Silent Night "Dutch Door" Card

Hi y'all!  It has been a really busy week here, with chorale dress rehearsal and then two concerts over the weekend.  Between all of that I have been working on Christmas spinning and knitting.  I've finished Mila's hat and have about half of James' done too.  Looks like I'm gonna need to spin a little more green yarn before I can knit his green and white stripes.  I'm really getting impatient to get them finished, and when they're done I'll mail them so that they can open them early and get some good wear from them this winter.  

I had seen variations of these (what I'll call a sort of Dutch Door card) on Pinterest, and since then the idea for this card has been kinda simmering in the background.   I had made a vertical half-front card about a month ago, so it was only logical to make a horizontal one too.  I just had to find the right stamps and dies, and I think these are perfect for it!      

I used the trees die from our Country Church stamp/die set to die cut the trees from the card front, and used scissors to snip the rest of the card front away.  Diluted white acrylic paint scraped along the edges of the card stock and tree branches give the illusion of accumulated snow.  

The star was stamped with Memento ink, colored with Copic markers, given glittering accents with a clear Wink of Stella glitter marker and a sparkling jewel center.  

The starry night background is a combination of translucent distress inks in a variety of colors including pale green, light blue, dark blue and black.  The sentiments were stamped with silver Delicata ink.  

Finally everything was given a liberal "snowing" of diluted white acrylic paint and silver ink.  I love how soft and fluffy some of those snow flakes turned out to be!  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Merry Christmas Bundle
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Country Church
• Delicata Non-Tarnishing Ink Pad - Silvery Shimmer
• Memento Full Size Dye Ink Pad - Tuxedo Black
• Gem
• various distress inks 
• Copic markers
• clear wink of Stella glitter marker
• diluted white acrylic paint and silver ink for "snow"

A Christmas Cardinal

Hello friends!

On Mondays I facilitate a ukulele group at Shepherd Center and this week, in the adjacent classroom the flower arranging class had beautiful red faux cardinals to include in their floral arrangements. They were SO pretty.  When I sat at my desk to create this week's project, they inspired me!  

I love the symbolism of the cardinal.  They're often associated with messages of love and hope, of remembrance of a loved one who has passed on, or the presence of angels.  Some say that the red signifies the blood of Christ and that cardinals are a sign of divine intervention.      

I combined our Vintage Christmas background stamp with one of our older sets, God Will Take Care of You, to create this project.  The background stamp and the branch were stamped onto some pale grey card stock, colored with Copic markers, die-cut, distressed and heavily inked with tea dye distress ink.

For the inside I stamped the bird and branch directly onto a piece of designer paper that had enough of a design to be interesting when viewed through the card front but was not so busy that it would detract from the stamping.  Here I added just a hint of black to the stamped image because I wanted the cardinals markings to be black rather than grey or brown.  Once again, the edges of the paper were inked and distressed, and the entire card front and back was generously splashed with diluted acrylic paint "snow."  (In all the years that we have lived in Florida it has only snowed once or twice, so here we are, "living vicariously!"  I'm not good at cold, so I'm ok with an only occasional experience of the real thing.)

There are other snowflakes in the store that one could use, but this little snowflake is a tiny little surprise that is not visible when the card is closed.  I added a bright red pearl to its center, but if you're mailing this card you could leave that off if you'd rather.  I kept the embellishments for this one really simple but if the recipient were a girlie girl, it could certainly be blinged and bowed up, especially if it could be hand-delivered!  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Vintage Christmas Background
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - God Will Take Care of You Bundle
• Craft Consortium Test of Time 6x6 (inside)
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Christmas Stockings & Mittens (snowflake)
• May Arts 1/16" Jute Burlap Cord Sampler - 24 yards
• Kaisercraft Self-Adhesive Round Pearls - Red
• Memento ink
• tea dye distress ink
• Copic markers
• white acrylic paint "snow"

Hot tea and a good read! Well wishes for a sick friend!

Hi y'all!  Happy November!  Wow, time is absolutely flying by! Christmas is not far away!  If you're making cards and hand-made gifts, seriously, it is not that far off!  

And if you're here for the coffee lover's blog hop, a special welcome!

