Inspired Housewarming and Brewin a Birthday

First! a reminder to check out my blog candy here: you have until Friday 12/12 to comment for a chance to win!

Stef's inspiration for us over at Split Coast this week was an Etsy site of beautiful necklaces 'Images Under Glass'. There were several that inspired me but I finally chose this one to make a card of for the challenge.I've been making so many Christmas holiday cards lately I felt like doing something different today. I used stamps from the Peaceful Decor set by H&M Stamps.


I paper pieced my vase with Roundup Designer Paper from Stampin Up and punched the flowers. I made the centers of the flowers with my 1/4" hole punch. The background paper is Cosmo Cricket Halfway Cafe. The butterfly is a Martha Stewart punch.

I cut the framing for my sentiment with one of the Spellbinders Tag Trio dies. It is up on foam dimensionals

Stamps: Peaceful Decor: H&M Stamps
Paper: white:PTI, sage shadow, really rust, so saffron, Roundup DP: SU, Cosmo Cricket Halfway Cafe DP
Ink: onyx black versafine, terra cotta Adirondack, so saffron: SU
Accessories: corner rounder punch, butterfly punch: Martha Stewart, small flower punch, 1/4 inch hole punch, sponge, spell binders tag trio, nestability rectangle


My second card today was made for the Featured Stamper Challenge on Split Coast. What a wonderful gallery of cards 'Annascreations' has! I finally decided on this fun card to CASE. I love the Basic Grey Archaic designer paper and the colors of it go so well with coffee related images. I used the same colors and sketch as Anna's card - but changed the stamps used and the placement of the sentiment.
I also added a layer to the designer paper panel. My stamps are from a set called Coffee's Brewin by H&M Stamps. This set is full of fun coffee related images. You can check it out here.

We're having our first snow fall here today in Massachusetts so I keep bursting out singing Christmas Carols. DH and I are off now to visit dear MIL to help her address and send out her Christmas cards. Hope you have a great rest of the weekend!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Stamps: Coffee's Brewin: H&M Stamps
Paper: really rust, naturals ivory, choc chip: SU, DP: Basic Grey Archaic
Ink: Dark Chocolate: PTI, Creamy caramel: SU
Accessories: foam dimensionals, copics, brass brads, hole punch, Keytag punch: SU, sponge

Some Blog Candy and Two Flaky Cards

As promised - here is some blog candy to celebrate my reaching 50,000 hits. It includes Twisted Sentiments (some kind of R rated!) by My Favorite Things, Grill a Fella by Stamping Bella, the fern punch by Martha Stewart, some brown tone chipboard buttons by Colorbok, and a Designer mat pad by K&Company.

All you have to do is leave me a comment telling my why it is you stop by my blog!

You have until Friday 12/12 at 7 PM EST to leave a comment - I'll post the winner on Saturday 12/13.

and now for some cards -

For the limited supply challenge on Split Coast you could only use snowflake stamps, it had to be monochromatic, you could only use one word and you had to use bling!I think I got it all! I stamped the big snowflake on the card stock - then stamped it again - cut it out and layered it off kilter over the stamping on a foam dimensional. I used a snowflake background stamp and my Martha Stewart snowflake punch. - I'm afraid I got a little yellowish glare on the bottom right of the picture :(

This also qualifies for Sharon's No Time To Stamp challenge and the Our Creative Corner challenge.

Stamps: large snowflake: Penny Black, BG snowflakes: Trees Three- SU, Noel: 2008 Holiday Tag Collection: PTI
Paper: white, Spring Rain: PTI
Ink: Spring Rain: PTI
Accessories: foam dimensionals, circle punches, ribbon: PTI Spring Rain Twill, Martha Stewart snowflake punch, rhinestone stickers: Michaels

For my second card today - I was inspired by this bag from Bath and Body that I got when shopping there a few days ago.

I used the Three Trees set from Stampin Up (retired) and the sentiment from Silent Night by Papertrey Ink. I love the contrasts of the grey with the red and the simplicity of the one layer.

