A Thrill of Hope

Hi friends! I'm back with a non-traditional color schemed Christmas card using the Winter Peace DIGITAL Set.

I had already printed and colored the digital images, so it was just a matter of die cutting (the flower is cut with the Autumn Thanks Die Set) and then adding some black mats to my panels.  A thick band of ribbon across the card finishes off the layout on this simple card.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. And thanks for the well wishes for my family. We all seem to be finally on the mend now. I hope you have a fabulous day!

Enabler's List
Stamps: Winter Peace DIGITAL Set (Verve)
Paper: Bundle of Joy (Echo Park), basic black (SU!), white (neenah)
Ink: laser printer, copic markers
Accessories: Autumn Thanks Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), pierced squares die set (Cottage Cutz), grosgrain ribbon (SU!), Morning Dew Nuvo drops (Tonic), glitter

Cup of Cheer

Hi friends! Happy Saturday! I've got one more card I made for the Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop.  I didn't have enough time to blog it yesterday before I took the kiddos to yet another holiday party, so I uploaded it to my Splitcoast gallery to make it in time for last night's entry deadline.

I used the Holiday Sweets DIGITAL Set for this card, cutting the sentiment with a stitched circle die and matting with a pinking circle, then layering onto a glittery snowflake.  I then added some designer paper to the bottom of a kraft tag and then embossed the top half with a snowflake embossing folder.  Some thin little ribbon accents it and I then layered the whole thing onto a newsprint tag. 

The cup is also from Holiday Sweets and I colored with Copics and cut with the retired Cuppa Joe Die Set.  The black paper is from the CHRISTmas Collection by Bella Blvd and I finished with a bit of seam binding and an embossed crumb cake card base.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. It's a big bowl day for Boise State University, our town college, and the boys are beyond excited to watch the game. A couple weeks ago when I asked Trevor what he wanted for Christmas this year he said he wanted Boise State to win the Las Vegas Bowl!  Haha! Hope Santa can pull this one out.  LOL

Enabler's List
Stamps: Holiday Sweets DIGITAL Set (Verve)
Paper: CHRISTmas Collection (Bella Blvd.), Merry Merry (Pebbles), crumb cake, white
Ink: laser printer, Copic markers
Accessories: circle dies (spellbinders), glittery snowflake (Recollections), ribbon (SU!), snowflake embossing folder, kraft tag, newsprint tag, morning dew Nuvo glitter drops, Cuppa Joe Die Set (Verve)

Coffee and Christmas Cards

Hi friends! Happy Friday! I'm back with another card for the Winter 2017 Coffee Lovers Blog Hop.  I had hoped to make a lot more cards for the hop this week, but the holidays are upon us with all sorts of holiday parties, events, field trips, etc. vying for my time.

I did have a bit of time this morning to hop into the studio and make this quick little card.  The sentiment from the Santa & Coffee DIGITAL Set was just how I was feeling, so I cut it with the Flourished Tag Die and then cut the snowflake mug with the Cup for All Seasons Die Set and colored with Copics.  The papers are from the Bella Blvd CHRISTmas Collection and I added a bit of washi down the side of the tag.

I embellished with ribbon, twine, jingle bells and a glitzy snowflake for a sparkly finish.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you have a fabulous December weekend!

Enabler's List
Stamps: Santa & Coffee DIGITAL Set (Verve)
Paper: CHRISTmas Collection (Bella Blvd), basic black (SU!), white (Neenah)
Ink: laser printer, copic markers
Accessories: Cup for All Seasons Die Set, Flourished Tag Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), CHRISTmas Collection washi (Bella Blvd), glittery snowflake and jingle bells (Recollections), silver thread and black grosgrain ribbon (SU!), baker's twine

Cup of Christmas Cheer

Hi friends! I'm back with another quick card for the Winter 2017 Coffee Lovers Blog Hop.

