Christmas Open House

Every year, our gift to my husband's family is to host an Open House Christmas night. His sister started the tradition and then moved. I took up the slack. I have no idea how long I've been doing it, but it's been over 20 years. No one is expected to bring anything but themselves and their families. All of his siblings(of which 12 are still living) and families down to grandchildren, along with my "family" that lives here. Numbers vary from year to year. We've had as many as 75 and as few as 35, but it's chaos and mayhem and fun.

I've finally got this year's invitation worked out, and I've started making them. I thought I'd post an invitation while I was watching Sanctuary. The papers are from NitWit Collections HoHoHo kit and Simple Joys Too Kit. The Santa Boot is a file I purchased from Whimsie Doodle after seeing some cards made by Judy Kreutcher. When I saw this boot, I knew it had to be a part of my invitations. I used my Make The Cut Software to convert the JPEG file into a cutting file to use with the Cricut and also to cut the HoHoHo message. I punched the Jingle Bells out of some metallic paper using my Martha Stewart punch, embossed the stocking top and added some ribbon.

For the invitation part I simply inserted a text block using Word. Now, if I can just get all parts printed, cut out, assembled and in addressed envelopes this weekend, I'll be making real progress. Of course, there's a card challenge or two I have to get entries made for, so I might just have to take a break.

Thanks for taking a peak, and I'll be sure to post pics from the actual Open House. This year for the MM and his family are going to be here for Christmas for the first time since he was born. I can hardly wait.

Color Me Challenge #3

This is the 3rd week of Sassy Cheryls Color Me Challenge. Cheryl offers an image or two at a reduced price and gives us a chance to be the coloring inspiration for the colored image she has in her Store. Of course, I should warn you that when you go to purchase the ones for the Color Me Challenge, you probably won't check out without a few more images to keep them company. Oh and I should also tell you, if you are selected as the Color inspiration winner, you will be acknowledged as the inspiration in the store, and you win a free image. That's called a twofer in my book.

For my image, I had to have this wonderfully sweet image called "The Simplest of Gifts". The first time I saw this image was on the Show Me Thursday, and I knew I had to have it for a couple of reasons. First of those is the message that it sends - The simplest of Gifts are usually the best. The second reason is that it reminded me so much of my BFF's oldest granddaughter when she was a toddler. All the little girls I've known had to have a red dress coat and most of them were the London Fog red corduroy, thus my coloring scheme.

I've colored her with my Copics. I made sure her hat, scarf and coat matched, because I know her Mama picked them out. However, you'll notice that the outerwear might be matching, but when it comes down to what she's wearing, she's got on her favorite pink and green, and she doesn't care if it doesn't match a red coat.

Papers are from Summer Driggs Believe Kit and NitWit Collections Simple Joys Too Kit. The sentiment is one I created in Photoshop and just seemed appropriate for the image. Don't you love my embellishments? I was going to use fake money, but they wanted $5 for the kit. Figured I'd come out ahead with the 3 quarters and seemed really appropriate with this image.

Well I had a wonderful time with this one, so I've won after all. Oh and please come join in the fun with the Show Me Thursday. Post a link to shots of what you're working on on Sassy Cheryls Blog and be entered for a chance for a free image.

Show Me Thursday #3

It's another Thursday and time to show Cheryl and all the rest of us nosy parkers what's on your desk. In my case, my table top is really neat, which means I'm not working on much. Cheryl and I have a running dialog. As much as I'd like to be a neat freak, I'm not. I'm not going change either, but I am trying to turn over a new leaf and try not to let my messes get too bad. TM is looking pretty good today, because I'm working on the design of a Open House Invitation. Things didn't work out like I wanted, so I punted. I decided rather to put my time to good use and make a light box using this tutorial from Jeffrey Bail HERE. I took a picture of a card I'd previously done and the difference is dramatic.

So here are pics of my space today and my lightbox. Please check out Sassy Cheryls Blog and join in the fun. Let us nosy around in your space and be sure to enter the challenge. All it requires is a picture of your desk, and you might just win a free image.

Jingle Bell Time, It's a Swell Time

I'll now have that earwig in my head from now until Christmas, I'm sure. This week is the Color Me Challenge #2 over on Sassy Cheryl's blog. Every week she puts up an image or two that can be purchased at a reduced price. The purpose is for us to do the coloring work for Cheryl for the chance to win a free image. If your image is selected, she'll color her image like yours, plus use your card as an example. I figure I win any way, since I get the images at a reduced price, and you know I'm going to buy them anyway. The winner was going to be picked each week by her son Zach, but I think he saw the challenge as threatening(fear of a bunch of rampant crafters coming after him if they weren't picked).

