One Last Post for 2012

While my husband and grandson watched football yesterday, I made cards.  I  made five, one being very complicated which I will post some other time.  The other four were easy, using up scraps and pre-colored digital images.  This digital on this first card is by Doodle Pantry named Cuddly Bear.  Speaking of Doodle Pantry, check out the incredible 50% off sale Laurie is having here.

Sketch is at Operation Write Home

and since there is a request for more kid's cards, I made my cards with kids in mind while at the same time, using up scraps of paper and images in my scrap bin.

Digital Tuesday - layers
Simon Says - anything
CASual Fridays - 10 minute card
Great Impression - anything

Here is another card that I will be sending to OWH , using the same sketch, this one for one of our heroes in which I will express my thanks for his/her service to our country.

Really Reasonable Ribbon - anything

 Be sure to come back to this blog tomorrow where I will share with you 10 of my favorite cards that I made for OWH.  There will be a great blog hop put on by OWH and I will have information on my blog and the OWH link so you can enjoy that blog hop.  I will also have some blog candy for a lucky commenter.   So until then, have a wonderful December 31.  Stay safe.
See you NEXT YEAR !

Ten Minute Cards

Several of my granddaughters were here for a few days and they love to be in my craft room.  While they were sitting across from me at my desk working with beads, I was cleaning up my desk.  Okay, I admit, I only did that for about five minutes. Too overwhelming right now. So I decided to work with my bins of scraps - paper and images that I throw in a bin on my desk.  I made up four kids cards to send off to OWH.  Because I already had precolored digitals or images that I had stamped and already colored, each card took only about 10 minutes.  They are not the most spectacular cards I have ever made ( smile)  but they are cute and some kids will get a kick out of them when they receive them.

Here are two on which I used Doodle Pantry   precolored images and a MFT sketch.

This is the Quirky Racoon.  Love the paper that comes in this set.

This is Mister Monkey.  I used up old DP scraps with this card.

Challenges:
Digital Tuesday - layers
Simon Says - anything
CASual Fridays - 10 minute
Speedy TV - anything and sentiment

That's What Christmas Is All About, Charlie Brown

Charlie Brown Christmas.  I watch it every year.  Just love it.  Our Daily Bread Design has the clip on their blog.  You can watch it  here
Maybe I am out of touch because I have eliminated most mainstream media, radio, TV, etc. but I don't hear much or feel the pressure as in years past to eliminate Christ from Christmas.  Maybe the solution has been to add more winter holidays so Christmas is now just one of those. Years ago when Christmas was the only winter holiday, we as a family not only kept Christ as the center of Christmas, we ignored and actually did not include Santa.  But I did not insist that everyone else eliminate Santa.  If people want to have a secular holiday season or celebrate some of the newer winter holidays, then let them go for it.  Isn't that the beauty of our America - freedom of speech and freedom of religion?  So with that little rant out of the way, I want to wish each of  you a Very Merry Christmas and my hope is that each of you will consider looking into the origin of Christmas in the Bible in Luke 1:26 - 2:20.  the birth of Jesus is an amazing story.  The purpose of His birth - to come to earth to redeem mankind - is an amazing act of love.  No matter how you celebrate Christmas or whatever winter holiday you are celebrating, I hope it is filled with fun, love, family,  peace, and goodwill.
Now how about a card ? 

Vanilla, Silver, Artichoke cardstock, silver cording, and lots of gems.  Love this big stamp by Stampendous, for it says it all.

Challenges:
Sentimental Sundays - focus on sentiment
Pile It On - embellishments
Stamp and Create - sparkly Christmas
Word Art Wednesday
Simon Says - Merry Christmas
Craft 4 Eternity - anything

Masking, Music, and Merry Christmas

One of the challenges at Stamp TV was to use the letter of our first name for inspiration on a card. So I used masking, music, and Merry Christmas.   I love how this card turned out except for the chalking in the centers of the poinsettias - just couldn't get it to smooth out.

I used the sketch at The House That Stamps Built

After embossing the flowers with gold onto vanilla cardstock, masking twice,  I cut them out, added some yellow chalk and Stickles in the centers. 
The DP is a digital.
The stamps are by Gina K Designs.
Gold ribbon and Gold brads. 

