December Tag - Tim Holtz 12 Tags of 2013

Hi, guys! Hope all is well.  This is the last month of 2013, and so I am sharing the last of my tags for the Tim Holtz 12 Tags of 2013.  While I was making my tag, I made an extra poinsettia to use for packaging.  My sister loves scratch-lottery tickets and gift cards, so I decided to make a small envelope using some of Tim's vintage Christmas paper that I love.  I then attached the poinsettia to it to make it extra special.

I am often asked what I do with all the tags I make.  Well, this December tag was used to give a bottle of wine as a gift.  I feel it gives the gift a personal touch.

If you would like the details of how these tags are made, I would highly recommend you pay Tim Holtz a visit at his blog as he takes you step by step and encourages you to put your own spin on them. 

I am looking forward to seeing what Tim comes up with in 2014, as I am sure it will be fun creating along with him, and, more importantly, learning some new things.

Off to get my fingers inky!

Until next time!

Beef: It's What's for (Christmas) Dinner

Hi, guys! Hope you had a lovely Christmas if you observe it.  My hubby and I had a very nice one, spending time with various family and friends. I was a very busy beaver cooking the dinner for Christmas day, and then spent the evening with my sister's family and even spent a few hours with my friend Ruth and her husband.

Dinner was prime rib and whiskey cream sauce.  The whiskey cream sauce was made with The Pioneer Woman's recipe.  It is so delicious and very simple to prepare.  After making it a few times, I knew I had to double the recipe to have enough to go with the leftover meat.

One fun thing we did over the holiday was grow an Amaryllis plant.  This is something I love to do each season, but it was new for my hubby.  We planted the bulb on Thanksgiving day and it bloomed fully by Christmas.  What always amazes me is the rate of speed at which this plant grows.

The blooms were magnificent.  I am already looking forward to next year when I pick another bulb to plant.

This Christmas I was very busy with work (lots of overtime) and didn't get much free time.  This week, however, I am off on vacation and will find some time to relax and find time to create cards and other fun crafty things.

Thanks for the visit today!  Until next time!

Santa Squared

Hi, guys! I have tons of holiday and Christmas stamps, and Santa images are among my favorites.  I thought I would share a pair of Santa cards I made for the season.

The first one up features a Santa by Stampers Anonymous (Tim Holtz). Love the old-timey look and the full face.  I paired this card up with a funny sentiment by Ranger (Dylusions).

The second card features another fun Santa by Rubber Stampede. His eyes have the twinkle I love for a good Santa image.

Hope you are enjoying the days leading up to the big day!  I am still wrapping and shopping, believe it or not.  Hoping to finish up everything tomorrow so I can sit back and enjoy some holiday fun with my family.

Until next time!

Hormel Chili Christmas

Hi, guys! Today I was home under the weather and am catching up on some rest.  I had plenty of tea and soup and started my gift wrapping for Christmas.  This has been a long week as I had to work overtime a few nights and had a couple of Christmas get-togethers with my girlfriends.  All this holiday fun had me doing a lot of reminiscing.

This past weekend we observed the 7th anniversary of my late husband's passing.  It brought to mind a funny memory of when we were dating.  I used to live in the city and lived next door to a Mobil gas station.  Since I was living alone I would often run there and pick up some snacks and a can of Hormel chili for dinner when I was being lazy.  I recall Charlie calling and asking what I was having for dinner and the answer was "Hormel" a few nights a week.  One Christmas he came over to my apartment where my family was assembled and gave me a giant gift box.  Everyone wondered what he gave me.  Inside were a dozen cans of Hormel chili in all the possible varieties.  So funny to remember these little things. I can't remember the last time I have eaten that now.  Charlie would send me bacon in the mail, or leave me a pork chop on my doorknob on his way to work.  Some guys say it with flowers, he said it with food.

Today's cards are a pair of Christmas cards I made for friends. This first one was plain and simple but I loved really showcasing a piece of paper as the focal image.  The bingo chip is by Tim Holtz.

This next one I made using a Lawn Fawn set stamped on watercolor paper and colored with Distress Markers and water. The sentiment is by Memory Box.

Thanks for the visit today, and for coming along with me while I remembered a Christmas past!

Until next time!

WYOWW #237 - Warm Winter Wishes (Envelope Cards)

Hi, guys! Hope all is well!  Today is Wednesday so I am sharing what is on my work desk with you.  I have been making envelope cards with hot cocoa or Starbucks coffee packets for some friends.

Here is a close-up of one of them:

The stamps I used for these cards are by Scrappy Happiness.  I thought they would be perfect to use for  these hot drink cards.

Thank you to Julia for this desk-hopping fun! I look forward to seeing what you are all working on today!

Until next time!

School's Out For Christmas

Hi, guys! Hope all is well!  Christmas cards are pouring out of my stamp room.  Here are a batch of cards I made for more teachers!  I pulled out my Stampers Anonymous Blueprint stamp set for these.  Since these cards had to be personalized I find they make it easy to line up the names along the side or bottom of the images.

Last, but not least, I decided to use this fun Peanuts stamp by Stampabilities.  "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is one of my favorite movies of the season, so I had to pick this stamp up when I saw it.

The two little ones bringing these cards to their teachers can be happy that each card was "different" in some way by switching the colors/images and paper choices.

