Don't Rule Out....

Using designer paper for uses other than cards. Look what I used this Basic Grey Fruitcake designer paper for. I found flat clear 12 inch rulers at Staples yesterday when I was out shopping with Sarah. They just screamed for me to decorate them. My glue of choice for this project is Modge Podge. First I cut the 12x12 paper to the correct width. Next turned the ruler number side down (working on the back of the ruler) and coated it with a thin coat of Modge Podge using a wide flat paint brush. After placing the paper down on top of the glue I used a bone folder all over the paper to get any air bubbles out and to get a good seal on all the edges. Because the ruler is a bit longer than the 12x12 paper I had to cut another small piece of the paper and glue that down as well. After it was dry I took a sanding block to the edges so there wasn't any over hang of paper. Tip for sanding. You always want to sand in the same direction. Just like when filing your nails. By filing in one direction it keeps the paper strong and it won't come away from your project. Last thing to do was add a jumbo eyelet. I used my Crop-a-dile to attach it. Then added the ribbon. Click on the photo so you can see a larger image. Pretty cool!!!!

Wishing all my readers a very Happy New Year!!!! Taking the day off tomorrow. Be back blogging on Sunday.

Stamping Trails
Karen 204

Thanks Deer

Still working on thank you cards. This one is made using the deer from Winter Post. Word stamp is from an old Stampin'Up Sell-a-Bration set. Designer paper is Basic Grey Bitter Sweet. Punches: Leaf Martha Stewart, Ribbon SU. Colors: Regal Rose, Kraft, Certainly Celery, and Espresso. Embossing folder by Sizzix. It's one I got free when I purchased a die at Joann's early this month. Lots of pop dots used as I popped both layers.

Sarah is coming over in just a bit. We both got gift cards to Joann's from John for Christmas. Looking forward to shopping with Sarah she's fun to shop with.

Stamping Trails
Karen 204

Chocolate Snowflakes

For some reason I just find brown snowflakes warm and cozy. It may be white fluffy flakes on the ground out side my window but here in my stamp room its warm and toasty brown flakes for me!

I've had this thing for doilies lately. I use Tombo liquid glue along all the edges to adhere them to the cardstock. Oh and I discovered bakers twine. It comes in many colors. It's white with a color twisted around it. This one on the card is white/brown. I like that the twine is thin so its great to add color and interest to your card but it cuts out the bulk which makes it easy to mail.

Used a technique on the card called faux dry embossing. For the background flakes I first stamped the flakes with white craft ink. Next I used the stamping-ma-gig and stamped the snowflake again with Chocolate Chip making sure that when I lined up the flake it was just a little off center from the white one. Gives it just a little shadow which adds depth to the flake.

I'm going to start taking down the tree today. That is always a sad job, but I need to start cleaning the house. I have lots of stuff that I just want to get rid of, and that layer of dust on my ceiling fans isn't going away by itself!

Stamping Trails
Karen 204

Afghan

This afghan was completed in November but I didn't want to post it to my blog as it was a Christmas gift for my friend Kathy. I enjoyed making it for her and I have to say it really helped to keep me warm as I was working on it.





I think I drove Skip crazy when I was working on the border. The ruffle border took along time to complete and I kept saying this is going to take me forever. Totally worth it as Kathy told me she really likes it.

Stamping Trails
Karen 204

Shrug/Tags

Hope everyone had a great holiday! We opened up gifts with the family on Christmas Eve. John had to work on Christmas so we wanted him to be with us for the gift opening. We also ordered Chinese Take Out. It was a different type of Christmas Eve but it was fun. Sarah enjoyed the packaging of her gifts almost as much as she liked the gifts.


By the time she got to this package she goes..."Now you're just showing off"....But she did like the stamped gift tags.



I think she liked the shrug I crocheted for her the best. She just kept going on about what she was going to ware it with. She also wants me to make more for her in different colors.


I'll share more pics later. Right now I have to finish the sweet potato casserole. We are going to his sister's house at 4 to have dinner with her and her two daughters.

My friends spoiled me for Christmas this year (and every year....I have great friends!) I'll share more about that later.

Stamping Trails
Karen 204

Reindeer

When I saw these darling little 5 inch dolls at Pat Catan's I just had to have them!!!! Also picked up two crochet books to make the doll's outfits. One book is holiday apparel, and the other is everyday apparel.



