Snow Globe Day

 

It is a snow globe kind of day today. We are getting just a few inches of snow, enough to cover the ground and trees and make everything sparkly and beautiful.

It's a good day to stay home and make some snow globes.

I'm still making Christmas cards. Note to self: start even earlier next year!

I have had these snow globe dies from Hello Bluebird for over a year, and I finally decided to use them. So fun!

I decided to die cut a bunch of houses and trees in different reds and greens, and I will use these for quick assembly.

{Today's Brew: Snow Globe Builder dies (Hello Bluebird), house dies (HB), Holly and Pine dies (HB), Winter Banners dies (Mama Elephant), shimmer sprays, C and 9th cardstock, Tim Holtz foil card stock}

I'm not sure what's happening at Hello Bluebird this year. I think they are struggling to keep up in this market. They decided to do away with semi- regular quarterly releases and do subscription kits instead. They are selling off most of their inventory (a lot is now gone), with just a few essentials. They offered two subscription releases, teased about a holiday release, and then as the holidays approached, made the announcement that there would be no holiday release. Hmm.

It's not as though I needed new product. I'm still getting around to using the products I already purchased from them!

I'm feeling pretty good about the variety of items I've been using this holiday crafting season. Next up: making some cards for my church choir members. I think I have just the set from Stampin' Up to get this one done quickly. Stay tuned!

A Gift for New Friends

 

My new dulcimer hobby has really brought me joy this year. Not only am I learning to make beautiful music, but I'm also meeting beautiful people. 

This is a photo of my "jam" group called Back Porch Dulcimers. We practice together several times a month, and play at events when we are able. This photo was taken at the Historic Holiday Home tour in Tecumseh, Michigan last week.

We were able to introduce the instrument to a lot of people who toured the house. They really appreciated the live music, and one person even said they thought we were a recording until they found us at the back of the house. Wow! High praise!

I wanted to make a little something for my dulcimer friends, so I decided to craft a dulcimer ornament.

I wanted lots of gold and sparkle for this one. I used Nordic Frame dies from the Greetery, one in gold foil card stock and another in ivory with gold embossed sentiment from Taylored Expressions. I added a gold embossed dulcimer that I fussy cut, some greenery and a bow from Hello Bluebird, and a little ink blending in shades of green.

This one turned out just as I pictured it in my head.

You'd be hard pressed to find a dulcimer ornament in a store! That's what makes this craft so lovely...personalization!

An Extra Special Birthday

 

Yesterday was an extra special birthday for my husband. Ed turned 60!  Wow! He's been around for SO LOOOONG!

I thought this card was too funny!

I made this card during the CP Stamp Nation Zoom class called Merry Makeovers. The idea was to take a non-Christmas stamp set and turn it into a holiday card. I really needed a birthday card, so this one got a holiday spin with the colors and papers and snowflakes.

We had a fun celebratory dinner at Black Rock Grille. It's become a birthday tradition.

Sam was able to join us, too...green hair and all! Ah, youth! His beloved called it "avante garde". LOL!

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Happy Birthday, sweet Ed! Praying that the dear Lord blesses you in the next decade and beyond!

Fixed It!

 

Crafting on the fly can be risky.

I was participating in a ZOOM crafting session with Catherine Pooler's Stamp Nation yesterday, and honestly, I did not have a plan.

I was grabbing things from my craft table to see what worked. Cover plate die? Sure. Patterned paper? Great. Let's put on a sentiment.

And that's where it went sideways.

I started with silver embossing, and it just wasn't very impactful. And then I tried a shadow stamp on top with darker blue.

Meh. It just didn't work.

And then I found this white panel where I'd previously embossed the words "Warm Thoughts". Hmm. What if I add this panel on top? And what if I use shimmer spray? And what if I add some sparkly snowflakes?

Better. Much better.

This could be turned into a Christmas card, but I'll probably save it for a generic "Thinking of you" for one of my church friends that needs a little encouragement.

Here's another "fix". I always wanted something lit and sparkly in the front of the house to match the deer at the back, near the woods.

I found this sweet snowman at Target this year, and he's the perfect addition. Just enough sparkle!

Bonus: he's lit with pure white lights, just like the deer. Sometimes, if you buy different brands, you'll end up with warm white lights clashing with cool white lights.  

It's not "over the top" Christmas winter wonderland, but it's enough for us. And because they are all winter-themed, we can leave them up after Christmas.

Holiday Door Decor

 

Don't you love driving through neighborhoods and admiring their trees and festive lights and decorations?

Today's card was inspired by all of those lovely front doors and their Christmas wreaths.

I wanted to send a special card to some of my crafty forum friends. And let's face it. Only the crafty friends would appreciate how much time it took to die cut all of those pieces and glue them in place!

{Today's Brew: Door Décor dies (Concord and 9th), Winter Banner Dies (Mama Elephant), C and 9th paper, shimmer spray}

My craft room looks like a natural disaster occurred. It is a mess! But no time to clean. I still have crafting to do!

Blessings on your Monday, café friends!

Spreading Holiday Cheer

 

Joy! It's hard to keep it to yourself. And we're not meant to!

Spreading a little holiday cheer is what this time of year is all about.

I've been playing Christmas music around town with my dulcimer group this month, and it's been a blast! Here we are at a local bank, where we played in the morning for customers. Tonight, we are playing in a historic home as part of Tecumseh's Holiday Home tour. 

I've also been singing with the choir at church. The frosty painted church windows are certainly spreading the joy of the season!

I'm wearing lots of festive red and funny sweaters like this one! Red berets, snowflake jewelry...basically, if it's in the costume department from the Hallmark movie sets, I'm wearing it. 

The Christmas tree is twinkling and the outdoor lights are sparkling! The deer family is waiting for another snowfall.

This morning, I'm heading to the post office to mail another stack of Christmas cards.

Next week, I'll be baking dozens of cookies for my husband's store associates and the annual Hot Cocoa Bar.

How are you spreading holiday cheer this year?

October Reflections for December

 

Papertrey Ink's October Reflections stamp and die set is awesome! As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to have it!

I started this card by ink blending an ivory card base. Next, I stamped the sentiment in the center. I splattered some gold paint over the sky, adhered the stable and star with glue, and popped Jesus and the manger with a foam dimensional.

I sprayed the manger with gold shimmer spray, too.

And inside, I added the sentiments and star. (Sentiments from PTI, star from CP)

I made a dozen of this design to send to my stamp camp friends. I haven't been able to attend stamp camp in a while, and I really miss them! I'm hoping to be able to join them again one day soon.

A simple card that really conveys the meaning of the season.

Blessings, café friends!