Challenges:
Pile It On - embellishments
Stamptacular Sunday - Christmas time
Stamp and Create - sparkly Christmas
Ribbon Carousel - Holiday
Simon Says - Merry Christmas
Really Reasonable Ribbon - anything
Craft 4 Eternity - bling

Time to Wrap It Up

Almost time to wrap up the year ! But right now it is time to wrap some presents.  Thank goodness I had most of my shopping done before I went in for my surgery.  I made some tags but forgot to take pictures before I signed them and put them on packages.  (Brain is still a bit in a fog). So you get the names too - bonus.  The wrapping paper I used had funny snowmen with red scarves and hats so I made some tags (already had digitals printed out) to match a bit.  This first one is a digital by Designed2Delight.

This next digital has been in my scrap box for so long, I can't find the designer in my computer.  (I think it is saved in my old computer) But I did look it up online and yes, it is also by Designed2Delight.

The last tag is done with a stamp.  I added Fun Flock to the ear muffs only to discover after it dried that the red ink bleeds through.

Not fancy tags, but fun easy ones. And I have enough tags left over from last year, these are the only ones I needed to make.

Thanks for taking a peek.

Challenges:
Designers Choice - tags
Sentimental Sunday - tags
Cutie Pie - Cute Christmas
Really Reasonable Ribbon - anything
Simon Says - favorite tool - pencils
Digital Tuesday - layers

Snow Globe Wanna Be

This is as close to a snow globe as I am going to get this year - a shaker card.  Someday I am going to try to make a snow globe card.  I have seen such cute ones.  This is only the second shaker I have ever made.  Stamp TV had a challenge to make one so I tried my hand at it.   It was a fun challenge and I was actually in the mood to play with it.
It was difficult to get a good photo showing the snow which is Mainstay Crystal Glitter.  Lots of cloudy, rainy weather here, so the lighting was not conducive to a good shot.

Can you see the "snow" in the window?  I put a tiny bit of glue on the branch so the snow would always stay there but you just can't see it in this photo.
I used GKD set, Winter Foliage.  Designer paper is an old piece from my stash.  Love the muted colors.
Base is Kraft and the green frame is Stampin Up Artichoke.

Challenges:
Stamptacular Sunday - Christmastime
Stamp and Create - sparkly Christmas
Really Reasonable Ribbon - anything
DYSU - Christmas
Raise the Bar - snow
Simon Says - fav tool - Cuttlebug
Wags n Whiskers - anything
Ribbon Carousel - holidays

Polar Bear Camp Out

When I first started using digital images, I felt like I was cheating by not stamping.  When I started using pre-colored digital,  I knew I was cheating.  But no more guilt.  I love them !!  Especially now as I wait for my energy level and my creativity to return.  This set of digitals by Clear Dollar Stamps is soooo cute.   The designer is Trudy Sjolander.  Several snowy background papers and sentiments are included in the set, making it easy as can be to put together a coordinated card.

I used the sketch Mojo 271 but flipped it so the circle is on top.

The Christmas cards I send out are always Christ centered because Christmas is for me the birth of our Savior, Jesus.  But I do make a few fun winter cards and this is one of them.  I will be sending this to a grandchild and writing a note inside concerning Christmas so it really is a Christmas card even though it doesn't look like it on the outside.

Challenges:
Mojo Monday
Cutie Pie - cute Christmas
ODBD - NOEL  (Nesties, One ribbon, Embossed(dry) scalloped circle, Lots of Layers
Party Time Tuesday - kids Christmas
Timeless Tuesday - non traditional colors
DYSU - Christmas
Raise the Bar - snow
Simon Says - favorites (digitals)
Speedy Fox and Friends - snow

Peppermints - Sweet Idea

December 1 came and went and now it is already the 14th.  Hope you have had a chance to look at some of the new digital images and the new colored images by Doodle Pantry.
I used an image from the new "Bottles and Jars"  and colored images from "Peppermint" .

I am sending this to a granddaughter.  I put a page inside with another image, leaving space to write her a note.  The sentiment inside the bottle is by Clear Dollar Stamps.

Check out the bottles and jars - so many possibilities.

Thanks for looking.  I am hoping to post again before Christmas Day but just in case I don't, or if you don't check back, I do hope you will have a wonderful Christmas week.