I had to make the deer outfit first. It is just too darn stinking cute!!!! I forgot how little crochet thread is to work with. All of the patterns are made with crochet cotton and little tiny hooks. Hope I don't go blind by the time I finish them all.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night! I'm taking the next few days off from blogging but I'll be back on Sunday to share pictures of Christmas Eve and day with you.

Stamping Trails......and may all your stockings be full of ink, stamps, and embellishments!!!!!!
Karen 204

Black Tie Christmas

Wanted to make a card, but wasn't really in the mood to stamp. Been meaning to make a penguin using the owl punch, but like so many other of my ideas and projects it kept getting pushed back, and pushed back again. I used Sizzix embossing folders, snowflake and Merry Christmas. Only ink I used was a bit of white craft around the word. Wide black ribbon finished out the card. Other punches used petal punch for wings, flower punch, and heart punch for the hat.

Spent part of the morning and yesterday afternoon making more cookies. This time it was Oatmeal Raisin. Made Skip his peanut butter fudge that I only make him for Christmas. It's the best recipe I've found for making fudge and have been making it for him since we lived in Washington state.

Pat in Pan Peanut Butter Fudge

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
8 oz package cream cheese (1 package)
6 oz Reese peanut butter chips
6 cups powdered sugar

line a 13x9x2 pan with tin foil leaving extra on both sides. You'll use this to lift the fudge out of the pan.

In sauce pan combine peanut butter, chips, and cream cheese. On medium heat stir until the chips have melted. Transfer to large bowl. I use my Kitchen Aide for the next step. It can be done by hand as I use to do it this way before I got my Kitchen Aide. Add one cup of powdered sugar to the creamed stuff and mix in. Continue to add one cup of sugar till it is all mixed in. Turn out the mix into the pan and pat it down using your hands. Let sit on counter for 2 hours. Lift the foil out of the pan and cut the fudge into squares. Store in air tight container in fridge. Makes about 2 pounds of fudge.

Stamping Trails
Karen 204

Tea Light Candle Holder

Can you believe that Christmas is only a few days away? Getting pretty excited! There are lots of presents under the tree from my gal pals and they are just calling my name!!!

So to get my mind off the presents I made tea light holders yesterday afternoon. These were fun to make. I've decorated large candles before using stamped tissue paper but this is the first time doing it with tea lights. Take a 1 3/8 circle punch to make the prefect size circle for the tea light. Also had to punch a hole in the center of the circle with a 1/16 punch this allows the tissue paper to slide over the wick. Word of caution here....don't hold the tea light in your hand when you are heat setting the tissue paper. I put them on my embossing board. For those who might be asking what the heck is an embossing board I'll clue you in. I covered a piece of cardboard with tin foil and use that for all my embossing projects. It gives off even heat and makes the embossing go quicker.



For the cover of the box I used the 1/16 circle punch again and did a half punch on the edges of the cardstock so the silver cord would stay where I wanted it. Colors used Night of Navy, Not Quite Navy, and Espresso.

Hey Lisa......Or Kat......these might be a good project for the Church Craft group. You can change them up for Spring, Fall or Winter. Let me know and I'll post the specks on the box and box cover.

Stamping Trails
Karen 204

Cookie Day

Had a great day making cookies with mom-in-law Kate, and Sarah. I am so exhausted now!!! After cookies were made and mess was cleaned up we all went out to dinner. John and Skip also joined us. Was nice to have the family together as we haven't done that for along time.



Sarah brought stuff to make mocha munchie cookies. I call them death by chocolate as they had chopped dark chocolate covered espresso beans, dark chocolate chunks, and bitter sweet chocolate in them. Really good but WOW what a chocolate rush.



Kate and Sarah are showing off how chocolaty their hands are after rolling the cookies into balls. Was really funny as they were both licking the chocolaty goodness off their fingers.



We also made ginger snaps, magic bars, and poor man turtles. The turtles are easy to make and taste great. You take 60 pretzels on a cookie sheet top each one with a Rollo candy. Pop in oven till Rollos melt (350 for about 3 minutes) take out of oven and top each with 1/2 pecan.






Stamping Trails
Karen 204

Stocking Stuffer for Hubby

Hubby is really hard to buy for, and even harder to find things for his stocking. A few days ago when we had lots of snow he was out with the snow blower then took a break and came back in. He said his hands were really cold. So I gave him one of the hot hands packets that I got for his stocking. He really loved it! Kept his hands warm while he was outside. I decided to make a pull up wrapper for one of the packets to put in his stocking. Stamped trees with white craft ink. Bison stamped on craft cardstock using Espresso ink. Moon is saffron.


