Treat Bag Toppers

Backing up a little in time to show you a few things I made last Christmas.  This is a treat bag topper that I made for my next door neighbor's annual cookie exchange.  Most who know me know that I don't can't bake so I've never felt right participating in the cookie exchange with "real" bakers.  Plus, I really don't need all those calories cookies in my house at that time of the year.  So I decided to tell Robin I'd only go if she agreed I didn't have to bake, didn't have to take any cookies home and told her that I'd papercraft something for my part of the exchange.

My new Silhouette Cameo really came in handy.  I found this really cute pattern for a treat bag topper.  I thought it would fit nice with the theme of the cookie exchange in that the other ladies could use it to package up their cookies for gift-giving.  I used a Stampin' Up Christmas paper pack which came in so handy because everything coordinated.  I made 25 of them and dropped the topper down in a cellophane bag.  I put a store-bought molasses cookie in one of them so everyone could figure out how the bags would work. I have to tell you they were a big hit!  I may be doing it all over again next Christmas for the folks at work.

Sketches

I found a fantastic sketch site that I wanted to share today - Freshly Made Sketches.  This site has really quick and easy cards great for weekend inspiration.  I'm still stash busting and am now focusing on all the wonderful 6x6 paper pads I've accumulated over the years.  These sketches are making it really easy to do that.  

The Christmas card above is made with a BoBunny paper pad from last year I think.  

And this card was made with a paper pad from Stampin' Up.  I did a variety of sentiments from Happy Birthday to Thinking of You and a couple of sympathy cards.

I've been making 8 cards at a time which seems to be a perfect amount to take advantage of mass production without getting too board.

Hope you had a great weekend and have a great week ahead!

It's Almost That Time of the Year Again

I was rearranging my Pinterest boards the other night and realized it's almost that time of the year when I need to pick out a few designs and get busy making Christmas cards.  I don't think I ever posted this card from last year (or was it the year before? - geez! time flies).  I loved how it turned out with the glittery snow on the roofs and the pine branches and gem berries.

Have you thought about what cards you're making this year?  Here's my Christmas board on Pinterest.  It's got a few new posts of things I've found recently.  And here's a really cool sketch challenge blog that I stumbled on a few weeks ago that has really nice clean and simple sketches with tons of samples.  

Enjoy!

Time to Get Ready

 

Well, now that Thanksgiving is behind us and most of the leftovers are gone, it's time to start thinking about Christmas projects.

 

Here's a cute, cute, project that Tuesday card group made last week.  They are gift card holders that used this Hot of the Press template.  Debbie said they are getting more in for the shop.  Can't wait!  Count me in for one, Deb :-)

 

They look pretty easy to do.  See how Frosty's hat lifts up to reveal the slot for the gift card?  And the cuff of the mitten moves in a similar way.  Apparently there's also a Christmas tree shape and the top of the tree lifts up.

 

Too cute!

CardMaker

I recently remembered that our subscription to CardMaker magazine now includes access to the digital version of the magazine and digital versions to all of the archives.  So I took a little enteretainment with me for the long plane ride to Jacksonville last week.  I downloaded 3 Nov/Dec issues from the early years.  I found several really cute card ideas - some quick and simple like this one and others that show off a specific technique I want to try.

The other thing that was kind of cool was looking through the 2 pages of quotes they have at end of each issue.  I found several that were really meaningful to me.  They will be going in my quote journal for safekeeping.  Here's one that really seemed to resonate for me right now.

Paper Wishes Kits and Scraps

I'm back to digging in my stash and came across an unfinished card kit from Paper Wishes.  One of about 15 I'm ashamed to say!  So I made the shape card.  The kits typically have a shape card in each kit and I have to tell you I'm not a huge fan of shape cards.  Typically because they use some hokey clip art or they never really feel solid in your hand because the cutting of the shape seems to make the card flimsy. 

But with all that said, I really liked how this one turned out.  I'm probably going to send it to Noah, Allan's grandson, for Christmas.  Just thought it would look cut on a counter or shelf or dresser.

