JOY

Hi everybody! It's that time of year for card makers to get busy with their cards to mail out for the holidays, and I'm no exception. In just another day or two, it will also be time to change my banner again so it will be appropriate for Thanksgiving. Wow! Fall is passing by quickly!

This card was created with an old stamp set from Stampin Up called Peaceful Wreath. I love it because it goes with another stamp set called Wondrous Wreath that's the same except the wreath doesn't have holly and berries on it.

The "joy" comes from a die cut I purchased from Reverse Confetti. It has several holiday words in the set and also goes with a stamp set to complete a sentiment. On the inside of this card, for instance, I used "to the world," stamped in red to go with the front.

Thank you for stopping by today! I appreciate your comments and visits very much, and I hope to see you again real soon ~

OCC Merry Making Day 3

Hi everybody! I'm slowly but surely coming back with more homework. Today's card is for Day 3, and I followed a video by Gina from Gina K Designs.

The idea for today's homework is to use stamps that aren't particularly made for the holidays. I used a few from a Gina K Design's Stamp TV Kit called The Simple Things, including the dot, the bud and the flower. All were heat embossed in gold, as well as the sentiment from Gina's Holly Jolly set. All were layered on black. I added a ribbon, also from Gina, for the final touch (with help from Snuggles).

Like I said, I created this while following Gina's video, so it's really a CASE (Copy and Share Everything) and not an original by me. Of course, I'd LOVE to take the credit but that's not fair.

Thank you for stopping by today. I appreciate your comments and visits very much, and I hope to see you again real soon ~ as soon as I get Day 4 done!

OCC Merry Making Day 2

Hi everybody! I'm back with homework from Day 2 of Online Card Classes Merry Making. I followed a video by Jennifer McGuire to create this card. It's fairly simple yet appealing to the eye. That's my kind of card!

Lines were drawn every 1/4th inch across the bottom using my scoreboard by Martha Stewart.The stamp set I used is called Poinsettias by Inspired By Stamping. I've had it forever and got it when I won a gift certificate for their products. It was hard to choose which products I wanted, and I remember adding a good bit to this order. I've used this stamp set every Christmas since, so I'm very glad I got it.

The ink is from Gina K Designs, the cardstock from Stampin Up! I also used my Wink of Stella pen to add some glitter on the poinsettia center and also for the veins in the leaves. That's not visible in this photograph, unfortunately.

The ribbon had to be tied a few times -- Snuggles got a hold of it and kept untying the bow faster than I could re-tie it. I finally took the original off and started over again. Frustration! (I know it sounds like Snuggles is always a frustration, but I do really, truly love her...especially when she's sleeping!)

Thank you for stopping by today. I appreciate your comments and visits very much, and I hope to see you again real soon ~

OCC Merry Maker Day 1

Hello everybody! I'm here today with homework from Online Card Classes Merry Maker's first day. This will be a holiday class where we will make a variety of cards for the upcoming holiday season. YAY! They didn't offer this class last year, and I was so disappointed! This is where I get my ideas for the year's cards I send out.

I used Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Inks to blend the colors for the background. Then I heat embossed the snowflakes in white. (All the snowflakes are from various stamp kits I've collected over the years.) The large "JOY" was from a stamp & die kit from Simon Says Stamps. I heat embossed that in silver and then die cut it. The rest of the sentiment was also heat embossed in silver.

Kristina Werner showed us how to do the "bokah" technique, and I like it. I've always thought that would be hard, but it wasn't. All I had to do was draw white circles with a paintbrush and water and then dab the excess off so the ink would lift. This works particularly well with Distress Oxide Inks. You'd think that wasn't challenging, but it was. Snuggles kept drinking the water!!!

Thank you for stopping by today. I appreciate your comments and visits very much, and I hope to see you again real soon ~

Stitched Leaves

Hello everybody! I'm back already with a card I'm entering in the Mix It Up Monday Challenge at Stamp TV. We're asked to use vellum on our creation, so I added that's where I put the sentiment.

I've had a few difficult days waiting on test results (thyroid), and my friends have been very supportive. This card will go to one of them who really reached out to me and kept my spirits up right until my last doctor's appointment (where I was told we're going to "watch it" for another 6 months -- UGH!) Anyway, I need to make several of these!

I created the background using the two-step stamps in the Stitched Leaves set by Gina K Designs and then added the piece of vellum on top with the sentiment. The stamps came in a mini kit, complete with adhesive, stamps, dies and cardstock. Can't beat it! I die cut the word out several times and layered it before adhering. The die came separately, btw. The phrase was heat embossed in VersaFine Black ink.

In case you were wondering, yes, Snuggles helped! She grabbed my trimmings and chased them around the table while I was trying to heat emboss. That was FUN...right!

Thank you for stopping by again today! I appreciate your comments and visits very much, and I hope to see you again real soon ~

Bats & Webs

Hey everybody! How's your day coming along? It's nearly the weekend, YAY!

I'm still trying to get Halloween cards done. Only a couple left, except my neighbor has now ordered several of the card with the shoes that you saw in my previous post. Time is ticking...

I love the sentiment on this card! Over the past several years, I have made friends with quite a few crafting folks through the Internet. We share our cards and send them to each other when someone is down, sick or celebrating an occasion. Amazing friendships!

This card is especially appropriate for friends like that. I couldn't resist purchasing the stamp set called Bats by Gerda Steiner Designs once I saw the sentiment. The cat on the inside is from Gina K Designs' Boo stamping set. The rectangle die with the dots cut out is from Stephanie Barnard's The Stamps of Life. I created the background myself using other stamps from the Gerda Steiner stamps.

Thank you for stopping by today! I appreciate your comments and visits very much, and I hope to see you again real soon ~ another post is right around the corner!