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!

=]

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