Pink and Red Christmas

My dear husband loves getting handmade cards. I usually make 4 to 5 cards for him at Christmas. This year, quite serendipitously all his cards were in pink and red. Since there was really no time to blog before Christmas I thought I would share all 5 cards with you now.

I use this very old Penny Black stamp that I have been using for George's Christmas card for the last 12 or more years. He finally realized this year, that I use this stamp every year!! Here is a link to last year's card.

George always gets a card from our sweet girl Miss Pinkie. Avery Elle had the classy holiday cat out there!

We had a bit of scare with her this past summer. She was pretty sick. George said the best Christmas present this year was having Pinkie at Christmas. I agree. 

George is a sucker for cards with bears, so I  couldn't pass up this stamp from Wplus9. I even used pattern paper, a rarity these days.

OMG, how could I pass up these cute mice Clearly Besotted!!

Lastly, Ellen Hutson's Essentials by Ellen had this absolutely fab ornament set that you could make these adorable snowmen faces. Love, love, love this card!

I hope you enjoyed seeing all of the hub's cards. Maybe they will inspire you to create for that someone special in your life!

 

 

Winter wonderland

Hey everyone! I hope you all had a great holiday so far. I had a fabulous one. This was the first year I was ahead of the game. The tree was up and decorated, my cards were done and mailed and gifts made 2 weeks before Christmas!! Unheard of!!

So with Christmas 2016 under my belt, I decided to get back to blogging a bit. This card was a last minute card that I made with a Tim Holtz die that I forgot I had. I decided to use the negative for this simple but elegant holiday card. I only sent this card to one person and will be using this idea for my cards next year.

I entering this into my alma mater  Happy Little Stampers, the "anything goes with dies" challenge.

 Another fav challenge site, Shopping our Stash is looking for "winter themed, but not not Christmas related" Do you think the star on the tree will disqualify me?!!?

Donna from Cards in Envy asked me to post my card for their "celebrate the  season" challenge. How could I resist?!!?😀

I am hoping to spend the next few days doing some serious stamping before school starts back up.

Check back in soon,

House of Cards May Challenge: Clear Papers

Hi everyone! Happy May Day!! Where is the sun, where is the warm springy weather, and where are my spring flowers! Instead we still have April showers.

The challenge this month at House of Cards is using clear papers such as vellum or acetate.

This is a very timely challenge because the Online Card Classes are featuring a class just on these papers called "Clear and Sheer". If you are having any trouble with this challenge be sure to check out this  awesome class.

My card is made to inspire to chase away the clouds and encourage the sun to return.

I embossed my acetate with a cloud embossing folder and added the strip of die cut flowers. The clouds match up to the cloud embossed base card also.

I did not put a sentiment on it yet, cos' I am not sure how I will use this card. I am thinking t might make a nice sympathy card.

This card looks really cool with some lamp light. You get these really cool shadows.

How fun huh. For another inspiration card, check this blog posting, where I practiced what I learned in the Clear and Sheer class.

Let's see what you can show us! Come and join in the fun this month at The House of Cards!

The Male Room Challenge #31 Easter

My sincere apologies to my team at The Male Room. I totally missed our deadline this week. I have never ever done this before. I could make a gazillion excuses and they might all be accurate but the bottom line is I forgot. I had my card made, photographed but I just plain forgot to write my blog.

The challenge this time is Easter. I have barely started on my Easter cards, except for the few I have done for challenges. For my card today, I used an adorable stamp from Endless Creations that I picked up at last years Heirloom Rubber Stamp Convention.

It couldn't have been simpler especially since I have been crazy busy lately. I stamped the word bubble from one of those cheapie dollar stamps that you can get at the big box craft stores. I thought I had some some cotton puffs for the tail but could not find them (another item that probably went in a purge!) so i just used a pearl. Desperate times......

So don't be like me and miss the boat on this fun challenge but get out your bunnies, eggs and chicks and get crafting and share with us at The Male Room!!

The Male Room Challenge # 26

Welcome back to the first challenge of 2016 at The Male Room. We are easing you into the new year with an "anything goes" challenge. Me- I find these challenges daunting. There is just too many directions to go in.

