How to Make the Angel Weekend Project

I had to do a bit of research on the angel posted on December 26, 2012.  I wanted to make sure the instructions were not a copyright of someones.  I found them and I'll share it with you so you can make your own.  

The link is for a flower but when you turn the flower upside down you have the body to the angel.  Beads were added to the top and bottom using wire that ran through the center of the body/flower.  You can use any type beads you want for your angel.  

I hope this helps in making your angels.  

Click here for the link to the instructions for the body part.  

Have fun making them!

Wanda

Time Off

I have not done this before but I am going to be taking a few days off here to regroup and get things ready for the New Year.  I will also be figuring out what I am going to post on January 1st for my New Year's Day Blog Candy.  I can't break with tradition now can I?  

I hope you all have a wonderful and safe New Year's eve.  I will be back on New Year's day to post the blog candy.  Be sure to stop in and leave a comment to be entered in the drawing.

See you soon,
Wanda

A Winter Birthday Card

Today's beautiful card comes to you from Deb.  This was another one of the cards from the Technique Tuesday class using the Rubber Band Cluster technique.  See how pretty it looks in the background?  It's such a fun technique! 

I love how Deb punched out the snowflake using the  Mixed Bunch punch.  And the snowflakes also have some pearly sparkle to them too as well as the snowflake border (which I regret not buying).  

Having some winter birthday card samples on had is always nice.  

This looks like it's a pretty quick card to put together too.  I love those kind.  Ones that have lots of detail but are quick to put together.  It makes it look like you spent a lot of time in to it!

Ok, I'm off to pick up my workroom.  I have no idea how it gets so messy!

Thank you SO much for stopping by today,
Wanda

Snow Much Fun

Tuesday night was Terri's wonderful Technique Tuesday Class.  I go there to help her out as much as I can.  It's a great time and I get to see and visit with some old stamping friends plus I get to make new ones!  It's a wonderful night for the gals and just as wonderful for me!  I LOVE it!

The gals have a card swap using the technique from the prior month.  Last months technique was the "Rubber Band Cluster."  And once in a while some of the gals will give me one of their swap cards.  I LOVE it!!  Here the technique was used as a background.  It's hard to see on the photo but the background is also glittered.

The set used here is called Snow Much Fun.  I have this set but have not used it as much as I hoped to.  But winter is not over so I'm sure I can still use it for some thank you cards and some winter birthdays!

Anyway, this is a fun technique and it was designed by Terri!  She's SO talented.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Angel Ornament

At the Tuesday Technique night Beth was demonstrating how she made this cute angle.  She gave everyone the materials to make it too.  I thought that was SO wonderful.  We did not complete the angel then because of the time but we were shown how it was made and we went home with it.  I got mine all finished and it turned out SO cute.  I can't believe how much substance these things have.  She looks delicate but she is actually pretty solid.  

I think I will be making some of these next year for package toppers.  I was thinking about making them in advance but I will just wait until fall when the new Christmas paper comes out.  Now if I can remember I was going to make these is another story!!! LOL  I'm sure I will if I leave the finished one sit out where I can see it all year long!

Today is hubby's birthday so we are off to have dinner.  It's not a lot of fun having birthdays so close to Christmas.  His is the day after and mine is 10 days after.  He use to get a lot of Christmas and birthday gifts together.  Our son and I kept the days separate as well as the gifts.  Though we did wrap them up (in birthday paper) and set them under the tree.  Hubby could see them and most of the time we let him pick them up and shake them if he wanted to but he was NOT allowed to open them until his birthday.  I know, we're SO mean!! LOL

Added 8-17-13:  I was not given the pattern to this angel.  I was shown how to make it in a class and I do not remember how it was folded.  Though I did find instructions by Googling "paper flowers" and found a tutorial to make the flower.  Once the flower is made then wire, beads and ribbon was added  Click here for the flower folding instructions.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Merry Christmas to You!

I would like to wish all of you a VERY Merry Christmas.  I hope your day is filled with fond memories.  

I will be back to posting tomorrow.  I thought I would take the day off from stamping to enjoy the holiday with my family.

I thank you SO much for stopping by today.

I found this photo on the net and found this Santa to be a bit frightening.  It looks like Santa is trying to force the child in his bag.  In this day and age that would be considered kidnapping, wouldn't it?  I don't know the  age of this image but I'm assuming it is old.  I'm not sure what the message of the photo is conveying. Does anyone know the history behind this picture?  I'm very curious!  I do know one thing, I don't think I will be incorporating it on any Christmas cards next year!!!  LOL

Merry Christmas,
Wanda

Our Holiday Card

Today I'm going to share with you our family Christmas card.  I made this snowman back in March.  It seems that it's about the only time of the year we get a good sticky snow to make a decent snowman.

Throughout the year I had gotten offers for free 4" x 6" prints and of course I took advantage of it.  Some of the offers I only had to pay the postage and others I didn't even have to pay that.  You can't beat that deal!!  

