Happy December!

Wow. I can't believe it's December already. I really can't. In fact, I can't believe it's Wednesday already! I feel like Thanksgiving was just yesterday, but we're just blowing past it - so much so, that it's a big blur now. I must be getting old. ha! (I know I am, actually.)

I wanted to pop in and share a Christmas card I made. My poor little blog was neglected over the long weekend. I'm still trying to catch up around the house after being out of town for several days.

I love this little card I made with a classic favorite of mine by Avery Elle, Winter Wreath.

 

The kraft background panel is stamped with MFT Sketched Chevron Background stamp and die cut using Blueprints 13. After stamping the wreath, I die cut it using the Stitched Circle STAX. The berries are stamped in second generation MFT Blueberry ink and I then drew the little black dots on with a journaling pen. Pretty quick and simple one to make! And, I love the clean but rustic look.

 

I'm playing along with a few challenges for fun.

 

CAS on Sunday - "Christmas"   

 

 

AAA Cards -   

 

 

613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes  

 

 

That's all for me today! Short post - I've got to get back to work in my crafty space working on Christmas gift tags for teachers gifts for The Piglet's teachers. (FIVE teachers this year! Yikes!)

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit! Please do so again soon.

 

 

God Bless,

Mandy

 

 

 

Romans 8:31   NKJV  (New King James Version)

     "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

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More Holiday Fun

Happy Thanksgiving week. :)

I hope everyone is getting (at least some) rest and enjoying their holidays. I'm already give out and we haven't left our house yet. Yuck. I hope I'm not coming down with something. It's kind of felt like it today - I'm quite wiped out and have a low-grade fever. 'Tis the season!

My baking is done so I thought I'd share a couple of fun Christmas cards I've made. :)

I love this Neat & Tangled stamp set I picked up recently after pining over it for quite some time.

I die cut a piece of Lawn Fawn's Let's Bokeh paper with MFT Jumbo Stitched Fishtail Flags STAX. My card base is embossed with my MFT Polka Dot cover up plate. I gold embossed the N&T image and popped the whole banner up on foam tape. I tied a green sparkly Lawn Trimming around the card base and added a few sequins and enamel dots to finish it off.

I'm playing along with my inspiration challenges:

Just Us Girls    

Christmas Card Challenges - "Anything Goes" 

Addicted to CAS -

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes  


My next card was so fun. I did more playing around with a non-Christmas stamp and decorated a cute little critter.

I used Mama Elephant's Pandamonium and trimmed it out with scissors before standing him on the packages I die cut, stamped, and colored from MFT's Jingle All the Way stamp set. I stamped and trimmed the hat off a Santa from this same set. The base of my card is strips of paper from Lawn Fawn's Snow Day. Before layering gluing everything down, I sponged Distress Inks on my card base (Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick, and Picked Raspberry) and then spritzed with water.

I'm playing along with these challenges:

CAS On Sundays - "Christmas"  
the sketch over at Freshly Made -

Christmas Card Challenges - "Anything Goes"
and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenges - "Anything Goes"


Well, that's all for me this go around. Thanks so much for stopping by to visit. Please do so again soon.

God Bless,
Mandy

Romans 6:23   NKJV  (New King James Version)
     "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

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Holiday Cards and what I've been up to all week

Hello!

Happy weekend to you all. Phew. I'm so glad it's here. I've had a somewhat crazy week. Late last week, Poor Hubby finally got home after a week out of the country for work but, bless his heart, he then spent this week at home sick! He got an international travelers' bug that is quite common, but it had him DOWN. He finally went back to work today. He wasn't causing me any extra work or trouble, but I'm the world's worst about getting out of my routine when someone is here! I never made a big grocery store run, just a million little trips trying to get him stuff that might make him feel better. And, you know how that is - It may be a different hankering every day.

