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Caardvarks Challenge

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I'm squeezing this in just under the wire since the challenge ends tonight.

Caardvarks7x5Nov09 

Here's my take on it. I used the border of the patterned paper instead of using a border punch this time, and I'm happy with how it came out.

Caardvarks1.15 

Cardstock (American Crafts Earthtones and Speciality Pearl), patterned paper (Sassafrass Lass), ink (Papertrey Dark Chocolate), buttons (Making Memories), Stamps (Around and About Sentitments-Papertrey & Antique Engraving-Hero Arts), ribbon from stash, Copic markers Y35, Y38, and orange glitter.

Embellish with Hearts

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The Embellish Color Challenge with Hearts was the perfect opportunity to make a couple of valentines today. Both cards use Papertrey Ink's Pure Poppy, True Black, and Sweet Blush cardstock.

Embellish1 

A look at the embossing done with the Quickutz embossing folder and the Hearts Nestabilities by Spellbinders.

Embellish1Detail 

Pale pink gems (Michaels0, patterned paper Black and White Basics (Papertrey), Apron Lace border punch (Fiskars), ribbon from my stash.

And my favorite of the two:

Embellish2 

Hearts cut and embossed (Spellbinders Nestabilities), circle punches, Swiss Dots Embossing folder (Cuttlebug), Black and White Basics patterned paper & Pure Poppy twill (Papertrey Ink), metal charm (Making Memories).

CPS 148

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It's been a while since I've played along with the challenges on CPS. I like this sketch a lot, and needed a baby card for a friend's daughter whose baby was the #1 baby in her county for 2010. Just a little extra excitement.

CPS148
Here's my take:

ForBaby 

All Papertrey Ink except the velvet rickrack, embossed cardstock,  and buttons which were from my stash.

Happy New Year

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Happy New Year–well, almost! I managed to get a card done for the 2 Sketches 4 You blog as well as a challenge at the Cards Blog. (For some reason Typepad isn't letting me add links here.) We're off to friends' tonight at 8:00, and their party is probably the only way we'd be up to see the ball drop at midnight!

Cheers 

CheersDetail
White cardstock (Staples), charms (Impress), glitter alpha (Making Memories), red frill (from stash), square Nestibility on Bazzil dot paper, Stickles glitter. It's hard to see, but every other hole in the scalloped border is glittered and there are glitter bubbles above the glasses.

The other project that's been on my mind is a 2009 Summary layout. I could have chosen a lot more photos, but decided on family shots and two favorite photos from our road trip this summer.

2009SummaryLO 

Dotted cardstock (Bazzil), red puff alpha (SEI), digital template (Mushy Playing with Paper 12)

Have a safe and joyous New Year! 

 
 

Papertrey Ink Blog Hop

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Tonight's blog hop is all about taking inspiration from your holiday decorations for your project. I knew right away what I wanted to use: my favorite new candles from Target.

Candles&TreeSqw 

And here's the card. I used the CPS 147 Sketch as well:

PTIBlogCPS 

Cardstock (Pure Poppy & Dark Chocolate), Stamps (Snowflake Additions & Mixed Messages), Button (Pure Poppy Vintage buttons), gems (Amuse Creative Candy), Nestibilities (Circle and Scalloped Circle), Ribbon (Michaels), and tag from stash.
 

 

 

Projects

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Tracy and I got up early to frost cookies this morning, and the package for Sarah and Adam is ready to be mailed early tomorrow morning. I unpacked my goodies from Papertrey Ink this afternoon and did a bit of organizing. Tonight I finished a few projects that I needed to have ready to give on Wednesday. I made notepads for a group of women I work with each week when I volunteer and packaged them with a colorful pen to match and some candies.

Notepads 

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NotePadsPackage
I'm really happy with how they turned out. I love this stamp set (Take Note) from Papertrey Ink. I also made one for my SIL to go with her Christmas gift.

