Cards For Christmas

The card above is from a dear Technique Junkie friend, Beth Ullman. Her blog is just wonderful too. Check it out! I just realized I may not have been letting you all know about the blogs of my RAK friends. Beth has embossed the Holly shown with a beautiful Light Pearl Gold embossing powder. She has added gold glitter to the start and end of your words and the star and tree are gold brads. There is a magical charm about her card. Thank you so much for thinking of me Beth!

This card is from Brenda Elliott. She is the owner of Stampers Alley in Mooresville, NC. Her store is just wonderful and if you haven't stopped by to see it you should, next time you are in the neighborhood. She also has great classes for stampers too. Thanks so much for thinking of me Brenda! Hope your birthday and holidays were filled with wonderful things.

Okay, this card from Cindy Motherway, also known as 'Mothermark', is just a hoot!......and so is Cindy! She also has a beautiful blog you should check out. She does cards using a teapot theme. You really need to see it.....and oh, she tells a story as she presents her artistic creations too. For her last card she has also listed the 10 Stages of Stamping Obsession so you can find where you are in your addiction~~~

The above beautiful card was created by a dear local friend, Jackie Parkins, who also has a blog that is great. She also teaches at Stamper's Alley in Mooresville. Jackie is a really creative stamper as you can see. Thanks so much Jackie for the thoughts and the card!

Last, but definitely not least, is this wonderful 'Spotlight' card from Karen Vandivier~ She also teaches at the Stamper's Alley store. Thanks so much Karen for thinking of me. I love your satin ribbon and am going in search of some tomorrow.

I want to thank all of the above again. You each made my holiday even more bright. I hope yours was wonderful and that you have a very Happy Healthy New Year!!! Onward to Valentine's Day and Spring!!!!

Thank you all for stopping by 'the blog' to look and share.

 

 Shirley

 

Changing Your Blogger Blog To Three Columns

Okay, I know this is a card art blog, but sometimes you just have to fudge! I have been wanting a 3 column blog for sometime now, and some of you have also told me you were thinking about it too, so I did some hunting and found some great information and some links to share.

I read this article first:
http://bguide.blogspot.com/2008/02/skeleton-of-blogger-template.html
In a nutshell, it really just describes how the blog is set up. It made me a little more comfortable about going into the body to add things.

First and foremost to me was some information about a back up of your blog. It also explained how to do that. I also saved the encrypted codes on my widgets to a WordPerfect file and saved the pictures of the widgets to a Folder in My Pictures. I didn't need to use any of them, but it was a safety precaution I preferrred to have before I started on my journey.

Go to the Edit HTML tab under Layout and there is a Download Full Template on the second line down from the top and I used it to save (download) my template to my computer.

Next I actually fooled around with the instructions in the above article, but couldn't get them to work for me so I looked for another approach and found it here:

http://www.threecolumnblogger.com/2008/09/three-column-minima-layout-version.html

Now when you go to this page you will see on the right hand side of the page, in the 'Sidebar', a list of different templates and clicking on one will tell you what you need to know for your blogger layout template to change it to 3 columns. Mine was Minima Lefty after fooling around with another DIY to 3 columns. I was just Minima in the beginning. It actually took me less than an hour to do it and I could not believe it.

Anyway, I followed the instructions and it was very easy. I was a little spooked at times but reminded myself of these safety tips as I trolled along:

1. I had saved my template to my PC.
2. I can always click on Clear Edits button on the bottom, as long as I don't save anything until I check it out by:
Clicking on the Preview Button on the bottom of the screen.

The thing that was really great about the end result - I could drag my sidebar buttons from the column on the left to the column on the right to reorganize them.

If any of you would like to talk with me about it, EMAIL ME by clicking on the same in the upper left hand sidebar.

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and will continue on to a Happy Healthy New Year. Thanks for stopping by 'the blog' to look and share.

 

 Shirley

 

Beautiful RAKs And A Unique Site

Is the above scene just too grand!! Well, if you like it, click on it and go to a site that has wonderful glitter images for every occasion. Most are free too! I fell in love with it and spent a lot of time just looking. Wow! Be sure to get one small enough for your sidebar, if that is where you want to put it! I wanted the one above and it was too big, so as you can see, I did find a smaller one. Have fun! This special site also has a lot of food for the soul and things to think about!

The RAK below was sent to me by my friend Barbara Riefner and what a treat~ Santa himself wishes me holiday greetings. Thanks so much Barb for the beautiful and sparkly card~!

The next one is from Connie Thorson and her friend Judy Kleinrock, local friends. Connie used an American Art Stamp and I love them. How pretty and slim. I need to pay attention to that! Thanks so much, Connie and Judy for the beautiful card.

What a great week for cards, as you all know. This next card is from a friend I made at the last stamp convention I attended. Thank you Darlene Green for this beautiful Poinsettia card. I am so sorry it doesn't scan well. It is the most beautiful color of red with a green leaf and it doesn't show well at all.


