Handmade Gifts

There is no one like me who loves it when it comes to getting a gift from someone who put their heart and soul into a handmade gift for you.  So I have to show you what my friend Marlene made for me because they are stunning!  She made a mini magazine holder that held my card and a gift certificate.  Then she made this most amazing Santa basket with the Sizzix Topnotch and Fancy Favors Bag dies.  The cool thing about the Santa is that all his hair is textured by Petals-A-Plenty embossing folder!  See below:

(click to see details on Santa's beard better)

Now, aren't they all delightful?  The card is so neat because the Christmas bulb is only half cut out to the fold.  The other side of the bulb is decorated with decorative paper that uses flocking in its pattern.  I am so lucky to be blessed with great friends!

Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas!

In this time of giving to others, I want to thank all of you who visit my blog and take time from your busy days to drop in and visit!  And, just wanted you to know that it was official, Santa did not bring any scrapbooking/stamping goodies!    However, my joy in the holidays is the gift of people in my life!  The gift of family and friends and love and friendship!  May you all be as blessed as I have been in this past year with love and friendship!  God bless you all!

Here's a freebie for you this Christmas:  Visit Twisted Papers Site to get some gorgeous Christmas downloads like the one below:

December Workshop - Tags and Bags

Today was a great day for a workshop and we had a wonderful day making the Bags and Tags shown below (click picture to see details).

Below are close-ups of everything we worked on:

Supplies used:  Friendship Alphabet (available for purchase in January 2010); Just for the Holidays; Holiday Commentary; Jingle Creative Basics; White Daisy, Tulip, Juniper, Olive Black Inks and Cardstocks; Flurry dimensional elements; red sparkles (retired); Holiday Craft Buttons; Create-A-Shade paint; Juniper Reinker; Juniper and Cranberry ribbon; Pearl Connect Club stickons; prisma glitter; punches and Sizzix dies

When we did the Flurry Dimensional Element on the bag, we colored it with Create-A-Shade with Juniper Reinker and then glittered it while it was still wet.  It is just gorgeous in person!

Isn't that snowman box just the cutest thing?  What I lack in talent, I make up in punches and Sizzix dies!  :-)

Advent Calendar

I saw this idea on someone's site a while back and had to make my own version for my two granddaughters. Each drawer is filled with things like candy, of course, but for Day 1 I have two Burts Beeswax chap lip sticks. My sweet little Hannah who is in second grade is losing her teeth (like second graders do) and she seems to bite her lips and has chapped lips a lot. And, Mikayla is old enough now that she doesn't eat the chap stick. So, I thought that would be a good way to start December. Other treats include hair bows/ribbons, nail polish for kids, lipstick. It was really fun to make for them. Each drawer has two of whatever the treat is so each girl gets half of what is in the drawer.

Supplies:  Evensong Papers; Olive CS, New England Ivy CS, Sizzix Matchbox Die

Rest of Christmas Workshop Cards

Well I finally have the rest of my workshop cards finished only hours before the big event!  All in all I'm pleased but I really wanted to do a religious one or two but time was pressing and my brain wasn't creating. 

Supplies:  Merry Pursuits SS; Olive and Cranberry CS and Ink; large white brads; Even Song Paper Pack; Cuttlebug Embossing Folder; SU Punch (Standard size card)

Below is a card I cased from Vicki Wiznuik--a very talented CTMH consultant from Canada with a few modifications of my own. 

Supplies:  Snow Friends SS; Twilight CS & Ink; VersaMark & White EP; Aspen Paper Pack; Creme Brulee Marker; Prisma Glitter

This was one that I basically copied from the Fall/Winter Idea Book but with slight changes and there are a few things I would change on this but for tomorrow it will be the mock up.  :-)

Supplies:  Holiday Trinkets SS; Creme Brulee, Juniper, Tulip CS & Ink; Black Ink; Jingle Creative Basic Papers; Sparkels; VersaMark & white EP; SU Punch; Juniper Ribbon from the Creative Basic Paper Pack.

The one below was a copy of one done by Shannon Murdock--another creative CTMH consultant with slight modifications.

Supplies:  Evergreen SS; Twilight CS & Ink; Creme Brulee Ink; Aspen Paper Pack; CTMH snowflake buttons (retired); 2 SU punches; Cuttlebug Snowflake Embossing Folder

Hopefully, this will give everyone some variety.  Everyone gets to make 2 of each card.  I know I had fun making them! 

Some Christmas Cards

I always have visions of grandeur that I will get tons of artwork done on the weekend -- you know, all the stuff you've been dreaming of doing all week long.  Well, I did get a couple of cards done.  They were takes on some that I had seen done by Laurie Flannery (Oct SOTM) and Shannon Murdock (Heartfelt Christmas).  They will be part of my upcoming Christmas Card workshop.  All supplies are Close To My Heart.

Supplies:  Oct. SOTM Holiday Warth SS; Jingle Creative Basics papers & ribbon; Prisma Glitter, Tulip Exclusive Ink, Connection Club Pearls; Cuttle Bug Embossing Folder; Spellbinder Oval and Scalloped Oval Nesting Dies.

Supplies for card below:  Heartfelt Christmas SS; Peace On Earth SS (greeting); Colonial White CS; Colonial White grosgrain ribbon; Black Marvy Matchable Ink Pad; Cranberry Exclusive Ink; Traditional Christmas Papers (retired); NE Ivy CS; Cranberry CS; Black CS; Bohemian red diamond; Spellbinder Oval & Scalloped Oval Nesting Dies.

Hopefully in a day or two I will have some more cards to show you.  I think it will be a very fun workshop!

October Stamp of the Month Swap

Time to post the Stamp of the Month Swap.  It was another fun swap!  It was definitely challenging and stretches my creativeness!  This first post is a 6x6 card.

The next below is a 4.5"x4.5".

The next one was done by Celina Little.  It is 3x6.

The one below was by Danielle Bensing and is a standard size card.  The ribbon is so neat!

The one below is a 3x6 done by Joe Ann Balles.

The next one (below) is from Wishes (Down The Middle) by Karen Hoffman

Below is my standard size card which was previously published.

Then we have a standard size card.  If you could see this close up you would see the textured paper--almost a linen look.

Next is another standard size card which has been textured and sanded!

Such talent!  The jewels just really jazz these up so much!

Christmas Card Workshop

Here are the cards for the workshop that we had in November. I have been bad about keeping up my blog posts. I have decided I am going to post at least once a week and maybe even more. And, this is my second post for today!

Okay, I have to credit a number of consultants from the bulletin board for several of the designs on the cards: Nona Davenport - No Greater Love; Caron Barnard for some of the other designs.

Stamp Set: All Decked Out
Outdoor Denim CS & E.Ink
Sorbet & Creme Brulee Markers
Silver Brads

Stamp Set: Feathery Flakes & Christmas Scripts
Aspen Level II Paper Pack
Bamboo CS & E.Ink
Glitter
Twilight Collections Ribbon Rounds

Stamp Set: No Greater Love
Simple Pleasures Level II Paper Pack
Cocoa CS & E.Ink
Desert Sand E.Ink
Pewter Brads

Stamp Set: Evergreen

Creative Basics Evensong Collection Papers
New England Ivy CS & E.Ink
Olive CS
Honey CS
Brown Bag E.Ink
White Large Brads
Glitter

Stamp Set: Festive Frills
Everlasting Level 2 Paper Packet
Ponderosa Pine CS & E.Ink
Cranberry CS & E.Ink
Cranberry Grosgrain Ribbon
Holiday Red Stickles