Today I thought I would have a Holiday Mix Up here. I've been showing you Fall and Halloween, it's time to open the Christmas vault.  If you are like me and you hand stamp your Christmas cards you should by now have at least an idea of WHAT you would like to stamp.  Make a plan and figure out how many you need.  If you can pick ONE day per week from now until the first week of December to work on your cards you will save yourself from PSS.  PSS in the stamping community means  Procrastination Stamping Syndrome.  I've had it for 8 years.  I am the girl who starts *thinking* about her Christmas Card design around the second week of December.  I stamp them all the way up to Christmas.  They are sent out around January 1st or so.  PLEASE someone tell me YOU have this syndrome!  Surely I'm not the only one? I am bound to STOP PSS and show my family I can be a good stamping girl and get my Christmas cards out on time. Possibly with a picture of my kids too.  YEAH!!

Here is my first Christmas card design of the year and it's more of a Winter card than Christmas.  Give me a few props… I'm trying. *Hee Hee*

Holy Cow! I love these felt little Snowflakes.  Here is what I did:

This card started off simple and then became over the top. I pulled out my sewing machine and sewed all the Snowflakes onto the Pool Party cardstock.  I took the prongs off of each of the Antique Brads and hot glued them onto the snowflakes.  I wrapped and tied a bow with Whisper White ribbon around the bottom of the Pool Party.  I then used a sentiment "Let it Snow" from the Punch Pals stamp set.  I mounted this onto Night of Navy Cardstock.  My card base is Pool Party cardstock again.  On the front of the card I used the Delicate Doilies stamp set with Whisper White Craft ink.  I mounted Night of Navy cardstock onto my card base using dimensionals.  I used my favorite Spritzer Tool that every stamper should have with a Soft Suede marker.  I lightly sponged around the entire card using Soft Suede ink.  Lastly, I used my Crystal Effects and Mica Flakes very lightly around the Felt Snowflakes. 

It may be a little over the top and I may not make 100 of them, but someone will be receiving this card!  It could be YOU! This card could even tip the scales over 5lb's in wt.  *hee hee*

Here's how:

I want to know when YOU start making your Christmas/Holiday Cards and HOW MANY do you make? Leave your comment by Sunday, September 11th Midnight EST.  I'll be choosing a name using the Random Number Generator thingy. I'll mail this card along with another on the following Tuesday!

Hope your day is FABULOUS!

XOXOXO

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I don't know about you but I'm getting pretty excited that Santa is coming.  The prep work getting him to come is pretty spectacular.  I am sure you have the same prep work- Bake sugar cookies, decorate them, pick out the BEST one for Santa and prepare to have plenty of milk on hand.  These are all complete! The kids and I are jumping off the walls.  Maybe too many sugar cookies? Poor Mr. Prince. Oh no! I just remembered I need Carrots… for Rudolf. 

Tomorrow my plan is to check out the Christmas lights around us (*LOVE* this) and go to the grocery story for a carrot.  I don't have much else planned.  I'm Chilling Out!  You?

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While we didn't get to hear the lovely voice of Brandon today we are hoping that it happens next week.  I've enjoyed 3 cupcakes and my kids have enjoyed them for breakfast, lunch and dinner!  Ahhh… Snow days are not so bad!

Here is a quick Christmas card from the big batch I made.  It's pretty simple but I liked it.  I'm still on "stamping Christmas Break" for right now. Getting ready to make a few thank you cards for my customers. 

It may be simple but it has a few of my favorite things: Buttons and Glitter!

Here are the kids enjoying the pretty white snow:

Playing in the snow is just not the same unless you make a snow angel!  And when you have your zipper open it makes it even better.  Oh the scrapbook pages I will have to show when she is older.  Gotta love it!

Back to work for me.  I have a few sneak peeks I am working on for next week.  I thought I would unveil the new mini catalog stuff next week for you.  I am not sure how much longer I can hold out.  It's all beautiful.  Sew, Sew beautiful.  Hee Hee! 

Have a fabulous weekend!

