Time for Hot Cocoa!

 Hi friends.... bet you thought that I was done sharing Christmas cards!  Nope, not yet, although this one is really more winter themed than Christmas!  

I created a fun pocket card using the fabulous Scandinavian Christmas Collection from Keep it Simple Paper Crafts.  I love these cards because they provide an opportunity to use several different patterned papers!  

I colored up the cute little snowman and mittens from the Santa & Friends stamp set and used the coordinating dies to cut them out.  Before gluing the exterior flap down, I wrapped it with embroidery thread and baker's twine, and added a loopy bow. 

I hope that you are warm and snuggly inside!  This card makes me want to whip up a cup of hot cocoa and curl up in front of the fire! 

Thanks so much for spending a few minutes with me! 

Xoxo, Kim

Warm Winter Wishes from Spinach & Ramona

Hello again, friends!  This is almost my last Christmas project, I promise!  

The first stamp set that I ever purchased from Prickley Pear Stamps was the darling Frog Pals - Spinach and Ramona stamp set.  I love this stamp set so much, and even more so after Sharon shared with me that Spinach and Ramona are their granddaughter's pet frogs!  How cute is that?    Anyhow, I was dying to dress them up for Christmas and create a card with them.

I colored them with Copic markers in traditional Christmas colors and added some gold accents using a gelly roll pen. I cut them out using the coordinating dies and set them aside. 

I created a layered tree using my Cricut, and I added some sparkle embossing paste that is nearly dried up to add snow.  I am loving the consistency of it for winter scenes, so I can't bear to throw it away, even though it is on its last leg.   

I tore two strips of white paper to create hills, and added the embossing paste to them, and set the wet items aside to dry completely.   I dry-embossed a white panel using a snowflake embossing folder from my stash and layered the panel on a piece of patterned paper.

I heat embossed a sentiment from the Santa and Rudolph stamp set and backed it with red glitter paper.   I adhered all of my elements to the card front and completed my card by adding some glass bubbles and a bow from my favorite ribbon.  I have had this ribbon in my stash for probably 20 years.  How crazy is that?! 

I have to say that this is my absolute favorite card that I have ever made!  I love all of the different texture, and of course the sweet frogs! 

Make sure to head to the shop and check out this sweet stamp set, and all of the other amazing goodies! 

Thank you so much for spending a few minutes with me!  I hope you love this card as much as I do! 

Merry Christmas to you and yours! 

Xoxo, Kim

**Affiliate links provided at no additional cost to you.  Thank you so much for supporting my hobby!**

 

2 More Sleeps!

Hi friends!  Only 2 more sleeps until this big guy comes to visit!  

Have you jumped on the Memory Dex train yet?  I absolutely love making Dex cards, as they are a quick and easy project to create.  I created this Dex card using the sweet Santa from the Santa and Rudolph stamp set from Prickley Pear Stamps ages ago and forgot to take photos so I could post.  I figure since the big day is nearly here, now would be the perfect time! 

As I said, Dex cards are really easy to create.  I started by die-cutting my Dex card four times - once from a solid cardstock (for the back), two patterned papers, and one glitter cardstock.  I trimmed the papers down to the sizes I wanted to layer up on the solid base.  The best part of this is that I have additional pieces to use on another Dex card later. 

I heat embossed the sentment and cut it in to a banner, adhered it to the back of my Santa, and glued it down to the front of the card.  I added a bow from metallic embroidery thread and some glitter enamel dots.

I would love it if you would comment and let me know if you have started making Memory Dex cards or not.

Don't forget to head over to the shop and check out all the goodness available!  

Thank you so much for spending a few minutes with me today!  

Xoxo, Kim

**Affiliate links provided at no additional cost to you.  Thank you for supporting my hobby!**

Ho Ho Ho!

Hello, crafty friends!  I am still having trouble wrapping my head around the fact that there are now only FIVE days until Christmas!  Are you ready?

Today, I am up on the Prickley Pear Blog sharing a fun Christmas card that I made celebrating everyone's favorite roly-poly fella.   

I colored up the sweet Santa image from the Santa and Rudolph Stamp Set, cut him out and set him aside. I wanted to keep a lot of white space on my card, but also wanted to incorporate traditional Christmas colors, so I die-cut a bunch of greenery and berries using some dies from my stash.

I dry-embossed a white card panel using a brick embossing folder that I have in my stash and have never used.  Can you believe it?  It was the perfect backdrop for Santa!   (Check out the last photo to really see the embossing.)  I backed the embossed panel with some red glitter paper and adhered it to my card base.  I stamped the "Ho Ho Ho" sentiment from the stamp set and backed the sentiment strip with the same red glitter paper.

