My Favorites for 2010: September through December

Like many of you, my post-holiday time has been very hectic. However, amidst all of the hustle and bustle, I want to make certain that I finish up my favorite cards of 2010 prior to continuing with my Occasions Mini peeks. With that said, here are my faves for the remaining months of September through December. Once again, clicking on the name of the card will take you to the original posts and details.

September

Wreath of Leaves

My Blender Pens and Paper Snips certainly got a work out with this card! Since wreaths are timeless, next year it will be fun to switch out the Designer Series Paper with Stampin’ Up!’s newest fall collection.


This fall I was able to take a class from Michelle Zindorf. Although I will never be the master of brayering that Michelle is, I did like the way this card turned out. However, I would love to switch out my ribbon for something scrunchy!
October

Quick and easy…it just doesn’t get any better! The only stamping on this card was the sentiment. With this card I began my love affair with Deck the Halls Designer Series Paper!

Christmas Balloon

And speaking of Deck the Halls, a wonderful sampling of the various patterns can be found in this balloon card! I can hardly wait to recreate this card with the beautiful Springtime Vintage Designer Series Paper from the Occasions Mini catalog.
November

Texture, Deck the Halls, glass glitter, pearls, scrunchy ribbon…need I say more as to why this card was one of my favorites!

Merry Christmas


With Pearls, Glass Glitter and an Antique Brad, the medallion in the middle of this card is vintage elegance. Once again, I can’t wait to see what new Christmas paper Stampin’ Up! has in store for us next holiday season. Deck the Halls Designer Series Paper will be a tough act to follow!
December
This card was created for a Pals Paper Arts color challenge, and surprisingly enough it worked! However, just to see what it would look like, I would love to re-create this in a different color combination!
And I leave you with my Number One Favorite Card of 2010! The ethereal glow of this monochromatic beauty tops everything!
I hope that you have enjoyed this retrospective as much as I have! And I hope that you are ready for my creations from the Occasions Mini! Until next time…

My Favorites for 2010: July and August, The Twins’ Doggie Day Spa and Blog Candy Winner

Summer time and the living is easy! Enjoy my favorites from July and August. To read the original post in which the card appeared, please click on the name of the card. The remainder of today’s post includes a few pictures of The Twins after their Doggie Day Spa excursion. The winner of the Butterfly Prints Blog Candy will be announced at the very end of the post.

July
Notably Ornate


Yikes…I was in a hurry to get this card completed prior to leaving for Convention. I totally forgot to distress the edges! If I were to re-do this card, I would definitely get out the Sponge Daubers, Soft Suede ink, and the Color Spritzer Tool! And this what an awesome Valentine this would make simply by switching to Cherry Cobbler!

Pals Swap Card


For this Convention swap card I used Pear Pizzazz, Peach Parfait, and Blushing Bride, among other colors. I would love to re-do this card with traditional Halloween colors! Ah…there’s always next year!

August
Greeting Card Kid


Texture, pearls, lace, antique brad, vintage trinkets, Deck the Halls! This is one card that I would not change! That’s unusual for me!

Doggie Day Spa

Thursday was “Spa Day” for the Boxer Twins! Mom woke them up early for their trip to the Allgood Animal Clinic and their appointment with Valerie! After an Aloe and Oatmeal bath and a warming blow dry, they had a mani-pedi and their little puppy whiskers trimmed! Look how pretty Muffy’s feet look!

After such a relaxing day, Muffy could hardly keep her eyes open when she arrived back home to her favorite napping spot on the back of the couch. On her little “Groom-O-Gram”, Valerie noted “I enjoyed all the kisses Muffy gave me!”

And look at the face on this handsome young man! At 19-1/2 weeks, Mr. Brody weighed in at 37.7 pounds. I think that Brody aspires to play professional football! He’s one big boy! On Brody’s “Groom-O-Gram”, Valerie noted that Brody was “very well behaved”. That’s Brody for you!