This card also qualifies for Sharon's No Time to stamp challenge as well as the Our Creative Corner challenge that I linked to on my first card above.

Stamps: Trees Three: SU, Merry Christmas: Silent Night PTI
Paper: White: PTI
Ink: Pure Poppy: PTI, Lake Mist: Adirondack
Accessories: Poppy Red Satin Ribbon: PTI

I appreciate you taking time out of your busy day to stop by here - have a great weekend - hope to see you here tomorrow!

A Birthday Card Coaster Photo Book

I seem to be making a lot of these cute little coaster photo books lately! This one is for a co-worker's wife that will be from their children and has pictures of the children inside.


I used Cosmo Crickets Happy Camper designer paper throughout the book. The coasters are medium weight and I used silver 5/8" wire to bind it with my Bind It All. I love that you can buy different colors of wire for these books. I've seen white, black, red and silver so far.

I gathered sentiment stamps from all around my stamping room for my pages - trying to find just the right thing for each page. That's what took the longest time in creating this! The cover stamps are from The Women of Life set by Papertrey Ink and I used my rectangle nestability as well as the fern and dove punches - both by Martha Stewart.
This is Noa on the left, doing a nearly perfect split! She's a 6 year old ballerina and 10 year old Roee on the right - who is actually a competitive swimmer - but we see him climbing on things in this book! The Absolutely Fabulous sentiment is PTI Mixed Messages and the U R the Best is Gina K Designs - Text Messages.Let's Hang Out is from the Little T's set by Gina K Designs and A Very Special Delivery is from the Faux Ribbon Set by PTI.

For the final note on the back which I just used a small corner of and sponged and distressed the edges - is the Lined Paper background stamp by Cornish Heritage Farms and the words and date are stamped using Karen Foster Snap Stamps (which I believe have been discontinued so I'm so glad I have mine!) I told my co-worker to have his kids sign their names here.

He was gratifyingly thrilled with this little keepsake I created for his wife! and that makes all the effort put into creating it worth it for us stampers - right??!!!

You can see all the other coaster books I've made by looking in the Index in the right column of my blog.

I appreciate your coming by today!

Paper: Medium Coasters, DP: Cosmo Cricket - Mr. Campy, Ruby Red, Certainly Celery, mellow Moss, sage shadow, close to cocoa: SU

Ink: Wild Wasabi, So Saffron: SU, onyx black versafine

Supplies: distresser, sponge, corner rounder, dew drops, bind it all, nestability rectangle, dove punch & fern punch: Martha Stewart

A Coaster Photo Book and A Double Dare Sketch

I made this little coaster photo album for the November Fan Club Central Theme challenge over on Split Coast - Chick Lit. You had to use the theme of literature or chickens! LOL!!I love this little child sitting on the pile of books while reading one of them. It comes from a set by Clear Art Stamps called 'Story of Me'. The sentiment is H&M Stamps (All I Want for Christmas) and the date is Karen Foster Snap Stamps. This book will be used for pictures taken this Christmas. I used my Bind It all and the coasters are covered with these fun winter designer papers from My Minds Eye.
Stamps: Crafty Secrets Clear Art Stamps: the Story of Me, Sentiment: H&M Stamps - All I want for Christmas, 2008: Karen Foster Snap Stamps
Paper: Mellow Moss, Naturals Ivory: SU, DP: My Minds Eye: Snowed In
Ink: Onyx Black Versafine
Accessories: Medium Weight coasters, corner rounder, oval punch, Bind It All , Prismacolor markers
My second card uses the sketch challenge from Split Coast as well as supplies sent to me by Beverly (Beestamper) for the weekly challenge I do with a group of SCS friends. We had to use some or all of the supplies she sent us and make it a Christmas card. I used the stamps, the designer paper, the ribbon and the foam flower that I received (what a fun package in the mail!). It makes you be a little more creative when you are given items to use on a card - these aren't colors I'd usually reach for!

