Wanna Dance...

Well, I finally managed to use my Shall We Dance Cartridge from the Cricut Circle. DH and I took ballroom dancing for several years, and although we're hardly ready for Dancing with the Stars, we do okay. I used the Medallion 2 feature and then resized the plain medallion and welded the shadow of the silhouette to it in Design Studio to create the red layer. The embossing behind is the Tim Holtz Music folder which has a smaller scale than the Cuttlebug one. The small music notes are a brad.

Actually this card has been rattling around in my brain for awhile. The sentiment has a story. (Don't they all? LOL) It's sort of a inside joke that now I will share with the whole blogging world. David had a particularly geeky college roommate who considered himself quite the ladies man. His pick up line at bars or parties was... "Wanna dance..."

FIRST? Trust me, no one would want to dance with this guy let alone... Anyway, this line always cracks us up, even after 35 years. Thought the subtle reference with the dance step ribbon added a particularly amusing touch but I might be the only one who gets it. (Except perhaps, Margie, whose mind is nearly always in the gutter. Luv ya girly! :D ) So, because I couldn't think of anything else, this one will have to do since today is David's birthday. At least I'll get a laugh. We'll be off to Cavallo Point (again!) to ring in the New Year. I love to think of the whole world celebrating with us so party hearty but safely tonight!

Happy Crimbo Limbo!

Oh dear, I do so apologize! I've never left my blog for 5 whole days but this year Christmas just got away from me. I intended to spend this week experimenting with new goodies and having all the time in the world to craft until a bit of a pumbing fiasco left me stressed to the max with water coming out of the recessed lighting canisters, tools everywhere, my bathroom off the craft room out of commission and eventually a hole in the kitchen ceiling. Hope everyone's holiday was super and you're ready to ring in the New Year with joy, hope, and intense creativity.

I just had to sneak in one last challenge for one of my FAVE Stamp companies, Stampotique. The Stampotique Designer's Challenge is to use punches and die cuts and this week requires Stampotique stamps only. (No prob, I own a ton!) So how do you like my title? I have to say I've been tickled by the expression "Crimbo" many of the blogs from my friends across the pond. Of course I recognized it as "Christmas", but I wanted to investigate further and Googled the term. That's where I found "Crimbo Limbo". HA! The Urban Dictionary defines it as: The period after Christmas Day and before New Year's Eve mainly spent sitting down and eating lots of leftovers. Many find it extremely dull. There's also something about giving oneself alcohol poisoning, but I'm sure that doesn't apply to anyone here. (LOL)

So here are Winter and Weasel, out of the house, bored out of their mind, and ready to pelt the next unsuspecting passerby with snowballs. That always was a secret fear of mine when I saw idle youths out in the snow. Fortunately that doesn't happen where we live now in CA but memories still linger. (Shudder!)

The sentiments are computer generated, even the teeny one on the sign. I just stamped the image and messed with the sizing on the computer until it looked like it would fit. I printed it and used my light table to make sure, and then used removable tape to secure Weasel in place and ran it back through the computer. Voila! The large Snowflake is a Cuttlebug Die, the snowy hills with trees is an EK Success punch and the one with snowmen is a Martha Stewart.

So all that was left was a little inking, Stickles, pompoms and popping. This card makes me giggle. Hope you like it too. There's still time to enter this fabulous challenge. And the winner will receive a $30 gift certificate to Stampotique (be still my heart!). Random org, too, so I wonder what my lucky number will be. (Keeping fingers crossed)

Just One More

Are you ready? I'm not, but you know some things just aren't gonna get done this year. Some things are just more important. (Who is this girl and what have you done with Donna? LOL) No really, I will breathe deep and let it go. One more card for my love. Couldn't pass up The Christmas Present, another of the images I won from Sassy Studio Designs. Don't think he'll be able to pass her up either. Colored with Copics with some Spica shimmer, DP is SEI Wintersong (some of my fave!) Chipboard tag is K&Co.

It took me awhile to figure out what was hair, what was ribbon, and what was skin on this image, especially since I started it at 3:30 am. LOL I cut her out using my Nesties Beaded Ovals and used Distress Ink in Tumbled Glass for highlights. I thought of quite a few sentiments, but I think the one I finally chose is the right one.

