Creating a scene!

Creating a Christmas scene is easy to do when armed with really darling supplies - like these I was so lucky to win recently!  Thank you, Papertrey Ink!

This type of card is often layered up which makes them harder to mail - I've done my best to keep the USPS happy today!

Staying calm during the holidays can be tough ... 

Finding a cozy place to cuddle up with a good book can help...

A happy memory - like our first kiss that happened on a little bench this very color - really can make our spirits brighter.  Remembering to be joyful and merry, and taking note of the many blessings in my life helps, too.

YES!  it is a card! With a special message for my husband that

I will keep to myself, thank you! wink

Thanks for stopping by!

=] Michele

Papertrey Ink - Winter Bench stamps and dies

Fusion farewell...

 

It's so hard to say goodbye to a challenge that has been a favorite - one I cut my teeth on, so to speak!  The Fusion Challenge was started in April 2013, and I started blogging May 2014!  I have so many fond memories - especially when they chose my card as a winner - such an honor to this day!

Thank you to all the many fabulous design team members who have inspired me to play along all these years!  Laurie was my muse today... along with their Sketch and a technique I learned from the incredible Dawn from Wplus9 - painting with a credit/gift card! 

I did a little free hand water coloring for my snowman - looking back I now wish I had painted the sky black!  Perhaps this will be when a second helping will be appropriate?

I used that gift card's edge to begin the idea of a carrot nose, then took it a bit further with a damp brush.   After drying, the entire panel was embossed before adhering it to my card base!  Stickles for a bit of snow and one little snowflake to finish it off! 

Thank you for all the years of inspiration Fusion team and thank YOU for stopping by!

=]

What an honor the Fusion team has given me today! Thank you so very much!

Doodlebugs Friday! More than a peek!

 

I hope you all enjoyed spending Thanksgiving Day with loved ones and treated yourselves to an extra piece of pie!  I'm looking forward to leftovers!

Since it's the Holidays, I'm treating you to more than just a peek today!  In fact, I got the whole shebang of pieces and parts from this wonderful Pinkfresh Studio Brushed Sentiments - Holidays suite.  

Here at my blog, I'm sharing a trio using the stencils and dies:

This wee little Poinsettia is from Waffle Flower - stamped, heat embossed in silver on a snippet from my next card!

Oh yes, I've sneaked in a bit more embossing, bling, and die cuts all decked out in shades of PURPLE!  It's the new pink this season!  You'll spy those Spellbinders foiled sentiment strips again, too.  

Now, ready for a peek at what you'll find over at Doodlebugs blog?

A girl has to be a little sneaky during the Holidays! wink.

=] Michele

Happy Thanksgiving!

I enjoy watching YouTube videos - not only crafty ones, but also all things culinary!  I won't make you watch any of those cooking videos today but do yourself a favor and check out Tina Smith of Cards and Coffee Time -  if you don't subscribe yet, do that, too!  She's a great teacher and her step-by-step methods helped make my card today way easier that I thought it would be.   

This set from Papertrey Ink was part of the massive collection I received when I was their guest designer in August.  I ran out of time to use their Pumpkin House, but I am remedying that today - thanks to Tina's card on the Papertrey Ink YouTube channel on Tuesday.  Thanks, Tina!

Just in case you wonder where the best pumpkin, or apple pies come from...

Wishing you warm harvest blessings... happy Thanksgiving!

=] Michele

Thankful for the Inspiration!

Today, I want to thank a friend for the inspiration she gives me.  What better time to do it than on Thanksgiving Eve?

TaeEun Yoo is a teammate at The Flower Challenge and is, in my eyes, an artist. Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to a good long visit to her blog - Rainbow in November with your second piece of pie tomorrow!  In particular the work she does for The Ton which caused a little shopping for my birthday this year!  

Another Poinsettia for my growing collection... 

In shades of deep orange-y red:

I've used barely a whisper of grey ink for that first layer of three - 

mostly along the edges.  I also added a bit of shadow in grey in the background

with a stencil from The Greetery - it was easy peasy to fussy cut!

Another in a few more shades of peach-y orange:

Using the first layer last allowed me to spritz the leftover ink to

smoosh along the edges, before adding some scripty gold ink, and

embossing it with that 'subtle texture' from SU!

Last one - in shades of salmon pink:

By now you may have noticed that I treated myself to that 

fabulous stamp once/cut once Easy Expressions - Holidays set from The Ton, too.

Thanks, TaeEun for sharing my dream of being neighbors!  It's fun to dream!

I'm thankful to all of you for stopping in today!  If you're traveling be careful, and safe!   I have another inspired card tomorrow!

=]

Peace on Earth Christmas challenge #28

I know you all have a lot on your plates so I'm not going

to ask you to guess what inspired my card today.

Let me just say it's for the Peace on Earth Christmas #28 challenge's

stockings from the mood board.

