Thanks and CTS#104

I'm going to make this a quick one... since I got just a little out of breath on the last post =/

CAS(E) this Sketch #104 had me thinking, cutting, discarding, and carding again... Leigh, you've done your challenging best on this one!

 

All of the designers made fabulous, inspirational cards for us!  So why is it that I struggled so?  I think I was just out of practice after a full week of no-crafting!!

 

A darling friend from France sent me an extra little package for Christmas... I just had to incorporate one of her intricate little "thanks" into my card...

 



Using an Old Olive card base adding a few little hearts to provide the detail Leigh had in her sketch, and gold embossing that gorgeous die cut... mission accomplished - a card, and a thank you!!  

No wrapping 'round here!

Christmas this year was just what I'd hoped it would be... more about family, less about gifts!  Can you believe I didn't buy one gift?  Not one shred of ribbon, or sheet of wrapping paper was used!  Now before you start thinking that I'm a bit of a Scrooge, let me say this: I made each of our six grandchildren a cute little gift-card holder, tucked the appropriate card for each inside and hung them like so:

 

Of course they had their very own table, and a special little place-card:

 

It comes complete with a jar of chalk - here is the highlight of the drawings this year.  Samuel got his inspiration from their little Charlie Brown Nativity:

 

Tom and I had the pleasure of having our precious group of fourteen together, sharing a wonderful meal, and giving from our hearts to a very, very worthy children's hospital.  This healthy, happy, family is all the gift we ever need.

 

I know I'm being long winded... you know me so well!  I couldn't leave without sharing my little card tree decorated in all its splendor of Christmas wishes:

 

 

You can see my tree has runneth over =]  And to those of you, my wonderful blogging friends?  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  Not only do I feel blessed by your friendship, my life is truly enriched by knowing each and every one of you.  Such beauty!

 

One last thing: let me send early New Year's wishes to each and every one of you for health, happiness, all life's best, and crafty goodness in 2015!! 

Thanks, as always for stopping by!!

Channeling Ethel for Second Helpings

I know - the worst joke ever... but, it's been a long week, and sometimes ya just gotta do it!!

For CASology Week 126: Snow:

Wplus9 snowflakes and a little PC Word

 

Now you just try to get Ethel Merman out of your head!

CASology Week 126 - SNOW!!

Unfortunately, we have no snow... well a smattering.  Certainly not enough to sled, build a snowman, or have a snowball fight...

 

I found plenty of inspiration this afternoon from all the DT cards, and the gallery... I must say I was both surprised, and pleased, not to see this PTI stamp/die there...=]

 

For CASology Week 126 and Snow:

 

Very happy to use my new little EF from SU that I just received today!

Would that not be the best trip ever??!!



Muse Challenge 98

Made Marion has done it again!  Just love this K.W. kitty and have had many joyful moments watching our cats play in boxes; brown grocery bags; under wrapping paper at Christmas... I miss them quite a bit.... you can tell that here.

Take a look at Marion's card:

Fabulous shading/coloring skills, Marion!

 

I've been working on a little project for my son's boss... I may have mentioned this.  A series of four cards, one for each member of the family.  Starting with the eldest child, each will have a card to read, then on to the crescendo, which his wife will read, announcing their surprise trip to Hawaii for Spring break. 

 

For Marion, and Muse 98, the second card in my series:

 

Hmmmm.  Must have been channeling Amy Tsuruta?

I believe there must be floating coffee/cocoa bars in the North Pole...

Santa lives there, doesn't he?

 

As thrilled as I am to be the newest Muse team member in 2015, I will really miss the challenge of the challenge.  I'm already dreaming of a really fun Muse card for you all on January 12th!! 

 

Merry Christmas, to you all!  Wishing you the best of everything in the New Year!!

 

=]

 

 

 

 



Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge - Candy Cane

And me, without a single candy cane - stamp or die!!

I did find a little candy cane left over from Christmas 2013 in one of the grandkids stockings when I hung them by the fireplace last weekend. I made the mistake of not throwing it away immediately...

   Tom: "Hey! I didn't know they made gummy candy canes!" 
   Me: "Please tell me you didn't eat that."

Never let a little thing like not having supplies hold you back - I am heretofore done buying [for the year! =]

I can't stop playing with the newest Mama Elephant dies... this time I left the window/door closed but placed a slip of vellum on the back to look like frosted glass.  I like the result... what do you think?

Curtain Call - Candy Cane [colors]:

Clearly Besotted laurel and bow; PTI sentiment.