Not feeling to well today. I pulled a muscle while working out and can barely move my left leg today. Poor me!!!! Guess I'll take it easy today and pop some Tylenol.

Stamping Trails
Karen 204

Snowy Fence

I snapped this picture earlier today. I normally decorate the fence for the different holidays. Had to laugh about the garland......as soon as I put it up last week it snowed and covered most of it up. Had to go out and shake the snow out of it so it could be seen.


Stamping Trails
Karen 204

Snowball Cookies and Mitten

I was in a cookie exchange with friends and decided to make Snowball Cookies. They are pretty cool! Like a Russian Tea cookie with a surprise, there is one Hershey Kiss inside each cookie. Makes 5 dozen.

Snowball Cookies

1 bag Sugar Cookie mix (Betty Crocker)
1 egg
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
1 stick melted butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon almond extract
60 kisses
3/4 cup powdered sugar

pre-heat oven to 375

Mix sugar cookie mix with egg, melted butter, flour, cocoa, almond extract, and chopped almonds. Form into 60 balls. Balls are about 3/4 inch. Wrap cookie ball around each kiss. Bake in oven for 12 minutes.

Remove from cookie sheet let cool for 5 minutes on wire rack. Roll cookies in powdered sugar. Wait 15 minutes then roll again in sugar. Store in air tight container.

Remember the little mittens I made to hold the chocolate spoons? Well I had to do something with all the jumbo loopy chenille that I had left over, so I made felt mittens large enough to hold a dozen cookies and trimmed them with the chenille. Broke out the Big Shot and used Snowflake dies with sticky back felt and put them on the mittens. Trimmed the flakes with buttons.

Hope everyone is enjoying the Christmas Holidays. May all your cookies come out just right and not burnt!

Stamping Trails
Karen 204

Stocking Stuffers

These would make cute stocking stuffers, but I think I'm going to make a few more toppers for the knit gloves to give to my sister-in-laws. Haven't made final plans on what we are doing for the holidays but I'm sure we will get together with Skip's family on Christmas Eve or Christmas day.

Knit gloves were 2 for 99 cents at Big Lots. The topper is made using Top Note die and Espresso cardstock. Designer paper is Jovial by Basic Grey.



I tied a little tiny jingle bell around the deer's neck, and used modern label punch to stamp the word stamp "jingle".

Skip went to work yesterday the Brunswick schools were open but Medina and parts of Cleveland schools were closed. We are suppose to get more snow. JOY!

Stamping Trails
Karen 204

Reindeer

This project didn't make the cut for my 12 days of Christmas, but I wanted to share it with you. Kind of silly......I took a pair of the 99 cent knit ladies gloves and used them for antlers for this reindeer. The body is two large Hershey candy bars. Cardstock is from Hollo's. Punches used: large oval, small oval, 1/2 circle, 1 3/4 circle, and scallop oval. I like the rusty bell used for his nose. I doubled the gloves then put the cuff around the top of the candy bars.


Lots of snow today and more is on the way they are predicting up to a foot of snow by Wednesday. Doesn't look like I'll be driving anywhere for the next few days. The Christmas party at the nursing home is this Thursday at 6:30 hoping the weather will break by then so I can attend that with mom. I dropped off her gift on Saturday for Santa to give to her.

Stamping Trails
Karen 204

SNOW!!!!

Well Skip got another snow day. We had lots of snow last night with more still falling. Suppose to have a foot by Wednesday. The wind is blowing and it is just really brrrrrrrr outside. I'm not venturing out at all today. Staying tucked in and warm in the house with lots of green tea, and hot cocoa. Made a nice pot of beef stew so that should help keep us warm. Skip is outside now with the snowblower, and I couldn't help but snap his picture to show you.

Kathy thanks bunches for my gifts and cookies that the mail carrier was sweet enough to bring to my door early this morning. I didn't even have to go out to the mailbox. Gifts are tucked away under the tree. I'll take a pic the tree and post tomorrow.

Hope that where ever my readers are that you are keeping safe and warm also

Stamping Trails
Karen 204

Using Up Supplies

I've been trying to use some supplies that I've had on hand for a long while and never used or used very little. I'm also trying to combine different craft mediums. Which leads me to this snowflake ornament creation. I started with white crochet thread and crocheted the snowflake. After it was finished I stiffened it with fabric stiffener. My friend Marianne will remember these flakes as we use to make them back in the day. The first time we tried to stiffen them was with sugar water. Lots easier with the fabric stiffener. Okay after the flakes dried I added some glass glitter (love this stuff). Finished off by adding brown ribbon for a hanger. The flower in the center is a Prima flower that Kat gave me a package of several Christmas's ago. To that I added the amber brad and word was stamped with white craft ink on Espresso cardstock cut with Model label punch.
The color on this photo doesn't do this ornament justice. I should retake the photo on a different background, but I'm too lazy today.