I love to make snowmen and this guy was fun.  Except when he started to melt.  He was kind of freaky looking.  The eyes and mouth (and buttons too) are made from a sliced dowel that I painted black.  I drilled a hole in the back and suck in a 1/4" dowel so it was easy to poke into the snowman and it stayed better too.  But when it melts you begin to see the 1/4" dowels and it's kind of creepy!!  LOL  If I get the opportunity to make one this season I will take pictures as it's melting so you can see what I mean!  I will warn you, it IS creepy to look at!!! LOL

I wish you all a VERY Merry Christmas,
Wanda

A Northern Flurries Christmas

Isn't this a pretty little gem?  I did not design it, I just copied it.  I found it at Paper Connections.  I thought it was so pretty that I just had to make one.  

This was an extremely easy card to make too.  First I took some white card stock and the Northern Flurries die and cut out the snowflakes.  I kept the smaller one for the layering and the large one was used as a template for sponging.  

Then a snowflake was cut from the champagne glitter paper.  A flower was punched out using the Boho punch and the center has a champagne 3/4" circle.  Those were attached to each other and then set in place with a Dimensional. 

The words came from the Delightful Dozen set.  A set I have gotten a LOT of use out of. I hope it isn't retired in 2013.

I am going to have to look at my dies and see what else can be used as a stencil. This was a lot of fun!

Thank you SO much for visiting during this busy time of the year,
Wanda

Elf Kisses, Kits Available, Great Student Gift

(Edited on 6-21-18) I have kits available for you to make your own "Elf Kisses" elves.  Scroll down to the bottom of this post for more details. Kits will be available year round.  Kits will be available until I post that I no longer have any.  Kits can be ordered HERE.  Kits are available year round.

These make GREAT Teacher to Student gifts. 

Here's another gem I found on Pinterest.  One of a billion things I've found on there. But what is different about this pin is I actually made it!!!  Shocker.  I spend SO much time pinning things and so little time making the things I find. Well, I managed to find some time to make these.  They were very fun to make too.  I LOVE the punch art stuff.

The punches used here are as follows:  The bulb punch for the head, a petal punch was used for the hat.  Ovals were cut and trimmed for the brim, the bird wing was used for the ears and round circle punches for the eyes, nose and the tip of the hat.  

The elf was found here at the Paper Den.  The instructions were not included so I just winged it!  I think they turned out cute though I wish I would have had that top fold closer to the words.  But it's still cute and it does it's job!  

The original one had mixed Hershey Kisses in the bag but I was thinking green.  When I think of elves I think of them wearing green.  So then their kisses should be green too, right?  

The cute poem reads:  

With Little elf eyes watching you,

There's not a lot that

Santa misses,

So to help you be good today,

Here's a bunch of sweet

Elf kisses.

Author Kimberly Elliott

You can see Kim's blog by clicking here.

I hope you get your Elf kisses to help you be good this holiday season!  You don't have many days left to be good!!! LOL

Thank you for stopping by today,
Wanda

YES, kits are still available.  I had difficulty getting the photo orientated right but you can still see all the parts.  You get enough parts to make 12 elves.  If you are interested in purchasing a kit, please email me.  My web store has been updated and you can order right from the store.  My email address is located on the sidebar under "Got a Question."  It's the second item on the sidebar.  The cost of the kit is $3.00 plus shipping in the USA. If you have trouble finding my email address:  wanda at CyberNetik dot net or you can click
Order your kits here.

Family Craft Frame Weekend Project

I pinned this cutie WAY back in February.  And I finally get to it 4 days before I need it!!! Nothing like waiting till the last minute to get things done.  LOL

This looks SO much cuter in person.  

This is made using a white knitted glove.  You dress up the glove tips and layer the family together between card stock and felt!  I added some sparkle to the felt.  Click on the photo for a closer look.  And you can click here for the original one along with the step by step instructions on how to make one of these for yourself.  

I used a program called Print Artist to make the dotted lines around the frame.  At the top (covered up) is the name of the family, it reads "The XXXX Family"  and at the bottom is each family member's name.  I covered it up because of personal information on children plus it's for a gift and I don't want the word out on it, just in case!!!  

The snowflake background is from some pretty wrapping paper I found.  I saved a piece of it and I scanned it so I could use it for future projects.  This happened to be one of them!  Isn't it pretty?

I did have a lot of fun making this and I'm sure the one getting it is going to love it.  Now all I have to do is attach the hanger on the back and wrap it up!!!  

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Drape-fold Card Technique

I ran across this cute card and had to look into it further.  This technique is called the "Drape-fold".  You can find the original post here.  What fun this was.  I love different folds on cards and this is very different and pretty too!

It is easy enough to do too. I didn't care much for the instructions there, mostly because I was looking for measurements.  Being new to a technique I like to work with numbers before I mess around with it.  But here I had to figure out some stuff on my own.  And I think I simplified the technique a bit in the process.  

I took a piece of decorative paper and cut it to 6-1/2" x 3-1/2".  Then I scored it at 2-3/4".  Next I marked the far right edge about 1-1/2" from it's top edge.  I lined up the mark and the bottom of the score line on my paper cutter and cut off that right bottom corner.  Then I proceeded to score the rest of that side of the paper.  My next scores are at 3-3/8", 4-1/4", 4-1/2", 5-1/2" and 5-3/4".  

Fold the score lines into hills and valleys (accordion folding).  The first score is folded to the left (you can see in the photo how the card is folded.  I distressed the edges and sponged them before I taped the folds down.

