Tagged

Here are two really quick cards using the Snow Festival tags.  The first card is no more than embossed cardstock, the tag, and a stamped "Merry Christmas."  For the second card I stepped it up a bit and added the gold ridge using the new gold marker, added a piece of baker's twine, and a little dazzling details here and there.  So easy to do one or two of these if you forgot to put someone on your card list -- oh, and if you get one of these from me, it's not because I "forgot" you, it is most likely because I have been so rushed that these quick ones have been the majority of my cards.

And so I am off and running again today.  It is the 5th day this week that I have been running everywhere, and it is the 6th day of the week.   Whew!  Today I will be crafting all day with some friends, I can't wait to get into my ink and stamps.  I have some new ones and am anxious to give them a try -- stamps that is, not friends.

Hope you are having a great week, and have a happy day.

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy

Coloring Down the Lines -- Calypso Coral

Thanks for stopping by today.  It is our Wednesday Coloring Down the Lines blog hop.  You should have arrived from  Joni's blogsite.  Such a pretty creation, and such talent Joni has!  We were challenged this week to use Calypso Coral with Baja Breeze and Daffodil Delight or Calypso Coral with Riding Hood Red and Basic Gray.  I chose the first, and I knew right away this card with these colors could not be a Christmas card.  It had to be spring, so I jumped ahead to next season.   I colored Bordering on Romance with markers and mounted on Baja Breeze with a little designer paper behind.

You can't tell well from the first picture that this card has a slightly different opening.  I cut a portion of the front panel leaving part of the frames outside the front panel and showing the inside of the card behind.  Not real easy to see, but hopefully you get the idea.








I hope you liked my challenge today.  Now continue the hop by going to Teri's blogsite.  She has a WOW card for you today.

Until next time......................

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy

Multi-layered Christmas

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  I'm still working on the leftover turkey, are you?  Usually I make a large turkey because we all feel the more leftovers the better.

I'm still working away on Christmas cards.  Today I sent out 24 with New Year's Eve party invitations.  I always aim to get out at least the cards that will have invitations by no later than the weekend after Thanksgiving.  So now they are out and the party is a go.

I really like the card I have for you today.  However, it has so many layers that I decided not to send too many of these.  I felt like I was cutting, and cutting, and cutting some more.

I hope you like it.

Be sure to come back again soon.  I have even more Christmas cards.  And on Wednesday it will be another blog hop for Coloring Down the Lines.

Until next time......................

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy

Coloring Down the Lines -- Perfect Plum

It's Coloring Down the Lines blog hop Wednesday.  I bet you just arrived from Joni's blogsite.  Wasn't her entry pretty?  Love Joni's work.  We were challenged to use Perfect Plum with Marina Mist and Rose Red, or Perfect Plum with Riding Hood Red and More Mustard.  I used the first.

 
I just got the Illuminate ink pad in my order last week and wanted to try it.  I used it on the swirl stamp in Everything Eleanor.  In person it looks all shimmery, however here it looks more like VersaMark watermarking.  But it is nice and I plan to use it more.  In the same order I got the cotton ribbon and the Border Banter stamp set, so I tried printing on the ribbon.  It could be a bit darker, but I like the idea.  Another thing I tried was glittering with Dazzling Diamonds.  I like it on the Four Seasons stamp, but not so sure on the label.  I won't use DD on a label any more, maybe rhinestones would be better.  So, you have joined me in a real trial card, what do you think.  I would tweak a little more next time, but for the most part I like it.

Now, hop on along to Teri's blogsite.  She has some amazing creations on her site and I know she has a good one for you today.

Until next time..........................

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy

Christmas Woods

I'm not sure if I have posted this one already, however, if so, it still is worth repeating.  I did something similar last year, but it remains a favorite.  It is very easy, but carries the "wow" factor.

I used my very favorite watercolor crayons directly on my Lovely as a Tree stamp.  I can't say often enough, I hope SU never, ever, EVER, retires Lovely as a Tree.  It is so versatile, and so beautiful.  This card was done by coloring Night of Navy directly on the stamp, then spritzing with water.  I then stamped on Whisper White cardstock several times.  I then colored the stamp one more time to stamp one more dark tree.  This technique makes the trees look like they are close and far, the way they would be in the woods.  I used a little glue here and there and then sprinkled some Dazzling Diamonds.  Love it, and I hope you do too.

Be sure to come back tomorrow for our usual Wednesday Coloring Down the Lines blog hop. 

Until next time............................

