Goodbye, 2010

Truly, I should have saved this card for tomorrow’s Simple Saturday post, because I seriously doubt tomorrow’s offering will be faster or easier than this one was. When straightening up my desk this afternoon, I came across a couple of corners I had cut from a large, square paper doily. I had used the other two for a quick, bagger topper I made before Christmas – so last minute I didn’t have time to photograph it.

Anyhow, I ran the doily remnant through my Xyron, centered it on a 5-1/2 by 4-1/4 piece of Sky cardstock, stamped a sentiment from Close To My Heart’s Thank You stamp set with same color ink, and adhered it to a card base. It’s pretty even though it was shamefully easy to make.

A Slice of Life: After all of the activity of the past couple of weeks, today ended up being my day to crash. And I don’t mean crash in a bad way. All is good. I just didn’t do much of anything today. There wasn’t even a whole lot of brain activity.

I did talk to Dustin a couple of times. They were up all night last night with a crying baby, and tired beyond words, he was pretty much beside himself this morning. This afternoon’s conversation – after he had some sleep – was more positive. Of course, little Mari had been sleeping throughout the day as well. I wonder what tonight will bring. The first few days for first-time parents are always tough. They will get through it. Mari’s name, by the way, is pronounced MAR-ee with a short a and a long e.

I guess that is it for tonight. Bjorn and Mathias are staying with us tonight, and I have been summoned to the living room for fun and games. Happy New Year, my friends!

The Best Ship of All

Finally! Here is a card I started – and almost finished – nearly two weeks ago. For all the commotion, it seems like it has been month or more. Is life going to calm down now? It could … and should … I hope!

Back to the card, it’s simple – my signature style.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Holiday Red, and Pacifica cardstock; Black and Pacifica stamp pads; Pacifica and Holiday Red markers; Verve Stamps Text Objects stamp set; Silver mini brads; EK Success Dotted Wave border punch; 1-11/16 inch circle punch; 2-inch scalloped circle punch; Sanding block.

A Slice of Life: Wow. What a week it has been. Little Mari and her parents went home from the hospital on Tuesday. Mom/Great-grandma, my sister, Karen, and I were at the hospital at checkout time and helped them get ready to leave. It must have taken a good half-hour to get the baby into her car seat – a process that is very different from the way it was 30-plus years ago when car seats were optional. The hospital is quite particular about the process with a nurse buckling the baby in while offering a lengthy explanation of how it should be. And, did you know that car seats now have expiration dates? Manufactured in 2010, Dustin and Miranda’s car seat will be good for seven years. I have to wonder if young folks these days take such things into consideration when planning their families. LOL.

Mari’s going home was not the only excitement on Tuesday. Bjorn and Mathias’ mom and her husband had a baby that day – a sweet little boy they named Jonah. The new big brothers spent the night with us Tuesday night after having met their little brother and their new cousin before she left the hospital.

With the exception of a couple hours that I took off on Monday and leaving an hour early on Tuesday, I managed to work the rest of the week. We’re off tomorrow – thankfully! Oh, and I learned that next Friday will be my last day in my current position. I will then have a few days off before starting my new gig on January 12. Woo hoo! I am so ready for this new adventure.

What am I going to do this weekend? After straightening up my corner, I am going to teach myself to stamp again. If the weather is decent enough, I am going to venture out to visit my granddaughter and her parents. I believe the little boys are scheduled to spend New Year’s Day with us. There is also a holiday gather planned for that day at my sister and brother-in-law’s house in Fertile – again dependent on the weather. Currently, it is cold (5 degrees), snowing, and blowing with more of the same in the forecast – typical winter in the frozen tundra. After a couple of whirlwind weeks, being stuck at home is not the worst thing I can think of, although I really want to get better acquainted with little Mari! I have yet to here her cry. In the hospital, she made faces like she was going to fuss but then changed her mind.

