A Holiday week has gone by so quickly!

Whew! I am still surprised at how fast this week went by. It's been a busy, fun, memorable time.

I've been down with a skin rash, that itchy irritable pinchy kind, that I suspect is the result of old industrial cleaner I used on the bathroom and then getting my self cleaned up to soon afterwards. Ugh. Well, a few days with Prednisone and antihistamines and I'm able to sit still and type without feeling the need to rub against sand paper. Happy days, I tell ya.

I don't have anything new to show you today, sorry to say, but I wanted to stop in and say hi, hope that you are all having a splendid time with your families wherever you are or just having a good time and getting in some crafting.

Oh yes, Verve Stamps is having their usual fantastic sales on stamps and dies for the end of the year. Please get on the newsletter email list because they are happening every day and staying until the end of the year. There are even a few items up to 50% off.

Go to ShopVerve.com and check out all the goodies. Just in case Santa wasn't able to fill your stocking as full as you wanted, right? :)

To get you started browsing here are a few of my favorite projects from 2012.

Lean on Me and Borderline (Verve Stamps) Flourished Trim Die, Mini Classy Label Die, Pointed Flowers Die Set and Pennant Trim Die (A Cut Above, Verve)

 Feel the Sun and  Cup of Life and Hope Blooms (Verve Stamps)Rounded Scallop Frame die and Tiny Sweet Scallop Tag die (A Cut Above, Verve Stamps)

You and I and Making a Statement (Verve Stamps), I Heart You Die and Jotted Heart Die (A Cut Above, Verve)

 Borderline Stamp Set (Verve Stamps)Pennant Die and Mini Bookplate die (A Cut Above Die, Verve Stamps)

 Holiday Greeting (Verve Stamps)

 Autumn Splendor (Verve Stamps)Rounded Scallop Frame Die (A Cut Above Die, Verve Stamps)

Stronger Love and Making a Statement (Verve Stamps) Loopy Blooms Die Set (A Cut Above, Verve)

 One Person (Verve Stamps)

 Small Celebrations, Bloom and Grow (Verve Stamps) Ribbon Banner Die and Elegant Leaves die (A Cut Above Die, Verve Stamps)

 Holiday Greetings and Borderline (Verve Stamps) Ribbon Banner die (A Cut Above, Verve)

 Doodled Occasions (Verve Stamps) Pennant Trim die and Scalloped Flower die (A Cut Above, Verve)

 Merry and Bright and Dream Big (Verve Stamps) Winter Fun die set and Scalloped Flowers die set (A Cut Above, Verve)

Friday Viva La Verve Sketch

Today is markedly the last of my busy schedule. I'm so ready to be at home and snuggle and cuddle with my family. I think I'll be sleeping in a few morning on our vacation. Nah, I'm pretty sure of it. Verve Diva Tosha has a delightful sketch for us to try out!

It's week 4 for December's Viva La Verve Challenges and this sketch is pretty versatile. I'm just getting started on my Christmas cards to send out and I think this sketch is going to be one awesome sketch to repeat until I get them done. I've got a few to make, for sure!

Be sure to play along with the Viva La Verve challenge this week. I know it's going to help me get my last minute cards complete.

Details:
Stamps: Holiday Greeting (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Wonder (Authentique), Solar White (Neenah), kraft (Wausau), cream 
Ink: Archival Black (Ranger), Black Soot (Ranger), Paper Bag (CTMH)
Accessories: Colored Pencils (Prismacolors), Black Brush pen (Prismacolor), Winter Words EF (Sissix)

Holiday Helper

I've made up a little 3-d challenge over on Paper Craft Planet. Come on over and join in on the fun!

Details:
Stamps: Learning to Sail (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Paper Reverie Noir (Making Memories), acetate
Ink: Mushroom Alcohol ink refill (Ranger)
Accessories: Nesting circle dies (Lifestyle Crafts)

A million wishes go out today

I'm sending out a huge Happy Birthday to a very sweet friend today. Laura, a million wishes to you on your birthday.

The designers from Stampendous want to give a boisterous huzzah with a birthday blog hop today. It's fun and free of any work on your part, we hope.

Everyone can join in with their own level of huzzah on the Stampendous Facebook page. Just jump over and drop off a birthday wish. If you have a pretty Stampendous card to share that is even better!

Now enjoy the spotlight today Laura, you deserve it!

Kristine Reynolds

Wendy Price

Krissy Fossmeyer

Lea Kimmel

Tenia Nelson

► Janelle Stollfus ◄

Suzanne Czosek

Cyndi Bundy

Yana Smakula

Mary Dawn Quirindongo

Asia King

Melinda Gleissner

Details:
Stamps: Tutu Toad, Vintage Typewriter and Music Score (Stampendous), 
Paper: Cream (Wausau), Pewter (Wausau), green scraps stash
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento, Tsukineko), Copic Markers
Accessories: mini stapler (Ranger), glimmer paint (CTMH)

I'm at it again...

