Bright Lights

Elf & Star stamps & Liquid Glass - CTMH
Pine branch & string of lights - Hero Arts
Fa La La La Laaa - Cat's Pajamas
Memento Inks
Copics, Spicas & Stickles

Stamped the pine bough multiple times in a tree-like formation and then had stamped the elf with lights and matched up the string of lights and started coloring. I tell you, CLEAR stamps is the only reason I kept my sanity when making a dozen of these cards!!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays & Seasons Greetings (and Yummy EATINGS) to you and yours!!

Darling Duo

Stamps - Hero Arts
Ornament Punch - Stampin' Up
Icicle border punch - Martha Stewart
Inks - Memento & Colorbox
Glittered B&T CS - Michael's Glittered Pad of CS (not mine, someone shared)
Silver Cording - Michaels
Spiral Tinsel - Christmas Around the World (this stuff is nearly 20 years old....)

I contemplated and hemmed and hawed about getting the ornament punch from S.U. and finally decided that I didn't really need it.....so I didn't get it - and then, then one of my stamping buddies had the audacity to bring it along to a stamp get-together and offer to "share" it.....of course after I had it in my clutches and used it I realized that now, now I NEED it....sigh......oh, and I could use that stack of glitterfied CS too.......double-sigh........

Don't you think the spiral tinsel (really, that's how it was listed in the catalog) is pretty cool? I've used it as the air hose/tube thing on an astronaut card too......I'm VERY careful of how I use it, how much I use and if the recipient is Spiral Tinsel-worthy (ok, so only slightly better than Elaine's sponge-worthy criteria.....) but with a resource that is considered finite, one must be very cautious - frugal even!!

Too Late?

Close-up of the sequined, beaded and Sticklefied tree

Stamps - Cat's Pajamas

B&T for tree - CTMH

B&T background - Michael's Slab O' Paper

Inks - Memento

Spicas

Stickles

Sequins & seed beads - Western Crafts

Mini Star Brad - Makiny Memories

Oh that Sprinkle-kitty......she's at it again!! This card was a lot of snip-snip-snipping.....cutting that tree out was a bit of a bugger but sooooo worth it (IMO).....the sequins came later since the tree was a bit flat.......it's fitting I think that Sprinkle would have a sequined tree because she's such a "happening cat"..............

Pretty Pine

Stamps, wood-grain CS - A Muse
Stardream CS & scrap CS
Brads - CTMH
Ink - Memento
Copics & Spicas

This card is a tweaked version of a Make & Take during AMAP this year. I remember when we were making them, I decided I needed to do a batch or two for Christmas and miracles upon miracles I actually REMEMBERED a mental "note to myself"......let me tell you, it doesn't happen often that I actually remember something in time for whatever I wanted it for (and oh yes, I'm a list-maker and an organizer to nnnnth degree) - so I'm pretty pleased with myself right about now!!

Easy and beautiful card.......not a lot of frou-frou going on........about how I like most cards.

Cozy & Toasty

Stamps, B&T paper, Twilight Ink, Markers - CTMH
White Organza Ribbon
White Gel Pen
Spicas
Corner-rounder

Super speedy card that still looks pretty elegant. Don't you love the falling snow?? That's a little something that I learned in a Julie Ebersole class last year (I believe I was so enthralled with making snow with the white gel pen I created a blizzard on my card in class......). The Spicas help to create a bit of twinkle and ta-daaahhhhh, the card is done!

I love it when a card comes together so quickly and smoothly and you're pretty proud to call it your own.

2 Stinkers...AKA Lily and Iris

No, it's not just one large 2-headed cat......there's actually two of them there.....it's nap-time so they're actually getting along (i.e. NOT trying to eat each other....). Iris is using Lily as a pillow - what every good sister needs.... Chef Bo-Bo Head will tell me, one of them is doing this or that, ok - which one?? "The Brown One"..............sigh................

Aaaaaah, Lily has finally opened her peepers - obviously she needs to change the channel (oh how she and Chef Bo-Bo Head fight over control of the clicker!!) - it can't be the cooking channel ALL of the time.....Iris is too tired to pay attention to the t.v. - it takes a lot out of you to move from the bed to the couch for your early-morning to mid-morning nap.

Well here are two out of the three of our feline members of the family. They are rotten - really rotten.....spoiled, catered-to, fretted over cats....CATS......I will literally shimmy from under the covers, doing contortions just so I won't wake one of them up. I will sing at the top of my lungs, have water running and do anything else that I can think of to camouflage that I'm opening a can of tuna (for human consumption)............and every weeknight as I'm changing from work clothes to lounge clothes, I'm asking them how their day was - what they did, what they saw, how many naps they took, if their dry kibble was yummy etc.

