Bits and Pieces......PPA232

A bit of housekeeping first - Blogger has added its own number captcha code in the comment section of blogspot blogs - like mine! Everyone is searching for a way to remove it because those codes are so annoying! So far we can't get rid of it. But what we have discovered is that you don't need to enter it - just comment and click post and it will work the same as always.  Hope that helps as you visit and comment in blogland!

Pieces -  I have a shallow tray on my desk where I toss extra bits, pieces, diecuts and images from projects.  I clean it out the end of every month - which means I toss almost everything in it (I know - gasp!) and start fresh on the first! Three weeks into December however that tray was full of stuff!  I had a piece of brushed silver cardstock left on my desk this week so I rummaged in the tray to see what else I could find.  A Merry Christmas acetate sheet from Project Life got me started and then I looked for accessories - a small piece of embossed white, random sequins, a leftover silver snowflake from Paper Pumpkin and my card came together quickly!  I did have to open my desk drawer for a piece of washi tape to hold it all together  :)

Pals Paper Arts has a terrific sketch challenge for us this week!

Woohoo....It's Birthday Week! FMS167

This is definitely the busiest week of the year for me. It is my daughter's birthday, my birthday, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day all in a span of 10 days. It does take some juggling to assemble the troops four times in that span and try to keep each gathering unique! We celebrated with pizza, wings and cupcakes for my daughter last night.  It is so much fun when you have a little one in the crowd who is just enamored by candles, cupcakes and ice cream!

Narelle designed a wonderfully layered sketch for us this week at Freshly Made Sketches.  It was great to take a crafting break and design a simple birthday card for a friend. Hope you get to take a break as well and join us!

                                        

Creative Blog Hop.....CTS103

That wonderful and oh-so-talented Cindy Beach has nominated me for a Creative Blog Hop.  That means I get to share my creative process with you by answering 4 simple questions - so here we go!

1.  What are you working on?  Christmas, Christmas, Christmas!  Finishing cards, writing out cards and making a few last ones just in case!  Here's a peek at my desk this week!

2.  How does your work differ from others in your genre?  My work is usually clean and simple but I like to have an interesting - or even quirky -  little detail somewhere on my card......like a small piece of mesh in the background  - 

or Santa's red nose - 

                           or a wonderfully punny sentiment......

3.  Why do you create what you do?  I loved doing bulletin boards when I taught school  After I retired I missed working with paper and design.  I look at each card as a mini bulletin board - each with its own theme and personality!  I rarely make more than one of the same card - except at Christmas - most of my cards are created with a specific person/occasion in mind.  

4.  How does your creative process work?  I like to start with a sketch.  Then I pull stamp sets from my bookcase looking for images that would fit.  When I decide on the set I start picking colors and Designer Paper.  Of course there are those times when I start with the Designer Paper and work this process backwards! 

I created today's card starting with that terrific sketch from Cas(e) this Sketch..........and an extra cut out Noel that was found on the corner of my desk........

                           

I used Natural Composition Designer Paper and whitewashed it slightly with white ink so that the notes stand out in the background.

I have passed the baton on to Debbie Crowley at expressively deb.....she is also mostly a CAS designer with a wonderful eye for color and composition.  I enjoyed meeting her at a gathering last year - she has a great smile and is such fun to chat with!  Her post about her creative style will go live next Monday....Dec. 22nd.

And I will leave you with a housekeeping note......

Blogger has taken it upon itself to add a number captcha code if you leave a comment.  Unfortunately no one has found a way to remove it yet.  But in the meantime we have discovered you can skip it and just hit "post comment" as usual......hope that helps as you travel around in Blogland!

A Sparkling Holiday Season - FMS166, PP225, FM188

Christmas activities are in full swing around here.  The tree is up, my shopping is done and I am finishing the last of my holiday cards. Winter is off to an early start here so I'll be staying in the next day or two wrapping packages and baking while another foot of snow falls!  Nothing like snow to bring on the Christmas spirit!

                      My daughter's back yard last week....



That oh-so-talented gal from New Zealand - Karren -  has designed a sweet sketch for us at Freshly Made Sketches - hope you play along!  Not a flake in sight these days where she lives!

                                                

I dressed up Karren's sketch in silver and gold with embossed ornaments.  A gold cord tie and my card is ready to deliver an elegant Christmas greeting - just right for the Paper Players Challenge this week as well!

                                                    

Friday Mashup is also having a Silver/Gold/Holiday theme this week!

                                                    

Happy Wonderful Holidays - PPA230, CTS101

Oh these colors have a down home feel to them at Pals Paper Arts!  I used Ornamental Pine and Wondrous Wreath along with the sketch from Cas(e) This Sketch to create my card this week.  And that off center paper piercing just makes me smile. As some of you have realized by now, I do tend to like things slightly askew!  

Pals Paper Arts has a wonderful homespun color challenge for us this week!  Hope you play along!

Trimming the Tree......FMS165, MM137

Decorating this sweet tree was a snap using washi tape! Then that delightful cardinal came along and offered to add the tinsel - an offer I couldn't refuse!  We will be getting our own Christmas tree this week...........now if I could just get another cardinal or two to help me with the tinsel.......

I adore this sketch by Cindy Lovell this week at Freshly Made Sketches!  Hope you play along!
                                                

Merry Monday's Christmas challenge this week is to use a bird - or two - on your holiday card.

                                               

Welcome Home! PPA229

Guess who returned home safe and sound???  Yep it is Hip Hip Hooray!  I was so excited to see him that I inked him right up on a birthday card!  Pals Paper Arts had a really neat sketch this week that reminded me of the bokeh technique so I went with it and sponged lots of soft white circles over a watercolored panel. And where was Hip Hip Hooray you might be wondering?  Well he didn't get too far........looks like he spent the week on my bookshelf stuck to the back of my Stampin' Up! catalog!