My 2018 Christmas Cards

 

Lightly butter two small microwave-safe mugs. 

Whisk together the 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup oil, 1 large egg and 1/4 tsp vanilla in a large bowl until smooth, about 2 minutes. 

Whisk in 1/2 cup flour, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 1/4 tsp baking powder and 1/8 tsp salt until just combined.

Pour 1/2 of batter into each mug. Microwave, one at a time, until puffed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 2 minutes 50 seconds.

Note:  Continue microwaving in 15-second intervals, if needed. Let cool slightly. Top as desired. 

My 2017 Christmas cards

I’m finally able to update this blog after months of attempts. For some reason, I was able to view my blog, but not edit it.  I've got more  information to share.

Peace on Earth

DH and I just returned from San Antonio, TX.  Our oldest daughter came in from Afghanistan and we wanted to be there to welcome her home and to spend the Thanksgiving Holiday with her.

While in Texas, I checked the SCS website to find today's challenge (F4A197 - Let It SNOW!) found here. "Let It Snow" is also SUO Challenge #84 challenge found here.  I decided to CASE this card that I have had in my favorites forever.   I titled my card "Peace on Earth" because  this is my wish.



Stamps: Christmas Lodge, Lovely As a Tree, Serene Silhouettes, Calm Christmas, Gorgeous Grunge
Inks: Chocolate Chip, VersaMark, White Gel Pen
Papers: Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Silver Glimmer Paper
White & Clear Embossing Powder
Embellishments: Rhinestone Basic Jewels

NOEL ... Christmas in July

Lately I've been making a lot of Christmas cards and I am really getting in the mood to start my Christmas shopping. I've already started making a list of things to purchase (and make) for friends and family.   The CC434 Challenge falls right in line with my train of thought... Christmas in July. My card for this challenge is pretty simple... no sketch... I just free-formed it. 


Card Stock & Inks:  Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Gumball Green
Embossing Folder: Petals-a-Plenty
Stamps: Seasonal Sayings, Ornament Keepsakes (stamped on letters and corner of card
Cherry Cobbler Bakers Twine (untwisted Whisper White from Cherry Cobbler before tying to letters)

I used my Cherry Cobbler and Gumball Green Stampin' Write markers on the sentiment stamp and added it to the bottom left-hand corner of the Crumb Cake panel, then ran it through the Big Shot machine using the Petals-a-Plenty embossing folder.

For a 'Chipboard' effect of the letters, I cut each color of card stock to 2 1/2" x 1 1/2" (5 layers for each letter), stacked and glued them together, brayered over them to remove any air bubbles, then let them dry. I ran my heat gun over them a few seconds to make sure they were completely dry before running the stacks through the Big Shot machine with the die.

I used one of the ornament stamps from the Ornament Keepsakes stamp set to add interest to each letter.  I stamped each color of ink on the same color of letter (tone-on-tone).  The corner treatment is from one of the ornaments in the same stamp set.  I stamped it on Crumb Cake card stock in Cherry Cobbler, used one of the Ornament Keepsakes Framelets  to cut out the ornament, them used the corner punch to turn it into my corner treatment.

FS268: ME

The Featured Stamper for today over on SCS is anyone who takes the challenge... that means ME! I am one of many who will be featured today... YAH!!! This is also another posting within the same week for me... I guess I am kinda on a roll. I had left-over Holiday Treasures DSP from my post the other day so I used more of it for these cards. I still had rub-ons out and I want to use them up before they dry up; they filled in the open spaces on these little 4 1/4 x 4 1/4 square cards. To make these cards, I also used Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, and Old Olive card stock to coordinate with the DSP.

