November 30, 2024

Stampin’ Up! November Paper Pumpkin Kit – Filled With Joy

When I got my November Paper Pumpkin Kit from Stampin’ Up! in the mail a while back, I put it off to the side to do later.  Later happened to be the day before Thanksgiving and I’m sharing it with you today!  The kit was called Filled With Love

The kit created 8 cute stockings with gift tags that you can fill up with holiday goodies!

The kit included the exclusive Filled With Joy photopolymer stamp set, a Poppy Parade Stampin’ Spot, and all of the pieces needed to create the stockings and tags (including the adhesives and pins!).

There were different ornament images and tags for each stocking.  And there were different sentiments in the stamp set that could be used for each tag too!  I love the little red safety pins that attached each tag to the stocking.  The stockings are larger than they appear too…they measure about 5″ wide from heel to toe and about 7″ tall from toe to the top of the stocking.  They are big enough to fit a standard sized gift card.

I might have to order some refill kits so that I can make some more of these cute stockings.

Wow . . . what a game last night!  Never count the Hawkeyes out of any game!  I feel bad for those people who either went to bed or just quit watching because they certainly missed a spectacular ending.

Every day is a gift . . . make the most of the gift you have been given today!!

Happy Stamping!!

November 28, 2024

Changing Leaves

Happy Thanksgiving!!!  I hope everyone gets where they need to be safely!!  This card is perfect for today. . . . because it sums up my feelings on just about everything . . . grateful for my family, grateful for my health, grateful for a roof over my head and food on the table to eat, and grateful to you all who share my love of stamping!!

Today's card is a super simple one using gold foil and Blackberry Bliss cardstock!!

It doesn't show up in the photos, but the layer of Blackberry Bliss has also been embossed at the same time as the gold foil.  This card is much prettier in person than the photo shows.  The Grateful has also been embossed with gold embossing powder, and the Blackberry Bliss Ribbon has a gold edging on it.

I am out the door early this morning to pick up our dinner from Hy-Vee.  I want to get to Iowa City to get it and be home in time to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade on TV.  

Wherever you are and whoever you are celebrating with, remember to be thankful for everything you have  . . . 

BECAUSE . . . 

Every day is a gift . . . make the most of the gift you have been given today!!

Happy Stamping!!

November 27, 2024

Regal Flora

Today, I am sharing a card made with the Regal Flora bundle . . . a stamp set I didn't think I would use, but obviously have!!

The paper in this suite is the star of the show . . . it is absolutely beautiful!!!  At first glance, it looks a little garish (one of my dad's favorite words), but when used properly and in small doses, it is beautiful!!  I would be hard-pressed to tell you which one of the patterns is my favorite.  It is so colorful that it is not hard to find a cardstock color that looks great with it.  Here I have paired it with Berry Burst and toned it down with some Basic Black layers . . . perfect!!

I got all of my errands run yesterday so today there is nothing left to do to get ready for Thanksgiving except hope that Hanna and the kids are healthy.  The stomach fue seems to have been going through their household . . . I think Hanna and Adrian are the last to get it, except Jake, and he rarely gets sick.

Every day is a gift . . . make the most of the gift you have been given today!!

Happy Stamping!!

November 26, 2024

Caring Leaves

Today's card is one I received in a swap somewhere along the line this fall.  I don't know where, when, or who made it.  In fact, I don't even own the stamp set, Caring Leaves!!

I can tell you it is a very simple card to make with the sentiment stamped right on the designer series paper.  You just have to be careful when you cut your piece for the left-hand side of the card that you include a fairly light spot in the lower right-hand corner.  Finish it off with some embellishments and you are done!!

Today is appointment day . . . a fun salon appointment this morning and a PT appointment this afternoon.  In between the two, I hope to do a little shopping to finish getting stuff for Thursday.  I also want to finish cleaning up my stamping mess in the kitchen so we have a table to eat on and a counter to put food on!!

Every day is a gift . . . make the most of the gift you have been given today!!

Happy Stamping!!

November 25, 2024

Changing Leaves

Today's card is one I got from my friend, Luetta, in a swap, I think.  I can't remember if it was a shoebox swap or just a regular swap . . . but either way, it is way prettier in person than in the photos.  They turned out really dark, and I could not get them to lighten up much.

We started with a base of Misty Moonlight and added a layer of Cajun Craze.  The top layer of cardstock is Night of Navy, which has been stamped with one of the leaves from the stamp set using Night of Navy ink.  The leaf was embossed and die-cut from Crushed Curry cardstock and then brushed with some Cajun Craze ink.  This is not a color combination I use very much on cards, but it is certainly striking when finished.

Today is the day to try and start getting my house in order so that all of the kids can come for Thanksgiving.  I have stamping projects everywhere and John has his stuff everywhere as well.  Hopefully, I can get that all done before leaving for my appointment in Iowa City this afternoon.

