Christmas Cards On Display!

This simple ribbon Christmas Card Tree decorates my front hall. I belong to several online groups that exchange cards, plus friends and family, so this is a mix of both homemade and purchased cards. I use mini clothes pins purchased at the craft store to clip them onto the heavy ribbon. I've glitter sprayed the pins, so they sparkle! I like this way to display my cards, I've tried so many things, and my dd thought this up for me this year. Last year I clipped them to the ribbon, but the tree arrangement is new for us...so cute! Since we still have almost a week left until Christmas, I'm sure this will fill out nicely and as many more cards will be arriving soon!

Christmas Card

I did four of these last night and finished working on them this morning. I was wanting a card that was flat with no ribbon knots or brads. I wanted it to go through the postage machines without trouble. This is what I did. Old Olive CS, Real Red, Shimmer White. I used a sentiment from Star Studded Season, the image is Baby Jesus Is Born, and the Merry Christmas is from Fancy Flexible Phrases. I sponged it with Holtz Antique, the image is stamped on Shimmer white, and watercolored with reinkers and an Aquapainter.

Quick Christmas Tag

This is a fast tag for this big gift! Just a 3x3 card with a nice ribbon wrapped around it and the ornament stamped on shimmer white, punched with the scalloped square. Decorated with stickles and I will write the to and from info at the bottom of the card. Punched a hole for the ribbon and threaded it with red grosgrain SU ribbon.

Merry Christmas Cards from Jasmine and Harvey

My daughter and her husband took this picture of their parrots. She brought it to me and asked me to transform it into a "cool card". Well this is what we put together. She is exchanging cards with her Eclectus Parrot online group she belongs too, so needed some Christmas Parrot cards! I cut out the main pieces, she punched out everything, and I sent her back to apartment with stuff to make twenty! The main card is black CS, the frame of the pic is Handsome Hunter. Gold Cording wrapped around the bottom finished off with the punched ovals in Real Red CS and Shimmer White. We used big Office Brads to accent the gold in the picture on Word Window Punches in the left corner. The Merry Christmas is stamped in Real Red with the Fancy Flexible Phrases and sponged and edged with Encore Gold on the shimmer white. Inside it is stamped in Encore Gold with the star from Solemn Stillness and a saying from Star Studded Christmas.

Harvey and Jasmine, Eclectus Parrots

My married daughter and her husband moved into our basement apartment a while ago. Over Thanksgiving weekend look who came to live with us! This is Harvey and Jasmine, Eclectus Parrots. They are so pretty! When Harvey flaps his wings you can see the beautiful reds and blues underneath. Both of them are surprisingly quiet. I think the parakeets make more noise. They are eating their oatmeal here over the parakeets. They get a wide variety of healthy foods, my daughter has taken to making sprouts every day for them plus a host of other fun goodies. I think they are wonderful Christmas Colors...such bright incredible colors nature give us!

Quick Gift Tag

I finally got back into doing a challenge, yay! It is a quick one, cute little snowman, perfect for a red wrapped present I have in mind. Easy with craft white stamped with Snow Flurries, and Stazon stamped with Tags for All Snowmen. Colored with gel pens and there you are...tied with a blue ribbon, couldn't be easier!

Time Well Spent, Limited Supply Challenge

I used my new set, Time Well Spent, and created this card which fit the SCS challenge. It was the limited supply challenge LSC142. We were to limit our layers, only use 2-3 stamps including sentiment, only use one embellishment...and this was my result. I think it came out very Valentine looking, especially if you think Love when you read the sentiment!

Time Well Spent My Free Set from Stampin Up

Stampin Up decided to give all demonstrators a free stamp set this month, mine came yesterday. It's called Time Well Spent. It will be a Level 3 Hostess Set in the next catalog. Lots of stamps, all flowers and two sentiments! I made this card using the papers on my table from this weeks Color Challenge on SCS. Pomegranate and Kraft...I added black and here it is! I used Pomegranate Wide Satin Ribbon and narrow black satin ribbon, plus my glitter pens for some color and shine...:)

Fabulous Pomegranate Color Challenge

This was the SU Color Challenge CC140. I added black to the Kraft and Pomegranate colors of the challenge. It was fun to make...I used a Maple Leaf Punch to do the leaves behind the flower, and lots of layers and brads...fun! The hardest part was the satin ribbon I tied it a dozen times...the picture was hard to take as well...I wanted those stickles to shine, so I chose not the best pic...I need to study photo taking a bit more!

