Pretty Pressings' Stampavie Blog Candy!!

This is a great one! There will be three winners!! That is awesome!! Here is the link!!

OK...I lied!!

Yesterday was not my last Christmas card! I forgot to post this one! I made this card to send to 4 ladies in my Magnolia-licious Yahoo Group as part of our Raining Cards group. We sign up, and each month four ladies are chosen to have cards sent to them...I sent mine a little late, but I think that they will get there before the end of December. Next month I will be earlier! Here are the details of the card:

Stamps: Merry Christmas Garland (Tilda) by Magnolia Stamps, Holly Leaf by DRS Designs

Ink: Adirondack Pitch Black, Summer Sun for sponging

Coloring: Copic and spica markers

Paper: Riding Hood Red, Black, Wassail by Basic Grey

Accessories: Ticket corner punch, circle punches, Organdy ribbon

Thanks for stopping by for a quick look!! Have a great day!

My last Christmas Card...for now!!

I took a bit of a break over the holidays! I hope that everyone had a very blessed holiday. We had a quiet one for the most part. In fact, I didn't leave the house from Tuesday night to Saturday morning! That was a bit heavenly! We had my husband's entire family over on Christmas Eve for mostly appetizers, and of course, we ate way too much. Our daughter received the Paula Deen's kids' cookbook from her grandmother, so we have been making a lot of food lately. Today, we tried the homemade soft pretzel recipe. It was a group effort and they came out very yummy. Anyway, I digress...off to the stamping!

I won my first ever blog candy from Claudia Rosa's blog Pretty Pressings. She has so many beautiful cards and projects over there! I won a stamp from Sarah Kay called The Joy of Giving, and I decided to make a card to show off my new stamp! Here are the details:

Ink: Adirondack Pitch Black

Coloring: Copics and spicas (the clear spica to embellish a little glitter on the packages)

Paper: Black, White, Wild Wasabi, Real Red, SU shimmer paper

Accessories: Silver cord, Cuttlebug embossing folder, black grosgrain

Other: This is for SC202 from Splitcoast

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you are surviving the after Christmas hangover!

The Snowman Family

This is such an adorable stamp from DRS Designs! My friend let me borrow it when I was trying to craft a special Christmas card for my BIL, SIL and their two children. My original intent was to use the All in the Family set from SU and put Santa hats on each one, but I tried stamping the images, and after the 6th failure, I gave up. I would get three figures, then screw up the last one. In Charlie Brown's immortal words, AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!! So, this stamped popped up, and I had to use it! It's a cutie!

I colored the images with Copics and I used Twinkling H2Os for their bodies. I always have such a difficult time with all white images. My coloring addiction makes me want to color it somehow, and this is a nice compromise. In addition, I used liquid applique to pop up the snow and added a white gel pen to the trees for a little extra. The paper is Real Red, Wild Wasabi and Real Red DSP all from Stampin' Up. The ribbon is Wild Wasabi also. I think that I have about worn my ticket corner punch out this season...why do I love that thing so much?

Thanks for taking the time to stop by!

Stamp Something Challenge Card - Christmas

I found out about this challenge from Dawn (yes, I mention her a lot as she is my friend and lives so close!). It is found at the Stamp Something challenge blog. They have teamed up with DRS Designs to offer some great blog candy! You need to check it out! I've been behind the eight ball to get my Christmas cards done, and this one put me over the hump, so to speak! I love the DRS stamps...their images are great and very coloring friendly!

For this card I used all DRS Designs stamps, SU cardstock, and a bit of SU patterned paper. For the dove and olive branch image, I painted some twinkling H2Os (Oyster and Moss Green) to give some shine, and I stamped the background stamp in Old Olive to give a tone on tone effect. The red is Riding Hood Red, and I used black also. The shapes cut in the center of the card are from the MM Slice, and it is from the Noteworthy cartridge. To finish off the card, I used a silver pen from Creative Memories because I love the intense silver ink that it gives.

Thanks for stopping by to see my latest, and definitely check out this challenge!

Chins Up!!

I love this little guy!! I had him last year, so I dusted him off and made a new card for this Christmas! The image is from Firecracker Designs, and he is just so cute I can't stand it! I colored him with copics and twinkling H2Os for the shimmery effect (I know...I've got to get some real shimmerz!). In the background is some Rose Red DSP from Stampin Up, and I paired it with some Wild Wasabi ribbon.

I'm almost done with my Christmas cards...I now need to make individual ones for our families. Hopefully I can finish them quickly as some need to get in the mail! Thanks for stopping by and checking out my cards!

Nancy

Noel...no stamping required!

