2016 FAVORITES

When I started my blog in 2014, my first post was my favorites from 2013.  Since then my blog and my style have changed quite a bit - I hope you agree that it's all for the better or at least it's different!  So here are my faves (click on title to link to original) for 2016. 

Hydrangea Petals

Easter Blessings

Ghosting

Merry

Candle

Welcome Baby

Yellow Peonies

 

Fabulous Friend

And so my fabulous friends, 2016 is ending and we have 2017 beginning soon - Happy New Year to all of you and thanks for visiting!

WINTER FUN

My younger days growing up in Wisconsin had lots of snowy winter sledding days.  We mostly used a toboggan tho.

 

I made my sled by die cutting a tag from a piece of woodgrained paper, added the runners, twiggy wreath (from the September HA monthly Hero kit), greenery, a bow and the EH joy sentiment and done!  Gave everything a bit of distressing with brown ink. 

I am entering this in the Merry Monday, Ellen Hutson Pinsights, and a2z Scrapbooking challenges.

Thanks for visiting today.  This will be my last post for 2016 as I will leaving for TX to spend the Christmas holidays with my daughter and family and won't be back until January.  Wishing all a wonderful holiday season.

MISTLETOE

Loved the colors in the Paper Players challenge this week and thought I'd have a go at it with my new mistletoe die.

Die cut the mistletoe three times from silver and white metallic cardstock and die cut the frame using one of the HA infinity dies.  Next I stamped the sentiment on the black piece, embossed in gold and put it all together on the card base.  After dotting the mistletoe berries with Nuvo gold, I arranged them on the card, added the gold bow and done!   I am also entering this in CASology's challenge this week since I have a bow on the card.

Thanks for stopping by today and your kind comments always make my day!

BRINGING HOME THE TREE

When my daughter and family lived in Fargo, a tradition was to go to a tree farm near Detroit Lakes, MN and cut down their Christmas tree.  Afterwards it was pizza at Zorba's in DL.  Now that they're living in TX and Matthew (my grandson) is working in Baltimore, I thought maybe he needed a reminder of all the times they tromped through the cold to find the perfect tree.

I colored the little car and tree with copics and popped it up on the snowbanks - the edges are covered with diamond gel.  I put some glitter on the snowflakes and also dots of glossy accents.  Finished the top off with some pine boughs and red berries. There is a pocket on the back where I'll tuck some $$ for him.

I am entering this in Inspired by All the Little Things challenge and also Just Add Ink challenge which is to make a gift tag.

 Thanks for visiting today and all your kind comments.

TAG AND ORNAMENT

After cogitating for a while on how I would make gift card/cash cards for my grandkids this year, this is what I decided upon.

The ornament is made from five layers of die cuts with a piece of acetate between the third and fourth layers, gold sprinkles and then a circle back.  The gold paper and the tag itself are from the gorgeous paper pads found in the Target $ bins.  The "A" (for Anna) is a metal charm that I've had in my stash of good stuff for ages - I coated it with cranberry alcohol ink and then a coat of glossy accents on top for some dimension and shine.  The "joy" sentiment was die cut from the same gold pad.  On the back of the tag is a pocket which will hold a gift card.  I added enough of the green ribbon so it can be tied on the Christmas tree.  Also am making the same for Katie and Leah.  Not sure what Matthew's going to get yet!  

I am entering this in the A2Z Scrapbooking challenge this month which is "Anything but a Card".  Ellen Hutson's "12 Tags with a Feminine Twist" challenge has a sketch today (Day 7) which I loosely interpreted - shape of the tag and the gold and red on Melania's tag.  

Thanks for visiting today and love to read your kind comments.

PEACE CANDLE

The cue card at CASology this week is "candle".  For my card I just made my own candle as I don't have any candle stamps.

 

I cut the candle from some gold glitter stripe paper and freehand cut the flame from gold.  The poinsettia and leaves were embossed in gold on vellum and fussy cut - the pine branches die cut.  Made my arrangement and added the small sentiment.  The card base is some Neenah white gold metallic and was cut 4"x5.5" so I could have the branches off the edge.

 

 

 Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend.

 

PRIZE STAGS

The challenge at Merry Monday this week is masculine cards.

My son is a hunter so one of these will be going to him - probably the first one as that's my favorite.  Both cards have "Merry Christmas" inside. Used the HA Infinity Rectangles dies on both cards including the little one for the sentiment.   On the first card the stag was layered four times and coated with glossy accents (couldn't resist giving him a red nose).  The wreath is from the HA September MMH kit and the buffalo plaid paper is some more Target $$ bin paper.  The tree was stenciled on the second card with distress inks - then stenciled on the snowflakes and added the standing stag.  

I am also entering the first card in CAS on Sunday where the theme is "Christmas".

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful week.

INSPIRED BY...

Inspired By All The Little Things has a wonderful inspiration photo this week.

Used a scrap of pp for the frame and added the black background stamped with the sentiment and white embossed.  The tree and pine swag were die cut from a scrap of yupo paper colored with alcohol inks.  The "snowflakes" were created with some Nuvo crystal drops - they are white but photographed sort of blue (:  

Was also inspired by Gaytri's card where she used the TH Layered Leaves stencil and some Brushos to create a lovely fall card.

I used leaf green, red, orange and yellow Brushos on the stencil, spritzed with water and carefully lifted it up and was delighted how well it turned out with the first go!  On the bottom half I added versamark stamped leaves and berries and the thank you sentiment from EH Autumn Acorns.  The top part is popped up with some fun foam.  I am entering this in the EH Pinsights challenge -  was inspired by the leaves and colors in the inspiration photos.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by.

 

SPARKLE AND SHINE

Just received some new stamps and dies from Concord & 9th so decided to make a card which would fit both their challenge and the Merry Monday challenge to use pink and two shades of blue.

 

Cut the "happy" frame from SU pool party to make the shaker.  Added the MS sprinkles and some sequins in pink and different blues and some stars cut from glitter and silver paper.  Stamped the sentiment on a little banner and added that and another layer of silver a bit offset over the "happy".

 

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments make my day.

 

 

 

 

 

GOLDEN TREE

Just a quick post with a peek at my card for A Blog Named Hero today.

There's still time to enter our holiday challenge and leave comments on the posts for a chance to win prizes contributed by all our DT members - so have a go!!!

In case you're interested, that gorgeous striped paper and the gold came from this pad

It's from the $$ bins at Target - only $3!!

Thanks for stopping by and love to read your kind comments.

 

SNOWFLAKES

The Merry Monday challenge this week is red, gray and white - and here I am again at the last minute with a card.  

I smooshed a piece of white cs in some Tsukineko frost white paint and then die cut the HA snowflakes.  Added some red shiny paper on the back of the piece and the sentiment (stamped in black and embossed with clear).  Mounted it on a silver/gray card base, added the red sequins and a dot of Nuvo in the centers.  Used the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches for the design and will enter there also.  The challenge at a2z Scrapbooking is "Embellish It" and the challenge at the Flickr LOVE group in anything that starts with the letters SNOW (snowflakes and sequins).

Thanks for stopping by today and always appreciate your kind comments.

CHRISTMAS JOY

Holiday cards are the challenge for this month at A Blog Named Hero and here's a peek of my card for today.

Each of the design team members is giving a prize away - by commenting on our posts  plus entering the challenge will give you lots of chances to win. It's our way of paying it forward to all of the wonderful sponsors we have had in the past year.  I have a Hero Arts Stamp and Cut set plus some HA embellishments for my prize plus I'll probably throw in some other good stuff.  So hop on over, check out my card and leave a comment - and enter the challenge here.

Thanks for visiting today.