Couple days ago, I posted a holiday greeting card that went to Belgium. I used Belgium Dazzles that our Belgium friends gave us a year or so ago. 

The translation for the words on the card:

fiin feestdagen = fine holidays (top text)
prettige feestdagen = happy holidays (bottom text)

Thanks for the translation Greg & Dominique! Glad you are enjoying the card!

Happy New Year, everyone!

My husband and I made a ton of greeting cards for the holidays (okay, 60).  And guess what?  I forgot to take photos of them before we mailed them out!  That's what happens when you spend 4 days in bed with a nasty bug and then try to get them out before Christmas (mailed on December 24).  Oh well.....

One of our recipients did take a photo of their card and emailed it to me.

Notice that the card writing is not in English (I live in the US).  These Dazzles were part of a large set given to us a year ago by our Belgium friends.  I love the polar bear and gifts dazzles.  Add the Dutch words, and perfect holiday card for our Belgium friends!  I used copic markers to color in the bear and gifts, and a brown glitter ribbon to "tie" it all together.

Card arrived in 6 days in Belgium; package took another day or two.  They enjoyed it all.

I've got lots of greeting cards to create this year, so you will see plenty of postings over the next 12 months.  (Hopefully, we can make the holiday cards ahead of time and get them posted for you to see.)

Have a great new year!

Just completed two birthday cards, so thought I would post them:

I hand cross-stitched this hot air balloon design a year ago, but never got it mounted into a card.  Now it is complete so I can send it to a friend whose birthday is later this month.  Sometimes simple is best!

After more than 20 years, my college roommate and I reconnected earlier this year.  We spent the day with my husband and her cousin touring Pike Place Market in Seattle.  Found the very first Starbucks ever!  We enjoyed our visit, but it was too short.  Now her birthday is here, so I hand cross-stitched this Teddy Bear for her.  The chocolate chips on his cookie are actually beads.  

These designs took about 8 hours each to stitch, but they look great!

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Safe New Year everyone!

Just to touch base with you, hope you are all doing well.  Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving. 

Our holiday craft show Thanksgiving weekend went well.  Our last holiday craft bazaar on December 1 also went well.

Now we are getting ready for Christmas.  Gifts are mostly bought, working on making Christmas/Holiday Greetings cards (almost done) and started doing some baking, on which I am way behind schedule.  

I will post some of our Christmas cards here next week.  In the meantime, my husband Keith and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Hanukkah and a Safe New Year!

Come join us this weekend for a Holiday Craft Bazaar at

Edmonds Masonic Center

515 Dayton 

Edmonds, WA

Friday and Saturday (November 23 - 24, 2012)

10:00 am to 4:00 pm

My husband Keith will have his etched glassware and handmade chocolates available, and I will have my greeting cards, and (postage) stamp magnets and buttons for sale.

Hope to see you there!

Hi Everyone!

Can't believe it is Thanksgiving time already!  I have not been making Thanksgiving cards, but Birthday cards as November is a heavy month for Family and Friends' birthdays.  This one is for a friend.

Supplies:

• 5 X 7 inch white card stock
• Copic markers for coloring -- G14, G07, G28. Y06, Y13, Y19. YR04, B29
• Yellow Stickles glitter glue
• French Blue from Cat's Eyes Color Box for edging
• K9-1656 Rose by Stamp Rosa rubber stamp
• Transparent Yellow Ribbon
• Happy Birthday cuttlebug folder on green paper
• Green "blotchy" background paper is from a pack bought from Craft Warehouse in Yakima, WA, last summer. Pack has really nice paper!

Did a One Direction (boy band) birthday card for my 12-year old niece, and a Kitty Cat birthday card for her mother, my younger sister.

This card is for my brother-in-law (my husband's older brother). He served a couple years in the Coast Guard way back when...:

  Supplies:

• 5 X 7 inch white card stock
• Stars cuttlebug folder on blue paper (which came from the same paper pack as the rose card above)
• Turquoise/Grey flouish from Reminisce Accents by Creative Memories. I love this cartridge!!
• US Coast Guard stickers from Life's Little Occasions stickers (by K and Company) on Friend's Blue Sky paper (by Junkitz)
• 3 blue stock buttons

I still have another Birthday card to make before the month is over -- her birthday is actually day after Thanksgiving this year. Wonder how many times it has fallen on Thanksgiving Day over the years?

Those of you who live in Washington state with me, stay warm and dry. With all the rain we're getting, I'm ready to get the pontoons out for the house! :-) LOL!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

New challenge offering:

My card for Sentimental Sundays challenge:

I did over 20 greeting cards using embossing paste and/or gold leafing. These pumpkins are first silver embossed (a paste), then gold leafing over the top. This is a two-day process as I like to let the embossing paste dry overnight. I think it makes a better card.

