Paper Craft Color/Sketch Challenge #26

The Sketch Challenge for this week also included a color challenge.  The colors remind me of spring so I decided to do a pinwheel card with MDS2.

Here is the sketch for this week:

And here is my card which is loose translation of the sketch:

I used all elements and stamps from the Pinwheel Parade Kit.  Love this kit - especially for spring!

Download Tuesday is Here along with SALE-A-BRATON!!

Tuesday = Downloads!  AND Sale-A-Bration!!

Today is Tuesday which means new downloads for My Digital Studio.  Plus .... I get a free download for winning the challenge last week.  I will be picking the Family History Photobook but I will also be purchasing some of the other downloads.  What about you?

Simply Serif Alphabet

Linen Thread

Family History Photobook

So Sorry Stamp Set

Label This Designer Template

 

The excitement has been leading up to this very day-

 Sale-a-Bration!  

Spending $50 on your favorite Stampin' Up! products = A FREE exclusive product from our Sale-a-Bration brochure.  

This year our Sale-a-Bration products are amazing. From fresh Designer Series Paper, incredible new stamp images , Beautiful Digital Artwork & even F*U*N accessories.  There is something special waiting just for YOU. 

Are you looking for a quick cards to send out? Look no further!

 One of our Sale-a-Bration products will make card making very easy with our Happy Hello Simply Sent Card Kit.  

The cards have the fresh Chevron design  and die cut stickers to embellish.  

Even better, they come with a designer envelope to match.  

If you have more time to create you can dress them up with just a few more embellishments:

Do you Like the Blog?

I'm still working on improving the look of my blog.  How do you like these colors?  I keep tweaking it to make sure it is easy for you to read so let me know if it is not.

We had a pretty cold weekend but that was ok.  Marianne came over Saturday and we worked on our swap cards to take to Kernersville this weekend.  I am doing a beginners class for the NC demonstrators on My Digital Studio and after lunch, we are going to do a card swap using products from the new mini catalog and the Sale-a-Bration catalog.  I will be sharing those cards with you next week.  Here is a sneak peek of mine -

 I actually used the whole spool of this ribbon so now I need to order more.  

On Sunday I spent all day on the computer working on my projects and presentation for next week's class.  There is so much I want to share and teach but only so much time to do it!  I hope the ladies come away with a better understanding of everything My Digital Studio2 can do!

I also spent the day Sunday watching football.  I was quite happy with the results although, truth be told, I didn't really care if Atlanta or San Francisco won except for the fact that I had chosen San Fran. in our Football Pool.  Since I chose both games correctly, I really moved up in the standings!!  Don't think it will put me in the money, but Sonny might have a chance - he's in 3rd place right now.  I've done pretty good and I'm only about 5 games back.

 Here is a card I made last week using some retired items - the DSP and the ribbon.  But I like the simplicity of the card.  It could be used for Valentine or any occasion actually.  

Have a good day.  We are heading to the Y in just a bit.  And this afternoon, we are going to the movies with the Golden Boys movie group to see Dark Thirty (I think that's the name).

January Stamp Club Cards

Brrrr - it's sure turned cold here today!  I was hoping to wake up to a yard full of snow, but no such luck.  There is a dusting on our back deck and schools were delayed 3 hours this morning but that's about it.  We went over to Horsefeathers last night to grab a burger and beer and coming home, a "wintry mix" was really coming down.  It has been raining non stop since Monday and our yard looks like a swamp!  But today the sun is out finally and the temperatures are supposed to reach the mid 40s!!  Good day for making cards and drinking hot chocolate by the fire!

I had Stamp Club this week - and am actually having it again next Wednesday since 4 of the girls could not make it for one reason or another.  These are a few of the cards we made this week along with the cards from THIS POST.  They picked one of the Valentines to make and chose either the pink or turquoise birthday card.

 This card used the new Hearts A Flutter bundle - stamp and framelits.  Also the ribbon is the new Two-Tone Ribbon.  I like the ribbon although it is not what I had pictured in my mind.  I thought it was going to be 2 different colors but what it is is a blend of the two colors - Rose Red and Pink Pirouette.  I had to go back to the catalog and read the description to figure it out.  It is nice and silky and makes a very pretty bow.  The "I Love You" is from the Bitty Banners stamp and framelit.  The large heart was cut using the Hearts Framelits.

