Winter Scape

 We've had several days of snow with frigid temperatures so that it doesn't melt, and keeps accumulating.  Recently we also had a full moon and looking outside at night was breathtaking.  

I've been wanting to do a winter version of The Greetery's Rolling Hills Countryside suite, and today was the day!  Here's what I came up with.

supplies: white, dark green, medium grey, and pale yellow cardstock, The Greetery Rolling Hills stencils and a pale blue ink, Countryside and Rolling Hills Tree dies, circle die as a mask, dark blue ink, sentiment from Simon Snow Love

I used only the striped stencils this time, and then used the topmost one as a guide to make a mask so that I could color in the night sky, adding a circle mask for the moon.  Then I simply added my die-cut trees and houses and stamped my message.  

You can see a spring version using these supplies HERE, and a fall version HERE.  

What is your winter doing where you live?

Spellbinders January Club Kits: Stitched Ladybug

 Here is my last installment for this month's Spellbinders Club Kits, the Stitching Kit called Stitched Ladybug.

supplies: white, red, black, yellow, 2 greens cardstock, Stitched Ladybug Stitching Kit

You can do as much or as little stitching as you like with this kit; I'd say I did a medium amount, not stitching the round black circles on the ladybug, but everything else.  Those tiny flowers said Mary Engelbreit to me, so I tried to channel a design that she may have come up with.

You can look HERE for information on Spellbinders Clubs.  Each is available for new subscribers only from the 6th until the 27th of each month.  If you click on my links under each card, you can see the specifics of each product.  You can subscribe to each of our 10 kits separately, (and you can "unjoin" a subscription at any time without any penalty), or you can get them all, plus a free bonus item each month, and save 60% by choosing the Deluxe Caboodle!

Spellbinders January Club Kits: Stylized Trellis 3D folder and Take Flight BetterPress plate

 Today's post features the 3D embossing folder, Stylized Trellis, mixed with the larger butterfly from the BetterPress kit this month.

supplies: white cardstock, Stylized Trellis 3D embossing folder, Take Flight BetterPress butterfly plate and matching die, (Caboodle) Take Flight layering stencils, distress inks, Nature's Dance sentiment and die, orange enamel dots, adhesive squares

I colored my butterfly like a Monarch one using the 3 layering stencils, which are the Caboodle bonus item for this month, then simply popped it above my embossed trellis background, and added another of the Nature's Dance sentiments.

You can look HERE for information on Spellbinders Clubs.  Each is available for new subscribers only from the 6th until the 27th of each month.  If you click on my links under each card, you can see the specifics of each product.  You can subscribe to each of our 10 kits separately, (and you can "unjoin" a subscription at any time without any penalty), or you can get them all, plus a free bonus item each month, (this month it's the butterfly layering stencils), and save 60% by choosing the Deluxe Caboodle!

Spellbinders January Club Kits: Botanical Atrium Large Dies of the Month

 The Large Dies this month are fun!  We get a terrarium/birdcage/atrium/whatever you'd like to call it, with oodles of flowers and leaves to stuff inside or outside of it.  There's even 2 tiny butterflies!  Here's my sample.

supplies: black, white, and colored cardstock, Botanical Atrium dies, sentiment from Stitched Ladybug

I didn't want to cover up anything with a large sentiment, so the one from the Stitching Kit this month turned out to be perfect for me. 

You can look HERE for information on Spellbinders Clubs.  Each is available for new subscribers only from the 6th until the 27th of each month.  If you click on my links under each card, you can see the specifics of each product.  You can subscribe to each of our 10 kits separately, (and you can "unjoin" a subscription at any time without any penalty), or you can get them all, plus a free bonus item each month, and save 60% by choosing the Deluxe Caboodle!

January Club Kits: Elliptical Weave Glimmer Kit

 This month's Glimmer of the Month kit from Spellbinders is called Elliptical Weave. It comes with this large A2 plate, plus 4 small sentiments, and a roll of Aura glimmer foil.

supplies: 2 blues, navy, green, and pale yellow cardstock, Elliptical Weave Glimmer kit, (which includes Aura glimmer foil), flowers and leaves from Botanical Atrium, sentiment from Nature's Dance, embossed in gold

After foiling the design, I cut out just one of the flowers and a leaf sprig that's in this month's Large Dies of the Month: Botanical Atrium, and attached them, following the foiled lines.  I felt that a simple centered statement was all that was needed; this one comes from the Stamps of the Month, Nature's Dance.

