I'm trying to get my Christmas cards for myself done this weekend.  This one was a class card this week.  I won this designer paper as blog candy last January.  I'd saved this "We wish you a Merry Christmas" paper all year because I knew how much the ladies loved music paper.

Also, I got a Two Peas order in today with an American Craft album and a lot of random designer paper. I've always used Creative Memories albums because I like that you don't have to use page protectors; however, lately it seems no matter how much I glue I use things do come off my pages over time so I thought I'd try a different approach for an album.

Lately, I'm really into pulling together papers from lots of different collections so I went through the Two Peas store searching for paper in certain colors and bought things that had those pretty tone-on-tone small prints - often the 'b' side of the papers.  There is a layout coming together in my craft space that has at least three different manufacturer's papers.  So hopefully I'll soon have something other than holiday cards to post :-)

Well, better get the dishes done and get back to those cards!  Hope you enjoy your weekend.

More Wise Men

Here are the last of my Mother's cards.  I did 10 of these using Stampendous Cling Wise Men stamp.  It takes a full hour to color each one!  Fortunately I can do this and watch television.  I put them on a larger card so the Wise Men wouldn't be so crowded.  The background cards came in a set with matching envelopes.  Since they were a plain white, I sponged on Not Quite Navy from Stampin' Up! and Ranger's Dusty Concord over a gold embossed image to dress them up.  The ribbon is some organza from Hobby Lobby's fabric section.

In my video this week, I mentioned those little gold gems.  I was sad to see that Hobby Lobby didn't have any on their racks or a place holder for them that I can tell.  I'm going to have to find another source as I'm practically addicted to them for holiday cards.

Thanks for visiting!

Ornament cards video

Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving weekend!  I cooked, we ate, I decorated for Christmas and made lots of cards.  These are part of my Mother's cards for this year.  I did a similar card a few weeks ago using fabric and ribbon for the ornament.  This time I used papers and cut many of the ornaments with a circle cutter.  The video shows the entire process.

Watch at  YouTube


I'm trying to wrap up my cards this week.  As always, doing Christmas cards is fun and creative.  It is time though to get on to other projects.

Thanks for visiting today!  Stay tuned for a giveaway coming up in the next few days...

Ingredients:  Stamps:  Magic of Christmas by Hero Arts: Four the Holidays by SU!
DSP:  My Mind's Eye Life is Beautiful; Cosmo Cricket Christmas paper from last year
Ribbon:  Making Memories
Cardstock:  Wild Wasabi and gold from Stampin' Up! 

Saturday Shopping

It's small business Saturday.  Here's where I've been shopping so far.

I finally went to a local butcher that everyone raves about and bought several items.  The products look so fresh!

Also I visited our local quilt shop and picked up a few fat quarters. For those who aren't quilters, that is a  cut of fabric approximately 18" x 22" which is still a quarter of a yard but often gives you more usable cuts for your project.  I don't have anything in mind to do right now, just adding to my stash - which I know is something you can all relate to :-)

Then I stopped by a produce market to get a few things.  The owner used to be my neighbor and I was going there often but I'll admit I've slipped and just picked up things at the grocery the last few months.

Yesterday, I also supported a couple of small businesses with an on-line order at Two Peas.  They are having a sale though there seems to be a problem and not everything is coming up on sale.  I went ahead and ordered because the October Afternoon stickers always sell out and I wanted to grab them while I could.  The sale goes through Monday and Monday they have a special free shipping offer on orders $35 and up, too.

After getting my hair cut, I went to a consignment store and found a great pair of shoes that don't look the slightest bit worn.  I truly hate shoe shopping so it was a treat to get a nice pair for a good price and not worry that I've invested a fortune in shoes that may or may not be kind to my picky feet.

So I've gone to some regular stops, places I hadn't been in a couple of years and one truly new-to-me store - all independently owned small businesses.   I hope this Small Business Saturday really catches.

Have you shopped this holiday weekend?

Another Christmas Card

Here we go with another Christmas card.  I'm working this weekend to get my Mother's cards done and a few more of mine.  Although I started months ago, the time to get them done has slipped up on me!

Hope you are having a fun holiday weekend!

Christmas Card class card

Our next card class is for holiday cards.  We used this stamp set last time and it will be the only repeat.  Last time we embossed the image.  This time I CASEd the technique from the Stampin' Up! catalog - at least it is what I think they did.  I inked the image in a gold color - River Rock to match my background cardstock - then I sponged on a bit of dark brown ink around the edges and stamped. We will have to clean the stamp between stampings but it is a very fast card to put together.

I snagged this ribbon at the Mighty Dollar store earlier in the year.  The rest are all SU! papers.  I'm doing better with my cling stamps thanks to some advice I got on Splitcoaststampers.  Press the acrylic block onto the cling stamp and hold for a few seconds to get good adhesion.  It really works.

