Top 10 Cards of 2011

Hi friends,
Last year I participated in a Top 10 cards of the year blog hop which was pretty fun :) My blog pal, Shelly, reminded me of it again having visited her blog. So I'm joining her again in this year's Top 10 cards Blog Hop hosted by Karin at "With an I for Paper"

Here are my Top 10 cards of 2011 (in no particular order):
 #1: Image from Sarah Kay

#2: Image from Designed 2 Delight

#3: Image from Digital Delights

#4: Image from Magnolia

#5: Image from Magnolia

#6: Image from Sarah Kay

#7: Pumpkin pop-up card using the Sizzix Ball die

#8: Image from Heartfelt Creations

#9: Dies from MFT

#10: Dies from Heartfelt Creations

It's fun to look back at past creations :) Now it's time to bring on the new & bring on the bubbly!!!
Wishing you lots of lovely crafternoons in the coming year :)

Hugs & as always,
Thanks for peeking!
Happy New Year!!!

Last but not Least

Hello friends,
Here are the last of my Christmas cards for this year! Yaaaay! I don't want to be a Grinch, but I am Christmased out :( When did it get this exhausting & stressful??? Ah well, maybe next year I won't wait 'til the last minute ;) ummm, yah right!  Hope you all had a wonderful time :)

I have three cards to share that I haven't delivered yet as they are going to friends I'll be seeing later this week.
Here's the first:

This is such a sweet Tilda :) She's water-colored with Distress Inks with warmer skin tones. I created a mantle to hang her from. The wreaths on either side of her were made with the Pine Branch punch (MS). I used the T!m Holtz Brick Embossing Folder for the fireplace background. The sentiment is heat embossed on a Spellbinder's Ribbon Banner die (luv that set :)

Here's card #2:

 Another sweet Tilda :) She's also colored with Distress Inks in lighter skin tones. (Don't worry, my Copics aren't going anywhere. I just wanted to mix it up a bit!) I luuuv the way Maggies look colored with Distress Inks so I had to give it a go.

 Here's a closer peek:

Distress Inks are a little more forgiving than Copics, me thinks :)

And card #3:

 This is a Christmas/New Year's card for my friend.

Here's a peek from above so you can see the dimension of those pine cones:

Those are T!m's. Well from his pine cone die as is the weathered clock. The birdhouse is from MFT which got a pass on the woodgrain texture plate (PTI). I added a bit of snow marker to it, the pine cones, and pine branches. I also made some berries with my red Viva pen.

So.... did you get what you wanted for Christmas? Well, I did not get my instant weight loss that I requested, but we did get a Keurig Coffee Maker for Christmas and I luuuuuv it! Where has it been all my life??!! But I think my fav gift was this:

Ahhhhh! It's a rhinestone studded, bring on the bling, Hello Kitty case for my iphone! I luuuv it! It's so sparkly & preeeetty! I guess I'll have to hit the treadmill to give myself the gift of weight loss :(  Darn that sweet tooth... and Grammy's super yummy tamales... and McDonald's Sweet Tea... and The Cheesecake Factory---> everything! (Their avocado egg rolls are a little piece of heaven, let me tell ya!)

I'm sending these cards to play along with these challenges:
Make it Monday: Anything Goes
Truly, Madly, Crafty Challenges: Christmas
Christmas Inspirations: New Years card (My card #3)
Magnolia Down Under: Colors- Red, Cream, Gold (Card #2)
Paper Sundaes: Celebrate
Hiding in my Craft Room: Embossing (card #1 dry & heat)
Mark's Finest Papers: Anything Goes
Secret Crafter: Anything Goes
Cooking it up with Katie: Anything Goes
Deconstructed Sketches: Sketch #32 (My Card #2)

Ok friends, that's about it for today.
Thanks so much for peeking!
Gotta Go!

Christmas 2011

Hi & Hello friends!
Popping in to wish you all a very Merry Christmas & Happiest of Holidays wherever you are in the world! Here's a little greeting card for ya :) & the gorgeous model you see is my brother's cat, Tiger. He enjoys dressing up for the holidays!
Feliz Navidad!

Create a picture slideshow

Card Rush

Hi ya friends,
Christmas day is a sleep away & I'm in a mad dash to complete the rest of my cards. I think I'll be ready though :) It's a good thing I hand deliver 99% of my cards! So today, I'm sharing some I got to complete yesterday.

Here's card #1: It's a Joy Fold Card

 You pop that top flap open & the lower panel flaps opens showing the sentiment. There's a space under the main image where you write your message.

(I think this card looks sooo much better in person :( don't know why the gold looks so weird.

#2: Tri-Shutter Card
Here it is closed:

& opened:

the 3rd is my CAS (as much as I can do it ;)

I made a few of these since they were pretty easy.
I'm heading back to the craft lab to complete my cards.
Thanks for peeking!
Gotta Go!

