A Brand New Year!

Hi everyone,

Before the ball drops and we ring in the New Year, I'm sure many of you have made New Year's resolutions for 2012.  Whether it be to get in shape, eat healthier, save more money, or start a new hobby (like blogging) I wish each and every one of you the best in 2012.

I know the most difficult part of keeping a resolution is sustaining the momentum after the first couple of weeks.  Personally, I have decided not to make any resolutions for the coming year and to just enjoy each and every day.

Thanks again for a great year of blogging.  I have met some wonderful friends along the way.  Wishing you a happy and healthy New Year!

Here is the card I created to celebrate 2012.

Card Recipe:
Stamps:  A Brand New Year
Paper:  Solar White Linen, The Paper Company Black Glimmer, BoBunny Enchanted Designer Paper, Shimmery White, Basic Black
Ink:  StazOn Black
Accessories:  5/8" Offray Black Satin Ribbon, Clear Rhinestone, Wired Silver Beads, Gold Spica Pen, Tim Holtz Elegant Flourishes Die, Labels Eight #3 & #5, Spellbinders Double Ended Tags, Bow-Easy
Techniques:  Embossing, Sponging
Card Size:  A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

Cheops on Christmas Day

Hi everyone,

Cheops had a fantastic time Christmas morning so I thought I would share some photos with you.  Here he is behind some plants waiting for Santa to arrive!

He may look like an angel, but don't turn your back on him!  He will knock those ornaments down in a matter of seconds.

My little boy is being so patient. 

It took a few minutes, but he found one of his presents.  My brother sent him a mouse that squeaks.  Everytime he touched the present it would go off!

Awww ... here he is just begging for his new toy.

Nothing like bows and new treats on Christmas morning!

Oh, he loved his new mouse!  Fun ... fun ... fun

All the excitement made him so tired.



Thank you for stopping to visit us.  Big hugs from Cheops to each of you!

Christmas Morning

This is the card I created for my husband.  I almost didn't think I was going to have enough time to make him one with last minute preparations for the holiday.  I have used this stamp set before with night scenes, but wanted to try a morning scene.

When I asked him what he liked best about the card he said the subtle coloring of the misty forest and the partly cloudy sky.  Doesn't it look like you are on the side of a hill looking into a valley?

I used a piece of glossy white paper and stamped the Santa & Sleigh image in StazOn Stone Gray.  The row of pine trees were stamped in Mellow Moss then a few trees were stamped in Always Artichoke to create some depth.  The clouds were stamped in Ballet Blue and the sky was sponged in Bashful Blue, Ballet Blue and Wisteria Wonder.  I added a little Distressed Antique Linen ink to the bottom for some brightness behind the trees.

The inside sentiment was stamped on Shimmery White paper in Ballet Blue and embossed with clear embossing powder.  I re-created some of the trees on the inside.

To create the flurries I poured a little Folk Art pearl white acrylic paint onto a paint palette.  I dipped the bristles of a toothbrush into the paint and ran my thumb across the bristles causing them to spray ink on the card.  I think this technique makes the flurries look more natural.

I hope this card will inspire you to try something different and perhaps create a beautiful winter scene.

Card Recipe:
Stamps:  SU Wandering Words, Stampscapes Pine Row, Pine Tree & Cloud Cumulus, SU Peaceful Wishes (Inside)
Paper:  The Paper Company Glacial Blue, Wisteria Wonder, Glossy White, Shimmery White
Ink:  Santa & Sleigh - StazOn Stone Gray, Trees - Mellow Moss & Always Artichoke, Clouds - Ballet Blue; Sky - Bashful Blue, Ballet Blue & Wisteria Wonder; Inside Sentiment - Ballet Blue with Clear EP
Accessories:  Labels Seventeen #6, Folk Art Metallic Pearl White Acrylic Paint, Toothbrush
Techniques:  Embossing (Inside), Sponging
Card Size:  A2 (4.25" x 5.5") 

Gifts of Christmas

Hi everyone,

This was a very simple Christmas card to create.  I started with cutting a piece of Shimmery White paper with a Spellbinders Labels Four #6 die.  The dove image was inked in VersaMark and embossed with gold embossing powder and a heat gun.  Using a paintbrush I applied SU's champagne mist shimmer paint to the inside of the dove.

I adhered the focal image to a piece of Decks the Halls Designer Paper then onto a piece of Cherry Cobbler.  I used quite a bit of Cherry Cobbler this year.

Before mounting everything to a solar white linen card, I added the metallic gold triple loop bow and three gold pearls.

The inside sentiment by Stampabilities was inked in VersaMark then Garden Green and embossed with clear embossing powder.  The poinsettia was embossed in gold.

I thought the flourish from the Priceless set really coordinated with the design on the front of the card so I stamped it in Cherry Cobbler with clear embossing powder.

I hope you are having a wonderful day!

Card Recipe:
Stamps:  SU Gifts of Christmas, SU Priceless, Stampabilities Joy, Love & Peace Sentiment
Paper:  Solar White Linen, Deck the Halls Designer Paper, Cherry Cobbler, Shimmery White
Ink:  VersaMark with Gold EP, Garden Green, Cherry Cobbler
Accessories:  Offray 1/4" Metallic Gold Ribbon, Gold Pearls, SU Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint, Nesties Labels Four #6, Bow-Easy, Paintbrush
Techniques:  Embossing
Card Size:  A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

Christmas Greetings!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas is such a magical time of the year!  I don't know if it is the magic of wishes, the magic of prayer, or the magic of love that brings us all a little closer together.

