Merry Christmas My Friends and Blog Vacation

Merry Christmas, Everyone! I wish for all of you to have a merry and bright Christmas filled with love, joy and happiness!!! Thank you for stopping my blog and always being so kind with your comments. I am very grateful for all the blessings in my life including all of you!!

I'll be on blog vacation until January. A few of my family from Hawaii will be here to visit us in California so I will be spending time with them. We'll also be spending time with them in Disneyland for New Years. . . I may pop in and blog our pictures with them if I can find the time.

Again, Merry Christmas my friends!!

Christmas Gift Ensemble #4, #5, and #6

Happy Monday, Everyone!! Wow. . .time is flying! I have a Christmas party tomorrow. . . I made a bunch of favors and I'll post them tomorrow but for now, I'm just posting the gift ensembles I created. Are you tired of looking at them? I was debating whether to post all of them and decided I worked so hard on them that they need to be posted. LOL!

I'll take photos of my Christmas party tomorrow and post them. I wish I had my family over but oh, well. . .they're an ocean away in Hawaii so it would be rather difficult for them to attend!! LOL!

Here is the card. I had heat embossed the "peace" sentiment with SU Real Red embossing powder and punched a hole in the center and added the bow. The designer paper was pretty so I decided to use the flowers on the paper as the primary images by adding rhinestones on the flowers. Beats having to stamp the image and coloring them.

As you can see in the photo. . .each of the flowers have a rhinestone.

Here is the coordinating mini purse album. Basically the same as the others I've created so there's not much to say about it.

Here is the inside. . .again, same as the others!!

Here is another set! After I got the hang of it, I was able to create these ensembles really quickly. I tried to stick to similar themes and keeping the design simple so that the design process was a "no brainer"!!

Again, same as the other projects I created. Not much to discuss on this one!

With this card, I heat embossed the snowflake and added the button to the center. I also heat embossed the sentiment.

You can see the heat embossed snowflake and sentiment in this picture.

Last but not least. . .I am seriously in love with the designer paper. It's by Basic Grey. Isn't it pretty? Again, because the designer paper was so pretty. . .I avoided covering it up so I just added the ribbon and sentiment. . . .that's it.

Basic Grey makes such nice designer papers! The reindeer is a print on the paper. . .I didn't stamp it.

Sometimes if you can find a designer paper that is really pretty. . .you don't have to do much creating. . .a simple ribbon and sentiment is enough!!

Hope you all are having a fabulous day! Christmas is in 3 days! Yipee!!

Be safe this Christmas, okay!!

House Mouse Christmas Card #2 and Confession

Hey Everyone!! Ooh, a few more days and it's Christmas! OMG!! It came so fast!

I decided to work on a few more House Mouse Christmas cards . . .I decided to color the image with my Copic Markers. At first I wasn't happy with the results with the Copic Markers but it sort of grown on me. LOL!

I still have a few more things to do. We have a Christmas party on Tuesday and I need to make a few favors and clean the house. Too funny! I do clean the house regularly but I need to REALLY clean the house.

Are you the same way? Do you super clean your house only when guest are going to be coming over to your house?

Yesterday my husband asked me for Christmas cards to send to his side of his family and his friends and I was like "ummm, I thought you were going to send them bought cards?". . .he was like "no, why would I send them bought cards when you make them?". . ..I'm like "but, I just made enough for my friends!" LOL! I gave the cards to him because well, he is the financer of the materials to make the cards so. . .what can I say? "No?" I don't think so considering I need him to continue to support my crafting needs.

Honestly. . .for those who receive my cards and goodies. . .the person to thank is actually my husband. All the goodies I send out was financed by him. . .I just make the stuff! I have to say I'm blessed to have a husband who don't mind paying for all the things I send out including blog candies, gifts, etc. .

Needless to say. . .I'm now short of Christmas cards so I have to make more of them which by the way is a bit too late in the game. Argggh! That's okay. . .I'll make them anyway. . .better late than never, huh?!

I have to make a confession. . .remember all the gift sets that I created? Well, I had an initial list of people to send to then my list grew longer. I sent out the ones I already made and realized I have to make more of them.

So. . .back to churning them out but rather than as a "Christmas gift". . .they'll be more like an "After Christmas gift". LOL! Besides, when I went to the post office yesterday, the post man told me that the stuff I sent may not make it in time for Christmas, especially the ones sent outside of the Continental US. So sorry about that! I'm late . . .as always.

Anyway. . .hope y'all are having a fabulous day!!