MommaKat's New Kittens

We felt bad MommaKat had to live outdoors...so we found her a new owner! They came and picked her up on Saturday.... All were delighted with the new situation, she loved her new place in Sandy, playing with their dog and it was working well. Until today we found MommaKat's hiding place for her kittens! Who knew? We certainly didn't. Luckily MommaKat has great new owners who were happy and excited to be brought the new kittens so Momma can finish raising them. Already the kittens have been spoken for and new owners are lining up...so we were happy for the kittens, they are now warm and safe. We felt bad we couldn't keep them, but allergies are so severe it just was not possible. But I thought you'd like to see pictures of the pretty kitties...and MommaKat...

Dashing Merry Christmas

This card uses Dashing SU Design Paper. Also shimmer white, Real Red and Old Olive. I made it for today's SCS Card Sketch Challenge SC149. I like how it turned out, I used my new Inkadinkado stamp with the oval and pretty swirls, the bird is from SU's It's Snow Time and the pine branch from SU's Lovely as a Tree. I used markers to ink them up and had a great time putting it all together. The swirl clip and brads are silver, the ribbon is white chiffon and SU's red grosgrain. I am enjoying doing the Christmas Cards. I still haven't found one I want to mass produce yet though...hmmn, I better get busy. :)

Horizontal Pocket Card

Here's my Horizontal Pocket Card for today's Technique's SCS challenge TLC141. I used Stampin Up Stamps It's Snow Time and Glad Tidings. SU Old Olive Real Red, Very Vanilla Card Stock. Real Read and Old Olive Ink, along with Stazon Jet Black. The Ribbon is SU wide Grosgrain ribbon, which I LOVE! Also SU corner punch. I liked the way it turned out...had a bit of trouble with the glitter pen smearing, so I'm not sure I'd use that again...but it does add a nice shine. I also used a white gel pen to color in the snow areas. I like the way that you can see the sentiment on the insert, but that there is plenty of "hidden" room to write under it.

Pumpkin Party

Family Pumpkin Carving. We took time out and went over to my son's house and all carved Pumpkins. We all carved our own, and with the extra one they popped Jumbo Mr. Potato Head Parts in him, we had a fun evening full of eating chili and goofing around. Fun, Fun.

Anna's Embroidery Card

My sister Anna embroidered the penguin and snowflake square on the front of this card, isn't it cute? It is a pattern done on with machine embroidery the pattern/software is by Dakota Collectables in their Christmas Card Collection. If you want to know more go to www.gonutsgocreative.com Anyway, we worked put together this layout today. Background is in Bashful Blue, with Brilliant Blue Mat and real red word window punch tabs with silver brads. The ribbon is the new wide SU grosgrain ribbon. She plans to give this to her friends and family...so if that is you...don't let on that you had a sneak peek, lol! The inside has a Wild About You Penguin, and Merry Christmas from Glad Tidings. Enjoy...

Mellow Harmony Card

I made this last night when I couldn't sleep. It is a quick and easy card for the SCS Friday Challenge. I like how it turned out, it's a lovely soft color, and was easy to do. I used Mellow Moss SU cardstock with Very Vanilla CS and CTMH Designer Paper. I used SU Happy Harmony stamp set, in mellow moss ink, sponging, and a Mavy Scalloped Oval Punch, and a smaller Mavy Oval punch. Also the two SU circle punches for the sentiment. I used a grosgrain ribbon purchased at Roberts on sale, and it is the same color as Mellow Moss, the ribbon appears darker in the picture, probably because I photographed the card night with no natural light.

