Merry Merry Merry! FMS13

I am a live in the moment kind of gal.  I rarely take a camera with me - I prefer to go through life not peering through a lens.  I was not the mother snapping pictures of my kids at Disney World or rushing the stage to get a good shot of my tap dancer. I never took videos at Little League games. I just enjoyed the events!  But perhaps if I had handled a camera more throughout the years I would be better at taking pictures of my cards.  What happened to the score lines on my card?  They just disappeared right into the picture.  And what happened to the warm Crumb Cake color?  Just faded away.........sigh.......this card made me smile - until I snapped the picture!  I think I will just leave you now and look at the real thing clipped up on my card display rack~!

                                                                                               

                                       

Pearls For You.....PPA121

Pearls dress up any occasion!  So keeping in the spirit of the holiday season - and the challenge at Pals Paper Arts -  I broke out the pearls!  Hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful - and ended with pie :)

Christmas Bells.....FMS12

The very talented Jen Mitchell designed the sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches.  So in honor of Jen and her new policy of using up designer paper (that seems to abound in so many of our craft rooms) I dug out last year's Deck the Halls. My die cut circle fit perfectly after a bit of fussy cutting around the poinsettias and the holly leaves.  The bells are embossed in gold  - and ready to ring in the holiday season! 


                                                  

Dear Santa......PPA120

Dear Santa,
     I hope you like this letter I am sending you!  I dressed it up with beautiful sparkles - just for you!  And I wouldn't mind at all if you left me something sparkly too!
                                   xoxoxo  Linda


                         
Pals Paper Arts is hosting a sketch challenge this week. Join us and dress that sketch up any way you'd like!

Truly Thankful.....FMS11

Doesn't this oval frame look like a turkey platter? It reminds me of Thanksgiving dinner - which reminds me of one more thing that I am thankful for this time of year.  My wonderful sister-in-law cooks a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner every year - and all I have to do is show up with dessert! "Freshly Made" of course!


                     

Pals (119) and Players (71)

There's a lot going on with this card - just like the holiday season! Pals Paper Arts challenged us this week to do a holiday card and I decided to follow the recipe at The Paper Players.  Let's check that list of ingredients:

3 Pieces of Designer Paper:  Silver Glimmer, Letters to Santa, Marina Mist Stripes

2 Ribbons:  Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding, Old Olive Narrow Taffeta

Punch:  Look carefully - there's the edge of of a one inch circle peeking out as a tab to open the card.

Glitter:  Hmm the silver cord is sparkly and how about the glittery paper?  And then there are those random bits of silver embossing powder scattered here and there where they aren't exactly supposed to be!  That definitely added extra sparkle!

'Tis the season to make a list and check it twice.....

Simple Joys.....FMS 10

Snowmen are definitely one of the simple joys of the season - and look how happy this one is to be in the middle of all that joy!  My Design Team friend Rita Wright designed a wonderful sketch for us this week at Freshly Made Sketches.  Hundreds of Stampin' Up! demonstrators attended convention in Salt Lake City last July.  And out of all of those demonstrators I met Rita - and actually ran into her

more than once! We even managed to get in some quality chat time during a Make and Take session.  I find it amazing that a few months later we ended up on the same design team........simple joys.........

                                                

                                    

Guest Stamper - Trina

My friend Trina is a very creative and talented stamper.  She designed these invitations for her son's wedding using Cards and Pockets folders and Stampin' Up stamps.  She spent hours overlaying images and embossing.  The results were gorgeous!  Her description of this amazing project:

"I created these wedding invitations for my son’s wedding. His fiancée, Jessica, and I decided on the invitation pocket fold and colors. Sam and Jessica made all of the decisions regarding the wording of the invitations and the other information. I purchased the precut invitation card stock (cream puff) and precut invitation mats. I cut the cream puff cardstock for the inserts by hand. Sam and I created all of the printing on my home computer. I stamped and heat embossed the flower, leaf, and butterfly designs on the front of the envelopes, envelope liners, and invitation pocket fold fronts and inside. They were my own designs. I also stamped the monograms on the front of the invitation belly band. The dinner menus and favors matched the invitations. Making these invitations was a true labor of love!"

 

She has entered her design into a contest at Cards and Pockets.  If you would like to vote for her - click here.  Scroll down to Petrina Zimmerman under the DIY category.

So Elegant - PPA118

Pals Paper Arts has a beautiful color challenge this week!  I love all of these neutrals - they are so classy!  But these lovely colors present another challenge - how to photograph them well!  I struggle with pictures when using white - or in this case Very Vanilla (with a bit of Soft Suede spritzing on it).  The white background takes a blue tinge and the Vanilla just isn't rich and creamy like it is in real life.  I do use daylight bulbs and a light tent but if anyone has any other helpful hints I'm listening..................
  


                                     

Flowers For You - FMS9

My DT friend Tui Nathan designed the sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches.  Tui is from Australia and this summery card using Calypso Coral, Berry Blossoms DSP and flowers from Simply Soft is made with thoughts of Tui as she heads into summer.  We in the Northeast are well aware of what is coming our way after two October snowstorms - and it is not summer!  I also love exchanging e-mails with Tui - she says good morning and when I answer back I end with good night.  She greets the day 13 hours before I do! Reminds me of the Beatles song........I don't know why you say good-bye......I say hello.......