I recently purchased a Making Memories Slice, and I have been diligently playing with it (is that an oxymoron?). I also have been playing with my 6x6 pad of Basic Grey Wassail paper. I wanted to combine the two, and I found a card that didn't require much work. However, since the machine only cuts one thing at a time, mass producing can be a problem (I only made 4 of these). The "Noel" is from the Falala cartridge, and it is a cute one! The base of the card is Cranberry Crisp and some Always Artichoke thrown in from Stampin' Up.

This is just one of the many Christmas cards that I have been slaving away on...why did I wait so long? I've had to mail them out in shifts because I can only make so many in one sitting. I should post a picture of my craft room...it really looks like a bomb went off in there! I actually can't wait to clean it, so that I can have some semblance of order in my life. The best thing in there is my sign that says, "Welcome to my loose interpretation of clean!" That is an understatement. The holidays are in full swing, and hopefully, I'll have all of my Christmas cards delivered by then. I was even so desperate as to go searching the gallery on Splitcoast for cards that I could case. Needless to say, I won't be posting a picture of that one!!! (but, it was really pretty!) Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to browse my little corner of the world.

Nancy

Christmas Poinsettia

This is another one of those impulse buys at ACMoore. They had their Sizzix dies 50% off at one point, and I saw this poinsettia die. Well, I haven't really used my Cuttlebug for die cutting that much, and I had my handy-dandy "sandwich" guide for using other dies and I thought "what the heck!" I was finally able to use it today. It was a bit tedious because it cuts three different shapes (a large leaf, a small leaf, and a center). I had to cut 9 large leaves, 7 small leaves, and one center. I used SU cardstock in Ruby Red and Always Artichoke for the leaves. From there, I sponged the edges in the coordinating ink to give some texture. To finish them, I used my clear spica glitter pen to give just the hint of shimmer to it. The center piece is cut from SU's Riding Hood Red. I used my Versamark pen and drew dots in the middle, then I used gold glitter embossing powder on it. To finish this part, I used a dark red glitter pen for the edges.

The size of the card is a bit massive because the pieces of the flower are quite large. I mounted the assembled flower on a piece of paper from my Basic Grey 6x6 Wassail paper pack and ticket corner punched the edges. Finally, I put it on a piece of SU Vanilla card stock for the base. I did have to trim the patterned paper a bit, so the card size is 6x6. There isn't a lick of stamping on the front, but I did use sentiments from an old SU set called Season's Greetings on the inside.

This is definitely a one of a kind card...too time-consuming to mass produce!! Thanks for stopping by and taking a look!

Tilda as Lucia

The more that I work with these Magnolia stamps, the more I like them!! Darn that Dawn for enabling me yet again! I am usually a little late to the game on a lot of things, so this is one of the first times that I used Twinkling H2Os. Can you believe it? I also used my brand new toy, the Slice by Making Memories. I was so excited to finally have an electronic die cutting machine. I went a little crazy with my AC Moore coupons! The paper is Wassail from Basic Grey, and I used my copic markers for coloring.

I decided that I had to have this particular stamp because this year I wanted to connect to my roots. I'm half Swedish, and I grew up in a town that was heavily populated by Swedes!! Of course, my grandfather was a Swedish immigrant from Finland (wild, huh?) who didn't speak a lick of Finnish, only Swedish! My hometown, Jamestown, NY has a Lucia Fest every year, so I do remember it well! My daughter is a bit young to dress up like Lucia, but I'm sure in the future that she will.

On another note, I want to introduce you to some great blog candy from PaperMonkey. Seriously, it is really awesome, and so is her blog!!

Rocket Man

I'm sorry that I haven't posted in a while. First it was Thanksgiving, then it was the stress of my husband changing jobs, then it was the impossible task of hosting two birthday parties back to back in my home for our daughter's 4th birthday! What was I thinking? Well, there is still plenty of stress to go around, but I'm digging my way out. I'm going to try to post some of the cards that I have managed to make on here from the past few weeks! Thanks for your patience!

The "Rocket Man" card is actually for my nephew's 6th birthday. That is getting into a difficult card making age. Everything I have seems so cutesy and geared for boys, but I think this one came out pretty well. I used the SU set All Mixed Up, and the color combination is Blue Bayou, Riding Hood Red, and Summer Sun. In addition I used SU ribbon and the SU star punch. The background is from a Cuttlebug embossing folder. I used both Faber Castell pencils with gamsol and copic markers to color in the image. To finish it off, I used Crystal Effects on the helmet to give the illusion of a glass astronaut's helmet. Thanks for taking the time to stop by today!

Nancy

Getting philosophical and then down to work...

Sometimes, the really creative genes just aren't there, and you just have to sit down and make the cards you need to make. Well, these are those cards. They aren't spectacular, but they're simple and straightforward (kind of like me, I guess!!)

My mom needed a 50th wedding anniversary card, and I had to get it in the mail ASAP. I had to use the wrought iron punch trick (does it have an official name?)! I really like what it adds to the card. I dabble in cool things, and then I go back to my paper crafting comfort zone. I guess if I take small risks, it still counts as taking a risk, right?