Card Details:

Stamps: House Mouse, Stampin Up

Paper: DCWV Designer paper, SU Real Red, Old Olive

Ink: Copic Markers

Accessories: SU 1 3/8" circle punch, Fiskar mini scallop scissors, SU Crystal Effects, Ribbon (?), JoAnn Brad, Prima Flowers

Gift Ensemble #3

Hi Everyone!! You're like. . .more of them? LOL! Sorry about that but this is all I've made for Christmas! Maybe when I'm done with the gift ensembles, I'll work on different Christmas projects but for now, you'll see more of these!

Anyway. . .this is the gift bag. I bought the plain blank gift bags and rubber stamped the images on to the bag then I put a topper/tag over it to keep the bag closed and serve as a tag as well. The "snowflake" panel in the front actually opens up similar to a card so you can write your note on the inside so the design serves as a decorations as well as a gift tag/card.

Here is the matching mini purse album.

Here is the mini album opened up.

With this card, I stamped the snowflake with Versamark and heat embossed it with white embossing powder. I added a designer brad by Making Memories to the center. The brads by Making Memories are so pretty!

You can see a better close up of the pretty brad in this picture.

Card and Project Details:

Stamps: Inkadinkado, SU

Papers: S.E.I designer paper, SU Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Whtie

Ink: SU Choclate Chip, Versamark, Sakura gel pen

Accessories: Making Memories designer brads, SU 1 3/8" circle punch, Scallop Circle Punch, Ticket Corner Punch, White embossing powder, Prima Flower, Ribbon (?)

Before I go, I wanted to share a photo of my daughter's "Key Club". On Friday last week, they got together and went Christmas shopping for "children in need". Children who otherwise may not receive any gifts this year, thanks to the donations of the KIWANIs and Key club, will have something for Christmas. They donate to kids every year.

On Monday night, the kids from the Key Club got together again to wrap the gifts. You have to commend these kids who give countless amount of hours volunteering their services to the community. I am so proud that my daughter is part of such a wonderful club. She has been with the Key Club for 4 years and she wants to continue when she goes to college.

Hope y'all are having a great time this Holiday Season!!

InStyle Stamps Now Available for Purchase

Hi Everyone!! Just a little break from all the Christmas stuff I've been creating!! I just wanted to let you know that InStyle Stamps are available for purchase. They got an early batch in so be sure to grab your stamps while they are available. Click Here to check out the online store.

This is Ginger . . .one of th 7 stamps released this month. This is such a cute image. Ginger is so pretty. . .

The sentiment is not an InStyle stamps but I thought it was a perfect sentiment for this image. I don't even know who makes the sentiment because the stamp didn't even have a label. It must have come from a set but don't know which. Oh, well.

I colored Ginger with my Copic Markers. I know the color combo is sort of "different" but I pulled the colors from the designer paper. Do you see the flowers on the oval panel?Well I actually stamped all the little flowers and colored each one. Now, that's dedication! LOL!!

Anyway. . .this post will be short today. I still have a lot of things to do before the weekend comes.

Hope you all are having a fabulous week!!

Card Details:

Stamps: InStyle Stamps Ginger

Paper: K&CO designer paepr, SU Rose Red, More Mustard

Ink: Copic Markers

Accessories: Prima Flower, Darice Rhinestone, Coluzzle Oval Template, Fiskar "Cloud" scissors

House Mouse Christmas

Hi Everyone!! I'm still using Firefox and I'm not sure how this post will turn out!

I decided to dust off my "House Mouse" stamp. . .I haven't used any of my House Mouse this year until now. This is actually my first time coloring my House Mouse with Copic Markers. The jury is still out on the results.

I actually don't like it. . .I typically watercolored my House Mouse images in the past and I think the results are better when watercolored.

Just a short post today! I have two more of the gift sets to create and I'm done. I'll be sending them out on Friday. I highly doubt that some of them will make it in time for Christmas but better late than never, huh? It's the thought that counts!! LOL!

Card Details:

Stamps: House Mouse, SU
Paper: Glossy white cardstock, SU Cameo Coral, Wild Wasabi
Ink: Copic Markers
Accessories: CB Embossing Folder, Joann Brads, SU 1 3/8" circle punch, Scallop Circle Punch, Fiskar mini scallop scissors, Stickles glitter, organdy ribbon

Christmas Gift Ensemble #2

Happy Wednesday, Everyone!! Here's a photo of another gift set. Same as yesterday's set but different at the same time. There's so many people I would love to send the Christmas projects to but I can't make enough of them. There's not enough time to make them all. If I miss you this year, I promise to be more diligent next year and create more projects to send out. This year. . .well, I sort of mismanaged my time and I'm a bit disappointed in myself.