This is just a fun card!  I recently bought this Patterned Party birthday set during one of SU's sales.  It is such a great birthday set!  It also has gifts and cake in the set but I just couldn't fit any more stamps on the card.  On this card, I stamped the balloons separately, cut them out, and popped each one up.  If you notice on the blue card below, I stamped all the balloons separately on the card using markers to color them - much easier!!

This card uses Papillion Potpourri (butterflies) and the Elegant Butterfly Punch - makes it super easy to cut out those butterflies!!  I made a mask using the Labels Framelits and stamped the French background stamp on the Vanilla card stock.  Next I stamped the "thanks" from the Vintage Verses Sale-a-bration set in Rich Razzleberry.  After the stamping, I ran the piece through the Big Shot using the Houndstooth embossing folder.  The butterfly was stamped onto Pretty in Pink and punched out.  Super easy card!!

Paper Craft Crew Challenge #25

The challenge for the Paper Craft Crew this week also includes a color challenge.  We are challenged to use Basic Gray, Melon Mambo and Old Olive.  So, I turned to my trusty MDS2 and created this card.

Supplies used:
Card Stock\Old Olive
Embellishments: Taffeta Trimmings\Taffeta Trimmings - ripple melon mambo (re-colored)
A to Z Woodpress - embellishments\A to Z Woodpress - uppercase l (re-colored)
A to Z Woodpress - embellishments\A to Z Woodpress - uppercase o (re-colored)
A to Z Woodpress - embellishments\A to Z Woodpress - uppercase v (re-colored)
A to Z Woodpress - embellishments\A to Z Woodpress - uppercase e (re-colored)
Taffeta Trimmings\Taffeta Trimmings - short bow melon mambo (re-colored)

Stamps:  Presto Patterns Overlays\Presto Patterns Overlays - script, Color = WHISPER WHITE 
Punches:  Basics\1.25 Square Punch, Filled with: Designer Series Paper\Small Polka Dot\Basic Gray Small Polka Dot

Photo Box filled w/Card Stock\Old Olive, Card Stock\Melon Mambo, Card Stock\Basic Gray

 I got carried away and decided to create another card using the same criteria.  What do you think?

Designer Series Paper\Designer Kits\Days to Remember - designer series paper\Days to Remember - 2
Embellishments:  Taffeta Trimmings\Taffeta Trimmings - ripple melon mambo
Designer Kits\Love Birds - elements\Love Birds - patterned heart 1 (re-colored)
Designer Kits\Love Birds - elements\Love Birds - patterned heart 1 (re-colored)
Designer Kits\Love Birds - elements\Love Birds - patterned heart 1 (re-colored)
Designer Kits\Love Birds - elements\Love Birds - patterned heart 1 (re-colored)
Taffeta Trimmings\Taffeta Trimmings - short bow melon mambo
Stamps: Designer Kits\Days to Remember\Days to Remember - heart group, Color = MELON MAMBO / Valentine Defined - love

Card Stock\Textured Card Stock - Basic Gray
Designer Series Paper\Small Polka Dot\Melon Mambo Small Polka Dot
Card Stock\Old Olive
Card Stock\Whisper White

Wowzers - A lot of SU Specials!

As part of Stampin' Up's 25-year anniversary celebration, they are bringing back some of our favorite stamp images from the last quarter century and combining them into 12 sets, which will be released - one set per month - during 2013. Even better, along with some great classic images, each "Best of" set will also include a never-before-seen image! 

• All Best of stamp sets will include 3-5 images, including a never-before seen image, and will be priced at $14.95.
• While SU is releasing just one Best of stamp set per month (with a new theme each month), all of the Best of sets will be available until March 31, 2014.
• A new flyer will be released every month for each new Best of set.
• All Best of stamp sets are available in Clear-Mount only.

The theme for this month is birthdays.  See the great set here - January's Best of Birthday's

And that's not all ..... As a special incentive to collect the Best of stamps, starting in February SU is including a collector's card and 25-year proof of purchase sticker with every Best of set.  Collect six stickers, and send it in to redeem a FREE set of your choice valued up to $14.95!  Free sets must be redeemed no later than April 30, 2014.

