Classic Christmas.....FMS315, GDP116, FabFri126

I love the pop of an unexpected color!  Lemon Lime Twist adds a fun look to classic Christmas colors!  We enjoy classic Christmas traditions around here but sometimes the unexpected makes the holiday memorable.......

"Remember the year Dad gave you a waffle iron for Christmas?  And you hated it??"  (Cooking is not my favorite sport.)

"Remember the year it snowed two feet and no one could come except Gram and Pop but we had the best time anyway?"  (We are such snow babies!)

"Remember the year the new kitchen sink didn't arrive on time and we carried all the dirty dishes upstairs to the bathtub?"  (16 for dinner and I refused to use paper.....what was I thinking?)

"Remember the year Michael made us all watch Bad Santa and Gram kept shrieking at all the bad parts?"  (She loved it!)

"Remember the year you told us you had a strange dream about Uncle Ed (who lived 3000 miles away in California) and then the phone rang with news that Uncle Ed had died during the night?  (Cue the Twilight Zone music!)

You get the idea!  I wish you a classic holiday season with a few surprises along the way!  And so it begins!

Amy's delightful sketch is perfect to use when you want to spotlight a sentiment!  Hope you join us this week at Freshly Made Sketches!

Global Design Project is featuring a Christmas Joy Theme this week!

And Fab Friday's Color Challenge worked for me!

                                     

Stamp Sets: Smitten Mittens, Carols of Christmas, Snowflake Sentiments
Paper:  Whisper White, Silver Glimmer, Quilted Christmas DSP

Fusion: Red Christmas

The following is a Public Service Announcement:  Tomorrow is the official start to the holiday season......so brew yourself a nice mug of something warm and cozy and let your fingers do the walking through the Black Friday sales.  And if you are one of my friends who live in a warm climate.....nothing wrong with a Mimosa in a mug!

In the meantime Happy Thanksgiving to all of my friends in the US!  Miss Emma and her mom made these wonderful "place cards" for our holiday dinner!

My favorite way to play at Fusion is to combine both the sketch and the picture!  You can play with either one or both!  Hope you join us!

Stamp Sets:  Coffee Cafe, Hug In A Mug, Hero Arts Oct/Nov. 2017 Kits
Paper:  Whisper White, Smoky Slate, Crumb Cake, Merry Little Christmas DSP, Quilted Christmas DSP
Ink:  Versamark, Real Red
Die Cuts:  Coffee Cafe, Christmas Pines, Large Number Framelits (The mug handle is made using the zero)

Peace.....and Snow.....FMS314

Peace on earth is in all our thoughts I'm sure - especially this time of year.  But I confess snow is in my thoughts too. I love a snowy holiday season! We had our first snowfall this past week.  It wasn't much but it's a start!  My son managed three ski days at Whiteface so far because they make snow when the temperature drops. I am sure if the Big Guy could figure out a way to hook up a snow gun in our back yard he would do it!  Meanwhile Cooper and Benny experienced their first romp in the snow.

Cooper loved it........

Benny not so much.....lolol......

Narelle's wonderful sketch was a perfect opportunity to use SU's new snowflake embossing folder!  The star is from the latest Hero Arts monthly kit (Nov 2017).  Hope you join us at Freshly Made Sketches!

Holiday Sounds......FMS313

I love these jingle bells and I try to use them on a card or two every Christmas!  So when I saw Karren's sketch this week I knew just what to put in the corners!  The sound of jingle bells is one of my favorite wintry sounds!

Another one of my favorite sounds is this girl reading aloud!  All of a sudden things have started clicking and she learns new words every day.  Go Dog Go is the first book she read aloud on her own.....

A fitting title that seems to keep the attention of her favorite audience.....

My inkmaster friend Karren Johnson has a delightful sketch for us this week at Freshly Made Sketches!  Hope you play along!

                                                  

Stamps: Sentiment from Hero Arts October 2017 kit
Paper: Whisper White, Glimmer Paper (SU), Merry Music DSP
Ink: Versamark
Li'l Inkers Jingle Bells

Fusion: Grateful

The beautiful colors of fall have faded around here and we are left with the last deep oranges and browns.  Time to settle in, keep the kettle hot and prepare for winter.  A bit of advice if you too are preparing for ski season - always keep your princess skirt out of the way when you are being fitted for new ski boots!

I just love when I can use both the sketch and the photo for inspiration at Fusion!  You can use either one or both on your card for our gallery! The inspiration at Fusion is perfect for this time of year!  Hope you join us!

                                           


Addicted to CAS has the code word LEAVES this week!

                                                         


I went down the left side for the Tic Tac Toe Challenge.


                                                  


Stamp Sets:  Tea Time (Avery Elle), Christmas Pines (SU),  Merry Cafe (SU), Pick A Pumpkin (SU)
Ink: Cajun Craze, Early Espresso
Paper: Whisper White, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Cajun Craze, Soft Suede

Sending Warm Thoughts......FMS312

Had to break out the mittens this week as the temps are dropping around here.  Lots of snow flurries in the air today - sign of things to come!  So Smitten Mittens was the perfect stamp set to play with!  I keep all sorts of mittens in a large basket by the door along with several pairs of driving gloves, texting gloves and fingerless gloves.  I like to be prepared for all weather - and all outfits.  Meanwhile the Big Guy has one pair of  heavy work gloves that live on a shelf by the back door plus ski gloves in his ski bag and he is good to go for the whole winter.  

#imayhaveamittenproblem  

#myhandswontseesunlightuntilapril

Cecile - our friend who does amazing things with diecuts - has designed a sweet square sketch for us this week at Freshly Made Sketches.  It's hip to be square - join us!

Stamp Sets: Smitten Mittens, Hug in a Mug, Carols of Christmas
Ink:  Real Red, Garden Green, Black, Pool Party
Paper:  Whisper White, Real Red, Quilted Christmas DSP

Let It Go.......CTS246

The challenge at Cas(e) this Sketch this week inspired me to have another go with my watercolors.  We aren't exactly friends but every once in a while I invite them out to play.  My first attempt at a background came out just a solid blue......next came a muddy pumpkin-y blob.  So I started singing a new verse of "Let it go......let it go......." and got a fall mix I could live with.  Someday we may be friends.......but we aren't there yet.....

I used this sketch at Cas(e) this Sketch to design my card.

Stamp Sets:  Wonderful (Hero Arts),  Freeform Greenery (Altenew),  Colorful Seasons (SU)

Paper: Watercolor, Whisper White, Black

Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Crumb Cake, Black

Winter Plans.......FMS311

And just like that it is November!  Time to get serious about building up the Christmas card stash (my goal is 75!) and holiday shopping.  The Big Guy has winterized the boat, put it in storage and is now studying the latest ski magazines. Never to early to plan winter adventures!  The weather is a major topic of discussion around here as we watch the sky for those first flakes.  First snow is always exciting - that last storm in March not so much!  Kind of like making Christmas cards - the first few are such fun to make but by number 58 (give or take) you are so ready to make a Valentine!

I love my talented friend Jen Brum's versatile sketch this week!  Join us at Freshly Made Sketches!

Stamp Sets: Ready for Christmas, Sentiment from Hero Arts October Kit
Ink: Garden Green, Versamark
Paper: Whisper White, Woodgrain DSP, Quilted Christmas DSP,Gold Foil, Christmas Around the World DSP