I also had a couple of Christmas card orders for customers that kept me in my crafty space quite a bit. So, at least, I was getting to craft some - just not share it here. I took a picture of some of my faves that I wanted to share. I had one order that was for a printed verse and signature on the inside and a "scrapbooked" look on the top. (Middle Sister's words. She is my agent. She got these orders from her co-workers. :D)

 



These were all quick to make. Mostly they have a stenciled background and layered scraps under a sentiment focal point. I really enjoyed making them. The sentiments are from MFT Gift Tag Greetings, PTI Deck the Halls, and  CTMH Be Jolly. Papers are from 6x6 pads - Basic Grey 25th and Pine, My Mind's Eye Merry Little Christmas, and My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Christmas.

 

 

Another order was all printed, a design I made and sent to a sale my sister was participating in.

 

 

 

I just sat in front of the TV with the fam one night and tied all the twine bows on after they were printed, cut, and scored.

 

It's taken me all morning off and on to edit pictures and get this posted. :D The joys of doing Saturday housework, refereeing children, and corresponding with aforementioned Poor Hubs all while trying to blog. Good times!

 

 

Now. Onto my fun Christmas card I made with some coveted new goodies that came in yesterday from Butterfly Reflections Ink. My first order from there and I was so please! Quick (and discounted! Yay!) shipping and a great selection.

 

 

 

All my new goodies used here are MFT: Bold Diagonal Stripes background stamp (in a Latte pigment ink, hard to see in photo), Wonky Window Die (LURVE this - HELLUR!), and Hug in a Mug sentiment stamp set. The small sequins are also from BRI - Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend 3mm clear. The little fox is just a cheapo block stamp I picked up at Michael's last year and never used. After stamping him on Kraft (PTI) cardstock in Coconut Husk (WPlus9) ink, I colored with Prismacolor Pencils. I didn't have the pencils last year and I must admit I like it better with a little color.

 

I'm playing along with a few challenges that provided inspiration!

 

Cards In Envy - "Put Some Layers On"   (My layers are under the front panel for the shaker. And less than 1/4" thick! So still easy to mail out this Christmas.)

 

Curtain Call     

 

 

 

Addicted to Stamps and More - "Anything Goes"  

 

 

ABC Christmas Challenge - "W for Wild Thing"

 

 

That's all for me this afternoon. :) Thanks so much for coming by to visit and checking out my creations. Please come back again soon!

 

God Bless,

Mandy

 

 

 

I John 1:7   NKJV  (New King James Version)

   "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."



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More Holiday Cards & Coloring

Hello and Happy Weekend!

I'm popping in on this beautiful TN Saturday to share some cards I made this week during my coveted crafty time. The Hubs was out of the country all week for work. (And, to our amazement, in Paris 24 hours before the attacks. We are stunned. And, heartsick for the tragedies and what everyone is going through.) I adopted a little "cat's away, mice will play" mentality. ha! Even though he couldn't care less how much I craft, it felt more like free time to me for some reason. SO, I did a lot of crafty FaceTime sessions with Middle Sister.

Here is my absolute favorite card from this week from one of those evening sessions.

 

Is he not the cutest?! I had already stamped and colored this adorable giraffe from my WPlus9 Party Animal set. I love that set and loved that I found a way to get more use out of it. So, I pulled him out of my pile of scraps that I can't quite throw away but never quite find the mojo to use and die cut him for this fun card. The antlers are from the adorable reindeer in MFT's Jingle All the Way stamp set. I stamped, colored, die cut, and trimmed them off so I could use them for the giraffe. It was a perfect fit over the little horns that he already had. The red pearl was in my drawer and had fallen off a carrier sheet from long ago so I added using CTMH Liquid Glass. Another perfect fit. (LURVE when that happens.)

 

The snow drifts are die cut using MFT Stitched Snow Drift dies and sponged with PTI Soft Stone ink. I used SSS's Falling Snow stencil and lightweight spackle (Poor girl's embossing paste) over a piece of CTMH cardstock leftover from the Free to Be Me paper pack. I added a little white pigment ink around those edges after it was die cut using Blueprints 25.