Illness seems to go hand-in-hand with this busy season.  My friend recently tested positive for Covid, so I decided to make a little tea-inspired "well wishes" tea bag/gift card holder for her.  The project has two criss-cross pockets that are perfect for filling with a folded tag, gift cards, tea bags, etc. 

While shuffling through stamp sets I discovered that the verse from one of our other sets would fit perfectly onto the front of this no nonsense mug, which is just the ticket for a not so frilly or frou frou friend.  This verse seems so appropriate for the circumstance, and I'm so grateful that the more recent versions of this virus seem to be less threatening than the original.  It was really scary at the beginning of the pandemic.  

Here is what it looks like from the back side.   

Ironically, the whole thing is tea-bag shaped when viewed from the side! *wink*

I included some soothing hot teas and a bookstore gift card for some sick bed entertainment.  Warm drinks help a sore throat, and curling up with a good book will help the down time seem to go by faster and maybe provide a mental/emotional escape!  I even stamped some eucalyptus silhouettes on the folded tag insert, because it's so often used for coughs and in breathing treatments.    

It would be really easy to convert this project to be coffee themed for a book-and-coffee-loving friend who is not confined to home!  

Making this project is actually pretty simple!  It is basically an 8.25 inch square of card stock scored at 2 3/4 from each long edge with the outside corners cut off (so it is shaped like a stop sign) and then the two outside middles are cut out.  Finally, the center/bottom is scored to fold in half and if desired, notched and tapered just a little so the corners don't show from the front when it's assembled.  

Even adding decorative papers is easy because they're just squares cut in half diagonally out of two-sided papers.  Easy-peasy!  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Coffee or Tea? Bundle
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Have a Cup on Us BUNDLE
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - He is the Light
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Eucalyptus Silhouettes
• Stamp Simply Paper Pads - Coffee or Tea 6x6
• Dotted ribbon
• Burlap string
• Dritz Cheesecloth - 36" x 3 yards

JOY of the Season

Are you one of those clever stampers who have been making Christmas cards all year long already?!  That is sometimes a challenge for me as I *really* need to be in the mood for Christmas stamping.  I am a "keep Christmas in your heart all year" kinda person (I keep up a small pencil tree all year!)  but still, for the most part I like celebrating each holiday one at a time and in the correct order!  Therefore, gearing up to stamp Christmas cards before it is even Halloween is something I find difficult but necessary!  Looking at this sunny photo might give you another inkling why stamping early for Christmas is challenging around here!

This warm plaid flannel print goes a long way toward establishing the right ambiance for Christmas stamping, especially for a masculine card using vintage imagery!  I decided to keep things really simple, using a unique fold and only a very few embellishments.  In fact, without the bow and pearls, this card would be a perfectly flat card that would be excellent for mailing without having to be hand-cancelled.    

Instructions for the fold:

• cut 9 x 5.5 inch card stock, score at 3 and 6, and adhere designer papers if desired
• cut 3 x 9 inch piece also score at 3 and 6; stamp or adhere images/sentiments
• fold all, align and adhere to make 4.25 inch wide x 5.5 inch tall card (be sure to only glue half of the front and back panels to accommodate the overhangs!)
• embellish as desired 

I chose to use a couple of die-cut shapes to embellish the center panel.  The stamped image and sentiment are both from the same stamp set.    

I distress inked and then spattered the entire card and tri-fold panel with "snow" (diluted acrylic paint or Snow Tex, etc). 

Super easy and fun and a great way to use up some smaller than standard card sized scraps!  And it makes me think of my dad and my brothers, especially my brother Jerry!  ❤️

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Vintage Christmas Images
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Farmhouse Pierced Nested Hearts
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Christmas Stockings & Mittens (snowflake)
• Craft Consortium Tartan Plaid 6x6
• Sizzix Thinlits Dies by Tim Holtz - Holiday Greens Mini
• Kaisercraft Self-Adhesive Round Pearls - Red
• Kaisercraft Self-Adhesive Round Pearls - Latte
• May Arts 1/16" Jute Burlap Cord Sampler - 24 yards
• Copic markers
• tea dye distress ink
• white acrylic paint for snow/spatters

Thanking God for you! (so many linemen to the rescue!)

