Merry Christmas! PPA149

As if the holiday season isn't busy enough my daughter's birthday was last week and mine is today!  My goal every year is to have everything done by my birthday so I can just kick back and enjoy.  Except for a bit of baking things are pretty well set around here.  And I am spending my birthday with Emma - best present ever!  Thought you might enjoy seeing Emma's reaction the first time she ever laid eyes on the Grinch!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Pals Paper Arts has a sketch challenge this week!

Flurry to the Finish.......FMS66

     As you can see Cherry Cobbler and Be of Good Cheer Designer Paper played the lead roles in my Christmas designs this year.  I have finished with a few days to spare and all of those Christmas supplies have been packed away until next winter.  So far the only flurry around here has been a flurry of card making - not a flurry of snow in sight. I am the eternal Christmas optimist..........haven't given up hope yet for a white Christmas!

My two grand-poodles are bundled up and ready for snow too. However their posing for a Christmas card photo didn't go too well! Guess little Adi likes Si's sweater better than her own........

                          Tui's sketch is delightful this week at Freshly Made Sketches!

                                                  

Christmas Wedding Invitations....PP126

A few days ago, the son of a gal I work with told his mom that he and his fiancee wanted a quiet wedding over the holidays with only close family invited - and a $1000 budget.  I would have gone into an immediate "Are you crazy?" mode.  Not this gal - in 48 hours she had everything ordered and organized from the church to the dress to the invites - that's where I came in.  She wanted 12 simple invites with a holiday look that involved snowflakes and could go regular mail. And I had a 24 hour deadline! Snowflakes, sparkle, silver embossing and these invites were good to go.  Whew -  now back to my regularly scheduled Christmas preparations! 

The Paper Players are having a CAS snowflake challenge this week!

Sugar and Spice.......FMS65

I kept the sketch real simple this week at Freshly Made Sketches because who needs complicated this time of year?!?  I am one of "those" people who refuses to do anything Christmas until Thanksgiving dinner has been cleared. So as the Polar Express heads toward Christmas, things at my house are bustling.  I am finishing cards, shopping, wrapping - and starting tomorrow - baking! This sentiment is so sweet that I thought it should take center stage on my card.  It describes the atmosphere around here perfectly.  No time to chat today - there is a freshly cut tree on my porch waiting to be decorated! 

                                               

Classic Christmas................PPA148

                                 

The challenge colors at Pals Paper Arts this week are classic Christmas to me so I searched Lesley's Merry Monday Site for a classic sketch to follow.  Then I channeled a bit of Ann Schach and did some spritzing, sponging and pearling.  The result is classic - simple, serene with a touch of elegance.  I'd like to think that's what Christmas is like at my house but classy and elegant just never seems to happen around here!  With 4 dogs and a new baby in the mix this year I think it will be more Dr. Seuss than Martha Stewart!


                                                              

                                                                 

Happy Christmas......FMS 64

My British relatives always wish us "Happy Christmas" so I was delighted to see this sentiment included in the More Merry Messages set! I will be sending this across the ocean for sure. My mother did bring some interesting traditions with her to America. Instead of a stocking, a ribboned pillowcase was tied to my closet doorknob and Christmas morning I found it stuffed with fruit, sweet treats, and games. There was always roast beef and Yorkshire pudding for Christmas dinner - and yes flaming plum pudding. (I always skipped the mince tarts and that horrid fruitcake!)  And there are way too many holiday pictures of me wearing a paper crown that came out of the cracker by my plate.  I'd like a word with the Brit who invented those snappy things...............


            Cindy has designed a sweet sketch for us this week at Freshly Made Sketches!

                                                    

Sweet and Simple! FMS63

Rita's sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches is sweet and simple - just the way I like it! And as a result I love the simple homespun look of this card.  My goal is to keep this Christmas season sweet and simple as well.  I know who will make it sweet................so now I have to work on that simple part!

Hope you join us at Freshly Made Sketches!

The Holidays Are Upon Us! FMS 62

And so the season begins this week - the season for thanks and giving.  My plan is to enjoy the holiday season and not get caught up in the chaos!  That means family gatherings and internet shopping!  I don't have to tell you who I am most thankful for this year.......Swimmy Girl herself...........

Jen Mitchell has a wonderful sketch for us this week at Freshly Made Sketches.

Friendship.............PPA147

Thoreau's words about friendship are lovely but I have a few thoughts of my own to add:  

A true friend gladly makes your son's costume for the school play while you vacation in Florida.  

A true friend stealthily rearranges furniture with you at 2 AM and never wakes anyone up.  

A true friend never complains while you wait for a push out of a snowbank that you attempted to plow through before the plow came through.

And a true friend always has Diet Coke in her refrigerator...............



Margaret's sketch this week at Pals Paper Arts is a fun one!

                                                       

A Christmas Carol - FMS 61

I survived my first day of Emma sitting - and even managed to make a card as well!  Emma was very happy sitting in her bouncy seat in my craft room as long as I kept singing Christmas carols.  You can never be too young to learn the words to "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas!"

This card came together fast thanks to a tip from fellow DT member Rita who said just sponge that Natural Composition paper in any color for a great effect - and she was right!