One comfort zone I stayed in was Stampin Up stamps (don't get me wrong, I love them), but when I discovered the multitude of other companies out there, I couldn't deny my need to wander!

However, I have learned this about my stamping self...I like simple, clean layouts. If I try to gunk it up with too many embellishments or too much going on, it tends to make me a little crazy!

Oh, I almost forgot...here is some more blog candy!! Check out Fran's blog!

Holy Cutting, Batman!!

That is the one thing that stands out to me about this card...there was an awful lot of cutting involved. I can still remember how my sister used to love to sit and cut these small little words and intricate pictures. Well, me, not so much!! I borrowed these Magnolia stamps from my friend Dawn, aka the enabler!

Here is the list of copics used:

Basket/Tree/Branches: E57 Lt. Walnut, E59 Walnut

Sweater, hat: R27 Cadmium Red


Pants/Accents: B34 Manganese Blue


Hair: Y21 Buttercup Yellow


Shoes: E57 Lt. Walnut


Scarf/Gloves: YG91 Putty


Leaves: YR09 Chinese Orange, YG91 Putty, YR02 Lt. Orange, YR24 Pale Sepia, Y21 Buttercup Yellow, YG95 Pale Olive





Thanks for taking the time to stop by!

Don't miss this awesome candy!!

This is an incredible amount of blog candy!! Visit Debbie's blog for more information!!

My very own crafting space

These pics have been in my Splitcoast Gallery, but I'm posting on here for the benefit of friends and family who don't have access. Plus, my new blog background matches the motif I was trying for in there! I love my new space, and it really makes my crafting a lot easier! The desk was custom made by a local man. It is in 3 sections so that I can move and/or transport easily. It also has a small hidden drawer in the front. The shelves on either side were designed to fit my tools, but especially my Creative Memories albums. The cubes were on super clearance at Michaels. The peg boards and accessories above are from Pottery Barn Kids. The chair is a counter height stool from JCPenney. Thanks for taking a peek!!

Birthday Party Invitation for Meredith

Meredith will be turning 4 soon, and I needed to make her birthday party invitations! I found this card on Splitcoast that inspired me! I'm not a big fan of "case"ing, but sometimes you just have to go with it! I made sure that I put a link to it in my gallery description and I sent the person a note letting them know!

I was able to try paper piecing...it's easier than the quilting version of paper piecing, but it is still pretty picky!! I also used the technique of using the wrought iron punch for making a doily! Very fun! Thanks for stopping by!

More Blog Candy...

I found some more blog candy on a really cute site. These stamps are from the UK, and they are adorable!! Pink Gem Designs is offering a special deal and blog candy, too!! Good luck!

What does 200 cards look like?

This is what it looks like!! But, why 200 cards, you ask? They are for a children's charity here in Charlotte, North Carolina called Birthday Blessings. They provide birthday presents and classroom parties for poor and/or homeless children in our area. Dawn and I wanted to make a few cards, so we proposed that our stamp club make our monthly swap cards for this worthy cause. Well, 200 cards later, here they are. We also raised some money to sponsor one classroom party. Many times there weren't cards to give, so instead of not including one with a gift, we have taken the financial burden off a bit, and we are giving each child a handmade birthday card! For more information on how to donate cards, please see this thread on Splitcoaststampers, where other SCSers have donated cards as well!

MMMM...I love Candy!!

I love candy in both variations...the sugary kind and the blog kind! There are some great morsels floating around, ladies!! Here are a few:

Pretty Pressings is chocolatey good!

FranMade has some gummie bear goodness!!

Two Bugs is paying it forward!!

Have fun playing, ladies!! At least I hope that someone is reading this!! If not, maybe there will be more for me!

Nancy

She did it again!!

She, being Dawn, got me obsessed with yet another stamp company!! These cute Magnolia stamps from Sweden. I guess my Swedish heritage is fully taking hold!! I officially love them!! Many people who stamp with them now use Prismacolor pencils or something similar, but I don't have these in my arsenal (yet). I used my Copic markers instead with a blender marker to soften the edges. The sketch is SC201 from Splitcoaststampers. Thanks for taking the time to look!!

I Hit 300!!

I finally hit 300 in my Splitcoast Gallery...so excited about that! Now, I just have to be more diligent about my blog. However, I'm not really sure if anyone is even reading my blog, but you never know!! I'm really excited about uploading 4 cards for you, and they represent SCS sketch challenges #181, 183, 184, and 185! I'm slowly inching forward towards my goal of doing all of the challenges! Less than 10 left!

Stack of Bugs

This adorable stamp is from DRS Designs, and I fell in love with it! This is also Sketch challenge #174 from SplitcoastStampers. I used SU colors Real Red and Basic Black. In addition, the patterned paper is from A Muse!
I also used my trusty Creative Memories cutting system with the oval pattern pieces. Finally, I colored in the images with copic markers and spica glitter pens.

