Deck the Halls with Elzybells!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

You all know that rubber stamping and cardmaking is one of my favorite things to do, but making CHRISTMAS cards definitely tops them all! Especially when you can create with stamps as adorable as the sweet little "Elzybells" by AMuse.

This card is a standard 5-1/2 x 4-1/4", but I have cut 1-1/2" off the bottom front. The patterned paper is much brighter in real life and has a glittery sparkle to it. After coloring the image with prismacolor pencils, I put a clear glaze on the ornaments and star.

I hope you're all having a JOYful week! Smiles, Pam :)

Supplies ~
Stamps: Elzybells Art Stamps, Ltd distribulted by A Muse - Deck the Halls, sentiment - PAPERTREYink - Holiday Treats
Paper: Stampin Up - real red, DCWV Glitter Christmas Stack, mini tag - Make it Possible Stax Holiday Wishes
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Stampendous clear embossing powder, Tim Holtz old paper distress ink, Stampin Up real red, Sakura glaze pen.
Other: prismacolor pencils, ribbon, brads, Marvy Uchida mega circle & giga scalloped circle punches, dimensionals, stitching with Janome Sew Mini.

Quote for Today ~
"Joyfulness keeps the heart and face young. A good laugh makes us better friends with ourselves and everybody around us." ~ Orison Swett Marden

Holiday Cheer!

Laughter & Merriment!

If it wasn't for this glittery blue snowflake paper as my inspiration, I don't think I would have put bright red and light blue together on a Christmas card. Actually, I colored the image first and then wondered what I was going to do with it. But, I went to my stack of Christmas papers and found this one! Wa-la! :)

I've colored the image with prismacolor pencils and added some clear glaze on the dots, star and little birdie's wings. I was going to stitch the edge, but decided to do some doodling instead.

In case you're wondering, the stamps are from Hero Arts Clear Design ~ Laughter & Merriment. It's a super cute set and I'll be using it time and again! I saw on another blog yesterday, where someone paper pieced the tree so now I've got to try that too! :)

Have you done any holiday decorating yet? I was only going to put up one tree this year, but having the long weekend and listening to Christmas music must have motivated me because I've now got three trees decorated throughout the house! :) HO HO HO! Smiles, Pam :)


Supplies ~
Stamps: Hero Arts Clear Design-Laughter & Merriment
Paper: Stampin Up real read, DCWV Glitter Christmas Stack
Ink: Versafine onyx black, Stampendious clear embossing powder, pigma Micron 05 black pen, Sakura Gelly Roll Glaze pen
Other: SU red grosgrain ribbon, 1-1/4", 1-1/2" circle punches, horizontal slot punch


Quote for Today ~
"When we feel joyful, euphoric, happy, we are more open to life, more capable of seeing things clearly and handling daily tensions." ~ Leo Buscaglia

Seasonal Winter Whimsy!

When my sweet DIL Jami {Crazy Daisy Creations} was here for Thanksgiving, she brought a few of her new Stampin Up sets and I showed them some ink! :)

This card is made with a combination of "Seasonal Whimsy" and "Perfect Presentation". I'm in love with both these sets and so glad Jami left them here for me to play with!

This is a traditional 4-1/4 x 5-1/2" card folded at the top. You may not be able to tell by the photo, but I've embossed all the stamping. I used the blue brocade craft pad and clear embossing powder on the image and sentiment and versamark and winter wonderland opaque embossing powder for the snowflakes. I love the glittery sparkle!

Tip of the Day ~
I got this tip from Jami and it worked perfectly for me on this card... When trying to line up your brads evenly, just draw a pencil line on the backside of the paper using a ruler to mark where you want to punch the holes.

Supplies ~
Stamps: Stampin Up Seasonal Whimsy, Perfect Presentation
Paper: Stampin Up brilliant blue, Paper Patch-blue cornflower snowflakes, unknown lighter blue scraps
Ink: Versamark, blue brocade craft pad, embossing (see above comments)
Other: blue grosgrain ribbon, brads

Quote for Today ~
"Over the river and through the woods, to grandfather's house we go;
The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh,
Through the white and drifted snow. "
~ Lydia Maria Child

A Winter Song ~

It is definitely WINTER in Nebraska with temps dipping down to the teens overnight. Brrrr! There were a few light snow flurries yesterday, but nothing on the ground, thank goodness!