  I set about to arrange the greenery and berries on the lower portion of the card and when I was satisfied, adhered them down.  If you have never tried Glad Press 'n Seal, it is my favorite trick for working with clusters of embellishments.  Once you have them arranged, you lay a piece of Press 'n Seal over it, gently rub your hands over it so your cluster sticks, and gently pull it up.  You can then add your favorite adhesive and adhere it to your surface.  It prevents them from moving around too much.  This was a total game changer for me. 

Once the greenery was down, I added the sentiment strip and Santa, and I finished my card with some red bling. 

I hope that this inspires you to get crafty today!  Make sure to head over to the shop and check out all of the amazing products! 

Thank you so much for hanging out with me for a few minutes! 

Xoxo, Kim

**Affiliate links provided at no additional cost to you.  Thank you so much for supporting my hobby!**

 

Lessons Learned from Penguins

Hello friends!  Do you love penguins as much as I do?  I could sit and watch them waddle and play all day long!  Additionally, they provide great lessons in leadership and teamwork.  And don't forget they teach us how to walk safely in winter weather!  Just ask my team.  We do the penguin walk at every holiday meeting!  It is a riot!

For my Eyelet Outlet project today, I used a simple card sketch that is full of layers.  I used the Glitter Black Washi Tape to create a panel.  I then used the Penguin Washi Tape to create my next panel.  It is so easy to add washing tape over a strip of card stock and you have a perfect embellishment for your card.

To complete my card, I made a loopy bow from my absolute favorite ribbon.  This ribbon is SO old.  I bet I have had it for 20 years, but it is perfect for Christmas projects!  I added a Pine Tree Brad to the bow and adhered it to my card front.

Shopping List:

Pine Tree Brads

Glitter Black Washi Tape

Penguin Washi Tape

Thank you so much for hanging out with me! 

Xoxo, Kim 

Deck the Halls!

Hi friends!  I am back again with another Christmas card to share using the You Are Loved Clear Stamp Set from Prickley Pear Stamps & Dies.  I really, really love making Christmas cards, so you will be tired of hearing from me by the time Christmas gets here! 

I love everything about this stamp set, and I wanted to create a card that showed nature celebrating.  I colored the image with Copic Markers and cut it out.  I added white embellishments using a Posca Paint Pen and when it was dry, I added some sparkly white embossing paste to the tree, stars, hats, and base of the tree.  

I used a dome-shaped die to die-cut the center of a white panel, and then I dry-embossed the panel.  I used a night sky digital paper inside the dome.

I heat embossed the sentiment and backed the panel with glitter card stock.  I adhered the image to the card base, added a bow of red and white metallic embroidery floss, and added some bling.

I hope you love this card as much as I do!  Make sure to stop by the shop and check out this sweet stamp set!

Thank you so much for hanging out with me for a few minutes! 

Xoxo, Kim

**Affiliate links provided at no additional cost to you.  Thank you for supporting my hobby!**

The Stockings Were Hung by the Chimney with Care

 Hi crafty friends!  I hope your weekend is off to a great start!  Does your family hang stockings?  When I was growing up, stockings were a BIG deal in my family.  My dad traveled a lot for work conferences, and he would fill our stockings with all the silly doo-dads that he brought back, generally office supplies and such, and my brother and I loved it!  As an adult, my grandmother carried on the tradition.  She did a stocking for each of the kids and grandkids and filled them with all of the things that we love! 

When I saw the Stocking 2 Clear Stamp Set, from Prickley Pear Stamps & Dies, I knew that I needed to create with it.  The stockings themselves are just beautiful, and they were so much fun to color up.  As a matter of fact, I couldn't stop at just one card, so I am sharing this beautiful pair of cards today.

I colored the stockings with Copic markers and I embellished them with a gold get pen and a white Postca Paint pen.  Once they were dry, I cut them out and set them aside.  I heat embossed the sentiments and trimmed the panels down before backing them with glitter cardstock.  I dry embossed white cardstock panels, and backed them with the same glitter cardstock and adhered them to my card bases.  I added the sentiment panels, stockings, and added some loopy bows.  To complete the cards, I added some bling. 

These cards bring up so many happy memories.  I would love to hear what your favorite holiday tradition is!  Please be sure to leave us a comment and share!  Don't forget to stop by the shop and check out the Stocking 1 and Stocking 2 Clear Stamp Sets! 

Thanks so much for spending a few minutes of your day with me! 

Xoxo, Kim

**Affiliate links provided at no additional cost to you.  Thank you for supporting my hobby!**

Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town!

Happy FriYAY, friends!  I can't believe how quickly the time is flying!  I am so not ready for the holidays.