And then because I had some patterned paper and clip art left - one of the really nice benefits of the card kits - I made this card from the scraps and a few old, old supplies in my stash. . . leftover snowflake Dazzles, a snowflake eyelet and some fibers I think I bought at Angie's place almost 10 years ago!

That's one way of appeasing my guilt for the cost of the card kits.  They give you the supplies and patterns for 10 cards with each kit but I typically can get another 6-10 cards from all the scraps.  That makes it a real bargain, huh?!  :-)

Hope you enjoyed scraps week.  Have a great weekend and I'll see ya' Monday.

Christmas in July

Goofing around on the internet while I'm having my morning coffee and stumbled on this card from this blog.  Oh my gosh! - I think I may have just found my Christmas theme for the holiday owl.  I just had to share.  How cute, huh?!

Hope you have a great Friday and weekend.  I'm hoping the weatherman is right about rain on Saturday.  That will make for a nice cozy day at Memory Lane for Betty's "Secretary" craft class.

Take care.

Reindeers and Rooftops

This was the card Mona gave me and Val for Christmas this year.  How over the top beautiful, huh?!  It uses dies from the Tim Holtz collections.  I just love the style. It feels so artistic vs. crafty.  I have to admit I'm a little intimidated still of playing with some of the Tim Holtz toys I have.  I just have never felt like I was artistic at all so I kind of feel lost.  But maybe some snowy day soon I'll get brave and just starting playing - and learning! - see what I can come up with.  I just need to remember "it's the about the journey not the destination", right?  Right!

So Very Special

This is the gift Mona gave me and Val this year for Christmas.  It's so very special.  Special because of all the talent and time she put into it and special because it came from our very special friend.  I know we will treasure it always.

One for next year

This is a card I think Wendy at Memory Lane made.  I just *LOVED* it and had every good intention of making a few for my Christmas cards this year.  But when I got sick for almost the entire month of December with that nasty cold running around town I just had to let this one go.  But thankfully I have the stamp, Dazzles and the glitter pack to make it for next year.  I better start now! :-)

2012

Couldn't believe it when I saw the date on the last post.  So after a week of settling into 2012, let's see if I can get my daily posting discipline back.

I'll play catch up a littlle this week and post some of the cards and projects we made during December. 

This card was a total case from SplitCoastStampers using the stocking stamp set and coordinating punch from the Holiday Mini catalog along with the Frostwood Lodge paper pack and quilted satin ribbons.  I loved how it turned out.  I ended up using it for the downline swap we had at Marcia's house and then for the Christmas card I gave to my special friends.

Hope you have a good start to the week.  I'll see you back here on the blog tomorrow - I promise! :-)

Hybrids

I attended a downline meeting at Marcia's house this weekend.  It was fun.  I got to meet some of her new demonstrators.  Always so good to talk to other women as crazed as I seem to be about paper crafting.  We were talking about My Digital Studio and I mentioned I really liked the look of hybrid projects - starting out with something from MDS and then taking it up a notch with some stamping and embellishment.

So I thought these tags from one of the blogs I visit daily (me, my stamps and I) were a great example of that.  Can't wait to try these out.

And can't wait for my evening at the shop tonight.  It's been way too long!  See ya' soon.

Friday Freebie

It's a joyful day!  Congratulations Val !!! You're a free woman at the end of the day today!!!!  Hope there are wonderful, grand adventrues ahead for you.

This digital image is one that was posted on StampTV.  Here's the link if you want to grab the .pdf.  Thought it would be a really fun one to color and embellish.  Here's a gorgeous card that someone over on SplitCoast posted which uses the image.  How cool, huh?

Losing Steam

Happy Friday Gal Pals!

Have you noticed I've kind of lost steam for posting on Thursdays and Fridays these last 2 weeks?  I told someone earlier this week that I recently discovered Thursday seems to be my hardest day of the week.  The day when I notice I'm starting to feel a little empty.  Friday's aren't as bad as it feels like I've really reached the end of the work week and have thoughts of fun things to do at home on my mind.  For example, I'm really looking forward to this weekend as I don't have anywhere I have to be.  So naturally my thoughts turn to the craft room.  And for a little inspiration I turned to my favorite blog.  Because I follow this one every day, I went back this morning to blog posts from 2009 and found this beautiful card that of course reminds me of my Jewel of the Pines.  And the best part about this one is that I think? I thave the stamp set. 

