A Blog Called Wanda

Let's kick off Christmas 2022 - Projects from the Honey Bee Make it Merry Collection!

Hi friends! Happy Friday! How was your Thanksgiving? I hope you had a great one! Our Thanksgiving was very quiet and peaceful here at home. I did the cooking and we relaxed and watched some movies. The holiday days always go so quickly! Now it's Black Friday! Are you shopping today? We usually go out at 5am and go shopping and hang out but this year we're not doing that. There isn't the budget this year and really, honestly, I want for nothing! I am so blessed and we are in general trying to be more zen so we are home crafting and decorating instead of in the shopping madness! Maybe next year we'll get back at it! We have a full weekend to come with my work at the store (I work part time at Paper Source) and church activities. But enough yammering on from me....Let's get to some crafty things! 

There were SO many wonderful Christmas releases from the stamp companies this year! Wow! I feel like everyone crushed it. Today I'm sharing FOUR cards in one post! Cards I made with the EXTRA SUPER DUPER FABULOUS Make it Merry release from Honey Bee Stamps. Like wow. WOW. I saw the new items and the ideas flooded my brain. I sat down this past week and made everything and I'm so excited to share it all with you. It's a little bit vintage, a lot classy, and some fun too. My cards all have a different flavor to them. This is one of those long posts with tons of pictures, so grab your coffee and spend some creative time with me! I'll show you all four cards first and then go into the detail photos. Thank you for being here with me!

All four cards are A2 sized card bases. There are tons of little details I put into each card to make it my creation - that is my signature - I love the small details! The supplies are listed at the bottom of my post (or click here). There are tons of Black Friday crafting sales now on these items too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let's go a bit more in depth on this classic Christmas poinsettia card! This card features the Lovely Layers Poinsettias and the Vintage Picnic Basket Dies... SO much fun and vintagey goodness!! Lots of snow and some gold too.... I die cut the poinsettia dies from dark red paper and blended on some darker red distress ink to the tips. I die cut the leaves from both green and gold. Nothing says classic vintage Christmas like red, green and gold....and plaid! The picnic basket die is genius and so much fun. I die cut it from plaid cardstock to mimic those old thermos tins.

 

Just like all the other gorgeous Honey Bee Layered Florals, this Poinsettia came together like a dream. It's four layers and then the yellow center. EASY to put together! I used Snowfall Grit Paste and Opaque White Grit Paste to make snow and painted it onto the leaves and petals and set them aside to dry. In this photo you can also see that gorgeous background texture plate....love.... I used bits and bobs of the Winter Greenery Dies also to complete my arrangement.

 

My card base is made from woodgrain cardstock and layered with red and cream...

 

For the picnic basket I wanted a hint of metallic to make it look like a metal picnic basket. I used the Foundry Wax in Gilded to add gold with my fingers just at certain places.... I really like how this came out!! 

 

Here's a side view of that beautiful poinsettia flower! I gently lifted the petals with my finges to raise them upwards. I used Bearly Glue to glue them all together. I added some gems to the flower center and splattered on some snowy white ink...

 

I think this bells card might be my favorite one of the bunch! I LOVE how it came out with that 50's Christmas vibe!!! These dies are so pretty. I found just the right striped paper in my stash and it all came together.... I used the new Holiday Bells Dies along with the Winter Greenery Dies (just used the Holly leaves) to make this card. I again used red and green to create a vintage/classic look. I die cut the bells from red cardstock and used Copic Markers to add the darker red you see on the botton part of the bells. I used cream and silver cardstock to complete the bells. 

 

Here's a close up of my little cluster at the top of my bells. I had a red bow at first but it didn't look right with all the other red... So I finally decided on a pretty teal bow. I think that keeps with the 50's theme I was going for. I layered cream, red, stripes and vellum and then an oval for my card. To apply the texture paste snow is a bit tricky. It took me a few tries to get it the way I like it. I used a small paint brush but instead of 'painting' I 'dabbed' the paste on, leaving it super bumpy. I found if I 'painted' it, when it dried it was flat.... 

 

 

I used some glitter glue Diamond Stickles on the yellow part of the bells. I added a few clear and white gems to finish off the card. I stamped the sentiment in brown ink instead of black, and die cut it with the matching die.

