Another almost purrfect Christmas image

No kitty. No Michu. Sir Chester won't let me give 5 stars to an image without a kitty so this one gets 4 1/2 stars. Seriously, it is another fun image for your holiday cards and layouts.

Materials:

• Image from Soft Pencil
• Colored with Copic Markers
• Snowflake Dazzles from Paper Wishes
• Sentiment cut on Cricut using red shiny self stick paper
• Green cardstock from DCWV
• White cardstock from Georgia Pacific

Valentines for OWH

The Paper Cutz Challenge this week is "Anything Goes". Well, my creativity is being focused on Valentines for OWH (Operation Write Home). While here in the states we are preparing for Christmas, the Christmas cards to the military have already been shipped. Valentines need to go out by the first week of January. I especially liked the way this Valentine turned out.

If you are tired of working in green and red for Christmas or blues with the snowmen, consider making some Valentines for our military to send to their special loves. Make them extra special. The families give up so much while their loved ones are serving our country. The holidays are difficult but Valentine's Day is a "couple;s holiday". Hard to celebrate when half of the couple is halfway around the world. 

Let's keep them all in our prayers no matter what the holiday. We just want them to return home safely.

Lil Sailors

Those of us living in the Northern Hemisphere are getting ready (or already dealing with) snow for the holidays. South of the equator it is spring going into summer. Elizabeth, the creator of the Soft Pencil Images lives in Argentina. She is getting warm weather. This week's spotlight is on a summer image.

So in Kansas we have cold weather, in Argentina they are getting ready for summer. In the world of Operation Write Home - we are making Valentines! Yes Valentines are due to the shippers by the first week of January. This Soft Pencil card will be in the box of Valentines being sent to our military personnel. Appropriate image don't you think??

Michael's Christmas Challenge Week #2

I missed out on Week #1 of the Michael's Challenge on Facebook, but had a lot of fun with week #2. The required materials are: a 13 inch charger, scrapbook paper and adhesive. My project is a clock  -  not just any clock, but a Twelve Days of Christmas Clock. The images for the 12 Days of Christmas song take the place of the numbers (although I did include the 4 "compass point" numbers)

Materials:

• 13 inch gold charger
• Crayola Chipboard album (1 page only)
• Cricut Joyous Noel cartridge
• Oh My Vinyl: red and black
• Accent Depot number brads
• Imaginesce Gumdrop brad
• Gold/white cording from Michael's
• Adhesives: Zip Dry, Xyron sticker maker, Dimension squares.
• Vintage Santa scrapbook paper
• clock hands/mechanism

 Here is a close-up look at the cording and vintage paper. Wish me luck! Deadline is midnight tonight and the new challenge will be posted early Monday morning. 

Phindy's Sleigh

The Phindy Challenge, ending tonight, is to make a Christmas card using a Phindy image. I played around with a few - especially ones with kitties (Chester insists) but decided to go with the horse drawn sleigh.

Shiny Things

The Paper Cutz Challenge this week is to make a Christmas card, layout or project using lots of bling!. Get out the glitter, the crystals, the foil and SHINE!

How many Christmas cards have you made? How many left to make?? Let the challenges give you the incentive to get crafting. It is almost Thanksgiving and despite what the calendar says, Christmas is just a few days later.

Merry Christmas: Snow Memories

Merry Christmas is this week's featured Soft Pencil image. Remember those snowy mornings. The walk or driveway freshly shoveled so the wetness reflected the light. The snow in the yard was still pristine.

• DCWV Summer Dream Cardstock (with glitter)
• Image colored with Copics
• Image enhanced with Paper Glaze
• Snowflake brads
• Gold/White cording

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An additional message from Elizabeth at Soft Pencil:

• I´ll be running a sale on my Etsy shop during the month of November: 20% OFF on all my designs (digi-stamps, clipart, printables, etc.)

• Starting on November 30 my own shop (softpencilshop.blogspot.com) will be closed until the next year so only my Etsy shop will be open.

• All my current goodies will be available ONLY until January 2

New subject

Our newest grandson arrived this morning at 7:41 a.m.  Alexander (Xander) William weighed in at 8 lbs 7oz. Gonna be tall like his Daddy and big brother measuring 20.5 inches long. Everyone is doing fine. Now grandma has a new subject for scrapbook pages! Photos with brother Zerek and cousins Max & Mason will be fun to use in layouts.

Thankful for Understanding Friends

I have been behind in too many of my commitments lately. Late or missing DT assignments. I did resign from one DT thinking that would help. I am preoccupied with the new grandchild coming, my painful knee, etc etc. BUT that is no excuse. My dear friends IRL and on the MBs are standing by me. I thank you!!

The Paper Cutz Challenge this week is to make a Thanksgiving card using buttons and bows. Well, I used ribbon and a round chipboard disk (LOL). Somehow I missed the b&b part until I had the card finished and photographed. Therefore once again I have to beg the mercy and forgiveness of my friends. My heart is sincere in my thanks for your friendships.

OWH Midweek Throwdown Challenge

This week's challenge is to make a "Thinking of You" card and use ribbon on it. I used a photo my son took of an eagle while camp/canoeing in the Boundary Waters near Ely, MN. The "I am Soooooo Thinking of You" stamp is from The Angel Company. I used a gatefold format. The completed card is 4 in by 4 in and will fit in an A2 envelope.

Also Archway Cookies has pledged 4000 Cookies for 4000 Valentines. Deadline is December 1st for these Valentines (the cookies will go to the troops). The overall deadline for Valentines is the first week of January. Put some extra effort into making the Valentines (remember - NO Glitter). Most soldiers will be sending just one or maybe a few Valentines to those most special people in their lives. Spouses and children will be the main recipients. Let's give them cards made with extra care.

3 2 1 Christmas!

I'm taking a little liberty with the name of Phindy's Challenge this week. It is actually 1  2  3.  I used:

• 3 large circle brads: blue, red, purple
• 2 papers: HOTP coordinating Christmas papers
• 1 very cute Phindy image colored with Copics

 Three, two, one - It's Christmas!!!! Makes this little boy very happy!

Get Organized!

Elizabeth has designed this cute little calendar for 2011 with Michu flying a kite. I chose to mount it on dark blue cardstock and slide it into a white binder with the clear protector front. It would be perfect to organize:

• add some large envelopes to keep tax receipts for the year
• use some clear sheet protectors to keep birthday cards for special people for each month. Highlight the birthdays (or posting dates) on the calendar.
• keep a few photos for each month/season/occasion separate until you can scrapbook them.

I'm sure you can come up with some good ideas of your own!

\I also used borders from HOTP available at Paper Wishes to outline the calendar.

Better Late...

Guess I'm the one who needs my own get well card (LOL). The Paper Cutz Challenge this week is to make a Get Well card using a stamp (rubber or digital or die cut) of something that flies. I got mine ready only a day late, but was at the lake. I didn't have the memory stick adapter so I could upload the pic.

The butterflies are stamps from The Angel Company. Click on Sir Chester above to link to my other blog which has only information for The Angel Company products and FunShops and specials.... you get the idea.