Once the folds were taped down I taped the piece on top of my card and had fun embellishing it.  The top snowflake was actually a mistake.  I had cut a piece of the champagne glitter paper to cut the smaller snowflakes and that was what was cut from the remaining piece.  I liked it and I liked how it fit on the top.  It was like it was meant to be.  Shhh, don't tell anyone!!  Some people think I'm good at this!!! LOL

I also sponged my ribbon to match the sponged edges so it would blend better with the card. I think I succeeded there on that one!

Now if I were to do this again I would make that decorative paper a bit longer.  See how the first fold shows a lot of what the backside of the decorative paper looks like?  The next two folds don't show it so much.  I would make that piece longer so I could do deeper folds.  I don't know how long I would make it, I think I would just keep it 12" long and do my folding until I reach 4-1/4" and trim it.  I would love to use this technique for a Valentine's Day card.  But for now I'm sticking with Christmas stuff since we are still in that season (for a few days more anyway!). 

I will be adding this technique to my technique pages.  I'm so very far behind on getting those done this year too.  UGH, what a year for being behind on so many things.

This was a very fun card to make and it went to a very special person!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Snowman Card

A friend of mine (Cyndi) gave me this cute rubber stamp.  It's called "Snow Carols" by Hook's Lines and Inkers.  She said she thought of me when she saw this set.  She knows how much I love snowmen!  I had gotten it from her back in either September or October and I told her I would make a card for her using it.  Nothing like getting right on that task!!!  When did life get so busy?  

I stamped the image using black StazOn and colored it in with colored pencils.  I have not used colored pencils in a very long time.  I found it rather fun to just sit at my worktable and color away.  I actually found it relaxing.  I thought about using the watercolor crayons but the colored pencils were calling my name today!!

The base of my card is Wild Wasabi and the layer behind the image is Real Red. And that is it.  Aren't they cute?

Thank you SO much Cyndi for the fun stamp and I thank you all for stopping by today!

Happy Stamping,

Wanda

Greeting Card Kids Christmas Card

I have always loved this set when it first came out a few years ago.  I thought I would play with it today since I don't play with it much.  But I do have plans for it come closer to Valentine's Day.  I have a feeling this is one of the sets that will be retiring, only because it's been out for a while now.  I hope I'm wrong.

I stamped my image using Black StazOn and I colored it in with markers.  As quick and simple as that.  

Now that red circle.  Well, YUCK!  I wasn't sure where I was going with the card.  Isn't that just obvious?  I wanted something in that corner but I was not sure what.  I put the red circle in place and didn't like what I saw so I added some rhinestones and didn't like it even more.  I can always remove the colored image and rework that onto a different card.

Trust me here when I say "they all can't be winners!"  LOL  And remember, I always share with you, the good, the bad, and the ugly!!! We all know what category this one falls into!!!  LOL

Thank you for visiting today,
Wanda

The Book of Money

I found how to make this Book of Money while on Pinterest.  I thought it was a cute idea and I just happened to need two money holders.  I had the supplies here to make them so it saved me some money and time.  Well, maybe not so much the time but I didn't have to go out in the cold to go shopping for them!  Plus these are WAY cuter than the ones in the store are!  And these were made with love and other supplies!!! LOL I found the idea here.  I clicked on the photo and it took me to the Martha Stewart page where the directions are and that page is located here.  

I didn't follow the instructions to the tee.  Here is what I did.  

I did a little bit different take on the money book.  I took a piece of the cardboard type stuff that is on the back of the packs of 12" x 12" decorative paper.  I save every one I get.  Ok, come on.  I know I'm not the only one who saves these!!  I may be one of the few who is using them though!!! LOL  Yup, I actually use them.  These I don't hoard!  I cut mine 6-1/2" x 3".  Score in the center at 3-1/4".  

I found some pretty decorative paper that I wanted to use on my  overs.  My paper with the Santa on it came from a Recollections pack I got at Michael's.  I cut them 3-1/4" x 3" and glued them in place.  Use a glue stick or mono liquid glue.  Tape doesn't look so nice here.  Take your bone folder and run it across the surface to get the glue to be flat between the layers.  

While the glue is drying cut a piece of card stock to coordinate with the decorative paper.  I cut mine 1" x 3-1/4" and I scored it in the center.  Glue that in place on the spine.  I folded mine in half and used a clip to hold it shut while the glue dried. 

Next open up the money holder and set a dollar bill inside.  Mark above and below it on the center seam so you will know where you need to punch the holes.  Take a small hole paper punch and punch the holes. Take some Baker's Twine and thread it through the holes and tie it on the outside.  You can use ribbon or elastic  if you wish.  Use whatever you can find!!  Fold the money in half and slip it under the center thread.  Fold shut and embellish the front as you wish!  That's all there is to this.  Or you can do it the way Martha says!! LOL

Thank you SO much for stopping by today!
Wanda

Make a Mitten

I have had a lot of fun with the mitten punch.  And what is better than having a themed punch?  Having a themed punch with a stamp set to go with it!!  I have not played with it enough though. I have too many other items to play with so I don't get to spend much time on them all.  In the new year I will be scaling back my buying so I can have more time to play with the stuff I have and a little bit of new stuff.  My poor workroom is about to burst at the seams.  If that is at all possible.  I do need to start pulling retired sets off my shelves and start selling them to make room for newer ones.  Plus I'd like to get one shelf cleared off so I can put the clear mount stamps on it, keeping them all in one place.  I have grandiose dreams for my workroom but no time to tend to it.  Maybe after the holidays.  