 

A few quick and easy ways to add details to your cards.... When you're making die cuts, either blend on some distress inks with a blender brush, or use your markers to add some quick shading... Add gems, pearls, enamel dots, rhinestones for a bit of texture.... Add paint splatters in white, black or gold for that artsy feel (or snow feel!) Use a layer of vellum in between some of your other layers to add depth.... Me, you know, more is more. So I use all these things! Ha! 

 

My next card features the new Winter Greenery Dies, the new Mason Jar Vase Dies and the previously released Build A Snowman Dies (a favorite).... I wanted to make a little scene inside of a mason jar.... This card has a fun and playful feeling to it... I found the red snow paper in my stash and it's still available! It matched my card perfectly.... 

 

I built my classic snowman and gave him a plaid scarf and a peppermint on his hat! Of course he has a broom and a little red cardinal friend too! I wanted some trees in my scene and the trees from the new Winter Village dies set were PERFECT!! I added a stitched hill to set the scene and added my trees... The mason jar was die cut from light blue cardstock and I stamped some snow onto it.... 

 

I used Winter Greenery for the pine boughs and the bow from the bells die set for the top of the jar.... I added a small snowflake to the center.

 

 

 

For this last card I wanted to make another poinsettia in PINK! Such a pretty pop of icy colors...and silver....and blue.... This card is so cheerful and bright!! I made the poinsettia and then splashed on silvery white metallic watercolor!! I made the background with the awesome Fancy Flakes Die... I used a new to me embossing powder that is really pretty and glittery...it's called Silver Moonlight. YUM. 

 

I made the leaves from green and silver - again trying to get that 50's vintage look... I used vellum as my top layer. 

 

 

 

Every time I get one of these lovely layers dies I am blown away by how pretty they are. I mean, seriously. Could it be more perfect??? And so simple. Love it.

Okay! Thanks for hanging in there with me on this long post. I believe we have officially KICKED OFF CHRISTMAS here on the blog! Yay! Looking forward to sharing with you over the next month as we go through this fun time of year. Again, I'm going to run out of time, but I'll make as many fun things as I can! LOL. I hope you are enjoying a beautiful day and will find some creative time this weekend. Love ya! See you soon! XOXO

If you're crafty shopping today - I would be super grateful if you used my links! THANK YOU!! 

CLICK HERE or on the graphic below to see the supplies I used in today's cards (Affiliate Links Used)!

 

Happy Thanksgiving 2022!

Hi everyone! Happy Thanksgiving from my home to yours! I am so thankful for all of you here! I am sending big hugs and wishing you a very blessed and happy day with your friends and family! It's been another weird year, but still so much to be grateful for. I love this holiday - simple and pure.  I will see you soon with a project! Take care - love you! HAPPY THANKSGIVING 2022!

 

I decided very last minute yesterday to make a couple of Thanksgiving cards! I bought the Pie Perfection Dies and Stamps months ago, and never used them... Well, it was the perfect occasion to make some pie!!! These stamps and dies are literally the cutest thing ever!! Pies, pie slices, serving pieces, and adorable stamps too! I made two clean and simple cards using warm tones of orange and brown.... Both cards are sized A2 white card bases. Cheers to pie and good food today! CLICK HERE to shop the pie collection!

For this card I made two pies! And I used the toppers to make leaves to decorate them.... One is pumpkin and one is cherry. YUM... I sprinkled on lots of Rock Candy Glitter to make them look nice and sugary.

 

And this one is just a slice...but a big slice! 

 

Here are some close up photos of the dies. Really fun and these cards came together quick and easy. Can't wait to make some Summer pies too! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Okay - signing off now! Going to watch the parade and eat too much, and hang out with the fam. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I will see you soon. I am THANKFUL for YOU! XOXOXO

CLICK HERE or on the graphic below to see the supplies used for today's cards (Affiliate Links Used)!  These dies are on sale too!

Fun Card Trio with Doodlebug Farmer's Market Collection!

Hey hey hey! Happy Doodlebug Day! Yep, it's my turn over on the Doodlebug Blog!  Once again, using the fabulous Farmers Market Collection! Yippeeeeeee! Hey, guess what? I made some non holiday cards! I thought it was time we could use some more birthday cards and just because cards, and this fun collection is perfect for it!! The new Doodlebug Christmas Collection arrived on my desk last week and it is CCCCUUUUUTTTTTEEEEEE! Just wait!! But, today, I'm sharing a trio of fun and cheerful cards that I hope will make you smile!

