Pet Sympathy

Most people with pets would agree, they become part of the family and when you lose one, it feels so terrible!  I had a friend lose her little dog recently (after a long life) and so I made this card for her.  

The trick with the ribbon is that this ribbon has two threads that decorate the edges.  If you pull on them, the ribbon crinkles up like I have it here!  What a cool trick!

Thinking of You

This card uses one of the 3x4 water coloring cards from Taylored Expressions.  I used some red liquid pearls to make the small dots, and added some beautiful red beads to the bow.  NOW I remember why I don't use beads more often!  I can't see well enough to thread them!  

The paper was from CTMH, the crinkle ribbon is something I bought on Etsy from a very nice little store!crinkled-seam-binding-15-yards-vintage  It's time to write our Advent newsletter and address envelopes for the cards that are mailed.  I'm looking forward to decorating the house for Christmas now that the kids are coming!

A Christmas Hedgehog

My goodness, I do love the Penny Black hedgehog stamps!  Isn't this little guy adorable??  I fiddled with the sky watercoloring so much I started to pill up the paper!  So, this is as dark as it gets!  But my hedgie is so sweet!

Inside - the ribbon is just something available to hold the card open while I photographed it.  Hope you like it!  The size is 5 x 5.

Bunches of Love

For some reason I NEEDED the new (may be going away end of December) stamp set called Bunches of Love.  I random stamped with only the shading stamps and left out the outline stamps.  I used Peach, Sage, Juniper, Lilac, Sugarplum and Mink.  There is a strip of rose gold foil tape to anchor the sentiment, and another on the inside with a single flower. 

Dark sympathy card

This was an attempt to copy an idea I saw on one of the stamp company blogs.  Her example was better.  I used a stencil and pigment ink (flaxen) on the dark paper to give a hint of swirls.  The flower bouquet is from a retired CTMH stamp set - it came with thin cuts and may have been the first set we got that had that option!  Anyway, I colored it fairly neutral with peach on the big flower and some raspberry on the small one.  

It is made as an easel card.  This is the card all closed up. Below is the card on the inside.  

Open stamping this weekend and then my schedule accelerates!  (well, it is that time of the year, I guess).  I have all sorts of Advent commitments, including a 4 day retreat (I hope I'm not repeating myself).  I'll share more about that as I go.  Hugs!!

Open Stamping - (Nov. 4)- shaker card

I discovered this card on the consultant web-side and borrowed it! I loved that she used the Grateful Heart papers to do a shaker card! I changed several things, but to be honest, it still looks very much like her design so if I can find her post I'll edit this one to let you know who made it! All CTMH products. I made the dark pearls by using the ShinHan alcohol marker to color a white pearl. (neat trick!). I ran out of the red design paper (and pomegranate cardstock!) so I used a piece from BoBunny for the large mat. My card is on a white card base - the original was on Pomegranate. In the second photo you might be able to see the shimmer pen I used on the center of the flower. A subtle touch.

After the stamping day, I used the leftovers that had been prepped to make some Happy Birthday cards!  Very useful!

This close up "may" show the shimmer brushwork on the center of the flower.  Also, I love that the CTMH thin cuts for the shaker window include little inserts that make hearts or stars!  You can coordinate anything!

BIG NEWS!!!  My daughter and her husband (my son-in-law) are coming for Christmas!!!!  I haven't had her in AZ for 3 years and I'm very excited!  They live across the country in North Carolina, and surprised me with the news for Thanksgiving!  Woot!!!! 

Stay Balanced!

I got this Yoga lady from Art Impressions because I love doing Yoga and I wanted something to send to my Yoga friends!  I used CTMH papers (all retired - I think the color was Outdoor Denim - not sure)  I had fun paper piecing her top with the same as the background paper.  Since the cardstock base was so dark, I used a white paper and some design paper inside to create a place to write a note.  

I used this to give two bars of chocolate to my yogi.  She is amazing; she has taught me much and helped me avoid injury.  She has been through some difficulties recently and I hoped my card and small token gift would lift her spirits - knowing that there are people who care.  

I'm sure I'll use this image a LOT - it resembles me (especially with the red hair!).  I wish I could reach my foot, however.  LOL