I'm in the trenches of crafting for a Christmas Bazaar this coming weekend. I'm so incredibly busy I'm amazed how things are getting done and yet not getting done. This time around there will be a slew of elementary children with their parents as guests passing by my booth so I'm focusing on fun and friendly gifts. So do your kids write thank you's for christmas gifts? Well, I'll be prepared for the few of you who said yes.

The not getting done part of my post is a blessing in disguise with orders for headbands and a few tooth pillows. While I won't have those orders done anytime soon, here are some of the items from the last bazaar that will show again this weekend.

Making headbands has definitely made me want to change my hairstyle! I love they way they look on all sorts of styles... but mine. Ha-ha. Tis true friends and that only means I need to figure on making a styling change if I'm going to enjoy all the fruits of my labor.

So tooth pillows? Yes, those things that make it tons easier for the tooth fairy to retrieve and reward for all those lost ivories. There's a history with these little teeth pillows. I teach on Wednesday nights to a group of about 14-16 adorable littles for my church's children program. We go over all different things in life and back in the fall one event was about going to the dentist. So these started out as two felt shapes glued together with a pocket to be placed on the back to keep those precious little teeth we loose as children. I didn't get them done in time so they sat for over a month until I found out there would be a bazaar fundraiser for my son's school. My mother-in-law and I started reworking them into something like the pattern you can get over on mmmcrafts blog (seriously, this is a very cute and easy pillow to make). Now for the other 14 or so that are not stuffed or costumed. Then of course, what do I do with all of them when they are completed.

Dancer Girl Tooth Pillow

Hula Girl Tooth Pillow

I think their eyes need little black beads to keep me sane. What do you think?

Christmas Bling is Silver and Gold

If you are looking for the Verve and Ribbon Carousel Hop scroll down to the next post.

Today I'm playing along with the Silver and Gold challenge over on Do You Stack Up Card Challenge blog with some of my other Stampendous DT gals. We'd love it if you joined us and hopped around from the list on DYSU blog. Stampendous is one of the sponsors for this challenge and some prizes are available. So if you like the bling on my card you'll want to play along to have a chance to win a prize!

I'm using some of Stampendous Impressions' finest and most festive Essentials on this card. It's all about the silver and gold, right? Well here's the breakdown on this card.

The black square panel was stamped with the Jumbo Pinecone Boughs stamp with Versamark once and embossed with Detail Gold Embossing Powder then stamped with Versamark a second time and embossed in Sterling Silver Embossing Powder. Changing to the Fran•táge technique of sprinkling Essentials over the top and heat setting from the back, I added Aged Green Embossing Enamel over the thickest part of the image where the pinecone's are located. Add some Jeweled Gold Mix over the gold bough and Silver Halo Mix over the sterling silver bough.

The sentiment is watermark stamped with Versamark and embossed with in Hematite PearLustre Powder. I used a circle diecut one the sentiment and then the next larger circle on black cardstock. The black cardstock needed to pop a bit so I added Versamark directly to the edges from the pad and embossed with Midnight Black Embossing Powder. The sentiment is trimmed with Silver Halo Mix and Sterling Silver Embossing Enamel on the opposite of the same color bough and then did the same thing with the Detail Gold Embossing Powder and Jeweled Gold. I sprinkled Chunky White Embossing Enamel all over it for a snow effect before I embossed the silver and gold goodies.

For the delish embellishment, I tied May Arts Crushed ribbon in a knot glued it down behind the black square panel. The jingle bells? They are embellished with the one-two punch of coordinating embossing powders and glitter mix just as I did on all the previous embossing steps. Sterling Silver and Silver Halo Mix. Detail Gold and Jeweled Gold, but wait! I did realize I have Gold Halo in the Fran•táge Treasures Mix so I added that to the bell as well. To get the Essentials to stick to the bell, roll the bell around on the Watermark pad then hold it with a pair of tweezers while you heat emboss all the way around it. The bell stays hot long enough for the embossing to be sticky. Roll the bell gently around in the glitter mix of choice and then heat set the glitter. The bells are tied on with some May Arts Hemp twine. That's it!

Now it's time to hop over to the talented, Kristine Reynolds.

Details:
Stamps: Scrolled Seasons (Stampendous), Jumbo Pinecone Boughs (Stampendous via FranticStamper.com)
Paper: Green and black scraps
Ink: Watermark ink (Versamark, Tsukineko)
Accessories: Fran•táge Treasures Vintage Glitter Mix (has both halo mixes included), Detail Gold Embossing Powder, Sterling Silver Embossing Powder, Jeweled Gold, Aged Green Embossing Enamel, Chunky White Embossing Enamel, Midnight Black Embossing Powder, Hematite PearLustre Powder (all Stampendous), crushed silk ribbon and hemp twine (May Arts Ribbon), brass jingle bells, circle die cuts (Lifestyle Crafts)

Verve Stamps and Ribbon Carousel Blog Hop

Today Verve Stamps and Diva's are delighted to be partnering with Ribbon Carousel and Crewmates for a Collaboration Blog Hop. We have some super sweet ideas to share with ribbons, stamps and dies. Grab a cup of coffee, tea or treat and give yourself some ME-time!