The mat is popped to give it some dimension and take a look at that gorgeous ribbon. I usually don't write on my cards as part of the design, but besides the fact I couldn't figure out how to use the computer to print on a dimensional tag, I think it's more personal in this case...VERY personal. : )

As you can see, the window goes through all of the layers. I'm surprised I managed to get it lined up. Truly a labor of love, especially this late in the game. Merry Christmas, Darling xx All I want for Christmas is you!

Bet You Can't Guess Who This is For (HeeHee!)

Can you believe it? With all I've still got to do I made a card! Well, I just couldn't help it. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. Besides, I'd certainly hate to disappoint a certain someone. I was so excited to have won the Sassy Christmas Challenge at One Stop Craft Challenges sponsored by Sassy Studio Designs. I won 4 (count 'em) FOUR fab images and they were just begging to be colored so here's Reindeer Games. She was perfect for the sentiment I'd had jingling in my head the past few days. She's colored with Copics (yeah, big surprise, another redhead, sure wish MY hair looked like that!) with some sparkle from Spica Pens that doesn't show in the pic. The layout is really simple using DP by Stampin' Up, a Chipboard sentiment from K&Co., a few adhesive beads, and some jingle bells. I doubt he'll mind. Likes to think of himself as "a simple man". Guess we balance each other out. :)

And inside? Now don't act all shocked. We all know what floats a guy's boat, or at least stiffens his sail. (Eiyiyi! she really IS naughty!) Oh oh, am I losing followers here? Hope not. Anyway, I'm pretty sure he's gonna like this one. And how about this? The challenge this week at Dare to be Sassy Thursdays just so happens to be a CAS (clean and simple) holiday card so of course I'm entering it there. WooHoo!

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

Well, it's almost here and it's looking like the chance of me crafting is slim to none so I thought I'd share a few pix of the Santas I collect. This first one is by Stone Soup and he just cracks me up relaxing in this fruit basket.

Another Stone Soup. The real fur trim and moss colored velvet suit is so woodsy looking. Their faces are so distinctive. For me it's all about the face. He can have the greatest costume and embellies, but if the face isn't right it's just not for me.

This is the first one I got in 1998 designed exclusively for Neiman Marcus by Henderson Studio Ltd. DH didn't know what he was starting here. LOL

This guy, a Troutman Original came last year. Should have taken more pix because all of the winter sports gear on both sides of the bear's saddle is just amazing. Of course I don't get a new Santa every year but I sure do love them. Hope you do too. One pic is missing because he's not hung yet. It's Santa in a bi-plane but we've been preoccupied with hanging the new tv and fixing a plumbing leak AND the recirculating motor for our hot water heater. Wonder why I'm not done decorating? I'm getting closer though. If you want to see what I'm working on now click HERE. Almost done with the dining room. WooHoo!

BBTB2 Just Because Cards Gingerbread Challenge

It's the last challenge of the year for BBTB2 and our dear and wonderfully talented sister Julie, from across the pond, has chosen the gingerbread boy from Just Because Cards. Okay, I've been talking about emotions this time of year, and oops! here comes another one. Can anyone relate? I honestly planned this totally differently but you know about those best laid plans, especially this time of year. The card shape is also from JBC but for some reason I thought that folding it so there were two layers of the scallops showing when the card was closed would be a good idea.

The sentiment is self explanatory (and is a personal fave for when I'm asked to do yet ANOTHER thing INSTEAD of what I need to get done). It's cut from the checked mat using a font from Winter Woodland. Unfortunately when I was done and looked at it from a distance (like in the pic) the T looks more like an F. I planned on popping that mat, but that made it worse. I guess in a way you could call this a tent topped card with gingy hanging off the top of the card like that. Can't wait to find an envie for this one. LOL The rick rack trim and photo corners are EKSuccess punches, the DP is from the DCWV Homemade Christmas stack, buttons are Recollections and the tiny cookie cutters (I've been hoarding) are by Jesse James Beads from my LSS.(CUTE!!!!)

Didn't want to post this this morning until I got the inside done and it took me 2 1/2 hours to find the card in all this chaos. I even had DH looking for it. (Big mistake, caught lots of crap about my organizational skills, not to mention the sheer VOLUME of stuff I've got) The Merry Christmas is ribbon from M's. The tag is cut from TBBM with a computer generated sentiment. The epoxy stickers are Cloud 9. I actually think it's sort of funny and very reflective of my general mood at the moment (NO, I'M NOT DONE DECORATING AND I KNOW IT'S ONLY 5 DAYS AWAY!) But actually I'd love a bite (of a gingerbread cookie, they're my fave!) FaLaLa!

