A Blog Called Wanda

This & That!

Hi everyone! I'll be back with a card tomorrow! I just have a couple of quick things to share today.... My Brenda Walton Shadow Box Die winner is Paulette S!! Yay! Congratulations Paulette. I've already emailed you, so get back to me with your address right away! Thank you to everyone who left a comment on my post - with all of your awesome ideas. I love hearing your ideas - you inspire me! 

I have a really cool project posted on the Simon Says Stamp blog today. It is maybe one of my favorite things I have ever made! It was such a creative good time! Please pop over to the SSS post and take a look. As always, leave a comment there for a chance to win a grab bag prize package. Here is just a tiny sneak peek! 

 

 

Take care and happy Monday! Hope you have a great week!

See ya tomorrow! 

 

Brenda Walton Shadow Box Dies - Projects!

Hi friends! How was your Thanksgiving? I hope it was lovely! Are you shopping today? Or resting? We are doing a little of both. Usually we would be power shopping allllll day today.... But I hurt my knee and I'm trying to take it a bit easy on this old girl. I hope you are enjoying a long holiday weekend with your friends and families! Now, it's time for Chrsitmas!  

Wow! I have a fun project to share with you today! I'm so excited to show you this versatile and fabulous Shadow Box Die! I made these projects for the Brenda Walton Studio, using two beautiful Brenda Walton Dies - The Shadow Box Die and the Poinsettia Swirls Die. I combined these dies with some of my favorite holiday papers and vintage embellishments to create project with an old fashioned flair. Don't you love vintage Christmas? 

Let's get started! The Shadow Box die can be used in so many ways. You can create a true shadow box, a theater, an ornament, a treat box....and whatever else your imagination can dream up. I made an ornament and a candy treat box to show you two ways to use the die. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I die cut my pieces out of sturdy cardstock. For the background piece of my ornament I used silver glitter paper for a bit of whimsy and sparkle! I used the Sizzix Crease Pad to get nice deep score lines. I definitely suggest using the Crease Pad, and also using nice, thick paper. This paper I've used is 110#. If you use thinner card stock, it may not fold as nicely! 

 

 

 

After die cutting my pieces I folded all the score lines and used a bone folder for crisp edges. This makes your projects come together perfectly! Then use some fast drying paper glue to glue the sides together. 

 

 

 

And here I have my two finished boxes! One will be left open for the ornament shadow box. In the other one, I put a sheet of window plastic across the opening and used it as a sweet treat box. See the half circle cut out? That makes it very easy for the recipient to open the box. Genius! 

 

 

 

 

For my ornament, I attached a bit of patterned paper with a pretty winter scene in the back. Then I put in some little trees.... I added glitter of course! In the form of Diamond Stickles. I cut out a pretty poinsettia using matching patterned papers, to glue on the front. I also cut strips of papers to use on all four sides of the shadow box. 

 

 

 

I used blue snowflake paper to add a border across the top of the shadow box (this piece is part of the die set!) and then attached a pretty snowflake charm with some twine. In this photo you can see the top of the shadow box. I made some little hearts to strengthen the area where the ribbon comes through. I love these little touches you can add to make the project your own unique creation!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the candy treat box version of this project! I loooooooove this and I am going to make about a million of these! They are perfect for candy, cookies or maybe a small present like some jewelry! They look so professional when they are assembled. I tied mine with some cheerful twine. This twine from Lawn Fawn is my favorite! 

 

 

 

I gently inked the corners of my box and papers to make it look more vintage. To make the blue snowflake piece over the front, I simply cut the die again with that paper and slightly trimmed it to fit! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for coming by today, and for letting me share with you! I hope that I've inspired you to make some handmade ornaments for your holiday gift giving. I think it's so special to give and receive handmade items! Have a blessed day! XO

PRIZE ALERT!!!

Leave me a comment below telling me your amazing ideas for this die set! I love hearing what you guys dream up! I will choose one lucky winner to receive their very own Bigz XL Brenda Walton Shadow Box Die! YEAH! Good luck! Many thanks to Brenda Walton and Sizzix for the generous giveaway prize! I will pull the winner's name on Monday the 30th and email you! 

