Merry Christmas - A Wintery Christmas

We find ourselves having another year coming to a close and the great joy of celebrating our Savior's birth.  I'm sharing this card through a scheduled post as we are heading up to Christmas breakfast with my husband's family.  This is such a rich tradition, it makes me sentimental.  My SIL has hosted for the better part of all 26 years of my marriage.  She and her husband have both retired and they built a cabin in the woods in Northeastern Arizona.  I figured this card captured some of my melancholy and joy at their good fortune to enjoy Christmases in retirement where there is snow.

Hoping your Christmas celebrations (if you make them!) are joy filled and rich with love and laughter.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Themed Gift Card Holders

I had the need for a couple of gift card holders here at the last minute for Christmas and Birthday gifts.  What easier to use than my Spellbinders April 2019 Large Die of the Month?  I cut the pieces from kraft cardstock and then stamped with my Concord and 9th Plaid background stamp using WPlus9 Warm Wool ink.  Perfectly matched, this created a backdrop for my Spellbinders Poinsettia die cut flowers and Magnolia Doohickies die cut poinsettia leaves.  The flowers were splattered with white gouache and centers made with Art Glitter's Earth Elements.  My favorite way to make a poinsettia. 

I think these turned out perfect and were easily made in a couple of hours of die cutting and arranging.  I'm almost ready for Christmas.  Hoping your celebrations are almost ready too.

Adorable Pet Get Well Cards

These adorable cards were made using some patterned paper and colored images stamped using the WPlus9 Get Well Gang stamp set which were then fussy cut and used on these cards.  The red in the background, the soft, rounded white hearts, the sentiment - everything about these cards is the most adorable.

So adorable and a perfect fit for the card drive.  Congrats on Brandy's hard work - in total 24 different cards were sent to the card drive.

Andie for 

More of the Pet Get Well Cards By Brandy

Today I'm sharing a few more of the cards created by Brandy for the charity card drive.  I think these cards are so delightful - the die cut cats are fun and playful - the inking on the edges is a perfect accent.

So much fun and yet, such a simple design.  Brandy made 24 different cards for the card drive and so I'll be back again in a day or so with the last of the cards made.

Andie

Warmest Wishes!

Dearest daughter Katie's Christmas cardmaking was inspiring.  I joined her while she was coloring images and colored a few of my own... after a tutorial on the real coloring of dwarf hamsters.  It took me a bit to get my cards put together and so I'm sharing today.

I ink blended Distress Oxide for the background and used a rectangle die to create a frame to go with my snowy hillsides.  These adorable little hamsters look like they are having a ton of fun!

I've brought out my Advent wreath again this year and we light it each night, listening to John Piper reading a devotional.  I can't even explain and/or accurately describe how very happy all this makes me. Truly joy-filled as we anticipate the coming of our savior king Jesus. 

Wishing you light shining out into the darkness this Christmas season!

Making Cards for a Card Drive

Brandy has been prolifically making cards for a card drive meant to help a volunteer who sends cards to people who lose their pets and/or have undergone serious health issues.  This is such a sweet charity and Brandy ultimately made 24 cards in all to send to her card drive.  I'll be sharing more of her creations thoughout the weekend as I edit and post the cards she made.

This first card was made using a full plate background die which was then ink blended.  So pretty and the rainbow is cheery without being bubbly... just the right sentiment for the occasion.

These two cards were made using die cuts from the Cricut onto some patterned paper.  So rustic and definitely masculine for a larger male dog.  Apparently, they were bigger than Brandy intended, but I think they are perfect for the occasion.

So fun to create and support a wonderful charity.  More to come.

Andie for 

Merry *Little Dwarf Hamster* Christmas

My daughter was able to be home the entire Thanksgiving weekend.  This was such a blessing for our family as it was also her 21st birthday on Thanksgiving.  I cannot believe it has been so long, but I'm so very grateful for the young lady she has become.  When I saw the Waffle Flower Winter Hamsters stamp and die set, I asked her if she would want to make some Christmas cards.  She enthusiastically said yes. 

Jknaps in his home, looking at Katie with love

Katie's very first pet was a dwarf hamster named Jknaps.  At first, I wasn't quiet sure - he was skittish and nocturnal and you couldn't hold him.  Now, he's her wee beastie and I adore him - frequently asking Katie to say hi! (she's away at college and he visits us for long weekends like last weekend). 

We fashioned this set of cards after the example on the Waffle Flower website, using the ATC card die set to cut the tag and stamping and coloring the hamsters onto Bristol cardstock with Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers.  This is Katie's first try at coloring with the Zigs and I think she got it right - with a little coaching from mom.  A white gel pen was an easy border for the cards - Katie needed them to be simple so she could squeeze in the making around all the birthday celebrations this weekend.

All in all a lovely set of cards - something she can be proud of.  I couldn't have enjoyed her visit more and am delighted to have shared my hobby with her.

Andie for Katie

More Thank You Cards

I had some leftover pieces on the workbench from my Thank You cards and thought they shouldn't go to waste - how many times do I scoop these pieces up and put them in the stash for "another day" only for them to stay in the pile for months (or years!) and then be thrown out.  These cards were quick to go together from white cardstock which I Distress Oxide Ink blended.  Totally worth the time and effort.  I like these as well as the others, though they were my first inspiration.

A few more cards to use and/or keep in the stash.