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Friday, December 28, 2018

Forgotten Easter cards...

I was browsing through my files of 2018 card photos, reminiscing about some of the cards I had made during the year, when I came upon a file of forgotten Easter cards. They were cards I had made for the thrift store to sell--something I am planning on doing again in 2019.

I knew it was a never-used batch of photos, because I had not so much as cropped them to a more usable size--something I always do before posting them.

So anyway, here are three of the cards from that file:


These are very simple designs, but fun to make. I love making paper flowers, so I was in my element with these cards.


The flowers, leaves and oval were all made with unbranded dies.

The double-scallop edge was made with a Martha Stewart border punch.















This card features another unbranded die. I cut it out of green first, and then cut it again out of purple. I cut the purple flowers away from the rest of it and layered them on top of the green die-cut, finishing them off with a tiny pearl.















This card was made using the same tools as the first one.

These simple designs actually sold quite well last Easter. I hope my 2019 cards sell equally well. It's fun to help the store make a few extra dollars to support its food shelf and community outreach.

We are hunkered down this weekend as we steel ourselves for the cold weather that is coming our way. We may have a sub-zero day tomorrow. Brrrr!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.
Cheryl

Friday, December 21, 2018

A quilted Christmas...


Just a quick post today as we barrel through the last few days before Christmas. I had a quilted square (unbranded die) in my "card parts" box from last year. I pulled it out and decided to use it on a card.  I had the patterned paper lying on my desk, too, and it just happened to have the same shades of green on it as my quilted square.

My poinsettia was made with a Cheery Lynn Holly Leaves die, and I added some teeny, tiny metal gems in the center.

After taking the photo, I realized my sentiment was a bit off kilter. Oh well. It happens. I didn't bother to fix it. Too many other more important things to do. I'm hoping the person who received this card isn't too picky!!


On the inside of my card I used a scalloped piece of the patterned paper and a stamped sentiment.

With my quilted square all made up and ready to go, this card was finished in about 10 minutes.

We are heading to my daughter's home tomorrow. It will be so much fun to spend holiday time with her and her family.

I hope your holiday plans are coming together and that you're looking forward to time with loved ones.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL OF YOU!!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.
Cheryl

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Oh, Christmas tree...


I'm sharing a couple more Christmas cards today that feature that wavy sentiment and die set (unbranded) that I purchased not long ago. I've definitely gotten some good use out of it this year.




I kept the cards very simple with some pretty Stampin' Up paper and a small tree die-cut (also unbranded). I added some glitter here and there on the tree and a tiny sparkly blue star.














On the inside of this card, I added a wavy die-cut of one of the papers used on the front and added three more sparkly stars, along with my stamped sentiment.

I wasn't sure if this embellishment worked, so I'd love to know what you think of it.













For my second card I used a dark green card base (because it was sitting on my work bench begging to be used!) and two more coordinating Stampin' Up papers.

I cut my green tree out of the same green cardstock as the base, again added some glitter here and there and topped it with a sparkly white star.












On the inside of this card I stamped some green snowflakes and added some sparkle to them with a glitter pen.


















Today it will be 45 degrees (7.2 Celsius) and sunny in the Twin Cities. That is downright balmy for this time of year in the Northland!! I do plan to get outside a bit, but I'll be running errands, so it will mostly be walking from the car into the store. I promise to park on the far side of the lot, though! LOL

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.
Cheryl

Friday, December 14, 2018

Bringing home the Christmas tree...


I am most often inspired by other papercrafters, and one person who inspires me regularly is Hannelie, or "Desert Diva" as she is known in blogland. She made a card very similar to the above cards some weeks ago, and I couldn't help but CASE it.

You'll find Hannelie's card here. The card design came from LoveSVG, and if you'd like to give it a try, you'll find it here. It's a free SVG file and so much fun to put together. I cut out all the pieces, including the snowy frames, with my Silhouette. The paper for the frames is from Stampin' Up.

The sparkly snowflakes that you see near the car and tree were punched out with a Recollections punch. I did add some vellum behind the car windows, but it was totally unnecessary, because you really can't even see it. Not even IRL!!


The big bow was cut from some shimmery gold paper, and then I added a shimmery enamel dot at the center.

My "Merriest Wishes" stamp is from a Momenta set.













I decorated the inside of my card with a couple strips of the snowflake patterned paper and two more of those glittery punched snowflakes.

The sentiment here is from the same Momenta stamp set I used on the front.