BookPad
 Yesterday I went to a Hero Arts party at the local stamp store. I had visited most of the blogs on the Hero Arts Blog Hop so I had a list of stamps I hoped to buy. I was lucky enough to find all four of them. They had a Make & Take which I enjoyed doing. When I got home, I decided I didn't like the way the message covered the bottom of the card, so I took it off, added a ribbon, and a pretty button from the vintage Ripe Avocado buttons from Papertrey. You really can't see it in the photo, but the button has a bit of glitter on it to match the glitter on the grasses.

HAMake&Take
This posted a bit darker than it is IRL.

And finally, I played with one of my new Hero Arts stamps. It's a lift from Laura Griffin. I loved the brown background with the bright red poppies.

Poppy
The sentiment is from Everyday Classics (Papertrey) on an embossed Spellbinders tag. There are tiny pearls in the center of two poppies and three at the end of the tag.

I finished editing all the photos I've been taking for the Christmas Journal. Tomorrow's "Layout Day," if I don't get distracted by the Christmas list!

   
 
 

Moxie Fab: All Creatures Great and Small

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Here are two cards for the Moxie Fab challenge. I was inspired by the Crate and Barrel (love this store) plate for the first card.

HolidayCardinalPlt8p25inF9
 

Winterwishes1 

All Papertrey ink except for the Midori ribbon and Amuse Creative Candy.

HelloFriend 

Again, all Papertrey Ink except for the Fiskars border punch.
 
 

Embellish #2 and Lunch Out

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As I was making the first card for the Embellish four color snowflake challenge, I remember my Spellbinders Snowflake dies which I used for one of my Christmas cards last year, so I decided to make another card.

Embellish#2R 

Embellish2Detail
Cardstock (Papertrey Dark Chocolate, Aqua Mist, Lemon Tart, and Kraft), Spellbinders die, Nestabilities Circle and Scalloped Circle dies, Patterned Paper (Papertrey Bitty Stars), Stamp (A muse), gems (Hero Arts), ribbon (Michaels)

A friend and I had lunch today at one of my favorite restaurants. We discovered The Gate House Cafe this summer and have never been disappointed in our meals. Today was no exception, great salads, wood-fired pizza, and this fabulous mulled cider:

Ciderw
I'm not typically a fan of cider, but this was so delicious I'll be hunting for a recipe on the web!

Embellish & Hero Arts Challenge

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Snowflakes_4ColorChallenge

Between baking several batches of cookies, I managed over the course of the afternoon, to get a gift card holder done for the Embellish Four Color Snowflake challenge as well as the Hero Arts gift card challenge. It's my take on Jennifer's gift card holder. When you pull on the bow, the gift card emerges. I reduced the card size by 15%. I would never think to put these four colors together, but that's the point of participating in a challenge. I have to admit, I'm pretty happy with it.

EmbellishGiftCardHA 

Cardstock (Papertrey Dark Chocolate, Kraft, Lemon Tart, & Aqua Mist), Stamps (Hero Arts: snowflake border, PaperTrey Snowflake Serenade: sentiment), paper punch, Ink (Papertrey Dark Chocolate & Tea Duo Chai), pearls from stash.

Reclaiming My Time

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When I worked full-time, had two active and involved teenagers at home, and volunteered at church in a variety of capacities, I used my time very effectively. I'm not so sure that happens now that I'm retired. I am getting a lot of things done that were on my To Do When Retired list, but there are an equal number of things I'm not getting to at all. So I was interested when I got an email about a BPS class called Reclaiming My Time. I thought about it for a long time, then by chance I found the instructor's blog: karinka. Once I started reading her blog, I knew I'd like the class. And I do. The exercises are very enlightening, and I've spent quite a bit of time on it the last few days. I've already made some interesting discoveries, and done a lot of thinking about how I want to use my time in 2010. That, of course, is the point of the class. I made a quick cover for the binder where I'm keeping all the handouts and my worksheets.

TimeBinder
The image on the binder comes from one of the handouts. It's a photograph of Karen's mini-book. I don't think I'll work on that until I finish my Christmas Journal. Speaking of which, I have the photographs and ideas for five more pages, but have been busy with other activities for the last couple of days.

I did make two cards a couple of nights ago with the Making Memories Mistletoe collection. I didn't use much of this for my Christmas cards this year, but I know I'll still like it next year. I decided to make a couple of Thank You cards as I know I'll need a few of these after the holidays.