Here's a mixed media card showcasing that fabulous ribbon lace from Ribbon Carousel. It's gorgeous in person! I just had to use this ribbon as my inspiration and went from there with all the paper, Verve Stamps and A Cut Above Dies. Now as I'm writing this I think it looks like I pulled some inspiration from the Mojo Monday 270 sketch (which happens to be a contest week, yay!) to place all these goodies together. 

Design highlights: I used water to distress paper edges, a toothbrush to splatter paint and sponges to darken edges. Vintage buttons and thread accentuate some Verve flowers and that are paint and coffee stain distressed. A few pennants paint distressed and curled and small amount of liquid pearl dots finish all my accents on this card!

Now for a fun lovey style with a stapled ribbon banner. I've always wanted to do this but the ribbon hasn't been right until now!

Now, lets talk prizes!   

Hop along with us today and leave some blog love for the Verve Divas and the Ribbon Carousel Crewmates to be eligible to win one of the 2 prizes up for grabs!  We'll select 2 random commenters from 2 randomly selected designer's blogs, so be sure to spread the love around!

The Verve Stamps prize is the ENTIRE November Release
and the Ribbon Carousel prize is a NEW Ribbon Carousel with your choice of knob color! 

Ready to Hop?!

Details: Merry and Bright Card
Stamps: Merry and Bright (Verve Stamps), Brighter Days (Verve Stamps), Making a Statement (Verve Stamps)
Paper:  City Sidewalk (Pink Paislee), Kraft (Wausau), textured tan scrap (Bazzill Basics)
Ink: Coral Cameo and Really Rust (Stampin' Up), Colonial White (CTMH)
Accessories: Loopy Blooms Die (A Cut Above, Verve), Pennant Trim Die (A Cut Above, Verve), Rounded Scalloped Frame Die (A Cut Above, Verve), Natural Cluny Ribbon with Woven ribbon Crochet Ribbon (Ribbon Carousel), instant coffee granules and water, acrylic paints, liquid pearls, vintage buttons and thread

Details: i Love u Card
Stamps: You and I (Verve Stamps), Making a Statement (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Love Me (My Mind's Eye), Pewter (Wausau)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento, Tsukineko), Pumice Stone (Ranger), Rose Red and Ruby Red (Stampin' Up)
Accessories: I Heart You Die (A Cut Above, Verve), Jotted Heart Die (A Cut Above, Verve), Two-tone shimmer Fuschia ribbon (Ribbon Carousel), Scalloped Edge Satin Ribbon (Ribbon Carousel)  (Mini Stapler (Tim Holtz), fiber, Mesh embossing folder (The Paper Studio)

CAS Christmas and a sketch

Hello, {echo - hello},

I have been missing in action for a while on my blog, I haven't been slacking off behind the scenes one bit though. I was working feverishly before the US Thanksgiving holiday on Stampendous catalog work, which you are going to FLIP when you see their new stamps and Essentials. I also decided to jump in on a holiday bazaar fundraiser for my son's school and ended up doing quite a bit of advertising work for it. I meant to drop in with some of the things I made, but I just didn't have the time to photograph and post about it. I'll see if I can give you some peeks this week. I'll be working on more items because I have the itch for another bazaar fundraiser, which my friend just so happens to know of one in a few weeks. Lucky me!

So I apologize for not sharing my creativity here on my blog. I hope I can get some photos up for you all to see. Some very cute, fun and non-paper projects. In the meantime, I'll share a CAS card I swirled together at my abandoned-no-more work table.

The month of December seems to be a mad rush of events, package shipping, decorating and then all the sudden I'm sitting around on December 26th with NO cards to send to my family and friends. When I came back to the work table to create a card with the Stampendous Challenge for December, I saw an email from Paper Craft Planet's Friday sketch. It was such a great match I'm combining them in this post.

All this month Stampendous and designers will be working up CAS Christmas cards for the challenge. You can find all the details in this post.

The sketch is from Super Nova, Deb Felts with a wow and surprising card sketch on Friday's blog post here. It's a skinny card that still fills up an A2 envelope (4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches). I simply did a tent fold with a regular 4 1/4 x 11 piece of cardstock and trimmed off an inch. Easy-peasy. Now I hope you'll join both of these fun challenges that will help you get through those last minute card making nights.

It feels good to be back into the papercrafting world again. See you back here real soon!

Details:
Stamps: Merriest Wish (Stampendous)
Paper: Handmade Holiday (Simple Stories), Kraft (Wausau), tracing paper, green and red scraps
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento, Tsukineko)
Accessories: Cloud Shape Scissors (Fiskar), red adhesive back rhinestone (KaiserCraft)