Yikes...where did March go?

I've got to be more diligent about my blogging!! I have been making lots of cards, but I tend to take pictures of them and post them in clumps.

Our weather has been interesting here in Charlotte...rains for a couple of days, goes down into the 30s, shoots up to the 70s, then we start the whole cycle again. Crazy is a great word for it. I'm not complaining about the rain because we definitely need it to replenish our depleted supplies. It is just crazy, that's all!

We've had many visitors it seems over the past month or so. My parents, my brother, and now my sister and niece are coming next week. Meredith is over the moon when people are here...a brand new audience.

I'm going to share a recent Easter picture...I'll get back to stamping chatter later in the week!

I have a hard time with sympathy cards...

Stamping and making cards brings a lot of joy to my life, but there is one kind of card that is difficult to make-the sympathy card. On February 12th, one of the most awesome people I know left this earth. Tom Prechtl was an awesome man, father, and teacher. I was pleased and honored to have known him all my life. Every single time I saw him, I got the best, most heartfelt hug. We're a hugging family, so this is one important quality! He and his wife Judy are such a big part of my life...they both just make you feel special. I'm really going to miss Tom, but I know the impression that he has made on not only my life but the lives of so many others. That brings a little bit of peace, and this poem reminds me of him.

Don't Weep for Me

Do not stand at my grave and weep.

I am not there, I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.

I am the diamond glints on snow.

I am the sun on ripened grain.

I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awake in the morning hush,

I am the swift uplifting rush of quiet birds in circled flight,

I am the stars that shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry,

I am not there, I did not die.

Tom was a man of strong faith, and I know that he is in Heaven looking down on us all, and I'm sure he is telling a joke or two and giving everyone hugs and words of encouragement. That's just the kind of man he was.

What a great stamping day!!

I was able to go to a great stamp camp yesterday. Honestly, it was my first stamp camp...I usually a stamp club kind of girl. Well, I couldn't pass this one up. It was at Firethorne Country Club, which is only about 5 minutes from my home, so it was also convenient! You can't beat that! We made 6 cards and one little box that held 3 York peppermint patties. It was fun! In usual fashion, I always had to tweak things a bit. I never like to make the card exactly the way it is pictured, so I just put my mark on it, so to speak.

Then, I went home, and Meredith was in a great mood. That is a huge bonus to the day!!!! To top it all off, we were able to go out on a date last night. We went to the Cajun Queen and had a nice dinner. We ended the evening early, but it was still nice to get out for a change. I'm still hanging on to this sickness, and it is making me a bit miserable. When will it end?

I'm still toying with taking Meredith by myself to visit my parents at the beach this week. It is a big undertaking for me that no one besides my husband seems to understand. However, I think I will simply bite the bullet and do it. Hopefully, we will be healthy by then.

Well, enough of my off-topic ramblings. Have a wonderful day!!

Nancy, don't forget to post on your blog...

Here are some of my latest cards:

The first is a Valentine's Day card. I was going for the look of redwork with the SU set Vintage Valentines. It is considered a kick stand card, and I did it for one of the Splitcoast Challenges. The second is also a sketch from one of the challenges, but it is for a Girly Girl card swap that my friend Dawn is hosting on the site. There was a lot of fussy measuring for the second card. I also used glittery pens and I actually embossed parts of it. I often forget about embossing, and I really like the look of it! It pays to rediscover some of your older tools out there!

That should be my mantra daily because I can never seem to remember to post on here! It always seems like such hard work, but it really isn't!! I haven't been stamping much in the past few days, but I've been trying to plan out cards! I have scrapbooked quite a bit lately. I actually got 6 pages done. I spent one night planning them and the next night putting them together. Planning certainly makes things much easier.

I'm also putting off starting another major project. I haven't made a quilt in quite some time, and my 3 year old is getting her big girl bed soon. Try explaining to a 3 year old that her bed takes 4-6 weeks to come. Meredith simply thinks it is coming in the mail, so every day when I go out to check the mail, she asks, "Mommy, did my big girl bed come?" She is definitely not one to easily forget things (she takes after her daddy in that regard). Anyway, I have the fabric and the pattern for the quilt...I just have to execute it! I'll need to send it away to be quilted, so that may take some doing. Either way, it won't be done before her actual bed arrives.

One little funny Meredith story before I go...

Meredith takes a dance class (half ballet/half tap) on Fridays. Well, we were running late, and she is very much a creature of habit. When she is rushed, she doesn't do well (she definitely gets that from me!). Anyway, she didn't want to participate at first, and she was getting agitated. She has a habit of saying, "I'm a mad girl" when she is upset. While at dance, she stomped her foot and said, "I'm a mad ballerina!" It was pretty funny!