You can see the other supplies challenge cards here - they'll be posting them all week until next Tuesday.

I appreciate your coming by today! I'm gathering my blog candy - should have it posted sometime over the weekend so be sure to check back!

Stamps: Studio G Clear stamps
Paper: Certainly Celery, pink Passion: SU, DP: KI memories
Ink: onyx black versafine
Accessories: copics, circle punch, scalloped circle punch, tag: Avery, foam flower tag, ribbon, Foam dimensionals

Moosing You in Elegant Colors

I'm so happy with this little card today! I wasn't planning on doing the color challenge on Split Coast - but when I got home - this card - using this stamp set just popped into my head!

The colors today were Sahara Sand, Basic Black and Very Vanilla - and although Emily said these are elegant colors together (which they are!) - I kind of masculined them up with the moose and pine stamp as well as cuttlebugging the panels.

I used Taylor's Friday Sketch for my card which you can see here.

The images are from a great masculine stamp set called Nature's Style by H&M Stamps and I just noticed that it's 40% off right now! So if you have an outdoorsy person you want to make cards for - hop right over to Heather's site and order one up! While you're there check out her other December deals too!

I walked downtown during lunch today at work and got a little bit of my Christmas shopping done Whoo Hooo! I didn't venture out during crazy black Friday or even for the rest of the weekend - I totally hate crowds so I'm always glad when I can shop at off hours or on line !!

Thanks so much for checking in with me today! Leave me a comment so I can come say hello to you and see what you've been up to!

Stamps: Nature's Style: H&M Stamps
Paper: sahara sand, very vanilla, basic black: SU
Ink: onyx black Versafine
Accessories: foam dimensionals, cuttlebug, swiss dots & distressed stripes folders, circle punch, scalloped circle punch

Awards galore and a Speckled Ugg

I have so many wonderful inspiring blogging friends and have been honored with the following awards from several of them!!

This one from Terri and Kay

1. I am to tell everyone 7 random/weird facts about myself

2. "tag" 7 more people.

3. Put a link to the giver on my blog.

4. Leave a message on the blogs of people that I tag

And this one from Joan and Amber

Here are the *official* rules for this one:
1. The winner may put the logo on their blog.
2. Put a link to the person who sent you the award.
3. Nominate 5 blogs.
4. Put links to their blogs
5. Leave a message for your nominees.

I am so appreciative of these awards but have been honored with so many of them! So I'm just going to tag 7 people and please take the award you would like from above!!

These are all blogging friends that I have found inspiration from - please take a minute to visit with them!

1. Michele Kovack

2. Heather Rolin

3. Jenn Muraoka

4. Beth Thomas

5. Deanna Woodland

6. Julie Lacey

7. Carolina Buchting

So here are 7 random facts about me:

1. I used to bite my fingernails down to the quick and just stopped about 10 years ago.

2. I wear a mouth guard at night because I apparently 'clench' my jaws so my teeth have deep wells in them - I don't grind - just clench!

3. I make lists - I would never remember anything if it wasn't for my 'lists'!

4. As a child I always wanted glasses because my sister and parents all wore them and I would tell my mother I couldn't see well just to try and get them!

5. I love to read.

6. I love to stamp more than read lately (well - probably all of you already know this fact and are in with me!!!)

7. I actually reduced my stamping time for a couple of weeks so that I could read the 4 Twilight novels!

And now onto some stamping!

What a fun new technique challenge today on Split Coast - speckled background made by spritzing Simple Green on glossy card stock that has been sponged with ink! DH had diluted our Simple Green with water and it didn't seem to work so I used an Orange cleaner we had.

Anne (itsapassion) had challenged us to use an Ugg boot as inspiration for the Double Dare Challenge I do each week with some SCS friends so I combined the two challenges. Here is the Ugg boot I used for inspiration . We had to use a brown background and the colors on the boot.

And here is my card with the speckled brown background and the colors from the boot!

I thought the speckled background came out sort of looking like the brushed leather on the boot. And I love the flowers in the Stampin Up Eastern Blooms set that I used here.

