Angel Nativity Tree

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog today. 

Well, it's only 10 days until Christmas. Hope all your preparations are going according to schedule. Mine came to a halt this week because I came down with a cold. I am better now.

So, I  am frantically trying to make up for lost time. Today my plan is to finish addressing my Christmas cards and get them to the post office. Then move onto the tree in my living room. It's up but I haven't decorated it yet. Once that is done my decorating will be finished and then I can move onto gift wrapping and baking. 

Since my day is so full and we have a Christmas dinner to go to tonight, let's move onto my card for today. This one I created for my weekly DT post on the CottageCutz Blog. 

I used the Angel Tree Nativity die to complete my card. This die is so pretty so I tried to keep the card relatively simple. I don't usually make black & white cards for Christmas, but I had this designer paper from Stampin'-Up that I wanted to use. It has the words from different Christmas carols in French, German and English. I thought I could pair it with both black & silver cardstock as an accent.

To get a black border around the image panel I made a mask and sponged instead of adding cardstock. I didn't want to cover up more of the words on the designer paper. The sentiment is from a set by PaperTrey ink. 

I did sponge a little yellow around the manger to create a soft glow. My card was completed by adding a few sequins. Well that's it for me for this post. So until next time...…..God bless. 

die I used to create card:

I am also entering:

1.  Alphabet Challenge has a "S" for seasons greetings challenge.

2.  Winter Wonderland has an anything goes challenge.

3.  Cardz for Galz has a non-traditional Christmas colors challenge. Black & White are not colors I    usually use on my cards.

Peace on Earth

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog.

 

Hope all your Christmas preps are coming along okay. I am still running a little behind. Had a few setbacks this week with other things going on. But, I hope to be able to catch up this week.

 

It's another busy one with Preschool, my neighbor's annual holiday tea, and then we have tickets to see a holiday show at a theater in downtown Pittsburgh. It's the Magical Cirque Christmas. My hubby's birthday is at the end of the month so this is an early present.  

 

This weekend I want to finish making my Christmas cards and then get them addressed and mailed. I may get my hubby to help with the envelope addressing. I have the dining room tree completely decorated and that room is finished. The living room tree is in the stand but not decorated as yet. Hope to get to that on Monday. I have an aggressive plan for this week so I just need to stick to the plan. 

 

Now let's move onto my card for today. This one I made for the color challenge #712 on Splitcoaststampers.  Stef was the hostess and she chose coastal cabana, pool party, mossy meadow and silver. Optional was to do some heat embossing.

coastal cabana, pool party, mossy meadow, silver

For my card I used the Stampin-Up scenic season stamp and created a simple background scene. I bought this stamp years ago and have never inked it until today. But I thought the image was perfect for the colors that Stef picked.

This stamp set has a sentiment that I taped off before inking. Stamped the trees in mossy meadow ink and then used wink of stella for shimmer. Then I taped off a portion of the trees and just stamped the little bird that is also part of the stamp set in coastal cabana ink. I repeated this part 2 more times to stamp 3 birds.

To cover the dessert option, I stamped some background snowflakes in Versa-mark ink and then used white embossing powder and heat set.

To create the sky, I sponged tumbled glass distress ink over the snowflakes for an emboss resist technique. I used more of the tumbled glass ink as a border around the layering panel.

For my peace phrase, I used a CottageCutz die and cut it in coastal cabana cardstock. I cut it 3 times to give more dimension and sponged with coastal cabana ink. The peace dove is part of the same die.

I finished off my card by mounting it on a silver cardstock base to cover that color in the palette.

 

Well that's it for me for this post so until next time...…..God bless.

 

card details:

Stamps: scenic season (Stampin-Up), in the meadow (PaperTrey Ink)  

Paper: whisper white, mossy meadow, coastal cabana (Stampin-Up), silver (recollections)  

Paper Size: A2  

Ink: mossy meadow, coastal cabana (Stampin-Up), tumbled glass distress (Ranger), versamark (Tsukineko)  

Accessories: peace, love & joy dies (CottageCutz), white embossing powder (Stampendous), clear wink of stella (Kuretake)  

 Techniques: Emboss Resist, Heat Embossing

 

I am also entering:

1. Crafty Calendar Challenge has a "it's Christmas time" challenge. 

2.  Inkspirational has an anything goes Christmas challenge #175. 

3.  Christmas Crafts All Year Round has an anything goes.  

 

Dapper Dachshund

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog today.