Today, I am sharing another fun simple holiday card over on the Eyelet Outlet Blog that I created using several of the amazing products available in the shop.  I used one of the card bases that I created for Kendra's Card Challenge which made it so easy to put this together!  I started with a black card base and a fun piece of patterned paper, followed with green cardstock accents.  I die-cut a cardstock circle and carefully layered Brick Washi Tape over it to create a chimney.

Even though I had taped my die down to the green cardstock, it moved and cut part of the circle edge off, so I trimmed it into a straight line and trimmed the washi circle down to match.  I added Santa (brad) to the "chimney" and popped that circle up on foam dots.  To complete my card, I added Black and Red Glitter Enamel Dots.  I didn't add a sentiment, as I felt the patterned paper did enough.

I am so happy to have knocked another Christmas card out!  I am so thankful for the Eyelet Outlet products that make it so easy to create fun and festive cards without too much fuss! 

Shopping List: 

Santa & Mrs. Claus Brads

Brick Washi Tape

Glitter Enamel Dots - Red

Glitter Enamel Dots - Black

Thank you so much for hanging out with me! 

Xoxo, Kim

Merry Christmas from Rudolph!

 Good morning, friends!  I am so excited to share my first Prickley Pear Stamps design team project with you today.  I used the new Santa and Rudolph Clear Stamp Set to create this fun card. 

I colored up this darling little Rudolph with Copic markers and added some white highlights using a Posca Paint Pen.  I cut him out and set him aside. 

I used a fun Christmas knit digital paper that looks so realistic.  I paired it with a dry-embossed panel and some strips of glitter cardstock.  

I also dry-embossed a stitched hexagon to place Rudolph on, and I created a loopy bow and embellished it with a brad that I doctored up by removing the legs and adhering it to the bow with a glue gun.

I don't know about you, but I just love this little fella!  He has to be the cutest Rudolph I have ever seen!  Make sure to head over to the shop to check him out and while you are there, be sure to check out all of the other amazing goodies! 

Thanks so much for hanging out with me!  I hope you are inspired to get crafty! 

Xoxo, Kim

**Affiliate links provided at no additional cost to you.  Thank you for supporting my hobby!**

Not Just a Card!

Hi friends!  I am over on the Kat Scrappiness Blog today, and I am sharing a project that is not a card!  I wanted to show how versatile the amazing dies are!  First, I would love to know if you create handmade gifts or not.

Rather than creating a card, I used the Mason Jar Shaker Card Dies to create an ornament.   I had seen an advertisement for a wood shaker ornament somewhere, and I immediately thought that I could recreate it using these dies.

 Here are the instructions for creating the ornament:

1.  Die-cut the mason jar outline from heavy cardstock several times.  I used heavy kraft cardstock and I cut 6 outlines.
2.  Die-cut the solid portion of the mason jar twice from acetate.
3.  Adhere acetate to the top of one outline die-cut, the bottom of one outline die-cut and set them aside to dry completely if using a liquid adhesive.
4.  Using the remaining die-cut pieces, adhere them together and adhere to the bottom die-cut that has acetate adhered to the top.   This will create your shaker base.  Allow to dry completely if using liquid adhesive.
5.  Once the layers are dry, add your shaker bits.  I used the Holiday Bliss Mix for my ornament.
6.  Adhere the top of the shaker (acetate is adhered to the bottom of the die-cut layer) to the base and allow to dry.
7.  Die-cut the "fabric" piece from your favorite patterned paper and the jar band from your favorite metallic paper.  I used the Gobble Gobble 6 x 6 Paper Pad.
8.  Prior to adhering the "fabric" and band, wrap a piece of jute around the top of the mason jar and tie it to create a hanger.
9.  I added two banners and hand wrote the year on one of them, adhered them down and then added the "fabric" piece and jar band.
10.   Add a simple bow and any other desired embellishments.

Shopping List:

Mason Jar Shaker Card Dies

Holiday Bliss Mix

Gobble Gobble 6 x 6 Paper Pad

I hope that you are inspired to find new ways of using your products!  I had so much fun creating this ornament, and I am amazed at how simple it really was!

Thanks so much for hanging out with me!

 Xoxo, Kim

**Affiliate links have been provided at no additional cost to you.  Thanks so much for supporting my hobby!**

 

A Sock Monkey Christmas

 Hi friends!  How are you coming along on your holiday cards?  I am making slow, but steady progress, and today I am so excited to share one of them that I created for Eyelet Outlet!  I have been working through Kendra's Card Challenge and used one of the sketches for this card.

I created this simple card using my absolute favorite brad - the Holiday Sock Monkey!  This little fella is the absolute cutest! 