I don't know if any of you have this problem with your folder but when I make the snowflakes my paper tends to buckle.  My card yesterday was not as bad because I ran it through the Big Shot only to the edge of the side snowflakes and then I backed it up and ran it through on the top until I was just past that snowflake. It was a bit better but not 100%.  Is there a secret to getting this made with no buckling of my card stock?

Ok, so back to my super easy card.  I used 1/2 sheet of Cherry Cobbler for the base of the card.  I stamped the mittens using Cherry Cobbler ink.  I punched them out and set them in place using Dimensionals.  The card yesterday is much like this one but this one has some dimension to it.  Quick.  Easy and fun too!  Other than having someone else make it for you, what else can you ask for?  LOL

Have fun stamping and I thank you for stopping by,
Wanda

A Quick Christmas Card

Nothing beats a quick Christmas card when you're in a hurry.  And no, there isn't water splatters on this card.  I was playing with some spray stuff.  I mixed up some Frost White Shimmer paint and I sprayed too close to my paper.  So this results in big bloppy looking spots of shine!  But in the photo it looks more like greasy splatter spots!  Not the image I was hoping to project here!!! LOL  

Ok, so lets get back to the simplicity and quickness of this card.  First you take a half sheet of Cherry Cobbler card stock and fold it in half.  Next you take a piece of Whisper White card stock and cut it to 4-1/8" x 5-3/8" and use the Northern Flurry snowflake folder to texture it.  Then you spritz it with some shimmer paint but be sure to leave some space between the spray bottle and the paper!!! A VERY important tip to remember!  LOL  And once that is dry (in my case I had to use the heat embossing tool to dry the paper!) then I stamped the words on.  These are from the Chock-full of Cheer set.  I've used these words a lot on my Christmas cards lately.  And no, it's not because I didn't put the set away!  I don't have many Christmas greetings that aren't retired and I didn't buy the new set because it just wasn't in my budget this year.  I have plenty of greeting sets and I often use them (even if they are retired) because I know that those of you who need current stamps can just substitute the words.  As simple as that.

Now the card is ready for the mail!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Candle Tag

While surfing the web I found this really cute tag and of course I thought I would try to copy it.  Well, I was not very successful.  Though I'm ok with how this one turned out, it's nothing like the beautiful one I found here.  Don't go look at it until you are done reading my post.  If you do, I know you won't be back to finish!!! LOL  

My plan for this was to make a "To and From" tag but because my tag was much smaller (obviously) than the original one I didn't have room for any words.  

I can always slip a little piece of paper under that slit below the hole on the top of the card or I can write on the back.  So it can still be used for a tag.

I used Real Red card stock for the background.  On top of that I used the  Elements of Style stamp set for the background.  I first stamped using VersaMark and then heat set the white embossing powder.  Then I stamped the background with the same image using Soft Suede.  I sponged the red piece with Soft Suede too.  I cut out strips of white card stock and sponged them. I also stamped the Elements of Style on the center candle.  

For the flames I used the new Champagne glitter paper.  I did cut them by hand.  

I used the Little Leaves Sizzlet to add some greenery to the front of the card.  On top of that I added some pine looking branches I punched out using the Martha Stewart punch.  I LOVE using that punch.  Those branch leaves are such fun to play with.  I added a piece of the green sewn ribbon and a large pearl in the middle.  I stuck them all together with some small glue dots and that was it.  

It was fun but a far cry from the one I found on the net.  There, now you can go visit it. Just click on that link above in red.

Thank you SO much for stopping by today,
Wanda

Air Freshener Gifts Weekend Project

Today I wasn't sure what I was going to do for my blog post.  But as I was looking through my emails I saw something that was not only fun but would make great last minute inexpensive gifts.  I found these fun and easy air fresheners.  I looked in the cupboard and found a canning jar and a ring.  Now with the temps in the 20's here it was impossible to go outside and spray paint the ring white like the instructions suggested.  Sometimes I think these types of projects should be offered in the summer or early fall months so those of us who in colder climates can make these things the way the instructions show.  But since I don't live where it is warmer and I'm NOT going to spray paint inside my home, my ring is just going to have to be the original silver color.  The ribbon I added around the outside of it does help to hide it though.  And personally, I like the silver look.  I'm not overly fond of the gold ones, they do have a cheaper look to them but the silver one I can live with.  

Now if you don't have the time to mix up a batch of anything smelly for the inside you can go to the Dollar Tree or your local dollar store and find some bath salts (that smell nice) and use them in the jar instead.  This way you don't have to spend much money on any of the ingredients.  The baking soda is pretty inexpensive but the essential oils can get a bit pricey depending on which fragrances you use.  

Here I used some bath salts that I had mixed up a while back.  I kept them in a sealed jar so they are as fresh smelling as the day I made them. 

After layering my decorative paper on a couple pieces of card stock for thickness, I punched some holes in them and set them inside the lid.  I added the bath salts and then the ribbon and the jar was done.  SO easy, SO simple, SO cute and SO inexpensive!!!  Oh, I forgot to mention that I got the idea and basic instructions for these here.  

You can also make these for Hostess gifts, Customer Appreciation gifts and even as a Make N Take.  And of course they are great for Craft Fairs.