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This past week was Leadership and Stampin' Up announced a couple of key things.  One being a kit for a guy.  They  introduced the new, very manly stamping kit: the Dude, You're Welcome! kit.
Guys don't always have the easiest time expressing themselves, but with the Dude, You're Welcome! kit, they'll have

• Four wood-mount stamps (double-mounted) with the perfect sentiment for every occasion
• Twelve 4" x 6" postcards in four different (manly) colors
• Twelve gray envelopes
• A Basic Gray Classic Stampin' Pad
• An instructional guide (for the most novice stamper!)

Basically, the kit includes everything a dude needs to create the perfect manly card that any woman would adore, all packaged in an appropriately masculine box.

Check out the video:

Did you love the way he casually tosses aside the instructions?  Fortunately, this set doesn’t really need instructions for the man in your life to make you a great heartfelt card.  Order one of these sets for the man in your life.  He may not say so, but he’ll appreciate it and out of curiosity, he’ll use it!  (And, maybe if you’re really nice, he’ll let you use it, too!)  And you’re better half isn’t the only one who would benefit from this easy and fun set:  suggest it to the other men you know, too! 


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 That's not all the news!!  Stampin' Up has had a great response so far to their experiment with single stamps. So much so that they are making ten more never-before-seen images available as single stamps available through March 31, 2013.   And boy, are they cute ones!

ASSORTMENT #3

ASSORTMENT #4

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Can you stand one more announcement??? 

Stampin' Up is now joining a lot of other companies who offer a monthly kit!!  How fun!!  The products will be delivered straight to your door! 




It's so easy to get started. Simply sign up for the program starting TODAY (Monday)  by visiting www.mypaperpumpkin.com and click Get it. Every month a new, surprise project kit arrives at your doorstep. Just think of the anticipation of creating a fun project to pin, showoff, and share with your friends and family-every month!

Of course, you'll want to know more. So here's the nitty gritty:

• Each month SU sends you a unique, surprise kit with a project-cards, journals, décor, and more! (They've even color-coordinated, measured, and cut everything for you!)
• Each kit includes stamps, ink, paper, and accessories-everything but adhesive.
• Each kit gives you a 30-minute creativity escape.
• They will ship your Paper Pumpkin on or around the 15th of the month.  
• You need to sign up for a kit by the 10th of the month to get that month's kit. If you sign up on the 11th of the month, your first kit will come the next month. (Let's say you sign up on May 10th, we'll send your kit around May 15th. If you sign up on May 11th, we'll send your first kit around June 15th.)
• A Paper Pumpkin membership is $19.95 per month (and shipping is included!) 
• There's no commitment, you can cancel your monthly Paper Pumpkin at anytime. You can also skip a month if you want.
• Starting in early March, they will offer a Try-It kit if you'd like to try Paper Pumpkin for one month.

The Welcome Kit is the very first Paper Pumpkin you will receive in your first month of membership. The Welcome Kit includes a free gift-a clear acrylic block!

More details can be found here.

How Was Your Weekend?

I had a very good weekend.  Sonny has been talking about getting a new truck for over a year but because of the economy, he kept putting it off.  Last week he went to a few dealers in the area and looked at different trucks.  Friday he visited the Dodge dealership and found "his" truck!  So he and I went together on Saturday and made the deal.  He will be picking up his new Dodge Ram Truck tomorrow.  He's pretty sad about trading his 13 year old Dodge truck - it's like a part of the family but it's time!!  I would have preferred he get a different color but there was not any other colors on the lot of the truck he wanted.  He likes the dark gray - I do too - it's just kinda of close to the silver truck that he is trading in. 

After making the deal, we enjoyed a late lunch / early dinner.  Surprisingly, Sonny wanted to try a Chinese restaurant.  It was very good and what a presentation of the food!!  Almost too pretty to eat!

The rest of the weekend was spent watching NFL football play-offs while I played in my stamp room actually making several cards which I will be sharing with you this week.  Sammie was really funny.  I have a small webbed trash receptacle next to my desk on the floor.  She climbed in it to get a Q-Tip that was in the bottom and rolled around on the floor a few times before turning around (while inside) so she could peek out the open part!  I was surprised she let me take her picture but she was pretty cute.