It's a sickness......and I've passed it on to my daughter....

Hmmmm YUM!!

B&T Paper, flower stamp, mini brad and ribbon - CTMH

Hot Drink Label - PTI

Inks - Memento & CTMH

Spicas

Scalloped scissors

Marvy Scalloped Circle punch

It seems I'm always saying "quick and easy card".....hey, maybe I'm all about quick & easy cards, huh? Well unless there's a lot of coloring to be done, then time stands still as I select 23 Copics to color an image that's about 2 inches big........I do love to color.

But since I'm such a fan of B&T paper and have such a large collection of it, I try to use it as often as possible and in doing that, the card almost creates itself - that's my story and I'm sticking to it!!

Sweet Song

Close-Up of Elzy Girl & bird

Stamps - Elzybells

Cardbase - Memory Box

PLP - A Muse

Ink - Memento & Colorbox

Copics

Prism Glitter

Stardream CS

Marvy Circle Scallop Punch

May Arts (??) Ribbon

While I don't have a ton of the Elzybells stamps, the ones that I do have I like quite a LOT. I'm sorry to see them go. I know the larger versions are available but that's like using Godzilla Elzys compared to these smaller, more manageable-sized Elzys. So I guess this collection will become one of my Preciousssss collections and I'll have to keep them in a temperature-controlled, acid-free, light-filtered, container with lots of bubble padding and alarmed locks......that should keep them safe!!

Elf Magic

Stamps - Cat's Pajamas
B&T paper - CTMH & Cosmo Cricket (Jolly By Golly)
CS - CTMH
Ink - Memento
CTMH Markers Copic Warm Gray #1 & Spicas
Marvy Snowflakes punches (orange & Green)
EK Success Large Oval Punch
Gemstones - A Muse
Fiskars Mini Deckle scissors

Don't you just love Sprinkle the Cat?? So sassy & sweet (and snotty).....so very cat-like. Our cats take flight on giant candy canes pretty much all of December too, wearing their latest Elf Outfits of course! Hee, hee, hee.....I'd love to try and get Bob or Lily or Iris into an Elf hat let alone a complete outfit!!

Some nontraditional Christmas colors are used in this card but I loved how the Cosmo Cricket and CTMH papers worked so well together. Other than that the card is pretty basic - just a good excuse to feature that rascally Sprinkle-kitty!!!

Mini Magical Hat

Card base - Memory Box
Stamps - A Muse
CS panels - CTMH & PTI
Inks - Mementos
Copics, White Gel Pen
Star Rhinestone - ???
B&T paper - ??? (yep, it's the old stuff!)
Ribbon - Michaels

I stamped the mini Santa's hat and the sentiment on PTI's Soft Stone CS.....the white CS was waaaaaaay too harsh because the B&T holly paper is actually more grey than white. Another benefit of the Soft Stone CS.....the fur trim really POPS with the white gel pen. Have I mentioned that this darling mini Santa's hat is my favorite stamp of this particular A Muse release?? Even though the release was in July, I've had this little hat on my desk since then......could hardly wait to use it!!

Received a shipment from CTMH the other day AND it's all I can do to NOT fling everything that I'm in the middle of off to the side and just plow into the new B&T paper and stamps......they're all so pretty and shiney and new.....................ok, ok, I've got to get a grip - I'm a mature adult, I'm a mature adult, I'm a mature adult, I'm a mature adult, I'm a mature adult, I'm a mature adult, (geez, how many times do I have to say this before I start fooling myself??), I'm a mature adult, I'm a mature adult, I'm a mature adult............

Tagged!

Stamp - Hero Arts
Organza Ribbon & CS - CTMH
Sheer Ribbon (for tag) - A Muse
B&T (tag) - "Jolly By Golly" (Cosmo Cricket)
B&T ("wrap") - ??? more old stuff....

Fast & easy.........and in more traditional Christmas colors than a lot of the cards that I've made this year. Plus I got to use that oh-so cute paper from Cosmo Cricket too!! Not much to this card I know but this particular card design always sells well (both for Christmas and birthdays) - so I'm not going to mess with it too much..........

I'm getting a hankering to see New Moon again......hmmmm wonder when Creepella and I can run away and immerse ourselves in vamps & wolves...........and cola icees and popcorn (with butter).

