Merry CHRISTmas

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." ~ Luke 2:10-11

Merry Christmas everyone! May you experience the blessing and joy that comes from knowing the true meaning of the season.

God Bless,
Dorie Ellen

The Last of My Christmas Cards for This Year!

Here is the last of the Christmas cards I made for this year. I just mailed 48 of them! Many of those went to people in my church congregation. I was really happy with my stash for this year. I hope the recipients will be as well! To save time, I made several duplicates of some of the cards so I don't actually have 48 different cards. It would have taken me until after Christmas if I hadn't duplicated some! I think the top 2 cards are my favourites.Card Details: CS - Reflections; Stamp - Inkadinkado; SU Pointsettia EB folder; Prima flowers/leaves; Versamark; Ranger Gold EB Powder.
Card Details: CS - Reflections; Stamp - Inkadinkado; CB Swiss Dots EB folder; Prima flowers/leaves; Versamark; Ranger Gold EB Powder.
Card Details: CS - Reflections, Bazill; Stamps - Heidi Grace; CB Dove EB folder; Versamark; Ranger Silver EB Powder.
Card Details: CS - Reflections, Bazill; Stamps - SU, Inkadinkado; SU Pointsettia EB folder; MS Lace Border Punch; Versamark; Ranger Silver EB Powder; Sticker strip - Unknown.
Card Details: CS - Reflections, Bazill; Stamps - SU, Inkadinkado; SU Pointsettia EB folder; MS Lace Border Punch; Versamark; Ranger Silver EB Powder; Sticker strip - Unknown.

More Christmas Cards

Here is a mixture of cards I did last year, but am now just getting around to sending them. I hadn't posted them on my blog before and decided I should before they're mailed out. Because they are older I don't have any card details for them, sorry.

Christmas Cards - Inside

Here are the insides of 3 cards that I made and posted below. I have finally finished them completely and wanted to post what I did. The top one is the largest card I made (wreath on the door), and was a little harder to fill such a big space. The card was made with an 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of cardstock.

Pointsettia or a Wreath?

Pointsettia or Wreath? Large card or small? Some of the choices we face while making Christmas cards...I chose both! The wreath card was cased from the talented ladies at SCS. I just loved this idea and had to try it. I decided to go with a large card for this one (5.5"x8.5"). The pointsettia card is my own creation and is a smaller card (4.25"x5.5"). As you know, I love red and white on a Christmas card, and the new SU EB folder is just perfect for that!

Card Details
Wreath: Stamp - unknown (I think it's Inkadinkado, but not sure as I borrowed it.); Punches - MS leaf, Marvy (circles); CS - Recollections, green scraps unknown; Ribbon - Ruban; Ink - Ranger Walnut Distress, Memories Black Dye; Bling - Dollar Store.
Pointsettia: Stamps - The Artful Stamper (pointsettia), Inkadinkado (sentiment); CS - Bazill, Recollections; Ink - Versamark, Memories Dye; Ranger EB Powder; EB folder - SU; CM Stencil for EB edge; Platinum Stickles.

Simple Christmas Cards

Here are some more simple Christmas cards I've made recently. I've been really enjoying keeping them clean and simple this year, not sure if it's because I've been so busy or if it's because I like the look so much. Either way, I've been pretty happy with how they've been turning out.

I've been waiting to post my favourite cards last so stay tuned! Also, I will be getting together with friends on Friday and making some more so there will still be more Christmas cards on the way.

Card Details
Snowman: Stamps - Inkadinkado, All Night Media; CS - unknown, Recollections, Colourbox ink, Versamark ink, and Ranger silver EB powder; Punch - unknown; Diamond Stickles; CB swiss dots folder and slide die cut.

Christmas Tag: Stamp - Heidi Grace, CS & PP - ATD Momenta; Tag Punch - unknown; Fiskars Threading Water Punch; Memories Dye black ink, Colourbox Ink - red and green; Ribbon - Ruban.

Stamping 411 Sketch Challenge 128

I've already posted several below using a similar sketch as this one at Stamping 411, but here is one more. I just love red and white on Christmas cards! Of course I like red and green too! TFL
Card Details: SU - Patterned Pines stamp and Pointsettia EB folder; Ranger Seafoam White EB powder and Versamark ink; Recollections CS; Bling and punch unknown.

Oh Christmas Tree

I found this tree stamp at Michael's in the $1.50 bin! The sentiment came from the same bin last year. Gotta love a good deal! So this is my first card with the tree stamp. The holly are my own stamped embellishments. I'm really into the clean and simple look this year for cards.