I haven't made a card in forever. My dd and her husband moved into our basement for a while, and I moved all my stamping stuff upstairs to give them room, and my new space still isn't organized. So I have a hard time finding anything, I still have so much to do to organize the papers, everything else too and to figure out where to put everything. I was in the kitchen so I had a sink, counters, cupboards, drawers, a table and chairs, etc, so I was really spoiled. Now I have to figure out storage for everything. I did get a few plastic drawer sets, but I have a long way to go to find a spot for everything. So I have my work cut out for me. I went in tonight to make another card, and I got all discouraged because I couldn't find anything in there. So obviously I need to work at unloading the crates and rearranging all the stuff! Wish me luck, I really want to get back to making great cards.

Two Minute Wedding Card

My son's best friend got married today. He wore a tux, stood in the line at the reception with four groomsmen, and there was four bridesmaids too...the whole thing. So my husband and I went, it was an hour drive, so we had to hustle to get their after work. I was the one that went, bought the present, wrapped it, then of course put a card on the present. Sounds easy right...ha! My married daughter and new son in law moved in last week-and my stamping space got moved. It currently is in boxes in the spare bedroom...all over. So I couldn't find my wedding cards-if I have a few left...so OK, I guess I'll make one. I look at my watch...I have like five minutes until time to leave, plus I have to wrap the box still...arrgh! I have my stamps on shelves already, so I grab my new set True Friend and Warmest Regards, which luckily were right on top. Grab a piece of shimmer white, cause my solid colors were in the file box still. Grab the silver ink pad, cut the card stock in half, and fold, then stamp with the medallion on the other half. Rustle through my punches for one that is big enough, no circle punch is big enough, but no time to cut it out, so I grab the scalloped square, I'm in luck it fits fine, punch. Hmmn, I rub it a bit on the edges in silver so it doesn't fade in too much on the shimmer white. Grab a brad and pop it in, grab a few dimentionals and adhere them. Stamp the Congratulations in Silver, then adhere the square careful not to smear anything. Wave the card around hoping it will dry...while running to wrap the huge box. (gave them a French White Corningware set, pretty) After I do that in record time I write in the card, snap a fast picture, pop it in an envelope and run out to the car....all in five minutes. That's why I call this a two minute card. Now that I look at the picture I wish it had some silver and white ribbon...but the ribbon was still in a box somewhere! Anyway then it would have been a three minute card, lol!
I wish my fast picture had captured the shimmery card stock or the shimmer the silver had. It looks like plain white and gray in the picture...but it isn't...it was pretty with a soft sheen!

Maple Mountain Week Four Oct, 11, 07

I have been taking pictures out from the front of my house every week for my son Andy, who is serving an LDS Mission in Minnesota. This is this week's picture...you can see the tree that broke last week in the early snowstorm we had in the foreground.. Most of the evidence of the snow on the mountain is gone now, the last two days have been in the high 70"s, but today it is cool again, it's only in the 50's outside, but it looks lovely. I live in a gorgeous area beside the mountains... They are thinking of building houses on this mountain that my view looks upon, so I am taking the pictures while I can...this view may change soon, sigh... It is lovely for now, you can see the atmosphere today, and that the colors are indeed changing, not just up in the mountains, but down in the valley now as well.

Thinking of YOU, LSC136

The challenge this morning was to use Designer Paper and to only use a sentiment stamp and an optional border/trim stamp. No main image...so here is mine. I really like how it turned out, it has a simple clean look to it that I really like. I used the large Mavy Oval Purple Punch for the sentiment, two cocoa ovals and one pretty in pink. All SU Paper, the DP is SU's Rebecca. The paper is all SU, Pretty in Pink and Close to Cocoa. The ink is SU Chocolate Chip and Close to Cocoa sponging. The ribbon is also SU.

Charlie and This Morning's Card

This is the card I made for the WT134 this morning, my dog Charlie kept wanting to be in the picture so here he is.....the challenge was to use Twill Tape on a card. I had fun with the little dots on the twill, I used my perforation guide, and used a pencil point as the stamp, that turned out pretty well!