 

The tree and sentiment are also from MFT Jingle All the Way set. I'm trying to be a good girl and get a lot of use out of my current stamp sets, even though everytime I get online I want more sets. I'm a fiend at Christmas time.

 

I'm playing along with a few challenges and thankful for the inspiration:

 

 

Especially ABC Christmas's W for Wild Thing challenge. :D and the sketch over at MFT Card Challenges

Fantasy Stamper's Winter Wonderland    

 

Cut It Up's Inspired by a book, song, or movie  (Song: Jingle Bells)  

 

and, Cute Card Thursday's Birds/Animals  .

 

 

I made another fun Christmas card using the MFT Jingle All the Way set I love the Santa's in this set. I've been pining for it since February and finally got it just a couple of weeks ago - so I'm trying to wear it out.   :D

 

 

 

I went all out with textures galore, inspired by Virginia's View Challenge. 8-) 

 

 

I added lightweight spackle using Tim Holtz's Fair Isle stencil over PTI Kraft cardstock die cut with MFT Blueprints 20. After it dried, I added more texture with stamping the sentiment from Gift Tag Greetings (MFT) on a small canvas tag I picked up at Michaels (for practically free!) The red twine is also from Michael's and I love the rustic look it adds. The "Jolly" rhinestone is from Glitz Designs. Another die cut piece of red cardstock from Blueprints 13 and the little Santa is decorated to the hilt. :D So fun to play around like that.

 

I'm also playing along with Christmas Card Challenges - Anything Goes and Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - Anything Goes.

 

 

 

 

And, lastly, NOT a holiday card! Whaaat?!  I know. I had a need for a card this week and didn't have one made up. Just a fun little encouragement card for a sweet bloggy friend. :)

 

I used more MFT goodies - The Whole Herd Stamp set and Blueprints 20 & 25 again.

 

 

That adorable little pig (I have used him so much) is white embossed on watercolor cardstock and colored with water and my Zig Clean Color Real Brush pen. I stamped the sentiment from the Tickled Pink stamp set. It's layered over a piece of dotted Bazzil cardstock.  My design was inspired by the sketch over at CAS(e) This Sketch!

 

 

I'm also playing along with a favorite, Just Us Girls - watercolor.

Whew. That's a lot and I got through it! ha! Thanks so much for stopping by to visit. Please do so again soon. (Especially if you are digging the Christmas inspiration - because that's just about all I'm doing right now.) :)

God Bless,
Mandy


James 1:13   NKJV  (New King James Version)
    Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He himself tempt anyone. Pin It

PDE Linky Party - Anything Goes

Hello!

It's a new week over at PDE Linky Party . The theme is "Anything Goes" so plenty of ways you can play along. All project types are welcome and we'd love to have you join us!

Today, I'm sharing a card I made my sweet brother-in-law for Veteran's Day. He served two tours in Iraq and I do my best to send him a card for this occasion each year.

I used MFT's Proof Positive Cover Up to die cut PTI Kraft, PTI Stampers Select White, MFT After Midnight, and CTMH Cranberry cardstocks. I then layered the pieces back into the Kraft piece in a pseudo US flag configuration. The shape that looks somewhat like a heart in the middle was a happy accident!

I white heat embossed a sentiment strip using After Midnight cardstock and the Totally Happy stamp set. It's adhered using foam tape and has silver embroidery thread wrapped in behind it. I only added two white enamel dots and two red sequins for further accents - to keep it CAS and the focus on the colored pieces. It was a lot of fun to make and I was quite happy with the end result. (I love when an executed idea actually matches the idea that was floating in my head.)

I'm also playing along with CASology's "GIVE" cue card challenge, Addicted to CAS's "Hero" challenge, and Cards In Envy's "Thanks/Gratitude/Thank You" challenge.
                      

