Looking Back at My Favorite Cards of 2019

This is my 9th year of choosing my favorite cards for the year. If you need further details, you can click on each one to take you back to the original post.

This first one happens to be my very first post for the year 2019 - I love the soft colors!

February is the month I usually get the winter blues, so I'm always looking forward to spring - here are some cards full of flowers.

Daffodils are the flower for March, my birth month, and I usually do a card or two each year featuring a bunch of them.

From April, I chose a simple design - this card uses the Hemstitch Rectangles die, which has become one of my most-used items.

From May, here are several that I really enjoyed making.

From June I chose this card that features the same cover die that you saw up above in May.

From July,

I must have made a couple of dozen of these flowers for myself and family; these are dies designed by Tammy Tutterow.

Here are my August choices:

September is my okay to start making autumn cards, and I jumped in with both feet!

October continued the fall theme.

November is a nice transition into some of our most loved holidays.

And here we are back in December!

Do you have a favorite here?  I'd love to see your post if you do a similar one - please link to it in the comments.  

Blogging continues to decline, so I truly treasure my loyal visitors!  Sending you fond wishes for a creative 2020!

A Winter Thank You

I wanted to make a thank you card for a sweet lady, and when I found out she lived in Texas, I grabbed this fun Big Howdy snowman to make it.

supplies: white and Surf Blue cardstock, snowflake dp from Sunny Studio Holiday Cheer pad, circle die, PrintWorks Big Howdy cling snowman, Paper Smooches Birch Tree die, Impression Obsession cardinal die, sentiment from Simon Frozen Fractels set,  Echo Park Snow Flurry embossing folder, twine

I first saw this stamp at Pam Sparks' blog, and she had added this lasso idea to her card - I think it's genius!  She was the reason I bought this stamp, as we have family in TX.  So glad to be able to pull it out and use it again this year!

Thanks for stopping by!

For a Special Lady

......who had a birthday recently and loves pink.

supplies: white, black, shades of pinky coral and green cardstock, Altenew Layered Rose dies, Avery Elle Loads of Wishes sentiment, Spellbinders Floral embossing folder

It's been a good while since I've played with these layering dies - I love how they look when finished!  I used Press 'n' Seal to hold my arrangement together and get everything placed just where I wanted it.

Happy Weekend!

Bottled Up

A quick share of some more Greetery stamps.

supplies: white cardstock, Doodlebug gingham and SN@P Basics plank dps, The Greetery Bottled Up and Winter Budding Beauties layering stamp sets, Altenew Green Meadows and Red Sunset mini ink cubes

Thanks for stopping by!

Winter Wonderland

I wanted to play with some more new Greetery goodies, so I made a winter card!

supplies: white and Peacock Teal cardstock, The Greetery Winter Sketches and Robin and Wren layering stamp sets, Altenew mini ink cubes, Simon's 4 Seasons die and (retired) Hand Lettered Winter Wishes snowflake, stamped sentiment from Winnie & Walter Big Bold Seasons, Penny Black Stitched Stackers die, evergreen bough distress ink

I love these stamp sets that stamp layers to give detail - both the branch and the bird are that kind.   I also love how nicely all of these stamps play together - it's fun to mix up new and old!

How are your Christmas preparations going?  I think I'm ready!

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

Happy Wednesday - welcome to our challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge blog!

Our theme this week (and for 2 weeks until the New Year!) is Party Time, and we are playing with our very own Simon Exclusive products.

With the timing, my mind jumped to a Happy New Year's card - here's what I came up with this week.

supplies: white, black, and gold metallic cardstock, Simon's Stitched Alphabet, Holiday Hellos, Your Next Stamp Mini Star Splatter, Liquid Platinum embossing powder, MFT Wonky Stitched Rectangles die, star sequins, adhesive foam strips

I first stamped my "party" letters, then masked them and overstamped the star confetti, embossing it in liquid platinum.  The letters were colored in in black, the panel was trimmed using a stitching die, and I spaced out Happy, New, and Year over the letters.  For more glitz, I mounted the panel on gold metallic cardstock.  The small words were raised over the letters and I added a couple gold star sequins.

Here's another angle to see more of the gold embossing.

And a closer shot so that you can see the little words.

 Now it's your turn!  We have a $50.00 gift certificate 

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

We'll be taking a break from challenges until 2020 arrives - enjoy your holidays and see you back here then!

One Last Christmas Card

This one uses one of my new Greetery goodies with some oldies but goodies.....

supplies: Schoolhouse Red and white cardstock, red and white gingham dp, PTI Birch Frame Mix & Mat die, The Greetery Winter Budding Beauties stamp and matching die, Altenew Green Meadows mini inks, Simon Merry die (retired), bow from Pink Fresh Studio, (retired) Tim Holtz birch embossing folder

I just have a few more cards to address and mail today, and I'm calling this year a wrap for Christmas cards!

Thanks for stopping by - have a great week!

Merry Bear

Here's one more card using the Woodland Critter Huggers and Winter Add-on dies that I used for the most recent Simon Wednesday challenge.  I made a more feminine card this time, a little girl bear bearing Christmas treats, and changed up the colors to some pastels.

supplies: white, Cotton Candy, Green Apple, kraft, tan, medium pink, and dark brown cardstock, a pink gingham and a swirled blue cardstock, Lawn Fawn Woodland Critter Huggers and Winter Add-On dies, Simon's (retired) Presents and Ornaments sentiment, white pom pom

The little dies in the Add-On set are darling - holly leaves and berries, a mug of hot chocolate, complete with a dollop of cream, a gingerbread man!  This was like playing with paper dolls!