Happy Birthday Witch for SCS Limited Supply Challenge

This card was made for Splitcoaststampers Friday Limited Supply Challenge. The challenge was to make a card using Halloween Stamps, but the card wasn't to be a Halloween card, but for another purpose. (like humorous, get well, thank you, thinking of you, etc) I choose a Birthday Card. I didn't think I had any Halloween Stamps at all, I've never purchased any because I don't give cards around or about Halloween, but in looking through my stamps ran across this little witch in the Tag Time Hostess Set. Didn't know if I could make an entire card around her, she's really tiny, but in adding this and that, she still pretty well dominates the card, lol! I added a dotted border on the bottom of her dress, colored her in with SU markers, then distressed the image and the scalloped punch layers with antique and tea Holtz Distress Ink by Ranger. Pressed the natural white card against a perfect Plum inkpad for the distressed edge, then layered it with the mustard and black card stock. I used the SU polka dot background stamp to stamp black dots on the Old olive layer, and then tied the wide black ribbon around that. I punched the ovals, found that the Happy Birthday from Little Hello's fit in the small oval nicely, stamped and sponged the ovals with the antique ink, then inserted the black brads. I stamped the Birthday Sentiment from Circle of Friendship, cut that out by hand and distressed it, then punched the purple and black layers with SU circle punches. Adhered everything on the olive layer, the oval and circles are raised on dimentionals. Then I took it out to the front porch for some light, snapped the picture, and now you see it too. :)

Maple Mountain Autumn, Week Two, Snow Dusting

It's been a week and the mountain is a bit different now. We got quite a bit of rain for several days last week, and you can still see the dusting of snow on it this week. I love autumn and the changes it brings.

CC133 Perserverance Rose

This is for todays, Splitcoaststampers color challenge. Old Olive, More Mustard and Bashful Blue. Not colors I would ever choose on my own, but quite the challenge. This is the results...I was amazed I had all those ribbon colors and it was fun to stack them. Anyway, this is the results. I had fun with the window tabs and the wood ring thing I got at the scrapbook store...six of them for 25 cents in the clearance basket. I added stickles to the middle of the rose, but it doesn't show a lot in this picture.

Finest Flourish

This card was made with the stuff sitting around on the stamp table, I went through my scrap pile and pulled things out and did all the layers, and the blue twine, then I got really stuck, so left it. When I came back my daughter had stamped this image, and left it beside the card, I think it is in Navy and had Ruby Red marker dots on it...but that is my guess. Anyway I liked it so I cut it out with an oval punch, added the brad thing, and the sentiment. I liked the small oval paired with the word window punch, I'd not done that before and I like how it came out. Very different colors for me to try, but I like the result. Then I added the extra ribbon on the top corner, with some SU twine to match the casual nature of the card. Anyway, I thought it was fun for just the leftover card stocks.

Maple Mountain Changing Colors

I took this picture this morning. This is the end of Maple Mountain, looking south east from my driveway. You can see the apple trees lining the road, and the hayfield beside them. The autumn colors are just starting...they say they won't be very vivid this year, due to our hot summer, but they are starting to look quite nice to me...I have acorns lining my walk...the oak tree is already dropping them. I think summer is really coming to a close.

Bodacious Sweet Tent Topper

This card was made with scraps from the stamping table. A bit of this and that. The paper wasn't long enough to make an big card, so I made a tent topper. The scallop was left over from a different project, and since it was white, I sponged it with Ranger Tim Holtz Distressing Ink in Aged Mahogany to match the Ruby Red paper. That worked OK until I got carried away with doing the flower. But I used it all anyway. The leaves were done with markers, colored right onto the rubber in Mellow Moss and Old Olive. Put everything together, added brads, added holes in the scalloped circle. Then I sponged everything again with Aged Mahogany and a little bit of Tea Distressing Ink as well. Then I did the Basic Grey recess papers, distressed and sponged stuff again, than added the Oval Punched the Sweet, which is done in Night of Navy, and then added brads and tabs. Two different ribbons, both on the table...I didn't even get up...the CTMH waxed string in blue, and the little spool of red/pink strip ribbon my dd got me 40 percent off at Roberts, cause the one in St. George UT is moving, and they have a great sale going. I had used a pink polka dot ribbon, but took that off and replaced it with this one. Then I added the tabs. Still needed more, so I added the perforations on the side and bottom, then added faux stitching. Then it still needed somthing so I put the black staples in. Sponged the thing again (why? who knows) and well I think it is as done as I can make it. :) Enjoy.