 

CAS(E) This Sketch #103

It has been nearly thirty years since I lost my dad... seems like yesterday really.  I cannot think of Christmas without including him in my thoughts.  He was that kind of dad - you all know what I mean, right?  I'm remembering the hand-made Barbie Swiss Chalet right now, Daddy.

Today, I celebrate Tom's dad, too.  He helped us build our house, and renovate the last one. He's one in a million.

For CTS#103 and those of you lucky enough to still have yours around, Merry Christmas!

Clearly Besotted tree and Joy stamps ; MFT lowercase alphas in SU red.

Lovely sketch, Sam!

A Fusion Christmas!

The Fusion Card Challenge for Christmas has just a darling little-bit-country feeling to it... did you think so?  Take a look:

I chose to fuse the image, and sketch, this time... loved the stars, and the red/brown combo has certainly been one of my favorites this year. 

Season's Greetings to all of you incredibly talented ladies who never cease to inspire us all to create!  Merry Christmas, Lesley - their fearless leader!

PTI star dies, sentiment, red cardstock, and twine; a little stamp from BasicGrey for the dotty stripes;
and another showing of that old stand-by pinecone from S.U. circa 1990?

The Card Concept #25

I have had a ball reading Amy Tsuruta's Coffee Lover's Blog Hop... could not believe it when the current Card Concept Challenge posted!! The team is preparing for a ONE YEAR Anniversary in January... I think the DT and Wildcard designers really do fabulous things all the time...imagine what we have to look forward to in celebration? I can't wait to find out!  =]

 

 

 

 

 

I also couldn't resist making one more coffee card myself... this time my coffee is black with a bit of star-quality foam!!  My take is a bit Clean and Layered - I think.

Teresa Collins DP provided the placemat and newspaper... SSS Smoky Gray background, and silver CS for the coffee cup... little a few steaming vellum stars.

Time Out with a twist - Yo!

Aimes' very beautiful card for Time Out with a Twist is just so sweet, calm, gorgeous...

 

...the last few days have been just a flurry of activity for me.  The newly reorganized craft area is coming along nicely... a few more things to do before I share photos.  But!  I just had to make a card, or two today!!  I've been playing with a few different paper collections for some out-of-the-ordinary Christmas cards... this one could not be more different than sweet Aimes' card! That's my twist - Yo.

 

DP "Hey, boy!" from Basic Grey, dies from Reverse Confetti, and

sentiments from PTI - with a little scissors action =/

 





Merry Christmas to Me!

I think you better all sit down right now... I haven't been able to craft since yesterday when I completely dismantled my craft-cave to install a new work surface and a duo of darling Ikea cabinets!!  That's kind of the bad news, because at 7:00 this morning I remembered I hadn't posted my Muse card for this week... big mistake because it was too late to do it this morning.  HOWEVER!! Therese, you are going to be sorely missed as a design team member - you have inspired me so many times, in so many ways - this one's for you, dear girl:

SOOOO when I went to the Muse blog to try to post my card - this is what I saw:

        The day we've all been waiting for has arrived! Our new DT member is

 

Michele Ferguson!

 

whAT???!!! AAACCCKKKKKKKK!!!

 

 [Perhaps I'm still sleeping?? 

If I can design cards while dreaming, maybe I can blog, too?]

 

Thank you, thank you!! to all of you that gave me your vote - I do hope I can inspire you in some little way - see you there on

January 12th, 2015!!??

 

 

 

Colour Me!!

Striking is a very apt title for this week's Colour Me challenge... I couldn't help but play along... you might ask how I'll get along without any more of the silver paper?  I was thrilled to find another sheet of the Night of Navy... note to self: buy more!

Such lovely little stamp from Verve, I'll be sending it along for their My Favorite Things Diva Dare challenge.  Simplicity is most definitely one of my favorite things - tell me, what is one of your favorite things? 

=]  Happy Sunday... Michele

Bling a ding, ding!

When I see a challenge that reads: Bling it On! you know I'm taking it seriously, right?

For Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge:

and if one is sparkly, two are just spectacular!

 

 

Just another fabulous sparkly cardstock from Recollections [at Michael's] paired with the perfect PTI sentiment and a darling little Wplus9 Snowflake cut from the other fave from Recollections. 

Inside sentiment:

"Even Nature likes a little bling on occasion - I'm just sayin'"

CASology Week 125: Silver

I just could not end this Christmas-card-making season without using another bit [or two] of the gorgeous silver cardstock I purchased this year.  Ironically, when I wait and wait for days sometimes for the sun in winter, it was the worst for photographing these silvery cards... please be understanding.

