk.

(I am writing this to make myself feel better for letting my house be dirty, but maybe you can use the reminder too.)

This card is the last of my swaps from the past month. This was Vera's offering and I am looking forward to sending it to my friend in California. I like the fall colors in the striped paper a lot. With the friendship theme and a Happy Thanksgiving on the inside, it's the perfect card to remind them how much they mean to me in this season focused on gratitude.


Thanks for visiting and I hope your day is filled with hugs and hellos!

Dance...

Good Morning All!

I thought things might slow down a bit for me once this recent craft fair was over, but not so! Today's quickie post is a card that sold on Saturday...I'm glad I took a photo of it awhile ago so that I could share it.

A great sentiment on the sponged background and embellished with a bit of ribbon, I hope the recipient out there likes it when they find it in their mailbox.

Maybe we can all apply something from this verse into our day and feel a bit of gratitude...

Thanks for popping in!

Details- Ink: Stampin'Up, Paper: Joann's, Stamps: Inkadinkadoo, See Dee's, and ribbon from my stash of stuff.

Lindsay's Stamp Stuff

Good Morning!

Today is the Design Teams first official post showcasing the stamps over at Lindsay's Stamp Stuff...Woo Hoo! I am so excited myself to see what the ladies have designed. I chose the Doodle Flowers set and this great image of a stitched flower.

I decided to make a square 5 x 5 card and paper piece the flower. The center button was cut out of patterned paper to coordinate with the card and I did some subtle sponging on the background to highlight the image. Remember, with digital stamps, you can print out the image to be any size you want...You get alot of flexibility with an image, which means a lot of bang for your buck. Not to mention, no storage space issues...Yay!

The sentiment came from the set All Around Phrases and I chose to use the Happy Birthday one, but any of the sentiments would work here as well.

Thanks for stopping by, and don't forget to visit the other DT members and see what inspiring things they have to share today.

Nettie

Cassandra

Joy
Jennifer
Kristen

Cheryl

Details not mentioned above-Paper: Bazzill, Nesties, Punches: Stampin' Up!, Ink: Stampin' Up!