One seed can start a garden, one candle can light a room, one step can begin a journey, one conversation can start a friendship, one smile from a handmade card can lift one's SPIRIT!

Monday, December 23, 2013

A few last minute bags to hold gift cards, money, and other misc gifts

A nephew was married this last August, so I added the gold bells at the top of the wreath and those are their initials
This will be for my BIL and SIL


This is for my niece who is 26 on Christmas Eve


My daughter and her husband...at first it was just going to be for her, so I put her initials, then at the last minute decided to add her husband...wished I would have thought of it at the beginning...
And lastly is my younger daughter.

I think that just about does it for me and getting gifts ready for Christmas...good thing because tomorrow will be a food shopping day and purchasing a few gift cards to go in those bags.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, I hope you are surrounded by loving family and good food and lots of laughter and hugs and kisses for everyone.

Hearts Hugs,
Colleen

Saturday, December 21, 2013

CASology # 75 CUE word ~ KNIT ~

I am still making a few more tags.
Since the cue word is "KNIT", I pulled out PTI's Knit Bits.
It just happens to have a stocking stamp!
Yeah! Isn't this what people used to hang on their fireplaces?
I am sure they didn't have fancy quilted stockings, I think it was their everyday stockings.
The branch is from Love Lives Here: Holiday as is the sentiment.
 
You still have time to play along, go to CASology HERE  and link up!
 
Thanks for taking the time to look, I know everyone is super busy, we are counting down the days...
I wish you all a very blessed and Merry Christmas. 
 I hope you all are able to be with the ones you love!
 
Heart Hugs,
Colleen

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Seize the Birthday

No added toppings this time around...just a good birthday card!  I pulled out my candles from Wishes come True and stamped an assortment of colors for the candles.  I saw a video from Jennifer McGuire HERE  doing a similar technique with letter stickers...I die cut the 'birthday' from PTI's trio of birthday's with masking paper and laid it down on the card, then I proceeded to stamp the candles close to each other....when I was all done, I peeled off the masking paper and VOILA...the word "birthday" is clearly seen!  I stamped the flame and then used a copics at the bottom to give a little more color, then I added some glossy accents over it!

I hope you will join the rest of the team and be inspired to make a birthday card...be sure to link it up

And can I just give a great big Happy Birthday greeting to JoAnn on our design team?
I wish you the happiest of day filled with lots of good friends, family, LOVE  and of course Cake!

Come join the team with another Birthday Card...NO Toppings required!

Seize the Birthday can be found HERE

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Merry Monday # 88 ~ use an animal

This week we were asked to use an animal on our Christmas card! 
I gave my BFF this window die cut for Christmas
and before I sent it off to her, I cut a few for myself!
Now I ask myself, why didn't I buy one for me??
I thought about this die, I thought about a wreath...now why don't I have a wreath die cut?
I might have to remedy that because I fussy cut this wreath myself!
You might wonder about the background paper...
Well, it is Kraft and I used the Scoring board and just randomly scored straight lines.
Then I used my kraft ink and ran it over the face of the card...I wanted it to look like wood boards on a house and I think it turned out how I envisioned it.
The window has a sheet of clear cardstock attached to the back and also a piece of lemon tart to indicate a light is on!
As you can see, I added a couple of "cardinals", I couldn't resist those cute little bitty birds sitting on the wreath and on the window frame!
 
Do you want to play along with this Merry Monday Challenge?
All you need is an animal for your card...go see what the design team has to inspire you!
 
Thanks for taking a look friends!
Hope you have a great end of the week!
I hope to be back with another card or two before the BIG day!
Heart Hugs,
Colleen

Sunday, December 15, 2013

The dog who is a "horse" but thinks he is a LAP dog!



This is THOR and me!
 
His family is back home now...
I will miss him...he was my "shadow"
wherever I went, he went
if I just moved a bit,
he had to follow.
 
I will not miss all the dog hair on the floor.
I will not miss the wet dirty paws
I will miss his love and attention.
 
He is part Golden Retriever and Lab...
 
He is HUGE, the biggest paws ever, but such a gentle
sweet and obedient dog!
 
Jut wanted to share this picture with you all,
he jumped up on me all the time..
I think he wanted to dance!

Friday, December 13, 2013

Merry Monday # 87

This is # 87 for Merry Monday and Christmas cards...if you want to play, go HERE and check it out...
As you can see, they are asking for a card with a mitten(s) on it...or your card could be shaped like a mitten!