Stamping Trails
Karen 204

Metal Wins Over Plastic

So here I am being a good little Elf and working ever so hard to get Sarah's Shrug made by Christmas and last night my hook broke. Snapped right in half. This one is from a set of plastic ones that I purchased. So I'm thinking got to make another Pat Catan run. Are you laughing yet Kat? I know you are......anyway.....I'm thinking I know I still have my original hooks that I had started to acquire when I first learned to crochet (in 4th grade...yes I've been crafting since forever!). So I went rummaging around and found them in a round toothbrush holder that I was using to hold the small steel hooks. Good thing I found them as I needed that F hook I broke, but I also need the small steel hooks as I came across another project that is going to keep me busy for the better part of next year. SHHHHHHHHH it's a secret.



So here is a picture of the shrug I'm making Sarah. I love the purple one shown in the magazine but not a color Sarah would wear much so I'm making her's charcoal.

Stamping Trails
Karen 204

Brown Paper Packages......

tied up with string.....these are a few of my favorite things! Wrapping is one of my favorite things about the holidays. I just love to wrap!!!! Brown paper makes it pretty easy for a base then you can add additional things. This year I'm all about doilies. I got some paper white ones at Hollo's and just stamped the center of them, and sponged the edges with Espresso ink. I'm hoping at the time this posts my friends will have received their Christmas packages. Crossing my fingers as I hate to spoil the surprise by showing them the wrapping before they can open the boxes.

Stamping Trails
Karen 204

More Shaker Cards

Made a few more shaker cards for my brother in law Ricky. Tree is from Inkadinkadoo. Frame was made using large oval and scallop oval from Spellbinders. Ribbon is by SU. The background snowflakes on kraft cardstock is by Fiskers. It's an older texture plate. I didn't think the snowflakes showed up enough so I sponged them with cotton white ink. Click on the image to see the detail


This card uses Christmas Collage background stamp by SU. The birdhouse is by See-Dee's. Made the wreath by punching out many leafs with Martha Stewart punch. Added some small Cherry Cobbler circles on the wreath to make berries. Bird was made with SU punch. Out of the shakers I made for Ricky I think this one is my favorite.

Stamping Trials
Karen 204

More Snow

Two posts in one day? Sure why not.....wanted to share snow photos with you. Skip doesn't have off today as they didn't close the schools. He had the past two days off, one was a snow day and yesterday there was a water main break so they closed his school.

I Believe in Santa

My Brother in law Ricky really liked a shaker card I made for one of the family years ago. He never forgot that he wanted one. I don't even remember which one it was, but he wanted one so bad that he got me beads to use in one for him. So with not much to go on other than he wanted it in green and red I came up with this one. Stamps are by Sugarloaf. Other things used Label 3 Nesties, Cherry Cobbler, Always Artichoke, and cream cardstock, Music wheel by SU. See the die under the shaker element? That is a die I picked up at Joanne's. Die is by Sixxz. It is really cool as this is only half of the die. It cuts a full shape that you can use to create a full A2 size card. I'll have to make a card using it to show you.

Stamping Trails
Karen 204

Red Hat Christmas Party Pics

Had fun at the Christmas party yesterday. The ladies all loved my hat. I think I was under dressed. Many of the woman were wearing lots of glitz! I never saw so many sequins in one place before. Here is pic of our queen Elaine.





Met some great gals at my table. Linda is a crafter also and made everyone at her table a red and purple stick pin for our hats.
For the gift exchange I received a large package of different Oil of Olay products. Love that stuff! The queen gave me a poinsettia plant as I was leaving. We drew numbers for the table center pieces didn't win one but it was so nice of Elaine to give me one. They were all happy to see me, and made me stand up so everyone would know who I am. All the ladies are really sweet and glad to have me join them. One of the ladies Donna was telling us about how she is dating again. TOO CUTE!!!!



All the girls who had a camera took a pic of my hat. So I posed for lots of pictures. Looking forward to the New Years party. That's going to be on the 4th.


Stamping Trails
Karen 204

All we are saying....is give Peace a Chance.......30 years ago today...Remembering John Lennon. Thanks for all the music you gave us....and sharing your message.