Now go make some yourself!

Thanks for visiting today,
Wanda

Jolly Bingo Bits Gift Card Holder

 I have never made a gift card holder quicker than I did with this one.  It was so simple and extremely quick!  I'm serious!!

First I took a piece of decorative paper from the Snow Festival designer printed tags pack.  I used the backside of the owl sheet.  Then I took a piece from the Festival of Prints designer series paper pack.  That would be the striped sheet.

I stamped the snowman from the Jolly Bingo Bits set and I colored him in.  That is optional.  I him out using a 1" circle punch.  Then I punched out a 1-1/4"  Island Indigo circle and then the Early Espresso scallop.  I taped them together and added some Dimensionals on the back to attach them to the front of my gift card holder.  

Now for the assembly.  I took the stripped paper and I folded it in half.  Then I took the tag piece and I set it on the top part of the folded piece to see how much I needed to cover to hide the owl image.  I taped the piece from the owls ears down to the bottom. Then I lined up the stripped piece and pressed it onto the taped piece.  Next I folded the tag piece over the top edge of the stripped piece.  

I took a pencil and marked the stripped paper on each side of the bump on the bottom of the tag piece so I could take my craft knife and cut a slot into the stripped paper. The plan was to use that bottom bump as the insert to hold the gift card holder shut.  And surprisingly so, the plan worked.

And finally I took a scrap piece of card stock and stamped the Merry Christmas from the Chock Full of Cheer set.  I glued it to the inside bottom of the stripped paper.  I inserted the gift card, tucked the flap in and I was done!  Does it get any simpler than that using papers you didn't have to cut much at all?   You don't have to cut the tag piece or the piece from the paper stack.  They lined up and were the exact same width.  Perfect!!  My scrap piece needed a little trimming but that was it.  And of course the punching.  SO simple and SO quick to make but yet it looks like there was a lot more work to it.  

Have fun making them and thank you for stopping by,
Wanda

Jolly Bingo Bits Christmas Card

Want a quick card for Christmas?  This is the way to go.  I was not happy with how the bulbs were not straight or the same distance apart but then again, it IS a homemade card!!  Though I did fix it for my next card. I'll let you know how that goes.  I had taken a piece of copier paper and cut it to the size I needed and then marked it with a pencil so I knew where to stamp.  I didn't think to fold the paper in half and mark the spots so the top three were the same as the bottom three.  SO after seeing that the bulbs were not exactly perfect I fixed the problem. I think.  I'll try a card later in the week using a different image and see if it works.

The words here are from the Chuck Full of Cheer set.  I have used that image a lot lately!!  

The colors used here are Whisper White, Wild Wasabi and Real Red.  I used some retired ribbon.  You can just use what ribbon you have.  Those who receive your card are probably not going to know the ribbon is retired.  Well, unless they are a Stampin' Up! demonstrator!!

This was a fun card to make.  It was very easy. It's one of those CAS (Clean and Simple) cards.  Ya gotta love it when you can whip one of those out now and then!

Ok, I'm off to wrap some gifts.  I don't want to have to be stuck doing this a few hours before we have to leave for the party on Christmas eve!! I hate it when I'm that far behind on wrapping!!!  NOT this year!! Wish me luck on that one!!! LOL

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Bentleyville Duluth, MN

 Today I'm going to share with you a few photos of what I did this weekend.  On Saturday we headed up to Duluth to see the tour of lights at Bentleyville.  Bentleyville is a huge light display next to the aquarium up there.  It was a wonderful path of lights and displays.  There were people dressed in reindeer, snowmen and penguin costumes greeting the people.  There was a cookie shack (hubby honed in on that one) and I think they had either hot chocolate or apple cider.  I don't know because I didn't partake in any.  

There was a sign that said "North Pole" and that is where the portable bathrooms were and yup, you guessed it.  There were more at the "South Pole"!  Funny.

There were such fun light displays.  The first photo was the entrance and exit to the place.  The side you are seeing is the exit. At the top of the arches it read "Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night."  You walk along a tar path and there were lots of archways of lights and on the sides were themed displays.  There was one of the Duluth canal with Santa in a ship and the lift bridge.  There was so much detail in each display.  You have to go and see this for yourself.  Also along the path (near the South Pole) was a popcorn stand.  Of course we had to stop there and have some.  It was wonderful.  As we left that area we could see the spot where Santa was sitting and there was a long line of children waiting to sit on his lap.  SO cute!  As we traveled along the path there was even a little house with Mrs. Santa in it talking to the kids.  She looked so sweet.  And near the end there was a gift shop but we didn't get a chance to go in it.  There were a lot of people inside so it was too crowded. 

The second photo was of the giant tree there.  The photo below it shows some info on that tree. The lights would flash on and off to the music.  It was spectacular.  

We were told that the display assembly begins in late September. I can't even begin to imaging the man hours that went into this.  And I'd hate to see that light bill!!  

The story of Bentleyville is an interesting one.  There is a man named Mr. Bentley and he use to have this HUGE light display in his field.  It drew a lot of traffic to the area and the people living in the area were not happy.  So somewhere along the way some deal was stuck with him and the city of Duluth and now the display is there every winter.  I am glad it is there or we would have never seen it.  The hotel we stayed at has a shuttle that runs back and forth from the hotel to Bentleyville so we didn't even have to drive there.  It was a wonderful and beautiful experience and like I said, I'd do it again in a heartbeat.  If you want to see more pictures or know more about it just Google Bentelyville Duluth, MN.  

