HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

EXCERCISE FOR AGING STAMPERS

Now that I'm starting to feel my age more and more these days, I don't have the energy (physical or mental) that I used to. (forget about tennis!)  However, I now appreciate participating in the "sport" of stamping.  I get my exercise stretching to reach something that falls on the floor, aerobics jumping out of my chair to get a stamp set from across the room and muscle-building applying pressure on a stamp or cranking out a die cut on my Cuttlebug.

Praise God for a sense of humor!

BIRTHDAY COFFEE

The UPS man arrived today with my precious SU order--YAY!  After sorting all the guest orders and bagging them, I ran upstairs with my new toys and started making some cards.

This one combines the Perfect Blend and Endless Wishes sets...hello Scrap Drawer!  After stamping the cup on a piece of light green, I stamped the lid portion on white and the collar on light brown using Smokey Gray Versafine ink.  For the greeting, I curved the polymer stamps to line up with the curve of the cup and stamped the top part in black and the larger word in light brown.

Since the card is a side fold, I ran the front through the Cuttlebug to emboss the birthday greetings.  Then I added a piece of brown textured cs from my Scrap Drawer, already zig-zag cut on the right side, after wrapping some natural hemp around the top.

Once I add the inside greeting, this should make a nice masculine birthday card!

THANKSGIVING CARD

Using a long-retired SU set, "Bountiful Blessings", this is the card I came up with for the members of the Mothers Class this year.  Rather than color in the image, I decided to keep it simple and rustic looking.  After tearing the edges, I sponged brown ink on the sides, then added some black sponging just on the very edges over the brown to give it a little more definition.

For embellishment, I used 2 pearls and a gem in the lower right corner.  Inside, I first stamped the wheat sheaf of the set in brown, then stamped "bountiful blessings..." in black over it.  The embossing folder on the front gave it a bit more texture.

I am so thankful for the members of my Mothers Class.  They truly are an inspiration and make Wednesdays the highlight of my week.

SIMPLE CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT

For the next Mothers Class, we'll be making these Christmas ornament cards--soooo easy!

After punching out a circle of dsp,  add a gem in the center and set aside.  Next, take a piece of white cardstock cut to
3 3/4"x5" and stamp the greeting on the bottom in an ink to match the cardstock base (SU Choc. Chip in this case.)  Then attach a piece of red metallic cord on the top of the card, taping it securely on the back.  Use a dimensional to attach it on the front underneath where the ornament will go.  Then add the  ornament on top of the dimensional.

The "pine branches" are done with a Martha Stewart fern punch and glued into place with TomBow mono glue.  A bow is added for the finishing touch with a glue dot.

Although you could use red or green cs for the base, I thought this dark brown made it a little richer looking and a bit more unusual--who would have thought!

WHITE HOLLY BERRIES

I just HAD to CASE this card shown HERE!  (10/29/13 post)

Holly trees do have red berries, but the white looks so much better here.  It's ok to be creative, right?

First, I ran the Penny Black holly die through the Cuttlebug using Pear Pizzaz cs.  Then I sponged the ends of the leaves with Color Box Olive Pastel chalk ink.  Using the same ink, I sponged the left third of a textured white panel and tied the natural hemp around it.

After stamping "Christmas Blessings" with Versafine Olympia Green ink, I mounted the panel on the card front with dimensionals.  TomBow mono glue was used on the left end of the branch and three leaves to hold it in place.  I slid the branch under the hemp, leaving the rest of the leaves and branch free so that it gives some dimension to the card.   After adding tiny pearls for the berries, the card was done.  This, by the way, took very little time to make--which means I'll be making more!

Thanks, Birgit, for such a wonderful design!