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One of the things I procrastinate the best is wrapping my gifts.  Oh how I hate to wrap gifts.  I do not have a talent for making them beautiful.  However I do have a talent for making the tag on the outside beautiful.  This is one of those times I just accept and move on.  Yesterday I wrapped most of the kids gifts.  I *love* watching them come home and just waiting to see their reaction when they see there are gifts under the tree.  It took 2 hours for them to figure it out.  ??? How does that happen? After they found them it was all over.  They were two monkeys bouncing off the walls and it couldn't be stopped.  Funny how on a normal day this would probably drive me crazy.  Yesterday, it didn't bother me at all.  I loved watching their excitement and it made the evening filled with fun too. 

Since my packaging stinks, let me show you the tags I made.  We made these tags at a workshop this past weekend too.  Now we didn't use all the bells and whistles like the ones I am going to show you but it was pretty darn close. 

Look at what I did to this photo.  I made it look REALLY vintage.  I have an obsession with the SnowMAN above because he is so vintage and fun.  Check this out:

I love it. 

Another thing I made a couple weeks back was Stampin' Up!'s Christmas Countdown calendar.  What a hit this has been in our house.  My mom *always* made these for me and my brother.  Typically they had little candy canes on them and we got to eat a candy cane each night.  It was so exciting until my brother would fall asleep on the couch and get his candy cane stuck in his hair.  Wish I had that picture handy!! 

Anyways, I filled their boxes with all kinds of things.  Each night they take turns opening a box.  This is a photo collage of the big reveal last night.   

The picture of Alexis laughing almost made me pee my pants… The look on Brandons face says it all.  He knows Santa's watching every move.  <smile>

Lastly, another funny:

See no evil, Speak no Evil, Hear no Evil…. Look what I am! ???  As if! 

Hope your week is fantabulous! I'm off tonight to a DSWA meeting up in Alexandria.  I'm excited about this!

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I did two cards at the workshop.  One I demonstrated and the other my workshop friends were able to make. 

I loved showing this card because I used a Craft ink and Clear Embossing Powder.  I love how Early Espresso Looks on the Fireplace of this card.  It's a deep Walnut color and it's yummy. Anyhoo- I used a blender pen (the best tool ever) and colored the Fireplace.  Super easy fun. 

This is the card my friends made.  *Hi New Friends!* 

SIMPLE, SIMPLE, SIMPLE!

The trim at the bottom is the Tasteful Trim Die from the Holiday Mini Catalog.  Really- Must have.  So fun!

It's back to the stamp table.  Mass producing.  Creating lots of pretties. I cannot wait to show you.  I am super excited. 

I'm counting down until the kids get out of school for Christmas.  I'm ready to see them everyday 24-7.  I'm so READY!

I'll have a fun photo collage to share tomorrow.  At least that is the plan. 

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The last card uses lots of fun stuff.  I love the clear tinsel on cards.  It's another fun product that I've had stashed and not used.  I made 10 cards like the one above last night.  I've got plenty of buttons that need to be stuck to a card or scrapbook page.

Time for me to start making my teacher gifts.  As usual, last minute.  I wouldn't have it any other way. It's also time for me to watch Frosty the Snowman.  When I was little I cried EVERY time that snowman melted.  I'm sure my mom remembers well. 

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The good news would be my hands are not broke.  This means I stamped.  Yippie Skippy!!  Lots of stamping going on.  Tonight I was going through a few things in my office and came across the Christmas Simply Scrappin' Kit.  I opened it up and I love the DSP in it.  It's so pretty.  I didn't want to scrapbook tonight because it would mean I would have to go find my photos.  I'm not that organized yet.  I put a few products together and came up with this card. 

It's a simple card but of course I couldn't get away without adding buttons or ribbon.  I'm noticing that EVERY card I make has these two elements.  I think I may challenge myself to NOT use a button on a card. This is going to be a REAL challenge!

In other Kimberly news- It took over a week for us to get the Christmas Tree up.  Russ worked hard on saving the dumb thing.  I  really thought this was the year to get something new.  Grrr… I was super proud of myself this year.  I let the kids put almost ALL the ornaments up.  This is HUGE.  Normally I let them and as soon as they are in bed I do a complete rearrange.  This year I have to say they did a great job.  I haven't moved one. 

