Skaaaaating Away......

StampinUp had these really cute skaters but unfortunately they were in a set and I wasn't crazy about the other stamps.

Boy was I happy when I saw almost the exact same skaters in Paper Source! I grabbed it  and went home and made this card. I am using this "blueprint" quite a bit this season. I am diggin' the red and brown as I tend to stick to blue/teal and brown. George is gonna like this one!

The $87.00 Dollar Card

The Paper Source is having a holiday card contest. Soooooooo being the competitive person I am, I had to enter it.

Of course contest rules state you can only use Paper Source products. Soooooooo $87.00 dollars worth of PS stuff I came up with this card.

I think it is a winner. Sooooooo the prize you ask? A $50.00 gift certificate to Paper Source!!

Believe in the Poinsettia

Nothing says Christmas like a house full of poinsettia plants.  I love them. I especially like the cream and pink ones. The above card reminds me of those poinsettias.

I tried to think a bit outside the box and went for a green poinsettia. What do you think?

What is your favorite poinsettia- deep dark red, cream, pink or mine- the pink cream mix?

Sing a Song of Christmas

It's time to really start concentrating on the Christmas season and card making. Over the next 20 odd days I will show you a variety of holiday cards.


This card features the Memory Box singing chicks. We are mixing up the classics with the whimsical.


*** new item alert the beads on the chicks hats were made with the new pearl pens by Viva Decor.


On the above card I stamped the music with Momento's  London Fog Ink.


The below with black.

I liked the grey background, George liked the black. What do you think?

Now for Something Completely Different....

Since I have gotten a new stove in the past 3 weeks  am back to my love before stamping - cooking! I actually used to teach cooking and did some catering.


One of the things I love about my new stove is the griddle in the center- along with the extra oven!

I thought I share with you all a quick photo recipe for "Toads in a Hole". I have always wanted to make this. I love "dip in'" eggs- ya know the over easy runny ones. TIH is like that only the toast is built in. I kick it up a notch by using cinnamon roll bread from Trader Joe's. I reminds me of my all time favorite decadent, one billion calorie breakfast- the McGriddler from McDonalds.

You start with: 

Next throw a couple of pats of butter down on your hot griddle- or fry pan.  

Put your bread down and get it nice and hot.

Now carefully pour unbroken egg into the center of each piece of bread.

Cook until egg is beginning to set, then carefully flip the toast and egg over. And cook until whites are done and yolk is still runny. This all takes about 3-4 minutes maybe.

Lastly for total decadence I added some grated pepper jack cheese for saltiness and kick.

I hope you enjoyed this wee change from the card making and I hope you try Toads in a Hole yourself!

Stay tune for lots of holiday cards!

It's that time again....

I saw the first of many Hallmark Christmas movies last night. Poor George groaned and said "I guess this is what we will be watching for the next month!"


I love those sappy, pull on your heart strings Hallmark holiday movies. I can watch them over and over again. They always get me in the spirit just like my yearly tradition of making glitter balls.


Yes Virginia they are baaaaaack.......


Please head on over to The Memory Box- Outside the Box blog for my exclusive video on how to make these little gems!!


http://davebrethauer.typepad.com/outsidethebox/video-tutorial/

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Happy Tricker Treat Day All!


We will be leaving fall behind and moving into winter. That means holiday cards, gifts and decorations will all be in the front of our creative mind.


Before we start thinking snow and christmas trees let me showcase the last of my Halloween cards.

Have a ghoulish day everyone!

Happy Mischief Night!

George and I are invited to a Halloween party this evening and I can't go empty handed.  A bottle of wine is always nice, especially if sports a cute little costume itself. This wine tag fits right around the top of the bottle and just covers the label. Naturally this tag is spooky, but you can create a wine tag for any occasion.


See you tomorrow with some more spooky ideas!

Howl at the Moon

I will be taking part this year in the annual Howl at the Moon event at One Little Spark in Tuckerton NJ.  Here is what will be going on next weekend straight from Pat Thorpe the store owner.

The fun gets underway Saturday at 11am, and continues all weekend!  In addition to the awesome line-up of classes during the day, there will be door prizes, creative (and free!) make-n-takes Saturday AND Sunday, yummy treats, and more!  And ... don't forget your costume!  We'll be handing out special prizes for that!  So ... let's take a look at this year's Howl at the Moon line-up!

Halloween Treats
taught by Sue T.
October 23 at 11am
$25

Fun Halloween cards and great techniques!

Please bring a basic class kit.