No stocking today - but will a bright red mitten do?

I'm going to send this one over to JUGS, too.  I wonder if they are

having fun finding my gold?

=] Michele

PTI mitten die - crimped and embossed - subtle texture both from SU

Hero Arts CL998 - the mistletoe - water colored with festive berries, and CP spruce inks

"Could that be any cuter?!"

I have said that at least one hundred times myself - so I'm putting it to the test today!  This cute little snowflake-catcher comes out to play each Winter - how can she be resisted?  Today I've tucked her inside a shaker and here is where that question comes in... could this be any cuter?

Such a cutie it wouldn't matter what color her outfit was - but I 

used Carol's JUGS colors from Challenge #659 today.

The CAS design is neat and clean with lots of white - but I felt like the shaker

element was just 'hanging in the wind.'

Could it be cuter?  You be the judge...

Are you catching the changes?  I cut another shaker window panel,

snipped it short and sloped it to make a snow hill, then added debossed details 

using a HoneyBee die.

There were a few more snowflakes added to the outside of the shaker, too.

So, did it get cuter, or should I have left it alone?  I won't be mad - I'm really interested in your thoughts!!  Let me know in the comments - thanks!

=] Michele

Double D cup two

 

There was no doubt in my mind that a second cup wasn't warranted for

for this fun Double D Hot Beverages challenge!

Did you happen to notice that cookie balanced on the cup?

Do you remember THIS cookie card?  It's been 5 years, but I've never forgotten 

how much I loved making it!  Enter my 2022 version:

I found the perfect little square of cardboard that had been embossed

and a perfect size for a double layered Christmas cookie tree die from

The Cat's Pajamas.  The lights were hung with Nuvo white drops!

My mug was cut with an arched die from WF with the bottom lopped off and corrugated with a fun EF from Sizzix/SU.  Two more of those arches created the handle, a sweet little sentiment from The Ton, and a background panel of grey embossed with Spellbinders' Ski Lodge.

Speaking of custom cups - here's one that I created using one of those favored Altenew Rounded Rectangle dies & MFT's Snowflake window.

You'll recognize the handle from that Casual Friday mug - but two heart dies

could easily recreate it!  Top it off with another of those cute marshmallow dudes, and a sentiment in red from Clearly Besotted and we're done here!

You'll have to buzz over to Double D to see which one made their gallery - while you're there, why not add a cup or two of your own?

=]  Michele

Double D Hot Beverages

 

Darlene and Diane have the most wonderful inspiration for their 

Double D Challenge this month - 

HOT Beverages are the way to go here in Michigan at the moment!

This little marshmallow fellow couldn't agree more!

I've combined the bottom two photos to design my card...

An older set from Elizabeth Craft Designs comes out to play each year.

Marshmallow Snowmen - CS0104 and dies 1578

He's balancing on my Hot Tub Mug of chocolate - the Casual Friday die again.

All these sweet little characters were stamped in CP icing on the cake ink 

and clear heat-embossed.

Very simple water coloring with distress inks and they were ready for my card.

That darling scalloped base is from PTI - Altenew Snowflakes - MFT whip cream card [no longer available - drat!]

I am not a hot tub gal - but cocoa is sounding pretty tempting right now!

=] Michele

Doodlebugs Friday - another cozy Christmas card!

 

I've been under a quilt every evening for weeks already since our temperatures in Michigan started dropping in OCTOBER!

I couldn't help but pull out this lovely 

Spellbinders' Tufted embossing folder again -

and to accentuate the negative of a few 

Waffle Flower Merry Christmas Duo sentiments!

Here's a peek - there's more to see at the Doodlebugs Blog!

=] Michele

Color Hues #53

 

As I sat on the floor looking through my Christmas supplies for a little star I came upon this cute little stamp set - from Pinkfresh* long retired from their shop.  I have a sweet friend who just loves Winter and all that entails - like snow and skiing.  Each Christmas I try to make her a card that she can relate to.  I can relate to the last skier - I never got off of the bunny hill - or the mouse hill for that matter.  I barely made it onto the tow rope... my mittens made it up to the top before me.

Before it goes in the mailbox, I'm sharing it with Color Hues #53 and Julie B's pick of scarlet and green [by way of The Stamp Market's Cherry Kisses and Concord & 9th's Parsley]

=] Michele

Pinkfresh Skiing By

Freshly Made Sketches #562

 
Those sweet PTI Deer called to me again this morning... can you see them in this

Freshly Made Sketch #562?

No?  Well.  I hope Kim can! lol

PTI Deer to me - SSS Stitched Slopes and Hills

=] Michele

Inspired by Friends - Bonnie Klass

Hello, my friends!  A few weeks ago, my friend Bonnie Klass posted three Christmas cards she made with a non-Christmas stamp - here's one of her cards:

you can see all three HERE.

