Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello to everyone, and Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American friends!  I hope that you are enjoying a wonderful time of celebration with dear family and friends.    

My project for today uses a bounty of stamps and supplies all from Stamp Simply.  

I was going for a sparkly, slightly but not too far over-the-top elegance with close-but-not-quite traditional colors.  

Gathering together for Thanksgiving is exactly what this day is all about!  Enjoy!

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Vintage Seed Packet Bundle
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Boho Pumpkins Bundle
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Boho Fall Leaves (Blessings)
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Give Thanks (Thanksgiving sentiment)
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Fishtail Sentiment Banners
• Carta Bella Gather at Home 6x6
• Craft Consortium Ink Drops Sunset 6x6
• Craft Consortium Grunge Light 6x6
• Seam Binding Sampler - Rich Pastels - 40 yards
• May Arts Vintage Sampler - On Fire with Orange & Yellow (beads)
• Melissa Frances Self-Adhesive Round Pearls - Cream
• gold cording
• various distress oxide inks
• Copic markers

Stamp Simply

Holly Jolly Christmas!

Hi y'all!

It has been a very busy November around here so far!  Last weekend and the weekend before were chorale concert weekends so life felt all sparkly and aglow and a-flurry!  Now that Thanksgiving is just around the corner and Christmas is truly in sight the holiday hub-bub has started in earnest! 

I've been doing some planning for our ukulele group's annual Christmas ring/sing for the Salvation Army, and so when I sat down to stamp this week's project this sentiment/stamp set caught my eye!  We'll be singing this song!    

I had lots of fun combining designer papers to create this scene. Hopefully the whole fireplace/mantel idea comes across clearly!   Those little touches of plaid give a nod to my Scottish heritage once again which brings more sweet memories of my recent trip to mind.  

The inside has a little strip of plaid designer paper to add to the warm cozy atmosphere of the scene and the sentiment that reinforces the idea.  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Christmas Stockings & Mittens Bundle
• Carta Bella A Wonderful Christmas 6x6
• Craft Consortium Brick Textures 6x6
• Craft Consortium Scorched Wood 6x6
• Sizzix Thinlits Dies by Tim Holtz - Holiday Greens Mini
• Gems
• May Arts Baker's Twine - 110 Yard Spool - Kraft
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Vintage Ovals and Twigs (tiny holly sprig)
• Copic markers

The Edmund Fitzgerald

 

Today is the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald.  I was a senior in high school in November of 1975 at the time of this mysterious tragedy, and had recently graduated when Gordon Lightfoot's song was released in August of the next year. The song reached #1 in Canada and #2 in the US and helped to bring a midwestern disaster national/international recognition.    

My card for today commemorates those 29 souls lost.  I chose papers and embellishments that I hoped would reflect the swirling mists, thick ice, and perilous storm that overtook the ship on Lake Superior on that awful day.  

I was inspired by this post for the fold/measurements of this project.  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Great Lakes Freighter - The Edmund Fitz...
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Patriotic Sentiments
• Craft Consortium Over the Rainbow 6x6
• Craft Consortium Metal Textures 6x6
• Sizzix Thinlits Dies by Tim Holtz - Countdown
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Fishtail Sentiment Banners
• May Arts Baker's Twine - 110 Yard Spool - Kraft
• Gems

Edmund Fitzgerald Resources:

• Great Lakes Maritime Museum
• National Museum of The Great Lakes
• Lake Erie Living article
• The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot (song on YouTube)
• Gordon Lightfoot's website (full lyrics and revisions)

2025 Fall Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop

Hi everyone!  A special welcome to the Fall Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop participants!  

Stamp Simply

Stamp Simply is honored to be a Super Sponsor of the hop, and Sharon is giving away a $25 gift code. Visit her blog for information regarding how to be eligible to win.  

So how are things with you?!  If you're like I am, you've been leaning a little harder on your coffee cup this week while trying to adjust to the time change!  My body clock has been struggling for most of October anyway...that 5 hour time difference between here and Edinburgh has been hard to get over!  I was just about back on track, but this one wee hour of time change will throw me off again!  🤪  

I had a lot of fun creating today's project.  I have an ivory Christmas tea cup with holly branches imprinted on it that looks a lot like this die cut paper coffee cup!  

 

I love projects like this that use up the odd bitty and bobbly scraps of paper, all while showcasing how various prints work so well together!  I love that little peek of tartan plaid in rich coffee creams and browns! Just a hint of Scotland!  And y'all know how much I love an interesting card fold! (This one is super easy.  It's just a 5 1/2 x 11 inch piece of card stock, scored at 1 1/4, 5 1/2, and 9 1/4 inches, held closed by a belly band).  

I stamped the bird and branches directly onto the die-cut mug (just needed a tiny bit of masking) and colored it all with Copic markers. (I debated inking the edges with tea dye distress ink but ended up leaving it just the way it was.)  All of the stamping was in brown ink, and for a little extra emphasis I took a fine point marker and lightly added a little black to the note "dots" on the music scores.  

Here is the inside.  I could have done more with those extra surfaces but decided that I really liked the more minimalist look for this particular card.  It kinda has a more masculine feel except for that big red bow!  

So grateful that His mercies are new every morning and that He is indeed a place of refuge because sometimes life can be challenging or just downright hard!  But still, I am thankful!  And it is November so gratitude is in sharp focus this month!       

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - God Will Take Care of You Bundle
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - A Cup of Java (Coffee)
• Sizzix Thinlits Dies by Tim Holtz - Tag Collection
• Craft Consortium Scorched Wood 6x6
• Craft Consortium Tartan Plaid 6x6
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - A Cup of Java (Coffee) (coffee beans) 
• Red ribbon
  
• Copic markers
• spattered with diluted Delicata ink

Thanks for visiting!  Have a great weekend, and Happy Veteran's Day!