Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2013!  I always look forward to new starts and new plans!  I don't make resolutions because I've not had a great track record at keeping them!  Tell me I'm not alone in this!

I wanted to wish all of my readers the very best for 2013!  May it be your happiest, healthiest and most prosperous year yet!

As promised, I have some blog candy to give away, to celebrate.  Celebrate the New Year, celebrate my birthday month, and to celebrate Stampin' Up's 25th Anniversary!  Woo hoo!  Big Party!  I have three packages of goodies to go.  (Only to readers who live in Canada, unfortunately, as I can only ship in Canada.)

Here's the prizes:  Third Prize:

An unopened pack of Noel Notes Simply Sent (pg. 17 in the Holiday Mini), a partially used pack of Festival of Prints Designer Series Paper Stack (pg. 20 in the Holiday Mini), and the Bold Snowflake Single Stamp.  The Festival of Prints stack still has 37 of the 48 sheets of double sided designs.

                             Second Prize:

 

 

Partial packs of Early Espresso and Cherry Cobbler Core'dinations card stock (5 1/5 sheets and 9 1/2 sheets out of 12 sheets respectively) and an unused Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps Holiday Pack.

 

 

                         First Prize:

 



 

 

A Snowflake Soiree clear mount stamp set (pg. 5 in the Holiday Mini) - brand new, a partially used pack of Festival of Prints Designer Series Paper Stack (pg. 20 in the Holiday Mini) - 38 out of 48 double sided sheets; Partial packs of DSP - Be of Good Cheer -11 out of 12 sheets, Snow Festival - 5 out of 12 sheets, and Candlelight Christmas -  7 out of 12 sheets.

 

Now how are you entered in the draw??  You need to do 2 things. 

 

1.  Leave a comment about your plans and expectations for 2013 right here on this blog post.

 

2.   Join my site.  See the little box in the right hand margin, that tells how many followers a blog  has?  Well, mine looks a little pathetic and embarrassing.  I know there are more of you who read my blog.  Do you think you could click on "Join this Site" and help to make it look respectable?  If you have already done that, then you just need to leave a comment.

 

I will draw 3 names on January 14th, when I get back from Leadership Conference in Orlando.  So you've got lots of time to leave a comment!  Looking forward to hearing from all of you.

Hurtling Train

Does anyone else out there feel as if they are in a speeding train hurtling toward December 25?  Or maybe it's in a plane nosediving directly at Christmas?  I probably say this every year but every year it is truer:  Christmas comes faster and faster all the time.  I can't believe it's almost here!  I just put my capris away for the year.  I just tucked my flip-flops in the closet!  How can it be almost Christmas?

Oh, well, Christmas will come whether I'm ready for it or not, so I might as well......
stamp another Christmas card!

This one was inspired by the MOJO Monday sketch #267 by Julee Tilman.  I just felt like it had a vintage feel, and I hadn't used my Christmas Lodge stamp set enough yet this year.  Or my red glimmer paper either!

The base is Cherry Cobbler card stock, with a piece of Candlelight Christmas DSP as the back panel.

The next layer is more Cherry Cobbler card stock with some Early Espresso Core'dinations card stock embossed with the Woodgrain embossing folder.  I punched one edge of the Red Glimmer paper with the Scallop Trim punch and added a layer of Very Vanilla, stamped with the lodge from the Christmas Lodge set in Early Espresso and the sentiment from Come To Bethlehem in Cherry Cobbler.  I tied a little fork bow using Real Red 1/8" taffeta ribbon and added it to the panel, then mounted it on dimensionals to give it some vertical interest.  Finally, I used the Snow Flurry BigZ die to die cut the two smaller snowflakes, combined them with glue dots and adhered them to the project.  I think red and brown is my favourite Christmas combination - it looks so warm and rustic.

And that's my card for today!  Focus on your Christmas tasks, but don't take any hurtling trains!



Stamps: Christmas Lodge (w123767; c123769); Come to Bethlehem (w118732; c120591)
Paper:  Cherry Cobbler (119684) and Very Vanilla (101650) card stock; Early Espresso Core'dinations card stock (127848), Candlelight Christmas Specialty DSP (126901), Red Glimmer Paper (121790)
Ink:  Classic Stampin' Pads in Early Espresso (126974) and Cherry Cobbler (126966)
Accessories:  1/8" Real Red Taffeta Ribbon (119251)
Tools:  Snow Flurry BigZ die (127813); Scallop Trim Punch (118402), Woodgrain Embossing Folder (127821)

Christmas Lodge



Before the Snow Flies

Travelling can be fun, but there is so much preparation sometimes, that it can get tiring as well.  We want to head out soon on one more expedition to the north before the snow flies, to see our youngest grandbaby and our daughter and son-in-law.  They live about 11 hours north of us, and it won't be long until the temperature drops and the snow packs in for the winter, so it's now or never - or at least until late spring.

You'll get a taste of life in a small northern town by reading her blog:  Honey Nutbrown's.

I've been working hard to prepare for workshops and classes when I get back and I came up with one design to use for our November Technique Nights.  This month the theme is Fancy Fold cards, and I am planning to do an Easel Card, a Gate-Fold Card and this one:  A Swing Card.

I know, I know, it doesn't look much different, but see it in action:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anyway, it was lots of fun to make using the Ornament Keepsakes stamp set and the Holiday Ornaments framelits.  I also used some of the Candlelight Christmas Specialty Designer Series Paper!  It's sooo pretty.  And, of course you know that, during October, if you purchase this stamp set along with the Candlelight Christmas paper, that you will receive a FREE Festive Paper Piercing Pack, with templates for all these framelits and much more.  You need to use a special order code for this bundle, so let me know if you are interested. 

 

And NOW would be a great time to book a party during November.  My November time is quickly filling up, but there are going to be some special reasons why you'll want to book in November.  Just sayin'!  Wink, wink!

 

And finally, you should seriously consider joining my Stampin' Up team for the Christmas season.  Imagine getting all the Stampin' Up products you love at a 20% discount!  How about getting a sneak peek at all the new catalogue products before everyone else and a chance to pre-order the same products?  How about being independent and owning your own business in the fast-growing hobby and craft sector and representing a savvy but caring company with a heart for its demonstrators?  You can have all this and more for just $125!  And what's great is that you can pick any products from the current catalogues to a value of $155 to make up your Starter Kit and Stampin' Up with throw in $70 of business supplies for free!  Whether you are looking to start a profitable and fun home business, or just hobby craft for a discount, look into this wonderful opportunity here.

 

Stamps:  Ornament Keepsakes (w128048; c128051); Seasonal Sayings (w128006; c128009); Christmas Deer (w128144; c128146)

Paper:  Candlelight Christmas Specialty DSP (126901); Early Espresso (119686), Real Red (102482) and Very Vanilla (101650) cardstock

Ink:  Classic Stampin' Pads in Real Red (126949) and Early Espresso (126974)

Accessories: 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon in Real Red (119251); Rhinestone Basic Jewels (119246)

Tools: Big Shot Die Cutting Machine (113439); Scallop Circle Bigz die (113468); Holiday Ornaments Framelits (127816) or bundled with the Ornament Keepsakes stamp set (w129949; c129950)

 

Special October Christmas Gift order codes are found here.