I hope you all had a very Happy Thanksgiving! Our son, Andrew, and daughter-in-law, Jami came out and helped prepare dinner and the four of us had a most bountiful and delicious feast. :)Then Jami {Crazy Daisy Creations} and I enjoyed an afternoon of stampin it up while the guys watched football and took naps. :)

This is one of my new favorite stamps by Elzybells Art Stamps, Ltd, distributed by A Muse. It's appropriately titled "A Winter Song". The layout for this card is from a sketch by Jen at I{heart}2Stamp. It seemed to work perfectly for this sentiment and image. Her blog is another favorite on my google reader.

For added sparkle I've added diamond Stickles to the snow and to the top of the white brads. The image was colored in with prismacolor pencils and the sentiment was colored direct to the rubber with my Stampin Up markers.

This has put me in the holiday spirit and I think I'm going to put away the fall decorations and decorate the Christmas tree today! When do you all do your holiday decorating?

Whatever your plans, have a wonderful weekend! Smiles, Pam :)

Supplies ~

Stamps: Elzybells-a winter song, Hero Arts-sentiment, The Angel Company-snowflakes

Paper: Stampin Up-blue brocade, The Paper Patch-blue cornflower snowflakes

Ink: Stampin Up-blue brocade, markers

Other: diamond Stickles, white brads, white spiral clip, ribbon, prismacolor pencils, Marvy Uchida mega circle and giga scalloped punches.

Quote for Today ~

Winter came down to our home one night

Quietly pirouetting in on silvery-toed slippers of snow,

And we, we were children once again.

~Bill Morgan, Jr.

Gratitude . . .

. . . a feeling or expression of thankfulness.

There is so much to be thankful for! God's blessings . . . Family . . . Friends . . . Good Health!


And I'm grateful too for this hobby that I enjoy so much . . . and for all of YOU who encourage me!

Wishing you and your families a warm and blessed Thanksgiving!
ENJOY! Hugs & Smiles, Pam :)




Supplies ~
Paper: Karen Foster Autumn Sparkle 8x8 paper bundle
Ink: no stamping on this card, but I did distress with a ball of saran wrap and SU chocolate chip and Tim Holtz tea dye distress ink
Other: copper brads, SU organdy creme ribbon, M's brown/white stitched ribbon, stitching with Janome Sew Mini.


Quote for Today ~
As each day comes to us refreshed and anew, so does my gratitude renew itself daily. The breaking of the sun over the horizon is my grateful heart dawning upon a blessed world. ~Adabella Radici

Do You See What I See? . . .

Isn't this a sweet snowman image? A good friend ( Hi Jason! :) loaned me this rubber stamp a couple months ago and I'm finally getting around to using it. She knew that I would enjoy coloring this image and I certainly did!

This is a good size image (3 x 4") and once I had it colored, I wasn't sure what to do for a layout. I tried a few different things, but felt they were distracting from the image itself. Anyway, I settled on stamping a few random snowflakes on the top half, some in navy and embossing a few in white. Behind the image is a strip of snowflake designer paper that I embossed in my Cuttlebug with the snowflake folder. As I'm typing this, I'm thinking that I should add a little glitter to the snow to give it some added sparkle.

Have you had any S*N*O*W where you live? We've had the most beautiful autumn weather in Nebraska, but it sounds like winter may be here SOON! Brrrrrr

Warm Smiles, Pam :)

Supplies ~

Stamps: Do You See What I See- Uptown Design Co., snowflakes - The Angel Company

Paper: blue textured paper-Hobby Lobby, snowflakes designer paper - Karen Foster Design

Ink: Versafine onyx black, Versamark, white embossing powder, Stampin Up night of navy, Tim Holtz tea dye distressing ink

Other: blue brads, cuttlebug snowflake embossing folder, prismacolor pencils, gamsol

Quote for Today ~

"Snowflakes are kisses from Heaven." ~Author Unknown

Think Happy Thoughts!

I'm loving this new "Wild Saffron" designer paper stack by K & Company. It really has some irresistible, eye-catching colors, not to mention the awesome fabric & bling covered brads to match!