The house is so peaceful right now ... not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse!  Cheops is curled up in his bed, the Christmas lights are on and I will soon be having tea by the tree.

I hope this holiday season is everything you wanted it to be.  I can't let the day go by without showing you the card I made for my brother and sister-in-law.

This creation is all about the BoBunny Midnight Frost paper.  I just love blue and silver together!  I die cut a Sizzix reindeer from grungeboard and painted it with Adirondack silver acrylic paint.  I distressed the edges with a sanding block from my Making Memories kit and sponged on Basic Gray (a trick I learned from the fabulous Tim Holtz).  I added silver cording with three jingle bells and a black pearl for the eye.

I knew this card would need to be a little bigger for the reindeer so I pulled out a 4.5" x 6.25" solar white linen card.  I adhered the Midnight Frost paper to a piece of Brushed Silver then added 1/4" sheer silver organdy ribbon.

The tag was created from a Spellbinders Tag Shape 3 die.  I stamped the Believe in VersaMark then Night of Navy and embossed it with clear embossing powder and a heat gun.  The silver eyelet and gold cording finished it off.

As I was putting together the card I had the Memory Box Frost Border die sitting on my workspace.  I used it to cut a piece of Shimmery White paper which I sprayed with Tsukineko Frost Shimmer Spritz and added ice blue rhinestones.  Rather than cut the end of the die I decided to wrap it around into the inside of the card.

The inside sentiment was stamped on Shimmery White paper cut from a Labels Eight #5 die.  Again, I used Night of Navy ink and embossed it with clear embossing powder.  The snowflakes were stamped in Bordering Blue.

Card Recipe:
Stamps:  Papertrey Ink Believe, SU Serene Snowflakes, Stampabilities Merry Little Christmas (DR1139)
Paper:  Solar White Linen, Brushed Silver, BoBunny Midnight Frost Designer Paper, Shimmery White
Ink:  Night of Navy with Clear EP; Bordering Blue, Basic Gray
Accessories:  Grungeboard, Adirondack Silver Acrylic Paint, 1/4" Silver Organdy Ribbon, Kaiser Ice Blue Rhinestones, Kaiser Black Pearl, Tsukineko Frost Shimmer Spritz, Silver Jingle Bells, Silver Eyelet, Silver Cording, Sizzix Reindeer Die, Memory Box Frosty Die, Spellbinders Tag Shape 3, Spellbinders Labels Eight #5, Crop-A-Dile   
Techniques:  Embossing, Sponging
Card Size:  4.5" x 6.25"

Looking Through the Window

Hi there,

I have a little winter scene today using the Northwoods Two Bunnies & Snowy Spruce stamp.  The image was stamped in StazOn Black on Shimmery White paper and colored with Prismacolor Pencils.  The sky was sponged in a mixture of Bordering Blue and Bashful Blue.  I added Waterfall Stickles to the snowflakes and used my DecoArt Snow Writer to create the snow around the tree and bunnies.

I used the new Grand Madison Window die and sponged it with Brilliance Pearlescent Beige and popped it off the scene, which was adhered to a glacial blue card.

Using my SU oval punches I added the sentiment in the corner with some Garden Green sprigs.

The inside sentiment was stamped in StazOn Black on Shimmery White paper with some silver embossed snowflakes.  Edges were sponged in Bashful Blue.

A close up of the two bunnies in the snow.

Wishing you a magical winter wonderland!

Card Recipe:
Stamps:  Northwoods Two Bunnies & Snowy Spruce (M8348), Memory Box All is Calm/Bright, SU Serene Snowflakes, Time of Cheer Sentiment by Impression Obsession, Inc. 
Paper:  The Paper Company Glacial Blue, Pistachio, Garden Green, Shimmery White
Ink:  Image - StazOn Black; Prismacolor Pencils in Sand, Light Umber, Sienna Brown, Blush Pink, Dark Green, Cool Grey 20%; Sponging - Bordering Blue, Bashful Blue, Brilliance Pearlescent Beige; Snowflakes - VersaMark with Silver EP
Accessories:  Waterfall Stickles, DecoArt Snow Writer, SU Oval Punches, Martha Stewart Leaf Punch, Poppystamps Grand Madison Window Die, Mega Curved Rectangles #4 & #5 
Techniques:  Embossing, Sponging
Card Size:  A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

Christmas Decorating & Tea

Hi everyone,

I have been busy the past several weeks and really do have quite a bit to show you.  I just needed some time to take pictures and sit down at the computer.

Our tree has been up and I thought I would share with you some of my favorite ornaments.  I love the way it turned out with our Victorian theme.

The wrought iron shelf in my kitchen has a pine garland from Michael's.  The charming reindeer with wire antlers and icy Christmas tree candles are from the Pottery Barn.  I love the pearlescent glitter that sparkles as snow on the branches.  The glass vase is filled with pinecones and white lights.

Keeping things simple this year, I have placed a wooden silver tray on the table filled with candles.  The bird candle has a distressed, pearlescent finish that replicates the look of partridge's feathers.  As much as I wanted to add some snow around the bottom of the tray I really can't with Cheops.  I need to think "kitty" friendly when decorating.

A pretty pink poinsettia is in my living room.

I'm off now to have tea in this gorgeous handpainted rose teacup and saucer bearing the mark by Royal Sealy in Japan.  

The entire cup has a "mother of pearl" finish with a reticulated saucer.  The gold trim and handle is stunning!

I hope you are enjoying the season and decking the halls!  The last of my handmade cards have been received so I can continue to share them with you.