Then on Sunday morning we headed home in the horrible snowstorm.  A 2.5 hour drive took over 4 hours.  There were cars in the ditch, icy roads and limited visibility the closer we got to home.  It was good too be home.  We saw our home but not the driveway.  Hubby took a guess at where it was and just drove in!  That was the longest and worst ride home ever.  

Tomorrow I will have a stamping related post for you.  I just had to share this with you today.  

Thank you for stopping by,

Wanda

Gingerbread Boy Card

Well, here's a blast from the past.  I was doing a bit of digging in my workroom when I should have been cleaning it up and I ran across this card.  I made this card MANY years ago.  I had always loved that gingerbread boy wheel.  I'm not sure what the name of it is.  I probably still have it but I don't think Stampin' Up! put the names inside the wheels back then and if they did, it probably fell out.  I have not used it in years.  

I thought it was a fun card to make. I still have some rolling pins around here somewhere.  I remember painting the ends red and while they dried I tied the raffia bows and glued them in place with the hot glue gun.  And it's still stuck on tight to this day!  

The rolling pin was glued on with tacky glue.  It was only glued to the bow.  It's a very simple looking card with a minimal amount of work to it.  I am going to put it back in the plastic card holder and save it for another bunch of years!!! LOL

Thank you for traveling down Memory Lane with me today,
Wanda

Faux Patina Technique

Today's card is one from Terri's Technique Class.  It's the Faux Patina Technique.  I had done that technique a month or so ago and thought it was a lot of fun. I love how each one is different from the next.  You can have a lot of fun adding more embossing powder and lots of greens and blues to the card stock to make it have an ancient aged look.  

This is a very pretty card and a fun layout.  I didn't take a very nice photo of it.  This card doesn't really take all that long to make either.

The Very Vanilla background you are seeing is actually the inside of the card.  The brown layer is a flap that you lift up and the large circle with the butterfly is attached to it.  It's a fun layout and makes for a beautiful card.  Terri always gives me a sample of the card the class is making. She's so sweet and SO good to me.  And not to mention SO very talented!!!  She has a lot of clubs, classes and even a huge Stamp Share that she has to prep for.  I often wonder when she finds time to sleep.  

I thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Snow Flurry Die Card

I was surfing the net and ran across this fun looking card that I knew I just HAD to copy!  I saw it at Stanpin' on the Fly.  I don't know what it was about the card that made me want to make it.  

It was easy enough to make too.  I bought the die a while back and had not used it yet.  I had made a card or two with it at a Stamp-a-Stack but my die was still in it's factory sealed wrapper. But not anymore!!!  

First you get a half sheet of card stock and fold it in half, I used Very Vanilla here.  Then you cut another piece of card stock to 4-1/4" x 5-3/8".  Take a piece of card stock and use one of your fun background folders and emboss it.  Then cut those pieces into 7/8" strips.  I then cut the "V's" into the bottom.  After doing that I  set them aside.  I needed to cut the length but I wasn't sure what I needed until after I stamped the words.  So I found some Christmas words and stamped them using Crumb Cake ink.  Then I was able to set the strips down and know where to trim them.  Then everything was sponged in Crumb Cake ink except for the base of the card.  

The snowflakes were set in place on top of the strips using Dimensionals.  A pearl was set in the middle of each snowflake.  And that was it. So easy!  Not a real quick card but it's one that really didn't take all that long to make either.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Delightful Decorations Shaker Card

I have not made a Shaker Card in a long time.  I had ran across on my worktable, a bulb with the center punched out and I didn't want to toss it out so I thought and thought and then came up with the idea to make a shaker card using it.  After all I had just gotten some new Shaker Frames because I couldn't find the ones I had.  Imagine that, not finding anything in my messy workroom!!! LOL But the best part of this is, I did find them and now I have plenty!!! LOL  

I used the Delightful Decorations for the bulb.  The center is punched out using a 1" circle punch.  Then I stamped the tree from the Jolly Bingo set.  I LOVE using that set.  I hope it shows up in the next catalog.  I have had lots of fun with it and I am continuing to have fun with it during the holidays!  

I stamped the words on my card using the Chock-full of Cheer set.

Then I took a piece of clear Window Sheet and covered the back of the bulb with it.  I took my Shaker Frame and attached it to the tree piece of card stock.  Then I removed the sticky top on the frame.  I added some micro beads and then I lined up the tree with bulb and stuck the two together.  It's dry in my home so a bunch of the beads just clung to the Window Sheet.  But after shaking them a bit they settled to the bottom.  

I tied a ribbon to the top of the bulb and set all the layers in place.  This was a very fun card to make.  I have always enjoyed making shaker cards.  

You can find the tutorial to make a shaker card here.  And you can find the clear no hole micro mini beads here.   

Have fun with this and thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Make a Mitten Christmas Card

Is this month crazy for you or is it just me?  It's only 5 days into the month and I can't believe how busy I am and all the things yet to do!!  And about half of it is holiday stuff.  The rest of it is everything else!  I'd love to be caught up on things so I can have a moment to form a complete thought!!! LOL

Ok, lets talk about my card for a few paragraphs here!!  After all that is why the picture is on this post!!!  

