A special request...

Hi stampers.  I don't have a project for you today but I do have a special request.  My sweet, sweet friend and fellow stamper (and SU demo at least once, hehe) has been dealing with a super sad situation regarding her mother's heath. My heart absolutely breaks for her and her family.  I'm asking you, at the end of this holiday season, to find it in your heart to help if you can.

Ilina's Go Fund Me Page

Even if you can't donate, please keep her and her family in your thoughts and prayers at this difficult time.  Ilina is just the sweetest person, a great friend and an amazingly talented artist.  It would be the greatest Christmas gift to me if my friends could help her and her momma.  Our boys are only a few months apart and were able to meet at Convention this year as well as her meet my mom (who also thought she was just the sweetest :-) ).

I hope everyone had a happy and blessed Christmas!

Mindy

A Fesitvus For...

the rest of us!  Hi stampers!  Happy Festivus!  LOL!  If you can't tell, I'm a Seinfeld fan ;-)  If you don't get this...I apologize....  While I'm sure I've got the airing of grievances covered (I've always got THAT covered, lol) I'm not sure how the feats of strength are going to go considering I've been avoiding workout out successfully for a while now, oops!  After all the yummy treats I'm sure going to have my work cut out for me!  Maybe after Christmas I'll have time to share my favorite holiday treats...both tried and true and NEW ones!  I got all my treats done yesterday and almost all my gifts are wrapped...just a few loose ends so to speak.  I actually got some christmas cards SENT too!

Anyway, here's a card I had wanted to case forever and finally got around to it.  I loved it in the catalog and it turned out really pretty as well!

Who would have thought that Bermuda Bay would go so well with a vintage color combo but it does!

Happy stamping!

Jolly Deer

Hi stampers!  How can Christmas be this week already?  I'm ready but I'm not ready!  I really think I'd like it if the holiday season was longer!  I'd have more time to get ready (ok, more time to procrastinate, lol) and more time to enjoy all the fun stuff!  I'm kind of dreading the time after Christmas, January-March can seem kind of long.  It's cold and often dreary and there's not a whole lot going on.  Last year was rough, with Ian being only 5-6 months old.  I'm hoping it will be a little better now that he's older and maybe I won't feel as trapped at home if it's cold.  He can do much more stuff now and there's lots of places to take him to learn and play!

Today it baking day and we'll be making all kinds of cookies and no-bake treats!  Hopefully I won't eat them all and I'm excited that Ian can enjoy some of them this year too!  I'm always looking for new things to try, what are your favorite holiday treats?

This is one of the last cards I made.  I was just playing round with some leftovers from cutting out the word.  I had intentionally cut it out at this placement in order to make a card with it!  Sometimes I have a bright idea...sometimes ;-)

I'm just going to CRY when this paper goes away in a few weeks.  I just love the vintage/retro feel and that dang deer is too sweet.  I'm warning you now, you may see it for a while!  I really love the music note design too.  I'm sure you couldn't tell that ;-)

Ok, time to check on the cookies ;-)

Happy stamping!

Peaceful Snowflake

Hi stampers!  I took Sunday off from blogging after a little road trip with the little man to my mom's house on Saturday.  And I'm not sorry about it, lol!  By the time I get us both packed up and drive 4+ hours alone with a toddler I'm pretty much done...with everything :-)

So, Sunday was a little less hectic even if we were on the go ALL day.  We ended our day by "going to town" to eat for Grandpa's birthday (it's TODAY) and taking Ian to see the drive through Christmas lights in the park.  You drive on the bike path and go about 2 miles an hour so I felt safe taking him out of his car seat so he could really see and he LOVED it.  He didn't even say anything...just looked back and forth, back and forth, ha!  I used to love a couple of displays like that growing up so I'm happy there are a few around here to take him to each year.  I hope he learns to love all the trappings of the holidays as much as we do!

Here's a simple card I made weeks ago using one of my favorite stamp sets!

Next on the Christmas agenda is cookie baking day (plenty of no bake goodies on the list too).  Ian may not be much help there....but I'm sure he'll enjoy my efforts this year ;-)

Happy stamping!

Simple Tree

Hi stampers!  I have a very simple and mailable card.  I'm really loving traditional green and bright red this holiday season...and of course pops of gold!  My posts may get shorter and shorter as we get closer and closer but hey, at least I'm blogging, right?  :-)

Happy stamping!

Another Christmas Case

Hi stampers!  I have another case from our demonstrator magazine!  This project was actually a treat holder in the magazine but of course I changed it to be a card.  At first, I didn't even realize it used mint macaron.  I would have never really thought to use it for a Christmas card but it totally works!

I'm off to get ready to go see Star Wars with my hubby!

Happy stamping!

