Mini Christmas Cards

Hello, friends!  I am really enjoying Christmas vacation and can't believe it is already New Year's Eve!  Time flies when you are having fun!

I wanted to share a project with you that I worked on all day yesterday.  I was inspired to make a lot of mini Christmas cards (measuring three inches square) to have on hand for next Christmas season.  I had a few in my stash that I had purchased a few years ago, and we used them all this year.  They are a great size for teacher gift bags, pollyanna gifts, etc., especially when you don't need a full sized card.

I decided to look online to see if I could find envelopes this size, and sure enough I did!  (Thank you, Amazon!)

The best part about this whole project is that I didn't buy any new supplies!  Everything I used -- from papers to stamps to stickers to due cuts -- I already had in my stash of supplies.  Boy, it sure feels good to use your stuff!

Here is the total mini card haul...thirty-one cards!

Most of the cards have a holiday messade inside, although I left some blank.  This was a great way to use up some busy patterned papers!  Here are some closer shots:

(These are awaiting some embellishment, I didn't decide what I want on them yet!)

I am so happy to have accomplished this before next Christmas arrives...I tend to feel my most creative after Christmas is over and I can finally find some time to relax and play!  Just when everyone is starting their Valentine's Day cards, I'm finally in the mood to make some Christmas cards!  :)

Thanks for sticking with me though a long post.  Best wishes for a very happy, healthy new year!  I can't believe that I started this blog on New year's Day in 2011... that means I am starting my seventh year of blogging!  Thank you for coming along for the ride with me!

Take good care,

Judy

Christmas Thank You Cards

Hello, friends!  I hope you are enjoying the holiday season!  We have been in full swing with birthdays and Christmas celebratons (not to mention daughter getting her wisdom teeth removed today).  So, while she is asleep, I am going to quickly share three thank you cards.

I am a firm believer in writing thank you notes for gifts received, and I have my kids write them, too.  With four kids and lots of family, that usually means I need a lot of thank you cards during this time of year!

To make it simple, I bought some plain thank you notes at Michael's ($1 per pack) and stamped on them.

First up: two cards stamped with one of my favorite Papertrey Ink stamp sets (Wreath for All Seasons).  The red bows were made with a Martha Stewart punch on red sparkly paper.  Doesn't get any easier than this, folks!

 

For my third card, I used a beautiful new set from Sunny Studio Stamps -- a recent purchase with my prize as part of the Winter Coffee Lover's Blog Hop.  The layering stamps in this Holiday Style Stamps set are SO amazing!  I can tell this is going to quickly become one of my favorite Christmas stamp sets!

Well, that's it for me today.  Off to reapply the ice packs to some sore cheeks (poor baby)!  

Thanks for stopping by,

Judy

CASology #229: TOAST

Hello, friends!  It's time for the last CASology challenge of 2016...and this one will last for two weeks as we watch the year come to an end!

I decided to toast all of you...I wish you all a new year filled with happiness!  Thank you for your support and encouragement throughout the year...I do appreciate it so much! Cheers to you!

Supplies:
Stamps: STAMPlorations (Fond Expressions 2); Sweet Stamp Shop (Happy Hour)
Inks: MFT (Black Licorice); Distress Inks (Wild Honey, Spun Sugar, Tumbles Glass)
Other: ARTplorations stencil (Retro Circles); Sakura gelly roll pen (Clear Star); Bronze Yellow colored pencil

Since I used my STAMPlorations sentiment and stencil, I'm also entering this card into the December CAS Card Challenge (I did not use the optional color twist) as well as the Never-Ending Anything Goes Challenge.  Thanks for sponsoring our challenge this week, STAMPlorations!

Be sure to link up your TOAST card before the end of the year...this challenge lasts two weeks! You will also be inspired by the many ways our Design Team and Guest Designer interpreted the cue, so be sure to check out their blogs, too!

Ardyth Percy-Robb
Deidre Payne

Hannelie Bester
Hazel Hodgkins
Jacquie Southas
Jen Wills
Joyce Mehrberg
Judy Marino --> that's me!
Kymona Tracey
Melissa Chipperfield
Sherrie Mannion
Tracey McNeely

Guest Designer: Susan

Our Sponsor This Week:  STAMPlorations

Thanks for visiting,

Judy

Precious Remembrance Shop - Christmas Thank You Inspiration!

Hello, friends!  I am sharing a project over on the Precious Remembrance Shop blog today and I hope you will go over and check it out!

This week the Design Team has been highlighting Christmas thank you cards using some great Precious Remembrance Shop stamp sets.  Here is a sneak peek of my card using the "Thanks" stamp set along with "Oh Christmas".

I hope you'll go check it out!
Take care,
Judy

Winter Coffee Lover's Blog Hop - Day 8

Hello, friends!  I am back for Day 8, the final day of the Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop! I'm so happy that I was able to participate very day of the hop this year...what a fun way to use my stash and make a bunch of holiday cards, too!  Sending out HUGE thanks to Amy for doing such an amazing job organizing and running ths hop...and to all the amazing commenters who are somehow finding the time to make it around to every blog posting a card!  THANK YOU!

Today I made a card using one of my favorite stamps from Purple Onion Designs called "Cups of Joy" designed by Heidi Grace Kress!  I paired the image with a pretty Christmas sentiment from WPlus 9 called "Hand Lettered Holiday."  What an easy, one-layered card!