I am finally done with all my requested cards, so today (while we are having a snow storm), I plan to begin making my own for family and friends.  I can't wait to break out a tea pot and Christmas music and get started!

Enjoy your weekend whatever you decide to do!

WOYWW #236 - Christmas Cards for Teachers Underway

Hi guys! Today is Wednesday, so I am sharing what is on my work desk with you!  Today you will see  I am working on a bunch of Christmas cards.  I was asked to make a bunch of Christmas cards for school teachers for a co-worker to give from her kids.  She needed 6 cards for 2 kids! Times sure changed from when I went to grammar school and had one teacher!  She asked that I put the name of each teacher on the cards to personalize them.

My FAVORITE tool I think that I use each and every time I make cards is my EK Success adhesive eraser. It works like a charm and I love the pointed end as it gets into corners so easily. Sad thing is, I can't find any more like this!

Here is a close up of some new stamps I will also be using this week.  I think they will be perfect for cards that I will be making for family and friends.

Thank you for Julia for this desk-hopping fun!  I look forward to seeing what you are all working on this week!  Off to get my fingers inky all over again!

Another Round of Christmas Cards

Hi, guys! I have been busy in my stamp studio making a bunch of Christmas cards.  I thought I would share a few with you today.

This first one was fun to make as I am very big on puns.  Gina K Designs had this adorable sheep set that I feel in love with so I knew I had to use it.  The set has a bunch of different sheep to use and I thought the santa hat one was adorable for this and stamped it 3 times.

My husband has been paying attention to me and my crafty ways.  We took a cake to his aunt's the other day and he rescued the baker's twine from being tossed away. When we got home he handed it to me and so I had to use it on a card today.

The next one I used a present stamp from Stampers Anonymous and decided to make the background look like a present as well.

Here is a shot of the inside.  I used a stamp from the December Simon Says Stamp Card kit.  To make the battery look like a "copper top" one, I used metallic Distress Paint.

Thanks for visiting with me today! It always makes my day to hear from you.  Until next time!

My Love Of My $19.99 Woolworth Christmas Tree

Hi, guys! Hope all is well!  This weekend has been filled with holiday cheer.  My husband performed his holiday plays which were fabulous.  I spent today making a bunch of Christmas cards!  I have to start mine tomorrow.

Speaking of Christmas, my husband and I have our tree up and decorated!  The tree is the first and only tree I ever purchased.  I was 21 and got my first apartment (26 years ago!) and I needed a tree.  My boyfriend took me to Woolworth's (sure wish it was still in business today) and we picked this tree out. The cost was perfect ($19.99) and the size perfect for a small apartment.  If I can close my eyes, I can remember us dragging it up to my third floor walk-up apartment.  Back then I had no ornaments, and my kid sister gave me a bunch from the dollar store, and some from McDonald's where she was working.  Now, after all these years I have so many ornaments so the tree is too small. I have been switching up the ornaments so that I can keep using this tree.

My sister still checks all these years later to see if her dollar store ornaments still have a place on my tree and of course, they do!  It is funny how this tree means so much to me.  It also amazes me how good the condition is for such an inexpensive tree.  I have been thinking of getting a new one and each year I shelve the idea.  Gosh, I miss Woolworth's!

Did I mention we decorate the tree while having mulled wine?  We learned about this on our honeymoon.  You place a bottle of mulled wine in a crockpot filled with water (open bottle and place cork back in  the bottle) and let the bottle heat.  It is a great way to keep wine warm while you are trimming your tree, or relaxing with a book, etc.

Hope you are enjoying the holiday season!  Until next time!

Christmas Card Making Underway

Hi, guys! Today I will begin sharing some of the Christmas cards I have been working on lately.  This weekend I completed a dozen Christmas cards for my friend and co-worker to give.

First up is this adorable gnome card.  I was lucky enough to win this set last year after the holiday season, so it was great to use it this holiday.

Supplies:
Stamps: Simon Says Stamp
Paper: Paper from December Simon Says Stamp Card kit.
Ink: Memento Black, Stampin' Up
Misc.: Wink of Stella

This next card was the first card I made using the stamps and papers from the Simon Says Stamp December Card kit.  The sentiment is bold and I white heat embossed it to make it even more dramatic.

Supplies:
Stamps: Simon Says Stamp
Paper: Simon Says Stamp December Card kit
Ink: Versamark
Misc.: Martha Stewart Snowflake punch, Pearls, White Embossing Powder

These were a fun way to kick off my holiday card making.  I hope to share some more with you soon!

Until next time!

WOYWW #235 - From Christmas Cards to Sympathy Card

Hi, guys! Hope all is well in your neck of the woods!  Since today is Wednesday, that means I am sharing what is on my work desk with you.  Thank you to Julia for this desk-hopping fun!

My desk this week is very disjointed. This weekend I was in full Christmas card making mode and you will see I had to stop and push the stuff aside to begin a sympathy card for my husband's co-worker who lost her parent.   I am currently working to finish it for tomorrow for him to take to the office.  From happy card making to sad.  But I know they are important and bring some sense of comfort.

This weekend I was able to finish a dozen Christmas cards for a co-worker.  I hope to share them throughout the week.  They were a hoot to make and he was so excited to receive them today!

I hope to visit with a bunch of you today and see what you are up to.  Thanks for visiting!