Every day is a gift . . . make the most of the gift you have been given today!!

Happy Stamping!!

November 24, 2024

Greetings of the Season

Today, I am sharing the last one of the Christmas cards that everyone who stamped with me Monday got to make.  I absolutely love how all of these cards turned out.

For this card, I chose to emboss the Basic White layer with the Distressed Tile 3D Embossing Folder.  I thought it gave it a little more interest.  Otherwise, it is made exactly as the other three.  I hope you have enjoyed this Christmas card set a much a I enjoyed making them.

Yesterday was a great day to be a Hawkeye.  I certainly enjoyed watching the game, and there was a lesson to be learned in the game.  Never give up on your dreams because you never know what might happen.  I'm sure the 4th string quarterback never dreamed he would be starting an important Big Ten game, but he did indeed start and did a good job.  

Every day is a gift . . . make the most of the gift you have been given today!!

Happy Stamping!!

Novemer 23, 2024

Greetings of the Season

Today, I am sharing the third one of the Christmas cards that everyone who stamped with me Monday got to make.  There is one more to share tomorrow.

Once again, the elements were either die-cut or fussy-cut.    If you are not a fan of fussy cutting, you can always choose the elements with dies that fit them.  And, of course, there are several other Christmas sentiments you could choose.  I found it easier to use the same sentiment on all of the cards.

Today is going to be a stay-at-home and watch football kind of day.  Hopefully the Hawks will play well, even if we are using a fourth-string quarterback.

Every day is a gift . . . make the most of the gift you have been given today!!

Happy Stamping!!

November 22, 2024

Greetings of the Season

Today, I am sharing another one of the Christmas cards that everyone who stamped with me Monday got to make.

These cards are so easy to make with minimal stamping, but they look super elegant.  People will think you have spent hours making their card.  All of the elements are either die-cut or fussy-cut out of the designer paper.  I would be hard-pressed to tell you which of these four cards is my favorite, but this one comes close.

Wednesday morning started with a dermatology appointment and yesterday, I started the day delivering a stamp order.  By the time I got home, I forgot about posting a card.  I did find out why my face and eyes hurt so much and my face felt like it was being stretched.  There were still a couple of stitches in the bridge of my nose pulling the skin.  It surely does feel better now!!!  And my headaches are gone as well.  It's funny how a little piece of thread can cause so many issues!!

Every day is a gift . . . make the most of the gift you have been given today!! 

Happy Stamping!!

November 19, 2024

Greetings of the Season

Today, I am sharing one of the Christmas cards everyone stamped with me yesterday got to make.

The Season of Green and Gold products are part of the On-Line Exclusive stamps on the Stampin' Up! website.  They are not in any print catalog or brochure, and can only be seen online.

These cards were designed primarily to be Christmas cards, but only one person made them into Christmas cards last night.  We had winter wedding cards, thank you cards, thinking of you cards, and, without the bells, a sympathy card.  The greenery was either die-cut or fussy-cut from the matching designer paper, as were the bells.  I will be posting the other three cards people made last night later this week.

Today started with a physical therapy appointment.  There is not much else on the agenda today other than maybe a nap and a little cardstock cutting.

Every day is a gift . . . make the most of the gift you have been given today!!

Happy Stamping!!

November 18, 2024

Halloween Scrapbooking---Day 2

Here is the second 2-page spread from my Halloween scrapbooking.  It uses some more of the products in the scrapbooking kit.

I am not sure they are what I would call "spooky" but they certainly made some Halloween memories!!

Each two-page spread in the kit has the exact measurements to follow if you want to.  I adjusted my measurements to fit the pictures I wanted to use.

This kit would have been great to have last year when one of the kids was Spiderman!!  But this year we had three Darth Vaders and a character from Bluey.

What a rainy morning.  It will be a good day to stay inside and craft.  I have a couple of people coming this afternoon to make some holiday cards and another one tonight.  I may cover up with a blanket in between and read.

Every day is a gift . . . make the most of the gift you have been given today!!

Happy Stamping!!

November 17, 2024

Back to Scrapbooking

Last week, I took a day to do a couple more double-page scrapbook layouts.  These pages are taken from the scrapbooking kit that is in the On-Line Scrapbook Brochure.

It definitely makes it easier to scrapbook when you have such cute subjects to feature.  These are the photos Hanna sent me from the kids' Halloween Night.

There is no stamping on any of these pages.  Everything is taken from the sticker sheet that comes with the kit.

Although it is a little different than the other scrapbooking I was doing, I like it just as well.   And the most important thing is that it is done!!

Come back tomorrow and see the second Halloween layout!!