You can look HERE for information on Spellbinders Clubs.  Each is available for new subscribers only from the 6th until the 27th of each month.  If you click on my links under each card, you can see the specifics of each product.  You can subscribe to each of our 10 kits separately, (and you can "unjoin" a subscription at any time without any penalty), or you can get them all, plus a free bonus item each month, and save 60% by choosing the Deluxe Caboodle!

Spellbinders January Club Kits: Nature's Canvas stencils and Take Flight BetterPress kit

 I always look forward each month to see what the Stencils of the Month might be, and this month is a winner!  They're called Nature's Frame.  

This year I'll be sharing the BetterPress kits with you, too, and these butterflies this month are a perfect pairing with the stencil kit!  The kit is called Take Flight.

supplies: white cardstock, Nature's Frame stencils, Cherry Blossom inks, Forest Glades ink, sentiment from Nature's Dance stamp of the month, Take Flight butterfly BetterPress plate and matching die, Caboodle Take Flight layering stencils, Berry color essentials gems

This month the Caboodle item is a 3-piece layering stencil set to color the 2 butterflies in the BetterPress set!  I used the same inks to color my butterfly as I did the flowers, then cut it out with the matching die that comes in the BetterPress set.  The sentiment is another of the 7 included in the Clear Stamp of the Month.  You can see 2 more of them in my previous post. 

You can look HERE for information on Spellbinders Clubs.  Each is available for new subscribers only from the 6th until the 27th of each month.  If you click on my links under each card, you can see the specifics of each product.  You can subscribe to each of our 10 kits separately, (and you can "unjoin" a subscription at any time without any penalty), or you can get them all, plus a free bonus item each month, (the butterfly layering stencils), and save 60% by choosing the Deluxe Caboodle!

Spellbinders January Club Kits: Soaring Dragonfly Dies of the Month and Faceted Petals Embossing Folder of the Month

 The January Club Kits are now available for new subscribers!  I'll be sharing my makes in the next few days, spacing my posts out a little more than I've done in the past.  

Today I'm showing you the Dies of the Month: Soaring Dragonfly, paired with the Embossing Folder: Faceted Petals, with sentiments from the Clear Stamps and Dies: Nature's Dance.

supplies: white and black cardstock, royal and turquoise glitter cardstock, Soaring Dragonfly dies (includes "hello"), Faceted Petals embossing folder, swiped with tumbled glass distress ink, a Nature's Dance sentiment and matching die, adhesive foam squares

Isn't this dragonfly lovely?  I used the more detailed option for wings, but there's also a striped option, too.  The die set also includes this hello, plus some small flowers and leaf sprigs.  I think of dragonflies as irridescent, so I used 2 colors of glitter cardstock to paper-piece the details in it's wings, and when I attached it to my card base, I popped up the ends of each wing for some slight dimension.

Here's a much more CAS design for my 2nd card, just using some of the leftover die-cuts from above.

supplies: white and aqua cardstock, aqua and white glitter cardstock, aqua vellum, Soaring Dragonfly dies, Nature's Dance sentiment, Hemstitch Rectangle die, adhesive foam strips

This time I used the aqua glitter wing outline dies that I had cut for the piecing above, placing them onto vellum.  I popped the body up this time and bent the wings upward.  I wish I could capture the sparkle of the glitter cardstock  for you....

You can look HERE for information on Spellbinders Clubs.  Each is available for new subscribers only from the 6th until the 27th of each month.  If you click on my links under my card, you can see the specifics of each product.  You can subscribe to each of our 10 kits separately, (and you can "unjoin" a subscription at any time without any penalty), or you can get them all, plus a free bonus item each month, and save 60% by choosing the Deluxe Caboodle!

