Friday, December 31, 2021

Favorites of 2021

For the past few years I've put together my Favorites post where I choose my personal favorite card of each month of the year and repost those here on my blog on (or very close to) December 31st. I hope you like re-visiting these with me.

January




March



April


May



June



July



August



September



October



November



December


Thanks for stopping by my blog today! 
I'll see you again next year.

Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Mission Possible 12.29.2021

It's time for the last Mission Impossible Possible card of 2021. Not sure what that is? It's a series that Kelly, Barb and I have been doing since March of last year. We take turns choosing an "item" and sending it to the other two with instructions similar to what I sent to them this time (it's my turn to choose the item)...

Good Day, Ms. Card-Maker. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, involves the use of this starry stencil. As in the past, you'll be working alongside the same two team members. Should you choose to accept the mission, a date will need to  be secured among the three of you to create a card using the enclosed stencil and post a picture of your card somewhere in a public forum (blog, gallery, FB, Instagram, or such).

This message will not self-destruct in five seconds, since I have no ability to do that and besides, you might need to refer to it again at some point.

Good day, Ms. Card-Maker... and Good Luck!

The stencil I chose is the Star Bright from Spellbinders. I paired it with a sentiment from Art Impressions on my card.



Be sure to head over to Kelly's blog and Barb's blog to see their cards, too. 

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Mission Possible Item: Spellbinders Star Bright Stencil (I used Lawn Fawn Lemonade and Sunflower Inks and a blending brush)

Stamp: Art Impressions Reach for the Stars stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with one Copic Marker

Papers: Neenah 110# Solar White and SU Pineapple Punch CS and a Specialty Paper from my scrap file

Dies: MFT Stitched Rectangles and MFT Stitched Rounded Rectangles

Embellishments: Recollections Rhinestones

Tuesday, December 28, 2021

Thanks for Being There for Me

One of my favorite challenge groups is the Challenge Your Stash group on SCS, under the capable and organized leadership of my friend Barb. The idea is we can't shop for anything when making our monthly challenge card (which we post on the 28th of each month). 

We take turns choosing the theme. This month it was Lisa's turn. Since this is National Write a Friend Month she challenged us to make a card that can easily be used to write a note to a friend.

Most of my cards would fit this description since I usually decorate the inside with a tad bit of designer paper or such but leave it mostly blank with plenty of room for sending a note to the recipient.

For my card I used a sweet stamp set from My Favorite Things called Soft Spot Friends.



I hope Lisa, Barb and the other Challenge Your Stash gals like my card.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Stamp/Die Set: MFT Soft Spot Friends stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Papers: FSJ Oatmeal Cookie and Neenah 110# Solar White CS and DP from my scrap file

Dies: MFT Stitched Rectangle, and SU Scalloped Contours

Embellishment: SU Ribbon

Monday, December 27, 2021

Sending Smiles

I've been a member of the Technique Tuesday Greenhouse Society for a long time now... receiving the club flower stamp set each month. I hoarded them for a while, then started a series on my blog, committing to using them. 

I thoroughly enjoy this series because flowers are my favorite thing to color. 

This month's Greenhouse Society stamp set is Hellebore.



Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Stamp Set
: Technique Tuesday Hellebore stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers 

Papers: Neenah 110# White and SU Garden Green CS and DP from my scrap file

Stencil/Ink: Miss Ink Stamps In & Outs Hollywood Stencil and Lawn Fawn Butter Ink

Dies/Punch: MFT Stitched Rectangles Dies and SU Large Oval Punch

Embellishments: Your Next Stamp Gum Drops

Sunday, December 26, 2021

Lawn Fawn Giving Tuesday Grab Bag

I received an email from Lawn Fawn on November 30th that was just too important to ignore. It encouraged me (and everyone else who received the email) to be a part of Giving Tuesday by purchasing a grab bag. Lawn Fawn was going to donate all of the profits from the sell of these grab bags to METAvivor, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing support for women and men with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) and funding research to transition MBC from a terminal illness to a controlled chronic condition.

Yes, of course I wanted a grab bag!

Truthfully I didn't expect much, but it was for a good cause so I focused on that. I can truthfully say I was pleasantly surprised when the package arrived in the mail.



It contained a stamp/die set as well as another stamp, a set of dies, glue, twine, designer paper, notebooks, and an enamel pen.

Here's a card I made using several items from the grab bag...



Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Lawn Fawn Giving Tuesday Grab Bag: Germ Free Bear stamp/die set, Made with Love stamp, Designer Paper, and Dies

Papers: Neenah 110# Solar White, Recollections Black and Kraft, and SU Balmy Blue CS

Dies: MFT Stitched Rectangle, Paper Roses Hello Chunky Double Layered, and Paper Roses Stitched Circles

Embellishment: Heart Brad from an unknown vendor

Saturday, December 25, 2021

Love Was Born in a Manger

Merry Christmas! I hope you are all enjoying the blessings of the season!

