Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!  This is a scheduled post - with a card I just made on Sunday when I realized that I needed more hand-made cards (because I left the entire container of Christmas Cards I'd made all summer in Minnesota!  Duh!).  I like this, and it came together pretty quickly.

May your holiday be peaceful and yet JOYOUS; may you have enough to eat, enough good company, and enough football to make the day perfect.

Let's remember to take a moment and think of those who don't and how we might help them.

Namaste.

Peace.

Love.

Charlotte colors and Thin Cut dies

This card was my attempt to imitate a card in the new Seasonal Inspirations book coming out January 1.  The smaller, blue flowers are the newest little mini-incentive stamp set (also effective Jan. 1).  

I achieved the color on the flowers and leaves by using a water-brush and picking ink directly off the ink pads (Sorbet and Pear).  (This was over the image stamped with Tuxedo Black ink and allowed to dry thoroughly).  The blue flowers were painted with the water brush and Crystal Blue ink, and then the ones with the purple center were enhanced using my Inktense watercolor pencils.  Actually, the yellow one was also, it just doesn't look as cool as the purple.  The ribbon was a piece from my stash. I inked the edge of the white piece with Sorbet and mounted it on a piece of Whisper cardstock before the base of White Daisy cardstock.  It's a standard 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" card.

My daughter and her husband will be "home" until 1/1/16 so I won't be posting except for some scheduled posts.  I know you'll forgive me.  *wink*

6th card of the Card Workshop

This card was designed by someone at CTMH corporate.  It was published in our marketing materials.  I almost copied it (I made a couple of errors) but I do like it!  The really, really exciting news about this card?  The flowers, leaves, do-dads, are all cut with thin dies!  YES! Matching Thin Dies!  Woot!!

Can you say "Merry Christmas"?  

Well, in all seriousness - I can!  Merry Christmas to you all!  I hope your holiday is filled with JOY and LOVE and that you are with people that mean a lot to you.  

Hugs!

Belated birthday - Card Workshop card

This sweet card uses the little sheep from the Operation Smile benefit stamp set on the backside of the Annual Inspirations book and the Seasonal catalogs.  I love sheep!  I also used the CTMH woodgrain dry embossing folder with a little chocolate ink rubbed on it before embossing.  I'm pushing ahead - gotta get these ready before my sweet daughter and her darling husband arrive!

For the Card Workshop - Jar of Hearts

I loved a similar card I saw on the CTMH consultant page - so I tried to create something similar.  This uses the La Vie en Rose papers.  I love the mirtred corners, and that the hearts are punched from the design paper.  I cut a tiny tag with the Cricut, and found an "xoxoxo" that would fit onto it in a Stamp of the Month set from last spring that had a cool typewriter with sentiments to put on the paper in the typewriter.  I used a black micron pen to outline the hearts and on a whim made some of them disappear behind the ribbon at the edge of the mouth.  I like that little touch.  This one will be fun!!

Another Card Workshop card

This sweet card was also imitated, but I've lost where I got it!  There are several changes (larger sun, different hearts, different pink and blue stripes) so maybe I can say that I lifted it rather than stole it?!

I also didn't have the Fundamentals Basic papers when I made this prototype versions.  The cards that my class will make will use the Whisper fundamentals which has a neat pattern of shiny on matte cardstock. I actually love how this turned out!

Twinkle, Twinkle - January Card Workshop

This card is another one for the Card Workshop in January.  I love that it used the "Twinkle" from the October Stamp of the Month (no longer available - sorry!) and that it forced me to remember how to use the Cricut Expressions 2 that has been gathering dust in my studio.  Creative design credit should go to Lisa Plummer.  You can see her card at her blog here.

Anniversary card - Shhhh!

I'm pretty sure that my Beloved doesn't actually read my blog. Anyway, this is the card I made for our upcoming 4th Anniversary.  The silver paper is actually wrapping paper that I used to wrap his gift. I know, all matchy-matchy!  

This is the inside of the card.  It's from a current CTMH stamp set called "I Do".  There are many (maybe all?) stamps in this set that are simply adorable!  I cut the feathers on the Cricut (had to re-learn how to use it all over again!) from a retired CTMH textured cardstock that is light on one side and darker on the other. I love the imagery of the feathers and the birds - with the thought that these 4 years have just flown by!  

Dream Big - Card Workshop January 2016

This card is one of six that I'm developing for a Card Workshop on January 3rd, 2016.  I can't believe I'm doing this on the tail of having Kristen and Brian here for 10 days - but, I'm jumping in as early as possible and prepping like a mad-woman!  This one I actually had what I needed to imitate Wendy Coffman's awesome card.  The rest of my supplies arrive tomorrow - so I guess I know what's on my calendar for Sunday while my Beloved is watching football.  ;-)

In case you thought I never make failures . . .

This card was something I started, then had a verbal interaction that wound up putting me into a really pissy (forgive my language!) mood.  I stayed in the craft room for an hour trying to work out my anger and this is the card that came out of that process.  Is this not the ugliest thing you've ever seen?!  My goodness!

So, do you think I maybe should have gone for a nice long walk instead?!  (hint:  I do!)

Maybe the last of the tags??

These are using the Stamp of the Month from October 2015 called Twinkle.  What fun to tinker around with the coloring - outline or no outline, and Wink of Stella or No-Wink of Stella - OR just a tiny touch of Wink of Stella (last photo below).  I love them in all their variations!

Have you ever opened a box years later (an empty box, saved to wrap a package sometime) and found a tag that you made?  I did this year, and it brought a big lump to my throat.  I really {heart} my tags! (just keeping it real here!)

More Christmas tags

This week I've been into the studio several times to make "more tags"! I guess that's a good thing!  I'm having a blast! These are from the same set as the trees below (the trees) and another one "nuts about you" which is also retired.  You've got to remember I've been doing this CTMH thing for over 14 years now - and the stamps are classy and timeless! The only thing about having "retired" stamps, is that I have all sorts of new combinations for them!  ;-D