Rub-Ons? or Stickers?

Hey legionnaires, the weekend is almost upon us. I have two weeks to complete several Chrismas projects I started, and get a little baking done. And I'd like to see a movie or two and finish the book I've been reading and I have to help babysit when school breaks and I wanted to visit a friend I haven't seen in 4ever. OK, so it looks like I'll be busy, huh?

Here's a card I made using a sticker. I rarely make cards that don't have some stamping on them, but HL had lovely stickers on sale at 50% off, and I couldn't resist a few sets. I love the Victorian style, but not enough to invest in samps to any great degree, so stickers fit the bill. I have a friend who makes all of her cards with stickers. They are cute, but it's not for me. I do hope to someday get into digital images. The trend is burgeoning and I don't think it's going away. I have downloaded a few freebies, but I need practise re-sizing with appropriate programs.

So, I love my Nesies Label 10. I find it so versatile and it works vertically as well as horizontally. I don't think I've captured the colors well (the story of my life). The musical sheet is a BG stamp from Stampendous and I almost didn't get it...but at the exit door of Michaels, my intuition told me buyer's regret would haunt me, so I marched back and got it with the $$$ I had for a few groceries I planned on getting. This happens sometimes.... food money spent on stamps, that is. Ever encounter this annoying problem. I prettied up the rest of the card with a new CB folder, some ribbon and an MS snowflake punch accented with some bling and more bling at the bottom of the Nestie shape.

I have another sticker card to share tomorrow...more of a C&S look.

God Bless,
Erica

Heartfelt Creations

Hi legionnaires....Got big plans for the weekend? I'm stamping with close group of friends. We've been stamping together for more than 5 yrs., and call ourselves The Three Abuelas. We eat, stamp, eat, gossip, chat eat and stamp some more. What fun we have and what fast friends we've become. I just love them and feel blessed. Do you belong to a small group like this...where you may not see each more than once a month, but wish it could be more?

Sooo, here's my card. I was gonna enter a challenge for Heartfelt Creations stamps at Joan's Garden here, but found out all stamps used had to be theirs. My sentiment is one of my dollar stamps. I don't think the card will look as good w/o that word, and I have no single Heartfelt sentiments, so the card will be added to my stash to be mailed.

The poinsetta is Heartfelt Creations (an older set), stamped twice in gold and embossed with gold ep, then cut out and mounted. I added some tiny gold beads and smudged some glitter all over it. The red mat is embossed with a Sizzix snow folder, the blue cs base and smaller mat are from CTMH and the white cs is Papertrey's basic white. I used a Nestie to stamp the sentiment on and added a little bling. A quick & easy card for mailing, I'd say.

Have a blessed weekend.

This IS a Picnik and Santa is Black...

This is edited with Picnik. I'd use one of those copyright thingies if I could find it. When I opened Picasa to upload my photos and then do their basic editing, lo and behold, a new program appeared right inside the little photo editing box. I have never heard of this program, but I'm thnking they may have merged with Picasa. It is super easy to use and gives better results, though I don't know how to enlarge my photos, but I will learn as time allows.

So, T-Day is done for 2010. I've used all the ham my dd sent us home with...made split pea soup, ham salad and made ham omeletes for breakfast. This was my first time in all my years of cooking I got to relax and just watch others do all the fixins. It did take one or two gentle nudges to stop me from butting in when I'd say, "If I were you, I'd do it this way." However, my two cents was only asked for when it came gravy making time. Now on to a couple of potluck parties I will need to make something for.

Here we have the first of several Christmas cards I've been making. This is for the sketch on Mojo Monday. here. The Santa is new to me from Studio G, so it will be added to my dollar stamps collection. The sentiment is from JustRite. The paper is retired CTMH ds. Circle dies used are Nesties and the stars are from Quikutz (can be used in the Cuttlebug). I also used a Quikutz die called "Goosebumps" to give the stars some texture. and they're made from silvery paper from my stash and mounted a bit above the circles. I used the new to me Viva pearl pen for the tiny silver pearls around Santa's circle. The jury is still out on this product.  I plan to keep embellies to a minimum so that I will be able to mail most of my cards. I honestly don't have many friends who send cards, and if I don't get one, they (whomever "they" may be) don't get one. I kinda sit and wait for them to be first. I suppose that isn't very Christian of me, huh? BTW, Santa is black, colored with Copics, and as mentioned on previous posts, that's a job in itself.

And one day, I'll have to tell you about the search for a black Santa in 1974 for my kids to visit, not to mention black Barbies and black Cabbage Patch dolls.

