Snow Kissed Stocking~

Hi friends! Just a quick post here. These past few days the South and East were hit by unprecedented snow...in places like Texas and Atlanta, Georgia, Alabama, and such! Which makes this post even more newsworthy as we live in Colorado...and no snow in sight! We've had 60 degree weather, setting records and actually...I am kind of glad. Because I am planning on a drive over the mountain passes to see my elderly Dad. It's a trip I've often had to cancel as the roads can be bad. And I'm planning on leaving in just a few days. So...here is my nod to snow...
I saw this pretty Christmas~y paper, "Birds and Berries," on Stacy's blog and really loved it. So I bought it...the only purchase of paper I've made for Christmas.
I used the Power Poppy newly released set , "Snow Kissed." It has some darling images! I made this stocking late at night...deciding to stamp it directly on the pink designer paper...and didn't really love it at first. I almost threw it out...but then decided to fussy cut it and added some glitter...and then figured out a die cut to make it stand out a bit more. Now...I really like it...whew! I really don't like to throw things out.

The image was stamped in Momento Gray which gave it a very soft feel. Colored with copic makers...then used ovals and two pieces of the pretty designer paper to mat. A gold tinsel bow was added to the top. The glitter added a lot...but you can't see it too well in this photo! Also, each of the ovals and the stocking were mounted in dimensional tape...so there is a lot of depth to this card!
Thanks so much for stopping in! Do you have any snow in your part of the country?

Christmas Cookie Envelope~ or Something Else!

Hi there! I have another quick post today with yet another Power Poppy Twelve Days of Christmas Challenges! Power Poppy Bloom Brigade, Cindy Lawrence, has a really neat tutorial on the Power Poppy blog and a template for making a Christmas Cookie Envelope.
If you scroll down, you can see all the projects from the Design Team...so many pretty projects!
So...I already had this pretty pink envelope which was the start of my inspiration. And  I had already made this pretty poinsettia using dies and then sprinkling with chunky glass glitter. And so I went a bit more elegant in presentation using a (retired) Flourishes stamp also designed by Marcella Hawley. I've collected her stamps for many years now!

 I made a belly band enclosure to go around the envelope and adhered ribbon, then
the poinsettia, and lastly tucked in these pretty sprigs die cut in vellum.
I'm not sure what I will put inside, maybe a special letter or flat ornament ,a CD...so many possibilities...but no cookie because this is too fancy for that! :)
Okay, back to projects...if you're like me there is a lot to keep you busy! As Always, thanks so much for popping in!

Power Poppy Altered Object

Hi friends!  I have a lot of things I should be doing...but for some reason I keep getting drawn to my stamp room with paper and glitter flying everywhere. I've been joining in when I can to Power Poppy's 12 Days of Christmas!
Today I'm entering the "Altered Object" from Stacy! You can view all the challenges here.  Stacy had darling glitter paper covered tins...which reminded me I still have a few of those in my craft closet. The one I don't like to open the door because all the not so pretty things come falling down on me...those ugly and plain items that just need a little paper and die cuts and ribbon and bows...well...I digress.
I went with a masculine theme because this is actually for my little brother. I wanted to use the deer in the "Wreaths Plain and Fancy." I also used some prancing deer designer paper.

I made two tags, the smaller one with the reindeer white embossed, then the larger tag with the sentiment copper embossed. They look pretty neat layered with the little deer dangling down. I had to lie this flat to photo...which is why the dimensions may look a little off.
Now I just need to figure out what to put in it!!

Power Poppy Twelve Days of Christmas Gift Bags!!

Just a quick post! I'm so smitten with Tosh's gift bag on the Power Poppy Blog!

She challenged us to make a gift bag.
I didn't use her tutorial to cover the top of the bag which is such a neat idea because I wanted to use some polka dot tissue ...but I did use Tosh's ideas of layering paper and making a border around the top of the bag! I layered on some pretty ruffled red gingham and striped aqua ribbon around the top of the kraft bag and some oh so cute designer paper to frame the center which is a tiny little church I colored to match the paper. The sentiment on the tag and the church are from Power Poppy's set, "Wreaths Plain and Fancy." Of course I had to add some fancy diecut snowflakes and glitter to all the snowflakes, fence, church and tiny trees!
This was definitely not something I've attempted...but am happy with the customized bag for a friend that loves red and aqua and will get a thrill out of this, I hope! Inside is a pretty frosted candle for her home.
Thanks for looking!

Christmas~Making a Scene

I have been busily stamping for the week up until this past week. Then suddenly, everything had to come to a halt...as our Beulah had to have her TPLO (Taibial-plateau-leveling osteotomy) surgery. This type of surgery is done after a torn, or in our dog's case, a partial tear of the cruiate ligament (ACL) in dogs to stabilize the joint.  We had tried everything to avoid that, including a month long rehabilitation at our Colorado State University Vet Hospital. But we went in this Tuesday for a meeting and the outcome was next day surgery. Not what you want to do the month of December for sure...or any time! But,she is doing pretty well, very sedated and still limping. I won't post a picture just yet as it isn't pretty. But she is tolerating her cone much better than the last time she had surgery. I just feel so badly as animals don't understand and I wonder if she feels somehow betrayed by us.
Which is why I have to get lost in stamping once in awhile. It is a wonderful escape...especially with the scenes you can make with this new to me stamp set by Papertrey Ink. I spent a lot of time one day just stamping out all the components of the two houses and one church in the set...along with fences, mailboxes, snowy trees! This particular scene was one I pretty much copied from Mary Beth. You can find her inspirational blog here.
My brother is a postal carrier...so I wanted to use the mailbox and added a pretty red cardinal perched on the top!

I had a lot of fun making this card! The trees are all different shades of green...the roof has a snowy glittered cap on top...and a few snow drifts make it even more idyllic. The sentiment color is muted, keeping with the dreamy scene. I love the white linen card stock PTI carries...it has a wonderful subtle texture.
Thanks so much for stopping by! I'll be back sharing some of the cards I've been making soon!