Nordic Bird

 Happy New Year!  I trust you enjoyed a joyous holiday season.

Today's card features a set of dies from The Greetery called Nordic Bird.  It was released just before the holidays, but I plan to use these dies all year long.  They are 2 sizes of a bird, with separate wings, facing opposite directions.  Today I just used the bigger of the two.

supplies: white, blue, and green cardstock, branches from Simon Leafy Greens embossing folder and die bundle, Spellbinders (retired) Branching Out embossing folder, Lawn Fawn Fancy Scalloped Rectangle die, The Greetery Nordic Birds, Altenew Deep Blue Seas inks, ripe persimmon distress ink, sentiment from Altenew Watercolor Flowers Craft Your Life 

Here's the same bird cut from white and left uncolored to go onto a Christmas tree.  Here you can see the pretty incised details on the bird.

Thanks for stopping by - please come back again soon!

My Favorite 2024 Cards

  Every year I do a little round-up of my favorite cards from the past year - it's a good way to look back and remember the year. 

If you'd like details on any of these, just click on it, and you'll be taken back to its original post.

I enjoyed using embossing folders and layering stencils this year, adding betterpress plates to the mix.  Our industry continues to expand with new innovations and ideas, and I look forward to what the future holds in the coming year!

Thanks so much for stopping by today - sending you creative wishes for 2025!

A Birthday Card

 I saw this idea on Pinterest (unfortunately there wasn't a viable link), and loved it for a friend's birthday.

supplies: white, green, and 2 pink cardstock, Spellbinders Flower Frenzy 3D embossing folder, Sealed Blooms floral dies, 2 retired hearts (Spellbinders and Simon Says Stamp Large Heart Doily), Clearly Besotted Sweet Little Sentiments, heart sprinkles, adhesive foam squares

This makes me think of flowers in the snow, with the white background.  

Popping this into the current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Use Dies.

Thanks for coming by!

Woodblock Wednesday

 Merry Christmas!

Woodblock Wednesday has become a nice post to look forward to each month; this year I've done one every month, so I don't want to break my record now!  Here's a stamp dated 2001 from Stampendous, and named Tiny Babe.  I think it's perfect for this month, since the challenge falls on Christmas day!

I kept it simple, with minimal coloring.  I popped up the "Tiny Babe" part, added a glittery gem to the star, and cut the whole thing out with an arch die, matting it with gold.

supplies: cream and matte gold metallic cardstock, Stampendous Tiny Babe woodblock, Spellbinders Essential Arches dies, glittery gem, adhesive foam squares

You can see all the other entries at Amy's blog HERE.

My friend Linda had a blog post to share her lovely Christmas decorations, so I thought I'd tag on a few pictures of our tree this year.

We wanted a smaller tree this year, so my engineering husband figured out how to smallify our larger 9 foot tree of the past.  This one stands at about 5 feet now, much more manageable for us.

I took a ceramics class maaaaany years ago to make this nativity scene.  

And here are some closer shots of some of the ornaments we've collected and made over these 50+ years.  The hand-made ones are my favorites!

Thanks for indulging me!

Floral Noel

I took advantage of some Black Friday sales this year; one of the sets I got was the Honey Bee Stamps Floral Noel suite: layering stencils, matching dies, and stamps.  Here are 2 cards I made recently with my new goodies.

supplies: white cardstock, old Susan Branch holly design paper, Honey Bee Stamps Floral Noel stencils, twisted citron, mowed lawn, abandoned coral, and festive berries distress inks, Floral Noel dies, sentiment from Floral Noel stamp set, small adhesive foam squares, tiny rhinestone gems

The stencils also include larger versions of the flower sprigs, and the dies also include a smaller version of both Noel and Joy.  Here's what I did with some of those.

supplies: white and matte metallic gold cardstock, Floral Noel stencils, Floral Noel dies, Spellbinders Floral embossing folder, Pink Fresh Stitched Scallop Rectangle die, tiny gold gems 

Everything was easy to work with, and I'm so glad I was able to add them to my collection!  Once again, I'll add these to the current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, to use dies.

Thank you for coming by today - hope I've inspired you in some small way!