Saturday, December 31, 2016

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

Thursday, December 29, 2016

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

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

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!

Guest Designer: Susan

Our Sponsor This Week:  STAMPlorations


Thanks for visiting,
Judy

Friday, December 16, 2016

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  

Thursday, December 15, 2016

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

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

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