Christmas Joy

My March cards for the SCS Christmas Card Challenge. I have had this Stampin' Up! Illuminations stamp set since forever but never used it. I had to have it... like so many other stamp sets that I have sitting on my shelf... un-inked... retired... ignored for other stamp sets that I tend to use over and over. I decided to give it a try for this month's Christmas Card challenge. Sometimes I find that stamp sets that I just had to have are duds... They look really neat in the SU! catalog, but, once I get them and ink them up, I don't like them. For this card I used SU! Very Vanilla and Chocolate Chip card stock and Holiday Treasures DSP. Very Vanilla Base: 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" Chocolate Chip Panel: 4 1/8" x 5 3/8" The Two Old Olive DSP Panels: 5 1/8" high x 1 7/8" wide (each one) Chocolate Chip DSP Panel: 4 3/4" high x 3 1/4" wide DSP Strip: 4 1/4" long x 3/4" high 6 Red Brads I colored the image with Old Olive and Real Red Stampin' Write markers (SU!) Challenges: Friday's 'Free 4 All': F4A109 Three or More Thursday's Way to Use it': WT367 - Rub-Ons Wednesday's Sketch Challenge: Sketch Challenge 377 Monthly Christmas Card Challenge: CCC12 March

'Tis the Season

These Christmas cards were so quick and easy and you can make a bunch of them in no time. I find the fastest way to make cards when you are making a batch is to score the card stock before you cut it. Here is what I did for these cards. Take 3 sheets of 8-1/2" x 11" Very Vanilla card stock and score each sheet down the center at 4 1/4". Cut each sheet in half so that you will have six cards that not measure 8 1/2" x 5". Quick and easy... a lot better than cutting each sheet in half, then scoring cards individually. Card Recipe: Gifted and Perfect Ending stamp sets; Very Vanilla and Cherry Cobbler card stock; Cherry Cobbler Ink; Cherry Cobbler Bakers Twine

Peaceful Snowflakes

I Watch every Scrapbooking show I possibly can and I especially love watching the ones on HSN. When I saw this Martha Stewart snowflake punch on clearance earlier this month, I had to order the set. The accompanying pamphlet with my punches demonstrated this card... I changed the colors a bit but still stayed within the color range of Martha's card. They were quick and easy cards to make for my January submission for the SCS Christmas Card Challenge.

Santa Christmas

Clean and simple Santa Card. My inspiration came from coupons I received in mail from Macy's. I used Stampin' Up! Real Red and Basic Black card stock. The gold card stock is DieCuts with a View. The "Merry Christmas" stamp is from the "Come to Bethlehem" stamp set from Stampin' Up. I ran the belt through my Big Shot machine with the Square Lattice embossing folder. The belt buckle was made using two square spellbinder dies.

Holiday Tweets

I made this with the Stampin' Up! Petal Cone die.  The challenge was to make a card or project without the use of stamps.  This project doubles as a holiday decoration as well as a treat holder.

Card Stock:  Always Artichoke, Bravo Burgundy, and More Mustard.

Accessories:  Spellbinder star dies, SU Petal Cone Die, SU Bird Punch, Martha Stewart punch.

CCC11 May

I am lagging behind on my Christmas Card Challenges. Here are the 10 that I should have submitted back in May. This is also for FS235, today's SCS Featured Stamper.

I used Always Artichoke and Very Vanilla Cardstock; Always Artichoke and Early Espresso Ink; Branch Out Stamp Set; Spellbinders Snowflake Die; CB Swiss Dot EF.

Christmas Doors

I made these "Christmas Door" cards for the SCS Christmas Card Challenge and the WT329 "Ways to Use It" Challenge. I am behind on my Christmas cards so this batch catches me up through April.

The "Ways to Use It" challenge was to use something 'old' (something from my stash I've had 6 months or longer) and something 'new' (something from my stash I've had less than 6 months). My 'old': dies I used to add embellishments to the corners of my cards. The 'new': half-back pearls I used as door knobs rather than brads. I saw these brown half-back pearls while browsing through our local Hobby Lobby and purchased them because they were different (to me).

Base Card: 8 1/2" x 5 1/2"

Panels - Cut 4 of each
Panel #1: 2 1/4" x 1 1/2"
Panel #2: 2" x 1 1/4"
Panel #3: 1 1/2" x 3/4"

Sponge all panels.

Score the 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" cardstock at 4 1/4" to create the card base.
Line up and adhere Panels #1 to the front of the base card.

Score Panels #2 and Panels #3 around the perimeter (optional). I used my Martha Stewart scoreboard and scored at 1/8" around the panels.

Add pop-up dots to Panels #2 and center on top of panels #1.

Center Panels #3 on top of Panels #2.

