Ring in the New Year & a Beary Christmas

Hello! Happy New Year! I am ringing in the New Year with this sweet card, and below, you will also find this month's SCS Fan Club Christmas card. The Fan Club has a unique Christmas Challenge all year long. We have a fantastic team that brings new challenges once a month. This is a great way to get ahead for next year. So, let's first talk about this sweet New Year card!

I hope you have a lovely New Year's Day and can keep some of that spirit going throughout the year!  

Because my husband has a very odd schedule, I am ringing in the new year with just one glass! But that's ok, we have plans for his 3-day weekend!  :)  I liked the idea of a party, so I featured 6 glasses on this card. Maybe a mythical toast with our kids and their new spouses.  :)  

I kept this relatively simple using the Ring in the New Year stamp set and the Small Layered Bow die set.  

I made a card with the cute Cocoa Bear for the Fan Club January Christmas Challenge. The sentiment is from Bear Sayings and was stamped on a Rounded Corner Sentiment Banner. The snowflakes came from the Christmas Cookies set. The background paper is from Christmas Doodles. For the scarf, I  used a scrap from Deck the Halls. Doesn't he look snazzy? Lastly, I framed the whole thing with the Large Frame.       

Thanks so much for looking!  

Happy New Year! I wish I could give you all a real hug!  

 

Coffee & Cookies - IO Team Favorites

Hello! Welcome to IO Team Favorites!  

Here are a couple of my favorites for this month. I have so many faves that it's always hard to narrow down, so I decided to go with treats! I love all the different cookie dies IO released this year; the Valentine Cookies are no exception! The Cookie Plate has seen a lot of use this year! I am sending sweet cookies and the Friends Forever sentiment to someone special. Lastly, the background paper came from the Valentine Rose paper pack.

Next up, what goes best with sugary sweet cookies? Coffee! And Jeanne came out with a super fun Coffee Love sentiment set this month! IO has a great selection of coffee-themed dies; I chose Coffee to Go for this project. Lastly, I made a border with Vintage Coffee Paper and Edges 2 Die. 

Thanks so much for looking!

 

Hearts & More IO December Release & Hop Day 2

Hello, welcome to Day 2 of the IO December Release!

First, a little note: Cocoa Bear is back in stock!  I used him on this card to send healing hugs!  The sentiment is part of the new Sending Hugs stamp set.

  

Next, I am featuring the pretty Loopy Heart.  I also used the button die from the new Primitive Heart set.  The sentiment is Relationship Humor.  If you love humor and mild sarcasm, this set is for you! This set also includes some general sentiments, making it a great value. The background paper is from the Basic Plaids paper pack.     

Lastly, I love the New Year's set by Lindsay!  Ring in the New Year is a super cute set.  I like that the signs are blank so we can pen in the new year! And, oh my goodness, it isn't until just this minute that I realize I wrote the wrong year!! It should read 2024!  Sigh.  Oh well.  I might have to use a little whiteout!  LOL. I paired the scene with a very NON-New Year paper, Vintage Coffee.  I also used the Crazy Stitched Set for my image layer.  

Thanks for stopping by!

Love is in the Air - IO December Release & Hop

Hello!  Welcome to Day 1 of the December Release Hop!  This month is full of hearts, hugs, coffee, and more!  

Coffee cards are high on my list of favorite cards to make.  They are just plain fun.  This first card features Cozy Vibes.  I framed it with a Large Frame and used Rounded Rectangle Layers for the sentiment.  

This next card features a die set I am super excited about!  The new Primitive Heart set can be used independently or with a previously released set, Eyelet Primitive Hearts.  The new set layers beautifully with the Eyelet set!  I love it!  I also used the following:

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Hour

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Hello!  This week, we are stamping backgrounds for the F4ALL Challenge at SCS.  For my card, I stamped a few snowflakes from the Happy Hour set onto the background layer. Please check out the challenge to see the incredible work of art Janine made.  I am fortunate to be the recipient!  The card is exquisite, and the stamping is fantastic.  

Card Recipe:

Happy Hour

Deck the Halls (paper)

Wacky Stitched Circle

Crazy Stitched Set

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Peace & Joy for Watercolor Wednesday

Hello!  This week's Watercolor Wednesday Challenge at SCS is to paint a beautiful winter scene inside an ornament by Harriet De Winton. I added a sentiment from Joyous Christmas and die-cut it with the Coordinating DIE.  

 

Thanks for stopping by. We hope to see you in the SCS Galleries!  

 

Snowflakes & Holiday Wishes for IO Theme Day

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Hi! This month, our theme is "Snowflakes & Holiday Wishes."

I used a piece of beautiful scenic paper from the Winter Wonderland paper pack for my snowflakes. The sentiment is a lovely 2-piece set, Peace on Earth.  