What have you got planned for the weekend? Have you made any New Year’s resolutions? While I am not much for resolutions, I have lots of plans for things I want to accomplish once I have recovered from all of the end of the year excitement and transitioned into my new job. Tonight, however, I am going to visit my blogging buddies, clean up my corner, and then relax … maybe fall asleep early … dream… Thanks for stopping by and for all of you sweet comments on my last post. “See” you again tomorrow!

Belated Wishes …

… to you, my blog friends. I hope your Christmases were the merriest and that you are anticipating the New Year with hope and joy.  Before briefing you on what transpired during my unintended (but necessary) hiatus from the blogosphere, I’ll tell you about our most recent and blessed event.

It is my pleasure to introduce you to the newest member of the Carlson family. Named for her maternal grandmother, Marla Jean was born Sunday, December 26, at 8:06 pm. Little “Mari” weighed in at 6 pounds, 13.3 ounces and was 19-1/2 inches long. Not quite an hour old in this photo, she was wide-eyed and very attentive as she got acquainted with her Daddy. According to Dusty, who described the day as “intense,” Mommy did great throughout the day and the birthing process. Their joy was obvious. Grandma and Grandpa are – once again – overwhelmed as we welcome another precious little one into our family.

OK. I left off on the day of my cousin’s memorial service, which I attended. Sad and yet a good day for a family to be together. It was an opportunity to get to better know the families of my surviving cousins and spend time with my aunt. It was a good reminder that we should not wait for troubled times before getting together again.

After that, I got caught up in the busyness of Christmas. I shopped, wrapped, made treats, cooked, and shopped and wrapped some more right up until “show time” on Christmas Eve. Oh yea, I worked throughout most of the week, too, and we managed to celebrate our 33rd wedding anniversary on the 23rd. It was a non-stop whirlwind of activity.

And then, it was calm. We spent a wonderful Christmas Eve at Mom’s with my sister and her husband and Cameron and Sarah. Christmas Day we all (Marv and I, Cam, Sarah, and the boys, and Marv’s mom) went to Miranda and Dustin’s house for a 5 o’clock dinner and once the dishes were done, our gift exchange. Dustin made ribs, and I brought the rest of the food. It was a great time, and when we left around 10:30, there was no indication that the final – and best – gift of this year’s Christmas would reveal herself the very next day. In fact, when I woke up yesterday, I thought I might actually have a chance to catch my breath and relax. That lasted until the phone rang at 11:04 am – Dustin calling to tell us they were on their way to the hospital. By 12:15, I was rather frantically asking Marv, “Why hasn’t he called?” That’s when my husband reminded me that having a usually take more than an hour. LOL. It’s also about the time Dustin called to ask me to bring him some food, which I did.  The rest of the day, we received intermittent reports via telephone and text message. Then, we didn’t hear anything for a while, and it was Grandpa who rather frantically asked, “Why hasn’t he called?” around 8:20. The phone rang within a few minutes. Mari was here and anxious to meet her grandparents.

I have yet to catch my breath but will within the next day or two. I am also going to place a stamp or two in my hand and catch up on the 1500 or so blog posts that I am behind. I am also going to take the time to finally enjoy the beautiful handmade cards I received and acknowledge them. To those of you who sent them, thank you.

For tonight, I am off to enjoy a leisurely soak in the tub before climbing into my nice soft bed for what I hope will be a full night’s sleep – the first in a while. Take care, my friends. I will be “seeing” you again soon.

Drummer Boy

Last year, I received this precious stamp from a special friend, and once in the mood to color, I could not wait to ink it up again. I mentioned last year that “Little Drummer Boy” has always been a favorite Christmas song. As for the word, “Noel,” which is French for Christmas, I chuckle almost every time I see it. I’ve told this story before, too. One of my first experiences with an alphabet stamp set was at Christmastime. I laid my stamps out on a block, inked it up, and oh-so carefully stamped “Leon” on my card. Had anyone been watching, I am certain the look on my face would have been a pretty funny sight. Funnier yet was the fact it took a few moments for me to realize what I had done wrong. Initially, I wondered, “What the heck is wrong with these stamps?” LOL.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Cocoa cardstock; Basic Grey Jovial 6x6-inch paper pad; Black, Cocoa, and Tim Holtz Antique Linen Distressing Ink ink pads; Stampendous Drummer Boy stamp and CTMH Say it in Style stamp set; Antiqued copper mini brads; Prismacolor color pencils; Gamsol odorless mineral spirits; Blending stumps; Fiskars Apron Lace border punch; Sponge distressing tool; 3M foam mounting tape.