 

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Happy Thanksgiving 2015 from our home to yours! Wishing you blessings today and always!

Happy Thanksgiving 2015! I am sending out good wishes and hugs to all of you with thanks, from the bottom of my heart, for being a part of my journey! I am filled with gratitude for this life I am able to live. For art, for friends, for family, for everything that I have. I wish you nothing but wonderful blessings on this day - and every day. From my home to yours - Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy! 

I made a fun quick and simple card to share today - with these adorable Lawn Fawn stamps and my Copic Markers! The sentiment says it all! I've had this stamp set for a while and wanted to use it before I had to wait a whole year for Thanksgiving to come around again! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heavenly Father, on Thanksgiving Day
We bow our hearts to You and pray.
We give You thanks for all You’ve done
Especially for the gift of Jesus, Your Son.
For beauty in nature, Your glory we see
For joy and health, friends and family,
For daily provision, Your mercy and care
These are the blessings You graciously share.
So today we offer this response of praise
With a promise to follow You all of our days.

-Mary Fairchild 

 

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Papertrey Ink Customer Blog Hop - Sparkle & Joy!

Hi crafty people! It's time for another awesome Papertrey Ink Customer Blog Hop! Wooooooot Wooooooot! You know I LOVE PTI blog hop day! How are your Thanksgiving preparations coming along? I am cooking our turkey tonight and that way the oven will be free tomorrow for other items. I started doing that a couple of years ago. I really cuts down on the stress of Thanksgiving day. Then, we just reheat the turkey in the oven before we eat. What are your Thanksgiving tips?? I'd love to hear! 

Anyhoo...back to the blog hop! The inspiration image (it's below further in the post) was full of gorgeous sparkly, icy, bright ornaments in gorgeous hues of green and blue. There is also a perfect grey background in the image... So, I ran with the color scheme as my starting off point for my Christmas card! All stamps and dies are from Papertrey Ink! Here is my finished card: 

 

 

 

 

I first chose my ink colors....GORGEOUS! I love chartreuse/apple/lime green any day of the week! I stamped the border stamps four of five times in a pretty grey ink to make a partial background at the bottom of my white card layer. Then I stamped the word 'joy' in pretty teal ink. Next, I had fun mixing and matching the Spruce and Sprigs stamps and dies in very non traditional colors to match the inspiration photo. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the beautiful inspiration image that inspires us today on this blog hop!

 

 

 

I wanted to pick up the silver in the photo as well, so I cut some of my branches out of metallic silver paper! I put a strip of ribbon across the bottom layer also. You can just see a tiny peek of it here. 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for coming by today! I hope you liked my card, and hope you will participate too! CLICK HERE to go to the Papertrey Ink blog - where you can see all the other cards - and enter your own creation! Have a great day! Happy Thanksgiving week! XOXO

Color Pop #9!

Happy Color Pop Day! I have some rustic and homey Thankgsiving place cards to share today, with pretty Autumn colors. I love sharing my Color Pop feature with you every month. Thanks for always joining in the fun with me here and on the Simon Says Stamp Blog too. What are we going to do once there aren't any more new colors!? The color for November has been announced (Lucky Clover) and then there is only one more! 

Today is installment number nine in the Color Pop Series on the SSS Blog. There is a lot of news and also some updates on the fabulous Simon Says Stamp Blog and I hope you will pop over there and leave some love.

Today is the post for the ink color for October, which is, appropriately enough, Carved Pumpkin! What a perfect shade of orange! Warm, rich, vibrant! I was inspired to use fall colors - I love fall colors (always).  

You know if it's Simon Says Stamp, then there must be cool prizes...and there are! Leave a comment over on my SSS Blog Post post for some prize swag! Sweet! Big thanks to Heidi and the rest of the crew at SSS for giving away such great prizes all the time. Right!? 

Here is a very sneaky peek at my project: 

 

 CLICK HERE TO SEE THE ENTIRE PROJECT! 

 

Here is my color swatch for this month. Carved Pumpkin fits right in with all the pretty warm orange tones in the Distress Ink family. It is very vivid and clear. CLICK on the photo below to see all the different mediums it comes in.   

