Simon helped me "do up" the Season!

Hello, Bloggers!

Gift Tag

Close-Up "Go, Giants!"

Now that I know the packages have been opened, I can share with you some of the gifts that I made for some dear friends.

Simon, from Simon Says Stamp, was a big help with my Boston-Terrier loving friends. I used the "Boston Terrier Love" set for this set of 4 note cards (with matching tag) and had such a blast with all the outfits!

I even made one wearing a San Francisco 49er jersey and one wearing a San Francisco Giants uniform for San Francisco sports fans!

49ers 4ever!

I am having trouble moving my photos into the correct places this morning (must be that nasty Elf on the Shelf!), so I am sorry about the formatting.

Cheers!

Good morning, bloggin' buddies!

I sure hope you had a wonderful Christmas! Ours certainly was - filled with love, laughter, great food, happy times and some nice quiet times. Lots of Christmas crafting, too!

It has been ages since I played along with Kim and the gang at Paper Smooches and boy, have I missed it! So, I thought I'd do the current Paper Smooches SPARKS challenge, "Anything Goes" to get myself motivated.

Thinking ahead to the New Year, here is a cute little card I made using lots of great Paper Smooches products: Chubby Chums (don't ya just want to hug him?), Chums Dies, Noggin Toppers, Free Spirits Icons and Birthday Words.

I inlaid the "cheers" that I cut from DCWV glitter paper, made some confetti, used an ek sucess punch for the stars and added some googley eyes (which just seemed so appropriate for a night of partying!). The "bubbly" is some DCM metallic thread.

Too darn cute. This party animal may just have to stay and party with me forever!

Check out these cool products and fun challenge - the blog is so full of amazing inspiration! Thanks for the visit,

Dancing Santas

Hello, dear blogging buddies!

You all know how hubby and I love to ZUMBA, right? We go to classes several times a week and get our hearts and spirits going.

When I saw this stamp set in the Stampin' Up Catalog, I just had to get it. The images are super-cute. What a total kick!

I made these cards for our ZUMBA teachers, for a couple of our ZUMBA class pals and for my silly brother.

There are several different dancing Santas in the set. I picked three of them and stamped them in a dancing group using the masking technique. After I colored them with Copics I attached them to some wood-grain textured card stock with a "wobbler" to give them some real dancin' action.

The sentiment on the front is using a "chalkboard" technique and the paper is some from my stash - can one have too much holiday paper?

We are enjoying the holiday festivities. Last night we went by bus to a nearby town for a "Cornish Christmas" event - very charming with lots of great music, unique vendors, decorations and yummy food. A little rain, but that didn't dampen our spirits.

Our house looks adorable - I wasn't sure how well our Christmas decorations would look in the new house, but they are great! We have more plans for fun with family and friends - it just doesn't get much better!

I sure hope your pre-holiday days are full of love and joy! Thanks for the visit,

Snowflake

Hello, dear bloggin' buddies!

This year it seems that snowflakes are very popular because of the movie "Frozen" (which I haven't seen). I have always loved snowflakes - but not the real ones! We moved from Pennsylvania when I was a child, and I have not been interested in real snowflakes since!

This is probably my favorite card of the season! I love the soft colors and the unique tri-fold design, the delicate texture (I had to buy this embossing folder) and just the right touch of sparkle.

I made it in my card-making class right here where we live. Yep, that is the one taught by my new friend, the amazing Dottie. She is so talented, patient and kind. She is also a Stampin' Up demonstrator, so check out her site. All products used here are Stampin' Up.

I sent this card to a special card-making friend (check out her blog, Escape to Stamping) I met right here online and she has received it, so I can post it now.

Thanks for the visit and I hope you have a wonderful day as the Christmas countdown continues.

Ellen's 12 Tags with a Feminine Twist

HI, bloggin' buddies!

I have been simply drooling over the amazing tags presented this year in Ellen Hutson's 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist. I finally had some time today - just under the gun - to give it a shot. It was so difficult to decide which tag to use as my inspiration - they are all so incredible!

I settled on tag #11 by Sharon Harnist. There are so many amazing techniques on this tag. I did my own take on the tag using some of them - specifically, layering the laurel wreath with rolled up glue dots and die-cutting corregated cardstock (never thought of either of these!) - and using the supplies I had on hand.

I didn't have gesso or Copic refillers, so I used Ranger's paint daubbers on watercolor paper. This resulted in an entirely different look, but I like it. To give it an extra feminine kick, I sprayed it with Perfect Pearls mist. To add to the home-spun feel, I used a tiny gingham checked paper in two places - on the grommet and behind the sentiment.

Of course, the dies and stamps are from the amazing Julie Elerbe - Essentials by Ellen (Cozy Christmas, Home & Hearth, Laurel Wreath)! Super-cool.

While I am typically not a "pink" person, I love this tag. Thanks to Ellen, Sharon and Julie! What great women! Thanks for the great inspiration.

Wishing you only the best and thanks for the visit,

Holiday Bracelet

Hello, blogging buddies!

As you may have seen (from previous posts and Facebook) I have been doing some beading lately.

I've taken a few classes from a great gal right here where we love and I have a few favorite designs for bracelets.

This style uses what are called tila beads, buggle beads, seed beads and sparkly crystals. I made this to wear with my holiday blazer. It is so twinkly!

Thanks for the visit and I hope you are enjoying the happy holiday preparations.

Golden Tree

Hi, blogging buddies!

Here is another Christmas card that I learned how to make a couple of years ago, but I put my own twist on it. This is a
Memory Box die. Such golden reflections and sparkle! Again, it is difficult to capture with the camera.

I used some Multi Medium Matte to tame the bow - a trick I learned from Emily Leiphart - check out her amazing blog: http://leiphartonart.blogspot.com/

This one is very elegant in person. I only have about 4 more cards to make.......but they are the ones I've been putting off.

I'm headed out for a walk but I'll return to my craft room to continue working.

Have a lovely day and thanks for the visit!

'Tis the Season!

Hello, bloggin' buddies!

I was so frustrated that all the blogs and websites I frequent were featuring Christmas cards even before we even had Thanksgiving......now, here I am getting in at the last minute!

I'll start with a bright and festive card that I actually learned to make at a marathon card making class in my old stompin' grounds (the San Francisco Bay area). I don't often use black on my holiday cards, but I like it in this instance. I modified my design slightly from that which was taught....always need to put a slight spin on things.

Hope you are enjoying the pre-holiday days. We are, but we are experiencing quite a storm today. At least we don't have to shovel it (sorry for our family and friends in the east and north). As long as our power stays on I plan to do some serious crafting this afternoon.

Take care, stay warm and dry and thanks for the visit!

Not Paper - Beads!

Dear blogging buddies:

I have been making jewelry since the 1960's (an old hippie gal, here!). I have recently gotten re-inspired by taking a few classes and learning new techniques, especially with using tiny "seed" beads for which I didn't believe I would ever have the patience.

I have been posting my work on Facebook, but I thought I'd share photos of a couple of my recent projects here. This is such a fun and rewarding hobby!

This one incorporates bugle, seed and tila beads along with some super-sparkly crystals in the center. This has an art nouveau look, don't ya think?

This one uses silver pyramid beads, along with seed beads and tiny purple crystals. This was difficult to capture with the camera because it is so reflective.

Thanks for the visit and for indulging my other creative outlets!

Have a great day. We are enjoying some much-needed rain!

The Big Day is Almost Here!

Dear friends,
Here it is, Thanksgiving Eve!

We are packing up our car and heading to our beloved Calistoga in the
beautiful Napa Valley. It is extra--beautiful in fall with the vineyards aflame with color. Can't wait! We will be connecting with loved ones, enjoying the warm and healing mineral water pools and relaxing. Oh, yes! There will be some delicious food, of course!

This is another of the Thanksgiving cards that I made this year and I think it is my favorite. I can't help but smile at this adorable turkey by Neat and Tangled - even the little dots are cute, don't ya think?

The tag die from Hero Arts (I shortened it a bit) and the sentiment is an old one from Crafty Secrets. I love this embossed wood grain card stock from Ellen Hutson - it is so rich! I die cut (Paper Smooches) the leaf from some wide cork ribbon that I got at Michaels and attached it with Tim Holtz's Tiny Attacher. The top is a strip that I made from several scraps of patterned paper.

Wishing you and your families a very blessed Thanksgiving. Thanks for the visit - stay safe and happy.

Another Thanksgiving Card!

Happy Tuesday bloggers!

This is one of the three designs I made for Thanksgiving cards this year. We send/deliver quite a number and I don't like mass-producing too many of one design.

 Actually, for the cards of this design that went to our neighbors (hand-delivered) I made this into a cute shaker card with an assortment of fall-colored beads and sequins behind the leaf. Very cute and fun! The weather wasn't cooperating then, so I couldn't take a photo of them.

This gold-embossed sentiment is an old one from Stampin Up that I got at a used stamp sale. The leaf die is also an old one, from Cuttlebug.

I am trying to remember to use embossing folders more often - I have a huge collection and they add so much, especially on a flat card. This one is from Sizzix.

Things are getting busy around here. I love seeing the families of the neighbors arriving with all of their goodies and love. We will be packing up our car tomorrow. What a joyous time of sharing!

Take care and thanks for the visit!

A Thanksgiving Card

Hello, friends!

It has been awhile since I have posted. Life happens and it is all good. We are so happy in our new home and our new community - so much to do and learn, great places to explore and everyone is so nice and friendly. Happy times.

I am sharing with you to day a card that we made in our card class here in Sun City Lincoln Hills. I have been taking the class for a couple of months now and I really enjoy it. Our teacher, Dottie, is a total doll and such an inspiration. She has so many tricks to teach even this old cardmaking dog.

This, as is everything in our class, is made with Stampin' Up products. I don't have much experience with them, but I love how all the products are color-coordinated. It takes lots of the guesswork out of designing.

Thanks for the visit. I imagine that all my US friends are busy getting ready for the holiday - my favorite of the entire year.