All three cards are white A2 card bases. I used the awesome 12x12 text patterned paper as the background for all three cards also. I do love a good text pattern.... So I have two birthday cards and one just because card. Each card features a Doodle Pop as the focus, some mini doilies, and lots of color! Here is my trio....

 

Look at these delicious Doodle Pops!!! Three layers, four layers...oh my! These are just the happiest things ever!

 

I used basically the same card design/layout for each card. Either a stitched circle or a stitched rectangle, offset on the card... Then all the embellishments and doilies. Oh, and some paint splashes too. I really just went to town mixing and matching all these colors. Everything is from the same collection - Farmers Market.

 

 

 

The little Beehive Doodle Pop is a shaker! Bzzzzz. I added a couple of flowers and a heart to that sweet little hive. Oh, and some buzzin bees too.

 

 

 

 

 

I used the sentiment strips along the bottom of each card and that just ups the cuteness factor. Everything is done for you! These cards come together easily and the combinations of elements is endless!

That's my Doodlebug Post for today, and that finishes up this collection. My next project will be made with the new Christmas Collection and I can't wait! Have a super wonderful and happy week. And don't forget to get in some creative time! Love ya. XOXO

CLICK HERE or on the graphic below to see the supply list for today's cards (Affiliate Links Used)!

 

It's Greetery Release Day - and a Surprise!

 

HEY FRIENDS!! EXCITING NEWS!!

THE GREETERY NEW RELEASE IS LIVE NOW!!

AND THERE'S A SALE - ON EVERYTHING!!

CLICK HERE!!

It was my pleasure to introduce the new release to you this week!! And, I hope you love it as much as I do!! Happy Crafting!! Thank you for ALL the amazingly kind comments on my project reveals post!!! You are so nice to bless me! I would be so grateful, as always, if you would shop via my Greetery affiliate link! Have fun!!

 

The Greetery - All Wrapped Up New Release!

Hello friends! Happy Monday! Oh, and what a very happy Monday it is! I'm here to share the product and project reveals for the November new release from The Greetery! The new release is called "All Wrapped Up" and it's all about gift giving. It is such a beautiful release and if I had more time, I would have made 100 projects! I think you're going to love it too! The design team will be sharing our projects today only.... And then RELEASE DAY is TOMORROW November 22nd at 10am EST. So you only have to wait one day! I am really excited to show you my projects.

The release has innovative new dies for gift wrapping and card making...and tags too! I made four different projects mixing and matching all the new things. I kept the same color palette for all of my projects, because I just love that look. I used kraft, black, green, and gold with pops of red and gold. It's classic Christmas and so pretty. Let's get to it! Grab some coffee - because you know I have a ton of photos!! 

Here is a gift I packaged up with all the new goodies!! I wrapped the present in kraft wrapping paper (one of my fav things) and decorated it with pine boughs and bows and paper ribbons.... I will share more about the process a little further down in my post. This project features the brand new Crimped Circle Tags, the new Ribbon Maker Dies (Pinked Stars), and the new Pine and Ruscus Dies, and MORE!

 

And here is my matching card to go with the gift! It's a 5.25" x 5/25" square card to feature that pretty wreath. Winter Wishes indeed! This card features the brand new Round About Winter wreath dies, the new Tagged Elegance Stamp Set and the super cool new Loopy Bow Dies.

 

Next up is a big fat pillow box gift box! Wrapped in red with golden snowflakes.... This project showcases the brand new Large Scallops Ribbon Maker Dies, the new Tear Strip Tags stamps and dies, and the new Eucalyptus Die....

 

And lastly, a set of pretty gift tags perfect for prezzies! This project uses the brand new Tear Strips Tags Dies and stamps along with crisp white embossing on black, to keep with the color palette....

 

Now that I've shown you all my projects, I'll go into a little more detail about everything with some more photos. (I love doing project photos and thoroughly enjoyed making this pretty scene in my studio!) Here's a close up of the first package that shows the cluster of foliage I made. I used two colors of green cardstock and also some vellum.... I covered everything with a bit of snow and some glitter... I used Opaque white paste and Stickles to make the snow (supplies are at the bottom of my post)

 

For the focal point I used the new Crimped Circle Tags dies (gold) and the Crimped Circle Dies (white). I stamped the new sentiment in red and tied a bow and a red bell onto the tag. I also added snow and glitter to the tag to tie it all together visually. 