 

 

 

In case you didn't see it - CLICK HERE to see last month's project tutorial. It features the gorgeous Wilted Violet Ink.  Here is the tag I made!  

 

 

Next month's color is the awesome Lucky Clover!  It's already in the studio and I'm anxious to ink it up. Thanks for following along with me on this Color Pop adventure! Have an awesome day. Until we meet again - happy crafting!  

Simon Says Stamp "From All of Us" Release Blog Hop!

Hi! Welcome to the BLOG HOP for the newest, latest and greatest release from Simon Says Stamp! This new release is called From All of Us and has some really cool products. Something for everyone! (You must check out these wood envelopes!)

You might have arrived here from the amazing Suzy Plantamura's blog! If you want to start the hop at the beginning, CLICK over to the Simon Says Stamp Blog and you'll see the entire list. As always, there are fantastic prizes at every stop! Be sure to leave a comment on each blog you visit. Each blog has a prize to give away. Happy Hopping!

For my card today, I'm featuring the new Jingle Snowflakes Die. I used it to make an elegant shaker card. Yes, it seems I have jumped on the shaker card train - and I'm so glad I did! TOO much fun. Sparkly! 

 

 

 

I started with some crisp white cardstock and a sheet of gorgeous Audrey Blue cardstock. I really wanted this card to feel cool and wintery, like snow. I die cut my noel die and the snowflakes die with white paper. Then I cut a stitched rectangle in my top layer. My card base is also white.

 

 

 

This photo shows how pretty and delicate the die is. And, it cuts like a dream! After cutting out my stitched rectangle, I adhered some window plastic to the back of that piece. Then, the fun part - filling it with sequins! I used a few different types of sequins - keeping with silver, aqua and white....

 

 

 

I am addicted to Lawn Fawn Cord! I used a pretty grey cord to make a bow on the top of my card. I wanted a tiny pop of a contrasting color.

 

 

 

Because it wasn't sparkly enough (LOL) I added some pretty clear rhinestones to the centers of the snowflakes on the die cut. 

 

 

 

I adhered the long die cut on either end of my rectangle using a glue pen. I glued it so that there is a gently curve in the die - it's not completely flat. I also used a glue pen to adhere the noel to the front of the card. 

 

Thank you so much for stopping by on this exciting blog hop day! Nice to have you here. Next up on the hop list is one of my very favorite crafters - Yana Smakula! 

PRIZE ALERT!

Be sure to leave a comment on my post because SSS will pick a winner's name from my blog - and every other blog! YAY! The prize packages are valued at approximately $50.00 each! The winners will be chosen by SSS, and will be notified by email. Good Luck! 

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE ENTIRE NEW RELEASE!

 

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Introducing "From All of Us" - Simon Says Stamp Release!

There's a new release today from Simon Says Stamp and it's called From All of Us! Heidi wanted to introduce a few REALLY cool and fabulous products for you. Tomorrow we will be doing a blog hop with loads of inspiration. Today, though, I wanted to share some clean and quick cards I made using the awesome Thanks Scallop Border Die. I made two cards with basically the same supplies - but giving two different looks. There is no stamping - and these would be good cards to make a big pile of and have on hand. I know I always need more thank you cards in my stash! Supply links below - or click on the graphic above! 

My first card has a warm feeling and I used the pretty Sunflower Die. I think this would be a perfect Thanksgiving card too - or a thank you card! I used Doodlebug papers for my inspiration colors.  

 

  

 

I cut the Thanks die twice - once in kraft cardstock and once in the pretty yellow, and then pieced them together. I layered that piece over the woodgrain paper so that would show through the words. Very cozy and happy! 

 

 

  

I cut my sunflower dies out of the same papers and layered the pieces onto my card with foam tape. You could use any color scheme and any die as your focal point! This is just a really fun card layout! 

 

 

 

For my second card I die cut some cute little houses and used a slightly different color scheme! This might be a nice card to give someone if they invite you over for dinner or something! You can have so much fun customizing this pretty die. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank YOU for coming by today! Be sure to stop by tomorrow too, since we're doing a blog hop....and you know what that means! Lots of fun ideas, and lots of PRIZES! Take care - see you soon! XO

 

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Chalkboard Pins and ornaments!

