Thank You Berry Much!

Now that Christmas is over, it's time to start thinking about the thank you cards! I like to get my four-year-old daughter involved in "writing" her own cards for the gifts she received. I tell her who the card is for, what gift they gave her, and ask her what she'd like to say to that person about that gift. Then I write it in the card, verbatim, and she actually signs her name herself. I think it's important to teach kids gratitude at a young age, and I want her cards to come from the heart, as they should. And here is just one of the cards I've made for her to send:

Isn't that little strawberry adorable? That's from the Green Thumb set from Papertrey Ink. I rummaged through all my sets to find some thank you sentiments and had forgotten all about this one! I love the pop of red against the Kraft cardstock. And, once again, my Nestabilities really did the trick for the main image. I used my oval classic and scallop dies for this one.

And did you see that top of the card? I had embossed the card using my Swiss Dots embossing folder and Cuttlebug, but somehow messed it up, ran it through again and un-embossed a strip at the top. Instead of throwing it out, I simply stamped my sentiment across the top to fill in the space. Works for me...

Stamps: Green Thumb (PTI)
Ink: Pure Poppy, Ripe Avocado and Dark Chocolate (PTI)
Cardstock: Kraft, Pure Poppy and SS White (PTI)
Tools: Cuttlebug (ProvoCraft), oval classic and scallop Nestabilities dies (Spellbinders), Swiss Dots embossing folder, Crop-a-Dile
Ribbon: Pure Poppy satin (PTI)
Other: eyelets

Winter Birthday

Whew, Christmas is barely over and now I have to think about birthday cards! Yes, in my circle of friends and family I have January birthdays coming right up (including mine!). That's why I'm glad I made this little card a while back.

I plan to give this to a friend who has a birthday in a few weeks. She's a coffee drinker, so I'm going to slip a Starbucks card inside. I just love these little scalloped cards! I make them using my Nestabilities dies from Spellbinders. They are super addicting. And I used my Warm Happiness stamp set from Papertrey Ink. I added a little tag to the handle of the mug using my tiny tags die for Cuttlebug and stamped it with a sentiment from my Mixed Messages set, also from Papertrey Ink. That set has to be the most versatile one I own! Finally, a few snowflakes add a touch of winter. Now I'm ready for a cup of coffee!

P.S. Make sure you come back to visit soon! I'm celebrating my birthday on January 2 with a gift for you! That's right...Blog Candy!

Stamps: Warm Happiness, Rustic Snowflakes (PTI)
Ink: Antique Linen (Ranger), Dark Chocolate and Ocean Tides (PTI)
Cardstock: Dark Chocolate, Kraft, Spring Moss, Vintage Cream, SS White (PTI)
Tools: Cuttlebug (ProvoCraft), tiny tags die for Cuttlebug (ProvoCraft), classic circle and scalloped circle Nestabilities dies (Spellbinders), snowflake punch (Martha Stewart Crafts)
Ribbon: white wired pom pom, swiss dot brown sheer, jute twine
Other: Stardust pen (Sakura)

Merry Christmas!

This is a super quick post today to wish you all a Merry Christmas! And to share the final two projects this month for Purple Onion Designs. I wanted to get these in before I go into Christmas overload!








I hope you are all enjoying your day with people who mean the most to you. I have "met" so many sweet people through my blog and want to thank you all for visiting and contacting me about my projects. You are the reason I keep doing this! Merry Christmas!

Vote For Me (Again!)

Okay, so for the second time this month I'm a finalist in a contest over at Tip Junkie! Last time I won second place for my Christmas card (thanks for your votes!), and this time it's my Christmas tree that's in the contest! So, click here to view the details and be sure to vote in the left hand column (my tree is called "Jennifer Unconventional.") Thanks for your support!

Snow Day

As I type this post, I'm looking outside and seeing a whole lot of snow! Here in the Pacific Northwest we just don't see much of the white stuff. Certainly not 10-12"...and that's about how much is on the ground right now! Needless to say, we are staying inside and keeping dry and warm. Lots of coffee, cocoa and snacks! And you know what? It's nice to slow things down during this time of year and enjoy life's simple pleasures. Enjoy your day!