 

Well here we are at December 1 and now only 24 days until Christmas. I was making progress on my decorating and then this week it was too busy to get anything else done.

But my goal for today is to get one of my trees up and decorated. I put that one in the dining room so I want to get that room completely decorated. If I get that done I will be a happy camper (lol)!! 

 

If I want to get my goal accomplished, I need to get started. So, let's move onto my card for today. This one I created for my weekly DT post on the CottageCutz Blog. I used the new Dapper Dachshund die from the Black Friday release for my card.

 

I started my card with the Mojo503 sketch. If you don't know already Julee Tillman has started up the Mojo sketches again. She has them on Facebook and on her blog.

I had this plaid paper from Lawn Fawn in my stash and thought it was so perfect for this debonair doxie. I cut her sweater and hat in the corresponding colors on the designer paper.

 

The sentiment is from an MFT stamp set and I thought it was so perfect for this little cutie patootie.

 

Well that's it for me for this post. So until next time...….God bless.

 

die I used to create card:

 

I am also entering:

1.  Crafty Catz has an anything goes with optional twist of too cute.

2.  Creative Moments has an anything goes.

3.  Paper Craft Crew Challenge has a new to you theme.

 

Waterfront Scene

Hello Blogger Friends. Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog.

 

Well, it's cyber Monday and the deals are all over the internet. Hope you found something and at a good price! I am looking at a new HP desktop computer. I found one at a great price at Sam's Club. I only have until end of day today to make my decision.

 

My existing desktop in my craft room has been acting wonky for months now. I had a friend look at it and he initially thought it was some malware. But after cleaning with a couple of new programs it's still doing the same thing. I have virus software but I guess it doesn't clean this malware stuff.

 

So let's move onto my card for today. This is a card I made for the color challenge #713 On Splitcoaststampers. Barbara was our hostess and she has chose balmy blue, pineapple punch, granny apple green and berry burst for her color palette. Optional is a never been used stamp set.

granny apple green, balmy blue, berry burst, pineapple punch

For my card I used the Stampin'-Up Waterfront set. I bought this set because I was seeing so many beautiful scenic cards stamped with it but then I never used it. Sound familiar anyone???

I watched a video on YouTube from Christine Riley and I loved what she did with the set so I went to work on my card.

I stamped the mountains in balmy blue ink. I stamped off 2x to give the appearance of being farther away. Then the closer mountain ranges in full strength.

The trees in front of the mountains I used night of navy ink (it's Stampin'-Up's new neutral). Stamped off 1x on some of the trees. The water is stamped with balmy blue. I stamped off 2x again for a color gradient. Then the darker water is stamped full strength.

 

Used granny apple green ink for the grassy areas. The pine trees on the grassy areas are stamped in mossy meadow (another new neutral from Stampin'-Up).
The pineapple punch is covered with the sun and the berry burst with my thanks die cut phrase. Well, that's it for me for today. So until next time...….God bless.

card details:
Stamps: Waterfront (Stampin'-Up)  
Paper: whisper white, balmy blue, berry burst  
Paper Size: A2  
Ink: balmy blue, pineapple punch, granny apple green, night of navy, mossy meadow (Stampin'-Up)  
Accessories: Thanks die (Taylored Expressions)  

Christmas Joy

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life blog today.

 

It's Thanksgiving weekend and the Christmas season officially kicked off yesterday with Black Friday. Shopping, decorating, cookie and candy making plus card making are all activities on my list. I usually start decorating a little each day and my intention is to start decorating today.

 

I have already started Christmas shopping and have made a big dent in my list. There are big deals everywhere this weekend. I hope to pick up a few more gifts either online or in a brick and mortar store.

 

For today I am showing a card I created for my weekly DT post on the CottageCutz blog. Here are some details on how I created my card.

 

Started with my layout, and I used the Splitcoaststampers sketch #721. It was perfect for my card idea.