I found this picture of a card I made several months ago that I thought I had shared.  It is a sympathy card using Fabulous Florets.

Santa Treat Box (for next year)

I was supposed to post this last week but just found it & I had not posted it.  So ......One final Christmas project that you can put this on your "to do" list for next year!  This little Santa Treat Box is sooo easy and is so cute!

SANTA TRIANGLE TREAT BOX

Red cardstock:  4 ¼” x 11”

Score in half (@ 5 1/2”)

Score diagonally from top center to center fold on top and bottom.

Santa:

White :  2 ½” Scallop Circle Punch

White:  2 petals from 5 Flower Punch

White:  5-6 small scallops from Itty Bitty Shape Punches

Pink:  1 3/8” Circle Punch

Pink:  ½” circle punch

Black:  Owl Punch

Black:  4” x ½” strip

Black square for middle of belt buckle

Shimmer Paper:  1” square punch

 This is what I had written a few days after Christmas & thought I had posted it - we were still in Texas!  

It turned pretty cold here and I'm loving it!  The past two nights the temp. has dropped to the low 30's and only warming up to the 50s during the day.  But I think today is supposed to be around 65.  Which will be nice since we are driving to Gruen to have lunch and poke around the shops.  Thursday we went to the outlet shops in San Marcos for a couple of hours.  We also met up with my nephew and his wife and Jack IV for lunch.  Jack is the cutest baby - just like a Gerber baby!!  I can't believe he was a premie since he is such a chubby little baby.  He'll be one in early February and is such a good baby.  Jack and Katrina are doing really great with him.  When we returned to San Antonio, we went to a naming ceremony for one of Ashley's friends' baby, Nora who was born in August.  It was a Jewish ceremony held in their home.  I learned that Jewish parents not only give their baby a secular name but also a Hebrew name which also has a connection to the past and honors those important people in the child's life.  I am totally clueless about the Jewish faith but it was a very nice ceremony similar to the Christian christening.  The thing that really got to me was how irrevelent the guests were.  There were several young parents there with their children for the ceremony and the children were into the food that was laid out for the ceremony - putting their hands all over the cheeses, crackers, etc.  We watched one little girl, about 4-5 years old who filled her plate with about 20 crackers and I never figured out where her parents were - they sure weren't supervising her!  All throughout the ceremony, the children were fussing, talking, eating so much that it was hard to pay attention to the ceremony.  It was just not very respectful to allow them to run wild during the ceremony.  If it was a Christian ceremony and held in a church, they would keep the kids quiet (I hope!)

I had my flu shot today!  I kept putting it off when I was at home before driving to TX and about talked myself out of getting one.  But I kept hearing how bad the flu is supposed to be this year so Ashley brought a shot home to me yesterday morning and gave it to me before we headed out shopping.  Now .... I better not get the flu!  I didn't get to talk to my son for Christmas because they were all sick.  My daughter in law sent me a text Christmas that they were so sick they could hardly move.  My mom talked to Jeff yesterday and she said he sounded pretty bad.  He told her that the flu had run through their family like wild fire - hitting all of them and even Darcie's grandparents who were visiting.  So, I hope to talk to him later this weekend when he feels better!

Journal Challenge

Stampin' Up offers a challenge every two weeks or so for digital creators.  It is open to anyone who has MDS or MDS2 - not just demonstrators.  I have entered a few of their challenges and even got a Honorable Mention a couple of months ago.  But I want to WIN!!  This week the challenge is to create a journal to write your goals or New Year's resolutions down.  They say that it can’t hurt your chances if other people think your sample is grand too. So I would love your you to sign up at MyDigitalStudio.net so you can comment or just click on "like" or "favorite" on my journal creation!  Here is a link to my journal but I think you have to sign up first (link above). 

If you are a MDS creator, why not create something yourself for the challenge and post it!!  

I had so much fun creating the journal.  Here is what it looks like:

Loving the Honeycomb!

I got to play with my new stuff and let me tell you, I'm loving the Honeycomb embossing folder!  I can see myself using it a lot!!
I wish now I'd gotten more stuff with my mini catalog preorder.  At first glance, I wasn't totally in love with many of the products in the catalog.  But as usual, as I've seen what others have done with the products, I'm wanting them!!  But for now, I'll just make do with what I have!