I am finishing up my cookie baking today. When I started getting out the supplies I needed, I found I only had two colored sugars--red and green--for my cut-out cookies. I could have gone with just the two colors, but I decided that was a little dull, so I quickly made my own yellow and blue sugars.


To make my colored sugar, I put 1/4 cup of white sugar into a small jelly jar (see it in the photo above?) and added 10 drops of food coloring, scattering them over the sugar. I covered and then shook the jar until the color was evenly distributed. Finally, I spread the sugar out on a plate to dry, stirring occasionally to make sure no lumps formed. It only took about an hour to dry, and--voila!!--perfect colored sugar.

The finished cookies are nothing fancy, but they do add some color and variety to my Christmas cookie platters. I have 10 different kinds of cookies to serve (I'm SO tired of baking), plus some sugared almonds. Closer to Christmas I'll bake some banana bread and a couple of pies. Then I will definitely quit my kitchen duty. We're going to my daughter's for Christmas day, so she'll be in charge of the kitchen then. Yay!

I hope all your Christmas preparations are going smoothly. Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.
Cheryl

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Your 60s have expired!...

Rather than posting a Christmas card, I am sharing a quick birthday card for a male friend who turns 70 today.


I created the sentiment with my computer. I think I used the "Chiller" font. I kept this card pretty CAS since it was for a male.

My two red strips of cardstock were embossed with a dotted line, using one of those border embossing folders.


The inside was also pretty plain, but I'm hoping he enjoys the sentiment.

While I was at it, I made a second copy of the outside and inside sentiments so that I can make another card like this and have it in my stash. My stash is VERY low at the moment, as I have been too busy making Christmas cards to replenish it.

Today, I am sending off the last of my Christmas packages in the mail. It will feel good to have that done! I still have to wrap those that will be hand-delivered, though.

Last night I actually mixed up a batch of Christmas cookies. I will bake them later today. And then mix up another batch or two to bake tomorrow. Progress!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.
Cheryl

Saturday, December 8, 2018

Tags, tags, tags...

I thought I would share a few of the gift tags I have made this year.


I like to make tags that are like little cards. I put the "to" and "from" on the inside, which I generally line with white cardstock, and then I add some double-sided tape to the back side for adhering them to the package.

The die-cuts that you see on the tags above are all unbranded.


This group of tags features two that have strings attached and can be tied to the ribbon on a gift package. I've used red Nuvo drops to create the berries on the stamped holly. The little poinsettia is from Marianne Creatables, but all the rest of the die-cuts were made with unbranded dies.

I made multiples of some of these tags. I'm not sure how many I made altogether, but I would guess about 40 or so. I love making them as they are quick and use up some of those scraps of paper we are all plagued with.

We had a fun night tonight. We took my brother to a musical play as a belated birthday gift. The play was called Rosetta and Marie and the music was fantastic!! If you click on the link, you will see that the review says it is "musically magnificent," and it truly is! It is the first play I have attended where the entire audience jumped to its feet en masse to give a standing ovation at the end. My brother loved it, too, which was an added bonus. It is fun to give a gift that is enjoyed so much. Especially when we get to enjoy it with him! If you live in the Twin Cities area, I definitely recommend going.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.
Cheryl


Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Let it snow...


I had a very limited amount of the snowflake paper used on the card at left, so I thought I'd give some polka-dotted paper a try. No sure I like the result! The snowflake paper looks so much better. I just wish I had more of it. It's by Stampin' Up, but I don't think they make it anymore.


My little tree was cut with an unbranded die, I believe. I have taken all my Christmas-themed dies and put them in two containers. Many of them have lost their packaging, so I'm not quite sure who made them.

My stitched landscape was also created with an unbranded die.












My cute little snowman was cut from the Doodlecharms cartridge with my Cricut. I had actually cut and assembled several of these little guys last year and hadn't used them.

 The only part of my snowman that wasn't part of the Cricut cut was his little holly necktie. This was cut with an unbranded die. It happened to be lying on my work desk while I was making this card. I looked at it and thought, "I think that would just fit around my snowman's neck!" I cut it out, and "voila!"--it fit. I added three red flat-backed pearls to finish it off.

On the inside of my card, I used a red mat, a stamped sentiment and a single blue stamped snowflake.

This card was really fun to put together--partly because I had those little snowmen ready to go! And the cards turned out pretty much as I had pictured them in my head.

My holiday preparations are coming along. I have written our Christmas letter and created the annual calendar. Friday will be my "printing day," when I will print 85 copies of the letter and 10-12 copies of the calendar. The weekend will be spent signing, stuffing and mailing cards and binding the calendars and getting them ready to mail or give to family members. This good progress has significantly reduced my stress level!!