You can see the other Ugg inspired cards here.

Thank you so much for stopping by tonight - I just made 50,000 hits today thanks to you!! (Woo Hoo!!!) so there will be blog candy coming up soon as soon as I get my act together!

Stamps: Eastern Blooms: SU, Sentiiment from Heart Felt Thanks: PTI
Paper: wild wasabi, choc chip, close to cocoa, glossy white: SU, white: PTI
Ink: creamy caramel SU, dark chocolate: PTI, eggplant, cloudy blue, sunset orange: Adirondacks Accessories: sponge, foam dimensionals, spellbinders tag trio, sizzix die leaf and stem, cuttlebug, orange cleaner degreaser, yellow stickles,

H&M Dec Blog Hop - All Wrapped Up

Welcome to the December H&M Stamps Blog hop - This month the Design Team is excited to bring you creative ways to wrap gifts! I designed these two for Christmas gift wrapping ideas.

My first project is an altered green gable box. A gift shop included this box when I purchased an item there. I made panels of white card stock and Basic Grey Figgy Pudding designer paper and attached them to the 4 sides of the box. Then I wrapped coordinating grosgrain ribbon around the box.

I stamped the ornaments from the H&M stamp set "Create a Bulb" - cut them out and layered them over the ribbon with foam dimensionals. I stamped the sentiment from the H&M sentiment set "All I Want for Christmas" onto a panel cut with my rectangle nestabilities. I stamped and cut out the holly leaves and made berries with my hole punch using red card stock. And Voila! A beautifully decorated box that used to be 'plain jane'! It's almost a gift in itself!

My second project is a double pocket bag. You can see a tutorial for this on Split Coast Stampers here. I decorated the front with the same ornament stamps - stamping Merry Christmas on one of the bulbs. I used the same Basic Grey Figgy Pudding designer paper and pure poppy saddle stitched ribbon for the handles.
I will fill these gift packages with the Swiss Miss Dark Chocolate Sensation cocoa and the dried cranberry walnut Biscotti shown in my picture.

I thought I'd share the recipe for the Biscotti - my sister got it from a friend of hers. The Biscotti comes out softer than the usual recipe so you can actually eat it without having to dip it in tea or milk to soften it!!! (although you certainly can still eat it that way!)

BISCOTTI Makes about 30
Heat oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients:
¼ c butter or margarine – softened
2/3 c sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp Almond extract
2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 c chopped walnuts
1 c craisins (dried cranberries)

(the author recommends soaking the craisins or raisins in hot water to soften - then drain and add when indicated - I used the craisins without soaking and it came out fine )

Beat together butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking powder and cinnamon – mix well. Add walnuts and craisins.

Divide dough in half and shape into 2 loaves – about 1½” wide and the length of your pan. (about 12") Flatten slightly.

Bake 18-20 minutes until firm. Remove from oven and slice diagonally about ½ - ¾” thick – return to pan cut side down – bake another 10 minutes or until browned.

Varieties:
Add raisins instead of craisins
Add white chocolate
Add chocolate chips

Use vanilla extract instead of almond

Now have fun checking out the other Design Team Members Blogs to see what creative ways they have designed to wrap gifts!

Carolina
Cindy
Dawn
Debbie
Emma

Heather

Julie
Kimberly

Nancy
Neva
Shannon

Suzanne

Tracy

Thank you so much for coming by today!

Stamps: Create a Bulb, All I Want for Christmas: H&M Stamps

Paper: white PTI, DP: Basic Grey Figgy Pudding

Ink: on the box: Pure Poppy, Ripe Avocado, Aqua Mist: PTI, Color Box Pigment Silver, On the bag: Riding Hood Red, Baja Breeze:SU, Aqua Mist: PTI, color box pigment silver

Accessories: rectangle nestabilities, Aqua Mist Grosgrain ribbon, Pure Poppy Double Stitched ribbon: PTI, foam dimensionals