A Slice of Life: I took a half-day of vacation, did some shopping, and went to visit Mom this afternoon. Tomorrow, I will be attending the memorial service for my cousin in Crookston while the rest of my family celebrates “Carlson Christmas” at the hunting cabin. Although I am going to miss the fun, “no muss, no fuss” holiday atmosphere that one finds at the cabin, I need to be with my extended family tomorrow.

Tonight, I’m taking it easy. How about you? Are the elves at work at your house this weekend? Whatever you’re doing – enjoy! “See” you again soon.

Holiday House

Here is another simple Christmas card made with Close To My Heart’s Snow Days stamp set and Mistletoe paper packet. The image was stamped with New England Ivy ink. I used a blending pen to do some shading with same color ink, colored the bow on the door wreath with a marker, and then speckled it and the piece the sentiment is on to emulate the fine speckling on the striped paper. I sponged the edges of my pieces with more Antique Linen Distressing Ink.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and New England Ivy cardstock; Mistletoe Level 2 paper packet; New England Ivy and Tim Holtz Antique Linen Distressing Ink stamp pads; Cranberry marker; Dove blending pen; Say it in Style and Snow Days stamp sets; Speckled Background stamp (retired); New England Ivy and Cranberry brads; Sponge distressing tool.

A Slice of Life: I must be in a holiday stupor this evening. Seldom am I at a loss for words. Another day at work – engaging (a synonym for “busy,” a word I have overused recently). Tired, which is a Thursday thing – I think. Glad tomorrow is Friday – always!

How about you? Are you ready for Christmas? I hope you are enjoying the days leading up to it. After all, that’s what it is all about. For me, the holidays bring more anticipation than usual, which might account for feeling a bit dazed. First, there is the baby. A precious gift that/who will appear in her own time. And a new job shortly after the first of the year with hours that should afford me a different – and I am 99 percent certain, better – lifestyle. Soon.

No, I am washing a couple loads of clothes and best go tend to them. I hope your day was wonderful! Thanks for stopping by, friends.

And a Red Bird in a Pear Tree …

I love this simple image, which colored up quickly with markers. As there are fine speckles in the patterned paper, I speckled my image, too, and distressed the edges with Tim Holtz Antique Linen Distressing Ink from Ranger. As for a sentiment, I guess it is going on the inside. I didn’t even miss it until know.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and New England Ivy cardstock; Mistletoe Level 2 paper packet; Black and Tim Holtz Antique Linen Distressing Ink stamp pads; Holiday Red, Garden Green, and Buttercup markers; Stampendous Partridge Tree and CTMH Speckled Background (retired) stamps; Red spiral clip; Foam distressing tool.

A Slice of Life: I need to be careful with regard to the titles I give my posts. Yesterday’s post attracted a comment from some weirdo who preached about the sins of eating meat. Delete. While I understand passion – I’m passionate about a lot of things – I don’t understand how single causes become missions that seem to consume people.

My day was busy and productive, and – best of all – I didn’t have to eat at 10:30. One of the gals in our department wasn’t in today and had left her invitation with a co-worker who passed it on to me. The food was scrumptious. Had they authorized us to take 90 minute naps afterwards, it would have been a perfect day. LOL.