 

Hi everyone!  Thanks for visiting!  

People in Florida and North Carolina are still reeling from the damage done by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.  At the time of this writing, in Florida alone there are still over 100,000 people without power.    

For many, power loss after a hurricane is a hot, muggy, uncomfortable inconvenience, but the closer one lives toward the eye of the storm, having power to begin clean-up, restoration and reconstruction is really critical.  

Seeing linemen in their trucks driving from near and far across the country ahead of the storm so that they can be immediately deployed to those critical areas is one of those things that restores one's faith in humanity!  What a sweet sight for sore eyes!      

Those linemen...over 50,000 of them...have been faithfully working so diligently in not just un-fun but very dangerous conditions to restore Florida's electricity, and we all want them to know how much they are appreciated! So my card for today uses designer papers that establish that "soggy sheetrock" and "missing dock" atmosphere along with a power pole fashioned of card stock and twine.  

The sentiments are from one of our pastor/ministry appreciation sets, but as you can see, this set could work in many situations beyond the traditional interpretation of church ministry.  

I really hope those guys know how grateful we are!  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Pastor & Ministry Appreciation Gree...
• Craft Consortium Test of Time 6x6
• Craft Consortium Beach Hut 6x6
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Fishtail Sentiment Banners
• Memento Full Size Dye Ink Pad - Espresso Truffle
• Memento Full Size Dye Ink Pad - Tuxedo Black
• burlap string
• tea dye distress ink
• small hole punch

You rule over the surging sea!

Hello everyone!

Here in Florida, hurricanes have dominated much of everyday life for the last week or two!  First Helene and now Milton.  So when it was time to stamp, I was thinking of the developing storm, the turbulent ocean, and so many of my fellow Floridians storm prepping, putting up storm shutters, gathering the supplies they will need as they "hunker down!"  Food, water, wine, flashlights, batteries and chargers, power failure entertainment, etc.  So here's the card I came up with, because I am praying that He will indeed still the storm (lessen the wind speed, the rain, and the surge)!

This is just a standard top-folding card with a portion of the card front cut away so that the papers on the inside can show through.   LOVE Love love the new paper pad from Craft Consortium and how it works so well with their earlier designs.  Here it is paired with Beach Hut.   

Here's the inside with the half-front flipped out of the way to reveal the scripture inside.  I love these passages of scripture and added the background stamp with a verse from Psalms which is along the same theme.  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - He Stilled the Storm
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - He is the Light Bundle
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Background Stamp 1 
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Standard Circles SM
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Standard Circles LG
• Craft Consortium Test of Time 6x6
• Craft Consortium Beach Hut 6x6
• May Arts 1" Grosgrain w/Satin Edge - 30 Yard Spool - Turquoise
• May Arts 1/16" Jute Burlap Cord Sampler - 24 yards (I used cotton cording)
• Memento Full Size Dye Ink Pad - Espresso Truffle
• Kaisercraft Self-Adhesive Round Pearls - Latte
• Copic markers
• diluted white acrylic paint for "splashy wave" splatters

I hope you will please continue to pray for all of the folks in the path of Helene and now also Milton.  This is a big scary storm so here in northeast Florida we are hoping to stay safe and sound as the storm makes its way from west to east across our state.  Also hoping to emerge on the other side healthy and whole, without major damage to life, limb, or possessions.  Definitely praying for all of the folks further south throughout  the Florida peninsula.  Sharing so much gratitude for all of the first responders, linemen, and all of the people behind the scenes who do all of the necessary things to keep things running smoothly.  Y'all are amazing!

Fill Up!

Hi friends!  

It has been a very stressful week for the entire southeastern portion of the US, from Florida up through the Carolinas.  Thankfully, in spite of several fallen trees in our neighborhood (two just a few doors down in either direction from our home which rendered our cul de sac inaccessible to traffic in or out for the better part of Friday) we made it through without experiencing any damage.  Our power only blinked and then came right back on, but for many others, of course, things were drastically different.  💔

Unfortunately I remember what it is like to be on the receiving end of hurricane damage.  The following photo was taken during Hurricane Jeanne in 2004, the year so many storms criss-crossed over the Florida peninsula (a year before Katrina ravaged New Orleans and Rita decimated my hometown of Westlake, Louisiana). We were out of our home for six months while the entire master suite was taken back down to concrete and rebuilt.    