I am featuring the large snowflake from the Snowflake Frame Die set for the next card. I love these delicate snowflakes! The penguin is from the Happy Hour stamp set. The papers are from the Winter Wonderland paper pack. I used a sentiment from Winter Snowflakes Sayings. For the layout, I used Stitched Tag, Stitched Slimline Layers 2, and Stitched Slimline Layers.  

Stop by the Impression Obsession Blog for a list of designers participating in this month's Theme Day!

Thanks for stopping by!  

 

Peace of the Season - Day 2 Limited Edition Set Hop

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Hello!  Welcome to Day 2 of the December Limited Edition Set Hop!  

This month's Limited Edition set includes four sentiments.  One sentiment can be used all year long.  I liked this sentiment so much that I decided to make it the main thing. I added a glitter strip and paper from the Watercolor Poinsettias Paper Pack.  

Thanks for stopping by

 

Peace on Earth - IO December Limited Edition Set Hop

Hello! Welcome to the IO December Limited Edition Hop!

This month's set includes three lovely winter scenes. The scenes could be used all winter long and not just for Christmas! I love it when we can stretch our stamping dollars! The set also includes four sentiments, one of which could be used all year.  

With this sweet winter scene, I made a mini slimline card using Stitched Slimline Layers and the sentiment banner from Stitched Tag#5. The background paper is from the Winter Wonderland Paper Pack.  

For the next card, I didn't use any extras. I used the December Limited Edition set and the Winter Wonderland Paper Pack.   

Thanks for stopping by!   

 

A Christmas Tag

Hello! Can you believe it's December? Wow. Over at SCS, we are playing along with our last Fan Club Christmas Challenge of the year! I can't mention what the challenge is, but I can tell you all the fun things I used to make this tag. 

I used the Bread Tag and a piece of Christmas Plaids Paper. IO paper has a nice weight and a pretty sheen, but I wanted it a little more sturdy for the tag, so I die-cut a second tag out of green cardstock and glued it to the back.  

The Cocoa Bear is so cute, and it's also EASY to use. When I am doing many things at once, I appreciate an easy-to-use die! The snowflakes come from the Christmas Cookies set, and it's just the right size for projects like this. It's a great way to get extra use from a die!  

Thanks so much for looking!  

 

Just Breathe - Team Favorites

It's Team Favorites this week, and I chose a Just Breath.  

The stamp set is a sentiment set called Remember Your Why.  It includes a large arrow and six sentiments that can easily be your project's star and focal point.  I paired the sentiment with a fun dandelion paper from the Forest Floor paper pack.  The sentiment is framed on the Stitched Square Frame.  

Stop by here for a look at all the NEW items at IO!

Also, remember that until midnight, you can shop and get 20% off!  

Stop by the Impression Obsession Blog to look at the Team's Favorites!  

Thanks for stopping by!  

 

Winter Time Blues & a Discount!

Hello! We are seeing blue this week at the Free 4 All Challenge at SCS.  I created a blue background with Distress inks and water.  I added images from the Winter Time Stamp and Die Cut them.  I love that there are dies for the sentiments! Lastly, I placed the images on Rectangle Frames.  

Until Monday, November 27th, shop 20 % off the IO store.  No code is needed!  

 

A Chistmas Hug in a Mug - IO Theme Day

Hi!

This month's IO Theme is Hug in a Mug!  

IO has several cute cups and mugs. Today, I am featuring the new mug, Cocoa Mug. I like the little heart stitching. I paired the mug with the Hot Chocolate Sayings.  The background paper is called Christmas Sweater; all the papers have different designs you might see on a sweater!  I also used my two most often used IO dies.  The Crazy Stitched Set and Rounded Rectangle Layers.

Stop by the Impression Obsession Blog for a list of participating designers!  

 

It's Ornamental

This week, we are painting branches with ornaments for Watercolor Wednesday. We followed this video. I enjoyed the process. After this practice, I realized I needed to purchase a different brush to paint better pine needles, but I had fun.

The challenges at SCS are free and never expire, so stop by and join us!

Thanks for stopping by!  

 

Friendship & Holiday Cheer - IO November Release & Hop Day 2

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Hello! Welcome to Day Two of the IOP Release & Hop! Before I head to winter, I have a sweet friendship card to share.  

I used the new Winter Wonderland paper pack for the background. The two-piece Hello Friend Die Set makes creating an elegant friendship card easy. Lastly, I added a few sprigs from the Winter Foliage Die Set.  

And now, back to winter!

The new Snowflake Frame adds something special to winter cardmaking.  I paired it with the Winter Time stamp set and Winter Snowflake Sayings.  

Last but not least, how about a cup of cheer?!

The new Cocoa Mug can be used all through the year.  I plan to use it for Valentine's with the sweet little hearts lining the cup. I paired the mug with Hot Chocolate Sayings and Basic Plaids paper.  I used the holly from the Santa Mug set released a few months ago.  I framed the card with a Large Frame and used my favorite sentiment banner: Rounded Rectangle Layer.   