Thanks so much for stopping by and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.
Cheryl

Friday, November 30, 2018

Still working on Christmas cards...


I found some "card parts" from last year and decided to use them this year, rather than letting them to languish for yet another year.


My first card features this sentiment, which was actually cut from a purchased card that I received last year. I dressed it up the tiniest bit by die-cutting a tiny star from glitter cardstock and popping it up on the outlined star that was already there. I thought about adding a little more glitter to some of the words, but ended up leaving it as is.

After Christmas, I always go through my cards looking for parts that can be used the following year. Sometimes I use these parts as I have done here, but more often, I use them to make gift tags. If I receive handmade cards, I always save those. I have a box of them that I look through from time to time for inspiration.


This snowman was a die-cut that I had made with an unbranded die set. The eyes and buttons were made with Nuvo drops.













The inside of this card is pretty simple with a stamped sentiment and a strip of patterned paper added for a little interest.













For my second card, I cut this chalkboard sentiment from a piece of patterned cardstock that was filled with different sentiments and images. This was the only one that was the right size and could be cleanly cut from the page. I added some sparkle to the snowflake with a glitter pen and three dark pink enamel dots as berries on the holly.

I matted my rectangle in pink to give it a more finished look.







I have a die set (unbranded) that makes these little layered flags. I used some of the same pink cardstock as the mat for the top layer with black CS underneath.




The inside of this card is very simple, with just a stamped bit of holly with pink berries.

I always feel really good when I can use up some of my "card parts"--especially those that have been hanging around for a year or more!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Thinking pink...


I'm not sure why it is, but I love Christmas cards that feature the color pink. I had a few scraps of these pretty papers--most of them leftovers from last year's card-making frenzy--so I decided to use them for this year's cards, too.''


These papers came with a magazine last year. They have such soft, pretty colors and are perfectly coordinated. My little pink poinsettia was made with a Marianne Creatables die set. Instead of using the tiny die that cuts the center stamens, I opted to put a little yellow gem there instead.

My wavy, scalloped die and sentiment is unbranded.


My card interior is pretty plain. Just a couple of pink strips along each side of my sentiment panel.

The sentiment stamp is from an unbranded Christmas set.













The paper with the children playing in the snow is one of the last pieces of this particular pattern from a 6" X 6" paper stack. I don't recall who makes the paper stack, but it's old and most likely no longer available anyway.  The pink paper is from Stampin' Up.

My little mittens were stamped and cut with a Sizzix stamp and die set.

I matted my inside sentiment with the same turquoise cardstock that I had used on the front. To add a little interest, I also stamped a pretty snowflake and added some sparkle to it with a glitter pen (even though you can't see it!).

It's been fun creating Christmas cards (I make 85 of them), but I will--once again--resolve to get more of them done ahead of time in 2019. I feel stressed when December nears and I don't have enough of them in my card box.

I also make my own gift tags, write and print a Christmas letter and create a 2019 calendar with family photos and all the birthdays and anniversaries included on it. Once the calendar is created and printed, I bind 10 of them with my Zutter Bind-It-All.

All of that is just to say, I seem to do a LOT of creating at Christmas time, and it gets a little overwhelming at times.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.
Cheryl

Friday, November 23, 2018

Christmas poinsettia...


I made this card in very traditional Christmas colors. There's nothing spectacular about it, but I think it will do for a simple Christmas greeting. The scalloped, wavy sentiment banner is an unbranded stamp and die set. There are quite a few sentiments that came with the die, so I think it will be very useful for all manner of cards.


My poinsettia was made with a Cheery Lynn die that cuts out the individual leaves. I think they're actually holly leaves, but they work great for a poinsettia, too.

The leaves can be cut in three different sizes, although here I've only used two. I glue them onto a small circle of cardstock after shaping them a bit with a shaping tool.

Once that was done, I added a few tiny metal flat-backed "gems" for my flower center and three sequins and my card was nearly finished.





On the inside of my card I stamped a sentiment and also a little sprig of holly. I also added strips of red cardstock to the top and bottom of my sentiment panel to give it some definition.

We had a lovely dinner at my daughter's house on Thanksgiving.  They did a wonderful job of brining and roasting the turkey and cooking all the side dishes. It was delicious!!

If you celebrated Thanksgiving (or not), I hope your day was as nice as ours.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.
Cheryl

Monday, November 19, 2018

"Winter Window" from Get Silvered...