One of my favourite tips I once learned is to take a silver (or you can use gold too) metalic broad tip marker, use an exacto knife and cut a small slit in the middle of the broad tip, and slide it along the edge of your cs for a nice silver edge! It comes out straight and even, and looks like another layer without having to mat it.

Card Details: Stamps - Recollections (tree), Studio G (sentiment), Heidi Grace (holly); Pilot silver metalic marker; Bling - Hero Arts; Candy Cane Stickles; Diamond dust Gelly Roll pen; Ink - Colourbox (pheasant gold), Versa Colour (Bark), Memories black Dye, Versamark; and Ranger silver EB powder.

Another Christmas Card

Here is a winter scene I made with my new SU Lovely as a Tree stamp. I frosted the ground and tree branches with Diamond Stickles to give it the look of snow, and sponged on a grey/blue winter sky behind the trees. Sentiment is embossed in silver.

Card Details: Stamps - SU, All Night Media; Memories Dye Ink, Versamark, Colourbox; Ranger silver embossing powder; CS - Recollections; Diamond Stickles.

Finally! Time to Post Christmas Cards (365 Cards Day 275)

I have been sooo busy lately it's been unbelievable! However, I have managed to squeeeeeze in some time to work on Christmas cards. I just haven't been able to get the chance to take pictures and post them until today. I'm going to post a few a day for the next little while as I finally have them all ready to be posted, I just don't want to do it all at once. I need to give you a reason to keep visiting me here!

These 3 cards are all fitting for today's challenge at 365 Cards. The 'Tis The Season challenge calls for using lots of red and green on your cards. They are my favourite colours to use on Christmas cards - I'm a traditionalist as you will see!

I made my own embellishments using a couple of different holly stamps and a flower punch. I punched out the star shaped flower in red and green, and pieced it together to make my own pointsettias. The holly stamps were embossed in gold, cut out and popped off the page with 3D foam tape. TFL!

Card Details
Top: Stamps - SU Patterned Pines, All Night Media (Sentiment); Ink - Versamark; Ranger Seafoam White EB Powder; CS - Recollections; Ribbon - Ruban "Berry Christmas"; Popped with 3D tape.

Middle: Stamps - SU (Lovely As a Tree), All Night Media (Sentiment), Whispers (holly berries);
Ink - Versamark and Colourbox; Ranger Gold EB Powder; Stickles -Candy Cane, Diamond; CS - Recollections, Unknown.

Bottom: Stamps - Inkadinkado (snowman), Heidi Grace (holly); Ink - Memories Dye Black, Versamark; Ranger Gold EB Powder; Stickles - Candy Cane, Platinum; CS - Recollections; Punch - McGill (Petite Petals); CB Swiss Dots Folder.

The Baby Card

This is the baby card I made to go with the gift for my niece's baby shower. I used a Fiskar's border punch to make the fancy square. It is popped off the page with 3-D 2 sided tape. I stamped the rattle (using a dollar store stamp), cut it out, then added glitter and a bow to make my own embellishment. I will try to add the card details tomorrow if I can find the time.

Why I've Been So Busy, Busy, Busy!

My niece is expecting a baby girl (her first) in February, and several of us got together and threw a big (and I mean BIG!) shower for her inviting all sides of her family. A total of 75 women attended! I made several craft items for the shower beginning with the invitations.

I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the talented ladies at Splitcoast for their wonderful inspiring ideas. I couldn't have done it without them! The invitation, favour, and thankyou card ideas all came from the Splitcoast gallery.

Can you see why I haven't had time to post anything for a long time?

The Invitation!

All 75 invitations!

The Favour
The favour, showing what I put inside.

75 Favours!

Thankyou card.75 Thankyou cards.

Table card I made explaining information about a couple of the games.

All 9 table cards.

Advice card I made for a special album. We also used it to draw for door prizes.
All 75 advice cards.

Helpful Hints album.
I bought a cheap photo album in the dollar store and exchanged the covers for ones that I made. This is the front cover and is computer generated.

Back cover of Helpful Hints album. Also computer generated.

365 Cards - Day 231 Imagine This: The Sky

Day 231 challenge at 365 Cards calls for a card using the sky for inspiration. I needed a sympathy card for a friend who lost her father suddenly, so decided to use this challenge for my inspiration. The card LO came from Lynn Hadley, my SU Demonstrator. I cased one of her LOs because it was perfect for what I had in mind. I stamped the flowers and sentiment with Versamark and embossed with white powder. Then I sponged on 3 or 4 different colours of blue ink.