Winter Wishes

I have to make this post quick tonight. I am absolutely exhausted - it's been a busy week! To add to the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, we have had a few days of very cold weather...and snow! That's not unusual for many of you this time of year, but for those of us who live in Washington State...we are definitely not use to it!

This little snowman snow globe is another project this month for Purple Onion Designs. I used my round and rectangle Nestabilities dies from Spellbinders to make both the globe and the base. I rounding the corners on the red base with a punch and adhered it to the round card. I paper pieced the snowman's scarf for a fun look. A few little pink buttons really finished him off! And speaking of finishing...I'm off to bed!

Stamps: Snowflake, Merriness, Snowman With Hangings (Purple Onion Designs)
Ink: Dark Chocolate (PTI), Ice Blue (ColorBox)
Cardstock: SS White and Pure Poppy (PTI)
Patterned Paper: Basic Grey
Tools: Cuttlebug (ProvoCraft), rectangle and circle Nestabilities dies (Spellbinders),
Other: Koh-I-Noor woodless colour pencils, blender pen (SU!), pink buttons, Diamond Stickles (Ranger)

Christmas Cookies

I attempted to make sugar cookies the other night. I say "attempted" because I started, then stopped the process. Why, you ask? Because I was eating too many of them! I have a ton of dough in the fridge and I'm afraid to go any further! I'm out of control! Which is why I decided to work on this project, instead:

This is a little cookie recipe book I made for Purple Onion Designs this month. I just love the Skinny Dip alphabet set I used for the title! It's been a long time since I've added an alphabet set to my collection, and I think this one will get a lot of use! It's very versatile and fun. I also used my new curved rectangle Nestabilities dies to make the book itself. I had to run my chipboard cover through the Cuttlebug a few times, but it did cut all the way through. My plan is to add my favorite cookie recipes to this book. I've started with this one, which is actually a "new to me" recipe that I found on the great Fancy Flours blog:

Isn't that gingerbread man cute? I love adding "icing" with my Liquid Pearls. Just like decorating the real thing...only I won't eat this one!



P.S. I won second place in the Tip Junkie Christmas Card contest! Thanks to all of you who voted for me (hi, Betty Lou!).















Stamps: Gingerbread Man, Snowflake, Skinny Dip Alphabet (Purple Onion Designs)
Ink: Sweet Blush and Dark Chocolate (PTI), Antique Linen (Ranger)
Cardstock: Kraft, SS White (PTI)
Patterned Paper: Creative Imaginations
Tools: Cuttlebug (ProvoCraft), curved rectangle Nestabilities dies (Spellbinders), Ribbon: white wired pom pom, Pure Poppy satin (PTI), brown sheer dot, white sheer dot, pink fiber, white eyelash
Other: Koh-I-Noor woodless colour pencils, Ruby Red, Pink Petals and White Liquid Pearls (Ranger), rolling pin and whisk stickers (Jolee’s), Stardust pen (Sakura), chipboard, binder ring, white and pink eyelets

Brrr...It's Cold!

Happy Saturday! The temperatures are droppin’ and my “to do” list is growin’! What a busy week I've had! I have a few things I wanted to make sure to share with you all today:

• First of all, thanks to all of you who voted for me on Tip Junkie! You still have one more day to vote (see the post, below, for more details)!
  
  
• And there’s still time to get in on the Holiday Stamp Sale at Purple Onion Designs. All stamps are 25% off until December 14! And the Gift Wrap Contest is still underway until then too, so make sure you check it out. Great prizes are at stake!
  
  
• I was recently contacted by Rip Squeak & Friends Gallery in San Diego, CA about using my snowman ornament during their recent weekend event called “Snowman Day.” I was featured in their newsletter as the creator of the ornament and my tutorial was included so that kids could take the instructions home to make more of their own! My little snowman has received a lot of attention! I put up a link in the upper left hand column of my blog so that people could find him easier. Thanks to all of you who have contact me about this project. I hope you have him hanging on your tree!
  

