Christmas hugs to you

Hi everyone. I hope you've all made it through the rush of preparation and are ready for Christmas. I have just a bit of baking to do and I'm done.

This morning I checked the ways to use it challenge on SCS and it was to use backgrounds. Well, you may not know it, but I'm somewhat of a background junkie. I have lots and lots of background stamps. I will reach for a background stamp way more often than a piece of designer paper. I especially like the large ones that cover the size of a card. So even though I knew I had some baking to do, I wanted to play with my backgrounds.

I fiddled around with a few before I decided on the ones that I used on this card. I ended up using three different background stamps on top of each other. First I used creamy caramel ink on French Script (SU) and just finger walked to stamp it on vanilla cardstock. Then I inked up French Filigree (SU) with brocade blue and stamped over the first one. Then I inked Print Pattern (SU) with elegant eggplant, stamped off once and then stamped over the first two. Then I sponged chocolate chip ink on all the edges as well as dragging the sponge across the cardstock, completely changing the color. I layered this piece on vanilla and eggplant and a brocade blue card base.

The lacy trim is actually machine made bobbin lace, but is sold as crocheted ribbon.

I pulled out a new SU stamp set called Vintage Vogue (available Jan. 5), which I fell in love with the moment I first saw it. I stamped several of the large flowers in brocade blue and some of the small ones in elegant eggplant and cut them out. I sponged the edges of the petals with not quite navy. The large flower is three layers, with each of the petals rounded slightly with my fingers and then each layer is separated with foam tape. I cut a very narrow strip of eggplant cardstock and threaded it through the button in the center. The smaller flowers have half pearls in the center. The leaves are stamped in always artichoke and cut out.

For the sentiment piece, I used a Hero Arts stamp (eggplant on vanilla) and then die cut the layers in my big shot with Spellbinders dies (labels five and six). Each layer is sponged with not quite navy and popped up. I added a few more tiny pearls. I really like how this turned out.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I want to wish each of you a wonderful and blessed Christmas.

my Christmas card

Hi bloggers. I finally finished all my Christmas cards and have them mailed. I decided to go 'green' this year, so I used some brown paper bags on my cards.

The dove (Stampington & Co.) is embossed in white on brown paper bag and then die cut with Spellbinders Labels Nine. I used my white gel pen to do some faux stitching around the edge.

On the card base, which is a really rich cranberry color, but is showing up kinda funky in the photo, I stamped both flourishes from Priceless (SU) in white pigment ink & heated it to dry it.

The sentiment strip is also paper bag, stamped with Making Memories magnetic letters in black, with some faux stitching on the edges. The little bird is a Martha Stewart punch. All in all, a pretty easy card.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Be blessed.

the quilt is done!

Hi bloggers,

A few days ago I finished the quilt that I dug up before Thanksgiving, but only got around to taking a picture today. I know it's nicer to hand quilt, but I really just wanted to get this one done, so I just tied it with yarn. Enjoy the pics. Thanks for stopping by today.

oh, the busyness...

Hi everyone. Happy new week. Is your life as busy as mine feels? This week I have two classes, so lots of preparation. My Tuesday class will be my last one for that group. I've been teaching this class for four years! How time flies. I had no idea it was that long ago that I started teaching this wonderful group of ladies.

I've also been working on a quilt -- the one I 'found' that was all layered and waiting to be finished. I tied it with yarn and put on the binding. It feels really good to have one more UFO (unfinished object) completed. The only thing left is the label. As soon as I that's done, I'll show you the quilt.

The card I have for you today has a 2-fold purpose. I made it for yesterday's inspiration challenge on SCS and will also use it as one of the projects for Thursday's class. Here is the piece I used as my inspiration. I tried to get this card done yesterday, but it was one of those days where mojo was missing or hiding somewhere and I just couldn't get things to work together, so in frustration, I set it aside and sat down with a book instead. I guess sometimes you just need to sit and relax.

I decided to pull out my stamps again this morning and managed to pull this together - yay!

The flower (Fabulous Flowers - SU) is stamped in versamark on glossy white and embossed with clear ep. Then I brayered over it with rich razzleberry ink. I used a sponge to get the ink to fill in between the embossed petals of the flower. Then I thoroughly wiped it off with a tissue to bring out the embossed flower. Then I ran it through my cuttlebug in a labels four die (Spellbinders). I stamped Picotage (Cornish Heritage Farms) background on whisper white in perfect plum ink and ran it through my cuttlebug with the largest labels four die. I then sponged the edges with rich razzleberry. I glued the two labels together and lightly drew around the smaller one with a rich razzleberry marker. I added 6 punched holes (1/8") and added some ribbon.

For the card base, I stamped a phrase from Heard from the Heart (SU) in razzleberry on pale plum. Then I backed one edge with a scalloped punch piece of white and glued these to a razzleberry card base.

The main image piece is attached with dimensional foam tape.

Thank you so much for visiting today. Have a wonder-filled day.