He is definitely a momma’s boy!

“And Brody…what a big tongue you have!”
“The better to kiss you with, Mom!”

Blog Candy Winner
I would like to thank everyone who took time out of their busy holiday schedule to stop by and comment on my card. I really do appreciate your input and support. As randomly drawn, the winner of this week’s Butterfly Prints Blog Candy is:

#52
Vicki said…
Adding pearls, glitter…really any of those extra touches makes the cards special. I’m always looking to add stuff and the blog candy looks amazing. 🙂

Vicki, would you please email your address to me within 48 hours, and I will send out your blog candy pronto! Once again, thanks to all of you for your kind remarks! Until next time…

Winter Roses and a Greeting Card Kid for Pals Paper Arts


Our final Pals Paper Arts challenge for the year features a sketch by the talented Margaret Moody. Since I was in need of more Christmas cards, I pulled out the Greeting Card Kids set and this wonderful paper from the Jolly Holiday collection. And believe it or not, it is relatively quick to make! In some respects I am saddened that this is the last holiday card I will be making this season…but I look forward to playing with my new Occasions Mini sets!

The Stampin’ Schach Design Tips:

  • Watercolor! Blender Pens with Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler and Soft Suede inks make quick work of this adorable image from Greeting Card Kids. As my final step, I added Crumb Cake shadows. If you need a refresher on this technique, my video tutorial can be accessed here.
  • Bling! Basic Pearls for buttons and ornaments, a Basic Rhinestone for the star, and Dazzling Diamonds for fur trim add a festive look to any holiday card. Hint: I use an old paint brush to paint a thin layer of Tombow Adhesive over the area I want to glitter. It’s oh, so easy!
  • Simply Scrappin’ isn’t just for scrappin’! The cute Always Artichoke ricrac is from the Christmas Cheer Simply Scrappin’ kit! Just peel and stick!
  • Winter Roses! The Rosettes from the Occasions Mini are easily applied with Mini Glue Dots! Don’t they remind you of winter roses? How pretty these would be if “smooched” with a little Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz! The leaves are simply punched from Always Artichoke card stock using the Two Step Bird Punch.

Thanks for stopping by on this eve of Christmas Eve. If you are like me, you have several last minute errands to run and things to do! I really appreciate that you have taken the time to stop in for the reveal of my PPA inspiration card and I hope that you enjoyed it. Please leave me a comment to let me know what you think. And as always, if you have any questions about the cards that I make or the techniques that I use, I am only an email away! Remember to stop by tomorrow, Christmas Eve, when I will name the winner of my last Blog Candy of 2010. I am excited to find out who it will be! Don’t forget that you can comment today until Midnight CST. Until next time…


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Stamp Set: Greeting Card Kids (W 119887, C 120633); Ink: Basic Black (101179), Always Artichoke (105219), Cherry Cobbler (119669), Soft Suede (115657), Crumb Cake (121030); Stampin’ Write Markers: Always Artichoke (105113), Cherry Cobbler (119681); Designer Series Paper: Jolly Holiday (117159); Card Stock: Cherry Cobbler (119685), Always Artichoke (105119), Christmas Cheer Simply Scrappin’ kit (117401), Watercolor paper (105019); Tools: Big Shot (113439), Tasteful Trim Bigz XL Die (120893), Blender Pens (102845), Sponge Dauber (102892), Two Step Bird Punch (117191); Glitz and Glam: Basic Pearls (119247), Basic Rhinestones (119246), Dazzling Diamonds (102023), Rosettes (118774…Occasions Mini)

Stampin’ Up! Filled with Love Bundle

Starting December 17, 2010-January 24, 2011, get a FREE package of Bitty Buttons–a $4.95 value–when you purchase the Filled with Love Bundle. Also included is the Filled with Love Stamp Set (your choice of clear or wood) and the exclusive Love Patterns Designer Series Paper!