Chanter Heartsong

Happy Thursday! Can you believe it's the last day of 2009? My last post of the year features the newest Sweet November fairy, Chanter Heartsong. I colored her with Copics and sponged the edges of the image panel. I added Stickles to her dress and shoes for some extra sparkle.

Stop by the ATS Blog for more DT samples, and get ready for the release on Monday, January 4!

I hope your New Year's Eve celebrations are fun and safe! Thanks for the visit today -- I'll see you in 2010! :)

Have a great day!
Christina

Stamps: Chanter Heartsong (Sweet November Stamps), Love Sentiments (AmyR Stamps) Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko), Soft Sky (SU!) Cardstock: Regal Rose, Taken with Teal (SU!), Perfect Paper Panels (MFT) Paper: Urban Prairie 6x6 pad (BasicGrey) Other: Copics, corner rounder (SU!), Icicle Stickles (Ranger), Caboodles (Prima), Adornments crystal (MFT), sewing machine, sponge, dimensionals

Introducing Rosalie!

Hello there! It's time for previews -- Yay! This is Swiss Miss Rosalie with Roses, one of the new Swiss girls from All That Scraps! There are three new Swiss images in rubber and in digi, and they'll be available Monday, January 4. After all the Christmas crafting, I was happy to pull out some springy colors for this sweet girl!

I paper pieced her dress, and I applied Stickles to the roses and to her dress ruffle. I sponged around the image with Soft Sky ink. The sentiment is from Congrats Sentiments by AmyR Stamps.

Be sure to stop by the ATS Blog HERE to see more samples of the set and to find out how you can win one for yourself! I'll have another ATS preview for you tomorrow, so I hope you'll stop back! Thanks so much for visiting today! :)

Have a great day!
Christina

Stamps: Swiss Miss Rosalie with Roses (CC Designs), Congrats Sentiments (AmyR Stamps) Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko), Soft Sky (SU!) Cardstock: Soft Sky, Purely Pomegranate, Whisper White (SU!), Perfect Paper Panels (MFT) Paper: Lemonade 6x6 pad (BasicGrey) Other: Copics, Arched Lattice punch (MS), Icicle Stickles, Frosted Lace Stickles (Ranger), Oval punches (SU!), buttons (BasicGrey), twine (PTI)

Winter Tree

Hello! Happy Monday to you! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and a blessed Christmas! Our Christmas was fantastic! We spent the weekend playing games (Wii and Beatles Rock Band in particular!) and just enjoying being together.

I had a lot of stamping time yesterday! The weather was cold, and the snow was falling, so I closed myself in and got to work! Most of my time was spent making samples for next week's ATS and MFT releases -- I'll start previews Wednesday! :)

Here's something I can share with you now. The falling snow inspired me to make this wintery card. The image and sentiment are from the Nature cling set by American Art Stamp. I glittered the tree and sponged around the image and sentiment.

A closer view of the glittery tree...

That's all for today! Thanks so much for stopping by! :)

Have a great day!

Christina

Stamps: Nature cling set (AAS) Ink: Close to Cocoa, Bashful Blue (SU!) Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Real Red (SU!) Paper: Polar Expressions (Imaginisce) Other: Dazzling Diamonds glitter (SU!), snowflake punch (Martha Stewart), snowflakes border punch (EK Success), rhinestone stickers (Michaels), Quickie glue pen, sponge, dimensionals

I couldn't help it...

I had planned to take a few days off, but I just couldn't help myself! I checked out this week's SCS Color Challenge (Crushed Curry, Real Red, Sahara Sand), and I saw that Kim had provided a sample, so I wanted to play along, too! I haven't played in a color challenge for such a long time, so it was fun! I have to admit, this combo threw me at first -- I'm not a huge fan of Crushed Curry (it just seems like a dirty Summer Sun to me!). But, the more I worked on this card, the more I loved it! I hope you like it, too! :)

I'm going to join my girls downstairs to watch a Christmas movie or two, so I'll keep this short. Thank you so much for the visit -- enjoy the rest of your Christmas week! :)

Christina

Stamps: Cool Yule (MFT) Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko) Cardstock: Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla, Crushed Curry, Real Red (SU!) Paper: Jolly by Golly Mini Deck (Cosmo Cricket) Other: Copics, Labels Four Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Jumbo snowflake punch (Marvy), snowflake punch (Martha Stewart), Icicle Stickles, Frosted Lace Stickles (Ranger), Crushed Curry ribbon, oval punches, corner rounder (SU!), button, twine, rhinestone sticker, dimensionals, sewing machine

Winter Mittens

Happy Tuesday! 3 more days 'til Christmas... but I guess I didn't need to tell you that, huh? ;)

My Christmas crafting is finished, but I do have one more card to share with you. Verve Stamps has a free digi download available through December 25. It's called Winter Mittens, and you can find it HERE. I love the image and the sentiments in this set! I like that it's not just for Christmas -- it can be used for all kinds of winter projects!