It’s Thursday already tomorrow. I need to make a trip to Grand Forks within the next couple of days but haven’t made definite plans or even mentioned it to Husband, as I’m trying to figure out what the weather is going to do. It warmed up a bit here (into the teens and 20s, which makes the weather much more unpredictable. Miranda and Dustin had a doctor’s appointment today but obviously, there isn’t anything to report, because he hasn’t called. I am impressed that he has not missed a single appointment throughout this entire pregnancy.

I hope you are having a wonderful week. Mine remains a little off kilter, which, under the circumstances is probably understandable. As I stamped up a storm on Sunday evening, however, I should be back tomorrow evening with a card. I’ll “see” you again then. In the meantime, take care and thanks for stopping by!

Peace on Earth, Goodwill Toward Men

Tonight’s card is based on FTL #120 as featured on the Clean & Simple Stamping blog. The snowflake was created with Cricut’s Winter Lace cartridge. It’s covered with ultra fine glitter and is much prettier in person. You’ve heard that one before. LOL.

Materials & Tools: Juniper and White Daisy Textured cardstock; Basic Grey Jovial 6x6-inch paper pad; Juniper ink pad; Say it in Style stamp set; Sparkles; White satin ribbon from Wal-Mart; Martha Stewart Crystal Fine glitter; Cricut w/Winter Lace cartridge.

A Slice of Life: Busy. Have I used that word lately? Like every day? Everyone I know is busy. Tonight, however, I am taking things kind of slow and easy. The events of the last few days have been (Sharli used a good word in her sweet comment on my last post) “unsettling.” Mom talked to her sister again this morning and learned that no arrangements can be made until after the autopsy of my cousin’s body is complete on Thursday. I am certain the hours are dragging by for my aunt and cousins. Two of my siblings and their spouses went to spend some time with them this evening. I was glad to hear that.

We have our holiday meal at work tomorrow. The food is always wonderful, catered by a local guy who amazingly can pull off a feast for 2,300 people. I’d be looking forward to it a bit more than I am had I not been my invitation not been for 10:30 am. I don’t know if that was the “luck of the draw” or what. The idea of a big meal with a rich dessert at that time of day is not very appealing to me. As for sneaking in a little later, our invitations, which we have to present at mealtime, are color-coded this year. No cheatin’ LOL. I’ll survive.

After making one more little tour around the blogosphere, I am off to bed. Thank you for you kind comments. I appreciate them from the bottom of my heart. Have a great Hump Day. I’ll stop back with a card after bowling tomorrow night. Take care.

Billy and Sparky

Last night, I made a few Christmas cards – enough to have a post every night this week! This one was created with a sweet Eat Cake Graphics stamp I purchase last year (and used once). Ach! What is it about the photo that causes one to actually take a good look at the card? I just noticed the cardinal’s beak is white. It’s fixed now. All it required was a tiny speck of ink from a Sunflower marker. The rest of the image was colored with Prismacolor colored pencils and OMS. The snow is glittery, and the ornaments on the tree are sparkly, too. I stamped the image on white cardstock and cut it out. The Colonial White cardstock I used behind it is scored at 1/8th-inch intervals to resemble siding on a house.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Colonial White, and Cocoa cardstock; Basic Grey Jovial 6x6-inch paper pad; Black and Cranberry ink pads; Sunflower marker; Eat Cake Graphics Billy and Sparky at Window stamp and Papertrey Ink Mixed Messages stamp set; Brown satin ribbon from Wal-Mart; Prismacolor colored pencils; Gamsol odorless mineral spirits; Blending stumps; Martha Stewart Crystal Fine glitter; XMas Red Stickles; Martha Stewart Scoring Board; McGill Multi-Tag punch.

