Calendar 2011

I am trying to create a calendar for 2012 as part of a calendar challenge.  I'm cheating a little here because this one is from last year.  Haven't had time to sit down and create for 2012 and it is due on Sunday.  Ugh!  Well, once our party is finished tomorrow perhaps I'll get something done for the 2012 calendar challenge.  The sample below is something I did with my upline at one of her classes.  Not sure if she got inspiration from someone else or if it is her own.  If we CASE'd something from another person I am sorry I can't give credit, as I don't know where it came from. 

There is a separate owl for every month representing the main holiday for that month.  The owls have magnets on their backs, which is what keeps them affixed to the round piece of metal at the top of the calendar.  The owls I have included here are Christmas, New Years, St. Patrick's Day and Valentine's Day.  There are some really cute ones for Memorial Day, back to school, Halloween, and other months.  They were a lot of work, but soooo cute!   So, what can I do for 2012 that will top this cute creation.  Thanks, Buffy, for this calendar from 2011.  I used it every month and had fun using all the owls.

Well, I am still trying hard to sit down with my Occasions pre-order.  I fear Sunday or Monday will be the soonest I can take time.  First on my Occasions agenda is to use the new edgelit.  I didn't get the Bordering on Romance stamp set so will have to find something else to go with the edgelit.  I bought the Blossoms punch and the Mixed Bunch stamp set, and those are others I want to use soon.  In the meantime, I am showing you something old and hope the new is on the way.

Ok, so back to my party preparations.  I'm giving myself small breaks today but my break is over.  Hope you enjoyed my old calendar.  Come back soon to see the new one.

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy

Christmas Kids

Christmas at our house was really, really busy.  First we had a visit from my husband's daughter and son-in-law and their 2 dogs.  We had fun, lots of food, cookies and Christmas desserts for us and even for the dogs.

 Following them was a visit from my grandkids.  I had to go pick them up early Saturday morning.  When I say early I am talking about 0-dark-30 in the morning.  It is their dad's Christmas to have the kids (parents are divorced), but for reasons beyond my son's control, he had to work for 6 hours on Christmas Eve.  So I went to my son's apartment to pick up the kids and bring them to our house and he followed as soon as he got off work.  Well, my son has to leave for work at 6:30 from his house.  I live 2 hours from my son's house.  You do the math, I had to leave at 0-dark-30.  But the kids and I had a great time.  I took them out for breakfast on the way home.  When we got home the first order of business was to make daddy his Christmas gifts.  We did ornaments with pictures of the kids.  So, my post for today is the ornaments they did for their dad.  We cut out pictures and then semi-filled glass ornaments with SU Mica Flakes.  Hannah wanted to fill her ornament all the way, but we stopped at about 1/3.  J.T., who is older -- and wiser, so I am told -- decided to put a lesser amount so the picture could be seen.  LOL.    Then they wrapped and labeled their gifts.  Sigh, we should have made our own decorated bags, but I ran out of time and had to buy them already made -- shame on me!!!   I wanted them to make their own tags, but unfortunately they saw mine laying on my craft table and decided it was easier -- for them -- to use the ones already made.

For the labels I used distressed SU Naturals Ivory cardstock and the Bells and Boughs stamp set, as well as my markers -- love my markers!   My grandkids love to make "projects" with me, and we have fun thinking up things for them to make.   Daddy absolutely loved their gifts.  (of course, he always does!)

Well, below are the little munchkins.  Hannah, 6, is always posing and trying to look cute, or pretty, or girlie -- and she is very girlie with pinks, nail polish (another story for another time) and dressup.  I believe she changed her clothes 3 times on Christmas Eve.   Ha, ha.   On the other hand, J.T., her 9 year old brother, is all boy.  It is really difficult these days to get a smiling, normal, picture of him.  He likes to make faces, karate poses, tough guy poses, etc.  But what the heck, that is what makes them so much fun. 

So, this is my post for today.  My husband and I are hosting a New Years Eve party this Saturday (on New Years Eve, funny that), so there is still no rest for the weary.  I will try to make something new some time this week and try to post in a couple days.  I am really anxious to ink up the Occasions Mini product that I bought.  Only a couple more days until the Mini goes live.  I already have customers chomping at the bit to get their new choices.  It will be fun to see what they do with all their picks.