I really like how this card turned out. There is a lot of stitching, and I used Dazzling Diamonds glitter on the snowflakes. I colored the image with Copics, and I sponged around the edges of the image and sentiment.

Today is the last day of school for three of my four kids (Megan was finished on Friday). Our Christmas vacation officially begins tomorrow! I'm taking a few days off, but I'll be back here next week! I have some previews to finish, and I'll be able to share them with you soon! :)

Have a good, safe, blessed holiday week! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Christina

Stamps: Winter Mittens Digi (Verve Stamps) Ink: Soft Sky (SU!) Cardstock: Soft Sky, Old Olive (SU!) Paper: Eskimo Kisses 6x6 pad (BasicGrey) Other: Copics, Circle and Scalloped Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Dazzling Diamonds glitter (SU!), Royalty Ribbon (MFT), snowflake punches (Marvy, Martha Stewart), rhinestone stickers (Michaels), sponge, dimensionals, sewing machine Finished Size: 5.25" x 5.25"

Gift Certificate Envelope

Hello! Happy Monday! Today's project is a gift certificate holder. Although most stores and restaurants have gift cards now, you'll sometimes find places where they have gift certificates. We purchased one for a Christmas gift, but like any self-respecting papercrafter, I just wouldn't settle for the standard envelope! I made a festive, sturdy, and re-usable gift certificate envelope! Here's what I did (click on any photo for a closer view!):

1) I started with a 12" x 12" piece of cardstock, and I cut it to 9" x 10 1/4". I scored along the long side at 2" and 6 1/4".

2) I folded along the score lines and placed 1/8" Scor-tape along the sides of the large bottom panel. Then I folded up the bottom and adhered it securely to create the front of the envelope.

3) I cut panels to cover the front, back, and top flap. On the front, under the top flap, I wanted to create a notch so that the certificate was visible when the envelope was opened. I marked the center of each layer so the circles would line up correctly.

4) Then I punched the circles with a 1 3/8" circle punch.

5) I adhered all the paper layers to the envelope base. I added some magnetic discs so the flap would stay closed.

6) Finally, I stamped a greeting and embellished the front.

That's it! It's pretty basic stuff, and you could certainly adjust your measurements for your particular certificate. Much better than a plain ol' envelope, don't you think?

Thank you so much for taking time to visit during this busy week! I really do appreciate it!

Have a great day! :)

Christina

Stamps: Festive Labels (Gina K Designs) Ink: Always Artichoke, Riding Hood Red (SU!) Cardstock: Always Artichoke, Very Vanilla (SU!), Pure Poppy (PTI) Paper: Garland (Scenic Route) Other: Scalloped circle and circle punches (Marvy), corner rounder, 1 3/8" circle punch (SU!), ribbon (MFT), button, twine (PTI), Xmas Red Stickles (Ranger), Magnetic Discs (BasicGrey)

Sunday Supper: Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Hello there! I'm sorry my blogging has been a little bit sporadic lately. It's just that time of year! I am finally finished with all the shopping and wrapping, and the teacher gifts are ready, too! I do have a couple stampy items to show you this week, then I'll be taking a few days off to spend Christmas with family.

I have a yummy recipe to share with you on this Sunday. My sister-in-law made it for Thanksgiving, and we all begged her for the recipe. She got it from cooks.com, and she kindly passed it along (thanks, Maria!). It is SO good -- there's a surprise cinnamon streusel running through the middle. This cake is the perfect take-along to those holiday dinners! :)

Sour Cream Pumpkin Bundt Cake

STREUSEL:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
2 tsp butter

COMBINE brown sugar, cinnamon and allspice in small bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture is crumbly.

CAKE:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbs ground cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
4 large eggs
1 cup LIBBY's 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 container (8 oz) sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan.

COMBINE flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Beat granulated sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add pumpkin, sour cream and vanilla extract; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture.

TO ASSEMBLE: SPOON half of batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle Streusel over batter, not allowing Streusel to touch sides of pan. Top with remaining batter. Make sure batter layer touches edges of pan.

