Wise Men From Afar for NC Blog Hop

It's the end of the month which means .... NC Blog Hop!  I haven't had time to participate in the blog hops in the last couple of months so I thought I'd make an effort this month!  Our theme is anything Christmas or Hanukkah.

I borrowed this stamp set, Wise Men from Afar, from my downline, Debbie, and made this beautiful card.  Black isn't a color you usually associate with Christmas cards but this one is an exception.  What do you think?

I stamped the kings in Black Archival Ink on Very Vanilla cardstock and using the Big Shot and my favorite, Stitched Shapes framelits cut the oval out.  Next I cut out two of the largest scalloped ovals from Black and Champagne cardstock.  (You really only need half of the black oval.)  I cut a 3" x 5" piece of Vanilla cardstock and layered it onto Champagne Foil paper which was then adhered to the black card.  Stamp the sentiment with Black Archival ink.  The star is punched using the Starlight thinlets dies with a small rhinestone in the middle.

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and have now changed gears and are sliding into Christmas preparations.  We had a great Thanksgiving with my daughter in town (from Hawaii!) and my family that are local at my house for the Thanksgiving festivities.  Of course, we all ate too much.  But to top it off, yesterday we went to my sister's house where we ate more!  Ashley and I made gumbo and my sister made 2 different chilli's in the crock pot plus another crock pot full of chicken!  After all that, we sat outside around their fire pit and toasted marshmallows for smores!   Ashley leaves on Sunday for DC for work for a week before flying back to Oahu.

If you want to order this great Christmas stamp set or any of the other items Stampin' Up sales, now is the time!  Sunday, Nov. 26 is the last day for the Online Extravaganza special.  BUT Cyper Monday (Nov. 27), SHIPPING will be free for all Stampin' Up! orders.  This is a great offer and gives you another day to check off everything on your wish list with FREE shipping!

Hop along to the rest of the blogs from our NC group.  Sue is the next stop along the hop.

Tamra Davis -

http://www.theCardLadies.com/nc-demos-blog-hop-will-swap-for-art/

Jo Anne Hewins -

http://luv2create.typepad.com/my_blog/2017/11/its-christmas-for-the-nc-demo-blog-hop.html

Tracie Evans Langley -

http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/traciesallaboutstamping/blog?directBlogUrl=/blog/86481/entry/nc_demos_november_blog_hop1

Sharon Maranich -

https://inkiefinger.blogspot.com/2017/11/wise-men-from-afar-for-nc-blog-hop.html

Sue Root -

https://stampin-with-sue.blogspot.com/2017/11/nc-stampin-up-demos-november-blog-hop.html

Sue Stapp -

http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/suestapp/blog?directBlogUrl=/blog/2152011/entry/n_c_demonstrators_november_blog1

Frances Wagner -

https://wagstamps.blogspot.com/2017/11/nc-demo-november-blog-hop.html

Christina Walker - http://papergears.com/wise-men-traveling/

Thanksgiving pics

Yay!!  I felt creative this afternoon and changed my blog header. Isn't that little elf the cutest?  Found him somewhere on the wide, wide web, saved him and, using My Digital Studio, made up my blog header and inserted the little guy as a picture!  Easy, peasy!

I had a relaxing massage today and could tell .... I really needed it!  Ashley and I were supposed to have one when she was visiting and I had even booked it a month in advance (which is very unusual for me) but before she even got here, they called to change her masseuse since the one she normally sees when she visits had left.  So we changed the masseuse and the day in order for both of us to go at the same time.  Well, on Friday (the day after she arrived), they called again to say that her masseuse had left and they were scheduling her for Wednesday and me for Monday.  Not what we wanted!!!  So, I ended up cancelling both of them and since they could not work us in at the same time, we had to do without.  Think I am going to look into finding a new place for massages.  I have been going to the same place (in a chiropractors office) for several years but lately, they seem to be having a lot of personnel changes.  Sonny usually gives me 6-8 gift certificates for Christmas and I end up hoarding them until the end of the year.  I have two left but luckily, they do not have expiration dates so I will be using them in 2016.

I finally got my Thanksgiving pictures downloaded to share.

It was a beautiful day!  Ashley and me with my Thanksgiving apron on!

Ashley and her dad

Ashley and Bogey .... it was a long day!