Thanks for stopping by!

It's a Plaid Day - IO November Release & Hop

Hello, and welcome to the November IO Release! We have a great selection this month. There are two new paper packs, pretty word dies, critters, birthday celebrations, and winter!  

I had a little giggle making this one! I paired two of Nola's sets, Remember Your Why and A Little Behind. LOL. Both sets are fantastic. The gorgeous plaid paper is from the new Basic Plaids. I also used Stitched Slimline Layers and a Wacky Stitched Circle.  

So, it's taken me a couple of years to realize that I have fallen in love with bunny images. I just love them. And this one, paired with the behind sentiment, pretty much sums it up for me! Several times a month, I say, "I need one more day or week!"

I once again used A Little Behind and Basic Plaids. The dies are Stitched Slimline Layers and Plaid Tag.

It's all about plaids for me today, and here is one more card featuring the Basic Plaids Paper and Cocoa Bear! Bear Sayings pairs nicely with this adorable Cocoa Bear, and the sentiment fits beautifully on a Rounded Rectangle Layer.  

Thanks for stopping by

Watercolor Pumpkins - IO November Product Focus

Hello everyone!  This month's IO Product Focus is Patterned Paper.  I think IO has some of the most beautiful patterned papers! They are not flimsy papers, and they have a slight sheen to them.  The scenes and patterns are gorgeous.  Sometimes, the scenes are just too pretty to cover up, so I just add a sentiment as I did with this card.  Here is what I used:

Watercolor Pumpkins (paper)

In & Out 7

Rounded Rectangle Layers

Tag with Label

For a look at all the beautiful IO paper packs, click HERE.

Stop by the Impression Obsession Blog for links to the Team Product Focus projects!  

Thanks so much for stopping by!

 

It's All About Words

 Hi!  This week at the F4All Challenge, our focus is word/phrase dies. 

I created the background with Distress Ink and the Cloud Grass stencil. Over the top of the clouds, I added the Sunburst Stencil. Lastly, I sprinkled the background with water.  I love that Adore Him Die comes with a bubble background!  I used my Precision Glue Press to adhere the sentiment to the background. The Glue Press has a fine point so that little dies can be glued in place without making a mess!  

That is all for me today!  I hope you are well, and thank you for stopping by!  

In the Woods - IO November Limited Edition Set

Hello! Welcome to Day 2 of the November Limited Edition Set Release Hop!  

The outdoor scenes in this month's Limited Edition Set are stunning.  I loved this one simply in black and white, but I decided to give it a hint of color with Distress inks.  

 

The background paper is from the Wood Textures paper pack.

The sentiment was stamped and cut with a Rounded Rectangle Layers die.    

Thanks for stopping by!

The Colors of Fall - IO November Limited Edition Set

Hello! Welcome to the November Limited Edition Set Release!  

This set includes beautiful outdoor scenes and three sentiments. For my first card, I enjoyed painting the scene. I used paper from the Warm Watercolors paper pack and cut the sentiment with a Rounded Rectangle Layers die.    

I love this little scene. Framing with the Rectangle 6 in 1 Frame and a border from the Watercolor Pumpkin paper pack finishes off this card.  

Thanks for stopping by

How is it November 1st?

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 Well, yikes! It's November 1st already. No, I am just not ready. But since it is November 1st, we have a new Fan Club Christmas Challenge.  

Last year, my daughter's future mother-in-law gave me lovely presents wrapped in this gorgeous paper. Being the saver I am, I couldn't part with it and tucked it away.  

I also used the Small Layered Bow and the Merry Christmas Die from IO. I LOVE die-cut paper bows. I am all thumbs regarding real ribbons, but paper bows do what it's told!  :)  

Have you started making your Christmas cards? 

Thanks so much for stopping by! 

Boo! A Treat for You at IO!

 Happy Halloween!

We had a monster of a Halloween release a few months ago; here are a few I didn't get to share earlier!  

Also, IO is having a frightfully fabulous sale until midnight EST.  31% off ALL regularly priced items!  Today is the day to treat yourself. Click HERE.

A simple yet effective technique. Simply stencil black ink on colored cardstock. Here is what I used:

Cloud/Grass Stencil

Monster Sayings

Pumpkin Cookie Die

Creepy Kitty (spider)

Rounded Rectangle Layers

Two colors, fancy patterned paper, and a cute girl!

Halloween Girls

Trick or Treat (paper)

Deckled Frame

This is one of my faves, and it was SO simple.  I love a simple design.  

Bats for Halloween (paper)

Monster Sayings

Edges 1

And last but certainly NOT least, because you know my affection for cats!  These cute spooky cats are up to no good!  

Witchy Kitty

Witchy Kitty Die set

Every Day Tags 2

Bats for Halloween (paper)

Basics 14 Blacks (Paper)

I hope you have a safe and wonderful Halloween!  Thanks so much for stopping by!