Then I remembered a friend of mine showed me a cup from Panera Bread that had a cool design and I decided to use that as my inspiration.

Soooo cool huh! And will wonders be but didn't this stamp set fit the bill perfectly! 

Sometimes the stamping goddess just smiles on you.

This card be a thank you or a great winter birthday. You can just add what ever sentiment you want.

I did add the pop of the red berries. I felt it needed some contrast. So there ya go- any thing goes and any thing can go with this design. I am happy, yep very happy!

Please don't be intimated by the challenge- just go for it and show us what ever you want at The Male Room!!

Happy 2016 Everyone!!!

The Penultimate Day!

My husband and I happen to think Christmas Eve is our ultimate day. It is the day we spend together, just the two of us. I make a special meal and we open our gifts after dinner. Christmas is all about the excitement of family,  friends, traveling, and eatting. Christmas eve is a more quiet time for us.

Today's card is for George. I have made him a card with this old Penny Black wood stamp, probably for the last 12 years. I don't think he ever realizes that I use this same stamp every year! I am sure this is my most consistently used stamp that I own. I have yet to run out of ideas for it.

Wishing all of you either a penultimate day or like George and I an ultimate day!

Quick and Easy

The countdown is on! 4 days to go!! Have you finished your cards? Have you even started them? 

Well I am here to the rescue! This is is VERY QUICK and EASY card, that is bound to impress! I cranked about 25 of these in half hour or so. This brush bottle tree has been very popular lately and I was able to pick up this HA set at Joannes with a million coupons, it was practically free!

I picked bright colors from SSS- jelly bean, audrey blue and doll pink. Stickles to add the glitter and a saying of your choice and you are done- just like this blog post!

Get cracking and I will see you soon!

The Male Room, Challenge #Christmas or Seasons Greetings

It's hard to believe but Christmas is only a few weeks away! Geez, it seems that once Thanksgiving has gone Christmas just shows up. I gotta say though this is my most creative time of the year. the mojo starts working overtime and the ideas just keep spilling out of me.

I always take the 2nd or third week off to make my cards gifts and to shop. It is favorite vacation. This week at the Male Room we are hosting our last challenge before 2016. The theme is Christmas or Seasons Greetings. That is a pretty wide open challenge, so no excuses folks! let's see your creations!

Today's card features some fun elements like that cute red nosed moose that I found at my local Paper Source. The trees are from HA's "stamp and cut holiday trees".  

What guy wouldn't like this whimsical scene!

 I will see you all again on Jan. 6, 2016 for our next challenge.

I am truly wishing all of you a blessed holiday season full of family, friends and some time for stamping and creativity!

The Male Room Challenge: Autumn

Good Morning everyone! Autumn arrived in the east coast last Weds. So today's challenge at the Male Room is right in keeping for the season. What's not to love about the fall? Time to put my long jeans back on with a sweater (by now, I am sick of shorts), crisp juicy apples (winesaps are my fav) the days are shorter (candles with dinner) and the changing leaves (long drives in the countryside).

How to make a an autumnal card without reverting to the inevitable of fall leaves? A perusal of my stamps revealed a cute fall stamp set from Hampton Arts, that I know I got for a good price from a "big box" store. 

This card had me stumped though. The background just wasn't coming together. I musta spent the better part of a day trying to make this work. Ever have a crafting day like that?

While I am not completely thrilled with this, I am at least satisfied and I know my personal sidekick is gonna like it. 

The stamp set came with the big bold "you".  I hand wrote the "nuts" trying to imitate the style. No bad. 

Tell me what are your favorite things about Autumn and play along with this week's challenge at the Male Room!

The Male Room Challenge

What a fun challenge over at the Male Room this week! Song titles! Goodness it can be as complicated or as simple as my card.

I love this "surfer dude" from Art Impressions and usually use him at least a few times a year. I spiffed him up with patriotic garb and he is ready to belt out "Surfin' USA"!

 

So start humming your favorite song title and play along at the Male Room this week!