Now pop by BBTB2 to see the yummy contributions from my DT sisters and on behalf of all of us at BBTB2, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Blue Christmas

Don't ask. No, I'm no further along with ANYTHING I actually HAVE to do. DH wanted to go to Carmel yesterday so I ditched my decorating and DT card plans and off we went. Even with crap weather it's a magical town.

This card, however, has been in my mind for quite awhile, and oops, yes, it's another KennyK (can't help it, I LOVE them and I sure had good luck last time). This image is Devilish Donna (wonder why she's my FAVE, LOL) with a little Santa hat from Xmas Accessories. She's colored with Copics with some added shimmer from Spica pens with some Stickles on her hat for good measure. The card stock is some shimmery Bazzil with a glitter paper mat and the pine boughs and snowflakes are MS punches. With the added gems, pearls and yummy ribbon, I think this will definitely qualify for the Digital Tuesday Sparkling Christmas (plus digi) Challenge as well as the Copic Creations challenge which is also Sparkle, don't you? I'm also entering it in the Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge Show Us Some Snow. (Tell me this challenge blog isn't right up my alley. LOL)

See her little tear? I've been listening to Christmas music and "Blue Christmas" really gets to me. In fact, nearly all Christmas songs make me tear up, not just the sad ones. What's up with that? Does anyone else get highly emotional during the holidays? So as you can imagine, this card is inspired by that song and fits in with the Sentimental Sundays Inspired by a Song Challenge.

Of course the sentiment should come as no surprise. Hope it's okay for the challenge that's it's on the inside. Just couldn't make it fit on the front. And I decorated it, no less. Quite the labor of love. I sure hope you all are with your loved ones this Christmas, but if anybody is missing anybody out there, this card's for you. xx

Kenny K's Let it Snow and One Stop Sassy Christmas Challenges

Am I done with my decorating? Don't ask, but seems like I've got other things on my mind so I decided to sneak in a quicky for the Kenny K's Krafty Girlz Let it Snow challenge. This is Troublemaker, isn't she cute? And sassy? You bet! Perfect for the Sassy Christmas Challenge at One Stop Craft Challenges. The DP is Cosmo Cricket, mats cut with Spelbinder's Wonky Squares (my current fave), embossing folder is an OMC internet special from last year, snowflakes are Cuttlebug and MS punches, adhesive gems from M's, sentiment is computer generated and self explanatory. LOL Wonder who I should send this to?

And WooHoo! I won!

Happy New Year at the Cuttlebug Spot

Since this is the last challenge for The Cuttlebug Spot until after the New Year, we're celebrating 2011. Had a bit of a tough time with this since I'm not even close to being ready for Christmas, so the thought of New Year's puts me over the edge) but I browsed through my pics for something "New Year's related" and came across this vintage photo from (?) and thought it was a hoot. I printed it 4 times and cut it out with decreasing sizes of my Nesties Classic Rectangles so I could get the pyramage effect. The fun shaped mats behind are Nesties Wonky Squares (I even love the name!) and the white one is embossed with the Cuttlebug Seeing Spots folder. (Looked like all the bubbles in the photo) The larger mat is cut from holographic paper which was sort of difficult to cut because there's a thin sort of plastic coating which didn't want to cut through, even after running is serveral times through the Cuttlebug. The groove was certainly enough to allow me to carefully follow the lines with my scissors, though. Phew! the large black mat is embossed with the Cuttlbug Polka Dots folder which is 5x7. Wish they all were.

The image layers were popped to give the 3D effect and I thought the tinselly fiber looked sort of festive and vintage. 2011 is cut with the Quickutz Haunted Mini Alphabet. (Yes, I know it looks like the Cricut Blackletter font, but I really try hard to keep my Cuttlebug Spot cards all Cuttlebug whenever possible.) The stars are peelies. So I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season but still has time to stop over to The Cuttlebug Spot to see the rest of the DT projects, which are infinitely more creative than mine. Nilda is even giving you a break by only requiring a comment to be in the running for this week's prize from The Craft Barn. Okay, gotta go. Another hair appointment and then back to the city. When the heck I'm I gonna finish my decorating?

Tiddly Inks Let it Snow!