Patti's Poinsettias

Hi again friends,
Hope you are enjoying the holiday season & not letting the mayhem & foolishness stress you out.
Today, I've got a card inspired by my blog pal extraordinaire, Patti Lee. Not too long ago, she posted this BEAUTIFUL poinsettia tri-fold shutter card she created using the SCAL program to cut SVG files. I luuuuv making tri-fold shutter cards & had to make my own version. I also have the SCAL 2 on my computer, but I've never used it! Aaack, I know!!! But it won't be long let me tell ya, cuz Patti is killing me with all the AMAZING projects she's made with the SCAL using SVG files!
Here's my humble version inspired by the super talented Patti.

Here it is closed:

 I used the Layered Poinsettias stamp & dies from Heartfelt Creations...again ... for the 547th time ;)... (at least I got my money's worth for once!)

 Here it is opened:

The papers are BasicGrey. I also used the Petals-a-Plenty Embossing folder from SU.

Another peek:

I do luuuuv this card style. It looks complicated, but it's easy & it definitely gives a wow factor.

You can find the tute for this card style---> Here.
And if you've never stopped by my friend Patti's blog at Creations by Patti, first grab a super Venti cup of coffee cuz you'll be there for a while! Don't say I didn't warn ya! Hee Hee!

Stop the Madness! I went to Patti's blog to link it to this post & I saw she's referenced me in her project today! Wow! That was totally a coincidence! I guess great minds do think alike ;) Ha! Ha!

Thanks so much for peeking!
Gotta Go!

For the Teacher

Hi friends,
Today is my boys' last day of school before winter break. So just in the nick of time, I finished the gift for Jordan's teacher. He was no help in getting her gift going cuz when I asked him what his teacher liked, he said, "I don't know, she goes to Taco Bell a lot."  Ugh... Taco Bell does not do anything for my appetite or inspiration :( What to do??? Then I thought of just the thing... A Stationery Box!

Here's the box closed:

 
and the box open:

 I wanted to change some of the things that went in it (according to the tute) to things I would use. (I mean who really uses stamps nowadays? ;)
 
Here's how I loaded it up:
I started by making a set of 8 personalized cards (CAS).

Here are the cards & envelopes in the box:

Next, I added a matching notebook: For lists or keeping track of all those school passwords.

Then white-out for when it's almost perfect:

Then a few "thumbs-up" paper clips:

Then a doodle/scratch pad & a 2012 Mini-Calendar:

I added a strip of Scor-Tape to the top edge of the pad & the calendar to hold the sheets together.

 Then I rubbed a little baby powder to remove the stickiness to the edge.

All that was left was a personalized pen:

One other change I made was to adhere the side flaps down to create a more finished back of the box.
Here's what I did:

If you notice, the left edge of the box has a flap (as instructed in the tute) but I like the way the edge on the right looks. A bit more finished, me thinks :)

Here's the card:

 It's made with one of my all-time fav dies- the Sizzix gift card holder die. I luuuuuv this die- it just doesn't get easier :)
 Here are the innies:

I've included 2 gift cards: Target & Starbucks.

I hope she likes her goodies :) I sure do appreciate all of her patience & hard work with my kiddo.

You can find the tute to the Stationery Box ---> Here.

You can download the calendar I used if you'd like it too ---> Here
If you're looking for more Teacher Gift Ideas, you can click on the Teacher Appreciation link on my sidebar. Hope you find something to help you show your teacher some luuuuv ;)

Now it's a mad rush to finish more cards!
Gotta Go!

Christmas Center Step Card

Hi ya friends,
Sorry I have been away from the blogosphere lately :( I had the heinous flu & was in bed for 3 days :( Dang, & I had so many cards to make. Well, today I felt well enough to get up (although not 100% yet), cuz I had to get going on my Christmas cards. I don't know about you, but if I send ANY of my family or friends store bought cards,  I get an all-expense paid GUILT trip! And if I send them a card with a simple stamped image & sentiment (one layer) they think I don't love them :( ugh... I just can't win. Anyhoo, I have one card I cranked out today. I mean cranked out because it took me less time to make this one than the CAS (Clean & Simple) card pack I made for my son's teacher. (Well, you'll see her gift once I'm all done with it :)
Here's my card:

Does it look like a hot mess??? Too much? Well, I wanted to try a card type I've never made before so I went with the Center Step card. It's pretty simple & fun to make :)

Here's a side peek:

I used the Book Frame 1 stamp set from Heartfelt Creations along with the coordinating die. The swirls are from the Bella Rose die collection from HC as well as the Layered Poinsettia dies. The sentiment is stamped on Fancy Tags 2 die collection from Spellbinders.

Although there's lots going on, it does close down flat:

This Center Step card is an A2 size... well WAS an A2 size before I swirled it up! Hee Hee! You can find the tute for this card style---> Here.

Thanks so much for peeking today!
Off to craft some more :)