I was so taken by this idea and knew just the gal who'd have it!  So, when Marcia came to play, I asked her if she would bring this Stampin Up set - a retired one called Painted Harvest - so she and I could give it a go!  I found a photo of the set on the interweb to share:

Which leads to today's post which we're calling Inspired by Friends inspired by Bonnie and she is playing, too!  Yay!

I stamped two 'wreaths' which sat on my desk for a few days so the ideas could 'brew!'   Ready to see them?  I can't wait to share!

First up 'the decorators' these guys couldn't wait to add the finishing touches to my 'wreath!'  Or are they eating the decorations?  hmmm...

The 'wreath' was stamped in SU Soft Succulent, and Evening Evergreen.

PTI Deer to Me stamps and dies - I was so happy to find the 

perfect sized berries in this set which I've given a dose of Glossy Accents!

A sweet sentiment from Colorado Craft Co.'s Wonderful Time

Next up, a little 'O' to decorate...

This time the wreath was stamped with The Stamp Market inks: Leafy and Mossy.

I cut the wreath out with an MFT pierced circle die, then debossed the leftover with

Altenew's Dotted Starburst cover die.

The Stamp Market's Holly Jolly die and stamps [for those berries] and their gorgeous sparkly Diamond Glitter cardstock with vellum for the shadow layer.

And there you have it: my take on using a non-Christmas set for Christmas cards!

I'm told that Marcia, and Bonnie have THREE cards each to share so I'm heading over to see them now!  Hope you'll join me!

=] Michele

The Flower Challenge #74 Reminder

 

Embellishments are what we're looking for on your floral creations this month!

Have you played yet?  What are you waiting for??  Those embellishments don't add themselves you know!  We can't wait to see your cards!  lol

Check out all the gorgeous reminder cards over at The Flower Challenge, won't you?

Here's mine... and, yes, it is another Poinsettia from The Stamp Market!  This time cut from a 'smoosh-bellished' piece of watercolor cardstock!

This time: 

• Using my new Poinsettia from The Stamp Market, I cut the pretty center flowers from sparkling silver card
• added a hand-striped panel to embellish my card base
• added a TAG to embellish that panel and provide a spot for my sentiment
• and embellished that tag with a sweet little [quilting thread] bow!

There's more than one way to add embellishments!  We're loving all the examples in our gallery - how about adding your own?  Our door is open until November 25th!

=] Michele

Playing Cards with Friends! It's a birthday party!

Hello my wonderful friends!  I can't wait to tell you who said YES to my invitation to Play Cards this month!!  Are you ready??  My sweet little-sister-from-another-Mister:  Tracey McNeely!!  

Tracey has been such a big part of my crafty journey - if you type her name in my search this blog box, you can bear witness to that!

We've met - twice!  Been on several design teams together [12 Kits of Occasions, and Muse] I've given a helping hand with her Christmas Tags events several times, and it is always a joy to have one of our video chats - thanks for that special birthday edition this year, sweet friend!

You all love her, too, I'm sure of it!  So, without further ado, and since our birthdays are only two days apart, here is our assignment:

• Make a birthday card
• Add flowers
• Colored anyway you choose
• But absolutely NO NUMBERS ALLOWED!  LOL

I was treated to a BIG bag of goodies recently - needless to say when I spotted a new-to-me TULIP set among them it was a no-brainer which set to use today!  Ready. set. go...

I had to add a dash of grey, but ALL of these supplies were gifts from friends:

Flower Market Bouquet - The Greetery

Communique Curves Sentiments - PTI

Tag Builder - HoneyBee Stamps

Fancy Circles - Pinkfresh Studio

Now I know I'm not alone in thinking while the inks are out, and the stamps are in the MISTI why not make two?  Aren't I generous to give you a bonus today?  

Here are the inks I've used today:

Are you ready to see what Tracey made??  ME TOO!!!  Let's go - thanks for dropping by!!

=] Michele

Thankful for the Blessings

 A really quick Saturday post - I didn't want another day to go by before thanking all of you who were kind enough to send me one of your gorgeous handmade-from-the-heart birthday cards!  You know who you are - these are in no particular order just tucked into my card display wherever they would stay put!  I am so very blessed!

While I'm here, I'd like to share a photo Tom took of the little overnight guest who tucked himself into an old Robin's nest in our River Birch to roost for the night...

Last but not least... I was so grateful for the win at Altenew in October!  Of course, I had to show my gratitude by playing in their November 2022 Inspiration Challenge!

Cloudy sky seems to turn green for me when stamped - but looks

perfectly fine blended within my frame - insert head scratching here.  

Butternut and Pumpkin Pie inks blended onto my frame, and Dark Chocolate ink for the branches [Holiday Bows] and sentiment - from their Festive Poinsettia set.

Of course, I must also thank you for the time you share with me here - so appreciated!

=] Michele