 

The black (gorgeous) wrap on the package was made with the AMAZING new Ribbon Maker Dies!! I used the Pinked Stars die and the black Paper Ribbon (also new) to make the wrap. OMG you guys this new product is sooooooo cool. The paper riboon comes in a roll, and you die cut it into a strip to the length you need for your project. Genius!!! And so elegant....

 

Here are my process photos for making the paper stars ribbon!! The die is designed so that it lines up perfectly and you just keep die cutting.... It really was super simple. I die cut everything upside down, with the cutting edge up to see what I was doing....

Here is my 'naked' package with the splatters and snowflakes...

 

And my pine boughs are drying.... all snowy and pretty....

 

 

 

 

I staggered the small and large pine boughs underneath my circle tag to look like a spray of foliage. It looks really nice against that rich black paper.

 

 

 

Next up, a few more details about my card. I used the new Round About Winter die.... Yes, one die made this wreath! I die cut the wreath six times!! Two in vellum, two in gold, and two in green. I layered all the pieces together to form this wreath. The bow is the new Loopy Bow Die and I used red of course!

 

For my card base, I layered the kraft card base with white, red, and then black patterned paper. But the wreath is the star of the show! I added snow and glitter to the leaves. Red enamel dots to look like holly berries....

 

I stamped the sentiment in deep black ink. Such a pretty font!

 

 

 

For my pillow box project I used the brand new Large Scallops Paper Ribbon Die, and the new Red Paper Ribbon. I wrapped my ribbon strip around the pillow box and then decorated from there! I used one of the new tags to add my sentiment.

 

 

For the foliage I used the new Eucalyptus dies in green and added snow and splatters.... I added some gold snowflakes from the Snowflake Soiree Dies set. Black enamel dots bring in the contrast....

 

 

 

More information about those cool new tags! The die set is called Tear Strip Tags... It die cuts FOUR skinny tags at one time! And there is a perfectly matching stamp set that stamps all FOUR tags at once! Again, genius! I die cut my tags from black and embossed the sentiments in white. I die cut more tags and mixed and matched a second color underneath. LOVE these!

 

 

 

And here are my festive projects all lined up! I found this release to be so inspiring. I have so many ideas! And, remember, these items are not only for Christmas wrapping!!! The wheels are turning in my creative brain...LOL. I know that I'm a bit 'extra' and my projects have a lot of steps. I totally believe that these new items would be just a beautiful done in a simple way without all the splatters and snow etc. The wonderful thing about The Greetery is that the products let each of us create in our own perfect way. I hope I have inspired you to do some personalized gift giving this year!!

Okay, friends, that's it for our release reveal of The Greetery All Wrapped Up Release!!! This release 'week' is only one day - today!  I am so happy to be sharing these products with you. The new release will be for sale Tomorrow! - Tuesday November 22nd at 10am EST!  Have a blessed day. XOXO

PRIZE INFORMATION! The Greetery will be giving away two $50 gift cards,  To be entered to win, leave a comment on each blog for today!  Random comments will be chosen and announced on The Greetery Blog! 

CLICK HERE TO SHOP THE GREETERY STORE!

CLICK HERE or on the graphic below to see the supply list for these cards! (Affiliate Links Used)

DESIGN TEAM INSPIRATION LINKS FOR TODAY!

Laurie

Kelly

Angelica

Wanda

Dana

Dawn

Melissa

 

TGIF - The Greetery Inspiration Friday - Holiday Snowglobe Card!

Hellooooooooo! Hear those sleigh bells ring ring ringing??? It's Christmas time in the city! Oh yeah! Today I'm up on The Greetery Blog for TGIF - The Greetery Inspiration Friday! The design team takes turns sharing a project with you on Fridays, and today is my day! I wanted to think up something new and fun for Christmas using beautiful supplies from The Greetery! So I had an idea to make a winter snowglobe shaker candy pop card! Ha! That's a mouthful. I thought I might take the super cool Candy Pops Dies and use them to make a snowglobe. Well....lo and behold, the idea came out just like I had hoped and I can't wait to show you! 

My finished card is an A2 white card base, layered with red paper and some striped paper from my stash. I layered a pretty Postage die cut as my top layer. Then I mounted the candy pop shaker on top!! Let's get to it!