We had a great weekend in Des Moines, celebrating fall birthdays and getting family pictures taken.  It was a little chilly and windy for pictures, but we all survived.  I am anxious to see how they turn out.  John and I left early this morning as the kids were getting ready to go to church and got home about 9:00 AM.  The rest of the day will be spent resting and getting ready for an In-Person Christmas card class tomorrow afternoon and evening.

Every day is a gift . . . make the most of the gift you have been given today!!

Happy Stamping!!

November 15, 2024

Birthday Weekend

This weekend is fall birthday celebration weekend.  Since 7 put of 10 of us have a fall birthday and there is also one anniversary, we just get together and celebrate it all at once.

For the kids' birthday, John and I helped to provide extra funding for some extra-curricular activities they wanted to participate in.  Gigi being Gigi thought they needed something to unwrap instead of just being told we had given their parents some money.  So I turned to my favorite store . . . The Dollar and a Quarter store and found enough of these.

My friend, Peggy, and fellow stamper, is also a Dollar and a Quarter Tree enthusiast and decorated the frames she bought.  Mine are not nearly as cute as hers turned out to be, but they are in each of the kids' favorite colors, and with their names on them, there can be no arguing.   Each frame has a picture of them participating in their activity.  Johan is in the band, Juli and Shayra taking tumbling lessons, and Adrian playing basketball.  I will update his picture when basketball starts later this winter. 

We aren't leaving until this afternoon but I still have to pack, go to the bank, and get the adults cards ready!!

Every day is a gift . . . make the most of the gift you have been given today!!

Happy Stamping!!

November 13, 2024

Wrap up the year—and kickstart the next—with a steal of a deal on paper crafting products! There’s no better time to stock up and save from the 2024–2025 Annual Catalog. 

Here’s what you’ll save when you shop during the sale: 

• 10% off ink, including pads, refills, markers, and Stampin’ Blends. Ink pad bundles and third-party ink pads are NOT included. 
• 10% off cardstock.
• 20% total off all stamp and die bundles and stamp and punch bundles. (Stamp bundles are normally 10% off. With this sale you get an additional 10% off.)
• 20% off all Designer Series Paper.

 

Build up your collection of crafting supplies and prepare for another year of projects! 

Every day is a gift . . . make the most of the gift you have been given today!!

Happy Stamping!!

November 12, 2024

Sweet Days of Autumn Designer Series Paper

Yesterday, I finished up these nugget holders . . . FINALLY!!   I started these before going to the stamping retreat in Lockridge and got frustrated because I couldn't tie the ribbons around the handles (I know it's a simple thing, right?).  Anyway, I finally finished them up yesterday . . . so we are going to give them to the people that deliver John's meals at noon.

Although it might look a bit tricky, the base of this project is actually just one piece. The cutting, scoring, and folding of the carrier gave me no trouble what so ever. Just the ribbon tieing!!

Wrapping Hershey's Nuggets seems to have become somewhat of a Thanksgiving and Christmas tradition.  I seem to always make some type of project that uses them.  I had several sentiments sitting on my table by my recliner leftover from other projects, so instead of stamping new ones, I decided to just use those.  

Today starts with a mid-morning Physical Therapy appointment, and then I may run up to Iowa City to pick up some photos. This afternoon, I hope to finish up the scrapbook pages I started yesterday and also finish up the kids' birthday presents before we head to Des Moines on Friday.

Every day is a gift . . . make the most of the gift you have been given today!!

Happy Stamping!!

November 11, 2024

Regal Floral

I spent the bulk of yesterday getting this week's Cards in the Mail ready.  This is one of the cards you will be making when you get this packet.  It uses the gorgeous paper in the Regal Winter Suite.

As with most Cards in the Mail cards, the designer series paper does most of the work.  Add some ribbon, a sentiment, and some other embellishment, and your card is done.

What a gorgeous day . . . at least it looks that way when I am looking out my living room window.  I have a pretty busy week this week with appointments and a VERY busy weekend coming up with the kids in Des Moines, so I am stocking up on my rest.  I may try and do a little scrapbooking this afternoon.  

Every day is a gift . . . make the most of the gift you have been given today!!

Happy Stamping!!

November 10, 2024

Deckled Circle Dies

Back in September, when a friend and I attended Holiday Hoopla, planned and hosted by the Stampin' Sisters, I saw a project that I just knew I wanted to try.  Since I could tell it was made with Dollar Tree (or Dollar and a Quarter Tree as I now call it), items I knew it would not be too pricey to make.  I can describe the lady that made it but her name is escaping me totally!!

