Fun Day

Today was my day. All week I've had something I needed to do. Mom had doctor appts., I cooked chili at my church for close to 60 people yesterday. Thanks to some of the greatest friends in the world, Kathy, Brenda, Siok and Julia it was a success! But today was my day and was well deserved!

I read blogs I hadn't had a chance to catch up on recently. Looked at lots of fabulous cards etc. and settled down to make some thank you cards for my cooking buddies. I just love the stained glass technique that Split Coast Stampers featured a few weeks ago. I'm doing everything I can with it and loving them all. The cards today were done with Stampin' Up "Morning Soft" stamp set. The only difference in the cards in the Purely Plum background - I trimmed the corners of one with the curly label punch. Just discovered today I could do that and like the design.

I need to finish up my Thanksgiving cards and make a decision on which Christmas card I'm going to do in mass, but today was a day for me so I did these thank yous and just relaxed. Hope they and you enjoy.

Christmas Cards 2008

Wow, I am over whelmed! I love every Christmas set in Stampin' Ups catalog this year and then they added the mini. I now have about five specific Christmas sets, plus the sets like Sock Monkey and the hostess set Window Dressing that have stamps that could be for Christmas. Every time I think I've decided on my cards for this year I get a new inspiration and change. I began my preparation with Christ Is Born and tried it in about five different ways now I think I've settled on the round one shown in the previous post. But, then I saw Beatte's tutorial on Split Coast Stampers for the stained glass window technique using A Cardinal Christmas ordered the set that day and am doing some of those too. As you can see I even have two different styles of that and of course, when I now have this technique in my head I want to use it as much as possible, so I used it with the Holy family from the Holy Triptych set. My problem is that I want to do Sock Monkeys, Window Dressings, and so many many more. A few years ago I ordered cards or bought them, addressed them and mailed them. Now that I'm making them I want every possible design. lol

This is my three way fold card so I could use all of the stamps in Holy Triptych. This is the only one I will be making!

This one with just the Holy Family using the stained glass technique is more likely to have more than one completed in time to mail out in time for Christmas.

I love the A Cardinal Christmas set and the Christ is Born set and so I think these three cards will end of being my primary cards for this year, but who knows what will show up tomorrow.

More on this saga later!

November Stamp Club

Nine of us gathered together on a stormy November evening to make cards and get in the holiday spirit. We learned all about the Big Shot and the wonderful "Stampin' Up exclusive Top Note Bigz die and the Sizzix scallop circle dies available through Stampin' Up (see F/W mini catalog.) Don't know about the rest of you, but I think the Top Note is just that tops! There are so many ways to use this die and wow the ease of cutting out so many pieces at once. Sure makes prep for a class or club a breeze.



Besides the card above using the Holy Triptych stamp set and the top note die, members were given a choice of the three circle style cards (below)with stamp sets Sock Monkey and accessories, A Cardinal Christmas or Christ is Born.



These three cards make great decorations for the receiver's tree. I wish everyone would send me cards like this - I always have a hard time displaying my cards - still haven't found the perfect way, but now that I think of it I may actually punch a small hole in all the cards that arrive this year and do just this! I'm always excited when an answer comes to me when I least exect it. LOL Another problem solved.


We also wrapped Kit Kat bars for small holiday gifts. This makes a great gift for all occassions, but especially around the holidays. I even heard that they do a white chocolate Kit Kat for Christmas - I'm looking for it now! lol This also works for many other size candy bars, of course, I cased this - no orginal ideas in my brain.

The end result is that we had a great evening, learned a lot and laughed a lot - what more can you ask for than good friends and a good time, uless it's chocolate.