Supplies:

Stamps: Purple Onion Designs (Cups of Joy); WPlus9 (Hand Lettered Holiday)

Inks: Adirondack (Cranberry); Copics; white gel pen

Other: twine

I can't thank you enough for visiting my blog throughout this hop.  Thanks for coming along for the ride...I do appreciate it!

Happy Hopping!

Judy  

Happy International Tea Day: Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop - Day 7!

Hello, friends!  I am back for Day 7 of the Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop! Today we also celebrate International Tea Day!

Today I made a card using two free digi images shared by Verve Stamps during last winter's CLBH.  I love the tea cup with a holly sprig resting on the saucer!  I highlighted the snowflake background paper by layering the tag with a sparkly silver tag under the main image.  The red bow is also die cut from glitter paper!

Supplies:

Stamps: Verve (Cup of Kindness free digis)

Dies: Avery Elle (Scalloped Border); Reverse Confetti (bow)

Other: DCWV glitter paper

One final note for today: a quick shout out Happy Birthday to my CASology Design Teammate, Hazel Hodgkins!  Happy Birthday, Hazel!  Enjoy your special day!!

Thanks for stopping by today,

Judy

STAMPlorations and the Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop - Day 6!

Hello, friends!  I am back for Day 6 of the Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop!  I'm also playing along with the current STAMPlorations December CAS Challenge  in which the optional color twist is red and green.  Along those lines, I'll also share this card in the STAMPlorations Never-ending Anything Goes Challenge.

Today's card features a STAMPlorations die and a Hampton Art sentiment stamp that I actually won during the Fall CLBH (thanks again, Gloria!).  I think I am going to slip this into my husband's lunch bag...I can't think of anyone better to give it to!

I used a stripe of red and green on the left edge of the card, and I added the red glitter heart atop of the brown glitter coffee cup.  It's hard to see, but this card has lots of sparkle!

Supplies:

Stamps: Hampton Art - Gloria Stengel Designs

Inks: green Copic marker; Antique Linen distress ink

Dies: STAMPlorations (Coffee Cup Silhouette); country heart punch

Other: DCWV glitter card stock (red, brown); patterned paper

Thank you so much for visiting today!

Take good care,

Judy

CASology #228: BOW

Hello, friends!  Tuesday has arrived, and so has our new cue card at CASology!

I'm also playing along with the current sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch #201...it goes perfectly with our cue card this week!

At this time of year, I am always looking for quick, easy, CAS card designs...and this one doesn't get any easier!  I die cut a rectangle and a bow using glitter card stock, dry embossed a frame on my card base, stamped my sentiment, and adhered the gift. Voila! Done!

Supplies:

Stamps: Hero Arts (Celebrate Everyday)

Inks: Adirondack (Red Pepper)

Dies: Spellbinders (rectangle); Memory Box (Crisp Bows)

Other: DCWV glitter card stock; Darice embossing folder (Oblong Doily)

I can't wait to see what the cue word BOW means to you!  Be sure to link up your card by noon on Monday (Central time) and check out the inspiration from the Design Team and Guest Designer this week!

Ardyth Percy-Robb
Deidre Payne

Hannelie Bester
Hazel Hodgkins
Jacquie Southas
Jen Wills
Joyce Mehrberg
Judy Marino --> that's me!
Kymona Tracey
Melissa Chipperfield
Sherrie Mannion
Tracey McNeely -- taking a break

Guest Designer: Bobby

Our Sponsor This Week:  Birch Press Design

Thanks for visiting,

Judy

Happy National Cocoa Day: Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop - Day 5!

Hello, friends!  I am back for Day 5 of the Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop in order to celebrate National Cocoa Day!

This sweet little hedgehog from Gerda Steiner Designs could have anything in that cup, I guess...but I always think of hot chocolate when I think of snow, so that's what I think it is!

Supplies:

Stamps: Gerda Steiner Designs (Coffee Hedgehog); MFT (Burlap); Hero Arts (Very Merry Christmas)

Inks: MFT (Black Licorice); Simon Says Stamp (Khaki); Adirondack (Red Pepper); 

     distress inks (Spun Sugar, Tumbled Glass)

Dies: Mama Elephant (Index Card Creative Cuts)

Other: Perfect Pearls Mist (Perfect Pearl); white gel pen; Glossy Accents

I added sparkly snow to the sky by masking and spritzing with Perfect Pearls Mist...can you see the shine?

I'm going to add this card to the current Gerda Steiner Designs 27th Share Your Design Challenge, too!

Thanks for stopping by...and Happy National Cocoa Day!
Judy

Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop - Day 4!

Hello, friends!  Happy Monday!  I am back again for Day 4 of the Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop!

Today I made a card using some free digital images shared with us last winter by Verve -- they are now available for purchase as part of the set called "Coffee Helps."  However, in case you are interested, Verve is offering yet another free digital set during this Winter Coffee Lover's Blog Hop called "My Cup to Yours" and it is available for download until December 31st!

I printed this awesome sentiment and sweet cup onto white card stock, then die cut both and mounted to a pretty patterned paper. (I also mounted the circle on foam for some dimension.) A few sparkly snowflakes, some glitter pen outlines, and a coat of Glossy Accents on the mug finished it off!

Supplies:

Stamps: Verve (Coffee Helps digital set)

Inks: Copic markers

Dies: MFT (Vertical Greetings); Simon Says Stamp (Stitched Circles); Reverse Confetti (dashed edge - name?)

Other: Glossy Accents; snowflake sequins; foam; Sakura Glitter Pen

 

Thank you for visiting today!

Judy