Slider Boxes....So Easy Peasy

Hi legionnaires...betcha been wonderin' where I've been....busy is all. I got a commissions (well, maybe I sorta' commissioned myself) making 15 of these slider boxes that Scor-Pal's ezine published recently. They are fun and quick and they take to decorating and embellishing so well. I used the medium size and there are 3 sizes available. I know I'll be using these over and over again. Here's another picture one opened up.

And the tile that went into it...isn't he just the cutest? I've been using him on cards for years. I think he's ready to "hold up" to a hot or cold drink.

So, I probably won't be posting until after the T-Day holiday and then it will be Christmas cards for the month. I'm scouting around for a template/instructions to make 15 more treat holders for the same group. And I gotta find something to put into them too. If you have any ideas I'm all ears. I'd like to stay away from the foodie thing and the audience is female Christian co-workers of my dh.

May you have a blessed and safe holiday weekend.

Hugs & Blessings,
Erica

Semi Home-Made

Have you ever watched the Food TV show called Semi-Homemade? Well, that's what this card is legionnaires. I took a card out of the My Mind's Eye "Out & About" box and added the MS fence punched border, the EK Success label punched from another of the cards and an MS butterfly punched from yet another of the cards, so that everything would color match. I then sponged the card edges lightly with a close color....Ranger Distress fired brick ink pad, as well as the fence. Voila, I'd say. Me likey. Super simple.

If you have never thought about purchasing these pre-made cards, I assure you they can come in handy. You can do as much or as little as you'd like to make them your own. They come with envies, which are a decent qualilty paper, and cost $10 for 50 cards. What a steal, huh? I have found Christmas themed boxes as well. I got mine at Michaels with a 40% coupon. So I really did almost steal them. Even if y0u don't use them for anything except matting, you still have the envies to use for your own work.

Hugs & Blessings,
Erica

There will be food right?

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday 'cause it's filled with food. This year I'm going to spend time with my eldest dd and familly in CA. She's had a rough year, but wants to entertain us anyhow. I am relishing the idea of being pampered a bit, as it's usually moi who puts on the entire shebang at my home. I know there are a few favorite dishes she'll ask me to make. I'm glad of that, 'cause I don't know what all I might get into if I had nothing to do.

So, I've kinda moved on to making Christmas cards and not many Thanksgiving cards were made. I have plenty of stamps, but the stores started decorating for Christmas so darn fast, that I seemed to lose that particular holiday card mojo. Seems to get earlier each year. Oh well, I shall make up for it when it comes to cooking and baking.

So legionnaires, here's one of the few. I used the SU top note die and a pumpkin stamp I've had forever colored with Copics. The sentiment is from Stampabilities. I used a CB folder for the BG and I brushed a brown stamp pad across to highlight. A button, a bow and some hemp finished it off.
I have one or two more T-Day/Fall cards to post and then it will be all about Christmas.
Yeah for the weekend.
Hugs & Blessings,
Erica

Honored, I'm Sure

Hi legionnaires. I am so excited. I was just about to hit the hay a few evenings ago, and I decided to see if I had at least one comment on my latest card. Lo and behold, the super talented SCS Beate (don't even need to mention her last name) of http://beate.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/  honored me with a visit and commented on not just one, but two of my cards. Need I say more!!

OK, Erica, calm down and move on.
So, earlier this year, I took a rather pricy beginner's class (well, for me it was) from the also famous Michelle Zindorf  http://zindorf.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/ . She is a master at the brayering technique. I love the look, but it is not easy to achieve. So, I felt I should pay to learn. I'm glad I did, but I still doubt my proficiency when it comes to this technique. So, what do I go and do? Well, I don't brayer, that's what. Instead, I hunted around on various blogs and found that careful sponging can achieve a close similarity. However, I still use Michelle's designs, (this one is her tutorial #368) which she is kind enough to share on an almost daily basis. I most definitely copied, except I don't own SU's cajun craze, so I used other mfgrs'  inks. I  used the sentiment from SU's FYI. And finally, I sent this off to Julie Buhler of Paper Pleasing Ideas who lost her husband to cancer quite recently. Sadly, I learned that Becca Feeken lost her husband on October 31st. These are two of my favorite bloggers. Since I have been blogging and/or reading others, four stampers have become widows. I can only pray that their crafts will help to sustain them as they continue on life's journey.

Hugs & Blessings,
Erica