I loved my mail box this last week. This next card is from a Technique Junkie friend, Jackie Kalchert. It is done with the Pleated Paper technique and had the most gorgeous die and ribbon on it! Thanks so much Jackie for your thoughtfulness and great card!


This next card is special and precious too! It is Spirelli and definitely a work of art. It is from another local friend, Joyce Powel. She is special and has been under the weather lately. If you would please say a special prayer for her. Thank you so much Joyce for thinking of me when you have enough to do. Special thoughts and well wishes your way.

The last and definitely not the least is from Vaudene Tanaka. She is another Technique Junkie friend and has been very busy recovering from some surgery, and here she is sending me a card! Thank you so much Vaudene. I have been thinking of you too!


I want to thank all of you again for making the Christmas season all that much more special to me and for sharing a part of you with me. They are all so elegant and so wonderful. Hugs to you all.

Thanks to all of you for stopping by 'the blog' to look and share. I know I will post again before Christmas, but then again........ As the time draws near I wish all of you a very Happy, Merry, Healthy Christmas and New Year!!

 

 Shirley

 

Another Blast From The Past

I stamped and painted this image a couple of years ago. It didn't have the window dressing or the frame. Funny what leaving something alone for a while will do for the imagination. The image is on page 133 at The Artful Stamper. You can order unmounted with cling from them now, but you have to let them know. It's hard to find dealers here in the US who sell their stamps, so the only place I have found online is Stamper's Dream. If she doesn't have unmounted with cling, maybe she will order for you that way.

The image was stamped with Brilliance Galaxy Gold and painted with Twinkling H2O's Douglas Fir, Blue Grass, Moss Green, Garnet, Dreamsicle, Lemon Drop, Egyptian Gold, Caribbean Mist, and Warm Pecan. The candle drips, flames, and berries were accented with Glossy Accents. The Fiskars Rope border punch was used to do the side of the window on the left. Ribbon from Michael's was used to thread through and tie the knots in the punched area. The bow was tied separately and is my favorite Martha Stewart bow technique.

The tag was made using the Spellbinders Oval Scallop Large set (Smallest Scallop die) for the center and then the outline of the die was traced and cut for the border. Mark Richards Crystal Stickers 2 and 3mm Ruby rhinestones were used as shown. The words are from Impression-Obsession Clear Stamps Sentiments I. I have both the I and II. They cover almost any occasion. Gold cord was used to tie the tag to the bow.

Needle piercing was used for the Cross-Stitched edge holes. A Copic At You Spica Gold marker and Gold Gelly Roll Stardust pen were used for the stitches. The brown and the green cardstock for the background mattes were from Strathmore pads I bought on sale at an art store in Reno, NV, where I lived always before moving here 6 years ago.

Thanks for stopping by 'the blog' to look and share! Hope your shopping is done and your holidays are becoming magical!

 

 Shirley

 

Merry Father Christmas

Father Christmas is by Stamps Happen. I did a Google search and couldn't find him anywhere. :-(

Santa:
Stamped with Encore Gold pigment ink and embossed with Gold embossing powder in probably 2006 or 2007. I just never got around to using him.
Cloak and gown were painted with Twinkling H2O's Garnet and Old Olive.
Skin is Natural Linen and Cherry Sorbet.
Hair, eyebrows, and beard are Liquid Pearls White Opal.
Fur is Stampendous Fun Flock Cotton Ball White.
Gold trim was done with a Pilot Gold Extra Fine pen and an art brush. (I can never get them to write right!!! So I doodle around until the gold comes out, then dip a fine tipped art brush into the stuff and paint.)
Bells dangling from his belt and his drinking cup had Jones Tones glue applied, then Gold Leaf.
Leaves were painted with Twinks Olive Green and then Glossy Accents was applied.
Staff is Twinks Warm Pecan.

Backgrounds:
White background is Neenah Classic Crest Solar White Super Smooth 80lb. cover cardstock embossed with Cuttlebug Snow Dots.
Glue was applied to the centers of the snowflakes at the top of the embossed cardstock.
Bazzill Emerald City cardstock was used behind the white.

Tree:
This tree reminds me of a Piñon tree. If you have ever been in the foot hill areas at the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains you have probably seen Piñon (Pinyon) Trees. They have so many branches and are so lush in needles, when they are young, that you don't have to worry about even limbs here and there when decorating for Christmas. They also produce great Pine Nuts, hence the name piñon. Actually the Native Americans always say poor harvests mean a mild Winter and great harvests mean a very hard Winter. They are usually right. They also say not to plant crops until there is no snow on Peavine Mountain, but that's another story. Ha!!

