...CHriSTMaS ChaLLeNGe...and PeNnY BLaCK...

This past HoliDaY season, I found myself digging through my stash of ChriSTMaS cards quite often...it was nice to have several to chose from when I wanted to add a special note or send out a nicer thank you.  I decided the idea of making one every week or so was a good one and the people at THe WeeKLY CHRiSTmaS CarD CHaLLeNGe were on to something BRiLLiaNT!

Spreading the cards out instead of mass producing will make each card more special and elaborate...a look I like...plus a challenge is always fun right?!?!

Ummm....yah...right...not when this week's challenge was a single layer card.

GuLP.

Me??????  produce something with only ONE layer?!?!?!

The thought was horrifying...and a little overwhelming...I have honestly been known to put 20 layers on a card...it's not a conscious effort...it's just how I roll...  :/

enough complaining...here's what I came up with...

Technically there is only one layer of paper...I just cut a hole in it to make it look like another layer...ummm...is that cheating?  I sure hope not~!

The ADoRaBLe Penny Black set was sitting next to my desk waiting to get put away...and as I looked at it...I thought...Heeeeeeeey....THaT might work! 

I went over to the ChaLLeNgE site and saw that it asked to use something NeW...well...this set was brand new...and I'm thinking that little seal friend of hers looks pretty new too :) Nothing like a baby animal to up the cuteness factor on anything...not that PeNnY BLaCK stamps need to resort to that!  EVeRY one is ADoRabLE!!!

I went looking for some snowflake paper for the front...but when I found this sheet of October Afternoon aspen paper...I thought she could look like she was hiding in the woods instead of playing in the snow :)

Then it just needed SoMeTHiNG...so I stamped the little bird on there from a PTI set and called it done.

Here's a close up of my girlies "fur" coat...you gotta LoVE Martha Stewart glitter!!!  I used a glue pen and did small sections at a time...I used my paper piercer to clean off the black coat outlines with each addition to give the coat some definition.  A few copics, some stickles that was sitting on my desk from a previous project, and that was it...

While trying to come up with a card that only had one layer made my head ACHE...I will admit that there was a lot less to clean up when the card was finished :)

...and here's the envie... I added a layer...but it's on the envelope not the card...so it shouldn't count against me right?!?!?!?

I'm so excited to have started a CHRiSTMaS box for next year!!  It makes me feel all organized and on top of things! :p

Thanks for LooKinG!

jen

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...TE CarD FoLiO...

Back in early November, Taylor from Taylored Expressions made the CuTeST "card folio" on her blog to promote her November release...

I immediately had to try one :)

Here are the cards I made to go inside...personalized thank you notes for my neighbor's daughter's teacher...

simple...computer generated personalization and then I added in the SNOW form the PTI set...I know I totally CASED this idea from someone...but I don't remember from who...SoRRy!!  Thanks for the BriLLianT idea! 

...This is the inside of the cards...

...and the back...

...and the envies...

...here is one side of my "folio" holder...look how cute the decorated binder clip turned out...

30 seconds + 2 buttons and a glue gun= AdoRaBLe! 

...and the other side...

 ...the entire thing laying open...

...the front, folded closed, with the bow tied...

...and with the complementary felt ornament I made to hang on the front...

these are copied from Debbie Olsen's  blog...she made them last year 

I have to tell you...that PTI Made of Snow die set got a MaJoR workout this Christmas!!

I ended up making a few of these sets for people to give to their kids teachers...I love it when an idea turns out to be cute and practical :)

thanks for looking!

jen

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...PeNnY BLacK ReiNDeEr...

So...you know it has an excellent chance of being a good day when...

...the morning starts off with a pumpkin spice latte delivered by your dad and a new christmas idea magazine...

...you complete the giftie for your neighbor...including a cute envelope...

(it's not cookies, but I'd forgotten that I'd picked up this turkey votive holder and a candle for her the last time I was at Bath&Body Works)

...AND you manage to MAKE something during nap time...

...on my last trip to the local scrapbook store...

when I was looking for HaLLoWeEn paper...

I bought the CuTeST PeNnY BLacK stamp set...

and I hoped yesterday that I'd get to use it on a redo of this week's great sketch from

Jen  Shults Blog

...and I squeezed it in when I was supposed to be folding laundry during nap time...

maybe if I'm really lucky 

~the laundry fairy~

 will come and take care of that load of towels for me

BwAhaHahAHahaha

any way...here's my card...

AcK...she is sooooo CuTe!!!!!  That reindeer is AdoRabLe!!!

and I was right...it worked perfectly with this sketch...and I used ANOTHER previously unopened KI kit!

Here's a closer view..the snowflake is coated in prisma glitter and so is the strip of snow in the background...and so is the floor and my pants and the cat...that stuff is so fine it gets EVERYWHERE!!  

ok...I really do need to go finish the laundry now...I know the Laundry Fairy boycotts my house ;(

Thanks for looking and 

Have a GrEaT weekend!

jen

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...GoOd GoLLy...

