Looking Back at my Favorite Cards from 2017

For many years now I have continued a tradition wherein I revisit my personal favorites of the past year.  I hope you'll enjoy seeing them once again, too - if you need any details, just click on the photo, and you'll be taken back to the original post.  I'm beginning with last January and moving forward in the calendar - you can see the seasons change as you scroll down......let's get started!

Flowers continue to be my first love, followed closely by wreaths, plaid and gingham, and woodgrain planking.  I notice I evidently have retained my love of blues, too, but lots of color for the most part makes me smile when I'm creating.  And I still use a fair amount of printed papers.    

A door closed this year when Tammy Tutterow's Creative Team dissolved.  She is well-represented here, and I will sorely miss the inspiration she and the others on that team gave me.  Comments and visits continue to dwindle, as do the number of my posts compared to years past.  I wonder what will happen with blogging as the future unfolds?  I'm as guilty as anyone of not spending the time I used to visiting blogs, but I truly do think they represent each of us better than the quickie fixes of IG and FB.  The world just keeps spinning faster and faster and we along with it, a sad state of affairs in my opinion......

I'd love to hear your thoughts, and please share a link if you do a similar year-end post.  I send hugs and thanks to my loyal visitors, and wish all of you a Happy, Healthy, and Creative 2018!

Simon Says..........Anything Goes!

Happy Wednesday!  Welcome to our last challenge of 2017 at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog!

Our theme this week, as always at the end of each month, is Anything Goes, and the team is showcasing Lawn Fawn products.  I've used a favorite little stamp set and matching dies today, along with some other Lawn Fawn goodies.  I used the plaid as my guide for a color scheme, and kept the colors low-key and soft.....

supplies: white, glitter white, Simon Surf Blue, and Lawn Fawn Perfectly Plaid Winter patterned paper, Lawn Fawn Winter Sparrows stamps and matching dies, Zig markers, Lawn Fawn Stitched Snowflakes dies,  BirchPress Design Let It Snow die, glue pen and prisma glitter, Memory Box Pinpoint Rectangles

The sentiment dies are made so that you can also emboss them to make it look like there is snow across their tops - I emphasized this by adding some glitter to them with a glue pen.  I did the same on the middle bird's hat.

Now it's your turn!  Heidi has provided another $50.00 gift voucher

to the amazing Simon Says Stamp store for 1 lucky random winner of this week's challenge!

Five for Friday! A Sad Farewell

Tammy has decided to bring our creative team to a close.  She has made this team fun, and it was a pleasure and a joy to be part of it - it's been one of my best experiences, and I'm heart-broken that it's coming to an end.  I adore Tammy's designs, they all come from  her heart, and am in awe of my teammates talents; I loved seeing how each of the team interpreted Tammy's designs.  I am going to miss our official Friday posts, but I'll be using Tammy's products forever - they are that timeless!

I have 2 cards for our final Five for Friday today, both of them in the colors of the season.

supplies: cream, green, and Schoolhouse Red card stock, striped paper from Authentique Retro Christmas, Rejoice cling stamp, Zig markers to color, Martha Stewart Doily Lace punch, clear Wink of Stella pen, tiny gold pearls

This stamp could be used for many situations, but I chose to make a Christmas card this time - we certainly have so many things to rejoice for at this time of year!   I simply colored it in reds and greens, with a bit of yellow for the stars, and added a bit of twinkle with a Wink of Stella clear brush. The panel was then added to this seasonal stripe along with some punched lace.  The trio of roses on each side of the card was separately stamped, cut out, and lifted above the base, adding some little gold pearls.  This is a big stamp, so my card turned out to be 6" X 5 1/2".

My final card is for Tammy and uses one of my favorites of her designs - she and I share a love of hearts and flowers, so I thought this card would serve to let her know how fortunate I felt being a part of her journey......that tiny sentiment at the bottom says it all.  So charming!

supplies: Bristol paper and a burgundy dot dp, Tammy's Thank You cling stamp, Zig markers to color, spun sugar distress ink to shade heart, buttons, Memory Box Pinpoint Rectangle die

And this card serves to thank you for supporting our team during our time together......

