Stenciling in the Snow....FMS616

 

Through the Woods from Concord & 9th is a multi layered stencil set that I used it to create my wintry scene.  I love how beautifully detailed it is!  And with this design my Christmas cards are done!    

Now it's time to get serious about the final Christmas preparations.  Amazon and LL Bean boxes arrive daily it seems.  Time to start wrapping! 

Sending you all best wishes for a wonderful holiday season and a Happy 2024!

Amy's wonderful sketch has so many possibilities this week!  It is a busy time of year so we have extended the time for you toenter. It is our last challenge of the year and will remain open until January 1, 2024.  Lots of time for you to join us at Freshly Made Sketches!

                                      

Stencil and inks from Concord and 9th

First Flakes - FMS615

 

Nothing like snowflakes to send warm winter wishes!  Snowy days are the best!  This card came together quickly thanks to embossing folders so it was perfect for making several holiday cards. The large snowflake was made with a folder from Pink and Main that embosses four different large snowflakes at once AND cuts them out at the same time- bonus!  The time saving factor is a big plus this time of year!  

Karren has a great sketch for us this week - so many possibilities!  Take a break from the Holiday Happenings and join us at Freshly Made Sketches!

Stamp Set: Snowflake Sayings (Pink & Main)

Embossing Folders: Snowflakes Emboss and Cut Folder from Pink and Main, Snowflake Sky from SU!

Ink: Versafine Black

Paper: Bubblebath, Basic White

Flurrying Around......FMS614

 

I am a total hot chocolate fan in the winter.....especially on a snowy day!  The flurries are flying already here but none have stuck around too long.  But we did have a wonderful "summer day" escape last week.  We went to see the Monet immersive exhibit - it was fabulous!  And just like the Van Gogh exhibit my favorite part was the virtual reality experience.  You feel like you are actually entering the painting!

And when it was over we headed back outside into the flurries - too bad they weren't pink!

Jen Brum's delightful sketch has endless possibilities!  Have fun with it at Freshly Made Sketches!

Stamp Sets: Frosties (Lawn Fawn), Cup of Cocoa (Newton's Nook)

Ink: Mementon Black, Copics, Bubble Bath

Paper: Basic White, Bubble Bath and Balmy Blue (SU!) 

Merry, Bright...and Quick....FMS613

 

I am feeling a bit behind this time of year when it comes to holiday cards!  But this card came together quickly thanks to a simple tag and pretty paper,  Six cards were made in no time!  I never use the same design for all of my cards. Batches of six work best for me and then I am ready to move on to a new design. Then there are those cards that are a one and done! (You know exactly what I mean!) 

We are having a cold icy rain as I type this on a Tuesday evening.  Hope your Thanksgiving travels don't get delayed because of this storm moving eastward across the country. I'm happy my daughter lives five miles down the road - I'm sure we will get there on time for our turkey dinner!

I have a lot to be thankful for - including being a part of this wonderful crafting community!  Happy Thanksgiving!

So many possibilities with Kim's wonderful sketch!  I made a slight adjustment for my tag but I don't think she will mind!  Hope you join us at Freshly Made Sketches!

The Paper Players have a CAS Tag challenge this week!

Stamp Set: Merry & Bright Days (Colorado Craft Company)

Ink: Poppy Parade

Paper: Blueberry Bushel, Merry Bold and Bright DSP

Silver Glitter Washi Tape

Snow Is In the Air.....FMS612

 

The first flakes of snow arrived in my neighborhood this week - enough to stick on the grass for a while! Hope that is a sign of a snowy winter to come! We had too much rain and ice last year - I will take the flakes any day! So I wait looking similar to that chubby rabbit watching for more flakes to arrive - only my sidekick is a noisy schnauzer who is too busy looking for cats and squirrels and not snowflakes!

It's a busy time of year for sure but I hope you can carve out a few moments for some crafty time! Join us at Freshly Made Sketches! I'd love to see what you create with my sketch!