It's our final challenge of the year at Tiddly Inks so Let it Snow! That's right, the Design Team has all sorts of frosty fun and there's a freebie and a special end of the year prize just in time for Christmas, so I'm sure you don't want to miss this challenge. I was all set to do one of the many adorable Tiddly Inks snowmen when I remembered Margie's cute dancing penguin card. It reminded me of "Happy Feet" so I decided to create one myself using Penguin Hop ( and he's only $1.00!) I printed him out in 3 graduated sizes and colored with Copics and fussy cut; a regular penguin chorus line. They're dancing in front of their igloo that I designed in Cricut Design Studio using Create a Critter. The ice blocks are glittered with my Xyron. The huge snowflake is a Cuttlebug cut and emboss duo with a little Jolee bling attached. Sentiment letters are Stickos by EK Success. I hear there's lotsa snow going on all over the country these days so why not celebrate the white stuff? But stay warm!

BBTB2 Gnome for the Holidays

Happy Monday, everyone! Mine is gonna stink. I have a dentist's appointment that would have been just a routine cleaning but I added a filling replacement without realizing exactly what day or time it was. (The beauty of retirement.) Seriously, an 11:30 am appt. is the worst. Ruins your whole day, not to mention I'll be starved before my mouth feels normal enough to chew. That, along with the 2 other DT projects I need to get done and I'm SCREWED! Sorry, just had to vent. Of course I'm not even close to finishing my decorating. I could go on and on. At least I'll get this posted and you all can feel smug about your Monday which HAS to be better than mine.

Our gorgeous and multi talented Design Team Sister Julia chose the BBTB2 challenge this week; the wreath from Joys of the Season. She wrote a beautiful explanation of the symbolism of the wreath and what did I do? I stuck it on a garden gnome from Freshly Picked. OOPS! Sorry Julia! Had I known that, I would have done something far more elegant. LOL I made a shaped card in Cricut Design Studio by welding the shadow of the wreath and gnome and layered accordingly. The DP is Me & My Big Ideas and the card stock is Bazzil and Stampin' Up (thanks Lillie!) I just got a new Cuttlebug Cricut Companion folder set for Give a Hoot and that cool beard texture was part of the set and it's a 5x7 folder too. WooHoo! I just know I'm gonna be using this one alot. It didn't even sit unopened for one day!

Used a bit of Swiss Dots on his hat and booties too. Although most of this is inked with Faded Burlap Distressed ink, I used Copics on the wreath. It's a much easier way to add detail. His face and hands are colored with Copics too. Didn't have any flesh toned card stock. Not quite as much dimension as usual but it looks like more IRL.

Okay, I know the sentiment is cheesy, but I just couldn't help myself. A little note about the inside: When you're doing a bunch of layering on the outside, I feel stongly about balancing it inside with at least one mat. It help is stand up better and keeps it from feeling flimsy. In the case of a shaped card, I weld the regular cuts (not shadows) together to get an inside mat. (You may have to had some contours or fill in gaps with other shapes but it certainly adds the sturdiness you need. Then I matted the computer generated sentiment using my Nesties Labels One dies and inked the white one while it was still in the die. Now go see the gorgeous wreaths the rest of the Design Team created at BBTB2 and come play along. You may use any wreaths from any cartridge if you don't have Joys of the Season. P.S. I'm way behind on my commenting too so I have to apologize. Not sure when I'm gonna catch up, though (New Years?) Also apologize for the long post. Pretty darn wordy for someone who's got tons to get done! LATER!

Macabre Monday Colorblind Christmas

This week at Haunted Design House we've got a Colorblind Christmas. Our cards can have no red or green, not even a smidge. I've gone pretty neutral with kraft, black and white and created a stair step card.. My skellie hand is a Martha Stewart Halloween treat bag. I filled the fingers with paper strips so I could shape them a bit. It's holding an ornament which was a freebie from Tiddly Inks as well as the sentiment. The pine branches are cut on my Cricut from Joys of the Season (with the pinecones cut off) and stickled in black. I've also stamped some Tim Holtz snowflakes and inked with Distress Inks.

VERY Nightmare Before Christmas, don'tcha think? So I'm also entering it in the Smeared and Smudged Oh! the Horror! challenge. You can get a better idea of the dimension here and please don't miss the working noose hanger. LOVE that knot! LOL Now scurry off to HDH to see what the rest of the Minions did for the last challenge of the year and be sure to play along. Oh, and don't worry, we'll be back in January for plenty more creepy fun! In the meantime, Merry Spookimas!