 

Here's a side view of my layers and that fun globe. I also die cut some pretty snowflakes from the Snowflake Soiree dies to add a bit of shimmer to the card. (Of course)! I fully assembled the candy pop part of the card seperately and then mounted it on the card. Worked out so easy. I think I could have also just made that part into ornaments!!

 

I die cut all the candy pop pieces and stamped the sentiment onto the outside ring. For my scene, I ink blended some oxide ink and stamped on some snowflakes from the Christmas Time in the City stamp set. I used the Christmas Time in the City dies to make my city skyline and the tree. I put glitter glue on the tops of the buildings and on the star and let that part dry.

 

For the inside of my snowglobe I added fake snow (from Michaels) and some small circular sequins I had in my stash. I didn't put very much in there because I didn't want it to be too cloudy.... It looks so pretty!!! 

 

I used silver accents for the wrapper on the candy pop and added bits of red/white twine. I also added some holly and berries that come with the Candy Pop dies set. 

 

 

 

One more side view! This is the 1/2 inch bubble. You'll see in my supply list you can buy the bubbles in different depths depending on what you're going to put inside.

 

 

Sweet Holiday Wishes my friends! Happy Friday, and happy crafting! Ho Ho Ho! See you soon!

CLICK HERE or on the graphic below to see the supply list for today's card (Affiliate Links Used)!

Warm and Cozy Fall cards with Simple Stories Harvest Market Collection!

Helllooooooo! Autumn is winding down and will soon be gone...and next week is Thanksgiving! Wow! There is a lot to be thankful for, for sure! I am going to share a couple more Fall/Autumn themed projects and then we'll switch on over to our regularly scheduled Christmas programming! LOL! You guys know how much I love Fall! I hate to see it go, but I guess I better switch my brain from pumpkin spice to peppermint mocha!

My cards today feature one of my favorite favorite favorite paper collections from all of 2022!!! It's called Harvest Market and it's from Simple Stories. This paper collection is EVERYthing I love about the season - pumpkins, coffee, sweaters, warm florals, and plaid. OMG it's wonderful!! I made two cards using the collection and I have more ideas too! These would be nice friendship cards for Thanksgiving, or a hostess card if you're going to someone's house. Also - great for Fall scrapbooking! Okay, let's get to it!

My first card is an A2 cream card base. I used lots of the patterned papers to form the background for the sentiment panel. I put lots and lots of good things on this card! I do love mixing and matching colors and textures!

 

I used ephemera pieces, chipboard stickers, metal stickers and enamel dots! Oh, and some twine for good measure! Here's a side view so you can see all the layers and elements.

 

A sweet little birdie sitting on a fall banner....

 

You know I love a pop of teal in with all those warm and cozy colors!

 

 

 

Exactly what I love - Fall breeze and Autumn leaves - please!

 

 

 

My second card is also an A2 cream card base. I again layered different patterned papers for my top layer. I used the big FALL word ephemera piece as my focal point, then added some cozy things...including that adorable sweater! How pretty are all these colors?? Seriously. 

 

Side view! I added a leaf piece to the front of the sweater. I would totally wear this sweater! 

 

I tucked a little twine bow behind the metal piece. I like to add shiny textured things to all this warmth....

 

 

 

Pumpkin Spice + Cozy Sweaters = Happiness!

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by today to see my cozy cards! Have a wonderful day, everyone! Love you! XOXO

CLICK HERE or on the graphic below to see the supplies used for today's cards (Affiliate Links Used)!

Pixi Dust Winter Mugs!!

Hello crafty friends! It's going to be another fun crafty week I think! I have something really fun and cute to share today! I made some Christmas tags with awesome dies from our friends at Pixi Dust! I used the Reindeer Mug Dies and Penguin Mug Dies to make big round tags. I could put these on a package or mount them onto a card. Haven't decided yet! I used some sparkly snowflakes from Pinkfresh Studio and pretty patterned papers from Lawn Fawn. It all came together like a crafty Winter dream! Let's get started!

First up is my jolly reindeer mug! Isn't she the sweetest thing ever?! I love the whipped cream and the candy cane. I'm pretty sure it's a peppermint mocha! MMMMMM. 

 

And here is my festive penguin! Love her plaid scarf and all the details to make her face come alive!