I hope you'll visit Tammy's Blog to see what my teammates have made - prepare to be wowed!  And Tammy, I wish you all the very best - I know we'll be seeing lots of your designs going forward!

Simon Says........Party Time!

Happy Wednesday!  Welcome to another challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog!

This week we want you to get your party on and show us something festive!  We are showcasing Simon's exclusive products this week.

I wanted to make a card that would work for any happy occasion, though with New Year's on the way, I wanted to make it extra festive, so I did that by adding glittery papers to my design.

supplies: white, Simon's Audrey Blue and Doll Pink cardstock, silver, raspberry and turquoise glitter card stock, Simon's Birthday Bits clear stamp set (sentiment, stars),  silver, Simon Doll Pink, and Audrey Blue inks, Liquid Platinum embossing powder (sentiment), Tammy Tutterow Party dies, Simon's Holiday Shapes die (stars), MFT Wonky Stitched Rectangle die

I cut my hat pieces from silver and raspberry glitter card stock, (used a circle die from my stash for the dots on the hat) and pieced it together.  The sentiment was embossed for more sparkle, and after affixing these 2 elements, I stamped star confetti all around, adding some stars cut from the glitter papers also.

Now it's your turn!  Heidi has provided another $50.00 gift voucher

to the amazing Simon Says Stamp store for 1 lucky random winner of this week's challenge!

Sharing a Christmas Card.......

.........a mix of old and new.  I'm winding down the year and will be around mostly for assigned DT posts, but I may sneak in and out to share some Christmas cards you haven't seen yet for this year.

supplies: Schoolhouse Red, green, white and gold foiled card stock, PTI Mix & Mat Scallops dies, Spellbinders Layered Poinsettia dies, (retired) The Craft Meow sentiment, gold pearl, adhesive foam strips

I love the elegant effect that this rectangular doily set of dies gives to my card.  In my mind I can imagine them as snowflakes.   It is actually a set of 3 dies, but I've left them attached to cut them and this is the result.  I was afraid that my black ink would smear on the gold foil paper, so I quickly heat embossed it with clear powder to avoid that problem.  This set of poinsettia dies cuts and also embosses some detail into the petals; I used 3 of the smallest sizes.

Hope you're enjoying your weekend.  I'm listening to some wonderful music on PBS tonight!

New Simon Release!

Simon is unveiling some a new release called Friends!  Here's a quick card I made with what I was sent.

supplies: white cardstock, Doodlebug dps, Simon's Love and Friendship stamp set, Zig markers, MFT Wonky Stitched Rectangle die

I'm no colorist, so I tried to minimize that by paper-piecing as much as I could.  This set has lots of tiny sentiments that will fit inside this big balloon, plus lots of other stamps that you can mix and match with these little friends.

It's nice to switch to something besides Christmas cards.  Go HERE to see the full release!  What's your favorite?

Simon Says.........Stitch It!

Happy Wednesday!  Welcome to another challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog!

Our theme this week is Stitch It!  Make sure you have some kind of stitching on your creation - it can be stamped, actually stitched, or you could use a stitched die of some kind.  We are showcasing We R Memory Keepers goodies this week, and I had lots of fun and made 2 cards!

supplies: white and aqua card stock, We R Memory Keepers Stitch Happy Card Kit, navy embroidery floss and needle, Simon's Expressions for You die and matching stamp set and Stitched Rectangle dies, Hero Arts Navy ink, Doodlebug heart sprinkles, adhesive foam squares

The card kit includes 10 cards and envelopes and ephemera to match.  I chose 2 of the cards in this navy stripe and dots and used my Simon Stitched Rectangles to cut out some panels.  I framed the smaller striped panel in white card stock, then used my needle to punch holes along the edges, following the stitches from the die.  Then I simply stitched with embroidery floss all the way around, and after adding the floral die cut from the kit, I tied a bow at the top left corner.  After adding my sentiment, I lifted this panel above the rest of the card.