Oh Alice! and Some Odd Girl Challenges

I've finally started my Christmas decorating but I still couldn't stay away for the craft room. I've missed so many Oh Alice! challenges and this week the challenge is to make our own flowers. I just received a Die-namics Rolled Rose die from MFT that I saw on my dear friend Enfys' Blog and just had to have. Tried it out straight away, using the plastic sack from my grapefruit and regular copy paper. (I thought is had an interesting pattern/texture). I used my Xyron to adhere the pieces together and thought it turned out pretty darn cute, especially after adding some adhesive pearls (that I colored with my Copics) and a little red bow. Since Some Odd Girl is sponsoring the challenge, and I also wanted to join in on the Some Odd Girl "Girly" challenge, I thought I'd do double duty and used Mae as Alice Pose and colored her with Copics. I collect Alice images, and Some Odd Girl has some of the cutest.

To make the mat I used my new Freshly Picked Cuttlebug Companion Folder and sanded the embossing to make the mushrooms stand out. The center is cut with a Spellbinder's Labels Seven Die. The frame is popped and I've embossed the inside mat with the Cuttlebug Seeing Spots folder. The lattice border is a Martha Stewart Punch. Not pink and frilly, but I hope this is girly enough.

Peppermint Fresh from Peggy Loves Vintage

Okay, I'm officially hyper about this holiday. I told myself NO WAY would I still be decorating on Christmas EVE (like I'm usually doing) but have I even started? Of course not. Maybe today. Anyone else in a panic? I do have a solution for last minute card makers, though. I've been messing with embossing folders and punches to make some quick but beautiful cards and what better images to use than Peggy Loves Vintage? Here I used an image from Candy Cane 1 Cut Outs (also available on Peggy's Vintage Christmas CD volume 4) and I love that I was able to resize the image to fit in the center of the MS Punch Around the Page set (which if you ask me is a pretty funky size). There are 6 different candy cane images on the cut-out sheet so I plan to make a whole set. The loopy border of the image inspired which punch I chose and I adore how it came out (except for the glare on the pic, sorry).

I was going to mount it directly on the A2 card base that I embossed with the Cuttlebug Candy Cane Stripe embossing folder (don't remember where this one came from, maybe a bundle?) but decided to add a smaller red mat to show off the loops better. Then I just did 2 layers of popping and I was done! I just love how fresh and clean it came out. Be sure to visit the Peggy Loves Vintage shop and check out the variety of Cut Outs that are available for quick download and stop by the Peggy Loves Vintage Blog for inspiration (and perhaps a freebie or two).

Tiddly Inks Christmas Carol Challenge

This is my second post of the day, so if you're looking for my Cuttlebug Spot card, please scroll down. The Tiddly Inkers are back after a short break and we're all about Christmas Songs. Can you guess what the inspiration for my card was? I've used the new Santa's Helper image along with Yay (I've trimmed her away from her presents) to create a scene from the song "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus". I've framed the cute couple using mats that I've cut and embossed with the Spellbinders Labels Ten die and covered it with a transparency from Creative Imaginations. The mistletoe in the background is a Sizzix die and I've added adhesive pearls for the berries. The sentiment is a peel off.

The images are colored with Copics and I've added Stickles to Yay and Marvy Snow marker to Santa's Helper to simulate fur.

The mat stack is held together with brads (that I heat embossed with antique gold because I didn't have the right color) and the whole lot is popped for dimension. I've adhered Santa's Helper to the transparency with glue dots and then popped his Sweetie just at the edge with the dimensional glue dots to look like she's leaning in to steal a kiss. xx

Inside I saved the mat cut outs and stacked them on another piece of the transparency. I've added a computer sentiment, border peelies and some red beads for a little pop. The rest of the Tiddly Inkers have more fabulous inspiration so go have a look at the Challenge Blog and be sure to stop by Christy's regular Tiddly Inks Blog for A Tiddly Tuesday freebie.