My husband is what is called an Association Mission Strategist. Ours is an association of 25 churches, each one autonomous. As an association, the churches unite for training, ministry, and more. My husband's job in part is to help oversee that. 

At Christmastime we always send a handmade (by me) and poem (written by my husband) to each ministry family in our association. As is my norm, I'm sharing the card I made for them here on my blog on Christmas Day.

You can see my previous five cards via these links if you're interested...


Here is this year's card:



I included a sentiment on the inside:


Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Stamps
: Sweet N Sassy O Holy Night and Honey Bee Christ Is Born stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink

Papers: Neenah 110# Solar White and SU Gray Granite CS, Paper Studio Small Cosmic Sky DP and other papers from unknown vendors

Dies/Punch: MFT Fishtail Flag, Label, Stitched Rectangle, and Stitched Tall Rectangle Dies and SU Heart Punch

Embellishment: SU Resin Heart



Friday, December 24, 2021

Blue Knight - Dad & I

Fridays are special days - who doesn't love TGIF, right? But here on my blog Fridays are also special because they are the day I get to post as a design team member for Blue Knight Rubber Stamps.

I used the new Dad & I stamp set today.

You can check out the stamp set in the Blue Knight Rubber Stamps store - HERE.

Card #1


For this card I colored the scene with Copic markers and added a sentiment from the Blue Knight Rubber Stamps Chickadee on a Fence Post stamp set.


Card #2

For this card I used the spotlight technique by stamping the image twice for this card. I colored a portion of one of the stamped images and then used a die to cut it out and add it to the uncolored piece, taking care to line it up perfect.y.


I think it's amazing to see how one stamp looks so different depending on how it's used. 

* * * * * 

You can find each of today's featured stamps HERE, at the Blue Knight Rubber Stamps web store.

And... don't forget to join us at the Fan Group and YouTube Channel:
Fans of Blue Knight Rubber Stamps (Facebook group) is HERE
and the Blue Knight Rubber Stamps YouTube Channel is HERE

Jeanette Cloyd, Design Team Member

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Thursday, December 23, 2021

I Love Surprises

Not long ago I received a fabulous surprise in my mailbox. At first glance it was a red A2 sized envelope so I suspected a handmade Christmas card from a friend. That would have been VERY NICE! I've received several of those this year and treasure each one! At closer inspection, this envelope was from Altenew. Hmmmm... what could be inside?


An exclusive stamp set!

I love Altenew - especially their floral stamp sets - so of course I was delighted to receive this token of their appreciation for my support during the past year. Now, lest you think they chose me exclusively (or even amongst a small number) let me encourage you to search #AltenewLove on social media and you will quickly discover that Altenew gifted a lot of us with this sweet stamp set. 



Thank you, Altenew!!!



Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Stamp Set: Altenew Mini Hibiscus Tea stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Papers: Neenah 110# Solar White, Recollections Black, and SU Cameo Coral CS and DP from my scrap file

Dies: MFT Stitched Rectangle

Embellishment: Seam Binding from an unknown vendor

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Double Duty - Whipper Snapper

Barb, Kelly and I have a few different challenge/series going on each month. You're probably familiar with at least some of them - Three Musketeers, Ready Set Go!, Stamp What, Hot Mess Success... and on the 22nd of each month, the Double Duty series. This one was Barb's idea - and it is a lot of fun! A few months ago Barb invited another friend - Carol - to join us in this adventure.

Each month we each choose one stamp set from a pre-determined stamp company and make two cards using it. At least one thing has to be seen on both cards (color, embellishment, stamp, etc.). We post on a double-digit day each month, too - the 22nd. Today is the day!

This month's company is Whipper Snapper Designs. This is so cool because Barb actually lives very close to the home store of Whipper Snapper Designs - Creative Pals. It is an amazing store with tons of stamps, papers, samples, and more. Yes, I've been there more than once and always manage to leave some money there when I leave. 

I chose to use a cute snowman stamp called Kizzy for my Double Duty cards.


Card #1





Card #2




In addition to using the same stamp, I used the same embellishments on both cards - ribbon and a snowflake brad. used the same color scheme on both cards as well as some of the same papers. The embellishments and dies are the same, too... so lots of similarities.

Be sure to check out Barb's blogKelly's blog, and Carol's blog to see their Double Duty posts, too.

This series will continue in 2022, but with some changes of who is participating - and of course some different stamp companies as well as some stamp companies returning for another year.

Thank you for stopping by my blog today!

Stamp: Whipper Snapper Kizzy stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers 

Papers: Neenah 110# White and SU Blueberry Bushel and Pale Plum CS and DP from my scrap file

Dies: MFT Stitched Mod Rectangle, MFT Stitched Rectangle, and Paper Roses Stitched Circles 

Embellishment: Ribbon and Snowflake Brads from unknown vendors