So, in case you weren't picking up on it from my card and the cue words for these challenges that helped inspire me -- I'm very proud of our former solider and try to tell him at least once a year! :) I can't imagine the life lived by our military and their families as they serve and I'm so grateful we have everyday heroes willing to do what they do. They sacrifice and give up more than we can even understand. I know what I saw my sister go through and the worry we had as extended family was enough to have us all in knots while he was deployed. I can't imagine thinking about it being my husband or son or daughter. It's such a blessing for everyone in this country.

Well that's all for now. :) (And more than enough, I'm sure. Ha!) Please don't forget to play along with PDE and join in the crafty fun!


Thanks SO much for stopping by to visit. Please do so again soon!

God Bless,
Mandy

James 1:17  NKJV   (New King James Version)
    Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

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Watercolored Christmas Tree

 

Hello!

 

I wanted to say hello tonight and share a card I made earlier today. :) The kids are tucked in bed and the house is quiet. Perfect bloggy time.

 

I am SO in the mood for Christmas cards. I had to make myself put down a couple of stamp sets at Micheals today. I didn't even like them THAT much - they would have been fun to play with a few times, sure. Any stamp set is fun once or twice, right? But, come on. I am so crazy I almost bought some I didn't even really care about. It's ridonkulous. :D  That's how obsessed I get with Christmas crafting every year.

 

Earlier today, I played with a set I DO love, my PTI O'Tannenbaum, and a couple of Distress Inks.

 

 

 

 

I stamped the tree branches and leaves in Vintage Sepia Versa Fine ink on watercolor paper and clear embossed it before applying Crushed Olive distress ink with a water brush. (I swabbed some on an acrylic block first.) I also added Salty Ocean ink using the same method to create the outline/background around the tree. After it dried, I stamped the box and berries before die-cutting using MFT's Stitched Jumbo Fishtail Flags.

 

I used a Kraft (PTI) card base and stamped Hero Arts/Basic Grey Harvest Berries in VersaMark for a subtle background pattern. Scrumptious. I added red twine and adhered the flag using foam tape before die-cutting a red (Bazzil) cardstock circle using MFT's Tag Builders 4 and white embossed the sentiment from MFT Gift Tag Greetings.

 

And that is all. I wish I had time to make more today. (Or, tonight - but I'm not good at crafting at night. I so wish I could do it. But, I'm old now and I get tired. :D)

 

I'm playing along with a few challenges - inspiration a plenty.

 

CAS(E) This Sketch!   - 

Addicted to Stamps, photo inspiration challenge -

 

Christmas Stampin' All Year Long, Anything Goes 

and, Christmas Card Challenges, Anything Goes.   

 

 

Thanks SO much for stopping by to visit. Please do so again soon! :)

 

God Bless,

Mandy

 

 

I John 3:18     NKJV  (New King James Version)

    My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

 

 

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Penguin's Christmas Cheer

Hello!

I 'm popping in at the end of my fun family weekend (sister and her Piglets visited. I am SO tired!) :-) I was able to start a card this afternoon while Sister and I chatted and then finish it up after she left.

I've wanted for several weeks to play with my MFT penguin stamp and "Christmas it up". :D

 

 

I combined my MFT Penguins in Paradise set with a Santa hat and holiday packages from the Jingle All the Way set. My sentiment is from Gift Tags stamp set and patterned papers are Lawn Fawn's Snow Day Petite Pack. Behind the cute little penguin, I sponged Cracked Pistachio Distress Ink. I colored my little guy and his accessories with Prismacolor Pencils.

 

I'm playing along with Christmas Card Challenges, Anything Goes, ABC Christmas Challenges, V- Very Cute, and the current sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches.

 

 

Well, that's all for me tonight! This post was a quick one - due to lack of brain function as a direct result of sleep deprivation. Oh, that was exhausing. I gotta go! ; )  ha!

 

 

Thanks SO much for stopping by to visit -- please do so again soon! I love visitors, comments, and followers.

 

 

God Bless,

Mandy

 

 

 

Galations 6:14   NKJV   (New King James Version)

   But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 

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