This card uses the Polka Dot Parade DSP  (pg. 164, #126902) in Rich Razzleberry along with Pink Pirouette card stock that is embossed with the Honeycomb folder.  The banner is made using the Hearts A Flutter Framelits Dies.  I also used a (SNEAK PEEK) item from the Sale-a-Bration catalog - can you spot it?  It is the Petite Curly Label Punch.  It works great with the stamps from Tiny Tags.  Other punches used are the Itty Bitty Punches (flower) and the tiny heart in the center flag from the Owl Punch.

And another card using the Honeycomb folder. It would be nice to have a punch that matched the Honeycomb though. But until we do here is what I did for my card - embossed the DSP with the Honeycomb folder and just cut the individual hexagons out  (I used Twitterpated DSP - pg 165).  Then I just glued them to a few of the embossed hexagons.  The stamp in the middle is another SNEAK PEEK from Sale-a-Bration called Vintage Verses.  It fits nicely in the Labels Framelit Die.  I really like the simplicity of this card.

Challenge #24

It's Wednesday - time for my weekly challenge card with the Paper Craft Crew.   We are excited to welcome 3 new design team members this week.  You may even recognize their name as all three have been very consistent participants with the Paper Craft Crew and are also Stampin' Up! Demonstrators.  

Here is this week's sketch:

We hope you play along this week.

• You may flip or rotate the sketch, change or replace the shapes, but please make sure the general layout is recognizable.
• Share a direct link to your creation, not just your blog, using the InLinkz feature at the end of this post. If InLinkz is down, please add a link with your comment.
• If you don't have a blog, don't worry!  You can still use inLinkz by linking to your photo posted on Facebook or a similar social media site.
• The Paper Craft Crew Design Team are Stampin' Up! Demonstrators and as such, we would like to see a minimum of 2 Stampin' Up! products or stamped images used on your card but don't let that stop you from participating.
• Only those individuals that have at least 2 Stampin' Up! products or stamped images are eligible for any blog candy that may be offered along with being a "featured participant."
• When uploading to online galleries, please use keyword PCCCS024.
• POSTING END TIME:  If you'd like to be considered as one of our Featured Friends, please be sure to link your project by Tuesday, January 15, 2013 at 11:59 PM EST
  

• VOTING:  Voting on submissions starts on Tuesday, January 15, 2013 at 11:59 PM EST.  Voting ends on Friday, January 18th at 10 AM EST.

 Here is my card using My Digital Studio 2:

Check out the rest of the Design Team' creations HERE.

New Downloads, Tablet Apps and a New Card for You!

It's Tuesday - Digital Download Day!!  Check out this week's new downloads, full of Valentine's Day stuff and spring things.  Don't miss  the Officially Awesome Valentines Designer Template with its tiny, trendy valentines that fit in tiny, trendy envelopes.






And one of my favorites - RAIN or SHINE


Check out ALL of today's downloads HERE

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Did you get a tablet for Christmas?  In partnership with Google Catalogs, Stampin’ Up! is thrilled to announce its first tablet-friendly catalog!  It’s interactive, it’s easy–and it’s now available for iPad and Android tablets in the US.

 To access the catalog:

• Download the Google Catalog app (available through iTunes and Google Play).
• Sign in using your Google or Gmail account. If you don’t have a Google account, you can create one by tapping the Sign Up button in the app.
• After you have signed in, search for Stampin’ Up! in the Select Favorite Catalogs list.
• Select Stampin’ Up! by tapping the small stamp icon next to the name, then tap Done.
• Click the “Favorites” icon at the bottom of the app, then tap the Stampin’ Up! catalog cover to open it. That’s it!

Cool Features of the app:

• Browse the catalog with ease on your tablet.
• Get more information, see additional images (beyond what is available in the catalog), and zoom in on your favorite products.
• Watch videos from our YouTube channel right inside the app! Jump to the Stampin’ Trimmer on page 180 (page 182 in the app) to see it in action.
• SHOP ONLINE! Order products directly from the app with just a few taps through Stampin’ Up!’s online store.

Note: Google Catalogs is currently available in the US only and is not supported in Canada at this time. We will test this app in the US and make it available in Canada as soon as Google opens up their product to that market.