Until next time....

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy

Simple But Elegant

I believe I am getting down to the last Christmas cards I'll be making for this season.  I'm really excited about the new Occasions and SAB Minis and can't wait to get ink on the stamps I ordered.  Have you seen the gorgeous new papers?  Wow, they are pretty.  I have a box sitting here just crying for me to unpack and get started.  But, alas, Christmas packages need to be wrapped, stockings filled, cookies baked, and preparation for company this weekend.  Soon, little box, I'll get to you soon!

The following card is one of my favorites for this year.  I saw a video by Kay Kalthoff over on Stampin Connection.  She got her inspiration from Tiffany Bauer.  They did their card in Night of Navy with red glimmer paper and red ribbon.  But when I get inspiration I just have to change it at least a little.  So, I changed to green with gold.   Here is my take on their card.  Simple but elegant.

Ok, so I am going to make this short tonight.  Hopefully the next you hear from me I will have something from the new minis and NOT Christmas.  Spring won't be here for a while, but I just might try a spring card anyway.

Until next time,
Crafty Hugs,
Sandy

Shimmer & Sparkle, and a Challenge

Oh my!  When Donna over at Butternut Sage put out a challenge to those of us on the Morning Chat, I thought "Punch Art, so not my thing, but can it be so hard to do something?"  Well, after throwing away more starts than I have thrown away in all of my stamping days, I ended up with my post for today.  Yikes!  The best I can say for this is that I used punches!  I don't have a lot of punches.  I might even call this a one sheet wonder -- well, a one punch wonder?  That's not quite accurate, I believe I used 4 punches, and lots and lots of glimmer paper.  The punches I used are scallop square, postage stamp, blossom bouquet triple, and word window.   I started out using cardstock and some glimmer paper.  Then I slid on over to less cardstock and more glimmer paper, and MORE GLIMMER PAPER.  And you see what I ended up with.   I believe I have a very long way to go before I can consider using my "punch art" for anything useful.  Practice does make perfect, right?  I do thank Donna for the challenge, and will challenge myself to practice more punch art in the future.  No one is going to see any of it for a while though.  Ha ha.

If you came to my website by way of visiting Butternut Sage first, then you saw the artwork from the other gals of the Morning Chat.  Beautiful work.  And did you see that sleigh Donna made by using the letter "Q?"  Who would have thought.  And Robbie's angels are so pretty.  Go take a look.  And be sure to join us on the morning chat at www.butternutsagedesigns.blogspot.com Monday-Thursday at 10:00 a.m. 

Also be sure to come back to see me here.  Tomorrow I'll try to have something a little more adult.  I believe my 6 yr old granddaughter could do punch art better.  In fact, I might let her give it a try to see what she comes up with.  She is quite artistic.  Can you tell that I don't like my punch art?  What gave me away........

Till next time,
Crafty Hugs,
Sandy

For the Grands

Christmas is coming pretty fast and I am about ready for it.  I've done the last of my cards and have been baking for the past 2 days.  Smells good in here and my hubby says the cookies "look" good.  I guess as long as they look good on a plate that is ok?  What about taste?  Well, since I've noticed a few missing here and there, he must think they taste good too.   I am pretty late this year with the baking.  I usually send a box of cookies to my sister, one to my uncle, and one to my brother and family.  Guess they are all going to get New Years cookies -- ha!   :>)

The two cards today are cards we are sending to the grandboys.  The first sample goes to the little guys, as I thought one penguin standing on the head of the other would get a chuckle out of a 3 yr old and a 5 yr old.  The second sample is for the 8 yr old and 9 yr old -- so I have 4 of those ready to go out tomorrow.  Now I just have to come up with something for the 6 yr old granddaughter.  I think something a little more girlie for her.  Hmmmmm......now what could it be?

You can't tell from the photos, but there is glitz on each -- a little glitter and clear Dazzling Diamonds, and my home-made red Dazzling Diamonds.   Until SU catches up with me I am making my own colors of DD by putting a drop or two of any color into a bottle of clear and mixing.  My upline, Buffy, came up with this idea when she bought her first bottle of clear and we have been mixing ever since -- hugs, Buffy.   I may have one or two more Christmas cards to show, and then I am so ready to get on to birthday, Valentines -- and SPRING.  We've only had one snow and I am already done with winter! 

