Melon Mambo Merry

Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving and weekend.   My family and I certainly did.  I sure am blessed and have a lot to be thankful for.  We had make-up card classes over the weekend and as always, had a great time both days.  A while back I made a birthday card using sponging, the Kinda Eclectic stamp set and stars.  Well, at class we made a very similar card, but used the "merry" from the Christmas Greetings thinlets and glitter paper and made this cheerful Christmas card.  If you are looking for an easy, non-traditional Christmas card, this is one to create.  Just remember to sponge the background lightly.  Have a great day!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tomorrow morning will be busy around here, so let me wish you all a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving today!  Enjoy your family and friends and have safe travels.  Today's card is one we received from my friend, Kathy Z, who never fails to create beautiful artwork for me to post.  Thank you, Kathy!  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!

Holiday Thanks

I have created quite a few Thanksgiving and Christmas cards and yesterday decided I should also be thinking about thank you cards.  So out came my not yet used Endless Thanks stamp set and the Home For Christmas Designer Series Paper.  I wrapped the upper portion of the card with the Very Vanilla thick baker's twine and once I adhered everything together I did think that the Cherry Cobbler thick baker's twine would have been a nice contrast to the Mossy Meadow.  I will tell you that I  purchased the die that cuts out the banner from the Endless Thanks set from Dave's Dies.  Dave is not connected to Stampin' Up, although he does have some great dies that coordinate with the SU stamp sets.  But, he is so popular that very often what you want is sold out and then you have to keep checking back so you don't miss it when it comes back in.  If anyone is interested I can give you the link to his site. Have a great day!

Thanksgiving Boxes

A little while ago I posted pictures of square pillow boxes I created for Thanksgiving.  I was very happy with the boxes with acorns and wrapped in linen thread.  But I still wanted something prettier for the ladies who will be here.  I opened my "Thanksgiving" box in which I save Fall ribbon and things and there was more of the embellishments I used on last year's Thanksgiving Curvy Keepsake  boxes.  Since I really liked those Curvy Keepsake boxes from last Thanksgiving,  I made square pillow boxes and embellished them with the same pretty ribbon and embellishments.  I think they are just so pretty that I had to share.  Have a great day!! 

Extravaganza Sale

Beginning on Monday, Stampin' Up is offering their Online Etravaganza Sale. Following is the link to the sale items.  The offer is while supplies last, so hopefully you will be able to take advantage of the sale.  If there is anything I can help with, please let me know. 




http://su-media.s3.amazonaws.com/media/Promotions/NA/2015/11_November/Online%20Extravaganza/Online_Extravaganza_Products_US.pdf

Pastel Joy

Earlier in the Fall, I sponged some leaves in bright colors.  I really liked that look, so decided to try

something similar with snowflakes.  The difference is that I lightly sponged pastel inks rather than bright colors on the snowflakes and "Joy".  The snowflakes are from Lawn Fawn's snowflake dies and "Joy" is from Stampin' Up's Wonderful Wreath framelits.   The color on the snowflakes is very subtle and after putting the card together, I added a few rhinestones.  The card is pretty, not at all Christmas colors, but that silver cording added just enough to make this a very peaceful Christmas card~~one I would like to receive!  Have a great weekend and hope snow predictions are way off! 

Christmas Baker's Boxes

On Cricut Sunday my friend, Kathy, brought her Stampin' Up Baker's Box die so I could play with it.  Needless to say, the die has been ordered.  At class this week, we will be making the red box, but it was a toss up as to which it would be.  For the white box, I used Whisper White cardstock, randomly stamped it with a stamp from the Holly Jolly Greetings stamp set and embellished it with dies and red glitter paper I had left from last Christmas.  It is very pretty.  The one we will make at class was die cut in Real Red cardstock and then run thru the Big Shot using the Brick Wall embossing folder.  The candy cane is from the A Little Something stamp set and the flower is a die in the Delicate Ornaments Thinlets set.  This box has so many possibilities, you will be seeing a variety of holiday/birthday favors on my blog in the future.  Have a great day!

Festive Flower Pillow Pox

If you are coming to class over the weekend,  you will be creating one of these square pillow boxes embellished with the pretty poinsettia.  I finally purchased the Festive Flower builder punch, but I did not purchase the coordinating stamp set.  And after making the flower, I think it looks very pretty without being stamped~~and I didn't have to line anything up either to get the perfect petals!  The square pillow box holds quite a bit, even fits a gift card.  Tomorrow I will post pictures of another little box we will be making at class.  Have a great day and find yourself a little stampin' time!

