Framed ship with a twist

I love putting this ship from The Open Sea (retired) in our Designer Frames embossing folder! It looks like a framed painting. This is a variation of one I made earlier this year in Early Espresso. This one uses Night of Navy and Cherry Cobbler card stock. I stamped on Whisper White for the background piece. Thanks (Many Thanks, retired) is embossed with Versamark and white embossing powder. It’s almost CAS (clean and simple). DH needed thank you cards for birthday presents and he doesn’t like flowers or too much in the way of embellishments, so this one made him happy.

Oh, I almost forgot the twist! Do you see the scalloped embossing above and below the white piece? I did that with our new embossing folders from the 2012 Occasions mini catalog which goes live January 4. It’s called Adorning Accents and actually there are three folders, each 5-1/2″ long by 1″. Too cute! This mini has lots of new fun things for the Big Shot, but you’ll have to wait until January to see them. We can only give you sneak peeks for now.

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Christmas version 2

Same card, different stamps. This one is also made with The Sounding Joy but I used the retired set Tree Trimmings for the focal point.

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Christmas stockings

The stockings are filled with – chocolate of course! I made a bunch of these, about 27 or so, for my bowling league. Made with Riding Hood Red and Whisper White card stock and the Stampin’ Up! exclusive Holiday Stocking Bigz XL die. The stamp sets are Sweet Season (retired) and The Sounding Joy. I punched holes in the sides and inserted silver brads to hold the tops together and make a snug place for a Ghirardelli chocolate square. Warning: eat chocolate before placing near a hot fireplace!

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Merry Christmas

My Christmas card, made with Wisteria Wonder and Concord Crush. The stamp set, The Sounding Joy, is from the holiday mini. The background is embossed with the Finial Press embossing folder and I punched the stars with the retired star punches out of silver glimmer paper, also from the holiday mini. I made 108 of them! Not traditional colors, but easy to put together and quite nice if I say so myself. The hardest part was addressing so many and writing notes in each one.

Merry Christmas!

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Happy bday to hubby

Today is a big birthday for my husband – 60! So I had to come up with an appropriate card. He likes the Chargers and beer so I put them together with the SU exclusive Build-a-Bear Bear die and a stamp from Cheers to You (retired). The handle on the beer mug is actually on the other side, so I cut it off and glued it to the other side so the bear could hold it. I used a Sizzix alphabet strip sizzlet to make the letter on the cap and retired SU DSP for the clothes. The colors are Night of Navy, Crushed Curry and Whisper White, as close as I could get to Chargers colors.

We’ll be off to our favorite burger and beer place for lunch to celebrate. If the wind weren’t blowing and the Chargers were playing, it would be a perfect day!

P.S. I’ve been told the hat looks like a Cubs hat, which is fine because he likes the Cubs too!

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Fall leaves for Thanksgiving

This is the time of year for leaves – falling, blowing and the inevitable raking. This beautiful set in the Stampin’ Up! holiday mini is perfect for Thanksgiving cards. It’s a two step set and you don’t even need the stamp-a-ma-jig to line up the stamps – they are that easy to line up. Happy Thanksgiving!

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Turkey treat boxes

What’s Thanksgiving without treat boxes filled with M&Ms?

These were made with:

• Mini-milk carton die – Cajun Craze card stock
• Lots of punches: small oval, scallop oval, circle oval, owl, Spring Bouquet (for the wattle)
• Crop-a-dile to punch the holes
• SU natural hemp twine
• Autumn Days and All Year Cheer III stamp sets (both retired)

And of course, the most important ingredient: chocolate! My friends on my bowling league will be the lucky recipients.

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