                                              

Stamp Set: Bird Perch (Colorado Craft Company)

Ink: Memento Black, Copics, Lost Lagoon

Paper: Basic White, Snowflake Magic DSP

Get Well Wishes....FMS611

 

I had to buy this set with the sweet thermos bottles because it brought back memories of oh so long ago. I don't drink coffee but I love the smell of it - it woke me up for many years! My parents both worked and carried a thermos of coffee every day.  My dad would get up first, make coffee, fill each thermos and put them in the lunch boxes that my mother had packed the night before.  Depending on the weather my thermos would be filled with milk or hot chocolate.  Wow ancient history!

I am not a good cook but I am great at buying gift certificates at our local soup and sandwich shop.  At my age I have many friends getting new knees or hips these days so this card is perfect to tuck a gift certificate inside.

I always love Jen Mitchell's square sketches! Have fun with it at Freshly Made Sketches!

The fall/winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop is happening this week!  Always a fun hop!

                             

Stamps: Warmest Heart (SU!)

Ink: Memento Black, Copics, Misty Moonlight

Paper: Basic White, Delightfully Eclectic DSP

Beelines - FMS610

 

In early October I was working on a card when the bee exterminator came to my house.  I left my craft room to speak with him and when I returned the sentiment stamp for my card was missing.  I am glad to report it reappeared yesterday on the back of scrap cardstock! No clue how it got there since I didn't use scraps that day but it somehow landed in the scrap bin.

I do use scraps to plan a card if I am trying to choose a stamp set. I can't do it in my head - have to see it in front of me.  When I saw Jen's sketch I thought.....hmm....snowflakes? coffee cups? pumpkins?  leaves? So I grabbed a few sets and pulled out A2 panels to do rough drafts.  The second panel I pulled came with a bonus - yep there was my missing sentiment!  I took it as a sign and put my four stamp sets away and found some bees!

So many possibilities with Jen's great sketch this week!  Hope you join us at Freshly Made Sketches!

Stamp Sets; Hey Honey (Pink Fresh), Welcoming Window (SU!), Bee My Valentine (SU!)

Ink: Memento Black, Versafine Black, Copics

Paper: Basic White

The Bark Side.....FMS609

 

Being the dog person that I am I just could not resist this adorable set of ghostly dogs.  The designer paper made the perfect setting for those two brave barkers.  Then I stenciled a panel of "real" ghosts which must have scared that pup into dropping his candy!

Love the fun saying inside!

Judy created a wonderful sketch to play with this week at Freshly Made Sketches!  So many possibilities!

Stamps: The Bark Side (Colorado Craft Co)

Paper: Basic White, Basic Black, Them Bones DSP

Ink: Memento Black, Versafine Clair Black, Copics

Ghost Stencil: Newton's Nook

A Batty Halloween....FMS608

 

Oh you can take the elementary teacher out of the classroom but you can't take the elementary out of the teacher.......

I do miss those wonderful years in the classroom! So much fun and laughter.....and learning!

Have fun with Jacquie's great sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches!

Stamp Sets: Spooky Sweets (SU!), Witches Hat (CCC)

Ink: Versafine Clair, Distress, Blackberry Bliss

Paper: Basic White, Basic Black

The Great Pumpkin Blaze Take Two - FMS607

 

Before Covid shut down the world we took Emma to the Great Pumpkin Blaze down along the lower Hudson River in the Catskill Mountains not far from West Point.  And last weekend we got to do it again with both grandkids this time.  It was as spectacular as we remembered and the kids were mesmerized by thousands of lit up pumpkins that created everything from villages to amusement park rides to undersea creatures and of course ghosts.

It was great fun on a perfect fall night! So I think I know where the inspiration for my card today came from!

Amy's sweet sketch was perfect for a pile of pumpkins!  Hope you join us at Freshly Made Sketches!

Stamp Sets: Pick of the Patch, Harvest Hello

Paper: Basic White, Them Bones DSP

Ink: Versafine Black, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Crushed Curry, Evening Evergreen

Sailed Away.....FMS606

 

This combo set of stencils, dies and stamps from Concord and 9th has sweet nautical images to use on "postage stamps".  My original plan was to make three stamps and use the sentiment "Lets sail away"  in the space Narelle marked for the sentiment.  I stamped out a rough draft on scrap paper before working on the real deal.  