Take good care and enjoy!

Pinkish

Okay - Yes, I do have a 'thing" for flamingos.

My dear friend Kathleen gave me this adorable hand-painted martini glass (I don't have a 'thing" for  martinis, but now I may have to learn - ha!). It is super-cute.

Of course I had to make her a flamingo thank you card. I had fun with it. I used lots of different stamps including Hero Arts, Paper Smooches and Stamps By Impression. I am normally not a pinkish person, but I had fun going over-the-top with pink on this card.

I'm still trying to figure out photographing my cards at our new house. I can't find the perfect spot with natural light - sorry! I'm working on it.

I had a fun card class today taught by a wonderful teacher and with some talented and fun women.I hope to share some of what I've learned with you soon.



Thanks for the visit!

A Bit of Beading

I recently took several beading classes right here where we live. I have always made jewelery (since my hippie days in the 1960's), but I have not done much much beading with tiny seed beads (I am so impatient and these take time). I have loved what I've learned - I have a great teacher.

This is my most recent project, a bracelet made with pyramid beads, crystals and pearls. I wish I could capture the stunning sparkle, but it is difficult. I plan to make many more of these. I love the magnetic clasps that are now available - very strong and so easy to wear.

Thanks for stopping by - hope you are having a great week.

Stay happy and healthy,

Put out that fire!

Good morning and Happy Friday!

I have a dear friend who recently had a birthday and, at our age, we gotta laugh at (rather than celebrate) getting older.

I made this fun fun "Center Step" card to highlight one of my favorite Art Impression stamps (Fire Out Set - 437). I colored her with Copic markers and added Wink of Stella for some fun.

The candles are from an old favorite Hero Arts set and the sentiment is Paper Smooches.

Hope this brings a smile! Take care, thanks for the visit and keep craftin"!

A fun day!

Hello, friends!
 
Sunday was the day to which I had been looking forward - card classes at the Paper Garden Boutique in Sacramento by the amazing Julie Ebersole! And it was glorious. I knew there was a reason we moved here. I came home with a stack of beautiful cards, lots of new tricks, and (of course) having shared lots of those famous Julie giggles. A great day. I can't wait for March, when she will return.

I have photographed some of my most favorites, but I am still having difficulty getting good photos at our new home. If you want to see better pictures, go to Julie's blog.

Now, I did take some liberties (to make up for mistakes!) with some of the cards so they aren't all exactly as she designed. But there are really no mistakes in crafting - it's all good, right?

Take good care and thanks for the visit. I sure hope you are having a great week.

Happy Monday

Hello, dear friends!

I can't believe how time flies and how summer is slipping away. Darn it! But, life is good and I'm not going to complain as long as it keeps happening - ha!

As you have noticed, I am not spending as much time in the craft studio or at the computer these days. There is just so much to do here where we have moved - I am doing so much fun stuff.

September is going to be busy (including my classes in Sacramento with the amazing Julie Ebersole - YAY!) But, my heart is always here.

I am crazy about Neat and Tangled stamps. The images are so great and the beautifully-lettered sentiments are simply stunning.

Here is a card I made recently with two of their stamps. I used water color pencils and Perfect Pearl mist on the background. So much messy fun! Very shimmery in person (as am I!).

I'm off to my ZUMBA class! Have a great week and thanks for the visit.

It's a Love/Hate Relationship

I made this card (using an Art Impressions stamp) for my personal trainer, who is such a patient guy. And, he gets me!

Exercise is funny.

I really do hate it - I have always been pretty sedentary, starting from the fact that my first home was upstairs above my Dad's mortuary. No running around the yard or riding a bike in the driveway! I had to sit quietly and read or do crafts so as not to disturb the families downstairs.

I really do love it - I love how it makes me feel and how healthy it has gotten me. I will probably always be fat, but at my age it is all about developing and maintaining mobility and strength. And, boy, am I ever mobile (even with a fused ankle and lots of OA) and strong.

Anyway, I still have to talk myself into exercising. I use little tricks, like no card-making unless I workout, parking the car in the far regions of parking lots, etc. I works - sometimes!

I am blessed to live where I do. There is every kind of exercise option one can imagine. My current routine includes Zumba (my favorite!), Low Impact Aerobics, Water Aerobics, Lap Swimming, and Cardio and Weight Machines. And, of course, you all know how we love to play Bocce and ride our bikes!

So, I encourage you to get out and move - then make some cards! Thanks for the visit.

A Moxie Fab Smile

Hello, friends!

I hope you are having a great weekend. I decided to put together a camera card for the current Moxie Fab World Clicking Cameras Challenge.

I have always loved cameras and I did quite a bit of photography in college with many hours in the darkroom.

For this card I tried a technique that Jennifer McGuire demonstrated on her blog. I went kind of psychedelic using stamps from the Tim Holtz Travel Blueprints set from Stampers Anonymous and Inkadinkado's Camera set.

I made several layers, all of which glimmer with Perfect Pearls mist.
  
Thanks for the visit. Keep smilin'!