Okay, so this weekend I must get caught up on my list. I have shopping, decorating and baking left to do! I realize that some things will just have to go, but my cards must get done! This week I did manage to send out all of Christmas cards and I have one to share with you today.

I love the size of this card – 3 x 6 inches. It’s the perfect shape to use my long rectangle dies, and the perfect shape for this little snowman. I have had this stamp for forever, but I still love him. And adding some sparkle and “snow” with Stickles and Liquid Pearls was just the right touch.


So…what’s on your list this weekend? Baking? Shopping? Wrapping presents? Caroling? Shoveling snow?!?

Stamps: Inky Antics
Ink: Dark Chocolate (PTI)
Cardstock: Pure Poppy, Kraft, Ripe Avocado (PTI)
Patterned Paper: Collage Press
Tools: Cuttlebug (ProvoCraft), long classic and scallop rectangle Nestabilities dies (Spellbinders)
Other: Koh-I-Noor woodless colour pencils, White Liquid Pearls (Ranger), Diamond Stickles (Ranger), Stardust pen (Sakura)

Vote For Me!

And now...time for a shameless plug! I made it as a finalist in the Christmas Card contest over at Tip Junkie for this card! Check out this post to see all the finalists, and be sure to vote in the left hand column! And thanks for your support (insert thumbs up here!).

Boring No More!

This post is titled as such due to the fact that many of us give gift cards for the holidays. And giving one does not need to be boring! Case in point...

Now, wouldn't you like to receive this little purse gift card holder? It's cute on the outside, and there is good stuff just waitin' on the inside! I made this recently for the Design Team Gift Wrap Challenge for Purple Onion Designs. But I cannot take credit for the holder's design, that came from the talented Gina K. You can read her post here and there are even step-by-step instructions on how to make your own!

So, a few notes on my little holder. I decorated my purse by stamping a holly image all over Pure Poppy cardstock, using white pigment ink. On the flap, I added a strip of printed transparency, layered with a green velvet ribbon and strip of scalloped paper. I think this really contrasts nicely with the bottom portion of the purse. To keep the purse closed, I added a Velcro closure, just under the flap. My little gingerbread man is front and center, with a few dimensional accents giving him little red cheeks, frosted "squiggles" and black sparkly buttons.

The last finishing touch was to add the handle using white pom pom ribbon and a little tag. I can never resist adding a tag somewhere on my project! Make sure you check out the Purple Onion blog. Not only are there lots of good ideas from the Design Team, but Michele is having a little contest for the rest of you who come up with gift packaging ideas. And let's just say free stamps are involved!

Stamps: Gingerbread Man, Merriness, To & From (Purple Onion Designs)
Ink: Dark Chocolate and Pure Poppy (PTI), white pigment (Colorbox)
Cardstock: Pure Poppy, Kraft, Spring Moss and SS White (PTI)
Patterned Paper: printed acetate (transparency)
Tools: Cuttlebug (ProvoCraft), circle and scallop circle Nestabilities dies (Spellbinders), Threading Water punch (Fiskars), Tiny Tags die for Cuttlebug (ProvoCraft)
Ribbon: Pure Poppy satin (PTI), white eyelash, white wired pom pom, green satin trim
Other: Koh-I-Noor woodless colour pencils, Velcro fasteners, Ruby Red and White Liquid Pearls (Ranger), Black Stickles (Ranger)

Pretty Little Package

Happy Saturday! I hope everyone is having a great weekend! I had a very busy week of holiday festivities, including attending the tree lighting ceremony at our state's Capitol Friday evening. It was a very sweet event, with many small children in attendance. They had a children's choir there to sing holiday songs and it got me all choked up. I'm blaming it on hormones and work stress...lol!

I've been working on Christmas cards all day but haven't taken any photos, so I'm sharing this instead! It's a little pillow box I made last month for Purple Onion Designs. And before I forget, right now through December 14th Purple Onion is having their annual sale! All stamps are 25% off! And you have to check out some of the new stamps. This vintage snowflake set is gorgeous and is already on my list!