Thanks

 

ThanksCardinals 

All the materials are Making Memories. I didn't like this one as much until I added some red stickles to the berries on the patterned paper. The letter stickers on both cards are glitter stickers–a little hard to tell in the photographs.

Gifts for California

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GiftCardHolders

For the first time ever, Sarah and Adam won't be here for Christmas. I am grateful that it took 29 years before it happened, but I know I am really going to miss them at Christmas. Tonight I got all the gifts wrapped, and one box packed and ready to mail tomorrow. These are the gift card holders I made this afternoon to put in their stockings (one for Matt, too). The cardstock is Scarlet Jewel (Papertrey), the ribbon from Paper Source and all the rest is Making Memories Mistletoe collection. The gift card holder was one Kristina Werner posted on 2Peas last year. I've made lots and lots of them since I first downloaded the pattern. It's quick and easy.

CPS 143

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We had quite the tree search today, but photos from that and Thanksgiving will have to wait a day or two until I have time to get them ready for the blog. On the way home from cutting down the tree, we stopped at Grossman's so I could get some poinsettias. They had beautiful ones, and I also found a new wreath for over the fireplace. Once we were home, I was anxious to start decorating, so photo editing went by the wayside. This card is for the CPS 143 challenge. I needed a card for my BIL's upcoming big birthday so used this sketch.

CPS143_3 

Cardstock (Rustic White  & Enchanted Evening Papertrey Ink), Patterned papers (Basic Grey Granola), stickers (unknown & American Craft), twine (Papertrey Ink), ink (Chamoile Vintage Touch Papertrey Ink), Nestabilities.

Papertrey Ink Blog Hop

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I've always wanted to participate in the monthly Papertrey Ink Blog Hop, but somehow always put it off to the last minute. This month I got my project done in plenty of time. This month's Blog Hop Challenge was to create a quick & inexpensive wrap or tag that can be the perfect solution for "grab & go" gifts. I've saved all the plastic boxes that my stamps from Papertrey come in thinking they'd make a good package for gifts. Indeed they do! A whole box of Tazo tea fit neatly inside. A simple ribbon and tag complete the gift.

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This steaming cup from the 2008 Holiday Tag Collection was the perfect accompaniment. I used Perfect Pearls and some glitter to emphasize the steam. A quick run through my Cuttlebug with an embossing folder, a holly punch, and three gems complete the tag. Scarlet Jewel cardstock was used with the scalloped punch.

 

Christmas Cards

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It was so beautiful here today. We have had just amazing weather for November. I met a friend for lunch and a stamping date. When I left her house, I decided to see how much Christmas shopping I could get done since it was such a nice day. Thus, no Christmas Journal preparation as I chaired our Youth Ministry Committee meeting tonight. But I did get quite a few Christmas cards made while I was stamping with my friend. Over half of what I need was done this fall for various challenges. Sometimes if I liked the design a lot, I would make a couple extra. But now is the time for mass production.

TagChristmasCard 

Stamp (Papertrey Ink), cardstock (Papertrey New Leaf and Pure Poppy), ribbon (Midori)

And yes, I did get a lot of Christmas shopping done. I need to make one return (I knew that was a possibility), but aside from a couple of internet orders, I think I am done. It's a lot easier buying for adult children.

Two More Christmas Cards

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Here are a couple more Christmas cards–all Papertrey Ink. I spent some time this afternoon on another card, trying to find a design I can easily duplicate. I need a dozen more perhaps. Usually I create just one design, maybe two, and duplicate them. This year I tried to make Christmas cards for lots of the challenges I participated in so I have many different ones. The only problem with that is I have a nice album that contains the different cards I've sent each year. I guess my blog will have to be the record this year!

Mittens 

I bought these tiny clothespins years ago (from Impress Stamps, I think). As soon as I saw these mittens in the Winter Swirls stamp set, I knew I'd use them on a card. The snowflake punch is from Martha Stewart.

PeaceWreath 

A simple card; you can't see the embossed circle in the photograph unfortunately.