Christmas at the Spot

Well, we're back at The Cuttlebug Spot after a Thanksgiving break and we're celebrating Christmas by using our favorite embossing technique. I chose double embossing; using two folders on the same piece of card stock. First I embossed with the Snowflakes limited edition Cuttlebug folder (available at Custom Crops and on SALE through tonight, so hurry!) and then embossed the same piece again with the Tim Holtz Snowman folder. This lightens the inital embossing somewhat, but is is still visible even where the embossing overlaps. See on the snowman? I used my Copics to add a little shadow to the snowman to help him stand out a bit more and continued with the frosty feel by adding a mat with icicles using my MS punch. The layered snowflake is from a the Spellbinder's Create a Flake 1 die and the sentiment is torn from the Tim Holtz Holiday Words folder and again enhanced with the use of Copic markers. The final touches were more Snowflakes along the edge using a longer Cuttlebug border folder (don't remember where I got this one, HSN?) and a string of adhesive pearls. Brrrr! Hope you guys back East are keeping warm. It was 64 degrees yesterday in San Francisco.

Our prize this week is a $20 gift certificate to Custom Crops so hurry over to The Cuttlebug Spot for more inspiration and come play along for a chance to WIN!

BBTB2 Winter Frolic Santa

Eiyiyi! I can't believe it's the 6th already! Please don't remind me how little time is left before the big day. This is our first challenge in December for BBTB2 and our adorable and fabulously talented DT sister Joanna chose the Santa from Winter Frolic. That's 2 in a row from that cartridge, but remember, you can choose a Santa from ANY cartridge if you don't own Winter Frolic, as some of the gals did this week. I immediately started doing my usual design (shaped front in DS, with one of the sentiments) and then decided to do something entirely different.

I've been pulling out neglected things from my stash, in an effort to remind myself I've already got more crafty stuff than I know what to do with, and remembered the Sizzix pop-up sleigh die I just had to have (and of course never used) and thought dear Santa might look groovy riding in it. BTW, the Sleigh is a Bigz die and you CAN use your Cuttlebug to cut it out. The die is very thick, so you don't use your A plate, just a B plate, the Bigz die, card stock, and another B plate.

So you're seeing the INSIDE of my card. I decorated the sleigh like they did in the pic on the Sizzix die. I just happened to have the same Sizzix embossing folder and that was one less thing to worry about. LOL I cut Santa at 3 1/2" and added the trees border (also from Winter Frolic) cut at 4" behind the sleigh. I cut them twice and trimmed off 2 of them and embossed them with Swiss dots to add a bit of interest. Merry Christmas is from Beyond Birthdays shrunk down big time in DS and actually colored with Copics, as are the border presents (in the sleigh also from WF).

I did a bit of embossing on Santa himself, too. His sack is embossed with the Cuttlebug Mesh Texture and his beard is flocked and then embossed with the scrolly (not a word but you get the idea) heart from the Hearts 3x3 combo set (which I can't seem to find anywhere online at the moment.) The small scale worked well for the tiny beard. I used a Marvy Snow Marker for the trim on this coat and hat and realized that you've got to be a bit careful when applying the heat gun or it will scorch a bit. (I call it soot from the chimney.)

All of this stuff in the center makes it a FAT card in a different way, so I kept the front really simple; double mats, some candy striped ribbon and "ho, ho, ho" cut from Christmas Cheer. Now head on over to BBTB2 to see the rest of the DT's fabulous inspiration because Santa Clause is coming to town! P.S. It's naughty not to play along!

Macabre Monday Octopodally Ominous

Greetings! Need a little break from all of the Christmas cheer? LOL Well it's time for another Macabre Monday at Haunted Design House and I'm really excited this week. We're being sponsored by the FABULOUS Octopode Factory and let me tell you I LOVE every stinkin' thing that Lily puts out! Talk about some REALLY unusual and creative digis! And to think this artist is only 17 years old! So the challenge this week we are to use ONLY 8 things on our project. EVERY little thing counts; the card base, image panel, bit, bob or whatever counts as an element. I SAID it was a challenge! (especially for me, the "More is never enough" gal!)

I had one tough time deciding what image(s) to use (since I have almost ALL of them) but finally settled on UberCool Steampunk Lady Flo and her admirer Steampunk Reginald. (That's 2) And I couldn't resist adding a Tim Holtz fragment to each of their eyes. (That's 4!) Card base and 2 Graphic 45 Steampunk DP mats. (That's 7!) And a computer generated sentiment. (That's 8!) Oh CRAP! No embellies! Well, that's it for the challenge, but you bet I'll be adding a little sumpin' sumpin' after the challenge is through! (You didn't see this, did you Barb?) Now flock to Haunted Design House to see what the Minions have in store for you and be sure to play along to WIN some FAB images from The Octopode Factory!