But then doorbell rang - the pest control guy.  Yellow jackets recently built themselves a lovely condo under our dining room window.  The bee guy was great and explained all about the life cycle of the yellow jacket, how they lived, what was inside and what he would be doing.  It was like listening to a Disney nature program.  Then he suited up and headed to the side of the house while I watched from the front sidewalk.  He sprayed into the nest and there was a mass exodus.  A few more sprays and he got off the ladder. 

He crossed the yard to show me he had captured the queen,  She was quite feisty and was actually trying to bite him through his gloves....who knew? I then heard all about the queen and how she ruled her colony of yellow jackets. I was still fascinated and still in Disney mode when I asked, "Now what?"

He said the bees who escaped would keep returning looking for the queen but without her they would die off. And then he dropped the queen and stepped on her!!! I almost had a heart attack!  I don't think Walt Disney ended his nature films that way.......

I finally composed myself and headed back to my craft room to let the Big Guy deal with the rest of it.  And somehow during the hour I was gone "Let's Sail Away" sailed away.  I can't find that sentiment anywhere so I added postmarks and put a bigger sentiment across the bottom.  Perhaps the Queen gave one last command to some escaping drones to sneak into my craft room and........

Narelle has a great sketch for us this week!  Don't think she will mind my sentiment adjustment!  Hope you join us at Freshly Made Sketches!

Stamp Set: Seaside Post(Concord&9th)

Ink: Versamark Black, Harbor, Blueberry, Buttercup (Concord&9th), Smoky Slate (SU!)

Paper: Basic White

Let's Talk About Amy....FMS605

 

Autumn Leaves is a wonderful set full of leaves and sentiments and interesting dies.  There is so much you can do with it but I took the clean and simple path and started with some dies, the new Copper Clay color and beautiful foil DSP -  whose shine gets lost in the picture taking!

And now you may be thinking....so who is Amy??  Amy Koenders is a Stampin' Up! demonstrator who used to live in the Atlanta area.  Brian King - also from Atlanta -  would host an amazing stamping event every year and I would fly down from NY to join in.  It was always great fun and I got to meet so many wonderful card makers.....like Amy!  Amy hit a million dollars in sales a while back and got to work with SU! designers to develop a stamp set in recognition of her achievement.  Autumn Leaves is that set - definitely a keeper!

Endless possibilities with Karren's great sketch this week!  Hope you join us at Freshly Made Sketches!

Stamp Set: Autumn Leaves (SU!)

Paper: Copper Clay, Basic White, Tartan Foil DSP

Ink: Early Espresso

Best Friends....FMS604

 

Miss Emma is stenciling every time she comes into my craft room these days so I thought it was time for me to join her. The Simplest Gestures set from Pinkfresh has endless design possibilities. I stamped and embossed a floral image and then used coordinating stencils to shade in the flowers and leaves.  The sentiment is from a different Pinkfresh set called In My Heart. The perfect card for a good friend!

Cecile's sketch this week captures her sweet artsy style perfectly!  Hope you join us at Freshly Made Sketches!

Stamps Sets: The Simplest Gestures and In My Heart (Pinkfresh)

Ink: Versamark, Versafine Clair, Distress

Paper: Basic White

Yo Ho Ho - FMS603

 

It's been  busy couple of weeks here in the craft room getting ready for Emma's birthday party!  Her mother goes all out with party theme decorations - I am a fringe player and just follow orders! This year's theme was Pirates of the Caribbean. My first assignment was invites.  I cased Heidi Collins' delightful card using the set On the Ocean.

Next up  - tags for the goodie bags!

  As long as I had that set out I used it for this week's card!

The party was a big success. The Captain greeted guests 

and the rest of the crew assembled quickly!

Pirates of the Caribbean was shown on the outdoor screen while the crew feasted.

So much fun..........

Jen Brum has a great sketch for us this week at Freshly Made Sketches!  Hope you have some fun and join us!

Stamp Set: Bag of Bones

Paper: Basic Black, Crushed Curry, Basic White

Ink: Memento Black