Add a brad to the right of the door panels as your door knob.

Add any other decorations as desired.

Name that Technique: Layered Spotlight???

Monday's new technique on the SCS website was to "Name the Technique". My suggestion... Layered Spotlight. This is my submission for it as well as my March Christmas Card Challenge and Tuesday's Color Challenge.

Cardstock: Soft Suede, Melon Mambo, Crumb Cake
Ink: Soft Suede, Melon Mambo
Stamps: Scenic Season
Ribbon: Melon Mambo

Christmas Card Journal

I can't believe it's March already. I was doing a little spring cleaning this morning and decided to use my 'Cinch' binding machine to bind my Christmas cards I received from friends and family this past Christmas. Normally I just stick them in a box somewhere and DH eventually tosses them when he thinks I am not aware. I think I will start displaying all the cards I receive like this from now on.

Cut 2-inch wide strips of card stock to the height of each card. Adhere to the folded end of your card. Score and fold down the center and punch holes using the hole punch of your choice. Bind as desired (ribbons, wire, rings)

Benefits of this Journal: fully decorated with your choice of cards to use as a cover; readily available and full of inspiration for making more Christmas cards.

Some of my cards are landscape, some portrait, depending on the style of the cards. I think this adds a bit of interest to the Journal. I also added scanned copies of photo Christmas cards to this Journal.

I wanted this to be a true depiction of all cards received. I am now in search of Anniversary and Christmas Cards from the past that DH has not tossed.

Peace on Earth

I've completed my February cards for the SCS monthly Christmas Card Challenge. I also incorporated one of the Sketch Challenges (SC316), and the 'Try a New Technique' Challenge (TLC308).

Stamp: Plant Hope (Stampin' Up!); Hero Arts;
Paper: Always Artichoke Card Stock, Always Artichoke DSP; Whisper White Card Stock;
Brads: White; Pewter;
Punches: Word Window; Modern Label

SCS CCC11 Christmas Card Challenge

I've already started making my Christmas Cards for 2011. It was great getting an early start for 2010 and having most of the work done before December. This year I will strive to complete the insides of my cards.

I cased this card from the SCS Gallery found here: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1832966?perpage=48&thumbsonly=0&thumbcheck=. I love SU!'s Cherry Cobbler and the Christmas Season gave me plenty of reason to use it. I'll have to find another Fav since Spring will be here soon.

In Agreement

I decided to mirror-image the Dove from the SU! Peaceful Season stamp set and title my card "In Agreement". To have "Peace on Earth" we have to be "In Agreement".

Welcome Christmas

Here are my 10 cards I made for the SCS CCC10 Christmas Card Challenge for October. I cased the card from page 15 of the Stampin' Up! Holiday Mini Catalog.

Atlanta Brayer Workshop

I attended Michelle Zindorf's Atlanta Brayer Workshop this past Sunday and it was great. I've followed tutorials on her website but it's not the same as actually attending one of her workshops and getting first-hand instructions. My Christmas Card that I am posting is based on her tutorial for this card: http://zindorf.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/2010/09/29/two-bucks-tutorial-364/

Card Recipe (All supplies are from Stampin' Up!):
Card Stock: Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Baja Breeze
Inks: Basic Black, Not Quite Navy, Night of Navy, Baja Breeze, White Gel Pen
Black Brads
Stamp Set: Come to Bethlehem

Image Panel: 4 1/4” x 3 1/4”
Card Base: Basic Black cut to 8 1/2” x 5 1/2”Scored in half at 4 1/4”
Panel #1 (Baja Breeze) 5 3/8” x 4 1/8”.
Panel #2 (Whisper White), 4 3/4” x 3 5/8”
Panel #3 (Crumb Cake), 4 3/8” x 3 3/8”
Panel #4 (Image Panel)
Photo Corners: Baja Breeze and Crumb Cake Card

SCS FS191

I don't mean to neglect my blog but I find that I don't take the time to be as creative as I can be. I decided to take part in the SCS Featured Stamper today and this is the card I cased: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1566157?&cat=500&ppuser=90084. Since this card was relatively easy to make, I'll probably make nine more for this month's Christmas Card Challenge.