Supplies ~
Stamps: Stampin Up - Think Happy Thoughts
Paper: K & Company- Wild Saffron, Stamping Up - cool caribbean, summer sun
Ink: Stampin Up real read, Tim Holtz tea dye distress ink
Other: K & Company Wild Saffron fabric brads, real red grosgrain ribbon, stitching

Quote for Today ~

Happiness...it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.--Franklin D. Roosevelt

Give Thanks for the Simple Things in Life {WSC28}

When my DIL Jami and I were shopping yesterday at Michaels, she spotted this beautiful Wild Saffron paper stack by K & Company and the awesome fabric & bling covered brads to match. The good news is that the paper was on SALE and we had a 50% off coupon for the brads, so we scored a bargain and shared the stash! :)

This card design is from Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge #28 . Beate's blog "Fresh & Fun" is one of my favorites and I especially enjoy participating in her sketch challenges. Many times, like today, I know what paper, colors and stamps I want to use, but don't know where to start with the layout. The sketches are a terrific source of inspiration!

I hope you're all enjoying your weekend as much as I am! Shopping and stamping . . . it doesn't get much better! Smiles, Pam :)

Supplies ~

Stamps: Stampin Up - Give Thanks

Paper: K&Company - Wild Saffron, Stamping Up - blue bayou, chocolate chip

Ink: Versafine vintage sepia, detail clear embossing powder

Other: chocolate chip grosgrain ribbon, stitching

Another Quote for Today ~

"Hem your blessings with thankfulness so they don't unravel." ~Author Unknown

So Grateful ~ a Simple Gift Idea!

Where oh where did this week go?! I can't believe I haven't posted since Monday! It's been a busy week so I didn't get much time to stamp, but I'm hoping to make up for it today! :)

I just finished a simple little gift for my sweet DIL Jami. She asked me to go with her to Sioux Falls yesterday and we had the BEST time! Jami drove and I was supposed to be the "navigator". Well, we were busy chatting and I missed one of our turns and we ended up in Sioux City, IA! No problem, we laughed about it, found the mall and shopped there for a couple hours before heading on to Sioux Falls for more shopping at my favorite rubber stamp/scrapbooking store ~ Scatter Joy. From there we went to the Empire Mall and that's where I found this cute little ceramic acorn at the Hallmark store. The top comes off to reveal a spice-scented candle inside that smell's yummy!

I'm hoping to do some more stamping today and hope to make a card with some of my new stamps and patterned paper. So stay tuned for more! Smiles, Pam :)

Tag supplies ~

Stamps: Stampin Up Think Happy Thoughts, center acorn & leaf from portion of a Lockhart Stamp - Give Thanks.

Paper: Stampin Up really rust, so saffron, marigold morning

Ink: Versafine vintage sepia, detail clear embossing

Punches: Stampin Up scalloped circle, also 3/4", 1-1/4, 1-3/8" circles. Other: ribbon, copper cord, eyelet

Quote for Today ~

“Faith sees a beautiful blossom in a bulb, a lovely garden in a seed, and a giant oak in an acorn.”
-William Arthur Ward

Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge #11

Happy Mojo Monday!

For today's card, I've combined Nancy's virtual image swap at the Stamp Shack and Julee's Mojo Monday sketch challenge. This image is from Magenta and I've colored it with prismacolor pencils to coordinate with the background paper by AdornIt.


I thought it needed some embellishment, but now I'm second-guessing myself about all the copper brads. What do you think? Do they distract from the image as the focal point? As always, I really do appreciate your comments and feedback.


Have a splendid week everyone! Smiles, Pam :)

Supplies ~
Stamps: Magenta
Ink: basic black, Tim Holtz tea dye distress ink
Paper: Stampin Up really rust, purely pomegranate, AdornIt - spice vines
Accessories: copper cord & brads

Quote for Today ~
"Variety is the very spice of life that gives it all its flavor." -William Cowper

Monkey Business! {Weekend Sketch Challenge}

It's been awhile since I've used cute little "Changito" monkey, but when I saw Beate's weekend sketch challenge with the centered circle, this little guy came to mind. This is a 4-1/4" square card and I've used the mega/giga Marvy punches for the circles. My sweet DIL bought me this adorable "Monkey Business" paper by Reminisce. Doesn't it go perfectly with this stamp?

These sketch challenges are simply more FUN than a barrel of monkeys! LoL :)

Supplies ~

Stamps: Changito monkey and Hang in there by Stampendous, Itty Bitty Backgrounds by Stampin Up!

Paper: Stampin Up wild wasabi, Animal House monkey business by Reminisce.

Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, detailed clear embossing powder, Tim Holtz tea dye distress ink

Embellishments: zig-zag stitching, ribbon, metal triangle clip

Another Quote for Today ~

The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be only the beginning. ~Ivy Baker Priest

Thank you to Beate at "Fresh and Fun" for the Weekend Sketch Challenge.

Virtual Swap Dotted Flower

This card was created for a "virtual swap" at the Stamp Shack. Nancy (directmailscrapper) hosted the swap and mailed out the images to all participants. We were all to create a card and post it to the Shack gallery. It's so fun and simply amazing to see the variety of colors and interpretations with the same image. I've got another here that she sent so I'm going to work on that next! :)

It's just the most beautiful day here in Nebraska and much warmer than usual for November. Hubby was out on our patio installing a storm door, our dachshund Lilly was sunning herself, and I decided that you just couldn't ask for a nicer day to put out Christmas lights! I know it's early, but I would rather do it now than when its bitter cold. All I did was around the patio so that didn't take long. Now, I'm thinking I should wash my car...or better yet, talk MW (mr wonderful) into doing it for me! :) Happy Sunday! Smiles, Pam :)

Supplies ~
Stamps: dotted flower by The Artful Stamper, background flower from Stampin Up Priceless set
Ink: Stampin Up certainly celery, basic black
Paper: Stampin Up certainly celery, Deja Views Paper & Punch Out Tablet
Embellishments: rhinestone brad & old olive ribbon

Quote for Today ~
"I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back." ~Maya Angelou

Creative Cardmaking Friendship ~

Oh Happy Mail Week!

This wonderful card is from my creative cardmaking friend Donna in Oregon. I just love the colors she's used! This set "True Friend" has been on my Stampin Up wish list and this card makes me want the set even more. Bless your heart Donna for sending me this beautiful card. It made my day! :)

Often I mention The Stamp Shack, an online community of diverse rubber stamping enthusiasts. All the gals there are the BEST... always very encouraging as they inspire one another to fully enjoy the creative art of rubber stamping. This past year I've been in a voluntary swap with approximately 60 others and each week we "flood" one participant with cards. Well, last week my name was drawn! Yay! So, I've been thoroughly enjoying all the fantastic cards "flooding" into my mailbox. How FUN!!! :)

What are your plans for the weekend? I've got a few images here for Nancy's Virtual Swap at the Shack that I'm anxious to create something with. And, I've got some new stamps too!!! Can you say "Elsybells"? So, stay tuned... I hope to have more to post later!

Wishing you all a wondeful, relaxing weekend!

Smiles, Pam :)

Quote for Today ~

"Sometimes our light goes out, but is blown into flame by another human being. Each of us owes deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this light." -Albert Schweitzer

Ollie Moonshine Makes Me Smile! {Mojo Sketch #10}

When I first saw this smiley stamp by Stampendous entitled "Ollie Moonshine", I just *had* to have it! Yes, it's my new favorite. My dear friend Michelle at Stampers Dream has a few more for sale in her eBay Store, as well as other adorable Ollie & Olivia rubber stamps. I think I've been her best customer lately! :)

This card is a 4-3/4" square and my inspiration for the layout came from Julee's Mojo Sketch #10 at Poetic Artistry. I do love her sketches and have been trying to participate each week.

In case you're wondering, I colored the image with prismacolor pencils. The patterned papers I used are by My Mind's Eye and Provocraft.

Can you believe that tomorrow is Friday already?! TGIF! :) Smiles, Pam

Quote for Today ~

"Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow ~ Don't walk behind me, I may not lead ~ Just walk beside me and be my friend."-unknown

"Priceless" Ideas from Stampin Up Club!

Last night was our monthly Stampin Up Club and we made a couple terrific projects that I want to share with you. These are both designs that my SU demo got at workshops she attended, so I don't know who to give credit for the original ideas.

The first one is a hinged gift card tin that resembles a purse. The size is approx 3-1/2 x 5". We used the Crop-A-Dile to punch holes in the tin to insert the ribbon for a handle. Then the front was decorated using the "Priceless" set and several punches: 5-petal flower, 1-1/4" circle, 1/2" circle. The corner rounder punch was used on all the edges. { Hot Tip: she bought these gift card tins at Hobby Lobby for 99 cents! } If you're looking for a unique way to give gift cards for the holidays, you may want to try this!