Martha Stewart's Branch punch was used for the tree and it was super easy to do. I used glue dots to put the branches down. By the way, I couldn't find a place online that had one at a price I would pay.
DecoArt Glamour Dust Crystal glitter was poured over it so where the dots showed you have kind of a magical look.
Some Holly Berries were added to the top for decoration using Mark Richards Crystal Stickers Ruby rhinestones.

Santa was then mounted with dimensional dots.

Embellishments:
Mark Richards Crystal Stickers Ruby rhinestones were added to Holly Berries on hat, staff, and satchel.
Tulip White Puffy paint was added along the bottom of the white cardstock in wavy lines.
DecoArt Glamour Dust Crystal glitter was applied and then heat set so the glittered paint would rise here and there like snow.
Gold ribbon from Michael's was pulled under Santa with a crochet hook and across the upper portion of the card as shown. A bow was mounted on that.

Tag:
A Spellbinders Ribbon Tag Trio die cut was trimmed down, then stamped with 'Merry Christmas by Impression-Obsession using Brilliance Gold Galaxy ink and then mounted.
Mark Richards Crystal Sticker Rubies were added to each end.

The cardfront was then mounted on a folded 8.5X5.5 piece of white cardstock.

Thanks for stopping by 'the blog' to look and share. Hope your preparations for Christmas are coming along well.

 

 Shirley

 

Beautiful RAK's And SNOW Instructions

First let's talk about the snow on my blog. Several people have commented and asked where I got it. So here are the links depending on who provides support for your blog. You go to the link and follow the instructions from there.

This SNOW is for Blogger people.

This SNOW is for Word Press people.

Let me also explain that if you have a white background template, like mine, the snow is only on the colored areas, like card, widgets, etc. If your background is colored you will have more snow inside your blog. A real Winter Wonderland anywhere you want it.

Now for my wonderful collection of RAK's. I have been as slow as a turtle lately with everything. This includes thank yous to the wonderful people who have sent me cards!!! So without further tardiness I want to thank all of you. They have brightened my face and my heart.

The lovely card above is from a wonderful TJ friend, Barbara Riefner. The background is a Technique Junkie technique called Watercolor Resist. She has stamped the image with a Black pigment and embossed it with Clear Embossing Powder. These flowers are just gorgeous against the background she created. Thank you so much Barbara for the surprise and smile the card gave me.

Another really beautiful card from a TJ friend, Carole Miller. I hate it when Christmas cards get to me before I have even mailed all mine. I have been doing some every week and here it is 2 weeks before Christmas and I am still doing it!! Carole's main image was stamped in red pigment ink and then embossed with Red Glitter Embossing Powder. The card is just so sparkly and proves less really is more. I could take a few lessons from Carole!! Thank you Carole. Yours really 'is in the mail'. No, honest, it really is!

This card is just so creative and spectacular! It comes from my TJ friend, Denise Taylor, down under in New Zealand. The TJ Technique she used is called Masked Frame. The sheen behind the behind the ornaments (on dimensional dots) has been sprayed very very lightly with a sliver sparkling mist. It also has the wonderful bling and the words are also mounted on dimensional dots to grasp when you open the card. The back portion of the cardstock that shows has been punched with a corner punch. It has a wonderful letter inside. Thank you so much Denise.
This beautiful card comes from Julia Aston, a fellow blogger, at Create With Me. If you haven't been there, you need to go. She has some beautiful projects, including cards, and is very creative!! Julia has again proved less is not only more, but warm and wonderful too! She used Designer Paper for the background and the punched snowflake and dot were created with punches. Thank you so much Julia.
This pretty card is from another TJ friend, LaVerne Wilson. I can't tell how the background was created, but I will bet it is a TJ technique. I know it was embossed and I have been trying to think of what folder. It looks familiar though. The corners are punched and I have to say her two main colors are just wonderful together and I love that ribbon too. I think it's wide grosgrain. Thank you so much LaVerne.


This beautiful and creative card was done by Stephanie Severin. She too is a fellow blogger. Her blog is Ingenious Inkling. She is just so creative with paper. She first put her pieces of cardstock together and then stamped with an area stamp and navy ink. The edges between the colors were also highlighted with navy ink. Then she rounded her corners and created her image. It was mounted on dimensional dots and highlighted with glitter glue too! Bling on the opposite corners of course!! Thank you so much Stephanie for sending me one of your wonderful creations.

 

 Shirley

 

Just A Bunch of Bubbles!

I am near the end of Christmas cards I think and Christmas trees too. This is all one stamp. I am going to be brief with my explanation of how I did it. If anyone has more questions, feel free to email me using the gadget in my sidebar to the right.

The image, Starry Night by Impression-Obsession, with Brilliance Gold Galaxy then heat embossed to dry the ink. The background was painted with Twinkling H2O's Caribbean Mist and Bashful Blue, and Lemon Yellow. The stars were highlighted with Rangers Stickles Yellow glitter glue. The white area is White Gesso. (I have a small plastic bottle with a metal tip that makes it so quick and easy to do. It's like working with frosting. It also dries pretty fast.) I thought about the tree and how I wanted to do it for quite a while.