Christmas Greetings From Peggy Loves Vintage

Is any body panicked about their Christmas cards yet? Yeah, me too, but there's nothing easier than using the beautiful images from PeggyLoves Vintage to whip up beautiful, professional looking cards in jiffy. And, because the printable images are resizable, you can customize them to fit any card size (or embossing folder as I've done here). These lovely candles are from Peggy's Vintage Christmas CD Volume 4. To add to the vintage feel, I've printed on textured card stock like my dear DT sister DeeDee does. Love the look! The beautiful Swirl Frame embossing folder is from Crafts Too, available at Custom Crops. (Just happens to be on SALE too!) I've added some MS stars to the stars on the folder for a little more bling.

My biggest problem is that I rarely finish the inside of my cards when I make them, so that's often how they remain. Many of the images on the Peggy Loves Vintage CD's have matching sentiments so problem solved! WooHoo! Ready to go! If you're really pressed for time, you can purchase Christmas Cut Outs to receive through your email, too. There are lots of themes available. Be sure to stop by the Peggy Loves Vintage Blog too. That sweet Peggy offers free images and preview her new offerings there, so don't miss out.

Game On

Today is my BFF's son's 17th birthday and last night we were invited for a little "family" birthday dinner. Since I've been making cards, I've always done a "big deal" card for him but I honestly thought I wasn't up to it yesterday. I had some DT stuff to do and at lunch I told DH that maybe I wouldn't do one this time. After all, he's 17, right? Then I started to feel guilty.

I remembered I had seen a video control on SOME cart I'd purchased recently and since we were giving him a Turtle Beach headset dealie to use with his XBox, I thought maybe I could work something out. I finally found the cut on Wrap it Up. There is a card feature but I never really like the ones straight from the cartridge, so I welded two of the controls together to make the base (no shadow, how annoying!) For the first mat I welded the headset (also from WIU) and the sentiment using a font from Don Juan to the control and started building layers from there. I panicked a bit because I usually don't design AND cut in one day (too ADD, LOL) but I did manage a pretty okay card in the time I had.

I tried to sort of keep the colors true to life (mostly black) so I used some glossy and metallic black for at least a little interest. Wish I'd embossed a bit more, but hindsight is always 20/20 and I couldn't rip it apart without destoying it (believe me, I tried). I did emboss the ear cushions with the Cuttlebug Polka Dots and the sentiment with Herringbone at least. Not quite as many layers as I like, but it has a decent amount of dimension. and I jazzed it up a bit with adhesive beads (big suprise).

The inside sentiment is from Celebrations. The reaction the card received made my day! Besides a big hug and kiss, Alex said I made the best cards EVER and that it was just perfect for what he's into right now. Gotta love him!

Bah!Humbug! Feelin' the Blues and SOG Window Challenge

The SOG Blog hop goes on 'til 6:00pm EST today so if you're looking for that, please scroll down and comment there (not that I wouldn't want you to comment here, too, but I don't want you to miss a chance for the prize). This just happens to be a Some Odd Girl card as well. How about that!

This is the last Bah! Humbug! challenge of the year and I am a bit blue (sniff sniff) but I again want to thank the gals for such wonderful inspiration all year (and the opportunity to make Christmas cards year 'round without looking daft.) I'll be back in January to do it all again with you, so have a fabulous holiday season. I'm hoping there's enough blue on this card to qualify for the Feeling the Blues Challenge. Ann, Max, and Irene have been pretty lenient with me and I appreciate it muchly. LOL Honestly though, not many other colors except adorable Some Odd Girl Snowy Mae's red hair. (Amazing how many of my stamps end up with red hair! Go figure.) I used Cricut Design Studio for the card and cut out mat for the window to enter this week's Some Odd Girl Window challenge as well. I'm hearing from my buddies in Chicago (as well as everybody in the UK) that the white stuff is falling and it's making me miss it, big time. What better time to snuggle by the fire and get in the Christmas spirit? I've used the bigger 5x7 Cuttlebug folder to emboss the snowflakes on the front AND inside and used Nesties and punches for the various snowflakes and (big surprise) a bunch of adhesive pearls for embellies. (the blue ones I colored with my Copics.)

Inside you get a better view of Snowy Mae. The sentiment is computer generated and cut with my Nesties and I've added more flakes and a border punched with an older (unidentifiable) punch.