Merry Christmas!!!!

More Christmas goodies...

12 Days til Christmas

I started on my Christmas cards earlier this year back in October and I was quite excited about it. But now I feel that I've run out of steam. All the cards I made two months ago just doesn't appeal to me anymore. I don't even know if I want to start over or just forget the cards altogether. I'm leaning towards the lather.

I decided to challenge myself and work outside of my comfort zone of just cut and paste. Which lead me to stenciling. I haven't had any experiences prior. It's something different and I quite
like the outcome.

Snowflake

Bird Stamp

Tea Time

Just Around the Corner...

I can hardly believe that summer is over. It's been pretty chilly and miserable in my parts of the woods. I know it's officially autumn but we all know it's really just a nicer name for winter. It's so so cold today that I just want to stay in bed. It did have me thinking that Christmas will be coming soon. This year my Christmas is going to be very special. I'll tell you all about it when it's over. At least that is one good thing about winter.

I've been slowly working on ideas for Christmas cards. This year I'm making a bunch for D to give out and a few for myself to give away. Here are a couple fun cards.

Baby Turns One

After months of debate, I splurged and purchased a Scor-Pal. I’m happy to report that I’m seriously in love with it. It’s worth every penny. Mind you, it only cost me $40. I’m thrifty. It’s one of the most useful tools. Card making just got so much more fun and easier.

My first project with the Scor-Pal is a card for my nephew who’ll be celebrating the big ONE in November. (It seems like just yesterday that he was baptized. He’s without a question the cutest baby boy I’ve ever met. I think he’ll be a heart-breaker when he grows up. I’m not bias at all). I wanted to make something that will grab his attention right away since he can’t read, yet. I think the final product turned out quite well. What do you think?

Back from Vacation.....

I’m back from vacation! It was one of the best trips I’ve had so far. I did lots of touristy things and ate yummy food. What I enjoyed the most was spending time with D.

Today, I spent the day helping my friend work on her scrapbook. We spent 8 hours working on it and managed to finish 4 pages. Working on this project got my creative juices flowing again. It’s a good thing seen as though Christmas is approaching. Here’s a simple card that I made in anticipation of Christmas.

Baptism Card

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Wow! Summer just flew by and is practically over! I feel like I spent most of the summer working. Luckily, I'll be on my official summer vacation in 7 days. Woohoo!! Three weeks of much needed rest and relaxation. I deserve it. I'll be jetting off to a very exotic location.....NOT!! But I will be in my second home away from home with my favorite person. Here's a huge hint of where this location may be.

One of the upside to the end of summer is having those pesky teenagers back in school. Ugh, I'm so over having to see these self entitled brats all over the place. To be fair, not all teenagers are annoying. ;) Here's a card to celebrate back to school.

Another Simple Card

Bugging Out

I was recently reminded that D's sister-in-law's birthday was fast approaching. He gave me a wonderful idea for a birthday card. She's obsessed with all things relating to the Volkswagen automobile brand. This was very obvious when we visited her home a few months ago. Her guest bedroom, living room, and even her bathroom were all decorated with or contained items related to VWs. I made her VW themed birthday card to add to her collection. I hope she likes it.

Cards Made Simple

To be attractive, homemade cards doesn't always need embellishments, or be hand stamped. All you really need is good quality paper to accentuate them. Here's a perfect example, where the only materials that I used were pretty paper and a nice rub-on stamp. The finish product is quite lovely.

....cards

I seem to be afflicted with the “wedding curse.” Every other wedding I attend I seem to look dreadful. Is it just me or are most people disappointed with their appearances at weddings or at important functions? My outfit and make-up wasn’t doing anything for me. If only the wedding was a casual affair I know I’d have rocked it. The upside is that I didn’t realize that I looked so horrible until it was all over. So I was blissfully unaware of my appearance until I got home. Therefore, I was able to enjoy myself without feeling self conscious, plus I'm never going to see half those people again. I know, I know, weddings are not supposed to be about the invitees, but about the bride and groom. But, I just can’t help myself.

On the upside, the bride looked gorgeous: her hair, makeup, and outfit were beautiful. At least I can give a compliment where it is deserved. Well done, bride!

Overall, the wedding ceremony was a snoozer. Aren’t they all? Though there were many sweet and touching moments. The bride and groom are high school sweet-hearts who have been together for over 8 years! Another couple who were sitting at my table has been together for 16 years and will be getting married next month. There’s still hope for me. Speaking of hope, I was constantly being asked when I was getting married. It seems that it’s the obligatory question to ask at weddings. However, being someone who can’t come up with a quick and witty answer, I just smiled and said I don't know. So much for spontaneity, you’d think that I’d have a ready answer by now given the countless number of times I’ve been asked that question.

The day before the wedding, I completed the wedding card. I was a little disappointed with it because it looked "rushed." It also lacked originality. However, I did manage to make my own version of a red envelope that I attached to the inside of it.

Check out the unfinished card here:My Best Friends Wedding...Card(s)

Summery Sweets, Tiers of Treats

A Smile to My Face

Recently, I received this wonderful card from my significant other whom I will refer to as D. It was a very thoughtful/meaningful gesture as anyone who knows me well, knows that I love, love Jane Austen. I try to read Pride and Prejudice at least once a year. I'm still new at this card making business but I hope that my cards will bring as much joy to others as this card brought me.

Back to Basics

Materials Used: "For You" Kolette Hall stamp, pencil crayons, Fiskars design cutter, Sei card stock

My Best Friends Wedding...Card(s)

Just like in a lot of movies, guests often dread the thought of attending weddings alone. I’ve been invited to a few weddings this summer. As you might assume, I’ll be going alone. The mere thought of it makes me cringe. It should be made mandatory that the betrothed allow invitees to bring dates. Though, I realize that weddings are expensive and it might not be financially feasible to institute this rule. However, if I’m compelled to attend then I feel that I should be allowed to bring someone along to share the experience, good or bad. But, I digress….

I thought I would step it up a notch by making my own card for the wedding. The ceremony is this weekend; however, I've been putting off making it for quite some time. Yikes! I'm almost finished but I feel that something is missing. I haven't been able to pinpoint what it is, yet. (And I don't mean the well wishes). Here's a preview of the unfinished card. I have only 3 days to make it happen. Wish me luck!

To be continued...

An alternative to traditional cards

Ribbons

Doesn't a card or gift wrapped with a pretty bow/ribbon make it all the more appealing?! I'm obsessed with anything remotely related to ribbons. I add them to everything, cards/gifts, you name it. My problem is that I never seem to have the right color to match whatever it is that I'm making. So, I end up purchasing more. Here's my tiny collection which I'm hoping to add more to....=)

Happy Summer!

One of my favorite cards I made recently. Being an amateur stamper, I think I did a pretty decent job. I used a really cute bee stamp from Katie & Co. If you look closely, the bees pop up.