A Slice of Life: My heart is heavy tonight, as I learned after work tonight that a cousin died tragically. Fifty years old, he was the only son of my Mom’s only sister. Growing up, he was my brother’s best buddy, and then, when he was about 16, he went to live with his father in Nevada. About six years ago, he returned to Minnesota where he lived with my aunt. While I have only seen him once since he came back, I was taken with his sense of humor and what appeared to me to be a kind heart. The news was on the radio on my way to work this morning. I only caught the last name, age, and name of the town in the report, but it piqued my interest enough to pull up a regional newspaper at my desk and confirm that the man who had been missing since Friday was indeed my cousin. His body was found outdoors this afternoon, and while an autopsy is being done and the case is still under investigation, it is believed he froze to death. Sad. I stopped at Mom’s after work. She had talked to her sister, my aunt, earlier in the day. Even though I obviously did not know my cousin very well, I feel bad – particularly for my aunt and his sisters. Life is a mystery, isn’t it?

I was busy at work today, and tonight, I’m home alone. With the Metrodome having collapsed and the Vikings game being played in Detroit, Husband, his brother, and Dustin had to go to the hunting cabin to watch it via satellite, as our local cable network isn’t airing it. While I don’t usually pay much attention to football, I hope it’s a good game to make the trip is worthwhile. LOL.

All that said, I am off to find a card to send to my aunt and then, I’ll stamp, watch TV, read, or do “something.” Was your day a good one? I sincerely hope so. Make tomorrow a good day, too. OK?

Simple Saturday

The old idiom, “A day late and a dollar short,” is coming to mind this afternoon. The day late thing is obvious. Simple Saturday posts on Sunday are getting to be a regular thing. As for “a dollar short,” ‘tis the season. LOL.

My card was inspired by someone … somewhere in Blogland, but I am remiss as to who, when, or where. Shame on me. As for embossing with a Nestabilities die, I pulled up this video on YouTube to make certain I got the “sandwich” right. The paper I used is retired CTMH “Naturals” cardstock. When making a card this simple, I like to use paper that has texture.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Cocoa and retired Naturals cardstock; Cocoa ink pad; Live Inspired and Thank You stamp sets; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Labels 3 set.

A Slice of Life: With Minnesota weather making the national news, you might think I am either up to my eyeballs in snow or that our roof has collapsed as it did on the Metrodome last night. Nope. In the northern areas of the frozen tundra, all is calm and bright. No new snow. No wind. Just cold (currently –2 degrees).

Yesterday’s baby shower was most enjoyable. My granddaughter will be well dressed and have a good selection to choose from with regard to which blanket she deems her favorite. I don’t know if I have ever seen so much pink in one room. As you can see in the photo, Miranda looks wonderful. I emailed this photo to Dustin along with one of my ginormous self that was taken a couple of days before he was born. He replied that he doesn’t think their baby will be very big. I told him he might be surprised – that it is not necessary to gain 85 pounds to have an 8 pound baby. LOL.

It is quiet around here today – nice. So far, I’ve done a little cleaning and some cybershopping. While I will never get everything done that I want to accomplish before Christmas, I am, nonetheless, feeling pretty good. I guess I have learned through the years that Christmas happens and is wonderful regardless of how prepared we are.

What are you up to this weekend? Whatever it is, I hope you are warm and enjoying yourself. Take care, friends, and thanks for stopping by.

Make a Wish

Christmas is in two weeks. It’s 1 degree outside – Yes, just 1 degree Fahrenheit. And I’m playing around with bright, summer colors. This is Penny Black’s Betsy Bluebell again. I colored the image with Prismacolor colored pencils and OMS. Another birthday card for my stash.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Cotton Candy, Sky, and Sunny Yellow cardstock; Black and Cotton Candy ink pads; Penny Black Betsy Bluebell and CTMH Party Pennants stamp sets; Sparkles – Red, Purple, and Pink Assortment; Prismacolor colored pencils; Gamsol odorless mineral spirits; Blending stumps; Fiskars Apron Lace border punch; 1 and 1-1/4 inch circle punches; Cuttlebug w/Stampin’ Up Lattice Squares embossing folder.

A Slice of Life: Happy Friday! It was another fast, busy day. I anticipate a fast, busy weekend, too. There is a lot to be done. Places to go, too. Miranda’s friends are throwing a baby shower for Mommy and Baby Girl Carlson tomorrow afternoon. Someone asked. Yes, Baby has a name, but I’m holding out for the big announcement. Soon? Maybe, although her doctor’s nurse has predicted January 7, which, if she is going to hold out that long could just as well be a day earlier, so she and Great-grandma (my mom) can share their birthdays. That would be cool.

