Simon Wednesday Diecember challenge is to use a die.  Nothing like the basics with circles from spellbinders and then this sweet Christmas sentiment from Whimsy.  I love it.  I used spray adhesive to stack two thin chip board and then used a thinner light gray paper.  after stacking I sprayed with adhesive and sprinkled fine glitter on the sentiment.  It turned out so elegantly sparkly.

new stamps, old stamps, holiday stamping Stamp #529

I have so many stamps, papers, glitters, etc that I have purchased over the years for holiday stamping and then when it comes time to haul it all out I get overwhelmed.   Today I am going to focus on ONE stamp set and see what I can create with just this set.  When I am finished with each stamp in the set I will move on to another step.  Today I only have one load of laundry to do and the house is quiet I can stamp stamp stamp…but FIRST I need to clean up the mess in here I have already made.  And here is yesterday’s creation that I made amidst all that mess.  And that’s just the desk.  not showing the side table and floor.

  Whimsy Christmas Greetings. Paper Scraps, Sizzix Tag dies, clear sequins made with MFT sequins die. (I love having those sequin dies)
Entering into Just  A Touch Pinch at Simon’s Monday challenge.  I used just a pinch of smeared stickles for a bit of glitter on the burlap tag.
Thanks for stopping by.  Wishing you peaceful days especially during this season of peace that has everyone rushing. ??????

what happened?

For this card, it started out to be the Unusual Colors for the ABC Christmas challenge, and it ended up being a birthday card.  I really liked how it turned out and it is perfect for the friend in mind.

Fun with Rub Ons

What fun to play with this sheet of Heidi Grace Rub On's that I found at a rummage for a quarter.  Look at that, I got SIX cards out of this one page.   I added in some other items with die cuts from specials that i had picked up through out the year.  It's been fun.  I have lots of Christmas stuff and wanting to use it but just haven't the energy this season.  I'll work on it though! Still got a couple weeks  of the season left. Another entry for Simon's Work It Wednesday Challenge.

4x4 Stamp #528

I love this little Christmas Tree.  It worked just right for this little 4x4 card made with Holly Jolly designer paper from Art Warehouse.  Princess Judy had sent me this pretty vellum piece in one of her packages and I loved it for this.   The stamp is Recollections.  Adding this in as my third entry into Simon Says Work It Wednesday.  They assure me that FIVE is fine and they like to see the entries so i am going to believe them!! :)  Merry Christmas everyone.

Winter

We are so thankful that we actually have had AUTUMN this year and maybe winter will come when it supposed to, after December 21.  It’s been a blesssing to have these mild temperatures and no snow.  I have often told my husband when changing out the seasonal clothing.  “too much wool, not enough cotton”  ha ha.  So it’s been a bit difficult to make snow flake cards when I am so glad that we don’t have snow. 
Here’s one for you though.  It’s part of the ABC Christmas challenge to make a card out of unusual holiday colors. U for unusual.  It also fit the sketch for the MFT sketch design this week but I am posting it too late to enter it.  Ah well…better days ahead.  Well, I can still enter into Simons Work it Wednesday Challenge

Hello There Stamp 527

it’s been a while.  I’m going to post a few single cards and then I shall make another group post.  This one was so fun to make using a little pile of scraps on the side of my death.  I was so please with how it turned out.  I still maintain the theory that I work best with scraps as my inspiration.    I was so thankful this year that I had most of my cards done pre-christmas thanks to many challenge blogs that I tapped into.  My favorite was ABC Christmas blog.  I think I got them all done, though I didn’t get them all posted in time for the challenge completion date but they were good sparks to get the wheels turning.  I hope to keep that up again this year. 
I am entering this card into the Simon Says Work It Wednesday Challenge.  This was made with a stencil from MFT.  Recollections stamp image and Prickley Pear die cut and  bow. And a cute little frond someone sent to me.

Playing Catch Up

Sometimes a gal just has to do what she’s gotta do.  I have gotten so far behind posting pics and I just don’t feel like scheduling them.  WARNING::: here’s a post with lots of cards and very little detail.      I have been having fun at the stamp table.

having fun at a vendor show

last weekend a couple of friends, Debi and Christy and I went to their first ever round robin make and take and a vendor show the next day.  We had so much fun and Debi won a great door prize and I was very happy for her. Here are all the cards we made during both days and of course I spent a pile of dough on new toys.  It’s never done, is it.  we always want some new sparkly bauble.  These are not my own designs but the creations we made at the work shops.  I am posting them so I can remember what we did and how much fun we had.   Now THAT’s a pile of cards.