Over the weekend I need to finish the challenge from the Morning Chat group.  Donna at Butternut Sage (one of these days I'll learn how to link) challenged us to do punch art.  So out of my box!! Hopefully I'll think of something that will work.  If so, it will be here on my blog by Sunday.     Oh me, oh my!

Until next time,

Crafty hugs,
Sandy

Slightly PINK!

Whew!  I left the house this morning around 8:00 to go Christmas shopping and didn't get home until around 5:00.  And I'm not done.  Of course, I spent a lot of time browsing for some books for the grandkids.  And I spent a little time browsing through some ideas for my hubby -- ideas which I won't share until after Christmas, just in case he looks at my blog.  And I spent some time taking myself out to lunch.  I justified the time spent on lunch by looking at toy brochures.   I try to get my ideas from the brochures because I can't spend much time in a toy store before I start going a little crazy -- actually a LOT crazy!  There is just too much to choose from, and way too much I can't even operate.  Of course, my 5 year old grandson and 6 year old granddaughter can operate these same items with their eyes closed.  That is sad!  Do you know what a lalapaloosa is?  Or something like that??  LOL

I'm going to show you one more non-Christmas card today.  Mainly because I did not do any crafting, and I had this one just sitting on my craft table.  So here it is. 

This was my idea of doing a fabric card.  I prepared it as one of about 10 I did for a fabric store.  The owner wanted to see what I could do with fabric.  Of course her idea and mine were not the same.  You see, I "used" fabric, but I think she wanted it to be all fabric.  Anyway, here is a fabric card.  Hope you like it.

Tomorrow I'll try to get back to Christmas cards.  Still working on getting the last of mine out, and am at a point that whatever is fastest, that is the one I want to multiply.  Have a great day, see you soon.

Crafty hugs,
Sandy

Happy New Year 2012

Another easy one today.  The hardest part is the sponging, but that is a little like therapy.  Take out a little frustration by dabbing and dabbing and dabbing..........  I have a couple of friends who do not celebrate Christmas but are very much into each New Year, and especially celebrating the New Year.  So this one is for my party friends.

Are you ready for Christmas yet?  Decorations done, purchases made, packages wrapped and presents mailed?  Good, me too  --- NOT!  I did get the packages that have to be mailed out yesterday, but that is about it.  I'm hoping Santa will bring me a completed Christmas, but he will have to come early if I am going to get my wish.  Oh well. 

Last night I went with some girlfriends to see The Help.  If you haven't read the book or seen the movie, you should.  It is a very good story.  The casting was perfect.  I think it was very well done.   Of course, going out with just us girls is always a good time.  But first I had to trudge across the swinging bridge -- in the dark -- with a flashlight -- over a raging river!  I'll save that story for another time.   Hee hee!

Thanks for visiting, hope you like my card for the New Year.

Crafty hugs,
Sandy

A Musical Heart

I decided today to take a break from making Christmas cards and show you a little Valentine -- is that rushing the next holiday a little?  It is also different in that there is no stamping.  What?  No stamping?  I love the look of paper piecing, and sometimes it is nice to do something a bit out of the ordinary. 

 

This is a mixture of a little Stampin'Up! and a little non-SU.  But shhhhh, I'll leave you guessing as to which is which. 

This is a short post today.  I'm going back to finishing my Christmas cards.  In a day or two I'll show you the Christmas cards I'm working on for the grandsons and granddaughter.  They are usually special and I have fun making them.  I try to put smiles on their little faces and hope they are excited to get the cards from us in the mail. 

'Till next time,

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy

Inside a Snowglobe

It's time for another Morning Chat Challenge. Every 2 weeks over at Butternut Sage Designs we have a challenge to test our creativity.  This time we decided to do a SNOWGLOBE.  You can see the other designs on the Butternut Sage blogsite.  Some of the gals have created their snowglobes from scratch, but I decided to use my Stampin'Up! SWEET SNOWGLOBE stamp.  How you work it is all in your interpretation.  Here is a little sneak peek of what I created:

My inspiration came from a front yard I pass on my way "to town" where I travel for groceries etc.  This yard is just as you go around a curve, and so for a period of time your car is aimed straight at the yard.  Every holiday the owners tantalize us with wonderful decorations.  Large blow up pumpkins, trees decorated with Easter Eggs, 4th of July flags, Valentine cuties, you get the idea.  At Christmas they have a huge blow up snowglobe with a snowman inside.  There is whirling snow and everything.  Well, I love the cute little penguins in Polar Party and decided my take on the yard snowglobe would be penguins in a globe -- one stuck inside the globe and one outside.   Here is the entire front of my card.