Christmas Casing

Hi stampers!  As you know, since I whine about it all the time....I've had trouble with stamping inspiration for a long while now.  But, I've been stamping "a lot" for me recently and what got that started was pretty simple.  It was casing.  I don't really care to case many cards and I prefer to use ideas from the catalogs as opposed to other people's creations (of course I know the concept artists made the samples in the catalog but it's just how I roll....).  So, I need to learn to copy something out of the catalog the next time I sit down and can't come up with anything.  Often, after I do that, I get inspired with my own idea.  And if I don't, at least I stamped something!

This card is cased directly from the Holiday Catalog and I love it!  It's so simple but festive and fun!

That red foil paper is just awesome!  And of course, you know I love the plaid DSP!

I've got a few more cases to share and a few more to check off my list too!  Did you know as a demo you get an exclusive magazine full of advice and ideas just for demos?  There are a lot of fun ideas I plan on caseing out of the last one if I get time!

Happy stamping!

Fab Friday Fail

Hi stampers!  So I mentioned back on my recent Fab Friday post that I had wanted to make another card for the challenge but Ian had other plans and I didn't get it finished in time.  Well, I finished it :-)

Stampin' Supplies:
Stamps:  Oh what fun, holly jolly greetings
Paper:  Very vanilla, pool party, mossy meadow, home for Christmas DSP
Ink:  Real red, pool party, mossy meadow

I'm still sad it didn't work out for Fab Friday as I really liked the way it turned out but oh well.  I'm just in love with that music DSP!  I would buy a whole pack of just it!  And I really can't get enough of these colors together.

Happy stamping!

Mad for Plaid

Hi stampers!  I'm baaaaack ;-)  Don't fall over, ok?

If there's one thing I can't get enough of this season, it's plaid!  I am loving it!  I've gotten a number of plaid shirts (and currently lusting over some plaid skirts that are sold out), scarves, and I THINK I'm getting a plaid puffer vest from Santa ;-)  I'm also looking to replace our tree skirt with a plaid one if I can find it!  And get RID of the evil one we have now with bells that we keep stepping on...it's as bad as a lego, ouch!

So, I was excited when I remembered about the Christmas paper in the main catalog!  I forgot it had this awesome plaid print!  It's just so festive!  I actually made this one a while back but never got around to sharing it!  I also love the cheer all year stamp set and it's just a happy card!

Stampin' supplies:
Stamps:  Cheer all year
Paper:  Whisper white, real red, old olive, mossy meadow, merry moments DSP
Ink:  Whisper white, mossy meadow

I really like the combo of old olive and mossy meadow together!  Very festive!  And yep, there's that plaid paper again....I am really sad I forgot about it for so long...that always happens with main catalog stuff when I see the holiday catalog...

I'm going to try to do the 12 days of Christmas and blog and share every day....we shall see ;-) So far so good, right?  And I suppose I SHOULD be doing things like finishing my shopping and wrapping and stuff like that....hehe.

Happy stamping!

It's a Christmas Miracle!

Hi stampers!  I stamped!  For like a couple of hours on Saturday and made multiple cards!  This is a big deal.  I usually struggle to get just one.  I cased a few out of the catalog and came up with a few on my own so woohoo!

I had planned to stamp during nap time both Thursday and Friday since Ian usually takes around a 3 hour nap!  He, however, had other plans :-)  He ended up getting his first ear infection so his naps both days were about an hour.  I started to suspect something on Thursday since he usually sleeps so much longer.  He is getting like 7 or 8 teeth (OMG) including four molars....all at once.  Eek!  So, I chalked some of it up to that.  And then Friday I was exhausted from not sleeping well (totally aside from him being sick) then trying to get us to the doctor which took most of the morning.  It was couch surfing for momma after his bed time instead of stamping!  Thankfully, he's a trooper and doing much, much better already.  He was back to his 3 hour nap over the weekend and I got to work!  Never mind the house is a mess and I have a mile long to do list.  I was stamping!!!!!  I hope I can get the photos edited and blog posts up to share with you!  I'm very happy but sad that Christmas is almost here and I have so much more holiday stamping I'd like to do...in a perfect world...

Here is a card that I think I'll send to my dad and step mom.  I think they will like it.  And it's taken me way too long to ink up this stamp!

Happy stamping!

Fab Friday 79

Hi stampers!  Happy Friday!  It's time for a new challenge over at Fab Friday.  I really love this color combo!  It can be found in the home for Christmas suite and it's just fun and festive!  It's pretty much my go to color combo as of late. Of course, it makes great cards for other occasions too but I'm in full on Christmas mode.

I actually wanted to share a different card but Ian had other plans.  Said card is still sitting unfinished on my desk after a not so great nap on Thursday which is odd.  He's usually Mr. Naps Three Hours.  I hope he isn't getting sick!  Eek!  Anyway, there's nothing wrong with this card, I just really wanted to use the "new" one with a bit more red.  Oh well :-)

I finally used my peaceful pines die!  It's so fun!  And I had to throw in just a little sparkle with the gold glimmer paper!

Make sure to play along with us at Fab Friday!  It's our last challenge until February and we've left it open a few days longer with Christmas and all!

Happy stamping!