***************************************************************************************************************************

Simply Spooky
taught by Heather Meeson
Saturday, October 23 at 2pm
 $25

Sometimes the tricks ARE the treats! Clean and simple designs are far from boring and this class really shows you why! We'll be using a variety of embellishments, gorgeous papers, and images from A Muse to put together designs you'll want to use over and over again all year long! You'll go away with ideas you can reproduce in a pinch, without sacrificing the "wow!"

Please bring a basic class kit.

***************************************************************************************************************************

Eerily Elegant
taught by Heather Meeson
Saturday, October 23 at 6pm
$25

We'll be stepping "outside the box" in this class, using stamps not normally associated with Halloween to make cards that are eerie and elegant! Join Heather to see just how versatile A Muse images can be!

Please bring a basic class kit.

***************************************************************************************************************************

A Distressingly Good Time
taught by Deb Corder
October 24 at 11am
$25

An introduction to all the wonderful things you can do with Ranger Distress Inks. We’ll be creating some fabulous spooky tags that you can add to a card, use on a gift, for scrapbook embellishments, or keep them as handy reference. Join Deb and get your grunge on!

Contact store for supply list.

***************************************************************************************************************************

A Ghastly Glimmer
taught by Deb Corder
October 24 at 4pm
$25

Do you love the look of Glimmer Mist, but are stumped on how to use it? Join Deb, as she teaches you the tricks of the trade - both on it's own AND paired with other products to a ghastly, glimmery effect! You'll go home with tags you can use on a card, as a scrapbook embellishment, or keep them as handy reference!

Contact store for supply list.

***************************************************************************************************************************

Pat Thorpe the store owner is really excited about the classes she is offering for Howl at the Moon this year and I think you will be too!  If you've taken a class with her daughter Heather designer for AMuse before, you know you'll go home with not only fabulously creative cards, but some new handy-dandy tricks in your back pocket as well.  And Deb's classes ... well,  it's tough not to squeel about all the new things you'll learn (and how EASY they are, despite looking hard)!  Gotta' love that!

Be sure to call in advance to save your seats in class!   I look forward to seeing you there!

Behind in my Wishes

Every year I make one of the docs I work with a birthday card. He actually has all my cards I have made  over the last 10 years on display in his office! This year his birthday slipped past me and a month had gone by when I remembered. This seemed the perfect card to send to him. 

The stamps are from a relatively new company out of Canada that has a very Magenta feel to their stamps by the name of the Artful Stamper. I just love using colored pencil on kraft paper.


Needless to say my Doc loved the card and forgave me being behind in my wishes!

INSPIRATION BY GEORGE!

Sooooooo George my sweet and adorable husband got me flowers for World Card Making day! Can ya believe that?!!

They were so beautiful- soft pinks and whites with a hint of red. I used these flowers as an inspiration for a thank you card for the DH.

The envelope of flowers is a very old StampinUp stamp that I have been wanting to use forever. To add the hint of red I added some punched butterflies.

I have been trying to create more interesting insides as well and continued the soft subtle pink through the inside of the card as well.

Have a wonderful Sunday!

HAPPY WORLD CARD MAKING DAY EVERYONE!!

I hope all of you are doing something creative on WCMD this year. I will be doing what I usually do on a weekend morning- spending it in my studio for a few hours before I have to do all the weekend things we all have to do!

Happy World Card Making Day Everyone!!

Witch is Cuter!

This wee owl witch from AMuse stamps is hands down cuter then any other witch in my book! 


My friend Pat and I were talking the other day about how we never really considered Halloween a big holiday-let alone send cards out for it. But I am a convict- I mean convert to the whole spooky, creepy, ghostly Halloween thing.  I have been having HUGE fun creating lots and lots of truly spooktacular and sometimes bloodcurdling cards this year. I started sharing in my last post and will continue throughout the Halloween season.


Both this card and the haunted hill card in my last post are among the cards I will be teaching at One Little Spark on Oct. 23 at 12:00.


Have a ghoulish day- I am off to clear the cobwebs and to create more Halloween cards!

Halloween in 90 Degrees!

It is kinda hard to think about Halloween when it is 90 degrees out, but I made this card when it was much cooler.


I thought I was the only one to think of this but I have seen it on other blogs. My "haunted houses" in this trifold card are the new ginger bread house set from AMuse. Some dark paper and black embossing and we have a spooktacular card.


I am looking forward to Sunday when the weather cools off again.


Tomorrow I will be at One Little Spark in NJ teaching with Pat Thorpe the owner the annual Holiday Card Extravaganza. Come on down it is cooler by the ocean!!

Last Two Samples for Holiday Extravaganza

Happy Saturday Everyone!


Here are the last 2 samples for the cards I am teaching at the Holiday Extravaganza next weekend.


Please see Fridays's post for all the details.


Have a great rest of your weekend!