I did hang a few.  I had to hang my little angel.  It's suits my personality.  Bwhahahaha!

I hope your week is germ free.  Stay warm.  I'm FREEZING here!

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Here is the Stamp Set!  I sure do love that chubby Santa face!

Here is the card…

I love these little trees.  Are they just so cute? I stamped them with Early Espresso on the Crumb Cake.  The center of the trees are stamped with Whisper White Craft ink.  Using this set in Clear Mount was TERRIFIC and made lining these trees up easy peasy.  I added the ruffle lace below using Sticky Strip.  I find that using Sticky Strip for this little technique holds the ribbon/lace in place very well. My little tree toppers are the tiny but adorable vintage trinket brads  I love the Vintage Trinkets.  Once I mounted the tree images onto Early Espresso cardstock I still felt it needed something.  I added pearls and then used my Color Spritzer tool for a little splatter action.  I absolutely LOVE this tool and it's a must in your stamp room.  I can't live without it.  <sigh>

Time for me to get the day started.  I'm going to take it kinda easy today! I can feel my body trying to fight off some kind of germies or something. No time to get sick.  Too many Christmas gifts to get ready. 

Have a GREAT week!

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I was really excited when Stampin' Up! brought out the Bingo Card Stamp.  It was one of the first stamps I purchased from the Holiday Mini.  Once I got it I wasn't sure how to use it.  Ha.  I know you understand.  I love the vintage look of the BINGO stamp!  Here is a card I made for workshops this month.  I used the Jolly Bingo Bits in the bottom row of my Bingo Card. 

I only used three ink colors on this card: Soft Suede, Crumb Cake and Early Espresso.  Such YUMMO colors.  While the card is pretty darn simple, I could change out some of my Bingo Bits so NO card would be the same.  Kinda fun.

Today I am duel tasking.  Christmas Decorations need to go up and stamping HAS to take place.  To the stamp room I go…

Have a fabulous Sunday!!!

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If you are a Big Shot fan you will dig this.  In the Mini catalog there is a beautiful Decorative Strip for the Big Shot called Northern Frost (#120901).  BEAUTIFUL snowflakes that are so delicate. The Decorative Strips are great for card makers and scrapbookers.  Check this out:

See how delicate they are?  I placed the Antique Brads into the center of each of them and then sprayed it with Shimmer Mist (that's a little Frost Shimmer Paint and Alcohol mixed together).  Love this antique look/feel that comes from this card. 

Then the night took a few turns and the sewing machine came to life.  Here is what happened then:

I layered those delicate snowflakes onto each other and they just made me melt.  I sprayed the entire Vanilla cardstock piece with Shimmer Mist which the camera does NOT like to photo.  It really makes it look over done and from my eyeball view it's not.  Pffft!  Then I added the ribbon with the sewing machine and I fell in love with this vintage winter card.  <sigh> Overall, very glad I have the Northern Frost Decorative Strip because I see many more cards in my future. 

I didn't get a chance to write or create much this weekend as my little family kept me busy.  We had a great weekend.  I am completely drawn to the fall colors here in Virginia.  It's so stunning!  I wanted to get a few pics of the kids with the leaves in the distance and here are the little ham bones in action. 

The first picture of them running holding hands makes me smile.  The best part was they were not "coached" to hold hands.  They just did it!  This brings a big smile to my face.  Now the biggest boy of all didn't get his picture taken because he was a little sad faced.  Russ has a new hobby playing with RC planes.  It was kinda the reason for going to the big field.  I of course had a different agenda!  He was so excited to fly one of his planes.  We watched it go up…. and immediately right DOWN…in pieces!  That's when his face turned pretty sad.  Luckily these are not the expensive planes and made just for new RC guys like himself.  Needless to say we picked up the pieces and came home.  I think Russ is going to practice a little more on the simulator.  *smile*

Well thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope your week is simply amazing! 

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