I paired him with some fun holiday patterned papers, and I tied a loopy bow from metallic embroidery floss and created a button from a Candy Cane Brad to adhere the bow to. (I removed the prongs from the brad using wire snips and used a hot glue gun to add the bow to the back of the brad.)  Lastly, I added my favorite embellishments - Red Glitter Enamel dots.

I love that this card is pretty clean and simple, but not boring!  

Shopping List: 

Holiday Sock Monkey Brads

Candy Cane Brads

Glitter Enamel Dots - Red

Thank you so much for hanging out with me!  

Xoxo, Kim

Kim - Blog - Facebook - Instagram

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

Hello friends!  Today, I am sharing the last card that I made for the Kat Scrappiness Holiday Release.  I think this might be my favorite!  

I literally had the best time creating this card with all sorts of mediums!  To start, created a night sky using Distress Oxide Inks.  I also created the snowflake background using a stencil and white ink.  

I die-cut the window pane using the Night Before Christmas Window Scene Dies from the Lumber Yard 6 x 6 Paper Pad to create a woodgrain window frame.  I used the same die to die-cut the night sky panel so that I could paper piece it into the background spaces.  (That was teriffying!)

I die-cut the tree from green cardstock and added the snow using my almost dried up shimmer white texture paste.  The good thing about it being on its last leg is that it has a chunky effect, so it looks more realistic.  I die-cut the star out of gold cardstock, the snowflakes from shimmery white cardstock, and the silhouette of Santa and his sleigh from black card stock and adhered them all in place.

Once all of my elements were adhered to the card front, I finished the card off with a loopy bow.

I don't know about you, but this card just makes me want to re-read Twas the Night Before Christmas!  I am ready for Santa to visit (well, not really... not even a little bit ready!!), are you?

Thanks so much for stopping by!  

Xoxo, Kim

**Affiliate links have been provided at no additional cost to you.  Thank you for supporting my habit... I mean hobby!**

A Poinsettia For You!

Happy Monday!  I am not ready for the long weekend to be over.  Today, I am sharing another card that I made for the Kat Scrappiness Holiday Release.  

I was so excited to use the new Layered Poinsettia Dies.  I love 3-D Flowers and these dies made it so simple!  I started by die-cutting the flower pieces from pink card stock.  I wanted my poinsettia to shimmer, so I pulled out my Splatter Box and used some gold metallic spray.  I never know when to stop, so rather than leaving it spotted, I covered the entirety of the petals with gold.  You really can't tell in the photo, but the flower is rose gold in color.  I did the same with the green leaves but left green showing through.  

I used ink to do a watercolor wash on a piece of white card stock, and added some more gold splatters.  Once it was dry, I die-cut the panel using the A2 Quilted Backdrop Die and adhered the panel to my card base.

I die-cut the Noel sentiment using the Noel Word w/Shadow Dies and made a loopy bow from gold metallic thread.  I adhered the poinsettia to the card front and then added the bow, followed by the sentiment.  To complete the card, I added a handful of rhinestones from the Gold Mine Rhinestone Mix. 

I really love these layering dies!  It made creating a beautiful flower so incredibly easy!

Thanks so much for visiting today! 

Xoxo, Kim

**Affiliate links have been provided at no additional cost to you.  Thank you so much for supporting my habit.... I mean hobby!**

 

My First Noel

Happy Saturday, friends!  I keep thinking it is Sunday, but Yay!  I have an extra day left to do all the fun things. 

Today, I am sharing a fun shaker card that I created for the Kat Scrappiness Holiday Release!  I literally love everything about this release.   There is so many great products that you are covered for literally every kind of holiday project you can think of.

I started with one of the brand new Mini Slimline Full Front Shaker Card Pockets.  I love shaker cards, but I hate fiddling with them and usually mess it up.  These pockets make it so simple to create amazing projects in a flash.  I used a piece of patterned paper from the Lumber Yard Slimline Paper Pad as my background.  I love the look of weathered wood, so it was perfect to pair with greenery!  

I die-cut a whole ton of foliage using the new Christmas Foliage Dies and I sponged some ink on to the leaves and berries to add a little bit of dimension.  I used the Build A Bow Die Set to create a bow and set the elements aside to set about creating the shaker.   Like I said the pockets make it ridiculously easy to do this.  I poured some Glitter Sequin Mix - Christmas into the shaker along with some Christmas Confetti Sprinkles and then adhered the final flap of the pocket down.  

To complete the card, I arranged the foliage and adhered to the front of my shaker, and I die-cut the sentiment using the new Noel Word w/Shadow Die. 

I really love how this card came together!  I just wish I were a better photographer.  Acetate is tough for me to get photos of... so ignore the glare! LOL! 

Thanks so much for stopping by! 

Xoxo, Kim

**Affiliate links have been provided at no additional cost to you.  Thank you so much for supporting my habit... I mean hobby!**