Beautiful flowers - and table runner - from Sharon and Bob.  She quilted the beautiful table runner.

Me and Marianne

Ashley and Grandma

Marianne and Girlfriend (aka Sharon)

Sonny, me, Jack

Table all ready!

Treats I made for everyone

We had to have a little table this year!

Bob, Derek, Greg and Sonny - frying the turkey

Wreath I made

My cousin, Candy, me and Ashley

Candy, me, Mom, Marianne, Sharon, Ashley, Angela

Derek entertaining the gals

Decorations for the Little Table!

Happy Thanksgiving

I know my posts on my blog have been few and far between lately.  But I have been enjoying my daughter and my brother-in-law's visit with us during this thankful season.  I hope your Thanksgiving is spent with friends and family and you will be thankful for all you have.  Enjoy the day!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Count Your Blessings Table Decor

Take time to count your blessings during the upcoming holiday season!  This set includes a blessings bank, gratitude cards to fill out and insert into the bank, place cards to gather blessings from your guests, and a blessings list that your guests can fill in and take home with them.  This set can be used to adorn your holiday table or you can use the box, gratitude cards, and lists as a way to remind yourself how blessed you truly are each and every day!



This ensemble, designed by Michelle Wecksler begins the November edition of great project tutorials at Craft Project Central.

Time for another CLEARANCE BLITZ!

Clearance Rack Blitz:
A new Clearance Rack Blitz begins December 10.  Retired products-up to 80% off-will only be available while supplies last.  If you place an online order, please use the Hostess Code when prompted - RADZVCQJ
Also, Sara Douglass filled in for her mom, Shelly, on the Today show last week.  You can see the video HERE.

I realized I did not share the Thanksgiving pictures that I took.  Unfortunately, none of us took too many pictures .... too busy visiting and eating!!

Ashley, Grandmom Betty and Girlfriend (Sharon)

Sharon gave me this Friendship Basket with a few adult beverages in it for Sonny and I.  Isn't it beautiful?

Marianne and Sharon made the candle decorations and place cards. 

Plenty of food for everyone!!

Girlfriends!

The table is set.

I made these a year or two ago and just "spruced" them up a bit this year.

Place settings on the table made by Marianne and Sharon

thank

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!!  Wishing you the happiness of  good friends, the joy of a happy family, and the wonder of the holiday season. Have a magical thanksgiving!  Hope you enjoy your turkey and all the fixin's today.  My family will be coming plus a few other friends to give thanks with us.  I love Thanksgiving!!  I just wish my son and his family could be with us but they will be in my thoughts all day.

Here's a chuckle for you today -

When I was a young turkey, new to the coop,
My big brother Mike took me out on the stoop,
Then he sat me down, and he spoke real slow,
And he told me there was something that I had to know;
His look and his tone I will always remember,
When he told me of the horrors of..... Black November;
"Come about August, now listen to me,
Each day you'll get six meals instead of just three,
"And soon you'll be thick, where once you were thin,
And you'll grow a big rubbery thing under your chin;
"And then one morning, when you're warm in your bed,
In'll burst the farmer's wife, and hack off your head;
"Then she'll pluck out all your feathers so you're bald 'n pink,
And scoop out all your insides and leave ya lyin' in the sink;
"And then comes the worst part!" he said not bluffing,
"She'll spread your cheeks and pack your rear with stuffing".
Well, the rest of his words were too grim to repeat,
I sat on the stoop like a winged piece of meat,
And decided on the spot that to avoid being cooked,
I'd have to lay low and remain overlooked;
I began a new diet of nuts and granola,
High-roughage salads, juice and diet cola;
And as they ate pastries, chocolates and crepes,
I stayed in my room doing Jane Fonda tapes;
I maintained my weight of two pounds and a half,
And tried not to notice when the bigger birds laughed;
But 'twas I who was laughing, under my breath,
As they chomped and they chewed, ever closer to death;
And sure enough when Black November rolled around,
I was the last turkey left in the entire compound;
So now I'm a pet in the farmer's wife's lap;
I haven't a worry! , so I eat and I nap;
She held me today, while sewing and humming,
And smiled at me and said: "Christmas is coming..."

          **Poet Unknown


After enjoying your Thanksgiving, take some time to look over the weekly specials!!

 

Free download!