Hugs & Blessings,
Erica

Slider Boxes....So Easy Peasy

Hi legionnaires...betcha been wonderin' where I've been....busy is all. I got a commissions (well, maybe I sorta' commissioned myself) making 15 of these slider boxes that Scor-Pal's ezine published recently. They are fun and quick and they take to decorating and embellishing so well. I used the medium size and there are 3 sizes available. I know I'll be using these over and over again. Here's another picture one opened up.

And the tile that went into it...isn't he just the cutest? I've been using him on cards for years. I think he's ready to "hold up" to a hot or cold drink.

So, I probably won't be posting until after the T-Day holiday and then it will be Christmas cards for the month. I'm scouting around for a template/instructions to make 15 more treat holders for the same group. And I gotta find something to put into them too. If you have any ideas I'm all ears. I'd like to stay away from the foodie thing and the audience is female Christian co-workers of my dh.

May you have a blessed and safe holiday weekend.

Hugs & Blessings,
Erica

Semi Home-Made

Have you ever watched the Food TV show called Semi-Homemade? Well, that's what this card is legionnaires. I took a card out of the My Mind's Eye "Out & About" box and added the MS fence punched border, the EK Success label punched from another of the cards and an MS butterfly punched from yet another of the cards, so that everything would color match. I then sponged the card edges lightly with a close color....Ranger Distress fired brick ink pad, as well as the fence. Voila, I'd say. Me likey. Super simple.

If you have never thought about purchasing these pre-made cards, I assure you they can come in handy. You can do as much or as little as you'd like to make them your own. They come with envies, which are a decent qualilty paper, and cost $10 for 50 cards. What a steal, huh? I have found Christmas themed boxes as well. I got mine at Michaels with a 40% coupon. So I really did almost steal them. Even if y0u don't use them for anything except matting, you still have the envies to use for your own work.

Hugs & Blessings,
Erica

There will be food right?

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday 'cause it's filled with food. This year I'm going to spend time with my eldest dd and familly in CA. She's had a rough year, but wants to entertain us anyhow. I am relishing the idea of being pampered a bit, as it's usually moi who puts on the entire shebang at my home. I know there are a few favorite dishes she'll ask me to make. I'm glad of that, 'cause I don't know what all I might get into if I had nothing to do.

So, I've kinda moved on to making Christmas cards and not many Thanksgiving cards were made. I have plenty of stamps, but the stores started decorating for Christmas so darn fast, that I seemed to lose that particular holiday card mojo. Seems to get earlier each year. Oh well, I shall make up for it when it comes to cooking and baking.

So legionnaires, here's one of the few. I used the SU top note die and a pumpkin stamp I've had forever colored with Copics. The sentiment is from Stampabilities. I used a CB folder for the BG and I brushed a brown stamp pad across to highlight. A button, a bow and some hemp finished it off.
I have one or two more T-Day/Fall cards to post and then it will be all about Christmas.
Yeah for the weekend.
Hugs & Blessings,
Erica

Honored, I'm Sure

Hi legionnaires. I am so excited. I was just about to hit the hay a few evenings ago, and I decided to see if I had at least one comment on my latest card. Lo and behold, the super talented SCS Beate (don't even need to mention her last name) of http://beate.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/  honored me with a visit and commented on not just one, but two of my cards. Need I say more!!

OK, Erica, calm down and move on.
So, earlier this year, I took a rather pricy beginner's class (well, for me it was) from the also famous Michelle Zindorf  http://zindorf.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/ . She is a master at the brayering technique. I love the look, but it is not easy to achieve. So, I felt I should pay to learn. I'm glad I did, but I still doubt my proficiency when it comes to this technique. So, what do I go and do? Well, I don't brayer, that's what. Instead, I hunted around on various blogs and found that careful sponging can achieve a close similarity. However, I still use Michelle's designs, (this one is her tutorial #368) which she is kind enough to share on an almost daily basis. I most definitely copied, except I don't own SU's cajun craze, so I used other mfgrs'  inks. I  used the sentiment from SU's FYI. And finally, I sent this off to Julie Buhler of Paper Pleasing Ideas who lost her husband to cancer quite recently. Sadly, I learned that Becca Feeken lost her husband on October 31st. These are two of my favorite bloggers. Since I have been blogging and/or reading others, four stampers have become widows. I can only pray that their crafts will help to sustain them as they continue on life's journey.

Hugs & Blessings,
Erica