My timing is pretty perfect, too:

 

Here are my three final silvery cards... it will be a coin toss to see which gets submitted for CASology Week 125:

 



 

 

This guy, though I adore the S.U. branches, and SSS ornament, was the worst of the three for a close-up...

 

 

A trio of the smallest of those fabulous new Reverse Confetti Snowflakes

named by a PTI sentiment - Love them!!

But this paper - this one:

 

 

Well.  It did receive the gold star =]

 

 

 

Second cups!

Oh what fun!!  And really more like 2nd pot for me... switching it up to cocoa for a moment =]

 

This is a self-CASEing card from the first Coffee Lover's blog hop here.  This time with a bit of fancy foam on a cocoa cup =]

 

Inside sentiment: 

"And big cocoa kisses are being sent your way,

since we cannot be together on Christmas day!"

Amy on coffee ... It's a good thing, most definitely =]

Monday, as I was creating my card for CASology and thinking about OLD SAYINGS I had this little number pop into my head. Talk about a shaker card!! 

 

 

You'll all recognize my favorite little bird-buddy that Amy so generously sent to me, right? One of my own sentiments...

Another card box... I promise, my last...those coffee beans were acting more like Jumping Beans in that acetate box!!



CAS(E) This Sketch #102

Being a CTS Favorite is always such a wonderful surprise!  I do love surprises!  Learning that we all will enjoy the wonderful Hannalie as a new DT member at CAS(E) This Sketch is also a fantastic surprise - I adore her style!  Congratulations, Hannelie!

It is NO surprise that I love to play along and Gayatri's sketch this week caught my interest immediately:

 

GD Susie's wonderful inspiration card had me reaching for my snowflakes!!  I also received a darling little die set from Mama Elephant this week.  Talk about surprises - when I cut their Peek a Frame die, I thought I'd done something wrong - not a bit... it's a window that opens!  [Insert me smacking myself upside the head - it clearly mentions this in the product description - duh!]

 

For CTS#102, Hannelie, and Susie:

 



 

 

 

Supplies: SSS Smokey Slate CS.  Reverse Confetti Snowflakes.  PTI sentiments.  Clearly Besotted tree line. 

 

We've had a little bit of snow, too! 

But I have my craft to keep me warm =]

Curtain Call - Clearly Christmas

I couldn't stop 'til I conquered that box!!  Hope you don't mind a little second helping for the Curtain Call Challenge...

 

...I really missed that ribbon =]

 

 

Clearly I didn't have the proper blues or greens, but I made do cutting a little leftover cardstock with the SSS Ornament dies, adding the tangle of silver thread, a few large Teresa Collins sequins and rhinestone bling - all enclosed and layered in a clear acetate card box.  I use them often for giving cards with too much dimension to send in the mail.... like this one. ...  so the card becomes the gift.  My favorite when I take a friend out for a birthday lunch.

 

Enjoy the rest of your crafting day - off to start the laundry - 'tis Monday =/

 

CASology Week 124: OLD

I couldn't wait to join in the fun, and yet look how long it took me to post?  another just under the wire!!

My philosophy: If we cannot make fun of aging, we just give in to getting old! 

I think I had more fun writing the sentiment, than making the card this week - if that's possible.  I thought first of "old sayings" when the cue posted. 



For CASology, week 124:

Inside: 

"Wait... you wrote that one didn't you?"

 

Hope you all have a great week of card-making... love it when you have a moment to stop by!!



Muse Challenge 96

Vicki Dutcher is our Muse this week!  So happy I found a bit of extra time today to play along.
Here is her awesome inspiration card:

 

I'm drawing from the greenery, added just a bit of an extra layer, and put the strip at the top from which I could hang my mistletoe =]  For Muse Challenge 96:

 

The mistletoe is actually a die from Memory Box.  My patterned paper is a new to me from Simple Stories - DIY.  The sentiment is one from that cute little rubber stamp set from October Afternoon...remember that cute mouse?



The Card Concept No. 24

I don't have a clue where you find these inspiration photos, but *sigh* I just adore this guy:

Can't you just hear him say "I love Winter!"

 

I couldn't help but take this one quite literally, too... just loved the nose... how's that for an inspiration - I picked his nose?  A bright orange little pinked bit of foam, with a little help from Reverse Confetti dies, another polka dot patterned paper from Tracey - it is in honor of her 25 Tags, and a bit of this and that, for The Card Concept 24 - Snowman my Clean and layered tag:

 

No sentiment required... this one will hold a gift card on the back which says it all!