Of course, when you open the card you will see that the penguins have figured out how to be together.  I hope you like my take on the neighborhood yard snowglobe and the latest Morning Chat Challenge.

Come join us Mon - Thur morning at 10:00 a.m. Eastern and join in the fun.  You'll find us at www.butternutsagedesigns.blogspot.com    Hope to "chat" with you soon.

Come back to my blog soon, and please leave a comment.  I'd love to hear your thoughts.  

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy

Simple Thank You

I've been missing for a couple days.  Wednesday my friend Eileen and I spent the day crafting -- hugs, Eileen.  It is fun to have a whole day with no obligations other than to craft and have fun.

My card today, however, is not from that day. Silly me, I forgot to take pictures of what we did, so I have nothing to show you from our crafting day. However, I do have this card. It isn't a Christmas card, it is an all occasion Thank You.

So simple I was able to whip it up in a few minutes. Oh, and just wait until the Occasions Mini comes out January 4th. I am so happy! Stampin'Up! is starting all new "satin pleated ribbon." That's right, you won't have to do the little pleats by hand the way I did on my card above. They're already done for you, how cool is that!


I'm working diligently on a challenge given by the morning chat group over on Butternut Sage Designs -- hi gals. We are to create something with a snowglobe as the theme. I think when I finish I am going to like what I have. There are all sorts of things swimming in my head. I just hope when they land on the paper they look like I imagine. Snowy, globey (is that a word?), cute and funny -- at least I think it will be funny. Look for it on Monday, when the challenge is due. And maybe by then I will figure out how to link to Donna's site so you can see the creations every one else makes.

So, everyone, have a great day. Tomorrow hubby and I are off to attend our granddaughter's karate function. She's only six, but is working on a new belt. I'll have to figure out the sequence of belts so I have some idea how she is doing. But, hey, as long as she is learning and having fun, that's what counts. Over the weekend I just might have a pic or two. Till then......

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy

Yes, I'll Finish on Time

Short post today.  Well, I finished -- almost.  I guess almost doesn't count.  I did get all the cards done, with insides and envelopes.  The invitations are in my craft room about an hour away from being finished.  I think they will all be in the mail this afternoon.  Whew!

Here is the other simple card I chose to finish my assembly line for this mailing.  The stamps are from Christmas Lodge in the Holiday Mini.  I've already made several different cards with this stamp set.  I just love the greenery in the set and the unique way the sentiments are done.  You can't see all the glitter on this tree, but believe me, it is there.  It is also on the table, the floor, the chair, in my hair, and on the ceiling.  I'm going to have to take a high powered vacuum and stand in the doorway and suck it all up!

OK, so I need to get back to the last of the invitations. Have a great day!

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy

Will I Finish? On Time?

I've been saying for a couple days that I am frantically trying to get 24 holiday cards with New Year's invitations in the mail by end of today.  I'm not sure I'm going to make it, but I'll get at least most of them out.  Here is one of the really quick and easy ones I've done. 

This is the card I chose to duplicate 12 more times today. It is soooooo simple. Just cut Garden Green cardstock slightly smaller than the River Rock card, cut Very Vanilla slightly smaller than that, stamp the image from Comfort & Joy, and emboss in the beautiful Pewter embossing powder.   I know I can make 6 in about 30 minutes, so I should be able to get them done -- and I will. And who knows, if I get done early I just may do a few different ones. I can hope.