Well, I guess you can see what I did yesterday .... my blog header and background.  I love creating these using My Digital Studio but I won't tell you how long it took me - not because it was hard, but because I kept changing my mind!!  

Sonny finally went to the doctor yesterday and got a Z-Pack.  So, hopefully between that and the decongestant, he will be on the mend real quick.  He did go shooting this morning but wasn't sure if he would shoot with the guys or just sit in the clubhouse.  At least he is getting out!!

I have a few things to share today.  First is this Thanksgiving scrap page I created for a challenge SU is doing.  

Next is another card that my guest designer (Ashley) created while she was here.  I just love her use of buttons!

So simple but so great!  She used the cupcake punch for the clouds.  This is one idea I may be borrowing - a great way to use all those buttons you have stuck away in your button jar!

Finally today is Stampin' Up's Digital Download Day and they are offering a FREE download Christmas tag.  So make sure you go to my store and download it FREE and check out the other great items available to buy.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by! 

Daring Adventure

Happy Monday!  Hope your weekend was a good one.  It was a pretty quiet one at our house.  Ashley left on Friday headed to Philadelphia, New York and DC!!  Sonny is still sick (over a week now) and didn't feel like going which was ok with me.  We did go to town on Sunday to get him a decongestant and to watch the football game.  The decong. seemed to work - at least he didn't sleep in his chair last night!  I called the dr. first thing this morning and he is on his way there to see the PA.  Now, just keep your fingers crossed that I don't get that little bug!

I am working on a new blog header for winter - time for the turkey to go.  Hopefully, it will be up tomorrow.  Have you been eating your turkey sandwiches?  I sure have!  But all we had in the house was a few slices of wheat bread.  I don't know about you but I have to have my turkey sandwich on white bread - Sunbeam is the best!  So that is what I bought yesterday.  I know a lot of people eat their sandwich with all kinds of sides like cranberries, dressing, etc.  I just like mine simple - Duke's mayonnaise and a little bit of salt with the turkey.  Yum .... can't wait till lunch!

I actually have some cards to share with you today!   Ashley was on a roll last week and made several so I took pictures.  She found 2-3 of my stamp sets that she really liked and used them for her cards.  The first ones are with the Daring Adventure stamp set.  Don't know if you remember, but this was one of my favorites last year when it came out. 

Aren't they great?  One stamp set can make two totally different cards!

Here are a couple of pictures I took on Thanksgiving.  Ashley took most of the pictures with her IPad but she hasn't sent them to me yet.

Marianne, Derek, Harrison, Ashley and Sonny

Angela looking for the chandelier!  (Mom and Greg also along with the back of Sonny's head)

Paper Craft Crew Challenge 17 / Thankful!!

I have been super busy the past few weeks.  After Thanksgiving I promise to do more "meaty" posts!  Ashley arrived in Atlanta on Nov. 16 and Sonny and I drove there to pick her up.  We spent a few days in Atlanta before heading back home.  Then I had 2 Stamping Clubs and one Christmas Card Stamp a Stack plus working at the Soup Kitchen before we got in the car again and drove to Asheville.  We had a really good time there although Sonny got sick while we were there.  Luckily, it was after we toured the Biltmore House.  So Ashley and I were on our own on Friday night to wander around downtown Asheville - in and out of shops that Sonny would not have liked to do.  We found a hotel that was moderately priced right downtown and we were able to walk to everything.  On Saturday morning we were leaving our hotel room when we noticed that right on the street under our hotel room, the Christmas parade was gearing up.  So, we went back in the room and waited until it started and watched most of the parade from our balcony.  I don't think there was anyone left in Asheville.  People were lined up on both sides of the street about 3-4 people deep to watch the parade.  And, the parade was over 2 hours long!  We watched for a little more than an hour before checking out.  Then we walked up the street to get some lunch so we were able to see the parade as we were walking along it's path.  We came home on Saturday and Sonny has pretty much been under the weather ever since.  Today is the first day that he is venturing into town but he didn't want to go to lunch.  He is just going to the hardware store to get wiring to hang my chandelier in the dining room.  While we were out of town, it fell from the ceiling!!  Luckily, I did not have my china on the table yet.  The only casualty was a turkey planter that I had a dry arrangement in.  The chandelier is ok too - just needs to be hung better I guess!  So I am very THANKFUL that we were not all seated at the table and enjoying our Thanksgiving dinner when it fell!!