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 AND I have a new card to share with you!!  I used some of my new goodies from the mini catalog to create this card.  I made the flower vase using the Blossom Builder Punch and snipping away the top and bottom.

Supplies used:

Paper:  Perfect Plum, Pear Pizazz (retired), Pink Pirouette, DSP Stacks Patterned Paper
Ink:  Elegant Eggplant
Accessories:  Blossom Builder Punch, Heart to Heart Punch (retired), non-SU heart button
Stamp:  Feel Goods Clear Stamp (mini catalog # 129684)

Home again!

We are home!!  We got home Friday afternoon.  Sammie thought it was about time!!  She was really meowing loud the last few hours of the trip and had had enough of the car.  We didn't blame her - we had too!!   Sonny and I did most of our unpacking Friday and spent Saturday just vegging out.  I really needed to go the grocery store but just couldn't make myself get back in the car again! 

Today we had our family Christmas at Marianne's house.  My brother even came up from Charlotte.  It was so good to see him.  Unfortunately with his job and family, we don't get to see him as often as we would like to.  We had a great dinner and then exchanged gifts with each other.  I got a great tee shirt from Marianne!!

It is a family joke that I - who is the oldest by 11 years - is the favorite of Mom's.  When I first moved back to NC, 6 years ago, I started having Thanksgiving dinner at my house.  After dinner, while we were all still sitting around the table, we played this "table talk" game that had been gifted to me.  Each person gets 2-3 cards from the box and has to answer the question on his/her card.  The questions are very thought provoking.  Well, mom's question that year was something like what is the greatest thing that has happened to you in your life.  Her answer was the birth of me!  Of course, after she said it, she wished she could have taken the words back.  But what she meant was having her first child (which happened to be me!!)  Anyway, my sisters have not let her forget about it since then.  Marianne also included a Christmas ornament she found this year that says "FIRST BORN - Mom's favorite"  

I got my Spring Mini goodies today so hope to be making a few cards and project with me in the next couple of days to share.  I am playing bridge tomorrow and going to the grocery store (our cupboards are bare!) but have no plans for Tuesday except Soup Kitchen in the a.m.

Valentine Bundles

VALENTINE BUNDLES ..... Get yours today!!

Stampin' Up! has some sweet treats for you!!  Through January 21st, you can order these Valentine Bundles.

From January 3 through January 21, you will have the opportunity to purchase the exclusive Valentine Treat Bundle. This bundle, created specifically for this special offer, contains the brand-new Happy Valentine Heart Single Stamp  and a package of 1" x 8" cellophane bags. The  Heart Single Stamp coordinates with the Full Heart Punch (item 119883; $16.95), but the punch is not included in the bundle.   Purchase the Happy Valentine Heart Single Stamp and the 1x8 Cello Bags and get a 20% discount.  Please use item #132771 to receive the discount. if you are ordering on line.  This Single stamp is only available in the bundle.  

 

Purchase the four piece My Little Valentine stamp set for $9.95 and receive the Sealed with Love Simply Sent Kit FREE!  The kit includes 10 notecards, 10 double sided envelopes, 20 paper buttons and Real Red Baker's Twine for the closure. This four-piece set was created exclusively for this promotion and will not be available again after January 21!

Check out the details HERE.

 As if two new stamp sets weren't enough  for you to go absolutely GAGA over, the 2013 spring catalog is now available!   If you haven't received your copy, you can check it out HERE online.  If you need a copy, contact me and I will get one to you ASAP!

Pictures from our trip

made with MDS2

Hope you are having a wonderful 2013 so far ..... 364 more days to go so make the best of each and every one of them. Sonny and I enjoyed a good movie last night (Jack Reacher) and are just "vegging" today while we watch my favorite parade, the Rose Parade. Some day I will be there watching it in person.

Thought I would share a few of the pictures I've taken while on our trip. I haven't done any card making so don't have any creative items to share. My new catalog items are waiting for me at home so I hope to be sharing some new things with you next week. We will start the drive back home tomorrow and have Christmas with my NC family on Sunday.

A Spanish Terrible Towel - these people were from Mexico cheering on the Steelers!  I tell you, Steeler fans are everywhere!

I got to meet Reed Coskey!  Such a cutie!