Today I thought I would play with the mitten punch.  I love it when there's a punch to match a stamp set.  How simple it makes card making!!  Isn't this card bright and festive looking?  It makes me feel happy when I look at it!

I stamped the mittens on Very Vanilla card stock using Cherry Cobbler ink.  I punched out the ends of the mittens using Wild Wasabi card stock.  I set them in place on a piece of Very Vanilla that was textured with the Dot embossing folder.  

The decorative background papers are from the Be of Good Cheer pack.  I'm almost out of paper from that pack.  I wasn't all that fond of it but I did manage to almost use it all up!!  I don't know if it just grew on me or for lack of other papers it got used.  

The words are from the Chock Full of Cheer set.  That also has a cute mitten in it and the punch works with it as well!  

And I cheated on the glitter paper.  I used some pretty wrapping paper I got at Michael's.  I just cut it to size and glued it on the card stock.  I didn't have any of the Stampin' Up! red glitter paper left.  Either that or it's misplaced!!  My workroom is in such a state of chaos right now.  I need to spend a few minutes and pick things up and put things back where they belong.  I had better get a move on that too because I have stampers coming over on Tuesday!!!  It doesn't give me a whole lot of time to get the other things done that are higher priority!!! YIKES!!!  I need a break! LOL

I hope you liked this card. I had fun making it.  I LOVE lots of layers and this one sure has that!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

A Delightful Decorations Christmas Card

I have not played with the Delightful Decorations stamp set much.  I should probably make a couple more cards from it sometime this month.  I have this feeling that the set is going to be retired.  It has been out for a while now.  I do like playing with it, there's so much you can do with it.  

I took the Northern Flurry embossing folder and embossed it on Whisper White card stock.  Then I cut the card stock to 4" x 5-1/4".  I set that in place on top of a half sheet of Cherry Cobbler.

Then I stamped the bulb image using Cherry Cobbler ink.  I stamped it twice.  The first one I punched out the center using a 3/4" circle punch and then behind that I punched out a piece of white card stock using the 1" punch.  I set the 3/4" circle in place on top of the 1" piece using Dimensionals.  I then taped that to the top of the bulb.   I used Dimensionals behind the bulb and set that in place on the white card front.  My card front had a small crease in it from the embossing folder but the bulb and the ribbon hid it all.  For my ribbon I just tied a piece in a knot and trimmed up the edges. I set it in place with a small Glue Dot.  And here you have it. A quick and easy Christmas card.  

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Northern Flurry Embossed Bag Weekend Project

This bag was SO fun to make.  I just took a white lunch size bag and used the Northern Flurry Embossing folder and ran it through the Big Shot 3 times.  I started in the middle but if you're going to do this I recommend you start at the end of the bag.  Run it through the Big Shot.  Take the folder off and turn it so you are on the opposite edge and run it through again but go from the top of the bag to the end of the folder.  Try not to go further or you will smash down the texture on the first snowflakes you did.  Then take the folder off again and put it on the other edge and run it through like you did for the middle snowflakes.  And that's it.  

You can decorate the bag all the way to the top. I didn't because I was going to add a card stock header to it and staple it shut.  This was SO simple to do and I think it turned out cute.  I'm going to make another one and follow the instructions I just put on here so I don't have smashed  snowflakes in the middle.  

These would make great gift bags or fancy lunch bags for the winter months!! I plan on adding some candies to mine and give it as a gift for the cart guy at the grocery store who always seeks me out to help me load my trunk.  He's so sweet!  And I think I may make a few for those hard to wrap gifts.  It's a lot cheaper than buying gift bags!!!  I had gotten my white bags online but in the past I had gotten them at Sam's Club.  I have not checked there to see if they carry them anymore.  Just Google them and you're bound to find them somewhere!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Snowman Gift Tag Weekend Project

Isn't this just the cutest snowman?  I thought so when I saw him on Pinterest and I had to copy the image because I knew I wanted to somehow use it for gift tags.  I have not made gift tags in a few years and it was just time.  Plus I was out of gift tags.  You can find this snowman by clicking here.  Paste him into your graphic software.  I stretched the bottom down a little bit to make him taller.  There just wasn't enough room for the writing.  Well, I didn't think so. Not at the size I made him.

I took a piece of label paper that measures 8-1/2" x 11" and I set it in the printer.  I set up my page so I had 8 tags on it and I just hit print.

Next I found a stamp set that has the "to" and "from" words in it.  I ended up cutting the image in half because both words were on one stamp.  I cut it in half, trimmed it up a bit and stuck it on the ends of the wooden block.  The set I found the words in was the retired Holiday Woodcuts.  Some sets I just can't seem to let go of and that is one of them!

Ok, once I got the stamp block ready I stamped all the "to's" on each snowman.  Then I stamped the "from" on each one and that was it for stamping.  I suppose if you want to be really lazy you could just use your software program and add the words so they print out all at once.  I opted for the stamping.  It's easy enough and quick enough.  I may print out a few more sheets.  I do have some shopping left to do!