Love You More Release!

Simon Says Stamp has a new release, and they're calling it Love You More!

I was sent these You are Loved dies.  I went clean and simple with this one and let the dies shine.

supplies:white and Tim Holtz pink Metallic Kraft cardstock, new You Are Loved dies, Simon Mini Heart and heart Highlight Frames dies, Paper Smooches Fab Frames die, unknown heart embossing folder

Be sure to visit THIS PAGE to see all the wonderful products in this release - there are 28 new things!  And for ideas on how to use them, I hope you'll visit our Gallery HERE.

Simon Says.......Interactive Christmas

Happy Wednesday - welcome to our challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog!

This week we're asking you to make something for Christmas that is interactive.  The team is playing with Lawn Fawn goodies!  

I pulled out my Woodland Critter Huggers that I bought earlier this year, added the Winter Add-Ons, and made 2 cards.  Today's post is pretty photo-heavy, but I wanted you to see the possibilities with these fun dies!

First up, a slider card and a fox.  Here it is as it will look coming out of the envelope.

When his arms open, up he's holding a Joy banner.

And when you pull the tab upwards, he slides up to reveal a hidden message.

supplies: white, cream, Dark Chocolate, Burnt Orange, kraft, Schoolhouse Red,  Cotton Candy, Surf Blue, and Audrey Blue cardstock, a tiny blue plaid dp for his scarf and hat, wood plank dp as background, Woodland Critter Huggers and Winter Add-Ons dies, MFT Blueprint 20 banner and letters from Hero Arts Alphabet Uppercase dies, sentiment from Simon's Holiday Greetings Mix 1, Lipstick Red ink, MFT Slider Surprise dies, Lawn Fawn twine, white pom pom

My 2nd card is more traditional.  This time I made a deer holding a wreath.

And when his arms open wide, there's a tiny message inside.

supplies: white, kraft, cream, Dark Chocolate, Green Leaf, and Lipstick Red cardstock, a snowflake dp from a past cardkit, Sunny Studio Classic Gingham dp, front and reverse, Woodland Critter Huggers and Winter Add-Ons dies, PTI Mix and Mat die (birch frame), PinkFresh Studio wreath, Hero Arts metallic dots as berries, Simon's Tiny Words Christmas sentiments, Lipstick Red ink, white embossing powder, white pom pom

Now it's your turn!  We have a $50.00 gift certificate 

to the amazing Simon Says Stamp store for 1 lucky random winner of this week's challenge!  I can't wait to see what you all make this week!

A New Venture for Tammy!

Hello friends!

Tammy Tutterow is debuting a line of dies and stamps from Maker's Movement!  I was thrilled to receive them, and will be sharing with you as I play with them.  Today I have some cards and tags using some of her new designs.

supplies: black and pink cardstock, dps from Carta Bella Botanical Garden paper pad, Tammy's Nested Square Tags, sentiment from her new Sweet Petite Sentiments clear stamps, my own green leafy ribbon and a paper rose

Do you have lots of 6" paper pads like I do?  These nesting dies are perfect to use a couple of coordinating papers and make a super simple tag for any occasion.  I thought this one would work for a wedding or shower.  In order to separate the patterns a bit, I cut each tag a 2nd time from a solid cardstock, then trimmed the printed one just a tad on the sides so that the solid would "frame" it and let each pretty pattern show up better.  

Next up is a birthday tag.

supplies: Lipstick Red, Green Leaf, Sunshine, Orange Peel, and Burnt Orange cardstock,  a plaid and a neutral design paper, Tammy's Nested Round Top Tags, her Petite Posy dies, and a sentiment from Sweet Petite Sentiments, enamel dots 

Here I used the largest and smallest of the nested dies, first cutting out the large one from a plaid patterned paper, and then from that I cut out the small one.  I also cut a 2nd large tag as a lining (and a place to adhere my heart).  I glued that to the back of the large plaid tag.   I added flowers on both tags, stamped my sentiment on the smaller one, and added the heart (which comes in the tag set) to the backing for the large tag.  These poseys and the prim heart are Tammy's signature designs, and happen to be favorite motifs of mine, too!  I just used one of the poseys and 1 leaf, but the Posey set contains 20 different pieces!

If you're wondering about size, the largest of each set are about 2 3/4 inches wide by 4 3/8" long, a perfect size as a stand-alone, or to mount onto a card front.

Next I have a baby card using a darling stamp set.  Again I mixed it with some patterned paper.

supplies: white, Mint and Cotton Candy cardstock, floral patterned paper, Tammy's Little Feet stamps (onesie and sentiment), tiny pink buttons

This is a sketch that I've used before.  I love that the sentiment is part solid and part outline, so that the colors you use can be brought in there, too.  

And one more.

supplies: white cardstock, dps from Doodlebug, Sweet Petite Sentiments stamps and matching dies, a heart embossing folder

These dies consist of an oval that will hold any of Tammy's Sweet Petite Sentiments, and a larger scalloped oval to frame it, plus a selection of 3 posies and some leaves.  

Be sure to check out Tammy's entire release - I know you'll find something there that appeals to you! Thanks for coming by today!