 

I used large scalloped circles as the base of my cards/tags. I then die cut a smaller white circle to be the base. (Supplies are listed at the bottom of my post) Here is a close up of my layers and all the little details that make this project so much fun. Pixi Dust - they thought of everything!

 

The snowflakes were hot foiled with silver foil onto vellum - love that look! I ink blended her cheeks and ears and gave everything a good splatter of white paint snow. I added a few gems and hearts to make it sparkle. This die set is so easy to use and put together. I am a huge fan! There are many other mugs in the collection - santa, snowman.....

 

 

 

Here are the close up details of my penguin mug! I added a bit of toastiness onto the marshmallows and a good sprinkling of glitter too! 

 

 

 

I absolutely adore this color combination for winter! So fresh and pretty - but still icy too! 

 

 

That's my project for today! I can't say enough how much fun I'm having with my new supplies from Pixi Dust!! Everything is really just adorable and happy. I am wishing you a happy, fun and creative week! XOXO

CLICK HERE or on the graphic below to see the supply list for today's tags/cards (Affiliate links used)!

A visit to see the butterflies in Santa Cruz!

Hi guys! I'm gonna warn you - this is a long post with lots of photos! So grab some coffee and spend a little time with me and I'll tell you a cool story! Hope you had a great week. Happy Friday! I think everything is finally working right with my blog - so thank goodness for that! Wishing you a wonderful weekend this weekend! XO

My birthday was last week! My husband took the week off so we could go and do some things and it was a great week. We ended up taking a couple of day trip road trips around here which worked out great! I had a wonderful birthday week and ate some yummy pizza and got spoiled with flowers and a new glitter Christmas tree! I hate getting older, but I do love to be spoiled! 

One of our day trips last week was to Santa Cruz. We live about 2 hours or so Northeast of Santa Cruz, so it's an easy trip for us. I wanted to see the Monarch Butterflies that winter at the coast. They haven't been here in a few years because of the wildfires and they are returning in good numbers this year. So that was the purpose of our trip that day! HERE IS SOME INFORMATION about the Butterflies and the place we went. We have a yearly State Parks Pass so we love to explore new California Parks. The butterflies are at Natural Bridges State Beach! The Monarchs come here for the winter because it is just the right climate. It is amazing because they cluster in the tops of the trees! It was a magical thing to see! The butterfly area is a short walk from the ocean!

 

There is a small gift store and museum. There were a bunch of kids there that day on a field trip and it was very cute to see the kids marvel at the butterflies too.

 

 

The butterflies come to a grove of eucalyptus trees that are down in a canyon. So you have to walk down into the canyon to see them. It's so quiet and peaceful. And the smell of eaucalyptus trees is one of my favorite smells in the world. My family is from Monterey/Carmel area and my grandma's backyard was basically a forest of eaucalyptus trees. And when they are wet from the fog, the smell is intoxicating. It brings back all the good memories for me.

 

There is a really nice walkway to get down into the canyon. 

 

If you don't know what you're looking for, you could easily miss the giant butterfly clusters! They are way up in the trees and completely blend in with the leaves. When it's cold they all huddle together like this. When the sun hits them and they warm up - they all start flying! It's incredible!!

 

Just look at them!!!! 

 

 

 

It was a very foggy day for the most part. A few times the sun did peek through the fog and it was great to see the butterflies flying overhead!

 

More clusters - smaller ones, bigger ones - everywhere in the trees!

 

 

 

This little guy landed on the walkway right in front of me!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We just stood there in awe of this cool phenomenon. So lucky to be able to see this in real life!!! Puts everything else in perspective - these fragile creatures sticking together to survive through the winter. I feel like we could learn some things....

 

 

 

We saw some beautiful flowers on our walk....

 

And this cutie wandered by....

 

 

 

We went down to the beach and enjoyed the view and the fresh air. It's a lovely beach and I think we will definitely come back when it's a bit warmer. This is a really nice State Park! We loved it. Natural Bridges State Beach.

 

 

We drove down through the main part of Santa Cruz and saw some sights. Visited the Surfing Museum, and this guy was surfing right outside of it! Brrrrr.

 

 

I was taking a photo of this pretty sailboat when a whale breached!! See the puff of water to the left of the boat in the photo? That was a whale!

 

And check out these best friends floating by enjoying some snacks! 

 

That building is the Surfing Museum. It's such a pretty spot - lots of benches and a great walking path too.

 

Here's my new house, right across the street from the ocean! (I wish!!)