Sarah and I had a great time finishing her recipe boxes last night, and they really turned out nice. We used Yes!  paste for two of them, which were covered with thinner paper, and the Xyron to accommodate heavier stock. She thought the Xyron was pretty cool and probably would have opted to use it for all three had I given her the option. I thought she needed a “paste experience,” however. LOL. Regardless, she did an awesome job and was really proud of her gifts for her sisters. Sweet.

I’m off to see what everyone else has been up to in Blogland before slipping into my jammies for an early bedtime. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. “See” you soon!

Not Quite 10-Minute Tuesday

Yes, I know it is Thursday, and yes, that is an indication of how the week is going.

You can tell I’m a simple gal when I say I like this card as much as any I have made so far this season. And you’ve seen the layout before – it’s my Pretty-Paper-too-Pretty-to-Cover-Up-Sketch or PPTPTCU Sketch if you are into acronyms. Ugh.

Materials & Tools: Stampin’ Up Crumb Cake cardstock; Basic Grey Jovial 6x6-inch paper pad; Olive ink pad; Red satin ribbon from Wal-Mart.

A Slice of Life: This has been another whirlwind week. Busy at work. Busy at home. My engine is all revved up, but my wheels are not moving forward, which is a bit disheartening at this time of year. No panic … yet … but soon.

The highlight of my week has been spending a little (but not enough) time with the little guys. They spent the night last night, so I had a half hour with them after bowling and before bedtime. We had breakfast together this morning. They’re so darned sweet.

I think Sarah is coming over tonight to finish her recipe box project that we started Tuesday evening. Guiding her through a project is easy and fun – she’s a natural.

I best go get a few things done before she gets here. I hope you are having a great week and that I have enough time to make a little tour around the blogosphere tonight. I’ll talk to you again soon. Thanks for stopping!

More Birthday Cards

 

Here is my take on Get Sketchy #67. I stamped each one of the round stamps twice, cut the little presents out from five of them, and put foam mounting tape under them. There’s foam tape under the second and fourth circles as well. As for the “Cuttlebugged” white background, it was a must on this card. Flat white would have been just that – flat.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Pear, and Lagoon cardstock; Pear and Lagoon ink pads; Party Pennants and Happy Birthday stamp sets; Lagoon Mini Medley Accents Collection; Cuttlebug w/Stampin’Up Lattice Squares embossing folder; 1 and 1-1/4 inch circle punches; Fiskars Apron Lace border punch; 3M foam mounting tape.

 

This last card in my birthday “series” is a take on CardPatterns Sketch 93. There isn’t much to say about this one that the photograph and materials list won’t tell you.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Pear, and Lagoon cardstock; Pear, Lagoon, and Sunny Yellow ink pads; It’s Your Day stamp set; Lagoon Mini Medley Accents Collection; Cuttlebug w/Stampin’Up Lattice Squares embossing folder; EK Success corner rounder; 3M foam mounting tape.

A Slice of Life: It was a fast, busy day at work. And guess what? Crossing my fingers worked. I came home to a decorated Christmas tree! It’s beautiful and done with the exception of a few ornaments he left in the box for me to add to the tree, because he thinks I should. No problem. There are also several totes of various collectibles to be set out here and there, which is pretty much everywhere in our now tiny abode. 

With that I am off to decorate and later, run some errands. I hope your day was awesome. Tomorrow night, Sarah is coming over to work on some recipe box projects for her sisters for Christmas. I have a couple to work on myself. I will show them to you if I get them done. Until tomorrow, take care, and as always, thanks for stopping by!