I follow the blog Get Silvered and love the fun SVG files she creates and shares. I used "Winter Window" for some of my Christmas cards, and I really like how they turned out.


It was another gray, dreary day when I took these photos, so they're a little dark. So sorry!

I truly CASEd Pam's card on the Get Silvered site, cutting both the window frame and the cat out of white cardstock with my Silhouette. I considered coloring my cat gray, but decided I liked the white.


I added a few snowflakes behind the window frame. They were made with a Martha Stewart punch.

The banner was cut with an unbranded die and I heat-embossed the sentiment.

The top of the window frame and the bottom "ledge" are both popped up a bit with foam tape. The cat is likewise popped up.




I matted my inside panel and stamped the sentiment with blue ink.

This was actually a fairly quick card to make. The Silhouette did most of the work! I was able to cut several of them at a time and put them together, so that helped in building up the contents of my Christmas card box.

Thanksgiving will be here soon. What I am so thankful for at this moment is that I don't have to cook the whole meal! My daughter will be doing that, and I am only bringing lefse, dinner rolls, cranberry relish and pie for dessert.

If you celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you have a wonderful day with your loved ones. And if you don't, I hope you have a fantastic Thursday!
Cheryl





Tuesday, November 13, 2018

It's time for another Twofer Challenge...

I love the Twofer Challenge Blog, and a new challenge has recently been posted:


I decided to create a card for each of the upcoming celebrations at our house for this challenge.


I have a pretty oval wreath die (unbranded), and wanted to use it for both cards.


For my Thanksgiving card, I simply inked the leaves on the wreath a bit and colored in the "twiggy" part with a brown marker. Then I added some copper colored sequins, and voila!, I had a lovely fall wreath. The "thankful' die-cut and the terra cotta-colored edging were made with unbranded dies and my patterned paper is by Stampin' Up.




I did some stamping (really old wood stamps - not sure of brand) and also inked around the edges of my panel.

To add a little interest, I added a terra cotta-colored strip and a sprig of leaves on the inside.



For my Christmas card, I once again cut the oval wreath out of dark green paper and then added some pine tree sprigs (Martha Stewart punch), as well as a whole bunch of tiny red pearls. Since it's a Christmas card, I decided a little bow was in order, but I thought it needed to be placed at a jaunty angle. I'm not so sure about that decision after looking at the photo.

"Merry Christmas" is an unbranded die-cut, glued to a little fishtail banner. I thought the banner needed a tiny bit of inking with Tea Dye Distress ink around the edges so that it showed up a little better against my busy patterned paper (Stampin' Up).


Because the front of my card is so busy, I decided to give the recipient's eyes a rest with a CAS interior. I think my stamped sentiment is by Penny Black.

This challenge is a lot of fun, so I hope you'll give it a try, too.

As I type this, I am watching the weather on TV. They say it's going to warm up to 40áµ’ (4.5áµ’ Celsius). Since it's been getting down close to 0áµ’ (-18áµ’ Celsius). at night, 40áµ’ is going to feel downright balmy!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.
Cheryl

Sunday, November 11, 2018

Thanksgiving is right around the corner...

...so I've been busy making some cards for the occasion. I didn't make many--just a few for close family members. Here are two examples:


I'm sorry that this photo is slightly blurry, but I think you still get the essence of the card. It was a dark and dreary day, so I didn't have enough light to see clearly whether or not I was focusing the camera properly.

The leafy rectangle and the pumpkins are both unbranded dies. I used the pumpkin dies in a previous card that you can see here. I cut the leafy rectangle out of green paper and then colored in all the stems with a brown marker. It was adhered to the front of the card with spray adhesive. I can see in the photo that I got this one a bit askew. It was a little tricky to get it all stuck down properly!

This is the inside sentiment for this card. It was computer-generated.
















Here's my second card, made with cream/yellow/gray patterned cardstock and embellishments. The dies I used are all unbranded on this one, too. The sentiment was heat-embossed with silver embossing powder.


The die I used for the leaves was actually a "sprig" with multiple leaves on it. I just had to cut it apart to get what I wanted.












Here's the inside of this card, showing more shadows from the lack of sunshine. I should just be patient and wait for a sunny day to take photos, but patience isn't one of my strong suits!










Starting last year, we began celebrating Thanksgiving at my daughter's home. She lives only blocks away, so it's easy to get back and forth. It's so nice to have someone else take charge of the meal! We generally have a turkey with all the fixings, and I expect that is what we'll have this year, too. And I'm pretty sure I'll be in charge of the pies again. I usually make pumpkin, apple and cherry.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.
Cheryl