Sammie's favorite spot at Ashley's house!

Sonny & I with Heidi and Reed

Christmas Day - my pillow and scarf from Ashley

Another cutie - we met one of our son's best high school friends (Landon & wife Rachel) for breakfast in Grapevine and I got to play with Liam Montgomery

Happy 2013

Well, I watched the last Steeler game of the season today.  They won't be going to the play offs this year - the first time in a long time!  Hopefully, they will do some major rebuilding during the off season and come back stronger than ever next year.  It always amazes me how fast football season goes - seems like it just got started.  Since the game was a "no-count" game today, it was not on tv here so Ashley & I went to Buffalo Wild Wings and watched it there.  The past two Sundays, Ashley and I have been on our own watching the Steelers since Sonny went shooting with our brother-in-law.  After the game, she and I visited Michael's, Kohl's, Bed & Bath, and the mall (which was crazy!!) to do some returns and also to check out the After Christmas Sales.  We got some good deals today and yesterday when we went over to her base and picked up a few things at the PX. 

Last night we went over to Ashley's friends house, Lisa & Danny for dinner.  Danny is the cook in the family and he cooked us a delicious meal.  After dinner and visiting with them for a bit, we headed off to a local club, Martini's which was a popular hang out for Ashley and her friends in medical school.  Ashley had told some of her friends about the place recently and they wanted to check it out so we met them there.   We always enjoyed going to Martini's when we visited Ashley and listening to the owner, Wayne, perform.   He puts on an amazing show doing a Vegas style act and covers songs by Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond, Willie Nelson, the Beach Boys, all the greats.  His voice imitates these singers remarkedly.  He has a full band backing him up and he often switches instruments from guitar, banjo, saxophone, and trumpet.   If you ever visit San Antonio, you need to check this place out!  Their martinis aren't bad either (just a tad expensive)!!

Hope you have big plans for New Year's.  What will you be doing to welcome in 2013?  Sonny and I are going to a movie while Ashley goes out with her girlfriends.  Be safe and have a wonderful New Year!!

I made this card using MDS2 but it would be super easy to recreate using paper and stamps.

Supplies Used with MDS2:

Oh What Fun Overlays\Oh What Fun Overlays - new year
    _Designer Kits\Happy Hour\Happy Hour - glass 3
    _Designer Kits\Happy Hour\Happy Hour - glass 4
    _Designer Kits\Happy Hour\Happy Hour - glass 1
    _Designer Kits\Happy Hour\Happy Hour - olive
    _Designer Kits\Happy Hour\Happy Hour - umbrella
    _Designer Kits\Happy Hour\Happy Hour - orange

Paper:

Black Cardstock, Designer Series Paper \Glimmer - gold
    Card Stock\Whisper White

 

Gone but not Forgotten

Can you believe Christmas has already come and gone?!  I hope it was one to tuck away in your memory box.  I hope yours was a wonderful one!  Ours was definitely a very peaceful one here in Texas.  We stayed in our comfy "lounging" clothes all day!  We had our traditional sausage casserole for breakfast and then spent time hoping our gifts.  Everyone was quite pleased with all that they got I think .... I know I was!!  Since we had our big meal last night, we just picked during the day on ham, pickles, mushrooms, sausage balls, cookies, chocolate, cheese, crackers ..... the list goes on and on!!  Guess I'll be going on a diet when I return home!   During the afternoon, we watched back to back Christmas movies on Hallmark.  What a fun and relaxing day!

It is time for another sketch for the Paper Craft Crew.  This week we are also doing a color challenge along with the sketch - using Crumb Cake, More Mustard and Bravo Burgundy - a very different color combo!  But here is my take on the sketch and colors:

I think these colors worked out great - not what I would have chosen but I like it!!  What do you think?

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from me to you!

This is the card I mailed to my son and his family who are Disney addicts!!

A warm Christmas here in San Antonio - supposed to be almost 70 degrees today with a cold front moving in later - tomorrow's high is supposed to be only 50! 

We had our Christmas dinner last night and invited some of Ashley's friends over to celebrate with us.  Looking forward to a family day today just enjoying each other's company and watching a few Christmas shows on tv along with opening our gifts.  No shopping!!!

I hope your Christmas is wonderful!