 

 

That's a wrap on our trip! I hope you enjoyed sharing these things with me! I say, get out and explore! Wherever you live, find something new to do and see! You won't regret it! Have a wonderful weekend! XOXO

 

Christmas tags with Wendy Vecchi stamps!

Hi friends!!! How's your week going? We had a super wet and rainy election day here in Sacramento! Hard to believe we are now well into November. I'm here for it, and I wish time would slow down some. Our nights have been chilly and we are all cozy with our couch blankets! I absolutely love this time of year! This weekend we're going to a huge antique fair and I'm looking forward to that too! Still getting caught up here on the blog and I have lots of projects to share. November is a weird month for crafting because I'm still wanting to make Fall themed things, but Christmas is coming on strong too! I guess we can do both, right?! 

Today I'm sharing some pretty Christmas mixed media tags I made with some new supplies from Wendy Vecchi! I love Wendy and her cool vibe and style and she has some great new stamp sets and chipboards for the holidays this year. I got out some of my big manila tags and had fun getting messy! Here are my finished tags... These will be great to tie onto a present or a gift bag!

 

The NOEL and JOY words are chipboard shapes - nice and thick - for painting, inking, or embossing! I used gold embossing powder and heat embossed the letters four times! This is a very cool technique if you've never tried it! Simply use your Versamark ink pad directly to the chipboard and heat emboss the gold powder. Then repeat, repeat, repeat adding more and more gold. It gets so nice and rich layer after layer! I also like that it looks sort of aged or vintage. 

 

I stamped all the images with Archival Ink and watercolored with Distress inks. I hand cut out all the images to use on the tags... 

 

To age the tags themselves, I put some distress ink onto a stamping block and added water. Then I wet the tags with my sprayer and painted the distress ink mixture until it looked the way I wanted. I used a sponge dauber to ink around the edges of the tags also. 

 

After the tags were dry, I went back and added background stamping in brown ink - snowflakes and wreath images - and stars.... I added the colored images to the words. The final step was to add some white splatters to mimic snow!

 

A little bit of pretty sheer ribbon from my stash completes the look. I love all the different textures on this project and the finishes too!! 

 

 

That's it for today's fun tags projects! I hope the rest of your week goes great! What are you crafting? Are you team Fall or team Winter? Or both like me? Take care, and I'll see you soon! XOXO

CLICK HERE or on the graphic below to see the supplies used for today's project! (Affiliate Links Used)

Doodlebug Farmers Market Collection - Hello Fall Wreath Card!

Hi friends! Happy Monday! I'm here with a fun fall card made with the beautiful new Doodlebug Farmers Market Collection! OH, I love this collection! Such a fun mix of images and themes from flowers to vegetables and everything in between. It's just absolutely delightful! And I am loving all those warm colors, but with a pop of purple and magenta. Really creative and cheerful.  I loved it from the moment it hit my desk! Perfect for Fall, but also I'll be using the veggie/market theme next Summer too! And who doesn't love a Farmers Market themed anything?? My blog photos are still not posting perfectly, but it's so much better! Thanks again for the support! I'm so happy to be back and sharing!

My card for today is a big square - 5.5" x 5.5", made from kraft cardstock. I got this idea from lots of beautiful scrapbook pages people make with this type of layout. The big wreath with all mixtures of patterned papers. Since I don't really scrapbook, I made a smaller version into a card. I die cut tons of leaves from both the Doodlebug Hello Fall Die Set and the Doodlebug Nesting Scallops Die set. I used several different patterns of the 6x6 Farmers Market paper pad... And this is what I came up with!

 

I die cut the hello word from dark brown woodgrain cardstock so it would add some texture. I added a little tag and some twine too, to make up my main sentiment. 

 

 

Here's a side view so you can see all my layers. I used 6x6 patterned paper for the magenta bottom layer, then white, then my leaves. I used lots of foam tape to tack everything down and to add dimension. This looks a lot better than just putting them on there flat.

 

I felt like the card needed something up there in the corner so I added a green sentiment banner. I think this would be a great Thanksgiving or friendship card. As you knew I would, I added some sweet little hearts too! I splattered on magenta ink and white ink generously.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's it for today's post! I'm still trying to get all caught up! It's full-on FALL mode here in Northern California! Our leaves are popping and it's getting me in the mood for Thanksgiving and football! I hope you have an amazing week!! XOXO

CLICK HERE or on the graphic below to see all the supplies used for today's card (affiliate links used).