Bonus Round Circle 07

This card was for a Sketch Challenge Bonus Round, the circle. Not very many stampers took it on, but here is my try. I used all Basic Grey Infuse Papers from the small pad. I used my Cricut to cut out the circles and put them together. This entire card only took three of the small sheets, plus a scrap of Whisper White. I used markers to do the flower directly to the stamp. I also used the Sanded Background Stamp.

SCS Sketch Challenge 141

This Challenge was a good one, I used Basic Grey Recess Paper that I got on sale at CP Scrapbooks in Springville, UT yesterday...it was a great sale. One of those small pads, fun! Very Bright happy card! I used Ruby Red as a base, strips of the Dark Blue for matting the sketch peices, and matting for the image. Used the Sanded background stamp on the Ivory Card Stock of the main image, and stamped it in Blue Bayou, and sponged the edges with Holtz distressing and fingerprinted a bit of Blue Bayou on it. After it dried I added the Crystal Ice Brad in blue, the adhered the entire main image together. I then added the brads and ribbon and stuck that together. Then for the finishing touch I stamped it with the happy from Polka Dots and Paisley.

Nature Pocket Card

This card was for the SCS Ways to Use it Challenge 130. To make a card with a pocket. I hadn't made a fun pocket card for a long time, so I did. It took me a while, I started out using Unfrogettable, but just wasn't happy with it, so I started over. I love Touch of Nature and knew I couldn't go wrong with it. I had fun using the new In Colors, I thought I would never like them at first, but I do now! Still missing Cranberry Crisp though, lol. The Bird is colored with Pastel Chalk in Blue and Yellow and the Bird is stamped by coloring the stamp directly with markers. Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa and all sorts of shades of brown and greens. Distressed everything with Holtz Inks and some Mellow Moss, and there you go.

Rejoice Christmas Doodle!

I made this for Splitcoaststamper Sketch Challenge today. (SC140) It was fun to make, but really hard to photograph! The ribbon did not like the camera. It was fun doing Christmas colors, and I love Ruby Red and greens are lovely. I used Fire Ice Brad in the middle of the flower, lots of red and green sparkle gel pens and silver brads for the corners. Ruby Red, Wild Wasabi, Always Artichoke and Very Vanilla paper. Red Chiffon Ribbon that I bought at Expedex in Orem Utah.

Groovy Artichoke Garden Sillouettes

I had fun with this color challenge, another groovy guava card! I like this stamp set, currently it's my fav! I used Markers for the main image, and cut the sentiment with a punch, mounted it on artichoke and cut around that with scissors, then distressed. I used the word window punch for the brad accent, and cream satin ribbon dragged in the guava ink, plus cream. Used a green velvet ribbon along the bottom to give it some grounding. Anyway, I like the result, fun challenge!

Garden Groovy Skies

This card was made for SplitCoast Color Challenge CC128, and I love how soft and pretty it turned out. I was able to use up some scrapbook snaps that were given to me, they matched perfectly! I love Garden Silhouettes, such a pretty stampset, I put it with the linen background set and lots of layers. I used a Hero Arts Sentiment that I picked up at Quilted Bear last week, I really like it.

In My Prayers

This card was made for my son, with Cranberry Crisp Ink, Flannel Background, textured paper that was in my stash forever, and the new sentiment I got last week. I love the colors and textures, the sentiment is popped up.