Tweet - Tweet

Cardbase and B&T paper - Memory Box
Mini Gingham CS - A Muse
Bird Stamp - Hero Arts
Sentiment & Desert Sand CC - CTMH
Ink - Memento
Copics & Spicas
Cuttlebug Embossing Folder
Stardream CS
EK Success Circle Punches
Twine - PTI
Green CS - scrap....from ???

It took me forever with the "dinking around" part of the card..........just couldn't decide where to place all the parts so I took a break by going to bed - looking at it the next day was exactly what I needed since everything just seemed to leap into place on its own. I'm also kinda digging that diamond plate embossing folder - it's a newish one from Cuttlebug. I got it specifically for my manly male cards - so see, I'm thinking about them!!

I need to re-stock our card baskets this week.........the card supply is pathetically low. I think it's time to slash prices to get rid of those last few hanger-ons and then load up with all NEW stuff. It'll be a mini-flurry of activity for Heidi and my latest efforts - wish us luck!!

So Sweeeeeet

Cardbase - Memory Box
Stamps - Sweets (Hero Arts), sentiment (A Muse)
B&T - Doodlebug
Stardream CS
Ink - Memento
Copics & Spicas
Stickles

This card just fell together once I got my hands on the darling B&T paper (I'm such a sucker for Doodlebug paper!!)......I already had the "sweets" ready to go (had stamped, colored and cut them out ages ago) and adding that strip of Stardream CS adds some delicious shimmer. I've used the sentiment from A Muse on several cards - it just seems so fitting for so many types of cards (hmmmm - do see a food trend here???).

Ok that's it for the b-day cards for now......been busy with Christmas cards and I have several that are ready for posting - check back this week, I should have a couple of them up for a look-see!! Speaking of Christmas, we've got to get hopping on our photo Christmas card too (yes, I torment family and friends with not only a photo card but also a Christmas letter.......the shrieking starts when they seen the return address on the envelope I'm sure......)

Light My Fire

Cardbase & Citrus Green CS & Liquid Glass - CTMH
Dragon stamp - Stampin' Up
Sentiment - A Muse
B&T paper - ??? (more of that really old stuff!!)
Cuttlebug embossing folder
Inks - Memories & Memento
Copics & Spicas
Stickles

Guess it's just been my purging desire to finally use up some of the stuff I've been hanging on to (with both hands) for years and years and years.................also, have had loads of requests for more "man cards"....and do I suck at making those or what??? So yesterday's penguin and tonight's dragon are my very direct attempts at more manly male cards!!

A couple of weeks ago a few of us stampers got together and stamped (and ate and laughed and gossiped.....such fun!!). Instead of trying to pack up half of my stamp stuff I've finally learned to create card packets and take those along with a few basic items (adhesives, scissors, paper trimmer etc.) and basically just assemble the cards. It forces me to pre-prepare for the festivities in advance and it keeps me on track so that I actually ACCOMPLISH something stamp-related!! It's been working out so far and the results are these cards. I'll have another one tomorrow..........hey - have fun today and stamp something!!

Just A Little Something

Cardbase & Penguin stamp - Memory Box
Sentiment & Citrus Green CS - CTMH
Ink - Memento
Copics & Spicas
B&T - ??? (it's over 10 years old!!)
Marvy Oval Punch
Cuttlebug embossing folder

Well, since I've posted Heidi's b-day card, let's keep the ball rolling!! Stamped, colored and cut out these darling penguins LAST year....and they've just been hanging around waiting to star in their own card. They're fairly small stamps so you really need to "build" the card if you want a "busy" feel to it - the answer to nearly every stamping problem?? B&T paper of course!! This stuff is absolutely ancient (in fact, it's so old it's in 8.5 x 11 sheets.....boy, if that doesn't age me, what does???) - but it's still usable. Trying really hard to sort through all of this stuff that I've been keeping - gotta make room for the NEW stuff........ CTMH is just a month away from their Spring catalog - I've had a peek and there's some nifty new papers in there!!

Heidi's B-Day Card

Cardbase, sentiment stamps, B&T paper & ribbon - Papertry Ink
Floral stamps - CTMH
Marvy Circle Punch (aqua)
EK Success smaller Circle Punches
Corner rounder
Inks - Memento & CTMH
Spicas
Stardream CS
Brads - ???

As Heidi was opening her card, I was confessing......confessing that the card design is from Papertrey Ink. But I do like the design a lot and since all of the elements just fell together so easily and quickly I figured it was simply meant to be (well, at least it sounded good to me). She liked the card and that's really all that counts...............of course having a piece of cheesecake at the time probably didn't hurt either!!