It just so happens that my card is pulling double duty, as it's also going to be my entry in the Sassy Cheryls Challenge Blog Countdown to Christmas. When I was in Phoenix, I found a bag of tiny jingle bells(they don't jingle) along with a Martha Stewart Jingle Bell punch. When I saw the"Shining Rudolph's Nose" image and that both Rudolph and the elf were sporting jingle bells, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. The image is colored with my Copics, and the paper is from Paper Pizazz. I sewed the tiny bells to a length of ribbon and punched the jingle bells out of gold metallic paper and popped them up with pop dots.

The sentiment needed to have some reference to Christmas countdown, and then I remembered Brenda Lee's "Jingle Bell Rock". When you start hearing that song on the radio, you know Christmas is really on it's way. And when I hear that song, it takes me back to my school days and my dancing class. We always had a dance that we learned around Christmas to that song.

A new Color Me Challenge starts tomorrow, so be sure to check it out on Sassy Cheryl's blog. I promise you won't be disappointed. Also be sure and check out the Sassy Cheryls Store. She's already added the new images for the week, and I can promise you won't be disappointed.

Pretty Princess and a Castle

It's been a two week challenge at Tiddly Inks Challenge Blog. The challenge issued was to create a card or project with a Princess or a Prince with a scene. Christy has a great Castle Image in her store; and using it for a go by, I created a castle card using my Make The Cut software, and then cutting it with my Cricut. I added some pencil lines to create the blocks of the castle. Christy also had this great banner and this was a freebie on her PCP site. If you aren't a member, we'd love to have you join us.

The card is a tri-fold, so I added the sentiment in the first opening. I created it in Photoshop, and I lined the inside of the castle with some gray paper I found in my scrap box.

Finally you open the card to find the Prince and Princess. The image is called As You Wish and is colored with Copics. They remind me of Robin Hood and Marion, and so I colored it that way. I added a bland gray panel for a message to be written.

I think my card turned out pretty well. I'd love to hear from you though. Thanks for stopping by.

A Sketch and Just in Time

The challenge this week over on the Phindy's Place Challenge Blog is to create a card using this sketch. I know you're used to me posting in just under the wire, but I had a need for a baby card for my next expected great nephew. His shower was today, so I was down to the wire on getting the card made(I'm always the last minute on something). A sketch instead of a theme was the perfect challenge for me this week .

When it comes to babies and small children no one does it better than Phindy. She had me with the Summer cuties, and now she's got me addicted with the Christmas cuties. If you haven't checked them out, please go check out her Store. I assure you, you won't be disappointed, but you may need to be rebudgeting once you get there. For this card I chose the image "Sweet Dreams". I have a thing for sleeping babies in sleepers.

The papers are from the Rubber Ducky Boy kit from Simply Sweet Designs. Kim has some great kits in a three menu plan, The Sweet, The Low Fat and the Fat Free(free kits). Be sure to check them out. I printed them all on vellums, and I loved the way the transparency of the prints added a lightness to the card. I colored the image with Copics, then cut it out and put it on a Spellbinders Scalloped Circle using Pop Dots for some added dimension. I also used my Spica yellow pen to color in the stars on the circle

The sentiment is from Elegant Word Art by Bethany, and sums up perfectly my own thoughts on babies. I added the star paper clips that I purchased from Office Depot out of the bargain bins. Glad I found the perfect use for them.

I got the best compliment today on my card. My niece opened it, commented on the beauty of the card and then said, Oh I know who made this, Aunt Shirley.

Christmas Is Coming

And it's coming a whole lot faster than I'm wanting it to, I can tell you. I'm no where near where I need to be. I think it's possibly because I'd rather be carding in TM than taking care of the real stuff. Oh well, it'll all sort itself out. In the meantime, this week, the DT at Phindy's Place Challenge Blog have issued an edict to create a Christmas Card or Project. Well with all the Chrismas Cuties in Phindy's Store, not a real challenge. My challenge is just sitting down and doing it, which is exactly what I did this morning. Nothing like getting in under the wire two weeks in a row.

For my card, I chose this image called Riding Rudolph. How many pets have had to suffer the humiliation of having clothes, and caps and even reindeer antlers on them. This poor pup looks like he's wondering what he did to deserve this. Yet isn't that little boy the cutest thing and having the best time ever. I colored this image with Prismas and blended with a blending pen. I noticed some bleeding, but can't fix it at this late point. Papers are from Free Christmas Scrapbooking. I couldn't find just the right Sentiment and this one came to mind, so I worked it up in Photoshop pretty quick.

Now I've got to get off here and get busy getting ready for a meeting I've got to lead.