So hopefully in between cleaning the house, doing laundry and paying bills - things I'm actually looking forward to so I can feel a little more organized and caught up with my life - I can squeeze in some time to make my version of this one. 

Hope you all have a good weekend.  See ya' next week.

A Twist for Tomorrow

A little late getting a post out this morning.  But didn't want to skip it as I wanted to remind you I'll be bringing card kits with me tomorrow for us to make a card or two with our shared set Berry Christmas.  Here's the stamps in that set. . .

In planning for the kit, I thought it would be kind of cool to combine it with the Monday challenge on SplitCoast.  This Monday's "Try a New Technique" challenge is Stamped Borders.  Here's one of the sample cards.  Cute, huh?! 

So bring a Christmas-y border stamp with you tomorrow and we'll do a Berry Christmas card with this twist.

Have a great Monday!

Money Holders

Sifting through old craft projects and stumbled on these 2 money holders I made for my neice and nephew several years ago.  They were at that age when spending cash was all they really wanted but it just seemed to cold and impersonal to put cash or check in an envelope.  So I made these 2 money holders and used Jolee's Boutique sets to quickly embellish the fronts.  Really liked how they turned out. 

Hope you all have a great weekend.  I've declared it a "free" weekend - minimal chores, no obligations to anyone, just planning on floating whichever way the wind blows me :-)

See you Monday.

Berry Christmas

I have an idea I want to throw out to you. . . .since we're about 50 days and counting until Val retires, which means our co-owned stamp sets are going to move out our her office desk drawer. . . let's start jointly playing with them on Tuesday nights.

I'll bring the kits to make at least one card with the set and a few card sketches so we can free form others if we want.

Let's start with this cute set of gift cards that use the "Berry Christmas" set we got last year.  I love the brown and red.

Hope you might be up for this.  Have a good day today.  Only one more day until the weekend.  WhooHoo!!!

Scraps Day #11

This is another scraps post for Mona.  We missed you at the shop last night.  Hope you're feeling better.

I made this flower pot (and another just like it) for my neighbors Marilyn and Judy several years ago with scraps of Christmas papers.  Some of the scraps where already small, others I just tore so there were a similar size.  I then decoupaged them on a clay pot that I had base painted and some cute ribbon around the rim.  Lastly I planted a little plant in each.

It still tickles me to this day to walk in Marilyn's kitchen and see the pot sitting on her windowsill.  Just because I'm in a Halloween mood right now, I'm thinking it would be so cute to use scraps of Halloween papers and do the same only put candy in the pot and sit it on my desk at work.  How fun!

Inspiration

Back in the saddle on the Gal Pal blog after a couple of days off for my Fall Yellowstone trip.  Feeling very rested and renewed and anxious to continue working on Christmas papercrafting projects.  Although we are skipping the shop tonight because I'm playing a little catch up at home, Mona is baby sitting and Val is getting financial reports done, I'm can't wait to get back into the craft room as soon as possible.

This picture is a kitchen towel my neighbor Marilyn made for me last year.  Isn't it cute?!  I love the Christmas fabrics and the blanket stitching she used.  She said it was super easy.  I'm posting the pic as I'm thinking about using this as inspiration for one of the 10 Christmas card designs I'm dong this year.  Wouldn't it be so cute to replicate that on a craft card base with some of the cute S.E.I papers we bought and then find a matching pen to do the faux stitching?

Maybe I'll have one done by next week when we all get together.  Until then. . . have a great day!

Remember When. . .

Remember when we were baby card makers and taking lots of classes from Jen at Angie's place?  I ?think? this is where we got this pattern from.  I used it here for a Father's Day card.

All I remember is that I made a bunch of cards for different themes from this pattern.  And I think it was a "go to" pattern for Faythe and Val too.

Here's another of the same sketch with a birthday theme:

And yet another that was my Christmas card one year.

Have a great day today.  Only one more day until Friday and the weekkend - YEAH!!