I decided to stamped it again and cut out the tree. I painted the tree with Twinkling H2O's Sweet Alfalfa. Jones Tones glue was then applied and when just tacky Jones Tones Iridescent Green was applied.(It is green translucent foil, with specks of blue, gold, and silver). Liquid Pearls White Opal was applied and then when dry Mark Richards 2 and 3mm pearls were applied. Mark Richards only offers 2mm pearls in their Script Alphabets, so I get those and then cut what I want. The tree was then mounted with dimensional stickers.

I wanted a larger star for the top of the tree. (Yes, I do save leftover cardstock. I punch images and tags with it, etc.) I decided which star in the background to use and(1) inked just that area, kind of LOLOLOL, (2 ) then placed the piece of cardstock on top of it and pressed down, careful not to move it around. Then I lift it straight up. It is so much easier to copy part of a larger stamp this way. I do all of my large backgrounds this way too, as I am sure most of you do. The star was cut out, mounted on the top of the tree where the other smaller star is, painted with Lemon Yellow, and then Stickles Yellow glitter glue applied. When dry I added Glossy Accents.

I trimmed the white border around the outside down, mounted it on Bazzill Emerald City cardstock. The holes for the ribbon were punched with the small Stampin' Up Slot punch. The ribbon from Michaels was mounted and a bow added. A 1.5" corsage pin, Czech 5mm Yellow pressed glass heart, and 2mm white glass pearl were added to the Blue Organdy bow. EK Success Jolee's Boutique Snowflakes were used to embellish the card and tag.

The tag is from Spellbinders Ribbon Tag Trio and the words from Impression-Obsession Merry Christmas were stamped with Brilliance Galaxy Gold.

Thanks for stopping by 'the blog' to look and share. Hope your Christmas shopping is done and, if not, that it goes smoothly!

 

 Shirley

 

Wow! 2 Cards In A Week

I have really outdone myself! 2 cards within 7 days! Wow! I hope it's a sign of good things to come.

The image, Holly Snowflake by Impression-Obsession, was stamped with Brilliance Galaxy Gold on Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Natural 80lb. Cover cardstock. It was heat embossed to dry it and then painted with Twinkling H2O's Rose Petal and Olive Vine. Mark Richards Crystal Stickers 2mm, 3mm, and 5mm pearls were used from the center outward and 2mm Pink rhinestones were used for the Holly Berries. Stickles Rose Quartz (retired) glitter glue was used for the bows. I tried leaving the bows Rose Petal and the whole card just looked blah! Even with Glossy Accents applied. So it had to get some glitter. :-)

The first background is Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Natural 80lb. Cover cardstock embossed with Cuttlebug's Textile Texture embossing folder. The ends were punched using Fiskars Holly Border Punch. The punch-out holly leaves were painted with Twinkling H2O Olive Vine and mounted where they came out! Now that is 'Green'. Mark Richards Pink 2mm rhinestones were mounted for the berries. Stickles Rose Quartz was used to highlight the texture randomly.

Stardream Chiara Rose Quartz was used behind that. The ends were first embossed with the Swiss Dot folder from Cuttlebug's A2 Borders Just My Type folder, then punched using the Fiskars Leave It to Weaver Border Punch. The ribbon is from Michaels and was turned half way on each top weave through the punched area.

The very bottom of the Background layers is plain Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Natural 80lb. Cover cardstock. It was a very different card and I had no idea where I was going. Ha!

Thanks for stopping by 'the blog' to look and share.

 

 Shirley

 

How Very Thoughtful

The very wonderful Shirley from Down Under at Reflections has awarded me the 'Fabulous' Award - thank-you so much! I think your blog is pretty 'Fabulous' too! I am going to pass it fairly fast! Ha!

The 'Fabulous' Award Rules:
1. You have to pass it on to 5 fabulous blogs.
2. You have to list 5 of your fabulous addictions.
3. Make sure you include the person that gave you the award and link it back to them.

Addictions:

1. Stamps, of course

2. Paper

3. Twinkling H2O's

4. Ink Pads

5. Embellishments

The award goes to:

1. Mickey Dee at Just Mousin' Around

2. Aija at Kettulin Paja

3. Laura at Laura's Stamp At Journal

4. Maria at Maria's Studio

5. Connie at McStampin' Dusk 'til Dawn

Shirley didn't know I wasn't posting awards, so I wanted to pass them on. Please don't miss checking out the above sites. They have some great art to share. No more in the future though, so don't forget to find people who haven't received any. I hope I did, but can't promise anything!!!

Thanks for stopping by 'the blog' to look and share.

 

 Shirley