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy

Simple Challenge

Are you ready for Thanksgiving?  I think I am.  Just a few more basic groceries and then all the cooking begins.  My grands are coming, so I am very excited about spending some time with them.  We have plans to make a few Christmas presents.  They are going to make their daddy's presents.  Every year we do something like Christmas ornaments, painted birdhouses, hand prints on serving trays, scrapbooks, anything handmade by them.  Of course I help, and of course we use my craft room and some of my "tools."  It is great fun.

Today I have a simple card I made for a challenge over at Freshly Made Sketches.  Here is the sketch they gave us for our guide.

 

 

And here is my card.

 

 

 This was so simple.  I just cut a strip of stockings from the Snow Festival DSP, stamped Merry Christmas and done.  I may make a few more of these as I start running out of time to get cards in the mail.

Until next time......................

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy

Christmas Watercolor

My post today is a simple little Christmas card.  I love my watercolor crayons, and I love to "color."  I plan to do a little more watercoloring over the next few weeks.  I don't know why I have put it aside for so long.  This set, Greeting Card Kids, is such a cute set and can be used all four seasons.  This little Christmas girl, unlike me, is totally ready for winter.  I can't even find my gloves.

I hope you are getting ready for the holidays, because they are coming fast.  Every year I wait just a little too long, and then I have to scramble to catch up.

Come back again soon to visit.

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy

Workshop Candy

Here are more of the workshop samples using one stamp set and one package of designer paper.  There are wrapped nuggets, a decorated Hershey bar, a bookmark, a package tag with insert note and in front is a gift card holder -- insert a coffee card, restaurant card, money or a credit card.  I'll take the credit card with lots of money on it -- thank you.

This is the gift card.  The belly band keeps it all closed and adds some decoration.

You can see how the coffee or credit card fits on the inside.  The gift card measurements are 4 1/4 x 10 1/2 then scored, starting at the bottom, at 3"  4 1/4"  5 1/2" and 8 1/2"  I think if you look at the picture you can see how it goes.  Fold first score up, the next down, the next up and that top piece folds down over the whole thing.  See the part where the Sheetz card is inserted?  You can just slit at the fold wide enough to slip the card in, or as I did, you can cut a little notch.  Be sure to tape or glue below the Sheetz card so that the whole gift card won't unfold and fall apart.  Decorate and slip the belly band on and you are done.  If you have any questions, let me know.





Wednesday I'll try to bring you a couple more things that I demonstrated at the workshop.   Have a nice day tomorrow and I'll see you Wednesday.

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy

Hostess Gifts

I am back today with some focus on the individual items from my "make a lot with one stamp set and one pack of paper."  This is the hostess basket I gave to my hostess.  She also got the sample cards that I demonstrated during the party.  She loved the candle and base when she saw it, so I was happy that I planned to give it to her after the party.  She also got a wrapped Hershey bar, a decorated pen and a Cherry Cobbler ink pad.

And here is a close up of the candle all wrapped up as a nice gift.  The tag has an insert with a little Thank You.

I hope you like this part of my display.  I'll be back again with more, and also with the cards I demonstrated and the make n takes.

Hope you are enjoying this beautiful weekend.  I would love to have a few more, but will take what I can get.

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy

Workshop Array

Because I am scheduling this post to go live tomorrow morning, it is ok to show it to you.  I will be in my workshop having fun, showing, playing, selling, and whatever else you do in workshops.  My hostess asked me to do a couple of things, and one of them was to show her friends how to use one stamp set to do  more than one thing.  I think I told you about this the other day.  I used the Scentsational Season stamp set, along with the coordinating framelits.  I went one step farther and used one pack of designer paper -- Be of Good Cheer -- and still have a whole lot left over.  Then I set out to make a bunch of stuff.  Of course, I also threw in there a couple of dies and a little embossing-- all for the purpose of showingwhat great things you can do with SU product.  Here is what I came up with.

I'll zero in on the individual things over the next couple days.  I was also working on a scrapbook page, but just didn't get it done.  I still hope to finish it over the next couple of days, just not in time for the workshop. I did a couple of cards, and 2 of them I showed a simple version and then a stepped up version.  I also wrapped some candy, decorated a candle, decorated pens, made tags, gift cards and even decorated a couple candy canes.  The canes are already inserted into the individual packs I have for each lady.  I hope they like all the samples and get really enthusiastic over the stamp set, I know I am.  Oops, I notice a stepped card sample that snuck into this picture, but was not part of the stamp set.

She also asked me to do a couple of other things, which I will show another time.  I should have lots of stuff to show you over the next few days, so come back for a visit.

Until next time.......................

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy

Coloring Down The Lines -- Bashful Blue

Happy Wednesday!  Did you vote yesterday?  Did your candidate win?  Since I am scheduling this post on Tuesday I don't know yet who is the winner. 