Simple Saturday …

…on Sunday, because I was too pooped to post last night. Actually, I have four cards to show you but will save a couple until tomorrow. If you have Google Reader, you might have noticed my unsuccessful attempt to put all of the cards into a SmileBox slideshow. While I might have eventually figured out how to upload the darned thing into my post, I was frustrated as heck and decided to give up before frustration turned into a seriously bad mood. Back to my cards – they are the result of my realization that for all the cards I have sitting around here, I don’t have very many birthday cards for young people . I seem to make what I feel like making and don’t pay a lot of attention to what I actually need. A New Year’s Resolution: Stamp with a Plan. We’ll see how that goes. LOL.

All for of the cards I made use the same bright, fun color scheme, and none of them were made using any patterned paper. Instead, I used the Cuttlebug and embossing folders to add texture on all but one.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Lagoon, and Pear cardstock; Lagoon, Pear, and Sunny Yellow ink pads;  Party Pennants stamp set; White mini brads; Cuttlebug w/Happy Birthday embossing folder.

 

 

This second card is my adaptation of Unscripted Sketches #84 and was pretty much as design-as-you go thing. The strips along the side are cardstock and were looking a bit boring before I added a couple of rows of piercing. For continuity, I carried the piercing over to the upper left hand corner. The circle element needed some pattern behind the candles, but not too much, which is why I stamped the confetti with second generation ink. The flames were inked up with Sunny Yellow and rolled in Sunset. Yellow Stickles make them glow.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Lagoon, Pear, and Sunny Yellow cardstock; Lagoon, Pear, Sunny Yellow, and Sunset ink pads; Happy Birthday, Party Pennants, and Candlelight stamp sets; Lagoon Mini Medley Accents; Yellow Stickles; Piercing tool; Stampin’ Up Piercing Guide & Mat; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Circles set.

A Slice of Life: The party yesterday for my 10-year-old niece and 17-year-old nephew was fun. It was held at a huge waterpark that is part of a casino/resort, which is located about seven miles from town. Watching the kids have so much fun, I have decided that I am going to buy a new swimsuit and join the fun next time, which may very well be for Bjorn’s 7th party birthday next month.

As for today, there is not a lot to say. I puttered around with a few things but didn’t accomplish much. Our Christmas decorations have been brought out of storage, and thus, there are totes stacked to the ceiling in the living room. It will be a works in progress over the course of the next two evenings, unless, that is, I get lucky, and Husband takes care of the tree while I am at work tomorrow. I thought about suggesting as much but then thought again. He’s a man. It’s got to be his idea. I’ll just cross my fingers.

What has everyone got on their agendas for the week? For me, there is work, of course, and Christmas to prepare for – decorating, shopping, addressing cards, menu planning, and a thousand little things. It will be fun.

For now, I am off to fix the hem on a couple of pairs of pants – glad that the seams hold up better than the hems on what seems like everything I buy these days. Have a great week, and thanks for stopping by. Your visits, friendship, and comments are what make it all worthwhile.

PIP Christmas Card

As much as I don’t like to do this, I’m asking you to do it again – take my word for it, that is, about this PIP (prettier in person) card. It’s white on white on white – so subtle and yet striking in its crispness. If you could see the sparkle of the snowflake – covered with ultra fine crystal glitter – you would get the full affect.

I used textured cardstock for the richness it adds and a lot of foam mounting tape behind the embossed piece to keep it from caving. The sentiment on the inside of the card, “May All Your Days be Merry and Bright,” was stamped with Holiday Red ink. It’s another keeper/sender, although I might have to make one like this for myself, too. For whatever reason, it makes me feel good to look at it.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy Textured cardstock; Holiday Red ink pad; Mint Motif Very Merry Sentiments stamp set; Red satin ribbon from my stash; Martha Stewart Ultra-Fine Crystal glitter; Cuttlebug w/Snowflakes embossing folder, Snowflake die/folder Combo, and Nestabilities Classic Circles set; 3M foam mounting tape.