Thanks for visiting!

Ingredients:  Stamps:  Come to Bethlehem by Stampin' Up!
Ink:  River Rock and Ranger's Vintage Photo
Paper:  Not Quite Navy, River Rock, Ruby Red, Gold and Bravo Burgandy

TIPsy Tuesday - Take photos early

Last year we spent a week visiting our friends in California.  Because of their work schedules and other traveling we did, we were not all four together all the time.  There were though opportunities to get a group photo but I missed them all and came home without a photo of all of us together.

So this month, when they came to visit us, I made sure we did a group photo on their first day.  Self timers are a wonderful thing.  So my tip for today is to get your group photos done early in your holiday visiting.  It is easy to get busy or to have someone leave early and miss that chance.  We did an entire holiday party at my house one year where I left my camera sitting on the mantle the whole night and didn't remember to take one photo!

The layout is for the Products You Love class at Two Peas.  This month Shannon has us using chipboard.  I used to paint raw chipboard for almost every layout.  Lately I've been forgetting about it and that is the point of the class to get out those favorite products and perhaps use them in new ways.

Well I tried to use this in a new way.  I started by tracing the chipboard on designer paper, cutting it out, and gluing onto the top.  I planned to sand the edges and add some paint over the sanded area. I have done this before, I think, but it must have been a simpler image. Sadly, I didn't do a very good job of trimming.  No matter I thought, I'll be sanding.  Then when that didn't look so hot, I started painting.  The paint didn't cover all my mistakes so for some reason I thought a layer of glossy accents would help. That only made things worse.

One of the great things about chipboard is that if you mess up the top layer, just peel it off and start over which is what I did.  On the second try, I painted, stamped and distressed for a much better - and faster - effect.

Since the background paper was so busy, I just did some stitching and added a little ribbon for the remaining embellishment.  The date is made up of stickers in a Fancy Pants book plate I sponged with Staz-on brown ink to tone down the color.

Thanks for visiting.  Hope you have a happy holiday with family and friends - don't forget those photos!

Ingredients:  Stamps:  Circles and Dots by Inkadinkado
Chipboard:  Oriental Trading
DSP:  Indian Summer from Basic Grey
Bookplate:  Fancy Pants Delight
Stickers:  Jillibean Soup

Small Business Saturday

Shopping on Black Friday - the day after Thanksgiving - has been a national tradition for decades.  For most people that means the mall, major electronics stores or discount stores like Walmart and Target.  Whether you love it or hate it, it is a huge shopping day for national retailers.

A couple of years ago American Express began promoting Small Business Saturday.  The idea - shop at a small business on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

I hope you will join me in making a purchase at small business in your area or if you want to spend the day at home - an on-line small business.

This doesn't have to just be holiday shopping. Remember there are countless small businesses that don't sell sweaters and electronics.  Here are some ideas for local shopping on Saturday, November 26:

• Skip the nationally advertised chain restaurant and try a locally owned coffee shop or restaurant.
• Place an order with a home-sales specialist - Stampin' Up!, Pampered Chef or whatever you favor.
• Get the oil changed in your car at a local garage.
• Purchase something handmade on Etsy.com
• Bypass the "million dollar corner lot" national pharmacy and drive down the street to your locally owned pharmacy to pick up a few things for your medicine cabinet.  Tranfer a prescription to your local pharmacy.  You'll be relieved to speak to the same pharmacist every time when you have questions.
• Go appliance or furniture shopping for yourself at a small local store.  I always try to buy things that might need to be repaired someday at a locally owned store. The service is so much better and the deal is just as good.
• Treat yourself to a crafting kit from one of the many small on-line businesses such as artfuldelight.com 
• Sign up for an on-line crafting class from one of the many bloggers who offer such classes like shimelle.com or jennifermcquireink.com 
• Stop by your salon and have a manicure or pick up some styling products for yourself or as stocking stuffers.
• Grab a couple of paperbacks at your used book store or regular book store if you are lucky enough to still have one.
• Visit your local florist and purchase a plant or flower for someone a bit under the weather.
• Drop off or pick up your dry cleaning.
• Attend a drop-in Yoga or other exercise class (which is what I have planned this Saturday - got to work off that big dinner :-).
• Don't forget E-bay.  You may get a deal and you'll support dealers who make their living doing this or people like you and me who just want to make a few dollars for their own holiday shopping.

Shopping local has tons of advantages.  One I notice that applies to this busy holiday weekend is location.  Most of the small local businesses are no where near the big retailers so traffic should be lighter and that makes for a much better holiday weekend.

Happy shopping and thanks for supporting my fellow small businesses.