Here is my card for the Paper Craft Crew Challenge (#17).  I love these snowment!!  It is a download called Merry Winter.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and are with your family and friends.  Don't eat too much and ENJOY!!

Thanksgiving pictures

Thought I'd share some of the pictures I took last week.  I didn't take as many as I wanted to - seems I kept forgetting to take my camera with me when we went out!!

Taken Thanksgiving Day on my deck of us gals!  Ashley, me, Sharon (Girlfriend), Angela, Marianne and Mom.

My dining room table all set and waiting for the hungry family!

We finished painting the dining room and it looks great!!  This is one side of my family pictures.

This is the other side of the room.  I have old pictures of my family hung on both sides. 

Harrison and Derek - Marianne's boys on Thanksgiving.

Mom and Ashley taken at the Waffle House Tuesday morning before she headed to airport.

Ashley and Angela (who hates having her picture taken!)

Last Saturday night Sonny, Ashley and I took a Haunted tour of downtown Charlotte.  It was great fun!  I had bought the tickets several months ago on Groupon to use when Ashley came to visit.  We learned a lot of history about Charlotte that I didn't know.  Whether you believe in ghosts or not, it was very informative.  So, if you live in this area, I would highly recommend Carolina History and Haunts tours.

On Monday, we drove to Kannapolis to the North Carolina Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Everyone I have mentioned this to has said, I didn't know there was such a place.  I had read about it a couple of years ago in the Charlotte newspaper and kept the clipping for "some day."  It was free which is always a good thing but it is very well done.  I was surprised by the number of artists which have roots in North Carolina.  Museum exhibits include Charlie Daniels, Nina Simone, Chairman of the Board, Clyde McPhatter, Donna Fargo, Thelonius Monk, and Victoria Livengood.  Another good place to visit and take your guests to.

Happy Thanksgiving 2011!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I am thankful today to be spending the day with my family .... including my daughter.  This year we are not having to "Skype" her on the computer to wish her a happy day.  We can hug her and love her in person! 

As I type this, Marianne is downstairs making the dressing and sweet potatoes; Ashley is making her deviled eggs; and "Girlfriend, aka Sharon R" is peeling the apples for me to make the apple pies.  The turkey is in the oven; the mashed potato casserole is made; the cranberry salad is made (thanks to Darcie for the recipe!); the pumpkin cheesecake is made; green casserole is made and we are waiting for the rest of the family to arrive.  We will have appetizers first - warm brie, buffalo chicken dip, pineapple cheese ball, pepper jelly over cream cheese and onion dip and chips (for Sonny who is too picky to try the other stuff!!)  

Hope you enjoy your family and give thanks for all the freedoms we have in this country!

These are the little turkey favors I made for everyone's place.

These have little chocolate nuggets inside.

Thanksgiving Cards

I'm playing catch up!!  I received two great Thanksgiving cards that I want to share with you.

 

This one is from Margaret.   She stamped the leaves for the background onVanilla cardstock and used the Scallop Punch to scallop the edges.  It is matted on Soft Suede.  The apples in the center are from a retired SU set.   She pricked holes all around the edges of the apples and the sentiment.  Love it!

This masterpiece is from Judy.  She used non SU stamps and embossed the leaf in the center (I think!)  It is just beautiful!

Thanks gals!

I have been working on a couple of calendar pages today for a stamp club that I am in.  We each take two months and make a full page calendar page.  When we get together, we bind them and Leslie usually makes a cover sheet for all of us.  The months I chose this time were January and October.  I had actually almost finished them last week but I wasn't 100% sold on them.  So, today it was back to the drawing board!!  Now, I'm satisfied!

 I am loving this digi-download!  I was able to copy it to my word processing program and make it a little larger.  I paper-pieced his hat and used Flower Soft on his scarf.  Here is a close up:

Here is my October page:

This is actually more digi!  I did a search for free digital paper and found this great plaid and the little tag.  I embossed the paper with SU's Spider Web embossing folder.  I found the Trick or Treat ribbon in my stash and cut it apart and secured it in the corner of the page.  The little ghost is a brad that I have had for about 5 years!  "Spooky" is from SU's Wicked Fun stamp set.  Here is a close up:

 Hope these inspire you today.