It's another Wednesday blog hop with our handy dandy Color Coach.  You should have arrived from Joni's blogsite.  Joni is a new and very welcome addition to our challenges.  I know you'll love what she has to show us.

This week we were challenged to use Bashful Blue with Rose Red and Wild Wasabi or Bashful Blue with Chocolate Chip and Certainly Celery.  This one was tough for me.  I am not a fan of Bashful Blue, and I started with the Celery and Choc Chip.  Could not come up with any ideas.  Then I took a look at the Rose and Wasabi and thought Christmas.  Ha! Christmas!  And this is how I ended.  I've been wanting to use this sparkly snowflake, so by using the Rose and Celery it has a Chrismas feel, don't you think?  Well I ended up liking it, hope you do too. 

Here is the inside.  I think since it is Christmas I'll be doing more printed sentiment and less hand-written notes.  This sentiment struck my fancy and the little greenery from Christmas Lodge finishes off the inside.








Now you need to hop over to Teri's blogsite.  Teri has been wowing us with some really super creations, and I know she has something super cool today.  Does "cool" date me?  Well, perhaps I should use the more current "awesome."  Either way, go take a look at Teri's super entry.

Until next time....................

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy

Fall Cuts

Did you vote yet today?  If not, you better get out there and make your vote count.  It is the most important thing you can do today.

I have another fall card for you.  There is very little stamping on this one.  I used the Autumn Accents Bigz Die to cut leaves from Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso and Orchard Harvest DSP I really like the die.  It makes cutting all those leaves easy as pie.  I made the acorns sparkle a little with the Vanilla spritz, but you can't see it from this picture.  The veins on the leaves were made with Simply Scored. 

I don't have many more fall cards, but every once in a while I get tired of what I am working on -- which is Christmas right now -- and I have to turn to something different.  This is something very different from the red, green and glimmer paper of the Christmas cards I'm working on.  You'll be seeing a bunch of that stuff soon.

Here is the inside of my card.  I used French Foliage leaves for the inside.  That leaf set is my very favorite fall set.  I used it a lot this fall.










I hope you like my card today.  Be sure to come back tomorrow for our Coloring Down the Lines blog hop.  You'll enjoy the creations the group has made for tomorrow.

Until next time........................

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy

Lovely Christmas

Lovely As A Tree has to be the all time best "go to" Stampin'Up! stamp set.  Every new customer just has to have that set.  I certainly hope SU never ever retires the set.  This card is very simple, yet has a lot of detail.  I masked an oval then stamped a background stamp.  Then I used the alternate mask and stamped the row of trees and a word stamp within the oval and did a little sponging.  Lastly I stamped the single tree in the foreground and the sentiment.  After that it is just a matter of mounting it.

I hope you like my Christmas card.  There will be mainy more to follow, I am sure.  I am just getting started with Christmas designs.

Quick post today.  I hope everyone has a great week.  Be sure to come back soon, and especially, don't forget the Wednesday blog hop with the color challenge.

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy

Fall Birthday

My card today was designed by my good friend and upline, Buffy Cooper.  She makes some awesome creations.  This one was for a techniques class and the objective was to use our acrylic blocks to transfer ink to paper.  We applied color to a block with a marker, spritzed with water and then stamped on paper.  I did mine just a little different in that I streaked more and left some white areas, but the end result was pretty much the same.  I have done some similar cards by dropping ink on a silicone craft sheet and "smooshing" it around.  This technique is a bit more controlled, and I like it a lot (thanks a bunch, Buffy). 

Well I hope everyone survived Hurricane Sandy without too much damage, and a minimum of frustration.  We were spared.  I think the mountain we live on protected us from some of the wind.  We had some, but not enough to take down any trees, and there was little or no damage in our neighborhood.  We live in the woods, and we were pleasantly surprised that all the leaves came down but none of the trees, and the power stayed on.  So now I have to empty my bathtub full of water, empty all the bottles of water, use up the 3 pitchers of coffee we prepared (to heat over a Bunsen Burner) and put away all the candles and flashlights -- but no complaints, we were spared.

 However, we did get a lot, A LOT, of water.  This is a picture of the low water bridge we use to get over the river to our house -- the only way in and out of our community.  This is the water beginning to cover the bridge.

This is what happens when it really floods.  This was taken Tuesday morning from our side of the river.  See the cars on the other side..............

...............this is how we get to those cars on the other side so that we can get in and out of our neighborhood until the river recedes.  Still no complaints, we were spared.









I hope you liked my card today, and hope you enjoyed my little trip to our wonderful river. 

Until next time.........................

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy