Christmas in .... June!

Back to the retiring sets.  I took a bit of a break this week with the cards that I will be offering in the drawing at the end of the month.  (See this post)  I was busy doing things for Newcomer's Bingo and for Stamp Club but now I am back to working for YOU!  And today we are showcasing Christmas!  I love the set, Big on Christmas.  It is really easy to use - stamp it, color it in and mat it. 

 I stamped the image with Espresso ink and colored it in with my white gel pen.  I colored the tree with a Copic pen.  I did faux stitching around the edge.  (Use paper piercer and pierce all around the edges; then use a white gel pen to "connect the dots".)   The DSP is retired as is the Taken With Teal that I matted the image with!  But who cares?  Not the person who will receive the card at Christmas time, I'm sure!

OK - Ignore the black dots on this card.  I had it sitting on my desk yesterday when I reinked my black stamp pads!  Guess a couple of drops eeked out onto the card.  I didn't even notice it until after I took the picture - thought it was something on my camera lens until I took a second look at the card!  There's a sneak peek on this card though so I had to share it.  The lighter colored purple is one of the new In Colors!  It is called Wisteria Wonder. 

I used a thin oval wooden frame that I got from m's to layer with my embossing folder to create the un-embossed oval in the center.

RECIPE:
Stamp:  Big on Christmas
Card Stock:  Whisper White, Wisteria Wonder, Elegant Eggplant
Ink:  Black, Wisteria Wonder Marker
Access:  Snowflake Brads (non SU), Stickles Glitter, SU Markers, Snowflake Embossing Folder

I got even better news from Ashley yesterday!  She now thinks she will be returning another week earlier!  Looks like she may be leaving there around the 21st of July.  Not giving us much time to find a good flight but maybe we'll consider driving instead.  We just need to wait for her to return to her base where she can find more details.  She had hoped to be leaving her temporary post last Wednesday and go to a medical conference in Baghdad.  But that didn't work out and she will probably be at the temporary base until next week.  You can believe she is counting down the days.  I don't think she has seen one patient all week!  She read all the books she took with her and was going to the library on base and getting 5-10 books at a time to read.  She reads 1-2 books a day.  Yesterday she went to the library to return her books and get another stack and to her horror, the shelves were EMPTY!  Because the base will be closing, they had thrown away all the books a couple of days ago.  If you are a reader, doesn't this make you cringe?  She has her Kindle with her and it has a couple of books on it plus the Bible.  So, she said she guess she will be reading the Bible for the next few days from cover to cover!  The internet connection is bad there and it would take her too long to download more books on to the Kindle.  So let's hope the PA that she is replacing comes back soon!

My First White Christmas

We had our family Christmas yesterday at my house in spite of the snow!  We probably had about 4-5" of snow at our house - more than they had in Charlotte or Mooresville.  Marianne came over a little early by herself.  She had to go to work this morning at 3:00 AM to do inventory in Lincolnton.  So, she left around 4:30 pm to drive to Lincolnton to get a motel room so she wouldn't have to navigate the icy streets at that time in the morning.  (Better her than me!!)  Her husband, Greg, swung by and picked up my mom and Angela.  The streets in Mooresville were not bad they said but when they got closer to my house, it was a different story!  Everyone made it safe and sound except my brother who lives in Charlotte.  He didn't make it here. so we had Christmas without him!  

Even Ashley joined us for our Christmas gift giving!  We set up Marianne's laptop in the den and Skyp-ed her so she could watch us!  That was so special.  Wow!  Modern technology is great!  Someone mentioned at the end of the day that we should have set her up in the dining room while we were eating our Christmas dinner.  I just think that would have been cruel!!  Don't think she would have enjoyed watching us eat the mashed potato casserole that is one of her favorites or the apple pie!

This morning I put some of the Christmas pictures on a scrapbook page using My Digital Studio.  So fast and so fun!

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

 I had a nice and quiet Christmas - just Sonny and I.  I told him we'd gone full circle - from when we first were married and it was just the two of us to now when our kids are gone and it is just the two of us once again!  We were able to "skype" with Ashley this morning and also with our bother-in-law and our niece and her kids.  Later in the day, we went to the movies.  Now we know where everyone goes on Christmas!   To the movies.  We wanted to see True Grit but it was sold out so we ended up finding a couple of seats to see The Little Fockers.  It was funny and good entertainment.

