Christmas Cards continuing

Hi Stampers. Here's another card. This one is a bit mor fussy, but was still fairly quick to make. The dsp is from a stack by "g c d"...nope, I never heard of them before either. The design name is Scandia jul. It is very Nordic style designed paper. I didn't think I'd like it, but it was on sale, and the more I leafed through the papers, the more it grew on me. It's now my "go to" paper for the season. On the ribbon from my stash, is a metal epoxy brad from Studion "G". Would you believe it was a dollar at Walmart. They have begun to carry a few Studio "G" products. That's kinda nice since it seems like I live in WAMA. Nothing like one stop shopping, right? The sentiment is a quite old stamp form Northwoods Stamps. I used Colorbox warm red chalk ink.

More Christmas cards tomorrow. I only need to make a few more, how about you?

Blessings,
Erica

A Christmas card AND Super Exciting News!

Hi Stampers. I'm trying to hit upon a Christmas card that is simple, as in easy peasy to create, but still fun and inexpensive to make. This card uses a Michael Studion G dollar stamp. I have sooo many of these stamps. The base is black cs and the mat is riding hood red SU embossed with an SU folder, Petals A Plenty. I used a Nestie for the tag shape and then some gingham bias tape...which I thought was ribbon when I bought it, but it works. I used a Viva Pearl pen in gold go make the cute dots that really make the tag pop. Button and bakers twine are from my stash. Easy peasy to color with Sharpie pen markers.
I like it...it's bright and festive. We'll see if I make more of these.

Now for the news. I have been waiting for more than six months to get a check from my government penison plan. It's a cumulative amount of dollars, owed to me from when I became 62 this past July. It's finally here, and right on time for me to take advantage of Cyber Monday sales. Goodie for me, I found the
Silhouette Cameo on sale at Overstock for $249.00.There was free shipping and somehow they have not been forced to charge tax, so it really was $249.00 exactly. I haven't seen it anywhere for this price, so I jumped on my Paypal account and hit all the submits fast. Overstock shipped it today via UPS. Not to advertise or anything, but I have bought sever crafty and home things from Overstock and find them to be a very good on-line company to order from.... so I should be doing the happy dance by Friday!. Am I ever excited! Put a Silhouette Cameo on your Christmas list. Google it for lots more info, or just use my link above.  I did lots of research and in my book it could be compared to the Cricuit, but surpasses it in many ways. For one thing, no pricy cartridges.

Blessings,
Erica

Welcome to Simply Create Too!

Hi Stampers. Thanksgiving is over...sort of. If you're anyone like me, you will have had to struggle to fit the leftovers into the frig. Fortunately for me, I have two in my home. A rather common occurrence for people in Arizona. You see, we need to keep plenty of ice in the hot, dry and often dusty state. Actually, my food hoarding addiction is right up there with my stamping addiction. During the next few days, I'll be making turkey noodle soup, turkey salad, ham salad, split soup with ham, and a few other dishes. Wheeeww.

But there will always be time for stamping, right? And that brings me to the new and improved stamping challenge
Simply Create Too Challenge no. 1. Our team moderators, Diane, Marjo and Ruth have worked diligently to bring this re-vamped challenge to you. And what fun it's going to be. We already have blog candy for you. How cool is that??

To start off our challenge, we chose an easy peasy one. Now that Thanksgiving is done, we need to be starting those Christmas cards. My card has a base of SU's riding hood red and a non-SU mat that I embossed with an SU folder. I die cut the dsp with an SU die, as well as the SU bird done with an SU punch. The double red and cream diecuts are from Nestibilities and the sentiment is SU. I stamped using Memento dye inks. I love all tlhe Christmasy colors and the dsp. I'll probably make several more of these.

So, do join us at Simply Create. We'd love to see you there.

Blessings,
Erica

A Few Thanksgivings Cards to load

Hi Stampers. Hope you're having a great Friday. I am feeling a bit rushed and frankly not doing anything on my to-do list. I have a get-together with two of my stamping friends tomorrow. Need to get my projects going.

I am undertaking my first fast for a campaign my church is supporting. I know...before you say why is she blurting this out for the world to see, since the Bible clearly states we are to be very modest when it comes to telling people about undertaking a fast. However, I view this blog as a journal and therefore, I write things in it that are meaningful to me. So I won't go on about it, but it's definitely a part of my day.

I didn't notice many T-Day cards on blogs. Lots of Halloween, but lately, I've been feeling as if Thanksgiving Day gets lost between Halloween and Christmas everywhere I go it seems. I send out about 5 cards total. I enjoy making them and have several holiday stamps. My dear 90 yr. old aunt back east loved this day, as do I. She went all out with food and decorations, as do I, and I will cherish many memories in her home. Now she is spending her first T-Day in a nursing care facility and since she has all her wits about her, I'm sure she is trying her best not to be sad. I hope and pray this card will perk her up a bit. You can see a peek inside of what I have already written. I will pop it in today's evening post (love the word post...very British), and she should have it by Tuesday.

