It’s a tough job, so Mom has to do it! When the kids were little, I used to wait until they went to bed, then decorate the tree. I’d turn it on in the morning before they got up and told them the Christmas Fairies had done it! Now, if I ever make noise about doing a theme tree, and not bringing out the old ornaments, I am roundly scolded. Some ornaments are from crafts the kids did at Sunday School or Scouts, some we did together, but the whole thing is like a calendar of our lives.
I am going to go soak up the sweetness!
Happiest of Holidays to one and all!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I’m thankful for my cardmaker’s club and this card was designed by my friend Diane Haman (and Stampin’ Up demo) who facilitates that club for us every month.
I love the easel card design. Start with an 8″ by 4″ base strip. Score at 2 and 4″. The tree motif is stamped on a 4X4″ square. Fold the “easel” and mount the picture, making sure to put adhesive on the easel portion only. A little button is used as the “stop”, mounted at the 2X2″ mark. It folds up nicely into a 4 1/4 X 5 1/2″ envelope. We also laid a scrap of designer paper on the “floor” of the card for contrast and embellished with the mounted phrase. I can imagine all sorts of ingenious ways to run with this card design!
There is something very therapeutic about sitting down with a few simple sheets of paper (…as well as some cord, adhesive, Cuttlebug, Nestabilities, ink, stamps and punches) and creating a Christmas card.
I was so tickled to find the Basic Grey “Eskimo Kisses” paper with the little Christmas ornaments. It matches the Stampin’ Up “Delightful Decorations” set perfectly. I tried to echo the little sky blue ornament in the paper. The ornament is mounted inside the card, and is visible thanks to the Nestabilities cut out on the front. The designer paper background is only a swatch behind the ornament, leaving room on the inside right for the sentiment.
Today I got my holiday mojo on, and came up with a couple cute ones.
These wonderful holly leaves are part of a brand new acrylic stamp set from Waltzingmouse Stamps - a homegrown stamp company in Ireland! I sponged the leaves a little for more depth. There are so many irresistible stamps in this “blanket stitched” set, watch for more cards soon!
Same set, but a simpler design that would be possible to mass produce for Christmas. On this card, I tried an ivory color for the background - the top card was a banana tone. I think I like the warmer color myself.
All the best!
Lynne
As the chill of Fall sets in, I’ve decided to post a couple shots of our lovely summer. This is Hosmer Lake - one of the best canoeing/kayaking destinations in Central Oregon. We discovered it this September and had the best paddle ever. Follow the winding channels through the reeds, and you will end up at a waterfall where the Little Deschutes River feeds into the lake. It’s only catch and release fly fishing, so the trout are abundant and swim fearlessly along with you. That’s Mount Bachelor in the background.
On the same trip, my canoeing buddies Jim and Brody had a nice dip in nearby, and very chilly, Devil’s Lake.
My apologies for the long absence! Let’s call it a creative slump! I’m back, now and have a couple autumnal projects to share.
The little pillow box was punched with a Sizzix die. I created my own designer paper card stock by stamping, scanning and repeating the pattern in a graphics program - then printing. It has two mini chocolates inside, of course!
The Basic Grey designer paper was so luscious, I decided it should occupy a large section of the Thanksgiving card. The chocolate, raspberry, rust and orange combination was something I would have never thought of on my own.
Here’s to the continuation of inspiration and more to come!
~Lynne
It’s been reaching 90+ degrees outside, which wilts me pretty quickly! Maybe thoughts of Christmas, and what I will be making to sell at the church bazaar will take my mind off the heat. The fabric-backed decoupage cookie plates are always a hot item, and there are some nifty little papercrafts that I’m sure will sell. When I have an assortment, I’ll post a photo.
Along those lines, I always think I have my Christmas card design all figured out, but at the last minute, I’m inspired by another card design and usually completely switch. It’s quite frustrating, actually. . . but I’m usually more satisfied with the end result regardless. The photo is my card from Christmas 2008. (My apologies for the blurry image!)
As far as cards go, I’ve been working on the watercolor rose technique that was all the rage this spring. I’m loving it! Photos soon!
All the Best!
One of the charms of canoeing is that one can explore the little nooks and crannies of the shore line. This view is on Timothy Lake, Oregon…while the water was fairly calm. A stout breeze whipped up a few minutes later, however, and my husband and I could barely make headway - the canoe hull slapping in the swells. After we strenuously paddled for about 25 minutes, trying to get back to our launch, the winds died down once more and we decided we could stay out on the lake. We were rewarded with a nice view of Mount Hood. We hardly expected an event like that on an 84 degree and sunny day!
We don’t know the kayakers here, but they made for a nice scene.
Greetings!
Here’s the card I promised - created with the colors of my foxglove flowers! This stamping technique creates an atmospheric effect. Simply stamp the images three times without re-inking. It’s that simple! Some call it “stamping off.”
I had fun mixing and matching the different designer papers. It was too dark to photograph this, so I scanned it. It kind of flattens it, but oh well!
Stamps from Stampin’ Up
Designer papers were in my scraps! I can’t remember who made them. Sorry!
All the best!
Lynne
It’s been a bleak week for papercrafting time. I took some bereavement time at work and hubby and I headed 6 hours away to my Father-In-Law’s to help him sort things out after his wife’s passing. It was a lot of work, but the time there was productive, and I managed to come back with a few little crafting supplies, including some really great tins and buttons - which were going to be discarded!
Dear husband came back with something, too. . . his Dad’s truck! We bought it from him since he’s no longer able to drive. Our 1987 Suburban is slowly fading and isn’t worth the repairs anymore, so this was a much needed aquisition.
With all the big time family issues preoccupying me - I am craving my crafting time and am determined that this weekend, some new cards/gifts will spring forth!
All the Best!
Lynne