I pulled out the Very Merry collection again and loved this little santa tag from the ephemera collection.  The sentiment from the Running on Cheer DIGITAL Set fit perfectly, so I used it as a frame.  Next I colored the big snowflake mug with copics and added a bit of stickles to the snowflake and brim of the cup.

I used an old fiskars border punch to mirror the scallop trim on the tag, then finished with a few rounded corners, some vintage photo distress ink and a polka dot bow.

Hope you're having a fantastic week! There's been an event or 2 every day this week for the family.  I'm headed out right now to Kellan's holiday celebration at school. He's so excited to sing Christmas songs to us!

Enabler's List
Stamps: Running on Cheer DIGITAL Set (Verve)
Paper: Very Merry (Carta Bella), cream (Neenah)
Ink: Laser printer, copic markers, vintage photo distress ink (Ranger)
Accessories: scalloped border punch (Fiskars), glitter drops (Tonic), polka dot ribbon (SU!), Very Merry Ephemera Pack (Carta Bella)

Calm and Bright

Hi friends! I've got another quick little Christmas card for you today.  Here I used the Winter Peace DIGITAL Set printed on a laser printer and then foiled the image and sentiment with my Minc machine.

And miracle of miracles, I was actually able to capture a photo that shows the silver foil off. When unpacking all the Christmas decor this year I realized I have a bit of a thing for reindeer. Our living room kind of looks like a reindeer breeding ground! They're just such noble looking creatures, I can't help myself. But maybe I shouldn't have bought anymore last time I went shopping! {teehee} 

Anyhow, the card layout is simple, just square and circle die cuts with silver mats and a silver ribbon to finish things off.  Quick and easy... the perfect combo this time of year! I just love the soft, serene look to this card, and you already know I'm all about the aqua! {grin}

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you're having a fabulously, calm and bright holiday season!

Enabler's List

Stamps: Winter Peace DIGITAL Set (Verve)

Paper: designer paper scrap, shiny silver cardstock (SU!), white

Ink: laser printer

Accessories: silver reactive foil, Minc Machine (Heidi Swapp), silver ribbon (Michael's), square and circle dies

Santa's Little Helper and a Coffee Lovers Blog Hop

Hi friends! It's time for the Winter 2017 Coffee Lovers Blog Hop!  If you've been following me for a while you know how much I love these hops. As hubby calls it, coffee is my "pinnacle drink". I like tea and hot chocolate and wassail, too, but given a choice, my coffee mug would never be empty!

And I love designing coffee images about as much as I love drinking it! So in honor of the hop I produced another digital set that released this morning. I wanted a really big mug of coffee that said Santa's little helper, since with everyone in the house feeling sick I'm living on coffee and Christmas cheer right now.

My card uses the cup from the new Running on Cheer DIGITAL Set, which I printed on my laser printer, then masked off the top and sponged salty ocean and faded jeans distress oxide inks to color.  The papers and the tag are from the Very Merry line by Carta Bella. I fell in love with this collection and bought it all this year!  Love this little reindeer tag from the ephemera pack.

I rounded the corners of my papers, added a silver bow and a wooden snowflake covered with glitter drops and was done.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! If you want to play along in the hop, just make a new holiday themed coffee/tea/or cocoa card and link it up to the official hop post before next Friday. You have to play to win, but there are so many wonderful prizes from the Super Sponsors, including a little Verve!

Enabler's List
Stamps: RRunning on Cheer DIGITAL Set (Verve)
Paper: Very Merry (Carta Bella), white
Ink: salty ocean, faded jeans distress oxide inks (Ranger), copic markers, laser printer
Accessories: Very Merry ephemera (Carta Bella), wooden snowflake (Recollections), Nuvo glitter drops (Tonic), corner rounder, snowflake embossing folder (Sizzix)

Elegant Christmas and a Winner

Hi friends! I've been recovering from a pretty miserable sinus infection and although I made a few cards in the past week, I just haven't had the energy to blog about them. However, I'm long overdue on announcing the winner from my Simply Sweet Christmas Inspiration Hop Giveaway, and since I already had the photos edited, I figured I might as well post a little duet of cards I made with the Christmas Blessings DIGITAL Set. Be sure to hang out until the end for the winner announcement.

