Christmas Cards

Just had a hard time getting started this year (1916) for Christmas cards. I think it was because I really wanted to be able to paint the cards, not stamp them. It is my wish next year to try to paint a few, while stamping most of them.

My final cards....

While I have enjoyed the blog and keeping track of my cards... I'm settling into Instagram... easier to just take pictures for myself. 

I think this will be my last post... but then again... everything is tenative!

December Birthdays

The youngest member of the family turns two years old on December 16th! Little Rae... so hard to believe!

Well... I forgot to take a picture of the "Elmo" card that I made for her and asked her mom to take one for me... So she did! She also had Campbell, 7 years old, take a video of the opening of the card- I won't post that one! It was hysterical and apt to make you sea sick...

Here's the card...

I took the pattern from Pinterest knowing that Elmo is Rae's very favorite character! Elmo turns and spins all the way around the card! Rae Rae loved it... so her mom says. 

I know the love Elmo doesn't last long... so thought I'd jump on it for my last birthday 2 year old grand baby! So cute...


Back to Christmas designs...

Happy Thanksgiving

All of our three children and their families will not be able to get to Vermont for the Thanksgiving holiday, only the two closest to Boston. After the amount of snow we're getting today, the kids will LOVE the sliding for sure! How do we keep the snow for the holiday??

Anyway,  I made  card for our daughter, Jessica and her family in PA that won't get here. As I was working on it, I thought of several other people that I should also send cards to if I get to make them.

Here's my card for Jessica:

If you've been looking at Pinterest lately, you'll probably recognize where I got the idea- from Susie B. at Splitcoaststampers.com. although I added the PTI Gobble Gobble turkey...

The card is 5"x7" which means that I also made an envelope to go with it. It is made on PTI kraft paper. I loved the three scoring lines on the front, marking the turkey's spot and the word - grateful. I think when I made another one I might try making score lines for each of the words. Maybe also embossing the 'so very" in white on one of the lines?

The words are die-cuts and "blessed" is attached with foam adhesive to make it stand out. I also die cut a heart in red with "So Very" handwritten in white gel pen to add to the greeting. A little clear Wink of Stella on the turkey... which was also done in kraft and stamped in brown, then sponged with Distress spiced marmalade. The turkey body is attached with foam to stand out from the tail feathers.

We'll definitely miss Jessica and her family ... I know they'll enjoy a few days in their new house without having to make the four hour drive! Happy Thanksgiving!

November Birthdays

Avery Neal turned six years old on November 6 and Emma Rose is 11 years old today!  Trolling Pinterest gave me the ideas for both of these cards.

Here's my card for Avery... She has always loved Flash, superhero! That's who she was last year for Halloween...

I made this a shaker card... with Boston as the city because they live so close to it. Lots of fun putting it together, although it was also time consuming. Avery is such a little spark plug, I think she enjoyed it...

I used the dress up doll as Flash with blonde hair just like Ave! Each heart is a scratch off secret message, "Love you" "happy, happy birthday" and "six years old!"

Next is sweet Emma Rose who turned 11 today! I sent her card to her new house in PA... hope she gets it on time!

Kind of difficult to get a good picture of this one... because it's the Z-fold card. Emma is really into crafting and origami so I knew she's love to figure this one out...

Using PTI's new pile of presents stamp and die, as well as Give a Hand ... Make a Wish... and Red, White and Blue, I put this one together. There are 11 candles bordering the outside panel with the presents on the front fold.

Taking a picture from above allowed me to show the detail that you don't see when the card is folded. I used the star burst die in gold glitter paper with a popper under it to shake as the card opens with "Happy Birthday" die on top. The fireworks are on the other side in gold embossing... it's these details that I think Emma will love!

I didn't get a good shot of the card closed though... I hope it traveled through the mail ok!  Happy birthday Emma Rose!

More Birthdays!

Hard to believe that Campbell is seven years old... she is quite a young lady!

Of course I am out of the pattern of card making and forgot to take a picture before I mailed it! The card was very similar to Lyla's card in June... Superheroes!

While at Helping Hand on Thursday night I discovered Ellen had a birthday in October... and this is the card I made for her...

Using PTI Pumpkins I used the dies and the stamps to create these cute little pumpkins! Splitting the kraft paper and attaching with fun foam, gave a great depth to the card...

Using the new leaf dies were a great addition to the pumpkins! Will definitely use them again..

Happy birthday Campbell Grace and Ellen!

September Birthdays

Without doing any anniversary cards this year, I moved on to September birthdays. My brother Jerry, had a birthday on September 3. The seasonal changes that come in September always bring to mind the changing leaves and Nature showing all her colors!

For Jerry I used a pattern that I had done in the past with PTI Oak tree.  John's sister Nancy had a birthday on September 7th. I sent her another card that I had on hand with PTI's sunflower plate.

My sister Judy has a birthday on September 22nd. This is a picture of me, Jerry and Judy when we were kids. Love the shot of him sneaking in and photo bombing in the 50s! Boy we sure were cute!

My card for Judy was a PTI Botanical Block watercolor. I of course, forget to take the picture!

I will always think of Mom on September 24th, this year is no different! Sometimes missing her is such an ache...

SAF: Farewell

After two days of inspirational activities, videos and just plain fun, I made 17 cards! I learned about artists, masterpieces, and new techniques to bring to card making. Definitely got my mojo back!

Thanks so much to everyone at PTI for the hard work putting this all together! It was more than just card making, I really could not wait to get to the next activity. The organization was just incredible and I know I will watch these videos again. I love how you took each project lesson and gave background as well as a new lens to look at each masterpiece. Great teaching!

Here's a picture of me with all seventeen (yes- seventeen!) cards that I made!

Now I am thinking ahead to some new inks... Maybe in time for next year's Stamp A Faire???