Here in the Pacific Northwest in the Portland area...we did NOT get any snow that amounted to anything, although we did have the freezing weather, even down in the single digit for two nights!  I was a little bummed thinking it would be fun to pull out the sleds and mittens, scarves, boots etc and play in the snow with the grandkids who live right next door to me!  Instead of the real thing happening, I made a card...I finally inked up Two Feet Deep, added the little bundle of greenery and the mittens hanging off the sled.  The mittens are from Shape Up Snowman.   I had a scrap of the MME paper that resembles wood siding and thought PERFECT, the sled can lean against that!  My sentiment is from Winter Hills.  I almost forgot to tell you that I used some Stampendous shaved ice on a few parts of the card...the top of the sled, the mittens and a touch on the greenery...just enough to indicate there was snow and ice crystals forming!!  *wink*

We are having rain now and it is NOT fun because I am watching my daughter's dog, who is a HORSE, but would really like to be a lap dog!!  Ha ha...he jumps up and puts his paws on my shoulders and I am face to face with him!!  I told you, he is a horse...and when it was cold and freezing, we could let him out and bring him right back in because the ground was frozen...not so now..mud in the paws and he found a pasture with horse manure this morning...ARE YOU KIDDING ME?  I guess he goes on a leash and we walk him now!!

Have a super weekend friends,
I will be in the gym both days watching
Dina's two daughters play some club volleyball.
My husband is coaching the younger one's team!
 
Heart Hugs,
Colleen

Friday, December 6, 2013

Merry Monday # 86 Chalkboard Technique

This week the challenge is to use the Chalkboard Technique.
I pulled out PTI Happiest of Holidays and embossed it.
I also embossed the top and bottom borders from Boutique Borders: Sympathy.
Added some paper from MME: Merry Little Christmas
and some holly in the corners from Holly Jolly.
I also used a dauber and added some white pigment ink to the edges.
I hope you will go HERE  and be inspired to join in the fun.
 
Have a great weekend!
Heart Hugs,
Colleen


Make It Monday # 143 ~ Modern Whimsy Style


Danielle Flanders showed some tips and guidelines in creating a modern whimsy style kind of card.
You can go HERE  to watch the video.
This is definitely NOT my style..but I gave it a go.
I thought perhaps the Lovely Layers would look a bit like a poinsettia so I embossed some of the layers and used vellum and sweet blush and some zing powder.
 
We might get some snow!!  It is in the low 20's and there are flurries just north of us!
 
Heart Hugs,
Colleen

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Seize the Birthday ~ Winter Theme

I am sure we all have a friend who has a birthday during the winter months...so this challenge is for those friends and family!  The Challenge is to make a WINTER theme birthday card, my husband and I have a male friend and this card is in the post going to him, I thought it was a more masculine card
I love cardinals so I couldn't resist placing a couple on the trees, plus it adds a little pop of color.
 
I hope you will join me and the design team for this winter theme birthday card.
Go to Seize the Birthday   to play along.
Welcome to Seize the Birthday everyone!
Since at least half of our country is having a major blast
of Winter right about now, I thought it might be fun to incorporate
 that as our " Toppings" option this week.

Our "Toppings" option is 

"Winter"

So break out those winter stamps, die cuts and or punches and let 
us see how you interpret the winter season!

Just remember to keep it a Birthday Theme!

If your not a toppings kinda person, well.....you can just
stick with our usual "Anything Goes"Birthday!

The choice is yours!   

Monday, December 2, 2013

One More for the Mood Board # 24

I stamped about 60 glassine bags (6" x 9") with the fir branch from Merry & Bright.
I first drew a circle with a pencil and then followed the outline, it was easy peasy to do.
A little bow from PTI Bell's & Boughs and a sentiment from PTI Stylish Sentiment: Holiday.
These bags are going to hold some little gifts for the ladies in my Bible Study group.
 
You still have time to play along with this challenge, go HERE and check it out.
 
thanks for taking another look!
 
Heart Hugs,
Colleen

Mood Board # 24

I have a card for the Mood Board # 24..you can go HERE  to link up with this two week challenge...one more week to go, so you still have time.  Here is the inspiration photo:

And here is my card:
I used the WPlus9 Merry & Bright stamps and a picnic basket from Papertrey's Vintage Picnic
It was fun layering all the little goodies in this basket, including a candle.
I am going to send this card to my Aunt who will be 91 next Tuesday.
The sentiment is from PTI's In the Meadow.
I also used a bit of Wink of Stella, sorry it doesn't show up so well, but the pinecones have a little glitter added to them using a glue pen and fine glitter!
 
Heart Hugs,
Colleen