Last week's Hurricane Helene came ashore exactly on the 20th anniversary of our "ginormous tree" incident.  Incredibly, Helene's effects extended deep into the interior, even as far as Asheville/Hendersonville NC, where I have extended family who have been affected.  

It might seem ridiculous, but let me tell you from my own personal experience:  a simple cup of coffee is such a comfort when one has suffered this kind of trauma.  It's partly because it's something so much a part of everyday life at a time when absolutely nothing feels normal and Life has completely deviated from routine.  It's also something much SO much more than that...it represents generosity and compassion and camaraderie, when small gestures mean everything!  They help to restore one's faith in the world, hope for the future, and confidence in the goodness of humanity.

And so, today's card is shared with a prayer for all of those across the southeast who are without power, water, food, transportation and other resources, who are overwhelmed and running on empty on so many levels.  Many have even lost loved ones.  May there be someone in their midst who can refresh them...body, mind, and spirit...with a hot cup of coffee (or tea if that's their preference!) and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them to help them and their families start on the road to recovery, someone to pray with them, to share their burdens and understand their sorrows.  🙏🏻   

If you're someone who is able to contribute money, resources or time to help, I hope you will do so!  So many people are in need!  There are lots of good charities out there to choose from.  Listen to your heart!  

Now, about today's project!  The design and colors were inspired by our new (and very first) Stamp Simply designer paper pad, Coffee or Tea?!  These colors are bright and cheerful and a pleasant departure from the drab neutrals of so many coffee-inspired papers.  I stamped various cups from our Have a Cup on Us set and colored them in Copic colors to match the designer paper.  With a tall card (8.5 square scored and folded in half for a 4.25 x 8.5 inch card) there was room to stack lots of cups!    

This paper is a really fun mix of vintage images and more modern ones too, with lots of mix & match options.  I love the little wispy leaves and flowers in the background of the dp and decided to mimic those with ribbons, lace, cheesecloth, and paper flowers.  

I kept the inside really clean and simple, using a scrap of the designer paper for a gift card pocket stamped with a sentiment.  I will have to make a coffee shop run to purchase a gift card to put inside. 

Speaking of gifts...be sure to take a look at our coffee themed products in the store, and also take a peek at the Stamp Simply blog.  Check out Sharon's blog post for the National Coffee Day blog hop and leave your comment to have your chance to win a $25 gift code!  Thursday, October 2 is the last day to do so! 

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Have a Cup on Us BUNDLE
• Stamp Simply Paper Pads - Coffee or Tea 6x6
• Seam Binding Sampler - Rich Pastels - 40 yards
• May Arts 1.5" Crochet Lace - 15 yd Spool - Parrot Green
• Dritz Cheesecloth - 36" x 3 yards
• Kaisercraft Mini Paper Blooms - Grape
• Kaisercraft Self-Adhesive Round Rhinestones - Lilac
• Memento Full Size Dye Ink Pad - Tuxedo Black
• Copic markers

Thank You, With Gratitude

I had a regular dental check-up last week (yay for clean, healthy teeth!) and they gave me a bag of dental "goodies" so I immediately thought of recycling it.  If you're looking for a project that is super fast and easy, then this is IT!  

This border stamp was just perfect for this project and made a beautifully bright, colorful accent for this basic kraft paper bag.  It took just a few minutes to color with Copics.  The "with GRATITUDE" sentiment was stamped directly onto the bag, carefully aligning it to avoid the bumpy handle attachments and the bottom-of-the-bag folds so that it would stamp clearly and cleanly.  

I used a Tim Holtz tag stamped with a sentiment from the same stamp set, set atop a Spellbinder's heart die cut from Craft Consortium's Ink Drops Sunset designer paper.  I love that this die looks pretty even from the wrong side!  The kraft colored seam binding and jute thread allow the heart and the leaf border to remain the star of the show but still balance the color scheme.  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Falling Leaves Border Strip
• Craft Consortium Ink Drops Sunset 6x6
• Memento Full Size Dye Ink Pad - Tuxedo Black
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Classic Hearts
• Sizzix Thinlits Dies by Tim Holtz - Tag Collection
• Seam Binding Sampler - Vintage Neutrals - 40 yards
• May Arts Baker's Twine - 110 Yard Spool - Kraft
• Copic markers
• tea dye distress ink 
• recycled kraft bag (from the dentist!)

