Flower Garden

Well, yes.  I made this card for Verve's Friday with a Twist and, at the same time, needed to make a few birthday cards so here we go.  I love, love, love making Christmas cards but mine are sitting downstairs all ready for mailing so I was ready to do something else. 

I used my retired SU! set "Flower Garden" and chose the hydrangea since it seemed to fit the design the best. I cut the circles with Spellbinders circle nesties and then used my Cuttlebug embossing folder on the soft sky circle. After coloring with Copics it was just a matter of putting it all together. The sentiment for Birthday wishes is inside. Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by.

Recipe:

Paper... SU!'s retired soft sky and baja blue. 

Stamp... SU!'s retired FLOWER GARDEN

Ink... Memento tuxedo black, Copic markers

Accessories... generic (?) ribbon, SU!'s doily edge punch, Spellbinders Nestabilities (circles and scallop circles), Cuttlebug embossing folder

PB The Wonder

I just had to share this little cutie with you today.  I had intended to make all my Christmas cards the same this year... easier and quicker... but I had too many new stamp sets and I wanted to play with each and every one of them (and I think I did).  This one is from Penny Black's "The Wonder" and it definitely gets my vote for the cutest set for Christmas 2009.  It has hedgehogs, and mice, and kitties.... oh my!

Supplies

Penny Black's "The Wonder" clear acrylic stamp set

Basic Grey's "Eskimo Kisses" 6 x 6 paper pack

Martha Stewart's snowflake punch

SU! oval punch and scallop oval punch

Spellbinder's circular scallop and standard Nestabilities

Silver Stickles by Ranger

Starstruck

 I did take a break from my Christmas card making over the weekend to make this 5 1/2" square card for Amber's Friday challenge.  I'm not sure I like it.   Does this ever happen to you... after you've taken the picture of your card you see a million changes that should have been done to it?   This one is no exception. I don't really think it is working for me... it's prettier "in real life"... I know, I know, everybody says that ;).

Since I just received my new Spellbinders Labels 9 nesties, I had to try them out.  Verve's "Starstruck" fit perfectly.  I used Basic Grey's Porcelain choosing two different patterns, very vanilla and old olive cardstock (SU!) and followed the sketch.  It looked too plain so I grabbed a Sizzix flourish die for along the sides.  Then I decided it still lacked some pizzazz so I grabbed the corner punch and liquid pearls.  I very rarely make a card without ribbon so I think that is what's lacking.  

Have a great Monday... I'm going to miss "Dancing with the Stars"... haven't heard when it's coming back for next season.  See you tomorrow.   

Rainy Monday

It never rains in Sunny Southern California


except when it does :-)

Rain, Rain Yippee!

 It's rainy and blustery outside ... we don't get to see that very often (smiling).  It's cozy in here and I'm enjoying it a lot! 

I didn't post over the weekend since I was 'assembly-lining' lots of Christmas cards.  I'll post some of the variations as the week goes along.

I'll post this entry and then bring up the card I made for the Friday challenge...

The Wonder Bundled Kitty

Hi everyone!

I hope you're having a nice Friday.  It's a gorgeous day here in southern California and we have the promise of some rain next week which we desperately need.  All's good.

This is a card I made yesterday for Amber Hight's "Friday with a Twist" challenge and I'm loving this kitty.  Amber designed a great sketch for us...

There were no special "twists" for this challenge so I chose to keep working on my Christmas cards.  I'm just so comfortable in the 'cute' category and this set "The Wonder" is really cute.  This kitty is all cozy in her little sweater... I colored her with my Copic markers and then chose the designer paper Wintergreen which is by SU! but is now retired.  I think I should pick the paper first and then color but this one worked out.  The button actually matches in real life but looks a little yellow-y in the picture. 

Have a great day and thanks for dropping by...!

RECIPE.... 

STAMPS:  The Wonder by Penny Black

PAPER:  Stampin' Up Certainly Celery, Wintergreen designer series (retired)

EMBELLISHMENTS:  Martha Stewart snowflake punch,  White chiffon decorated ribbon and red cording from Michael's, Silver Stickles, Button "from my drawer",  Spellbinders standard circle and scallop circle Nestibilities, Copic markers (love these).

               

Gourd-a-licious Christmas

I used to love painting on gourds.  I'm ashamed to admit I have closets full of them (still) and keep saying I'm going to paint them 'someday'... can anyone tell me when 'someday' is???  My husband asks (occasionally)if I want to give them away...well, I can't bear to part with them so he'll just have to cope {smiling}.  Years ago when I was selling my hand painted goodies on eBay, I was asked to do several custom pieces.  The cats on one gourd were painted to match her requests... the others' were 'generic'.  My addiction these days is for card making... but these were fun to 'dust off' and look at again.  Maybe, just maybe, this year when my cards are done, etc etc, I'll paint some for last minute gifts.  They are very easy to work with.  Clean the gourd at the sink with a scrubber sponge and after the gourd has dried I would paint it white (as a base coat)so my colors would be vibrant.  Then sketch your design and paint away... gourds have a lot of "tooth" so they're a breeze to paint on.  Have fun painting, let them dry thoroughly overnight,  apply two coats of a waterbased acrylic sealer and you have a cute decoration that will last forever.  Here are a few to look at...

Santa's Coke Bottle

I received an invitation to go to a blog hop party over at Create it Green next Saturday December 5th.    (http://createitgreen.blogspot.com/)  I will just be a spectator but thought I'd put these pictures on my blog anyway.  Years ago my principal area of interest was tolepainting (thus the name tolecookie which is me on SCS) and I was "green" before it was in fashion LOL.   Here is a glass Coke bottle that is painted with acrylics... he doesn't serve any function except to make me smile... very worthwhile though, now that I think about it.