 

I thought I had one of these trays left over from a couple of years ago projects, but I put them away so well I can't find them!!  Yesterday when Luetta and I went to lunch and were out and about we stopped at a Dollar Tree and they had the rectangular trays that I needed so I picked one up.  Of course they did not have ModPodge or candles so we had to go back to Walmart so I could get the rest of my supplies.  I die cut everal sizes of circles out of the Season of Elegance Specialty Designer Series Paper and adhered them to the tray.  I used Tombow Green Glue to adhere them but if I were going to do another one I would use Adhesive Sheets to adhere the circles.  I then applied a thin layer of ModPodge to the tray.  I think we decided that it had been over fifty years since I had decoupaged anything.  I am still not sure that I have a thick enough layer on my tray but when I look at the picture at took in Septemeber and compare it to my picture today they look very similar.

  
Add some LED candles and you are done.  I am trying to decide if I should tie some gold ribbon around the candles but for now I think I will leave it as it is.  What do you think?

This probably took me about 30 minutes from start to finish on this project.

Today looks like another cold and windy day when looking out my window.  It is actually pretty warm for this time in November . . . it just looks cold.  I am hoping to get a couple of classes planned out today in addition to watching some football this afternoon.

Every day is a gift . . . make the most of the gift you have been given today!!

Happy Stamping!!

November 9, 2024

Christmas Framed Art

Today I have a piece of Christmas Framed art that I made with the Stampin' Sisters back at one of their events in September.

This piece of framed art is super simple to make and uses one of the Ephemera Kits in the Holiday Mini Catalog and the peppermint embellishments.  The hardest part of making this project is finding a reasonably priced 12" X 12" frame and securing the stamping products from Stampin' Up!.  They had been in the non-orderable status for quite a little while.

The background paper is part of the Ephemera Kit so the onlu other things you really need is some red and white cardstock.  You will not use all of the printed paper or all of the ephemera pieces so you will have plenty left over to make other things!!

I thought it was supposed to be rainy today but so far the sun is shining brightly through my living room window.  I am certainly going to miss it shining on the colorful tree in my neighbor's yard in the mornings when all of the leaves are gone.  Right now it is a bright and cheerful way to start my days.  I was actually sitting here reflecting on last year and how most of my days started in a hospital environment.  I am making the most of this holiday season by being out and about and enjoying the sights and sounds!!

Every day is a gift . . . make the most of the gift you have been given today!!

Happy Stamping!!

November 8, 2024

Splendid Autumn

Today I am sharing another one of the cards we made last weekend . . . this one brought by Julie.  It uses the beautiful fall sunset pattern of the Splendid Autumn package of Designer Paper.

This is a fun fold center latch card opening from both sides on the front.

The card is kept closed by a latch that looks like this.

The latch slides up to open the card.

To close the card for mailing simply push  the latch over the opening with the sides of the card in-between.

Today is a doctor's day for John right after lunch.  I hate to get started on anything and then have to quit in the middle of it but if I don't do that I will not get anything accomplished today at all!!

And of course there is the Hawkeye football game tonight.  

GO HAWKS!!

Every day is a gift . . . make the most of the gift you have been given today!!

Happy Stamping!!

November 7, 2024

Snowy Wonder

Today, I am sharing one of the projects we made last weekend at the stamping retreat.  My friend Christy designed and provided this frame project.

She had most things stamped so all we really had to do was make the sky background and adhere the pieces together.  At least I think we made the sky background . . . someone might have made it for me as well!!  The frame ends up being about 4" X 4".  It could hang on the wall but is also wide enough to be free-standing.  As far as I am concerned, this is all the snow I need to see this year!!!

Today is the only day this week where either John or I don't have an appointment.  I am sitting here right now listening to the man put new dryer vents in for me.  Hopefully, the metal vents will make my dryer more efficient.

Every day is a gift . . . make the most of the gift you have been given today!!

Happy Stamping!!

November 6, 2024

Autumn To Remember

Three weeks ago, I went to a Girls' Weekend, and we were supposed to take a small favor. I decided to resurrect these maple cookie favors from several years ago, only with a new stamp set, An Autumn To Remember.  I got the original idea from my friend Dawn about seven or eight years ago. I was surprised that Aldi still had the leaf cookies, and they hadn't even increased in price all that much.

They are super simple to make . . . just take a piece of cardstock, fold it in half, and decorate as you wish.  I put two cookies in one of our clear envelopes and then adhered the topper on top of the envelope with Tear and Tape.

I made about thirty of these but forgot to take a picture with all of them.  I only have four left, as shown below.  They make a great easy favor or gift if you are in a hurry!!

It surely is good to see the sun after so many rainy days in a row!!  Today is another appointment day with a mammogram and a massage.  As often as I have been scoped, scanned, and x-rayed, I don't really think i need a mammogram, but my doctor seems to think I do.  Since i am a ruler follower, usually, I will do as she says.  I hope to get some stamping or scrapbooking done when I get home.

Every day is a gift . . . make the most of the gift you have been given today!!

Happy Stamping!!