... am I a blogging slacker!

I'm hoping now that the tree is up, the gifts are bought and wrapped, and the cookies are baked I'll be a little better :)

Here's a tiny bit of what's been going on here...of course, part of being a blogging slacker is NOT taking pictures of things you're doing/making :)  ...I did a lot more...honest...but sadly have no photographic proof...


Enough excuses... here's some of the cookies I decorated last weekend...I made a bag for each of the kids who's mom is a primary carpool driver...I try to suck up wherever I can :)

While I'm  ReaLLy grateful that I'm not driving at all this year...I feel like a total sLaCkEr in that department too....

Here's a few quick photos of the living room decorations...the mantle and the table by the entry way...

The $2 Santa boot ornaments  sitting on fake snow in the apothecary jar have been a huge hit with everyone who's seen them...kinda funny since the boots were a last minute home depot purchase while I was buying new outdoor Christmas lights...

Here's the mantle..it's the one thing that looks the same in this room after my husband got a WILD hair this Saturday and decided we needed a ReaL, LaRgE, space sucking, evergreen in our front window...had to buy a stand and a tree skirt too...HaPPy HoLiDaYs!!!  

Ca-Ching! 

 Then we got it home and I LITERALLY had to move EVERY piece of furniture in my living room to make it fit and not look horrible...then the hubby and the boy went to watch TV and i spent an hour and a half decorating it alone....hence the LARGE Scrooge factor!!

Here's the boy at his 5th Grade Band concert...it was AwESoMe!!!  He did great!  We were soooo proud! :)  (notice his Santa hat says ~Bah Humbug~...I totaLLy should have been wearing that Saturday night while I hung ornaments on the piney monstrosity in my front window!) 

ok...before you get too impressed., the bottom tier is from the freezer section at Trader Joe's :)  and man were they TASTY!!

 I did make the top section...brownie bites with peanut butter mousse drizzled with chocolate ganache...mmmmm.....

and I made these gingerbread eggnog trifles in itty bitty individual parfait glasses from Pier One...they were sooooo cute...and everyone knows that anything you eat with a doll sized spoon has ZERO calories! :)

Okay...off to finish the last of the homemade gifties and clean the upstairs MaN CaVe...the boys are BeYoNd pigs during break!!

Thanks for looking...

Have an AmaZinG Monday!

jen

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....AdoRaBLe ReiNdEeR...

So I picked up this outfit for my new niece last night...I just couldn't resist it...seriously...

Could you have walked away from this reindeer cuteness?!?

with these little feeties???

...and this hat?!?  AcK!!! Cute OvERLoaD!!!!!

It is possible the real reason I bought the outfit was that as soon as I saw it, I KNEW exactly how to package it...possible...but that might be a little twisted...I mean, who buys something because of how they can wrap it???

You saw this coming right???

Bwahaahahahahahahahaha!!! 

I took a brown lunch bag, added some punches, and antlers and poof...it was a reindeer...just like the little guy on the outfit...

See???   Just a lunch bag...I should have titled this post ~ $10 and 10 minutes~...because that's what it took! :)

I'll be back tomorrow with our Christmas mantle and entry table.

Thanks for looking!

Have an AmAziNg Thursday!

jen

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...ChriStMaS CaNdY...

I got home from a meeting one night last week and was waiting for my husband to finish up a phone call...instead of pacing and being impatient...I went into the cubbyhole and made this.

Seriously...20 minutes...and I was done.

I used one of the clear purses from Taylored Expressions...I have a bunch of extras from the baby shower...and there was a doily laying on my desk...so I used that...

The new Papertrey Tremendous Treats:Christmas set was sitting there too...I stamped it up, colored it...and ta-da...CutE-NeSs...

I tied the ribbon around the purse and held up the doily...but you could see the ribbon through the doily...yuck! I punched a red circle and it fit PerfEctLy behind the center of the doily...LoVe when that happens!

I added a baker's twine bow and a sweet, sparkly jingle bell I picked up at Michaels. 

I colored Santa's beard a really light grey and then added little white swirls to it for some interest...I also added a little chunky glitter to Santa's hat...Every fat man needs a little bling right?

I had a package of HersheY choCoLaTe BeLLs in the kitchen just waiting for a crafty project...the ENTIRE bag (minus the 3 silver ones...really??? how could an entire bag only have 3 silver ones?) fits into the purse...

I'm making up a dozen or so of these...they are quick, I already have everything to make the package, and I think they are perfect for Sanford to give to the ladies in the school office and for Connor to give to his previous teachers :)

Thanks for looking!

Have a GreAt Tuesday!

jen

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...ChrIStMaS IdEaS...

Here are a few of the ideas I came up with for  cheap and easy gifties to hand out to neighbors, teachers, co-workers...or anyone you want to give SoMeThiNg to...but don't want to spend much money.

