Midwinter day

This was a good weekend to get outdoors with the bright sunlight keeping temperatures right at the freezing mark - but it can't last.  Tonight is supposed to be cold again and there is a Nor'easter in the forecast which could bring lots of snow on Tuesday.  For the moment though I am warm and snug and able to get a little post in before bed.

My inspiration for this card came from the Muse Challenge 101 and Freshly Made Sketches 170. I hope to enter my card in both challenges.  In the picture it looks a little lopsided, but that is my picture taking skills (or lack of).

I tried sponging blue ink for a background but it didn't do it for me, so I added blue Faber-Castell Metallic Gel Stick over all.  Although this picture doesn't show it, the gel stick leaves a nice shine to the blue.  That is the Memory Box Honeyblossum Sprig embellished with some sparkly gems and a bit of white ribbon.

I hope you are keeping safe and healthy.
Thank you for stopping to read my blog.

Chloe Hugs

Many years ago when I started stamping, I had a habit of leaving new stamps on my desk until I used them at least once.  Now they have graduated to a box on the floor waiting for their first ink.  What to use first..... Do the other dies feel sad because I picked this one?


Apologies for the poor scanning job on the picture.  I am rushing to post tonight to enter in the NBUS challenge at Darnell's website.  I used my never-been-used Sue Wilson die set from Creative Expressions and Chloe stamp from the Stacy Yacula collection at Purple Onion.  The paper I used and the embellishment in the flower were recent gifts (Lots of NBUS stuff with Christmas and my birthday only a day apart!)  Finally, this was my first try using Gamsol with colored pencils.  Not tremendously happy with my background, but it just means I have to practice!

A co-worker told me that his wife said today is National Hug Day.  I confirmed by the great Google tool that January 21 is indeed an annual holiday.  So hugs to all my readers! 

January 2015

I had every intention of updating my blog when I was on vacation in December, but that nasty bug that is going around attacked me. I never got around to photographing my Thanksgiving or Christmas cards to post.  I will post two cards today to start off the New Year right.

This is my first Valentine card this year.  I apologize that my pictures seem so dark. I am experimenting with different ways to take pictures since it is too cold and snowy to take them outdoors.

The dies used are Simon Says Stamp's Curvy Heart and Spellbinders' Curved Borders One.  Since all these dies are new to me, I am entering them in the Simon Wednesday Challenge. The LOVE stamp is a gift from a friend; the package says it is by the Little Yellow Bicycle.

I finished my eighty Christmas cards and got them in the mail in the knick of time.  I have a confession to make though: the last thirty were not hand-stamped.  I die-cut cards, received in previous years, and mounted them on pieces from my scrap box.  It was so much fun, using up all these bits and pieces, that I used the same technique for thank you cards and gift cards this year. 


Thank you for stopping by.

Holiday Home

At least some of the Cardologists have decided that this Holiday Home stamp set in the Stampin' Up holiday catalog ranks among their favorites.  Check out all the little stamps that come in this set sized to "fit" the houses. This cute Santa and reindeer have been appearing in front of the full moon all over blogland.  Tonight we made our version (or should I say versions?).

We all started by masking a moon shape and sponging ink on glossy paper, using four Marvy blues with a little Memento black to darken the corner.   While that dried, we stamped, colored and fussy cut the three houses.  The hard part was picking a card color; mine is cherry cobbler with a thin black mat. The streetlamp and tree were stamped directly on the card and a line added to ground them.  Then the houses were popped up on the panel.  We turned the streetlights "on" with our white pens and added a little bling (of course) on the Christmas lights and wreath.

I hear we might have a little snow in our day tomorrow.  Ho Ho Ho.  Susanne and Melba, we missed you tonight.  Hope you are feeling better soon.

Thanks for visiting.

Blog tag

Hello, friends,

This is going to be a long post today, because my stamper friend, Susanne, tagged me for the "getting to know you" blog tag and I can be rather longwinded sometimes.   I hope you visit Susanne's blog, Keep In Touch, and get to know her if you don't already. 


Susanne likes stars, I know, and random spots of color on her cards so in tribute I am starting with this card I made today.  The saying says that she is a friend that brightens any day and inspires me.

So let's get right into those pesky, thought-provoking questions.

1.  What creative projects are you currently working on?  It is my favorite time of the year - Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas are in close proximity - so I am working on holiday cards.  Ever since that day when my coworker, Lisa, introduced me to "the crazy ladies that spend all their money on stamps", I have focused on card-making.  All the other crafts I used to do - embroidery, macramé, crochet - have been shelved.

2.  What inspires your designs?  At first, I gravitated to stamping for the camaraderie, thinking I had no artistic ability.  There came a day when I confessed to our artist friend, Bonnie, that I didn't know what I was doing.  She kindly invited me over for some one-on-one time and showed me how to add dimension to a card.  I made the first card I actually liked that day, a Christmas card for my mom, and an addiction was born. 

I have six Cardologist friends who challenge me with their unique styles and keep me sane.  Now that I have an iPad, I also find inspiration from other talented people online. 


3.  What method/process do you apply to each of your creative projects and how long does each take to complete?  Once, in college, my artist roommate told me to just close my eyes and "see" what I wanted to draw.  I have to honestly say there are only rare occasions when an inspiration will just pop into my head like that.  More often, though, I start with one thought - use this paper, or that stamp - and try to grow an idea.  I like challenges that present a color scheme or a layout as a starting point.  I can still struggle for days with the details unless I give myself a deadline.


4.  If you had to describe your signature style, what would it be?  My sister, who is not a stamper, can usually tell which of my friends has made a card.  We each have our unique style, but describing it is hard.  if it helps, my friends call me the Engineer.  I fall somewhere between One Layer Simplicity (which is very difficult) and Lacy Victorian (too time consuming).  I like clean cards with dimension or movement. 


5. What are three crafting products/tools you can't live without?  Eeek, only three?!  I could say "my kit" that I take each week to stamp with the Cardologists but that would be cheating since it is full of essentials (not to mention it has grown to three heavy bags).  Seriously, I will not give up my Big Shot since it is a rare card that does not benefit in some way from die-cutting or embossing.  I also need my Scotch clear glue since it gives me a second to rethink my positioning.  And I love all my paper, getting great enjoyment from matching textures and colors.

And I am at the point now where I would pass the torch on to another blogger.  None of the Cardologists, with the exception of Susanne, who introduced me to blogland,  have blogs.  So first I give you a sampling of their styles. 

Being new to blogland, I do not know other bloggers well enough to tag them.  So I am going to give you links to sites that I find inspiring. Since there are quite a few, I picked sites with less than 300 followers.  I am hoping you will have time to visit them and say "hello" from me.

Angela, From the Tool Shed
Nikki, My Sandbox
Becky, Scrappin' and Stampin' in GJ
Janet, Swanlady Impressions

And now I am off to my sister's house for Sunday family dinner and a movie night.  If you read all this blog this end, I thank you for your kind attention. I hope to see you in blogland.