The second project is what I call the "Punch Santa". We used 6 different punches to create this Jolly Ol' Soul! Starting with his face, 1-3/8" circle of blush blossom; his eyes, double circle (black piece behind the eyes); beard & cap fur, scallop circle; nose, mouth and ball on cap, 1/4" circle; moustache, spring flower bouquet (just 2 petals). How super creative is this?!! If I knew who thought of this, I would give them a standing ovation. :) This card is made with a 6 x 6" square folded in half. Some of the gals chose to make a mini scrapbook page instead of the card and they were adorable too. As I'm typing this, I just realized that I have no idea what color this cardstock is. Well, I know it's BLUE, but it isn't a current SU color that I know of. hmmm? Again, we used the "Priceless" set and stamped in real red. There is also a 1/2" wide piece of red cardstock attached along the bottom front. On the right side we punched once again with the "slit" punch and tied the red gingham ribbon through to embellish. I feel like I've been rambling on, so please ask questions if you want to know more and this doesn't make any sense to you. :)

I just printed off the Mojo Monday #10 sketch at "Poetic Artistry" and think that's what I'll use for inspiration tonight. I've got my portable heater going and it's nice and toasty in here. Have a splendid week everyone! Smiles, Pam :)

Quote for Today ~

"An inexhaustible good nature is one of the most precious gifts of Heaven, spreading itself like oil over the troubled sea of thought, and keeping the mind smooth and equable in the roughest weather." -Washington Irving

Laughter & Merriment! { Jen's SFYTT }

Once again I'm using a sketch that I've found on one of my favorite blogs, I{Heart}2Stamp! by Jen del Muro. Isn't this layout terrific? (I say that about them all, don't I? :) Jen calls it her "Sketch for You to Try" (keyword: SFYTT) If you haven't already, you'll definitely want to surf on over to her blog...and you best plan on staying awhile!

For today's card I've used the Holiday Wishes Stax again. I'm in love with these colors and how all the papers coordinate perfectly! There are even some fun chipboard alphas and tags included. (Hobby Lobby 50% off!) You'll notice I did some random stitching on the background layers, instead of simply stitching the edges.

The stamps are from the Hero Arts Clear Design "Laughter & Merriment" set. I've stamped the tree in Stampin Up garden green and embossed it with a detailed clear embossing powder by Stampendous. I like the added shine and dimension that embossing gives the image. I got this great tip from my dear friend Michelle at Stamper's Dream.

This morning I took a few minutes to add several more links to the list of {Blogs I Enjoy}. It's amazing how many there are! It's really a challenge to keep up with them all, but it does help so much with the Google Reader. I've also added links to a few great sites that offer layouts and sketches. You'll want to be sure and check out Card Positioning Systems, Caardvarks, and PageMaps. They are all a wonderful resource!

Yesterday, I received that last circle journal in the mail for the Holiday CJ Swap that I'm in. So, that's what I'm going to work on now...and I think I'll use these same patterned papers again. I may as well, since they're scattered all over my craft table anyway! :)

I hope you're all enjoying your weekend. My DH has gone duck hunting and all is quiet here...heavenly! Smiles 2 U, Pam :)

Quote for Today ~

"Life is more fun when you don't keep score." - unknown

Holiday Cheer! { Mojo #9 }

My mojo is back! :)

Well, let's hope it's back for awhile anyway. I haven't felt very creative this week. Do you ever feel like that? You sit down to stamp and create a card and nothing looks right? Usually, when this happens to me, I like to visit other blogs or websites for creative inspiration.

I truly appreciate all the super talent out there, such as Julee T at Poetic Artistry, who take the time to design card sketches for us.

For today's card, I've used Julee's Mojo Monday Sketch #9. With design in hand, all I had to do was select my patterned paper, stamp set and inks! Easy peasy!

Do you like this paper I've used? The colors are somewhat non-traditional Christmas colors, but very festive. All the paper and the chipboard circle embellishment are from a "Make It Possible" Holiday Wishes Christmas 2007 Mat Stax.

This is the first time I've used this stamp set. It's a Hero Arts ClearDesign set called "Laughter & Merriment". I've used Versafine Vintage Sepia ink for the sentiment and the little bird. Can you tell that I paper pieced his wings with the striped paper? And I colored him with a crimson red prismacolor pencil. The scalloped circle and the chipboard tag are attached with dimensionals.

I hope you're all enjoying your weekend!
Smiles 2 U! ~ Pam :)

Quote for Today ~

"The gift of happiness belongs to those who unwrap it." - unkown