So...I was at Michael's right after HaLLowEeN...and they had these black metal plaques on ClEaRaNcE...85 cents each!!  So of course, I bought them all...I wasn't being a total HoaRdeR...there were only 6 of them :)

I went home, set it on my desk and started playing...I learned that you can HeAT EmBoSs onto them!  

See the word GREETINGS ?  It's from the new PTI set...I just stamped it with Versamark, sprinkled on white FiLiGreE embossing powder, and had at it with the heat gun...SuPeR easy and it looks AwEsOMe in real life!  Very professional.

I used the new snowman and accessory dies and some felt.  This came together really quickly.  The whole thing was based on the cute striped ribbon that was sitting on my desk...I ended up taping the ribbon to a sheet of cardstock and running that through the cuttlebug with the hat die to make the snowman's hat match the ribbon I tied on up top. :)

Another little thing that made me spend 5 minutes thinking I was quite clever...I'm sure it's nothing new...but I've never done it before and I LoVe how MaTCh-Y it makes everything! :)

So...that's my sign that used about $1.73 worth of supplies...including the sign!  If you get one for Christmas...it doesn't mean I only love you $1.73 worth...it just means I thought you'd like it :)

Godiva chocolate bars were on sale at Barnes and Noble..buy 2 get 1 free...

The whole ~Godiva~ thing makes even a little candy bar like this just a squidge more gift-y...I'm wrapping these up for the room mom's in Connor's class...I'm sure after the Christmas party and dealing with 36 squirrelly 5th graders, they will all need a chocolate fix! :)

I used the new holiday word dies from PTI, some baker's twine, and scraps lying on my desk...I think they are the PerFeCt thing sharing for just a little holiday cheer!...if you can't send booze :)

...and here's a sneak at what's coming tomorrow...I made soap!  I used stamps in the bottom of the mold to emboss it, poured two layers in, and poof...I had the coolest soap ever!  I'll show you how I package it all up tomorrow along with a WiCkEd quick candy holder...

Thanks for looking!
Have a Marvelous Monday!!
jen

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...StiCKy chRiStMaS...

I wanted to make a card for this week's Christmas Card Challenge...which was to use stickers...

I thought I'd add a sketch to make things quicker...so I added this cute sketch from CarDaBiLitIeS...I had never been there before today...LoVe it!! Definitely going back!! :)

I own ToNs of stickers...baskets full...they are stuck in drawers and shelves, in books and loose...I  have even more of them layered in paper holders with their coordinating goodies...but I have this weird theory that using a sticker is cheating...like I'm somehow not giving it my creative all if I slap a sticker on something...and yet...I KeeP BuYinG more of  them...wow...I have some real issues!!

So this week's ChriStmAs CaRd ChaLLenGe made me rethink my sticker phobia...and when I created my little sticker scene...I realized I'm a real MoROn!!

  StiCkErS RocK!!

This whole card took 45 minutes...

I had the sheet of glossy plastic stickers  (epoxy maybe?!?) that went with a line of paper I bought a few years ago...the striped paper is the one that was made to match...I like how they threw in pink and blue with the traditional ChriStMas colors...makes it fun...and my little penguin scene took 3 stickers and about 3 minutes...I popped up the white snow (ground) layer and sponged the top...the base is some PTI blueberry sky cardstock that I embossed and then swiped PTI fresh snow ink onto and then I popped my little guy under the negative space left from the  Mat Stack 1 PTI die cut...some snowflake punches, those epoxy circles were on the sticker sheet too...a few layers and poof...done :)

Here's my little guy up close so you can see how shiny and fun the stickers are...

...and here's a different view so you can see the layers...this card got a little taller than I intended...but it's still flatter than if it had a bow or buttons on it...

hmmmm....not sure what's going on, but this is like the 4th thing in a row I've made with out a bow or buttons or Baker's twine...I'll probably have nightmares tonight about a giant spool of twine chasing me around screaming ~use me...use me~

I mean...I only have every color known to crafting...and there's almost a lifetime supply on each spool...I'm going to be 112 and still putting twine on things! :)

Thanks for looking!

Have a SupeR SatuRdaY!

jen

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...sooOo cOoL...

Here's the SwEeT SunDaY SkeTcH ChaLLenGe for this week

..and here's my card...

I think those little LaWn FaWn penguins are the CutEsT!!  My husband thinks the baby looks sad...I thought it was funny that he was worried about the emotional stability of a stamped image...

Here they are up close so you can decide for yourself if the baby looks unhappy...and you can see their sparkly snow a little better...LoVe that MarThA SteWaRt chunky glitter!!

I embossed the igloo with white powder and then chalked it in...it's not exactly what I had in mind, but I think it's fine...

...and the envelope...

I'm also linking up over at the Wee MemOriEs ChaLLenGe too...they had a  HoLiDaY theme challenge sponsored by LaWn FaWn...so this card seems perfect :)

Thanks for looking!

HaVe a TeRriFiC TueSdaY!

jen

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