I'm currently using Firefox as my browser because there is a major security issue with Internet Explorer in the case you haven't heard. It's been in the news so be sure to avoid using Internet Explorer for now. Until they can get it fixed, they recommend that you use a different browser. Although there's not much difference in the look of the browser, I noticed my layout of my post seem to be slightly different so if you're using Internet Explorer to view my blog, the posting may be a little off.



Now on to my card. . .with this card. . .I loved the dp so much that I didn't want to cover it up at all. So. . .I heat embossed the reindeer image directly on to the designer paper. I colored in parts of the image with my faithful metallic gel pen!!

As you can see, I placed the sentiment and ribbon in a way not to cover the designer paper too much. There's so many pretty designer paper that it's sometimes a shame to cover them up with a stamped image.

I liked the look of tying the bow at the bottom of the sentiment in a vertical fashion.

This is the mini purse album that I created. . .actually, it's exactly the same as all the others I posted and will be posting but using different designer paper, prima flower, ribbon, and brads/buttons/rhinestone.

Here is the inside of the mini album. I stamped the CD sleeves with snow flakes. The pocket has inserts that you pull out and you can add your photos.

Okay. . .now, on to more creating. . .I want to finish them all by tomorrow!!

Card and Project Details:

Stamps: Inkadinkado

Paper: DCWV designer paper, SU Purely Pomegranate, Bordering Blue, Sakura Metallic gel pen

Ink: Versamark Ink, Purely Pomegranate,

Accessories: Ribbon (?), Marvy 2 1/2" circle punch, Fiskar mini scallop scissors, Prima flowers, Making Memories bronze designer brads, SU Round tab punch, White embossing powder

Christmas Gift Ensemble #1

Happy Tuesday, Everyone! I've been busy. . .shopping, wrapping gifts, and creating gifts! I'm sorry I haven't stopped by your blogs and said "hello". . .it's just that are so many things I need to get done so I can actually relax and enjoy the holidays. I've been busy working on these projects so I can send them out before Christmas.

Every year, I create a set of gift ensemble that I stick to. . .it's much easier to create the same sets so I can get a rhythm. It's difficult to create a variety of things because I spend more time thinking about what I can create than to actually create them so during Christmas, I decide on three types of projects, usually a card, a scrappy item, and a gift bag. . .then I create them for everyone that I'm going to give these gifts to. I try to make them a little different for each person but I stick to the same projects

Anyway. . .here is the first set. My goal is to make at least 10 sets this year. I'm up to #4 so I actually have 6 to go. Argggh!! In this picture, it shows the card and mini purse album. I forgot to add the gift bag in the picture but I already sent this set out already so I can't take a picture of it. You can see it in the first picture above.

I heat embossed the Christmas bird image using SU Real Red embossing powder. The image is from a Christmas Inkadinkado set and the sentiment is by SU.

You can't really see it in the picture but I filled in the flowers with metallic gel pen to have the flowers and snowflakes stand out a bit.

Here is the inside of the mini purse album. The pockets were created using CD Sleeves. I'll be posting the rest of the projects each day because there's something a little different each one.

Oh, I wanted to show you the boxes I sent out yesterday to my family. Inside are multiple gifts that I wrapped. Argggh!! I then had to wrap the packages with postal paper. I stayed up late the other night so I could get them out yesterday.

Believe it or not, the postal cost for the 5 boxes totaled $103. Argggh! I was so bummed out about the cost to ship all of the boxes to Hawaii. One of the boxes cost $35. Sheesh, I could have bought an extra gift with the cost of that box alone.

My husband told me that I should send gift cards instead but honestly, I don't like sending gift cards. . .first, it shows the cost of the gift card and I find them a bit impersonal. I like the idea that "I" chose the gift personally. . .with the person in mind. You know what I mean? It's just that the shipping cost sort of "waste" what could have been an extra gift or more expensive gift to that person. I told my husband that I'll pick lighter gifts next year! LOL!

Card and project details:

Stamps: Inkadinkado, SU

Paper: SU Real Red, Bliss Blue (I think), DCWV designer paper (I think)

Ink: Versamark Ink, Bordering Blue, Real Red, Sakura Metallic gel pen

Accessories: Ribbon (?), Making Memories brads, SU Large Oval Punch, Fiskar mini scallop scissors, Prima flowers