My card uses SU olive green for the base and some scrap for the MS punched mat. I found this lovely scalloped beige lace in WAMA....love it...should have bought two, DUH! The orange paper and green check paper are from DCWV's Amber Autumn fall stack collection last year. I am using every scrap of this pad...love it. I used several different stamps, MS doily shape, Stampendous pumpkins, CTMH sentiment embossed with a copper embossing powder, Did some die cutting with my Nestie. I colored with copics and added a little bling and I am off to post..smile.

So, are you getting your menus together? Do you plan on going to friends/relatives homes? I have my menu planned. There will be 9 of us including little ones. My eldest dd is a fine cook, but couldn't get off from work earlier than Wednes. PM. She will be driving with family into the wee hours of T-Day from CA, so I won't have her to help much. But not to worry, I will be 'cooked out' by Friday AM, and I'll have her making us a fab brunch. Please feel free to share any of your plans in your comments. Even if it is just to relax with a glass of wine and be thankful. That's perfecto in my book too.

Blessings,
Erica

Less Is More Challenge no. 41

Hello Stampers...hope your weekend was a good one.
At Less Is More, the divas have given us lots of inspiration with leaves. I love leaves as much as I do flowers. Often a leaf can be more beautiful than the flower it is with. And I have plenty of leaf stamps. For this card, I reached way back into my stamp days to create a wreath using Rubber Stamp Tapestry Lily Fern Paradise. These are tiny peg stamps that come in sets of leaves and flowers. This set contained several leaf pegs. The idea for this card is from Tami White of Stampin' Up fame.
Tami's tutes are fun and simple to learn. Go check her out. The link takes you directly to her tute page.

I used Rangers Distress ink in pine needles to stamp, with the stamping off technique, and then dotted berries on with a Viva pearl pen. Aren't they nice and shiny? This stuff does not flatten out, unless you crush it. I have several other colors which will see much use during the holidays. The sentiment is from CTMH's Holiday Trinkits (ret.), stamped in Colorbox warm red chalk ink. The card base is SU's whisper white and is an A2 size.

This card could take on many different effects according to the leaf shape stamped, but they do need to be small leaves, unless, of course, you make a larger sized card.

Hope you all enjoy the upcoming week. It's getting close....Christmas...not the opening day for Twilight (smile)!

Blessings,
Erica

Simply Create does Bears

Good morning stampers. At Simply Create we are being challenged to use bears on our cards. I own few bear stamps. I did have a very old SU set..1995...YIKES! It was a gift from a fellow stamper. It's called Button Bears and it was a very good value with 17 stamps. I believe she got it from EBay. The bear is so versatile and today he is all done up for Christmas, but I twisted the colors a bit and followed along with dsp I had from last year. So pink, green, and red are the colors I used. Other supplies are my trustie Nestie to create a frame with Signo white pen dots. I have added a Sizzix Basic Grey snowflake folder. I am loving these folders. The impression seems to be deeper than Cuttlebug folders, and they make many A2 sized ones. I used my newest MS border punch and an old MS snowflake punch with a white "pebble" in the middle. Nesties circles for the sentiment. I did all the coloring with Copics. The card base is 5 1/4 x 5 1/4. I think he's a cutey and this from not much of a "bear" girl.

Have a Happy Weekend. I will be prepping for a stamping get-together for a few friends next weekend. That means lots of YouTube vids to check out  for projects.

Blessings,
Erica

No Matter What, Give Thanks

 
No matter what is going on in our lives, we have so much to be thankful for. I continue to reflect on Katie Renz and am at a loss for words today. Everyone in my immediate family knew about Katie. I often spoke of her to my grandson who is her eldest son's age, and to my daughter who is her age, to my SIL to remind him that his wife is a gift, and to my dh to remind him though he is aging and somewhat uncomfortable, he is still here, and we love him.

So, just a card of thanks today using CTMH stamps and a mix of papers and othe stuff.

Hug your loved ones today and be kinder.

Blessings,
Erica

Just a Reflection

Dear Katie Renz passed away Monday morning. I had been subscribing to her blog, My Paper Haven, (see my blog list), well before she announced her cancer. I never missed a post. She was so very brave. So much so that she shared many details during the course of her journey. I needed to hear it, having two close relatives die from cancer, but never being allowed to share in their struggle. Yes, I say that, because I don't believe we should leave out our loved ones when it comes to this issue...such a shallow word. My feeling is that we need to know, we need to be involved. I so appreciate what Katie did for me. I am sure I will ramble if I go on, as it's late.

Rest in peace Katie and may your family find the strength to go on, changed, but with the sure knowledge of your love for them.

Blessings,
Erica

November Already

YIKES! I can't believe it's November already. The rest of the year will just fly in a whirlwind now.

News on the homefront...finally got my fruit trees...one each lemon, grapefruit and orange. It will be three years before they will bear, but I am patient and God is good.

I had one last card to share made with freebie paper from Gina K. Aren't they fun patterns? No deets, gotta get to my "to do list", now that I played on the I-net for the last 3 hours.

Blessings,
Erica