My friend Mary Anne reminded me about perforated paper to use with cross-stitching, so I incorporated that along with another of the printed cards and this sweet little bird in the ephemera pack.

supplies: white and ivory cardstock, We R Memory Keepers Stitch Happy Card Kit, (card and bird), cream perforated paper, 3 colors of DMZ embroidery floss, Simon's Sending and Wishing stamps and Spring Rain ink, MFT Stitched Mini Scallop Square die

I tried to pull the colors from the dots for my stitched hearts, and then just added my panel to a scalloped frame.  Isn't this bird sweet?

Now it's your turn!  Heidi has provided another $50.00 gift voucher

to the amazing Simon Says Stamp store for 1 lucky random winner of this week's challenge!

Merry & Bright Tag

Here's a tag I made earlier but haven't shared yet.

supplies: white, Doll Pink, and Audrey Blue card stock, Simon's Pine Needle Wreath die and Merry & Bright dies, Spellbinder's Scalloped Circle die, pink ribbon, pink gems

This wreath die is perfect for a round tag and using dies makes making tags fast and easy - this could be made in colors to match your wrapping paper, and it could double for an ornament, too!

How are your Christmas preparations going?  Thanks for stopping by during this busy season!

Five for Friday

It's time for another of Tammy's Five for Friday posts, and I have 2 cards for you today.

My first card reflects the coziness of the season.

supplies: white, pink, and Core'dinations aqua card stock, pink and aqua Amuse petite polka dot and aqua Penny Black gingham papers, Tammy's Mittens cling stamp, Taylored Expressions Winter Flurry embossing folder, Tim Holtz Holiday Knit stencil and picked raspberry distress oxide ink, retired sentiment from Hero Arts Holiday Sayings, tiny pink buttons

I stamped the mittens on some petite polka dot and gingham papers, cut them out, and pieced in the hearts and cuffs, adding a button on each.   I stenciled the sweater pattern, trimmed and framed it, and embossed and sanded the snowflakes and trimmed that.  Then I just layered everything up.

My next card is for Christmas.

supplies: ivory, gold, and green cardstock, tiny red check patterned paper from Authentique, Tammy's Be Merry cling stamp, Zig markers to color and a clear Wink of Stella brush to add a bit of sparkle on the red letters, Tim Holtz Mini Holiday Greens pine die, Lawn Fawn twine

I stamped  the design on both gold cardstock and the patterned background paper, then added the colored details on the gold one, cut it out, and glued it over the patterned one.  I added some greenery and a bow to make it look like it's hanging from a tree.

I hope you'll visit Tammy's Blog to see what my talented sisters have done this time!  They always blow me away!

Simon Says.........Gift It!

Happy Wednesday!  Welcome to another challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog!

Our theme this week is "Gift It!" - make a gift tag, a gift box, wrapping paper, anything that has to do with a gift.  The design team are showcasing My Favorite Things this week.  I have really grown to love making tags, so that's what I have for you this week.

supplies: white cardstock and various design papers to match colors in image, My Favorite Things Santa's Elves clear stamps, markers to color, MFT Stitched Tag die, Lawn Fawn twine and my own jingle bells

I knew I wanted to use this stamp set for this week's challenge, it's one of my favorites for the holidays, and when I pulled it out of my Christmas supplies, I found this little guy and his pile of gifts all colored and cut out already!  Talk about easy, all I had to do was find some matching papers, and mount everything onto my tag.  I decided to add some bells because he has one hanging from his hat!

Now it's your turn!  Heidi has provided another $50.00 gift voucher

to the amazing Simon Says Stamp store for 1 lucky random winner of this week's challenge!