Why oh why is it so hard for me to do 24 of these easy cards? The answer is because I am not a multiples gal. I got bored after the first run of the assembly line. I did 6 and then wanted something new. So I created 6 of something else -- tomorrow I'll show you those.  And don't forget, 24 invitations too!  Is anyone else like that? Once I've done 1 or 2 I'm off to try something else. Way back when I used to buy my cards (was there a day like that?), I never bought one style of card and sent the same one to all my friends and relatives. I had to buy boxes of several styles. Then I had a lot of left overs. So I tried to use the rest the following year. Of course I could not remember who I sent which style to the previous year, and I didn't want to repeat, so I bought more and didn't use the leftovers. What a waste. Well, I solved that problem by making my own. The problem now is that I still want dozens of styles, and it is time-consuming to make something different for everyone. That is, unless I start in June. Is there anyone that really starts back in June and actually accomplishes what they set out to do -- have them done and ready early? Well, not likely for me! 

Yesterday my husband said -- ready for this? -- "Why don't you just buy some cards and invitations today. It'll be a whole lot easier." Yikes!   How could he even say such a thing!   He was practically shooed from the house. He had a point, though, they would all be done right now. But, how could I live with myself! Heavens, don't even think it. So here I am still working away.

Ok, so off to the drawing board -- rather, the crafting table -- to finish my challenge for today.  That challenge is to get this job done.  I think I am procrastinating, don't you?  Have a great day, see you soon.

Crafty hugs,
Sandy

The Skater's Waltz?

Whoohooo, I'm on a roll.  Wasn't sure I could make an entry a month, and this is 3 in as many days!  We'll see how soon it is before I run out of entries.  I'm still working on the Christmas cards that need to be out tomorrow.  Yikes, that is TOMORROW!  I am going to be busy because I still have at least half of them to do -- oh well.  I spent a lot of time this weekend with the grandkids and for that I am happy.  Will just have to get busy with the cards tomorrow, tomorrow.....

So the following card is another challenge card from a month or so ago.  Now that I have my own blog I want to put it here for you to see.  I have loved this stamp set since it came out, and have used it quite a bit.  I love watercoloring, especially with the SU Watercolor Wonder Crayons,  so you may see quite a bit of it here.  I could not live without them.  In fact, they were the only crafting item(s) I took with me on the cruise my hubby and I went on in August.  Had to pack light, and yet I did not think I could go 2 weeks without some crafting time, so I found room for my crayons and a little paper.  And they are quite the conversation piece.  While sitting in the lounge and coloring -- sounds more like something the grandkids would be doing -- a few other ladies stopped by to look and to talk.  So, I handed out some of the images I had brought, some crayons, a few blender pens, and we had a regular "class."  At least I had a lot of fun, I hope they did too.

So, now that I have my blog rolling, and I have figured out how to do entries, next I'll have to "pretty it up."  Wish me luck.  I'll be back again as soon as possible.

Crafty hugs,
Sandy

Christmas in the Woods

When I saw the Christmas Lodge in the Stampin'Up! Holiday Mini I just knew I had to have that set.  You see, it reminds me of home.  We live in the mountains, in our log home, with lots of nature and wilderness.  The Christmas Lodge is not exactly like our house, ours is not that big, but it gives me the same feel of being far out in the country the way it feels at our house.  And anyone who has been to our house knows we are far out there.   I knew this set would be the perfect stamp for a card "from our house to yours."    This card was done with just a hint of watercolor crayons and more than a hint of sparkle.  I like how it turned out.

However, by Monday I have to have 24 cards completed and ready to mail.  And to insert in those cards I need to have 24 finished New Years Eve party invitations.  So in the next day or two I will  be spending a lot of time in my craft room.  I hope to show you a couple really quick and simple cards that I've been working on over my Thanksgiving weekend.   I hope I make my deadline.  It would not do to receive a New Years invitation in January, now would it.

Our Thanksgiving was a lot of fun with waaaaaay too much food, but lots of friends.  And we did get to spend some of the time with kids, and with grandchildren.  More about the grandchildren another day.  For now, I will attach my card and hope you like it.



Have a great day,
Sandy

Very First Blog Post

This is my very first post.  For eveyone who has created a blog, you know the first one is the hardest.  Also, it is the most intimidating.  However, I was given the challenge to get this going, and so here is my response to the challenge.  I hope you will visit my blog in the future, and as I progress there will be more and more contained here.

My first entry is also a challenge.  I was challenged to do a travel item.  This is a scrapbook page, and it uses Stampin'Up! product:  I used The Open Sea stamp set in MDS.  The rest of the supplies are also SU but since I am a touchy feely person, they are "real" supplies.    I hope you like my first entry. 

Happy Crafting,
Sandy