Halloween 2022 final projects - a little late! Fun with Vintage Halloween from Anna Griffin!

Hi everybody! I'm back - I think?! Gosh, what a disaster that happened here on my blog the past week or ten days... My blog/website is hosted by a company called Typepad. I use Typepad to write my posts, post photos, and read comments, etc. They are the company that puts me on the internet.... That's the basics. Well, something major happened at Typepad HQ and the whole system went down. Bloggers all over the world were not able to post anything, especially photos, for up to ten days. My blog and others were not even visible for about three days. Right at Halloween, when we're all trying to share things. As you might have guessed, I am a Type A person and it about made me crazy!! Sitting here wanting to share all the things with you.... But I guess it was a lesson in patience (not my biggest virtue!). Now that everything is coming back up, I went back and forth about sharing my final Halloween projects, but then figured what the heck. I absolutely loved making these projects and I want to show them to you! Hope that's okay with you! I missed you guys! The big giveaway is over and you blessed me so much! The winners announcement is in a separate blog post! 

Hope you are all doing well and enjoyed a Happy and fun Halloween!! Our Halloween was really fun this year. We decorated A LOT. Then we set up a table in the driveway with some cool music and lots of candy and enjoyed the evening seeing the neighbors and all the cutie kids dressed up. Now it's time to get moving towards Christmas time! It will come fast! 

For our wedding anniversary in early October, my husband bought me gorgeous amazing awesome crafting supplies from Anna Griffin. Everything has a vintage Halloween vibe which is one of my favorite things!! I have loved Anna Griffin products for 25+ years! I used to buy all her scrapbooking kits back in the day, and our wedding announcements are even made with her gorgeous vellum and ribbons!! So I had to have the Halloween goodies. I ended up making two pumpkin easel cards, three 5x7 cards and two medallions. Everything is from Anna Griffin - the dies, papers, vellum, rub-ons, embellishments... Her items are only available at her own website or at HSN. I used bits of Distress Inks and my signature splatters... 

 

 

 

This card and the next one were made with a giant die set that makes an easel card! It's fantastic! You can make just a pumpkin (I'm thinking Thanksgiving cards now) or a jack-o-lantern. It's so easy to put together and I think it's super festive!

 

 

 

 

Here it is folded flat to go into an envelope! Isn't that cool?? There's no end to the ideas to decorate or the papers to use!

 

 

 

 

And here's my second easel card - made with glitterly orange paper!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I made a few decorative medallions too - using all the vintage embellishments!! I added some gems here and there and of course paint splatters!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And lastly, three big 5x7 cards full of embellishments and beautiful papers....oh my....I had so much fun making these!! Can't wait to make some more next year too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a picture of me dressed up in my Halloween outfit. My fun skirt is two layers of tulle - with velvet polka dots!! I love to twirl in it! LOLZ. 

 

 

 

 

Okay, fingers crossed we will be back to our regular schedule! Have a blessed and happy day everybody!! I'm not even sure you'll be able to see this post and/or if the email notifications are working! Can someone do me a favor? If you did receive your email update about this new post - can you leave a comment and just let me know? I am seriously behind and so frustrated!! I miss blogging and sharing. I never realized how much it is a part of me to create and share and interact with everyone. Say a little prayer and cross your fingers!! I have lots to catch up on! XOXO

 

Giveaway winners announcement!! WOOHOO!!

***BLOG POSTS ARE STILL DELAYED - I CANNOT UPLOAD PHOTOS TO ALL MY NEW POSTS - STAY TUNED FRIENDS!***

Hi everyone! Exciting news! I'm here to announce my big October giveaway winners! Before I announce the winners I really want to say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!! You all made a really big difference to me by shopping my links. Truly truly truly you made a difference to me! I would be so grateful if you would continue to shop my links when you can. You have no idea!! BLESS YOU GUYS!! I put all my crafty stash things into the two winners' boxes. I'm thinking once I get up a good stash again, we can do another giveaway?! What do you think? Thank you to each and every one of you for supporting me. Without further ado...the two winners are:

Cathy S. and Amy C.

 

They have been notified by email and their boxes are shipping now!!!

Congratulations Cathy and Amy!! 

 

Here's a picture of Lucky helping me get the packages ready!!