 

#526 the little gift

MFT sketch challenge #252 was the inspiration for this cutie.  I wanted a Christmas card to add to my Caring Hearts collection. I took a present stamp and replaced the pile of snow that the little MFT girl was holding.  Just a little altering to extend the way to use a stamp.  I cut around her mittens and arms with a craft knife and inserted the cut out present giving a bit of dimension on the card.  I wanted to use sequins for the card and I have some clear ones that I have cut with the MFT sequins die but these are going to the elderly in nursing homes and I didn’t want them to maybe pick them off and be a choking hazard.  In place of that idea I chose to use my Viva Pearl Pens (my best friends in the craft room. ) I really like how soft this little card turned out.  I am also trying to use up the pile of things on the side of my desk and this shimmering background made with a Tim Holtz stencil has been sitting in that pile since February, I think.  Mission accomplished.  I also used two pieces of water color paper scraps from that pile.  Success feels so good.

 

#525 Simon Exclusive stamp

It was so exciting to get a free November 2012 card kit from Simon.  Included it there were some very cool stamps.  I used this large heart to create a shabby chic card.  Well it didn’t start out to be shabby chic but…..what does a person do when they drop a black stamp pad on the front of an already created card?  Well, shabby chic of course, and then you don’t even have to say a bad word.  The black distressing really added to this card.  can you tell which one was the accidental mark?  Nope? I didn’t think so and the recipient won’t know either.

Work it Wednesday is to make a thank you card.  This doesn’t say it on the outside but there is a thank you sentiment inside.  I have had so many caring friends helping me along in an emotional journey we are in currently I want to send some cards out to them.  We do so appreciate those good friends.

Caring Hearts add on

I will be making a few more cards for the caring hearts drive as I have most of my own holiday cards finished.  This way I can play with all the new things that I bought on sale back in January of this year.  how fun is that? 

But this card has a stamp from GKD that has already been used and recorded on here.  Just thought it would make a cute card to add to the challenge over at  Stamp TV.  Also, Simon’s Wednesday challenge is ANYTHING GOES.  Hop on over and add your card to the link!  I used Simon’s falling snow stencil with paste to create the background.

Simon’s Throw Back Challenge

The Monday challenge at Simon this week is to choose a challenge from their archives.  I chose this one that was Countdown to Christmas from  November 27, 2013

I used a new Dylusions stencil with some Ranger products.  Stains, inks and sprays.  Then spritzed with water.  I found this count down list, that I filled in myself,  in the Be Merry 6 inch paper pack from Kaisercraft.  I added the balloon string and bow from some velvet paper.  Voila, it too me longer to type this up then to make the card.  I am including this in Jennfer McGuires Caring Hearts drive.

thankfulness with die cuts

I was able to purchase these spellbinder dies at a rummage sale.  It is really fun to get quality things at such good prices.  I didn’t know if I would ever use them much but so fun to have them as part of the collection for those times you might want them.  This is a good example.  My husbands first sergeant from Vietnam days is having some severe health challenges.  He is the most kind and caring man and I’m thankful to have met his sweet wife several years ago.  I will really miss him.  This is not something he will recover from.  He reminds me so of my dad though he is not old enough to be my dad, just his ways and sometimes his looks. I want to get this out to him while he is still able to appreciate how much we care about him. 

Life has many blessings but it also comes with much sorrow.  Thanks for stopping by.

Making a few more Christmas Cards for the Caring Hearts Drive Stamps #525 #526 #527 #528 #529 #530 #531 #532

Jennifer Mc Guire and friends have done this card drive for nursing homes the last five years.  I decided last year that I would be a part of it this year.  Here are my beginning projects.  I have made ten cards all similar to the ones I am posting here.  I hope to make another batch and get them sent out to the coordinating person before the middle of November.  Dug into a whole bunch of un inked stamps.  The set of four was done with a stencil and a stippling brush.  I made several varieties of the candle one and I enjoy each one.

Using Gina K Designs Stamps #522 #523 #524

It was so much fun using my stamps from Gina K Designs.  I always love how crisp and lean they stamp and the very pretty images she has designed for her.  She’s got these amazing tutorials too that are helpful for stampers at any level.  These stamps are all from her kit from fall last year called the Simple Things.  Her kits are the only ones I have truly felt that I got my entire money’s worth.  I will qualify that by saying I do not work for Gina, have never been on her design team, and receive nothing in compensation for that statement.  I just really like her simple style.   The fox and tree and the leaves are all stamps that I have never inked up before.  Yep, I’m still counting.  I’m having fun seeing which stamps I continue to pick up and re-use in addition to seeing which ones I have yet to ink up.  Oh the challenge, I have many many more stamps to go.  Thanks for popping in.