One of the neatest things about today was the snow!  It was my first white Christmas!!  It snowed almost all day and was so pretty!  In fact, as I'm writing this post, it is 11:00 pm and it is STILL SNOWING!! We probably have a couple of inches with more predicted for tonight and tomorrow.  My family is supposed to come over tomorrow for our family Christmas.  Sure hope they are able to - I've been making casseroles and salads for a couple of days!  I would hate for Sonny & I to have to eat it all ourselves.  We're about sick from all the junk  we've eaten today!

This was taken about 5 pm - my Steeler man is getting cold blowing in the wind!

Now that Christmas is over, the next holiday celebration is Valentine.  Did you know that Valentine's Day is the second biggest holiday for sending cards?  Stampin' Up has a Filled With Love Promotion going on.  During the Filled with Love promotion, you can get an exclusive package of Designer Series Paper perfect for creating cards for family, friends, classmates, and more!  From December 17, 2010 through January 24, 2011, you can get a FREE package of Bitty Buttons--a $4.95 value--when you purchase an exclusive Filled with Love Bundle.  For details - click HERE.

Contact me with your order OR you can order on-line from me.

Wishing You a Merry Christmas!

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas!

Sonny and I will be spending Christmas Day with each other.  Our family celebration will be on Sunday when my mom, sisters and brother and all their respective families will come to my house.

Please say a prayer for me that Skype is up and working tomorrow so we can visit with Ashley and other members of our family that are many miles away!

Here are the final things that I have made in the past few days - mostly holders for gift cards and money!!

 I did several of these little plastic Christmas jars with candy inside and a gift card hanging off.

 This holds a little hand sanitizer.

Open Hand Sanitizer

These little guys hold money inside their little packages.

Gift Card Holder

Gift Card Holder

Gift Card Holder

Gift Card Holder

Gift Card Holder

Gift Card Holder

I needed a gift card holder for a SU Gift Certificate.  My gift certificate is about 4" x 8" and fits in a business envelope.  So, I designed a holder that would fit in the business envelope.  I looked around on Splitcoast and got a few ideas and this is what I made:

 The "ribbon" on the top started out as a bow - I punched 3 ovals (with large oval) out of Real Red and 3 out of Baja Breeze cardtock.  Then using the negative part of the punch, I punched ovals using the extra-large oval punch.  But, they wouldn't fit in the envelope, so I had to trim it.  Oh well - it looks cute anyway.

So what do you think??

Over the Top Decorating

Sunday a couple of friends and I went on a Christmas Tour of Homes in my neighborhood.  Wow! is all I can say.  The four houses were decorated to the max.  They were all done in different styles - Traditional, Eclectric, Lodge, and Tuscany.  I was in awe and hated to come back home and think about decorating my home for Christmas. 

The Tuscany home was just too much to me though - not necessarily the decorations but the home itself.  Sonny and I had gone through the home a few times when it was under construction a couple of years ago.  Keep in mind there are just two people living in the home.  It was three stories.  Downstairs there was a den, two bedrooms, huge "mudroom", full bar, wine cellar, and a media room with copper ceiling.  All the doors downstairs were at least 8 feet tall - maybe even 10 feet - I'm not good with that and made of cypress wood.  They were gorgeous but $$$.  Everything in the home was massive and just over the top - probably at least a two million dollar home.  The home next door to them has been for sale for over a year - it started out at 1.9 million - don't know what they are asking now though.

These art pieces were in two of the homes.  They used old pieces of jewelry to create a Christmas tree.  I'm going to start searching through my family's old jewelry pieces and make one of my own!

 

This was a centerpiece in the dining room at the tradional home.  The "presents" are styrofoam blocks covered in moss and wrapped with beautiful ribbon.  So easy!

This Christmas tree was upstairs in the traditional home (my favorite).  The toys were a step back in time.

I thought this snowman collections was really cute.

It's that busy time of year

Another busy day today - but think most people's calendars get pretty full this time of year.  I'm hoping to stay home tomorrow and work on Christmas cards!!  I went to a Southern Living Luncheon today.  We had 12 ladies there and great food.  We each made something from the Oct, Nov or Dec issue of Southern Living.  Yum!!  We had appetizers - meatballs & bruschetta; 2 salads - a pear and lettuce salad and another one with broccoli, cheese, mayo, cauliflower; potato-onion soup; 2 kinds of bread - Sour Cream Cornbread (my contribution) and Jordan yeast rolls; ham and sweet potatoes.  Then of course we had to finish it off with 2 desserts - a fruit tart and apple cake.  Needless to way, I could have waddled home!!  Luckily, we only have these luncheons every 3 months so we can diet in between.  I made little favors for everyone as seen below.  I used the cute Candy Wrapper Die from the Holiday Mini (it will be carried over after Christmas!)  I put a couple of chocolate nuggets in the box and they looked so cute on the table.

Didn't the table look nice and festive?

She had her tree - and entire house decorated and ready for Christmas.  I haven't even started ....what about you?  After lunch we did a Chinese gift exchange.  I received a set of cocktail plates and holiday napkins.

This evening we met my mom in Mooresville for a Christmas dinner/party with her Blind Association group.  Our family was well represented with mom, my sister, Angela, my sister, Marianne & her husband and me and my hubbie.  My mom is legally blind - she has Retinosa Pigmentosa.  They also did a Chinese Gift Exchange.  Since, I didn't go home after our luncheon to get my gift for the exchange, I used the gift I'd received earlier in the day.  So, when my number came up, the gift was still available, I picked it and hoped no one would "steal" it from me.  Well .... I should have known - my sister, Marianne, stole it!!  So I got to pick another gift.  Unknowingly, I picked the gift she had brought - a cute pair of soft slipper socks with a cute reindeer on them.  When we left, she gave me back my gift - I would use them more than she would.  She just stole it to "get my goat!"

I promise - I'll have some cards to share with you tomorrow!!

Holiday Purse

I have made the cutest holiday purse with a set of cards and note paper to go inside.  Yes, all paper!  I love Becky Roberts' work on Inking Idaho.  She did a 12 Days of Christmas (like just about everyone else!) and when I saw the purse she did, I knew I had to purchase her tutorial.  They were such fun to make!! 

Here's my version:

Cardinal Cards for the purse

Note card for purse

Purse made with Deck the Halls DSP

Snow Swirled cards for Deck the Halls Purse

Snowman (Cute Christmas) note card for purse

I was finally able to talk to Ashley today.  Her internet has been down since Sunday.  She went out yesterday with a group to check out the medical facilities at a base a couple of hours from her.  I don't know all the specifics of why she went or who she went with as I came in the room on the tale end of the story as she was telling her Dad (probably didn't want me to know!).  Anyway, they went out in a type of Humvee vehicle and she was sitting in the back seat just taking in the scenery.  She said the guys up front had headphones to communicate with each other.  The colonel asked her if she'd like to put his headphone on to hear what was going on and she told him no, she was just enjoying the scenery.  When they reached the base, the people there told them they were glad they arrived safe and had listened to their directions.  Evidently, while Ashley was "checking out the scenery", an IED (explosive device) had been thrown at the humvee in front of them but it was faulty and didn't explode.  The colonel told her he figured if she didn't want the headphone, there was no reason to tell her about what was happening!  She said it worked out ok for her - she  didn't have to get stressed out!  Really brings it home that this is a WAR she is in and not just a vacation.  All I know is, it's going to be a long year!

Ashley is very thankful for the cards you have been sending to her!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM ME TO YOU!

I hope you had a fun filled joyful day today.  Ours was quiet and peaceful.  We just ate, opened presents, ate, watched TV, ate .... you get the picture!  We brought our Christmas tree to Ashley and it looked really nice in her new house!  Here are a few of the special ornaments that are on our tree:

from the National Cathedral in DC

This one is my "most favorite" ornament and always has a special place on my tree. It is a picture of my son when he was in pre-school. I didn't know it when I sent him to school that morning, but he was sick and the picture really shows it! My kids have always kidded me and said I made them go to school even when they were sick and this picture just proves it! Since I don't get to see him often ever, I really love this ornament.

Last night we drove to Austin and had Christmas dinner with my niece and her family, my nephew and his fiance, and my brother in law and his mother.  It was nice to share the time with family that I don't get to see very often.  We gave Melinda's boys the gifts we brought for them and it was so fun to watch them open their presents and get so excited about Santa coming!!  It has been a long time since I have been around young children at Christmas since I don't get to see my grandchildren.  I knitted both the boys scarfs and hats.  Zach wanted orange and Jake wanted red so that's what I did.  We also gave them some Legos and a set of Fisher Price Trio Blocks which were a big hit!  Here are a few pictures I took last night.

Zach with his orange knitted hat and scarf on.

Jake looked like a little elf with his hat and scarf on!

The boys with my nephew, Jack and his fiance, Katrina.

Ashley trying to construct the tower like Zach saw in the picture.

Of course, I had to get on the floor and play with the blocks!

Here are the boys in their Christmas pajamas just after they left the milk and cookies on the hearth for Santa even though Zach said Santa had his own special key to come in the door to leave the presents!