I will post more details on this card on Monday, as I need to finish getting ready for our first Holiday Craft Bazaar this weekend, where this card will be available for purchase!

Have a good weekend everyone!  I will let you know if I win anything from this challenge!

I have a number of cards that I completed this past weekend to show off today.  Enjoy!

This is a Pooh Cross Stitch card, using the counted cross stitch method. Depending on the design, a counted cross stitch card can take anywhere from 4 to 16 hours to stitch!  Obviously, the longer the time to stitch, the more detailed the design, and the more gorgeous they look! The wide Bee ribbon adds a nice touch to the card.

I colored this Peacock several weeks ago when I did my other Peacock cards, but did not get him mounted into a card until now. I colored him with metallic ink pens.  The blue-green frame is from the Fancy Frames Cricut cartridge. If you remember, I used quite a few of these frames for my 50th birthday party invitations.

This kitty is done in White embossing paste. I prefer working with embossing pastes whereas my sister uses embossing powders. Love the kitty ribbon!

Another use of my Hanukkah rubber stamp and Star of David embossing template/die cut. The Star was cut out on metallic silver-grey card stock. I used glitter glue to outline the Star of David on the Hanukkah rubber stamp.  The music ribbon is see-through, and adds a nice touch to the card.

Another kitty done in Black embossing paste and using the same kitty ribbon.

I love these styles of Christmas/Holiday rubber stamps. They are fun to work with and color -- or not!  Decorative paper adds to the card, though this paper makes the card look busy. I added a bit of Metallic Snowflake Ribbon for a final touch.  A single snowflake from the ribbon is adhered to the inside of the card.

I love working with Birds and Flowers rubber stamps.  They are fun to color, using both Copic markers and metallic or glitter ink pens.  Add a little glitter glue, a few paper flowers, maybe ribbon, and you are done!

Snoopy is another Counted Cross Stitch project I did a few months ago, and finally turned it into a greeting card. Love the little 3-D butterflies!

Love this Lighthouse! Colored with metallic ink pens. Background holiday embossed paper is inked with Tim Holtz distressed ink. Base paper is metallic blue stripes -- so fitting for a lighthouse.  The ribbon came out on the market last year. It came out with a bunch of seashore stuff, so this is reminiscent of coral or fisherman's net ribbon. First time I've been able to use it. Have two other colors.

Notice the snowflake edge punching.

I've used this tulip rubber stamp before, but this time, I just used Copic markers to color.

Lastly, a pair of Bears in a Hot Air Balloon. Colored using Copic markets, add a ribbon, 3 bling, and done!

What cards have you done recently?

ABC1 --  New to You
by
All Beautiful Cards (ABC) Challenge

I have a variety of techniques I like to use in my greeting cards. But every once in a while, I try something new. If I like it, I incorporate the technique into my regular processes.  Not only do I get new ideas from my designer younger sister, Jan, but also from other blogs, websites, journals and greeting card kits.

I learned how to use twine instead of ribbon a few months ago. I really did like using the twine, various sizes. So here is a new card with my first attempt of incorporating twine in my own card design. Also new is the Star of David template. I bought this months ago, but this is the first time I have been able to use it. Finally!

We have Jewish friends who celebrate Hanukkah, though it is not their main holiday. I am so happy to see that companies are starting to produce items so we can make several different Jewish holiday cards.

Supplies:

• Base paper is from the Life's Journey designer paper pack by K&Company
• Basic red cardstock embossed using my Cuttlebug Candy Cane Stripe embossing folder
• Metallic Silver embossing paste by Dreamweaver on Star of David brass template by The Stencil Company
• Hanukkah stamp by Stampington & Company using silver ink
• Twine wound twice around paper and tied in front

Not bad for a first try!

How many of you use twine or jute in your greeting cards? Would love to see some of your projects!

Today, I am entering a new greeting card into the Any Winged Creature challenge by Flutterby Wednesday.  My winged creature is.....Tinkerbell!

Tinkerbell is a much loved creature, even by members of my own family.

Supplies:

• Tinker Bell Vellum Paper by Disney
• Speckled Green paper by Karen Foster Design
• Basic white swirled paper from a large paper pack, probably purchased from Benjamin Franklin Crafts store
• Tinkerbell diecut/embossing folder used in my cuttlebug on metallic green paper and basic darker green for her "shadow"
• Pink ribbon, white star and yellow and red brad from Disney Fairies Finished in a Flash kit
• Blue rhinestone on white star

Simple, but cute.