Baby Shower Gift Card Matches Scrapbook Pages

This card was made in a big hurry, I forgot I had to have a card to go with the cute matching blanket and cap gift I gave. So I made this up very fast. (15 min) I don't really like the baby stamps I have very much, so I grabbed an extra image from doing the scrapbook pages, and this is what happened. I felt like the card looked better in real life than in this photo...but maybe I just like the card, lol. Anyway, the scalloped square was done on the cricut, a leftover from the scrapbook pages that I didn't want to use, so I already had it. The sentiment was pieced together from some random stamps I had along with the cowboy Howdy from a Stampin Up set. The card uses Barely Banana Card Stock, Bashful Blue and Very Vanilla. The dotted chiffon was from Walmart. Chocolate Chip Ink, Tim Holtz Distressing Tea Ink, and SU Brads. The image was colored with Rose Art Colored Pencils. Anyway it worked, and I think it's cute...and new mom to be liked it too!

Baby Shower Scrapbook Pages

I'm invited to a baby shower tomorrow evening, and the hostess asked us all to whip up a couple of scrapbook pages, so the new mother will have a wonderful book to fill with pictures! Our hostess brought us all some paper, so things will go together nicely. Since the name of the paper was Cowboy, that's the SU stamp set I chose, along with Office Accoutrement's and Petals and Paisley. Also the stars from Love it are in Versamark on the yellow background paper on the cute baby page. I like the way they turned out, even without the pictures yet! I've already dropped off the pages, and she will present them all in the scrapbook, I can't wait to see everyone elses pages....

LDSMoms Card Exchange

 

I belong to a group of great ladies in a yahoo group called ldsmoms. We did a card exchange this summer, and here are the cards...now sometimes when you do an exchange with people who are not on card sites or "into" just cards you get some strange looking stuff back. Not with these ladies...look at this fun stuff. Thank YOU so much ladies, fun, fun, I love looking at these, and it will be hard to send them to anyone else! That's why I had to take a picture of them, I want to remember each card! Thank you again, and I'm looking forward to doing this again.

Star Just Be U!

 

This card was inspired by my entry decor. I've been thinking I need to find some fall decorations and been looking at the space often. When I wanted to use up the scraps of Outlaw Dsp with the stars, I thought Big Big Star, like in the entryway. Anyway, here's the card.

Birthday Friend

 

This one I made for a friend's birthday. I had fun trying this long card, I think it turned out OK. I used Outlaw Designer Series Paper from Stampin Up. Plus Very Vanilla, Daisy D red printed cardstock, Sanded Background stamp, All Holiday's sentiments. Scallop Punch, brown grosgrain, twine and pewter brads, plus a designer brad.

Smiling Outlaw

 
I call this card the Smiling Outlaw because Outlaw is the name of the Stampin Up designer paper. Actually in looking at it it maybe should be called smiling sheriff...that star is sort of more sheriff than outlaw, lol. Anyway, this is for the Sketch Challenge on SCS today. I will send it to my son in Minnesota!

Charlie and 3x Puppy Love

Charlie is our dog. He came to us when he was only a few months old from the Orem Animal Shelter a day before my dd's thirtheenth birthday in 2000 I think. We think he is the best, he's a mixed breed, Poodle and something... When my dd left home last fall Charlie got very ill, but the vet couldn't figure out why. He lost so much weight until he was a little skeleton, and we were so worried! I changed the food, (Bil Jac is fab) worked with him, and though it has taken months and months, he has regained his weight and once again has energy! Charlie is pretty smart, my daughter taught him tons of tricks that he will do, and if he is wanting some treats will come over and do a trick or two for you to convince you he deserves a treat or two. He spins and rolls over, shakes hands, speaks, sits, lays down, catches treats in midair and our favorite is if you shoot him with your finger he will fall down dead.
The puppies live with my dd. She just gave Mia, the black puppy, to her inlaws, who had a tradgedy with their own dog, and so she got the red and named her Dixie. I get to meet Dixie this weekend, she's bringing her down for the weekend, fun plans in store! I think she is bringing both Max and Dixie....we'll see!