Blog Hopping!

Its blog hop time again!

This month I am the 4th stop, and you may have linked here from Martha's blog.

This month our theme is Easter and Spring!

 To celebrate spring, I made this pudgy little guy!

Here's his adorable tail:

I made him out of the Springtime Vintage fabric, which has sadly retired.

He would be just as cute made from any of the super cute fabrics in the Stampin' Up! family!

Sorry the message is so short and sweet 

(especially compared to the essay I posted last month :)

Thanks for coming along on our blog hop!

The next stop is Lisa.

If you haven't made your way to the whole group yet, here's a full list:

1.  Maxine Conrad           www.stamptothemax.com
2.  Christina Mansker     www.crazystampmom.blogspot.com
4.  Martha Haddock         www.stampinmartha.blogspot.com
5.  Stephanie Bradley     YOU ARE HERE!
6.  Lisa Fennewald         www.lisaloostamps.com
7.  Elizabeth Harris         www.elizabethloves2stamp.com

Its blog hop time again!

This month I am the 6th stop, so you may have linked here from Edie's blog.

This month our theme is Valentine, Love, or Anniversary.

The card I created in My Digital Studio can work easily for any of these occasions, 

and can be printed professionally for a great price, or can be printed at home!

Its a 6x6 inch card, and was super easy to make!

This is the front:

I started by choosing the 6x6 greeting card template.

Then I placed a Full Heart Punch in the middle, and adjusted it to the size I wanted my words to fill.

Next, I added text boxes and typed the words, "I love you" in a different language in each one, changed the color of the type to Raspberry Ripple, and adjusted the size.

(I used Google to find how to say it in the different languages)

I arranged the text boxes so the words covered the heart punch.

I added a Small Heart Punch in Raspberry Ripple at the bottom.

Then I put the leaf stamps from Bloomin' Marvelous at the top, mirroring one of them.

Finally, I deleted the heart punch, added the background stamp from Bunch of Backgrounds in Blush Blossom, 

and sent it to the back layer.

It really sounds harder than it is!

If you'd like to print this card without putting it together yourself,

click here for a downloadable file!

NOTE: You can download the .jpg file and just add it as a picture to a blank 6x6 card.
There is also a link to the .mds file, but I'm not sure if it will work if you don't own all of the downloads I used to create it.

Thanks for coming along on our blog hop.

The next stop is Elizabeth.

If you haven't made your way to the whole group yet, here's a full list:

1.  Maxine Conrad           www.stamptothemax.com
2.  Christine Mansker     www.crazystampmom.blogspot.com
3.  Martha Haddock         www.stampinmartha.blogspot.com
4.  Jill St. Angelo              www.jillsstampingcorner.com
5.  Edie Bunting               www.ediestamps.blogspot.com
6.  Stephanie Bradley                      You Are Here!             
7.  Elizabeth Harris         www.elizabethloves2stamp.com

Well, I had good intentions of getting that photo-a-day done, but life got in the way.    It was totally good life getting in the way, though.  I spent lots of holiday time with my family this year.

I hope you had a great Christmas holiday like I did.

On Christmas Eve morning, my brother called to ask me to make a card for him to give to our Dad.

If you know my dad, you know that the card needed to have a chocolate theme.

So I pulled out the cute new Scentsational Season Clear-Mount Bundle and made this "Make Your own Cup of Cocoa" card.

You have the option of adding to your cocoa mug

~ a marshmallow

~ extra chocolate

~ whipping cream (vanilla scented, thanks to the vanilla scented embossing powder)

~ a peppermint stick

I think my chocholic dad will like this card as much as I do.

Day 4

(Day 3 was Presents.  We don't have any wrapped yet so I skipped the day and will make it up later.)

Today is day 4: Tradition

This countdown calendar was made by my Aunt Nori and given to my parents when I was young.  

Every day in December, we would hang a mini ornament onto one of the gold beads on this tree.  

Now I've inherited this calendar and my kids are using it to count down the days until Christmas.

That's 19 days at this point, by the way.  

Need ideas for stocking stuffers or gifts for the crafters and scrapbookers in your life?  

Click the Shop Now button in the top right corner, or feel free to contact me for ideas.

Happy Holidays!