Card Details: CS - K&Company, Bazill, Recollections and SU Glossy CS; Stamps - Artemio, Heidi Grace Greetings; Ink - Versamark, Colorbox, MS; Ranger White EB Powder; Ribbon - Dollar store.

"Take a Bow"

Create a ***NEW*** card using ribbon in a wonderful way! This is the challenge at Caardvarks where the sponsor this week is May Arts. I used 4 different kinds of ribbon on this card. Each flower was done using ribbon in a different way. Of course I had to add ribbon with a slide as well!

Card Details: CS - White (Recollections), Yellow & Green (Bazill), Stripes (unknown); Ribbon - Whites (Ruban), Pinks (unknown); Pearls - Recollections; Buttons - unknown; CB die cut & swiss dots EB folder; MS leaf punch; Ink - Pamass.

Thanksgiving

I have just a moment between turkey bastings to make a quick post, so I want to wish a Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian supporters! We have my Dad and step-mother, as well as my DH's parents coming for supper tonight. My DH has gotten very energetic and made a squash soup and pumpkin chessecake to go with my turkey dinner. I made fresh dinner rolls yesterday as well. Am I making you hungry yet? I'm getting hungry just thinking of it! The turkey smells soooo yummy!

I feel very blessed, and have so much to be thankful for. I hope you do too! Have a very Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Blessings,
Dorie Ellen

Happy 90th Birthday

Grammie Hanson is 90! My friend asked me to make this card for her grandmother who is celebrating her 90th birthday today. She has a very weak heart and lately has had lots of health issues as a result. She's been in the hospital for a bit, and last week wasn't expected to live more than a couple of days, let alone make it to her 90th! Turns out she is a fighter and much stronger than expected because she has had a couple of good days, and today the family celebrates not only Thanksgiving, but her birthday. Now that is something to be thankful for!
God sure is good.

The stamp and background were coloured by sponging on ink. I stamped oak leaves to create my own pp. The sentiment was computer generated. TFL

Card Details: CS - Recollections, SU Glossy; Inks - Colorbox; Stamps - SU (Lovely As A Tree); Ribbon - Ruban; Eyelets - Dollar store; Sentiment - Computer generated.

25th Wedding Anniversary

3 days after my husband's parents celebrated their 50th anniversary, his sister and her husband celebrated their 25th! I made this card for them. This was a new type of fold for me that I wanted to try. I attached the smaller, folded card to a larger base to make it a bigger card to give. I used lots of embossing and vellum on this card. I really like the look of vellum, don't you?

Card Details: Vellum - White Floral by Colorbok, plain - unknown; CS - Bazill shiny gray, gray metalic & pearl white - unknown; Metal frame & bling - dollar store; Punches - MS (leaf), Marvy Uchida (flower); Stamps - Craft (numbers), All Night Media (Happy Anniversary); Ink - Versamark; Silver EB Powder - Wal-Mart.

50th Wedding Anniversary Card

My in-laws celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Saturday! Woot, woot!! We had an awesome celebration with 85 relatives and friends. I really think 50 years together is something definitely worth celebrating since we live in a society in which so many marriages end in divorce. They have a strong faith in God which got them through the rough patches and helped them reach this milestone. There's nothing better than leaning on the solid rock of Christ!

Anywhoo, this is the card that I made them. I did alot of gold embossing for this one! The base is shiny gold and the pp has raised shiny gold dots too. I also layered two different gold ribbons, one sheer and the other glittery. I stamped the envelope to match.

Card Details: Stamps - All Night Media (Happy Anniversary), Craft - (#50), Artemio - (roses & leaves); Spellbinders Nesties - Label 1; Bazill - shiny gold CS, Pearl CS - unknown; The Paper Company - white with gold dots; Metal frame and ribbon - dollar store.

Christmas Card

I started making this card for the MMSC19, but as usual, never got the time to finish it until now. I didn't add any embellishments like the sketch required, because I liked this card just the way it was.

Card Details: CS - Recollections (red, green, white), Crafty Bitz (green embossed), K&Company (red pp); Stamp - Inkadinkado; Ink - Memories Black Dye; Nesties Ovals; Image was coloured with pencil crayons.

Stampin Up Workshop

I have been wanting to learn more about Stampin Up so I recently held a workshop in my home. The workshop leader(Lyn Hadley) made the Halloween card with the candy in it and then gave it to me. The rest of the cards were made by me, but were her designs. The spider envelope has 3 Rockets candies in it. We had lots of fun and I enjoyed learning some new techniques to add to my repertoire!

**All items are Stampin Up.