               
Jen has a great sketch for us today at Freshly Made Sketches!

                                                               

An Early Birthday Gift! FMS60

Tui's wonderful sketch at Freshly Made Sketches this week inspired me to create a birthday card - complete with candle. I have had some major computer issues lately so I know what I will be wanting for my birthday next month. But I did get a nice gift this week - from all of you!  My readers topped 700 which totally amazes me - wow! You all rock!  I asked my husband to guess how many readers he thought I had.  He said "Mmmmmm counting family maybe 50 or 75."  And now I must thank you all again - because the look on his face when I said "Over 700" was priceless!

Twilight Stamping.............PPA146

So here's the story ~ it was Monday afternoon, my usual stamping time.  Being on a design team means meeting deadlines and I need two cards to be finished, photographed and sent out by Tuesday morning.  I completed the first just as the wind started picking up from Hurricane Sandy.  A few minutes later three trees toppled on our block and the power was out.  After a trip outside to make sure neighbors were all right I went back upstairs to do my PPA card in the fading afternoon light. I didn't want to be working with paper in candlelight! I grabbed a piece of Riding Hood Red and started in. I even found DSP to match and then looked for an ink pad.  I don't have a Riding Hood Red inkpad so I thought I would try Cherry Cobbler ink and see how that worked.  Wow I was amazed at how well it matched the paper.........duh..........

Your eyes are not playing tricks on you - that is Cherry Cobbler paper - hope you play along with us at PPA no matter what color red you pull out of your folders~!

Our power has been restored and we dodged serious damage here in upstate NY.  We are so fortunate - there are no words to describe the devastation Sandy has caused.  Hoping that you all stayed safe.......

   
                                              

Feel Better Soon! FMS 59

We all feel a bit green now and then - not fun at all!  When my daughter was about 4 she got sick one night.  After a while her stomach settled and I got her back to sleep.  I put down clean beach towels making a path from her bed, across the hall and into the bathroom - trying to save the carpet just in case!  Sure enough an hour later I heard her hollering for me.  I met her at the bathroom door where she was crying and saying  "Mom there were clean towels in my way and I had to take a new path from the other side of my bed to the bathroom. But I didn't get the towels dirty!"  Oh I found that path - no problem!  

Have a fun Halloween and don't eat too much candy ;)

Try Cindy's wonderful sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches.


                                                   

It's Great To Be Back! FMS 58

It is great to be back with the wonderful gals at Freshly Made Sketches!  Storybook DSP was just hanging around my desk so I decided to put it to good use on Narelle's cool sketch!

                                                  

Here's a peek at the simple thank you cards I had been making using Storybook Designer Paper.  

And here's a peek at Emma - I believe this is the "Don't try to sweet talk me" look!

Halloween Witch.........PPA145

Remember the witch in The Wizard of Oz writing "Surrender Dorothy" across the sky? I do!  Pretty scary stuff when you are 6! Looks like this witch from Toxic Treats is much friendlier - and not a flying monkey in sight!  (shudder)

Emma Lin is pretty friendly herself this week.  She is one month old and already practicing the royal wave!  Not quite ready for sitting up though...........I think she is hiding from those flying monkeys!

Margaret designed a great sketch for us this week at Pals Paper Arts - hope you join us!

Falling For You! PPA144

Whew what a wild three weeks it has been getting used to the "new normal" of having a brand new baby in the family!  Granddaughter Emma is doing just fine - her mom's recovery has been a bit slower than expected but she is improving daily.  I have been helping out every day but unlike Emma's parents I sleep very well when I get home at night!  Thanks to so many of you for your cards, comments, and good wishes!  

Thought you might like to see a photo from Miss Emma's first photo shoot at two weeks old.  Baxter really isn't as forlorn as he looks in this picture.  He has proven to be a great big brother and sleeps near Emma all the time.

        Pals Paper Arts has a beautiful fall color challenge this week - hope you join us!

                                             

Just a Note! PPA143

I have been working on note cards for myself and for my daughter to send out since many people have sent wonderful gifts for Emma.  I am glad my daughter still sends hand written notes since electronic mail seems to be the norm these days. However a quick text message can prove to be invaluable. What would you do if you were told that you would be transported to the OR in the next few minutes for a c-section? Reach for your iPad and get your Fantasy Football team squared away before the morphine clouds your thinking of course!  Whew - thank Heaven her brother texted Erin just in time to remind her to set her team - our league is not for amateurs........... :)

                             
                                  Margaret has a great sketch this week at Pals Paper Arts!

                                                    


                       Resting up before the big trip home!

Here's Lookin' at You Kid!

Here she is!  Emma Lin Wheeler finally made her entrance into this world - fashionably late! Mom, Dad and baby Emma are doing well after a long week in the hospital. Since Emma wasn't cooperating, her mom ended up with an unexpected c-section after three days of trying to coax her into this world. Finally all 7 pounds of her arrived squawking and wide awake! Here's Emma at 24 hours old sneaking a peek at her Grandma! I love September and her arrival has secured its place as my favorite month for sure.  My son's birthday is today so I have included a shot of him with his new niece taken a few days ago.

It may be a few weeks before I get back to normal with my stamping, blogging and commenting because I am going to be very busy doing this: