Holly Stencil - Christmas gift!

One of my dear friends gave me two darling stencils for Christmas - one was this holly, and the other is all hearts!  I thought it would be nice to make a thank you note for her using the new product (besides, it gave me an excuse to get it dirty!).  I used some washi tape to secure the stencil over a piece of CTMH White Daisy cardstock and then spritzed with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist (English Ivy).  Then I used a Liquid Pearls - Rouge to dot on some holly berries.  Those were not actually in the stencil - I just imagined them!  The little stars were cut on my Cricut and were spares just laying around so they were brushed with CTMH Ruby pigment ink, embellished with a red crystal dot and put to use.  The music Washi tape was intentional, not just left-over from the spraying process.  LOL

I hope to post the technique that I'll be teaching on 1/26 for Open Stamping some time this week.  I've got an idea - but it hasn't quite gelled into a project yet.  Hopefully I'll get that done this weekend.

Hope you're not frozen - I understand I have MUCH to be thankful for living in the Valley Of The Sun!  Hugs!!

Tags!!!

I love making tags!  I forget this little fact until it's Christmas and I'm in the middle of a gift wrapping extravaganza!  Then, when the 4 or 5 that I had left-over from last year are all gone, I sit down and the creativity just FLOWS!  They are small, quick, and they use up all sorts of lovely little pieces that are all over my work table! Washi tape is perfect for tags!

The little tree tag, for instance, used scrap from making a gift album (the black piece w/writing) and the tree is one of the little stamps from Close-to-My-Heart that I colored with the new alcohol markers and quickly cut around.  Added to a package with a big red bow and it looks special!

 

 

I love this one!  (Pun not intended!) The little sentiment was cut out from one of the awesome "zip" strips with designs that come on the CTMH papers.  The white on red circles were left-overs from another project as well as the red pattern over cocoa part of a circle (left over from some valentines I made last year!).  I really {heart} the look!

This last one I did just for "love".  The little bug was colored green like my VW Beetle "Chloe" and the tree added to the top to look like Chloe was bringing home the Christmas tree.  I still miss Chloe.  The numbers are simply Washi tape.  I think I free-handed the little puffs of smoke (not that Chloe ever blew smoke!).
  
Well, it was a blast!  Maybe I'll make up a few more as I clean the room and put away the Christmas things.  Just to get me started for next year!  *grin*

Thank you Notes

And now it's time for thank you notes!  I received the most wonderful, heartfelt gifts this year - and even though we just got back into town today I feel a sense of urgency to get some thank you notes in the mail!  

Sending wishes to you all for a wonderful New Year!  A fresh slate - as they say, to write your story the way you want it to be!  Hugs!!

Lanterns

The stamp of the month from Close-to-My-Heart last month (November) was lanterns and I really love them - and they reminded me that I have another CTMH lantern set!  It seemed like the right time to make some lantern cards!   This one is a little "funky" but I kinda like it!  The scallops on top were a patterned paper that I trimmed along the design and popped up on foam tape.  I think it looks like the edge of a roof or awning.

This one used the same masculine papers I had laying out on the work table - do you do that too? I thought so!  In fact, if I leave the papers out, I find that I pick them up over and over and make all sorts of things with them.  It's like the pieces are raising their little hands in excitement saying "use me, use me"!!  Anyway - I'm sure your paper doesn't talk to you!  ;-)

So, these were easy and fun!  I LOVE lanterns!

How are your Holiday plans coming along?!  I spent the evening tonight wrapping and boxing up gifts to take by the post office tomorrow.  But I'm glad to have it done, perhaps the gifts will reach their destinations on time this year?  One can hope . . .

Hugs!! 

Masculine Birthday card

This was a super easy card - and I pulled out another retired Close-to-My-Heart stampset (the birthday cake, plate and confetti).  Most of the paper was retired, too.  (sorry!).  I needed something that wasn't girly, and wouldn't take all night!  I like how the cake turned out stamped on a design paper - it gives it another dimension of pattern and colors.  The inside was a simple design using the patterned paper.  The card has been sent and received and the biggest response was for the cash tucked inside!  LOL  

The only think remotely remarkable about the card was that I used a copper "zing" embossing glitter for the confetti.  I really love the look even though the photo doesn't do it justice.  

My Love took me to see Evita last night - the Broadway production on tour.  It was fabulous!  I was up too late, however, and really wished it had been Saturday this morning when the alarm went off before 5 am.  Not as young as I used to be!  ;-) 

Hugs!

Wine makes a nice Hostess gift!

One  of my favorite things to bring as a hostess gift when we've been invited to dinner is a nice bottle of wine!  This one was a Malbec from Argentina.  I combined two Close-to-My-Heart stamp sets and used the For Always paper (which is retiring - so get it while you can!).  We wrote a little greeting on the backside of the tag.  Our event was Thanksgiving - we gathered with about 20 friends for a pot-luck type of meal.  The food was fabulous and the friendship was superb!  Hope your Thanksgiving Day was wonderful, too!  

Hugs!!

Watercolors

Happy Saturday!  I hope you are fully enjoying this weekend - in our part of the world the weather is glorious and it was just delightful doing EVERYTHING today - even my little nap ( ! ) in the late filtered sunlight.

This card was embossed with white embossing powder on white cardstock and then watercolored with a water-pen picking ink directly off the ink pads.  I used Close-to-My-Heart Sweet Leaf, Olive, Blush, Cotton Candy, and Hollyhock.  I found this sparkly pink ribbon at the Metal and Paper Scrappers store in Payson AZ.  I really like this card, not sure why.  Hope you like it, too!  

Hugs!