BAKE for 55 to 60 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clan. Cool for 30 minutes in pan on wire rack. Invert onto wire rack to cool completely. Optional: Drizzle with glaze.

GLAZE: COMBINE 1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar and 2 to 3 Tbs orange juice or milk in a small bowl; stir until smooth.

Yields 12-16 servings

Thank you so much for stopping by today! Have a wonderful day, and don't forget to spend some time around the supper table!

Christina

Gifts in a Jiffy!

Happy Thursday, everyone! I'm still making and packaging treats to give to friends, neighbors, teachers, bus drivers -- you get the idea! :) These MFT Perfect Packaging Jars make such a quick and easy presentation of any gift! This week, Kim's MFT Wednesday Stamp Club challenge is Holiday Gifts in a Jiffy -- just what I needed to finish up my gifts!

Here is my candy cane jar, filled with Candy Cane Bark. An easy treat to make, and an easy presentation!

I used Alpha Dots to stamp the greeting for the lid. I punched the letters out with a 1/2" circle punch, and they're matted on 3/4" circles. The large circle and scalloped circle were cut with Nestabilities, but Marvy punches do the trick too! The striped paper is from the BasicGrey Figgy 6x6 pad.

The tag was made with one of the Labels Four Nestabilities dies. The candy cane image is from the Santa Baby set, and the sentiment is from the I Want Candy MFT Kit. The tag is tied on with some fun fibers from my stash, and the dotted ribbon is from the Candy Cane Kisses ribbon nest. I had to add some Baby Braddies, too!

Now, here's the easy peasy recipe for Candy Cane Bark!

Candy Cane Bark

2 pkgs (10 oz each) semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 pkg (10 oz) white chocolate chips

candy canes (about 5 large or 10 small)

Melt the semi-sweet chocolate. Spread onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Place in refrigerator to cool and set. Meanwhile, melt white chocolate. Pour white chocolate over cooled semi-sweet chocolate, and spread, making swirls. Crush candy canes and sprinkle over white chocolate. Again place in refrigerator to cool and set. When set, peel the paper from the back and break the chocolate into pieces. Package in jars or bags for gift giving!

I hope you have some fun ways to create holiday gifts in a jiffy! I'd love for you to share them! Thanks so much for stopping by today! :)

Have a great day!

Christina

MFT VIP Blog Hop!

Hi there! You've come to my stop on the MFT VIP Blog Hop! If you haven't seen all the projects so far, go back to Kim's Blog and start from there! :)

This month's VIP package is available TODAY (12/16) only, and it features the new Who's That Girl set called Chick Flick. There are 50 VIP packages available today, and then the set will be unavailable until the full release on January 6 at 10:00 pm!

Here's my card. I paper pieced the girls and colored the rest with Copics. I created a faux movie strip by using a square punch and a spiral tab punch. The Baby Braddies, ribbon, and button are all from MFT!

I finished the inside of the card as well. I stamped the tickets on cardstock and cut them out (tip: use a 1/8" circle punch instead of cutting along the curved lines!).

Here's what you get with the VIP Package:

Chick Flick Set $17.95

Chick Flick Ribbon Nest $9.95

Chick Flick Baby Braddies $4.95

Popcorn Boxes (5) $1.65

PLUS receive a FREE Clearly Sentimental About Chocolate stamp set that will be released on 1/6/10 (retail value $9)

VIP cost: $34.50

You can get your VIP Package NOW by clicking HERE!!

Next, you will visit one of the sweetest and most talented people in the stamping universe, my friend Joanne Basile! I'm sure she has some fantastic eye candy for you! :)

Thanks so much for hopping by!

Christina

Hot Chocolate in a Jar

Happy Sunday! I'm sure that many of you, like me, have been crazy busy with work, kids, and holiday plans. I haven't had nearly as much stamping time as I'd like lately! I did get a fun project completed for the MFT Wednesday Stamp Club. The challenge this week is Gifts in a Jar. I used a Perfect Packaging Square Jar to package some of my Hot Chocolate Malt Mix.

I stamped Flopsey and cut out the image, then I mounted it over embossed cardstock. It looks like the snow is falling around Flopsey, doesn't it? I used Liquid Applique on the mitten cuffs and hat pom pom. The dotted ribbon is from the Gifty Girl MFT Kit.

