Holly Berry Noel

In the hustle and bustle to get things done, I made this card with a new little background stamp/embossing folder I got yesterday ... It is so cool how the embossing folder outlines the images from the background stamp, don'tcha think?

I seriously need to get some sleep!! So many projects, so little time!! (Went to bed at 12:30 a.m. and woke up at 3:46 a.m. ... decided not to fight the wheels in my head and just got up to finish some things.) I finished some cookbooks for my kids (pretty sure they are not gonna read this, so I feel safe in posting it), made five pair of PJ pants, setup and loaded a Kindle for a friend, and did a couple of loads of laundry ... I think I need a nap!!

Soooo excited that my brother and sister-in-law are flying in late tonight ... hope I can get all my wrapping done before then!!

The elves are gonna be up late tonight!!

Stamps: Sizzix/Hero Arts Holly Background Stamp
Paper: Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla, Garden Green, Cherry Cobbler, Brushed Gold
Ink: Sahara Sand, Garden Green, Cherry Cobbler
Accessories: Sizzix/Hero Arts Holly Textured Impressions Folder, Martha Stewart Holly Punch, Large and Small Oval Punches, Gold Elastic Cord, Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details, Gold and Illuminate Smooch

Winter's Butterfly

I have been finding precious little time to stamp ANYthing that isn't a neighbor gift or Christmas card or project that I am helping someone ELSE with for Christmas. I did get a chance to make this butterfly card for my son over the weekend, though (this makes card #69, for those of you who are counting). If you have no idea what I mean, see the link on the sidebar to the right for more details . . .

I HAD to buy this set as soon as I saw the sentiment . . . what could be more perfect??? Making butterfly cards in the winter is challenging, so this is a perfect fit!!

I was able to combine a couple of challenges on SCS, too! SC207 and HCE01 (which is the first of a series of challenges that started on Saturday for the holidays . . . like we all have EXTRA time to stamp, right?? HCE is Holiday Challenge Extravaganza).

Hope you are all ready for Christmas! I still need to pick up a gift certificate for the in-laws and do ALL my wrapping (which I plan to finish up tonight). My daughter is in Ballet West's Nutcracker all this week (starting tomorrow), so I have no choice but to get my act together!!

Have a wonderfully love-filled week, surrounded by family and friends and those you love!!

Stamps: Winter's Butterfly by Hero Arts
Paper: Whisper White, Soft Sky
Ink: Soft Sky
Accessories: Clear Ice Stickles, lt. blue organza ribbon, white embossing powder, D'vine Swirl Cuttlebug embossing folder, pop-up glue dots

Who Was I Kidding???

Good grief!! Last week was SUCH a whirlwind!! On top of traveling all over the DC with my daughter and friends, I had the stomach flu! Add to that the fact that the internet was VERY sketchy just about everywhere we went!! I had totally planned to post at least two more times, but it just wasn't in the "cards," so to speak! (Am I punny, or what???)

So . . . here ya go! I got inspiration to make this card from an awesome tutorial by Debbie Olsen. That girl is a GENIUS!! ALL THE TIME (it really is unfair!)!! Here is a link to her awesome honeybee card. I used the idea to make card #43 for my "Follow the Butterflies" challenge - see link to the right for more info! The Scor-Pal just had sooo many applications. I really like (okay, LOVE) how you can score a "pattern" into the paper. Awesome!

I also used my rectangle Nestabilities. I swear that the possibilities are ENDLESS with those little gems!! So glad I have all the shapes!! Helpful hint: you MUST tape the die (Nestability) to the cardstock before you cut it out, so that it will stay in place!!

I left myself a HUGE mess in my craft room before I left town, so I'm going to have to dig it out before I can create anything new! (fun, fun, fun!)

On a side note: my daughter took 9th place in the NATION for her National History Day project/performance on Rosie the Riveter! AND she got "Best of State" - state of Utah - for best overall project in the junior division - so we are totally stoked!!

Stamps: Designer Butterfly by Hero Arts
Paper: Garden Green, Certainly Celery, Regal Rose, Barely Banana, Whisper White
Ink: Rose Red, So Saffron
Accessories: Small Rectangle Nestabilities (scallop and classic), Wild Wasabi striped ribbon, Scor-Pal, dimensionals