I decided to stick with the traditional Christmas colors of red and green. My designer paper is from the Stampin'-Up "be merry" collection. I thought this paper carried the Christmas theme through nicely.

 

I used the Holiday Mantel and Handmade Tree w/Presents dies for my images. For the Joy Phrase, I used  the Stitched Alphabet die.

I stamped the Merry Christmas sentiment on the square with the present. I "hung" the garland on the square with the stockings. The Stitched Joy phrase was placed at an angle for added interest.

To complete my card, I added a few red & green sequins. Well that's it for me for today. So until next time...…...God bless.

 

 dies I used to create card:

I am also entering:

1.  12 months of Christmas has an anything goes challenge.

2.  The Holly and Ivy Christmas challenge is anything goes.

3.  Crafter's Castle has an anything goes w/option of Holidays

 

Our Nest To Yours

 

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog.

 

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration. Ours was a great family time. There were 10 of us here for dinner. Everything was so delicious and I received many compliments from everyone.

 

My daughter-in-law is such a valuable resource in the kitchen. I don't have to tell her what to do or how to do it. She is a great cook and very comfortable in a kitchen. Such a blessing to me.

 

Now it's time to get started on my Christmas decorating. I really don't do Black Friday shopping anymore. I do a lot of online shopping on QVC & HSN. You get such great deal and prices from both of them. I have made quite a dent in my Christmas shopping starting in July.

 

I have also made a big dent in my Christmas card making. This card is one of them. This one I created for a weekly DT post on the CottageCutz blog. I just didn't get to post it to my Blog previously.

 

I used the Winter Birdhouses to create a Christmas card. It's part of the Christmas Part 3 release. I used the sketch #719 from Splitcoaststampers for the card layout.

 

 

I cut the birdhouse with old olive and cherry cobbler cardstock. The background is embossed with the softly falling embossing older from Stampin'-Up.

 

The sentiments are from 2 different set. I used the holiday home (PTI) and nest (ODBD). The background paper is an older design from ProvoCraft.

 

For another idea, Here is a link to another card I created using the other birdhouse in this set. I used the same layout but different pattern paper and colors. To complete my card I added a few sequins.   

Well that's it for me for this post. So until next time...….God bless.

 

die used to create card:

I am also entering:

1.  Aud Sentiments challenge has a Christmas or winter sentiment challenge.

2.  Crafty Hazelnuts PP challenge is anything goes.

3.  Creative Craft Cottage has a Christmas is coming challenge.

4.  ABC Christmas Challenge has a "W" for wishes.

5.  Fab 'n' Funky has a Christmas challenge.

 

 

Merry Christmas w/the Deer Family

Hello Blogger Friends Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog today. It's the weekend before Thanksgiving and I have plenty to do to get ready for the big day.

 

I made about 6 or 7 Thanksgiving cards but I didn't mail them yet. Have to get to the post office before 4:00 so they will be delivered on Monday. They are all local except one of them.

 

Then I have to get busy to finish up the Christmas cards. I have about 22 so far but need at least 20 or 25 more. I subscribe to the Stampin'-Up Paper Pumpkin kit so that will help me get the rest of them finished. In November I order 2 kits just for this purpose.  

 

So let's move onto my card for today. This one I created for my weekly DT post on the CottageCutz blog. My card this week is featuring the Merry Christmas w/Deer Family die. The die includes the birch trees plus the deer images.

 

I thought I would create a simple outdoor scene. For the background, I used the Stampin'-Up "softly falling" embossing folder and balmy blue cardstock. I cut a snowbank and used glitter to cover the top.

 

The Merry Christmas sentiment is part of this die set. I decided to use it on the snowbank instead of attaching it to the tree. To bring a little color to the trees, I added 3 small red birds. A scattering of a few sequins completed this card. I may make a couple more of these because it was so easy to create.

Well, that's it for me for this post. So until next time God Bless.

 

die I used to create card:

I am also entering:

1.  4 Crafty Chicks has a snowflakes challenge.

2.  Moving Along with the Times has a winter animals challenge.

3.  Color Throwdown #519 has a red, blue and white challenge.