A Slice of Life: For no particular reason, I am happy tonight. Having put in some extra time earlier in the week, my workday was short and not quite as intense as the other this week. Marv went with his brother to the cabin today to decorate for “Carlson Christmas,” which will be celebrated on the 18th. I think they were going to do some bow hunting, too. With no husband to cook, I called Mom to go out and have a bite. We both had Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches. Good food. Good company. You can’t beat that.

I do believe my night owl ways have caught up with me this evening, however, as I am tired. Leave it to me to wait until the weekend to go to bed early. LOL. Oh, but there is always the possibility I will get a second wind. We shall see. For now, I am off to the bathtub and then maybe to my corner for another stamping session before bed. Have a great weekend, everyone, and thanks for stopping by.

Gingerbread Snowflake

I thought I’d offer an explanation in my title tonight. That way, you won’t be thinking, “What’s with the brown snowflake?” LOL. The inspiration for my card was derived from this Tuesday Trigger on the Moxie Fab World blog. It was further inspired by this beauty on the Lucy’s Cards blog. My gingerbread snowflake is Brown Bag cardstock cut with a Cuttlebug die. After embossing my “cookie,” I inked around the edges with Chocolate ink, careful not to burn it! After it had cooled, I “iced” it with a white gel pen and then sprinkled it with sparkly sugar (Icicle Stickles). Antique Linen Distressing Ink was used to tone down my too-white ribbon. All the while I was making this card, I didn’t think I was going to like it. All put together, however, it’s a keeper. Wait. I take that back. It’s not a keeper but rather a “sender.” I’m adding it to the growing pile of cards I hope to send out this year … if time doesn’t get away from me.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Brown Bag, and New England Ivy cardstock; New England Ivy, Chocolate, and Tim Holtz Antique Linen Distressing Ink stamp pads; White Uni-ball Signo Broad tip gel pen; Say it in Style Stamp set; Red mini check ribbon from Wal-Mart; Pearl Opaques; Cuttlebug w/Snowflake die/embossing folder combo; Sponge distressing tool; Sponge dauber.

A Slice of Life: Whoa. If the next 23 days fly by as fast as the last five have, Christmas will be here in no time. After four days off, I was anticipating a long workweek. Not so at all – the result of having been busy and enjoying what I was doing. I stopped at Mom’s after work tonight and visited with her and my sister Karen, who happened to be there today.

Even though the temperatures have dropped (it is currently –4 degrees), the sun has been shining and weather hasn’t seemed too bad the past couple of days. No wind – the good weather/bad weather differentiator.

Are you thinking ahead to the weekend? We have a family birthday party on Saturday. Other than that, I believe it is time to decorate for the holidays and perhaps do a little cyber shopping. Fun. Tonight, I will let you go with a wish that your Friday is fantastic. Thanks for stopping by, my friends.

Joy to the World

Oh, how I wish you could see this card is person. It’s much sparklier and prettier than the photograph reveals. And, it was inspired by this beautiful card by Dawn Easton on her Treasure Oiler Designz blog. My background was created with a round sponge and Heavenly Blue ink. A 1-inch circle punch was used to create a reverse stencil for the moon. Waiting for the Stickles to dry was the most time consuming aspect of this card. Otherwise, it falls into the quick and easy category. I love it.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Heavenly Blue, and Pacifica cardstock; Black and Pacifica ink pads; Beautiful Things and Christmas Wishes (retired ) stamp sets; Sparkles – Blue & Green Assortment; Martha Stewart Snowflake punch; 1-inch circle punch; Round sponge.

A Slice of Life: After a very busy, fulfilling day at work, I was all ready for beer and bowling (not in that order and only one beer) at 5 pm only to discover when I arrived at the bowling alley that I didn’t have to bowl tonight. It’s a three-man (woman actually) team with four members, so we rotate, and Kathi, obviously, can’t keep track of the schedule. Anyway, I visited with my teammates for a few minutes while enjoying a quick cocktail and came home. I guess I’ll stamp!

I hope your Wednesday was wonderful. Have a great evening, and thanks for stopping by.