Hi there! Don't have a card today! I do have a cool and fun project to share though! How is your week going so far? Did you buy your turkey? I drove by the grocery store last night and the parking lot was crazy-town! I'm glad I already did most of the shopping. Next week already! I'm excited for Thanksgiving and shopping and general holidaze! It's time people! Get ready!

My lovely and amazing friend Brenda had the good fortune of receiving some beautiful birch tree branches from her neighbor a while back and we have been brainstorming what to do with them... My first thought was chalkboard paint! So I bought the paint (Martha Stewart Black Chalkboard Paint from Michael's) and white Sharpie Markers and some White chalk and then we finally got together last week to make it all happen. The ideas kept evolving and Brenda's kind husband (a gentleman AND a scholar) cut little pieces of the branches for us to use. We had a marvelous day in the studio making gift tags, ornaments and pins for Christmas. 

Brenda did a wonderful tutorial on her blog, so I thought I would just post some photos of my finished items. This is really a super fun and easy project - with great results! Gather up some birch pieces or wood pieces from the craft store, Chalkboard paint, white paint, chalk or markers, and fun embellishments! The chalkboard paint dries really quickly on the wood. We used medium sized paint brushes and we used two coats for a nice thick black. (This is also a good place to note that if you mess up your white paint, you can put on another layer of Chalkboard paint....ask me how I know this!)

 

 

 

 

Here is our lovely pile of beautiful birch slices! We did some larger sized ones too, but I think both of us liked the small ones better. My favorite are the 2 inch ones that I made into Christmas pins by putting a pin back on with some hot glue! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love that each one came out differently! You can really use any embellishments and make them unique and special. I really like the little boxwood greenery - just feels so festive. My favorite pin is the little stag head one. I think I'll be sportin' that one here pretty soon! I am still mad for the deer/stag/antlers craze!! Have a wonderful week. I'll be back on Friday with a blog hop for the new Simon Says Stamp Mini Christmas release! It's called "From All of Us!" Take care crafty girls! XO

Simon Says Stamp December Card Kit!

 

Hi friends! Happy weekend to you. Do you have big plans for your weekend? I'm up early in the studio today and trying to get a lot accomplished. I stayed up late last night watching the news from Paris and my heart is heavy.  I'm really just trying to process all of the craziness in our world and focus on God and focus on being grateful for each day I am given. Prayers go out to everyone affected by all the terror in Paris and around the world today. Crafting is definitely my escape and I hope that in some small way I can bring joy to you here on my blog. My main purpose in blogging is to share and connect and it seems more important than ever to do that and to be kind to one another. 

Today I'm showing you the reveal of the super cute and fun Simon Says Stamp December Card Kit! It's one of my favorite ones so far (I say that every time!) This stamp set is totally adorable. I like that you can buy it separately if you want to! Links are below at the bottom of my post. The kit is called "Gifts of Love." I think that's appropriate for today, everyday, and especially Christmas! In the picture at the top of my post, you can see I made some quick and easy tags using the card stock and stickers. No fuss, just cuteness! And, here's the card I made...

 

 

 

That cat is TOO adorable. I colored him and the presents with Copic Markers and then cut them out. The cat, and the stack of gifts, are mounted onto the card with foam squares for dimension. 

 

 

 

Here are my Copic choices - these are the ones that I thought best matched the patterned papers! 

 

 

 

 

Okay, so DO NOT even get me started on these sequins! They are SELF ADHESIVE!!! Best invention ever? Perhaps! You get a package of red ones and a package of aqua ones in your kit. Bam. Love it.

 

 

Shari made a video introducing us to the items in the card kit and showing her beautiful card. Here it is for you!

 

 

 

Have a blessed and wonderful day my creative pals. Thank you for spending part of your day with me! XOXO 

 

 

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Wishing you happiness and blessings - Maple Leaf card!

