Bee Mine

Here is a sneak peek at a new Scrapblock coming out tomorrow called, "Love".

I am seeing quite a bit of embossed scrapbook paper these days in the stores. I made my own by embossing the stamped image in clear EP onto black card stock. I paired it with the Kim Hughes set, "The Birds and the Bees". The bees wings have glitter on them for a bit of sparkle.
The team has been creating quite a few great samples with this scrapblock, you'll have to check out the gallery tomorrow.
Christmas is now just a week away, my how time flies! I am slowly getting all my ducks in a row.
Have a wonderful day!

Stamping Box

I was stumped on a gift idea for my young niece. While browsing through Joann's last week I came across this lunch box style box that had a spot for a picture in the front. The wheels began to turn. Little girls are all about cute little things so I have filled the box with all kinds of stamped images, markers, embellishments, stamps, inks, paper, note cards and more. She will be able to created away for quite some time with all the goodies I stuffed into this small box.

I finally put ink to the Pure Innocence images I bought a few weeks ago. They are soooo cute and worked perfectly for the label I created for the box. I downloaded a free font called, "MTF Chunkie", to created the words. Oh, I hope she is as tickled with it as I am, lol.
Thanks for visiting. Gotta keep it short if I am going to get everything on my list checked off today!

The Train's a Comin'

I am having so much fun with these train sets by CHF. They work so well for those masculine cards and gifts. Today is release #3 of 4 from the B&O Railroad line, this one is called "Train Timetable".

October Afternoon has an 8x8 paper pad called Road Map that is full of great paper to go with these stamps. Below I used one of the map sheets for this card.

Stamping gift items for men is especially hard. I used several of the stamps in the set to cover a paper memo cube that wouldn't be embarrassing to have on a desk for a guy. At least I don't think so. Well maybe if it was stamped in pink, hehehe.

So, how are your holiday tasks coming along? I got a batch of my favorite German almond crescent cookies baked yesterday. My youngest son helped me do some wrapping, it was fun teaching him how to fold paper and we giggled ourselves silly thinking of different ways to write out the name tags. He suggested I write out a tag for my husband "to: baldy, from: spikey haired lady", lol. I opted against that one since DH might not find it so funny. Each day a bit more gets done.

Have a blessed day!

Shhh...it's a Secret!

Today over at the CHF BeCreative blog, I have a fun tutorial for you. I call them Secret Decoder Christmas tags. The kids will think this is a hoot! Check it all out here.

Have a fabulous Monday!

Village Lighthouse

Today, CHF is releasing another Thomas Kinkade stamp. This one is called "Village Lighthouse". It looks like what I imagine an old English sea side village to be like. I was born in one actually. In Whitby, England. My dad was stationed there with the Air Force and we moved when I was only 9 months old so I don't exactly remember it, lol. I would love to go there someday though. I bet there is a fish n chips shanty right on the waters edge, mmmm.

This Kinkade stamps so beautifully in a single color. I used the Versafine Vintage Sepia ink on this one. It is the cover to a journal I made using a Composition book cut in half. The brown felt flower is from Jillibean Soup. I thought it might make a nice gift for someone at church.

I am so glad that it is Friday! I am ready to sleep in and putter for a day. I hope you have a wonderful weekend! Thanks for visiting.

Get Well Prayer

Well, the boys were so disappointed to wake up and find out they had to go to school this morning. Schools all over Buffalo and the surrounding areas got blasted with enough snow to get a snow day. Though we are only 30 miles north, we have absolutely nothing on the ground, just a lot of wind. It is amazing how much Lake Ontario shields us where we live. I am kinda of glad, the boys have their winter concert tonight and I was looking forward to it.

Here is another card using the new CHF set called Common Cold. The set has several images by Norman Rockwell. Everyone needs at least one good set of get well stamps in their arsenal and this one covers it really well.

Poor fella, lol.

Well, I am not snowed in and I'm not sick so that means off to work I go.
Have a blessed day!

Ornaments of Memories

We finally got our tree decorated last night. I love the memories that come to mind when we hang several of our ornaments. Each year we buy our boys an ornament that represents something about the year so the John Deer tractor reminds me of when my youngest was obsessed with all things tractors. Or the fish that represents the year my oldest caught his first big fish.

Eleven years ago, I started an ornament exchange with some of my girlfriends. When we moved to Ransomville, I thought it was the end of the party. But it had become such the anticipated event that one of my friends stepped up and offered her home if I would come back to host. This year I was officially just a guest, not a host, but I am so glad to know that the tradition continues. Some of the guests have changed over the years but there were 4 of us on Friday that have been there since the beginning. I look all year for just the right ornament. I know, you are asking "you don't make your ornament?" I thought it would give me away when we did our trading at the event. But honestly the handmade ones were always the most traded and treasured so this year I made mine.

This bird was totally inspired by an email I got from Jenni Bowlin (the company, not her personally, lol, but how cool would that have been?). There was this darling bird ornament that I just had to try my hand at.

The bird came from a pack I bought at Michael's last year and is some kind of pressed board. I painted it with some Weathered Wood Crackle paint and when it was dry I sponged on some distress inks and added some schtuff. I had to make a wing for it so I covered a coaster with paper and cut it out by hand. We have been seriously lacking sunlight so my photos are a bit on the dark side, sorry.
Here is the adorable ornament I came home with. Ironically, Cheryl got mine and I got hers. This cardinal is made from 2 bells, I love it!

Do your ornaments bring back memories? What is a favorite one?

Thanks for visiting, have a blessed day!