The layout is really simple, just a square with a few mats and a couple of ribbon or paper strips.  The first one I made was the 2 Corinthians one and I matted with mossy meadow, then with a scrap of shiny gold.  A couple strips of ribbon, a bow and some lovely designer paper and the card was finished.  

Unfortunately, I was all out of that shiny gold, so for the next card I went with a glittered gold paper.  Since the color didn't match my ribbon well, I just cut two strips of paper for the horizontal stripes.  I wanted to used the cross image that I had already colored and cut, so shifted the sentiment down to incorporate it into the mix.

Since I made and photographed these cards, I received my order of shiny gold cardstock and have already made two more of the first design with the other two glory sentiments from the Christmas Blessings DIGITAL Set. They came together so quickly and easily, but still have a classy, elegant feel, with the true meaning of Christmast front and center.

Okay, on with my giveaway winner's announcement.  Thanks to everyone who left a comment on my post. I loved reading about your favorite Christmas traditions. 

The random winner is Darnell

Congrats, Darnell!  You win the Good Cheer DIGITAL Set and the Happiness in a Cup Die Set, as well as a little variety pack of handmade cards from my stash. Keep an eye out for an email from me.

Enabler's List
Stamps: Christmas Blessings DIGITAL Set (Verve)
Paper: Vintage Christmas (Authentique), cream (Neenah), gold cardstock
Ink: laser printer, copic markers
Accessories: Pierced squares dies (Cottage Cutz), scallop squares nestabilities (Spellbinders), gold ribbon, Nuvo drops (Tonic)

I Can Explain

Hi friends! It's the first Friday in a new month and that means I'm bringing you a brand new sketch for Viva la Verve! Our sketch is open all month long, so come join in the fun for a chance to win a $40 gift voucher to the Verve shop.

I pulled out the new Santa & Coffee DIGITAL Set for my card today.  I just giggle every time I see this sentiment. Sometimes when I'm cranky, I tell the boys there wasn't enough coffee. They always laugh and see right through my little ruse. Can't pull one over on my little dudes! But they do usually make me another cup, just in case. LOL  Anyhow, I knew I wanted to use these sentiments for the circle elements in the sketch.  I already had the set printed and colored, so it was just a matter of die cutting the circles and fussy cutting the hat and cup.

I had originally thought to make the horizontal band look like a Santa belt, but realized the circles were going to just cover up the buckle and the effect would be lost. Will have to try my idea for that a different day.  :)  So instead I dry embossed the black cardstock I was going to use for the belt and added a border die to the bottom.  A strip of peppermint striped designer paper and a textured card base finish the backdrop.

For embellishment, I added a metal snowflake charm that I tied with a bow.  The snowflake was a bit too vintage for the bright gold on the border, so I brushed some inkagold over it to give it a bit more brightness.  I finished off with a sprig of holly from the Good Cheer DIGITAL Set.

Well, that's it for today. I hope y'all have a fabulous start to your December.  Do you have any big plans? I'm attempting to try my hand at a December Daily type album this year. I know I'm going to be crazy busy, so I'm not going to get too caught up in what happened on each particular day, just more of a December remembered kind of album (hey, I like that, I think I'll title it that!), with fun stories about our Christmas season that we can look back on in years to come. I've bought entirely too much product to start out and still have to plug in my new Selphy printer and figure out how it works, but am excited to document the boys' Christmas 2017.

Enabler's List
Stamps: Santa & Coffee DIGITAL Set, Good Cheer DIGITAL Set (Verve)
Paper: 'Tis the Season (Echo Park), white, black, gold
Ink: laser  printer, Copic markers
Accessories: stitched circle dies (Cottage Cutz), border die (The Cat's Pajamas), snowflake charm (The Funkie Junkie Boutique), ribbon (American Crafts), Nuvo drops (Tonic), snowflakes embossing folder (Cuttlebug)