So back to this little box. I got the template here and printed it right onto my Kraft cardstock. Before cutting it out, I stamped snowflakes all over it using white acrylic paint. I used an old toothbrush dipped in paint to make the splatters, or "snow," all over the box. I made a belly band by layering scalloped cardstock and patterned paper. To finish it off, I added chocolate ribbon that I stamped using New Canvas Palette ink and a little gift tag cut using my Label 1 dies.

And now, what should go inside of this little package? I may fill it with some of these. Wouldn't this make a cute little gift for a teacher or co-worker? Although I've never tackled making candy, I think these caramels would be fun to make. I'll add it to my ever growing "to do" list this season...lol.

Stamps: Merriness, Snowflakes (Purple Onion Designs)
Ink: Dark Chocolate and New Canvas (PTI)
Cardstock: Dark Chocolate, Vintage Cream and Kraft (PTI)
Patterned Paper: Candy Cane (Melissa Frances)
Tools: Cuttlebug (ProvoCraft), Label 1 dies (Spellbinders), Threading Water punch (Fiskars)
Ribbon: wired chocolate brown
Other: white acrylic paint, Koh-I-Noor woodless colour pencils, brad

Psst...hey...yes, you!

Do you like free stuff? Who doesn't?!? And what about free stamps? Even better, right?!? Well, right now on Michele's blog you can win free calendar stamps from Purple Onion Designs. All you need to do is post a comment here. You have until Friday, December 5 at midnight to enter. For a look at the new calendar sets for 2009, just click here. Good luck!

A Little Tree

Well, here it is the third day of the month and I'm already behind on my December Daily album! How does this happen?!? Sigh. And while I still really haven't figured out my Christmas card design this year, I do have a few random cards that I've made over the past month or so. Here's one I did last month for Purple Onion Designs. I love this little tree. The last time I used it I received a comment from Kathleen who said, "I love that Christmas tree - I can hear the Charlie Brown crew singing "Christmas time is here..." Thanks for that." Kathleen, I love that song, too!

I used the label stamp from Purple Onion and cut it out for my main image. I love the label shape these days! I did very little coloring to the tree, opting to leave it simple and natural. The base of this card and ribbon are Ocean Tides from Papertrey Ink. It's such a pretty color, very different, but nice with the green and brown I used here. The background snowflakes are also from Purple Onion Designs. A bit of white ink around the edges gives it all a soft, snowy look.

Well, I am going to attempt to print out a few pics for my December Daily album before I go to bed, so I better sign off now! Good night!

Stamps: Merriness, Snowflake and Deluxe Labels (Purple Onion Designs)
Ink: Dark Chocolate (PTI), white pigment (ColorBox)
Cardstock: Dark Chocolate, Ripe Avocado, Kraft and Ocean Tides (PTI)
Tools: Cuttlebug (ProvoCraft), Swiss Dots embossing folder for Cuttlebug (ProvoCraft)
Ribbon: Ocean Tides (PTI)
Other: Koh-I-Noor woodless colour pencils, eyelets, foam mounting tape (3M)

I know it's only the first day of December, but already there is quite a bit of excitement at my house. For one thing, I managed to get my Christmas tree up and fully decorated this past weekend! Yippee! I love decorating my tree and this year I chose unconventional color choices of bronze, chocolate brown, gold and deep cranberry. I'm not a photographer (and Christmas trees are so hard to photograph) but I think you can get the idea.

As in year's past, after getting most of the tree decorated, I felt like I needed "something" to finish it off. This year it ended up being bronzey gold colored silk leaves and berries. I have to admit, they looked pretty tacky at the store, but once I got them home and placed in the tree, they looked gorgeous. It's so much prettier in person.

So, do you have your tree up? If so, do you stick to a theme or color palette, or do you mix it up? I take my tree decorating very seriously - so much so, I'm trying to convince my husband that we need a second tree! So far I'm losing the argument...but stay tuned!

On a totally unrelated note, I was recently featured on http://www.cardoftheweek.com/ for my holiday planners! You can read that post here. Thanks to all of you who comment on my blog. I really do appreciate that you take the time to say hello and share your thoughts.

P.S. I'm also excited to start day one of my December Daily Album. If you missed it the first time, you can read all about it and view my album here.