Please say a prayer for those in the path of Hurricane Helene!  We have done as much hurricane preparation as possible as we "Plan for the worst and hope for the best!"  Now all we can do is "hurry up and wait!"  

Deepest Sympathy

Hi y'all!  I'm here this week with a soft, simple version of a sympathy card.  Sometimes I make sympathy cards in advance because it is emotionally a bit easier that way, but this one was made after the loss of a dear sweet friend.  She was a calm, serene, wise, lovely soul who really "walked her talk" and she is already terribly missed. Patrick and I were in Michigan/Wisconsin at the time of her passing and her services were held while we were still away.  Honestly I'm still trying to wrap my heart around the idea that she's gone...she and her family were constantly in my thoughts and prayers as I created this card.

I used a combination of green and blue-green distress oxide inks topped with Delicata copper to stamp the eucalyptus branches and then die-cut them with their coordinating dies.    

They peek through the opening made from Spellbinders classic circles cut from the card front.  I used the "positive" circle of designer paper on the card's inside so none of that lovely paper would go to waste.  

Then when the card is opened, the "forever in our hearts" sentiment is revealed.  The heart was die-cut from another beautiful sheet from the same designer paper pad.  I love these papers so much!  This particular color combo especially!  If I had had some ice blue or aqua rhinestones or bliss pearls, I certainly would have used them!  I need to re-stock my sparkly things!       

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Eucalyptus Silhouettes Bundle
• Craft Consortium Grunge Light 6x6
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Standard Circles SM
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Standard Circles LG
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Classic Hearts
• May Arts 1" Grosgrain w/Satin Edge - 30 Yard Spool - Turquoise
• Delicata Non-Tarnishing Ink Pad - Celestial Copper
• various distress oxide inks (greens, blue-greens)

Love and miss you, dear Miss Anne!  

Boho Fall Gatefold Card

Hello friends!  It has thankfully been a little cooler the last several days, and Fall is officially just around the corner; the date for Autumn Equinox is September 22nd.  These lovely Fall colors have been calling to me and making their appearance not just in card-making but in some of my other crafting as well!  

In this project, the Beach Hut "barn wood" print had just a hint of peachy tones which harmonized really well with one of the papers in Grunge Light.  

This is a gatefold card, using a standard 5.5 x 8.5 inch piece of card stock, with score lines 2 1/8 inches from each end.  The belly band is about 2 inches wide and is scored with about 1/8 of an inch of depth on the sides to allow the band to be more easily removed.  (Remember to adhere your focal image only to the belly band and to avoid adding embellishments to the card base that would interfere with its sliding!)

I don't normally use kraft paper for coloring with Copic markers but decided to try it for a more muted, nearly monochromatic look for today's project.  I painted over the Copics with diluted Delicata copper ink but since it's been rainy and overcast here I couldn't really get the sparkle to show in my photos.  I also splashed and splattered diluted ink to the card front and inside, so IRL it is quite lustrous!  The addition of a double-ribbon bow brings a bright pop of color!    

Here's what the inside looks like with the belly band removed.  Simple and easy.   

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Boho Fall Leaves Bundle
• Craft Consortium Beach Hut 6x6
• Craft Consortium Grunge Light 6x6
• Memento Full Size Dye Ink Pad - Espresso Truffle
• Delicata Non-Tarnishing Ink Pad - Celestial Copper
• Seam Binding Sampler - Rich Pastels - 40 yards
• Kaisercraft Self-Adhesive Round Pearls - Latte

See what I mean?!  These colors!  ❤️   This is fiber I purchased in 2022 and have revisited each year during September/October.  Maybe this year will be the one where it is finally finished!  It's a wool-free blend of black baby llama, mulberry silk, bamboo and bio-nylon so whatever it becomes will be really soft and warm.  It really wants to spin thin so I should end up with some decent yardage.  

Thanks for visiting!  Have a great week!