Hi everyone! Don't freak out but it's only TWO WEEKS until Thanksgiving!! So, with that in mind I figured I had better make a Thanksgiving card to share with you! I went to the grocery store Tuesday night and bought our turkey. It seemed like the store was already mauled!! I got the last turkey of the kind we like - so I'm glad I got that checked off the list. It's been a busy week full of fun goings on. Last night I was over at the lovely Brenda Walton Studio crafting into the night making something fun to share later. Today I'm hanging out with Richele working on computer stuff....and she is re-labeling her ink pads. Such a nice peaceful day. I kinda feel like it's the calm before the (holiday) storm! The trees in Sacramento are finally bright with color and we had a cold snap too. Yeah Fall! Hope you are having a good week too!

My card for today was made with cool supplies from Simon Says Stamp...The Stitched Grand Maple Leaf die has been on my list of things to use and I knew it would be perfect for a Thanksgiving card. I used the Big Addons stamp set in kind of a unique way too - hope you like it! 

 

 

Both my background panel and my leaf die are done with watercolor paper. I used Distress Inks to make the background, and to color my leaf. For the background I used a sponge dauber and randomly inked different colors onto the paper. I used Squeezed Lemonade, Evergreen Bough, Rusty Hinge, Wild Honey and Vintage Photo. I took a water brush and moved some of the ink around to blend the colors. Then I let it dry. After It was dry I sprinkled clear water to make the spots. 

For the leaf, I did basically the same thing! I used a sponge dauber and inked various colors onto the leaf. I started with Mustard Seed in the center and built up darker colors going out towards the edges. I used Mustard Seed, Dried Marigold, Fired Brick and Vintage Photo ink colors. Once the leaf was dry I sprinkled water drops on it. Then....when that was dry, I gently misted the entire leaf and the background piece with Heirloom Gold Perfect Pearls Mist! OOOH LA LA!  

 

 

 

 

For my sentiment I used the Big Addons, which is a Christmas set! I stamped some of the sentiments onto black paper with Versamark Ink and white embossed them. Then I cut them out into word rectangles. I like the feeling of the card with those block letters, kind of modern??? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I mounted my leaf onto the paper with foam tape and curled the edges up with my fingers to make them stand out. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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More projects with Create Joy SSS Release!

Hi! I'm back today to share some a couple more projects I made with the beautiful new Create Joy Release from Simon Says Stamp! When I got all of these new products, the ideas flowed so easily and I just kept making things! There is something for everyone, from detailed and layered, to clean and simple. Today's cards are both clean and simple - great for mass producing and flat for mailing. I popped lots of color (as you know I like to do) and I just love the graphic nature of the dies I used. 

First up is a pretty snowy scene created with the Soft Snowfall die. I cut the die twice - once with aqua paper and once with white. Then I added my sentiment on a strip of vellum.  

 

 

 

To finish of the card I added some Doodlebug Holly Stickers and a pretty silver ribbon. Less is more with this card! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My love affair with Bazzill Juicy Pear cardstock continues.... This lime green is SO pretty! Especially with aqua and red! I used the Merry & Bright Die with the delicate and pretty Snowflake Banner die to make a card sure to brighten anyone's holiday! 

 

 

 

 

I really like the technique of inlaid die cutting. Here I cut my die cut out of my white card layer. Then I cut it again in red and put it in place. I love how the green shows through the red. So fresh. I stamped a few snowflakes and my sentiment and then added a few sequins and rhinestones. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you started your Christmas cards yet? I have a few made but no where near where I need to be! Every year I swear I'm going to start early....but I never do! There is always too much going on! I will panic soon!! Have a wonderful week. Thanks for coming by today. XOXO

 

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I love you California!

Hi everyone! We are back from our week at the ocean and I am refreshed and rejuvated (and older!) We celebrated my birthday this week with a trip to the central coast of California, my home state. It was wonderful! There were no crowds, we relaxed, we drove, we took a million pictures, we shopped, we ate some yummy food, we drank a lot of coffee, we walked, we wore sweaters, we breathed fresh air..... In other words, it was perfect! I had a really nice birthday! 