Birch Trees

As I was cleaning my craft room for Cricut Sunday, I came across some of those little mistakes that I can't just throw away and made this quick card.  Back when I was practicing the brayering of the Woodland embossing folder, I made quite a few mistakes.  But on this one, I knew I could use it for something.  And, I did!  I fussy cut the part of the embossed cardstock that was good and adhered it to a white card base.  After stamping the sentiment (Wetlands) and punching it out using the Decorative Label punch, I adhered that to a larger Decorative Label that I had created a few  years ago using my Cricut.  No matter how many photos I took, this white and gray color combination is just not showing up too great, but you get the idea.  It is a nice card, and especially nice when a masculine card is called for.  Have a great day!

More Hershey Kiss Leaves Tents

A couple of weeks ago I made some little Hershey Kiss tent favors.  Yesterday was Cricut Sunday
and I wanted to create a little favor for each of the ladies.  So, I decided to perfect the little leaf favors. After die cutting the leaves, I sponged the edges.  Then I layered a couple of leaves together, adhering the smaller one in front using a dimensional.  A couple of little leaves on the base of the favor together with the sentiment from a retired SU stamp set was good for yesterday's favors, but I  will add each person's name instead of a sentiment for the Thanksgiving table. I must say that I do think it is the Wink of Stella clear glitter pen that I brushed over the leaves that make these favors so pretty!  Have  a great day!

Little Red Bird

This is a cute card, the idea from a card I saw posted probably on Pinterest.  I am not sure where I actually saw it.  At any rate, I just remembered the little red bird and the white scallop circle.  I thought the card was cute when I saw it and now that I made my version, I still think it is cute.  The foliage under the bird was created using a Martha Stewart punch and I think it could use a little bitty bow in the center.  This was another fun card to make.  And I sure do wish that SU still sold the scalloped edge border punch.  Between that and the corner punch, I use them both very often.  Have a great day and a wonderful weekend. 

Looking In The Window

I have had a Memory Box window die for a while and Stampin' Up released their window die in the Holiday mini.  Since I do not use the window die that often, I have decided that I will not replace my current Memory Box die with the Stampin' Up die.  That being said, I used my Memory Box window die for today's card.  I embossed white cardstock using the Brick Wall embossing folder and sponged it with Crumb Cake ink.  (I tried it first with Cherry Cobbler ink and it was just a little too much for my liking.)  I fussy cut the Christmas tree and presents from a piece of the DSP paper in the Home For Christmas collection and adhered it to  white cardstock before adhering the window frame over the white cardstock.  As I look at the card as it posts on the blog, I have decided that I am  going to color in carpeting using my Prisma colored pencils before I send the card to someone.  The sentiment is from a retired stamp set, but you don't even need a sentiment for this card.  The Stampin' Up Hearth and Home window die is about 1/2" to 3/4" shorter and wider than the Memory Box die used here.  Have a great day!

Thank You!

Once again, I have the chance to say thank you to all of those who have served or are serving in the United States military.  You are a special group of people.  John's Dad served in the Army and  my Dad proudly served in the United States Navy.  My Dad's time in the Navy was something he always talked about with us.  He treasured his Navy years.  And then when my children got older and he told stories of things he did in the Navy, he would tell those stories with tears in his eyes.  As he said, he had no idea when he was 17 and on the battleship USS Iowa off of Japan that he was part of history.   And when we (John, Jen, Matt & I) went to Key West for the first time and I saw the little White House, I could almost picture my Dad playing ball on the lawn there.  He was also stationed on President Truman's presidential yacht, the USS Williamsburg and he would talk about cruising down to Key West from Washington D.C. and playing ball on the front lawn and swimming in the Gulf while President Truman worked from the Little White House.  My Dad was a good man and a very proud sailor.  And I continue to be proud for him and of him.  I am sure you all have your stories to tell about your loved ones who served or are serving in the military.  Don't ever forget them and pass their stories on to the next generation.   Because of them, we have our freedom.  And please, if you see a military person today or any day, thank him or her!  Have a great day!

