Friday, November 13, 2015

Simply Create Too DT Challenge no. 98

Give Thanks friends. Yes, we all have lots of things to be thankful for.

Do you keep a gratitude journal? I just began one in October and will add to it until the end of the year. When I get a bit stuck...I take so much for granted...I just write that I'm glad I got out of bed in the morning. It doesn't have to be that way. Make sure you don't forget it.

Off my soapbox and onto my card for Simply Create Too.


This card used stamps from Simon Says Stamp. I've been subscribing to their monthly kits and enjoying them quite a bit. There were lots of goodies to choose from. I'm not in the habit of using chips for my cards, but these fit perfectly. The papers except for one were from the kit too. I added some bakers twine and a button from my stash. The heart was made using my Brother Scan 'N Cut machine. I added the faux stitching to make it stand-out.

You have an entire week to make a thanks card, so won't you join us?

Blessings,
Erica

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

I'm So Broke, but it's nearly Christmas

Hello everyone,
My title is so apt. I truly don't want to go on-line and look at my checking account. I went to a local Stamp Convention this past weekend vowing and re-vowing all last week not to spend more than $100. Alas, I am so very weak when it comes to these events. It wasn't even as good as it usually is. Quite a few well-known vendors were missing. But somehow, yes somehow, I think I used my debit card to the tune of $400. I seem to be on some kind of a die cut  journey. We used to have only Spellbinders...with Sizzix in the mix a bit. I can no longer keep track of the companies and the beautiful lines of products. So, that's what did me in. And let's not even mention the $99 kit from Catherine Pooler's new "Stamps of Approval" line. This kit is different. It doesn't have paper, washi tape, ribbons, etc., Just stamps and some dies. I think she's on to something, because you have to hurry and order as soon as the kit goes on-line or you'll miss out. It's pricy initial, however when I averaged out the price of each stamp set and the dies, it came to a savings of about $40 if I were to buy them from individual companies and that doesn't include shipping.

So here's my card made with a set from SOA. The company is called, the ton Coutour clear stamps.
www.thetonstamps.com. I've never heard of them, but Catherine did. Go check out Chatherine's kits and her website StampNation. She's been around awhile, but I found her her somewhat recently.
Glad I did.



I pieced the leaves using some long-retired SU dsp. and fastened them onto a a mat of watercolored paper. The base is A2 SU artichoke green cs. The medium I used for coloring are my new set of Inktense pencils. I wanted to try them out so I bought a set of 12. Now I want the big girl set of 72. Hmmm, but under the circumstances, not any time soon. The sentiment and little bitty images are from another SOA find by Casual Fridays, called "Snowy Sayings." They're embossed in Ranger's liquid platinum embossing powder.  A bit of glossy accents for the berries and we're done.

Hope you like my card.

Blessings,
Erica