Festival of Trees

It's technically still the holiday season, right? I want to share a couple more Christmas cards I made this year. I really like this photopolymer stamp set called Festival of Trees and the coordinating Tree punch. I am such a sucker for punches. It's just one of those paper crafting tools that makes card making easier.

CASED from Dawn Griffith - just changed the colors

CASED from Peg Coombes on Pinterest - just changed the colors

Cards Recipes

 (Card #1)

Stamp Set(s): Photopolymer stamp sets in Festival of Trees and Christmas Bliss
Papers: Card stocks in Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler and Whisper White, DSP, Glimmer paper in Red
Ink: Classic Stampin' pads in Old Olive and Cherry Cobbler
Tools & Accessories: Tree punch, Itty Bitty Accents punch pack, Stampin' Dimensionals

Card #2

Stamp Set: Festival of Trees
Papers: Card stocks in Raspberry Ripple and Whisper White, DSP
Ink: Classic Stampin' pads in Gumball Green, Pool Party and Raspberry Ripple
Tools & Accessories: Big Shot Die Cutting Machine (113439), On Point Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Punches: Tree, Modern Label, Scalloped Tag Topper and Word Window, Frosted Sequins and Stampin' Dimensionals, Raspberry Ripple satin ribbon

Well, that's all for now. It has been a lazy couple of days and I am completely enjoying being a bum and hanging out with my kids. Thank you for stopping by.

Christmas 2014

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you. I wish you all the joys of family, the gift of friends and the best of everything for the New Year.

A couple of months ago, my friend Kathy took me to my very first Scrapbook Expo and it was such a nice experience. It was my own version of Disneyland and made me realize what really makes me happy. Of course I spent more than I planned to and it sort of opened my eyes to other Paper Crafting brands and companies. So, I would like to share a couple of cards I made using some of the tools and supplies I purchased from the Expo.

Merry Sizzlit, Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler and Garden Green card stocks and Cherry Cobbler ribbon from Stampin' Up!

Bells & Boughs, Ornamental Pine sentiment, Mossy Meadow & Shimmery CS and Blendabilities from Stampin' Up! 

Thank you for stopping by.

Ornamental Pine

We just got home from my mom's after celebrating Christmas Eve and opening presents there. It's late, but I just want to share a couple of cards with you because I know I have been falling behind with my blog, not to mention I am running out of time to share Christmas cards. It's been a much busier year than the previous ones. I always say I will plan the holidays better next year, it seems never to happen though. Oh well.

I used the beautiful Ornamental Pine stamp set from the Holiday catalog.

Thank you for stopping by and Merry Christmas, everyone!

Asian Art

Well, I am another year older today! Birthdays are such blessings and I am very grateful for my life, my family, my friends, my crafting buddies, my colleagues and my job. Someone up in Heaven must love me, because no matter where I look, I only see blessings. It has not always been the case and I always try to remind myself how far I've come. It keeps me grounded. I sent my last batch of Christmas cards yesterday. What an achievement! I handmade each and every single card and took the time to handwrite the inside and the addresses on the envelopes. Doing this every year is a gift for myself more than those people I send them to. It's my way of doing something that brings me joy.

My 13 year old car has been acting up on me recently. My very impatient husband tells me to get rid of it and buy a new one. I am very attached to this car. I pretty much transported my kids in it most of their lives and we've driven it from Alaska to California. We've taken it to many family vacations and it's been such a constant thing in my life all these many years. The car is fine. It takes me safely to where I need to go and back home. Surely, it requires repair and a check-up more frequent than a newer vehicle would. So what - it's old and just needs a little more TLC, but overall, it works more often than not. I feel like I can relate to it, you know. As I am getting older myself, I am so amazed at how quickly this whole "aging" occurred. It does not even seem like a process. One day I was a boy crazy teenager, then all of a sudden I am a woman in her mid-forties. Sometimes I even doubt the clarity of my memory. You know like when I think of my younger years, it feels like I am thinking of an entirely different person. I'd talk to friends from my "younger life" who never fail to remind me about the wild things I used to pull, and I'd just shake my head because the person I am now would never do those things. Perhaps, that is why I made sure to put my life in order, to prove that my past does not determine my future. My life is beautiful and it turned out so much better than I hoped for. So, happy birthday to older and wiser little ol' me.

Card Recipe

Stamp Set: Asian Art
Paper: Card stocks in Real Red and Basic Black'
Ink: Encore Ultimate Metallic in Gold
Tools & Accessories: Heat Tool, Embossing Powder in Gold, Round Punch

Well, this is all I have to share for today. I've always loved this stamp set from years ago. I guess aside from anything vintage looking, I also like Asian themed anything. I wish Stampin' Up! carries more stamp sets like they used to. This card was very easy to make and required so few materials. Embossing can dress-up any card and make it really nice.

Christmas Collage

I have been taking the time and effort to revisit my old stamp sets in my pursuit to simplify and find items to let go. I must confess that it's awfully difficult for me to put crafting stuff especially stamp sets (I once loved) in the "for sale" bin. I actually have an easier time giving away clothes and shoes. I love anything vintage and traditional. So, it goes without saying that one of my very favorite stamp sets are Christmas Collage and Bells & Boughs. This one is an improvement of one I made years ago. It's such a great feeling to know I have gotten better over time. I used lots of stickles and glitters plus cut out some of the images, adhered with stampin' dimensionals to create a 3D look. It was a tad time consuming, took me about half an hour to finish excluding drying time. Definitely not one to mass produce. Haha.

Card Recipe

Stamp Sets: Christmas Collage, Bells & Boughs (both retired)
Paper: Card stocks in Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler and Very Vanilla
Ink: Memento stamp pad in Tuxedo Black, Cherry Cobbler and More Mustard for sponging to get vintage effect
Tools & Accessories: Sponge daubers, Ctampin glitter Champagne glass, Jewels Basic Pearl, Blendabilities markers Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler, Daffodil Delight and Smokey Slate, Stickles in black, red and gold

Well, that's all for now. Thank you for stopping by.