This Cosmo Cricket Jolly by Golly paper was perfect for my project. I used Marvy punches to make the circles for the lid, then I zig zag stitched the paper to the cardstock. The Heidi Swapp ghost snowflake was just the right size to top the circles! I printed out the instructions and created the tag. The mug is from the set Coffee? Tea?. I paper pieced it and added more Liquid Applique to the top. The tag is tied around the button so it can be removed and used again!

Since it's Sunday, I have a recipe for you! It's the recipe for the hot chocolate mix! This makes a BIG batch, which you can then package into several jars or bags. It really does taste like a hot chocolate malt! :)

Hot Chocolate Malt Mix

25-oz. pkg. powdered milk

16-oz. jar powdered non-dairy creamer

16-oz. jar hot chocolate mix

13-oz. jar malted milk powder

1c. powdered sugar

1 t. vanilla powder

2 c. mini marshmallows

Use a wire wisk to combine all ingredients. Equally divide mix into jars or plastic zipping bags. Attach instructions to each. Makes about 13 cups.

Thank you so much for the visit today! Have a great day! :)

Christina

Ski Bunny Trevor

Hello! Happy Thursday! This week's ATS Wednesday Challenge is to use snowflakes. That's always fun for me! I used this adorable Ski Bunny Trevor image. The sentiment is from Winter Sentiments by AmyR Stamps. The paper is from the Polar Expressions collection by Imaginisce. I pierced around the sentiment and used Dazzling Diamonds glitter on the ground line.

You can stop by the ATS Wednesday Challenge Blog to see more samples. Link your own project there for a chance to win a $10 gift certificate to All That Scraps!

It's coooooold here today, and we had some snow showers this morning. Winter has definitely arrived! I hope you are warm wherever you are -- thanks so much for stopping by! :)

Have a great day!
Christina

Fun with the Emerson Ladies!

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Today I have a couple cards to share which feature those sassy ladies by Emerson Quillin (available at American Art Stamp). These images just make me smile! The first is Time to Wine. I stamped it in Memento Rich Cocoa ink and colored with Copics. The paper is retired SU!, and the layout is Julee Tilman's Mojo Monday Sketch 116.

On my second card I used Work Late. I stamped it in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and again colored with Copics. The paper is Early Bird by Cosmo Cricket, and the ribbon is Pure Poppy stitched grosgrain from Papertrey Ink.

There are so many fun images at American Art Stamp -- and right now everything is 30% off! You can also stop by the AAS Blog any time to see what the rest of the DT has been up to! :)

Thanks so much for visiting today!

Have a great day!

Christina

Polar Love

Happy Monday! We had a dusting of snow overnight, and we're still getting some snow showers this morning. I love to watch snow fall, as long as I'm inside in my cozy jammies! I really don't like to be outside in it -- and I don't like sending my teenagers out in the car to go to school!

Anyway, I thought this card was perfect to share today! I used the MFT set Polar Love to make this snowy card. I did some paper piecing and machine stitching. The larger snowflake was punched from the Wassail paper, and the smaller one from white cardstock. Do you see the crystal sticker in the center of the snowflake? It's heart-shaped! It was a happy discovery, and it works perfectly with the image!

That's all for today -- I'm SO glad you stopped by to visit! I'm going to grab my coffee and watch the snow fall -- I hope you have a great day! :)

Christina

Stamps: Polar Love (MFT) Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko) Cardstock: Pure Poppy (PTI), Always Artichoke, Whisper White (SU!), White Perfect Paper Panel (MFT) Paper: Wassail 6x6 pad (BasicGrey) Other: Copics, Cuttlebug, Snowflakes embossing folder (Provo Craft), Royalty Ribbon (MFT), button, twine (PTI), Jumbo snowflake punch (Marvy), snowflake punch (Martha Stewart), rhinestone sticker (Michaels), dimensionals, sewing machine

To the Moon!

Hello! TGIF!! I've been having so much fun with all the new releases from My Favorite Things! Just before the Release Party Wednesday night, I had a chance to make this card with Robot 3, one of the new Digi Stamps! These robot images are so adorable -- they're perfect for kids or adults!

The sentiment is from Love Machine. To make the moon, I punched a 1 3/8" circle and ran it through my Cuttlebug in the Spots and Dots embossing folder. Then I applied SU! White Craft ink directly to the paper. The red Adornments Baby Braddies were just the right size to embellish this little guy!

I'll list the other ingredients below -- just ask if you have any questions!