I am most me, and most calm, when I am near the ocean. I crave it, actually. I need the air, and the sounds and the colors! I was born at the ocean and it has always held a special place in my heart. I am never far away from the majesty of the Pacific. There are so many wonderful memories for me when I think of the sea. I thought I would share some of my photos from our trip, in a photo essay today - to show you the place that I call home - my beautiful California! Land that I love. We traveled about 300 miles from home, southwest, to Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Cambria. I really love road trips! My hubs is a good driver, and I feel like a princess with my blanket and pillow on my lap and a Starbucks for the road. We always have a good time together when we travel like this. 

We arrived at the beach in the afternoon and took some photos up to and including Sunset, on our first day.... These first few snaps are from Pismo Beach.

Who doesn't love crisp white chairs against a field of blue ocean and green grass?  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Only God could make these gorgeous colors! These are my favorite hues....blue, teal, aqua, celadon.... It's a dream! 

 

 

 

You've heard of Flock of Seagulls.... Well, what about Flock of Pelicans!!!??? This was crazy! 

 

 

 

Incoming!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking North up Highway 1 from Pismo Beach, at sunset....

 

 

 

This couple was having some beautiful sunset portraits taken...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next day we drove around Paso Robles to see some wineries and some scenery. We found this old chap guarding his sheep! Wh-what??!! 

 

 

 

And these cool mossy trees covering the road. It rained in the morning and everything was wet and pretty and fresh...

 

 

 

 

Vineyards in Fall splendor! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Majestic Oaks standing guard over the grapes...

 

 

 

 

This is where we stayed - The Apple Farm Inn - in San Luis Obispo. It was a great place to stay! Beautiful gardens, great rooms, good food, nice gift shop! We loved it. 

 

 

 

 

The gift shop was all decked out for the holidays. I bought A LOT of cute stuff!!

 

 

 

 

The gardens at the hotel...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On my birthday we drove South to Santa Barbara and Montecito. We stopped to look at the GIANT waves!!  

 

 

 

We made a quick pit stop in Solvang for some tasty treats and to stretch our legs. 

 

 

 

 

We took the back roads and saw these gorgeous clouds the entire day! 

 

 

 

 

There is nothing more quintessentially California than a beautiful grove of Palm Trees! This is the waterfront in Santa Barbara. 

 

 

 

 

When we were driving around, we found this jewel box of a church in Montecito. It was really so beautiful!!! Mt. Carmel Church. 

 

 

 

 

This was the courtyard of the church - in front. Beautiful hibiscus flowers.

 

 

 

And the inside of the church...

 

 

 

 

The next day we drove North - up to Cambria. There is a large population of Elephant Seals and we stopped to check them out! These guys reeeeealllly know how to chill out! LOL. They were all laying on their backs soaking up the sunshine. Very cool.

 

 

 

 

 

"I Love You, California"  ---  California State Song

I love you, California, you're the greatest state of all.
I love you in the winter, summer, spring and in the fall.
I love your fertile valleys; your dear mountains I adore.
I love your grand old ocean and I love her rugged shore.

Chorus
When the snow crowned Golden Sierras
Keep their watch o'er the valleys bloom,
It is there I would be in our land by the sea,
Every breeze bearing rich perfume.
It is here nature gives of her rarest. It is Home Sweet Home to me,
And I know when I die I shall breathe my last sigh
For my sunny California.

I love your redwood forests - love your fields of yellow grain.
I love your summer breezes and I love your winter rain.
I love you, land of flowers; land of honey, fruit and wine.
I love you, California; you have won this heart of mine.

I love your old gray Missions - love your vineyards stretching far.
I love you, California, with your Golden Gate ajar.
I love your purple sun-sets, love your skies of azure blue.
I love you, California; I just can't help loving you.

I love you, Catalina, you are very dear to me.
I love you, Tamalpais, and I love Yosemite.
I love you, Land of Sunshine, half your beauties are untold.
I loved you in my childhood, and I'll love you when I'm old.

 

Thank you for letting me share part of my life with you! 

Be sure to leave a comment on my last post for a chance to win a prize!

 Also, my first Weekender feature will be live on the SSS Blog tomorrow! 

 

 

Christmas Correspondence with Brenda Walton Dies and Stamps!

UPDATED ON 11-9-15 ** BLOG PRIZE WINNER IS NANCY FAITH! YAY! Nancy - email me your address if we haven't yet connected! Thanks for the nice comments everyone!