Thanksgiving Square Pillowbox 2

Yesterday was Blackberry Bliss and leaves.  Today is Chocolate Chip and acorns.  Once again I embossed the pieces of the pillow box using the Woodlands embossing folder.  Embossing folders in general add much to the various boxes we have, but this Woodlands folder is so perfect for Thanksgiving!  And while the colorful leaves were cute, the punched acorns with the gold glitter tops are an sparkly embellishment for this table favor.   The thankful banner was stamped using an image from the Acorny Thank You set and then die cut using an Itty Bitty framelit.  Now not so good news regarding the Woodlands embossing folder, per the back order report as of yesterday:

"November 15 Woodland Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (10,335 backordered; 8,424 expected. 12,096 more expected 7 December)"

In other words many of you will not be getting your Woodlands folders in time for Thanksgiving.  Stampin' Up really miscalculated the popularity of this item!  That being said, if you ordered this embossing folder thru me and live in my area, you are more than welcome to set up a time to come over and use mine if you need it for Thanksgiving.   Have a great day!

Thanksgiving Square Pillow Box 1

Happy Monday!  I made a few more Christmas cards, but I decided that I needed to make my Thanksgiving table favors so I put the cards aside for a couple of days.  After die cutting the two pieces of Blackberry Bliss cardstock needed to create the pillow box, I ran each one thru the Big Shot with the Woodland Embossing Folder.  And here let me remind you to watch and make sure you are running the cardstock thru in the correct direction.  I embossed mine so that the birch trees would be upright where the pieces are adhered to each other versus upright to the edge on which the box closes.  The sentiment on the tag is from the A Little Something stamp set in the Mini catalog, stamped and layered on framelits from the Labels and Tags set.  I wrapped the box with retired Mossy Meadow ribbon and then decided to add a few autumn leaves die cut with one of the dies included in the Square Pillow Box die set.   I filled the box with a handful of mini Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, Kit Kats and Hershey Bars.  Have a great day!

Jolly Christmas

As you can see, today's card is a cute Christmas card for a child.  Once again I used the Holly Jolly Greetings stamp set and the coordinating dies.  But the cutest thing about this card is the little deer.  The little deer was hand cut from a piece of DSP from the Home for Christmas collection.  After die cutting the oval using one of our framelits, I ran the white cardstock thru the Big Shot using the Stylish Stripes embossing folder.  The red ribbon adds a little festive touch~~all ready for a little great niece. Have a great day and find yourself a little stampin' time!

Christmas Die Cuts

Once again I used a framelit from the Delicate Ornaments Thinlets set.  This time I cut it out using Tip Top Taupe cardstock and lined it with Shimmery White cardstock.  The top was cut out of a piece of gold glitter paper.  The card base is Meadow Moss with the sentiment stamped in Meadow Moss ink.  But the foliage on today's card was cut from dies in the Tim Holtz die collection, Holiday Greens, not the stamped holly image from the Embellished Ornaments set.   After making the three cards I posted this week, I am not sure which I prefer the most.  When I figure that out, that is the one we will be making in the next card class. Have a great day!

Red Foil

I do like today's Christmas card, too!  I used both the Embellished Ornaments and coordinating die AND the Holly Jolly Greetings stamp set and Christmas Greetings thinlets. And as much as I say I don't purchase the specialty paper, I did end up purchasing the red foil .  And look how pretty it looks on this card!  I stamped the holly leaves in Early Espresso and then colored them using the Old Olive marker. I also had some silver foil so I die cut that for the ornament top and the hook. The only thing I will call your attention to is the little dot impressions that are left after rolling the foil and the die through the Big Shot.  Nonetheless, so pretty!  Have a great day!

Out Of the Catalog!

I need to start posting Christmas cards so today's is one I pretty much copied out of the mini catalog.   The card I copied is on page 15~~the same page as the Embellished Ornaments stamp set and Delicate Ornament dies are shown.  After sponging Crumb Cake lightly on the background, I stamped the holly using Old Olive Ink.  Once I started coloring in the leaves using the Old Olive marker, I realized that the leaves on the card in the mini were probably colored in using a blender pen.  I should have done it for all the leaves, but I know better for the next card I make like this.  I stamped the ornament using Marina Mist and die cut it using the solid die.  Before adhering the ornament to the card, I added a little silver thread behind it.  Copying makes things so easy!  Have a great day.

World of Dreams

I recently purchased the World of Dreams stamp set and I needed to use it almost immediately.  I stamped the background using the Watercolor Wash background stamp with Soft Sky ink and Tip Top Taupe for the image.  I then stamped a sentiment and guess what?  I stamped it crooked!!!  So, I stamped another sentiment from the Wetlands set and die cut it using a framelit from the Circle Card set.  The card still needed a little something more, so as suggested by Stampin' Up, I cut down one of the Halloween doilies, flipped it over and sponged Tip Top Taupe on the white side of the doily.  One good way of using up those doilies.  As you can see, Tip Top Taupe and Soft Sky make a pretty color combination.  Have a great day!