Challenges:
Speedy TV - sketch with a twist
Crafty Cardmaker - time in a bottle
Cutie Pie - Cute Christmas
Party time Tuesday - kid's Christmas
Simon Says - favorite tool - Cuttlebug
DYSU - Christmas
Wags n Whiskers - anything

Two Days In A Row

Can you believe it?  Two posts in two days. And I felt like doing a little coloring.  There is light at the end of the tunnel.  I want to send out some cards to my grandchildren.  So I must keep plodding on, energy permitting.

I used the sketch at MFT but I forgot the one element on the corner of the panel.  Didn't realize it until I posted the photo and the sketch.  Oh, well.

The image and sentiment are Gina K Design.  The challenge at Stamp TV was to use warm colors.

Challenges:
Pile It On - embellishments
Craft Your Passion - snow
Crafty Creations - winter scene
Cuttlebug Tuesday - seasons greetings
Simon Says - snowflakes
Speedy Fox and Friends - Christmas card
Great Impressions - anything

Joy to the World

I was determined to use both of these stamps on one card but it turned out to be a challenge because they are both large.  I probably should have saved the sentiment for the inside and probably will next time I use them together.

The angel is by Stampin'Up, the sentiment is an OLD stamp that someone gave me and the musical score is a stamp by Clear Dollar Stamps.  I stamped it twice on the Vanilla cardstock to fill the panel.
The stars are punched out with a Cuttlebug die.  I used a Silver Star Sakura pen to do a little highlighting on the angel.
Cardstocks: navy by GinaK, Vanilla and Baja Breeze by Stampin'Up, Silver paper by ?

Challenges:
Critter Sketch - anything Christmas
Friends of Speedy TV - Christmas
Love to Create - Christmas Cheer
Raise the Bar - blues and whites
Wags n Whiskers - anything
Great Impressions - anything
Stamp and Create - sparkly Christmas

Where or Where has my MoJo Gone?

I think the doctors took it out during my surgery ! LOL.  But I really wanted to try to create something so I went with a simple sketch by MFT, used a digital image that I colored a few weeks ago, and by the time I was done (which wasn't all that long), I was ready to call it quits.  So not only  is MoJo missing, my stamina is too.  (Patience has never been a strong characteristic of mine.) But I o feel a bit better and stronger each day.

Digital image is Digital Delights.  Peppermint is cut out from a piece of DP.  I scored the base on the Scor-pal at 1/2 inch intervals.

 Challenges:
Pile it On - embellishments
Critter Sketch - anything Christmas
Love to Create - holiday cheer
Cuttlebug Tuesday - Season
Craft 4 Eternity - Christmas
Chocolate, Coffee, and Cards - CAS
Wags n Whiskers - Christmas

My Fashion Style This Winter

Necklines will be higher.  Hems will be lower - no leg showing. Color palette - black, blues, purples, greens.  Now these would not be my first choices but the team of doctors in the Cardiovascular unit at our hospital insist that this is the choice for awhile.  Yes, in case you did not read the previous post  (written by one of my sons who is an I.T. guy and knows how to get into my computer !) I had open heart surgery (quad bypass) November 20th.  Unexpected.  Full of miracles.
So this is my first post since then.  I can finally sit long enough to type a little without needing a nap!  I hope it  won't be long before I can get back in here to my craft room and make up some cards.  I have so many thank you cards to make and send.   But I must try to be patient, especially since the re-coop time is 4 - 8 weeks.
So where did this card come from?  It is one I made right before I went into the Cardiologist for my consultation, which turned out to be a "do not pass go, do not collect $$, but instead go straight into the hospital for surgery the next morning."

I had no idea who I was making this for at the time.  But we found out that a friend from years back went in for heart surgery exactly a week after I did.  So I will be sending it to him.

The purples really do match IRL.  The image and sentiment are by Doodle Pantry.  Flowers are cut out with Cuttlebug dies.
I used a sketch for a sketch challenge - the origins escapes me.  Here are a few challenges that I have grabbed from my blog list.

Thanks for looking.  And have a great day.  I'm going to !

Pile It On - anything but Christmas
Party Time Tuesdays - anything
Cuttlebug Tuesday - use scraps
Clear it Out - ugly paper
Chocolate, Coffee, Cards - CAS