Snowflake Mittens

Yesterday was Ashley's birthday. I got her age right this year (37) of which she was glad.  She and Sonny went out early to finish up their Christmas shopping.  When they got back home, Ashley and I went out to finish up the loose ends in our Christmas shopping and baking.  We met Sonny for lunch at Purple Garlic (yummy meatball sandwich!!).  Sonny and Ashley did their annual baking of sausage balls while I made some chocolate pretzels and marinated mushrooms.  We went out for dinner at Josephine's for steaks.  So it was a pretty quiet day but we squeezed a lot into it!

Our cats are still taking a wide berth but they are tolerating each other at least and we are not having to keep them shut up and separated any more.  Here is a video I took today of them that is really cute!

And a little more Christmas trivia for you .....

There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me. What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas? 

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember. 

• The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ. 
• Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
• Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
• The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
• The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
• The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
• Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching,Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
• The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
• Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
• The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.
• The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
• The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

 So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol...so pass it on if you wish.

OK - now for a card I made: 
I love the Perfectly Preserved set and how versatile it is!  Here is a Christmas card I made using the set.  I stamped the jar with Bashful Blue ink on vellum and stamped a snowflake in the center with White craft ink and embossed in white.  The mittens are cut out with a die that I have had for several years (Spell-binders I think) but SU has a mitten punch that could be used also.  I stamped and embossed the snowflake onto the mittens as well. 

This Snowman is for you!

Enjoy - Click HERE

Rudolph

The True Story of  Rudolph

A man named Bob May, depressed and brokenhearted, stared out his drafty apartment window into the chilling December night.

His 4-year-old daughter Barbara sat on his lap quietly sobbing. Bob's wife, Evelyn, was dying of cancer. Little Barbara couldn't understand why her mommy could never come home. Barbara looked up into her dad's eyes and asked, "Why isn't Mommy just like everybody else's Mommy?" Bob's jaw tightened and his eyes welled with tears. Her question brought waves of grief, but also of anger. It had been the story of Bob's life. Life always had to be different for Bob.

Small when he was a kid, Bob was often bullied by other boys. He was too little at the time to compete in sports. He was often called names he'd rather not remember. From childhood, Bob was different and never seemed to fit in. Bob did complete college, married his loving wife and was grateful to get his job as a copywriter at Montgomery Ward during the Great Depression. Then he was blessed with his little girl. But it was all short-lived. Evelyn's bout with cancer stripped them of all their savings and now Bob and his daughter were forced to live in a two-room apartment in the Chicago slums. Evelyn died just days before Christmas in 1938.

Bob struggled to give hope to his child, for whom he couldn't even afford to buy a Christmas gift. But if he couldn't buy a gift, he was determined to make one - a storybook! Bob had created an animal character in his own mind and told the animal's story to little Barbara to give her comfort and hope. Again and again Bob told the story, embellishing it more with each telling. Who was the character? What was the story all about? The story Bob May

created was his own autobiography in fable form. The character he created was a misfit outcast like he was. The name of the character? A little reindeer named Rudolph, with a big shiny nose. Bob finished the book just in time to give it to his little girl on Christmas Day. But the story doesn't end there.

The general manager of Montgomery Ward caught wind of the little storybook and offered Bob May a nominal fee to purchase the rights to print the book. Wards went on to print, “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and distribute it to children visiting Santa Claus in their stores. By 1946 Wards had printed and distributed more than six million copies of Rudolph. That same year, a major publisher wanted to purchase the rights from Wards to print an updated version of the book.

In an unprecedented gesture of kindness, the CEO of Wards returned all rights back to Bob May. The book became a best seller. Many toy and marketing deals followed and Bob May, now remarried with a growing family, became wealthy from the story he created to comfort his grieving daughter. But the story doesn't end there either.

Bob's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, made a song adaptation to Rudolph. Though the song was turned down by such popular vocalists as Bing Crosby and DinahShore , it was recorded by the singing cowboy, Gene Autry. "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was released in 1949 and became a phenomenal success, selling more records than any other Christmas song, with the exception of "White Christmas."

The gift of love that Bob May created for his daughter so long ago kept on returning back to bless him again and again. And Bob May learned the lesson, just like his dear friend Rudolph, that being different isn't so bad. In fact, being different can be a blessing.