Thank you so much for visiting today! It means so much to me that you take the time to stop by! Have a fantastic Friday! :)

Christina

Stamps: Robot 3 Digi Stamp, Love Machine (MFT) Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko), White Craft (SU!) Cardstock: Kraft, Kiwi Kiss, More Mustard, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Snorkel: Boardwalk (Cosmo Cricket) Other: Copics, 1 3/8" circle punch, Cuttlebug, Spots & Dots embossing folder, Kiwi Kiss ribbon, button, twine, corner rounder, scallop edge punch, dimensionals, sewing machine

Hop & Shop with My Favorite Things!

Hi there! You've reached my stop on the MFT December Blog Hop! All of the new sets have just been released HERE at My Favorite Things! If you didn't start at Kim's Blog, go back -- you don't want to miss anything! :)

I'm so excited to show you Truffles Flopsey! I {heart} this bunny, and I {heart} chocolate -- it's a perfect combination! I altered a rectangular window tin and made a matching card to create a little Valentine gift.

The paper is Bittersweet by BasicGrey. I did a lot of machine stitching on the card. The ribbon and button are also from MFT.

Here's the matching tin. I added some white crystal Adornments to the scallops, and I used a Sakura Clear Glaze pen on the chocolates.

Now, if all of this doesn't already say "I love you," there's more! I sliced address labels into narrow strips and stamped part of the sentiment on each. Then I just wrapped them around the chocolate nuggets!

I hope you enjoyed my stop on the Hop! Next, you'll be visiting Chris Veneruso, who is part of the mega-talented December Temp Team! I'm sure she has something fantastic to show you, so be sure to give her lots of love! :)

Thanks so much for hopping by!

Christina

MFTeaser #3: Maid for WTG

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I have one more MFTeaser before the release tonight! Here's a look at Maid for WTG. Maybe this will be me tonight -- on my laptop during the release party, sipping some wine, while hubby vacuums and cleans! NOT!!! Oh, to be Who's That Girl...

I cut into my new BasicGrey Nook and Pantry 6x6 pad for this card. I love all the homespun patterns in this collection -- they're perfect for this domestic scene, don't you think? ;) I stamped the image directly onto one of the patterns, and then I colored and paper pieced. I gave Who's That Guy a snazzy outfit! Hubby didn't agree.

Me (showing card to hubby): Look, it's us!
Hubby: Maybe, but I wouldn't be caught dead in that shirt!

*giggle*

Kim will have the list of everyone previewing this set -- stop by her blog HERE after 11 am! Then be sure to join us for the Release Cocktail Party tonight from 8-10 pm Eastern at the MFT Member Company Forum on SCS. We'll have a Hop & Shop blog hop as the sets go live at 10:00!

I'll see you back here tonight for the Blog Hop! Thanks so much for visiting today!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Christina

MFTeaser #2: Alpha Dots

Happy Tuesday, and Happy December! Yikes -- 24 days 'til Christmas!!

Today I have a MFTeaser of a fun set that is totally Kim's creation! It's an alphabet set called Alpha Dots. The letter circles (in that familiar MFT font) can be stamped directly onto paper or cardstock, or they are perfectly punched out with a 3/4" circle punch. You can stamp a title or sentiment in any color to coordinate with your project -- how fun is that?

I used the set to make a Valentine Tic Tac Toe game. The candy images are from the new Amanda Baird set Love at First Sight. The center of the board is a 6x6 piece of BasicGrey Bittersweet paper. I marked and drew lines at 2-inch intervals to make the squares. The background is a piece of October Afternoon Ducks in a Row paper cut to 8 1/4 x 10 3/4, then matted on MFT Hot Fudge and SU! Pink Pirouette cardstock. I machine stitched around the paper panels, then I added ribbon, button, twine, and a Heidi Swapp Ghost Shape heart.


Each letter was stamped in SU! Regal Rose ink, punched out with a 3/4" circle punch, sponged with SU! Chocolate Chip ink, then matted on a 1" Chocolate Chip circle.

The candy images were stamped, colored with Copics, and punched out. I added some Cinnamon Stickles to some of the candies for a little extra sweetness! :)

Wanna see more fun with Alpha Dots? Several of the MFT DT and December Temp Team girls have more samples to show you! Kim will have the list on her blog HERE at 11 am Eastern, so go check it out! There is a lot of good stuff out there in Blogland, I tell ya! ;)

I'll have one more MFTeaser to show you tomorrow! Also, don't forget about the Release Cocktail Party tomorrow night! Join us on the MFT Member Company Forum from 8-10 pm Eastern, and then get ready to Hop and Shop at 10:00 pm when the sets go live!

That's all for today! I'm so glad you stopped by!

Have a fantastic day!

Christina