Christmas Photo-a-day

So, this isn't Stampin' Up! related, but I've decided to do a 25 day Christmas photo-a-day challenge this December.  I was almost foiled by a severe cold, though!  On the first day I felt too horrible to do anything.  Today I am much better, so I'm posting day one and two together today.

So, here it goes:

Here are the guidelines for the challenge:

Here's my picture for Day 1, lights:

These are the lights on my Christmas tree.  

I wanted to see if I could get them blurry, and I'm pretty happy with this picture.

Here's Day 2: Decorations

This is a simple little nativity I made. 

I LOVE nativities and collect them. 

I came up with the idea for this one recently, and am really liking it.  

They're little wooden balls.  Joseph and Mary are about an inch, the baby Jesus is about 1/2 inch.

See you tomorrow for Day 3!

December Blog Hop!

Its blog hop time again!

This month I am the last stop, so you may have linked here from Jill's blog.

In keeping with the holiday season, our theme this month is gift-ables.

I decided to share these adorable ornaments that I made for a workshop last year.

Isn't that cute?

And its as easy as can be.

You will need:

~ glass ball ornaments

~ Designer Series Paper of your choice

(may I recommend Be of Good Cheer) 

~ ribbon of your choice

(may I recommend this ribbon in Gumball Green, or this ribbon in Cherry Cobbler)

~ jingle bells

1. Cut the paper into 1/2 inch strips using your Stampin' Trimmer.

2. Use your Paper Piercing Tool to curl the paper strips.

3.  Remove the top of the ornament by carefully pinching the wire until it can slip out of the neck of the ball. Insert strips into the top of the ornament.  Paper curls will expand as they settle, so keep this in mind when deciding how many curls to put into the ornament.

4. Carefully remove the wire from the metal cap of the ornament and slip the bell onto it before replacing the wire into the metal cap.

5. Reassemble ornament by pinching the wire slightly and slipping it into the ball, taking care bot to catch the metal cap inside the ball.

6. Cut a piece of ribbon to your desired length.  Briefly expose to flame (I use lighter) to seal the cut ends of the ribbon.  Tie onto ornament wire as desired.

I hope you like my cute and easy Christmas gift idea!

Want more holiday ideas?

 How about a partridge in a pear tree?

Or a sweet tree just the right size for the middle of your table?

For even more ideas, check back often in December.

Happy Holidays!

Didn't make it to all of the stops on our hop?

Well, here's where to go:

1. Maxine Conrad  www.stamptothemax.com
2. Martha Haddock   www.stampinmartha.blogspot.com
3. Lisa Fennewald   www.lisaloostamps.blogspot.com
4. Jill St. Angelo  www.jillsstampingcorner.com
5.  Stephanie Bradley  (you are here)

Welcome to our Stamp to the MAX blog hop! 

We hope you are inspired by our Christmas cards.

You may have arrived here from Laura's blog. 

I am stop #4  on the blog hop.

 On the first day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me

...this sweet little partridge in his pear tree.

Supplies:

Chocolate Chip Card Stock
Very Vanilla Smooth Card Stock
Cherry Cobbler Card Stock
Old Olive Card Stock

Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine
Basic Pearls Jewel Accents
3/16" Metallic Brads 

Bird Punch

Language Of Friendship - Clear-Mount Stamp
Petite Pairs - Clear-Mount Stamp
Take Care Clear-Mount Stamp Set  
Chocolate Chip Classic Stampin' Pad

Jet Black StāzOn Pad
Soft Suede Stampin' Write Marker 
Real Red Stampin' Write Marker
Baja Breeze Stampin' Write Marker

The next stop on the hop is Martha.  Click her name to get to her blog.

Thanks for hopping by!

Click here to shop online 24/7

Check out the Holiday Catalog by clicking here.

Here are the other stops on the hop.  Feel free to take a look at them all!

Maxine Conrad     www.stamptothemax.com 

 Edie Bunting   www.ediestamps.blogspot.com
 Laura Widdison  www.stampprincess.com
 Martha Haddock  www.stampinmartha.blogspot.com
 Christina Mansker  www.crazystampmom.blogspot.com
 Jill St. Angelo  www.jillsstampingcorner.com
 Elizabeth Harris www.elizabethloves2stamp.com

Lisa Fennewald  www.lisaloostamps.blogspot.com