Hello crafty pals! I'm here with another vintage inspired project that I made for Brenda Walton Studio! I used the fun and versatile Sizzix Mini Correspondence dies along with the Brenda Walton Carte Postale Stamp Set to make a trio of pretty mini notes sure to brighten anyone's holiday! These little cards and envelopes have so many uses - you can put them on a present as a tag, tuck a note inside a food gift, or even hang them on the tree as ornaments. The shapes are classic and simple -- you make them your own by choosing papers and pretty embellishments! 

I used the awesome paper collection called Holiday Style from October Afternoon, along with some vintage-y items in my Christmas stash! The die set comes with a library pocket, a mini envelope and a coin pocket envelope, along with three different shaped notes that fit inside. 

 

 

 

 

It brings the entire project together when you use papers from the same paper pack, as I did here. I used only papers from my pad, and then used two neutrals - kraft and cream. For my stamping I used brown ink and linen ink instead of black. This also adds a vintage feel. 

 

 

 

I punched a heart out of red cardstock and tucked it inside this library pocket note! 

 

 

 

For the mini envelope, I cut it out of the red words paper. Then I cut a second one out of the holly paper and used it as a liner for the envelope! Looks so pretty - combining all these patterns together! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I thought it would be helpful for you to see the die cut pieces. This is a graphic of the three envelopes and the three note cards that you get with this die! 

PRIZE ALERT!!!! 

Leave me a comment below with your fun and fab idea for this die set....and I'll randomly draw a winner for their own Mini Correspondence Die! YIPPPEEEEE! Thank you to Brenda Walton and Sizzix for the great prizes! 

Thank you for stopping by today! I hope I've inspired you to get a start on some holiday crafting. It's never to early to panic, I mean start! LOL. Have a wonderful day! XO

 

It's my birthday! And I'm so thankful!

Wooooot wooooooot! It's my birthday today! Gonna party, like it's my birthday.... Yep, I'm a November baby! (A Scorpio! EEK!) It's my favorite month of the year! What is better than November? Um, nothing! There is my birthday (of course), and Football, and Leaves, and Thanksgiving, and sweaters, and Pumpkin Spice Lattes! It's all wonderful! It is the month when we try the most to be thankful and grateful and that is foremost in my mind as we start this new month. How sweet Autumn truly is. I'm so blessed...and so thankful for everything that has happened this year so far. Right now the hubs and I are on a mini getaway to the ocean - my favorite place. I've been looking forward to it for months. It's such a great time of year to travel - hotels are empty and inexpensive and it's more quiet everywhere. As you read this, I hope there is fog in my hair and that I'm wearing a big ole sweater at the beach! I'll be back soon! 

In honor of the start of November, I made a card using some of my very favorite leaf dies - from Lawn Fawn. Now there are two sizes, regular stitched leaves and mini stitched leaves. Yay! They are the perfect sizes for cards. (Supply links below). I used a pretty sentiment stamp and let the leaves be the star of the card.... 

 

 

 

 

I die cut the leaves out of Papertrey Ink Confetti White cardstock. Then I inked them up with many shades of Mini Distress Inks using a sponge dauber. Here you can see that I ended up edging all of the leaves with Barn Door ink. That was a mistake! I meant to grab the Corduroy ink! But, you know what? I reallllly like it with the red! A happy accident! 

 

 

 

 

 

I tacked my sentiment strip down with glue on either end and left the center open to tuck my leaves in. The background paper is from Stampin' Up from a few years ago. Presently hoarding a roll of that stuff. Delicious! The pretty twine is from Lawn Fawn. The sentiment is from Impression Obsession. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, you did not think I was going to make a card without any enamel dots did you???!!! The leaves are all mounted onto the card using foam squares for a bit of dimension. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SO....one of my birthday presents was a TATTOO!!!! Yes! Me! It's very small, and kinda cool, and it is 100% me. ***CLICK*** So, here's my 51st birthday portrait! (Taken on Halloween!) 

 

 

Oh, sweet Autumn indeed! Where every leaf is a flower!

Happy November everyone. Best wishes for an awesome week. XOXO 

 

SUPPLY LINKS! 

InLinkz.com