Now if you are going to make these you must remember that they are for personal use only.  You can't make these to sell because the image does not belong to you.  No matter how much you stretch it out.  There are copyright laws you must follow or face the consequences.  I don't know what they are because I don't take other people's images for personal gain.  Wrong is wrong.  If you find the artist and ask that person if you can use their images to make items and sell them.  It's only right.

I have a few more tags on my blog.  You can see them by clicking here.  

So, I'm off to print out one more sheet and stamp on it and call it a night!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Snow Flurry Die Christmas Card

Of course I bought this snowflake die but I have not even taken it out of the package yet.  I had made this card at Terri's Stamp-a-Stack last month and got inspired to play with my die but I have had WAY too many things I've wanted to do before I can play with something else!!!

Using dies makes card making SO much easier and quicker. Some dies allow you to cut two or three pieces of card stock at a time so you can really crank out the pieces in no time.  

This card also uses the champagne colored glitter paper.  I had hesitated in ordering it at first but when my sister put in her last order I broke down and got a package. It's SO pretty and I'm going to hit that pack hot and heavy so I can use it up.  I no longer wish to be a paper hoarder!!! And the only way to avoid that is to use the stuff when you get it. Right?

This was another fun Stamp-a-Stack and I have a few other great cards to show you as the weeks go by. I'll be adding them in between the other cards and projects I have for you.  So be sure to stop back and see what I've been up to!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Fancy Favor Santa Theme Gift Box Weekend Project

Today I have another Weekend Project for you.  There's LOTS of Weekend Projects on my blog.  Over 200 of them!!  You can find them all by clicking here.  There's plenty to keep you busy all month!

I whipped up a Santa Theme box.  I also have a LOT of Santa Theme items on my blog too and this one makes 20.  Just click here to see all of those!

I used the Fancy Favor die for this box but I'm sure you can get the same look just cutting and scoring your own box shape.  If you scroll down on the sidebar of my blog you will see a link to boxes!  You can custom make a box there.  It's called the Super Deluxe Tuck Box Maker.  You don't need to keep the tuck part, you can just cut off the flap (if you wish) and have an open top box.  The only drawback of that box maker site is that you have to cut the box out by hand.  It's not bad if you're only making a few but to cut out a bunch, well... I think twice on that one!  I'm SO spoiled by the die cuts now!

Ok, onto the box here.  I used a half sheet of 12" x 12" Real Red card stock and cut the die out on my Big Shot.  Then I glued it together. I much prefer glue than the tape for things like this.  And yes, I even prefer the glue over the Red Line or Sticky Strip tape (Both the same exact thing).  Then I took a piece of scrap black and trimmed it on the edges to fit the front of the box.  I added a 1" punched piece of silver glitter paper and then a 3/4" punched piece of Basic Black card stock.  I punched out a couple of 3/4" circles for the buttons and I had also cut a piece of white scrap card stock to match the shape of the top of the box.  I did use the die to cut that white piece.  And the final step was to fill it with candies.  It makes a great party favor or even a cute box for some wrapped goodies.  I just poured some candies in it because I'm just setting it out on my counter.

This was quick and very fun to make.  This is even something the kiddies could help out with for their friends or teachers!!!  Have fun!

Thank you SO much for stopping by today,
Wanda

Snowman Gift Tag Weekend Project

Once again I you could find me searching for "stuff" on Pinterest.  It's such an awesome waste of time!!! LOL  I have pinned so much stuff that I know I will never get back to!  But I know it's there for inspiration should I ever find it all again!  Or remember why I pinned something.  Did you ever do that?  Look through a catalog or something on the net and mark it and then go back a few days later and wonder what you saw in that item the day you marked it?  I do that a lot.  It must have been a color or the mood I was in at the time.  But most of the stuff I mark I like and remember why I marked it.  I just don't remember all the stuff I've marked or pinned!!  But today I found this little guy and did the best I could with it.  Though I think it could use a bit more finesse.  

The original tag can be found here.  I like the background on it, it's got a lot more snow falling with all the white.  I opted not to add that so I could actually use mine as a to and from tag.  I need to find a stamp set with the to and from words in it.  

The snowman face was done before I punched it out.  I punched out some black pieces of card stock for the eyes and mouth, and also for the buttons.  I glued them in place.  I was going to use tape but I thought the embossing gun would make the tape melt and slip.  After gluing the eyes in place I added the blush (a pink marker) and then the mouth.  The nose was punched out too and glued in place.  When the glue was dry I wiped the VersaMark pad over the area and I used  Iridescent Ice over it all.  Now I need to backup just a bit here.  I did the face on a piece of white card stock, not on the punched out circle.  Once I was done with the Iridescent Ice then I punched it out with a 1-1/4" circle punch.  I did the same for the body.  I used the Iridescent Ice before punching.  I scrapped off some of the Iridescent Ice on the mouth because it looked to shiny and sparkly.  So for the buttons, I just added them after embossing.  I think if I were to do it different I would have added the mouth and eyes after but then it may have made punching it out more difficult.  I am going to make a few more and try different things to see what all works the best.

I taped the two balls together on the back side and added a bit of glue to them to hold them together.  I added a few rhinestones around the tag and then I tied a ribbon around the neck and on top of the tag.  And that was it.  Fun and easy!  Oh and cute too!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

A Jolly Bingo Bits Christmas

Yesterday I posted a candy cane card and now today.  Do you see a theme happening here? Though I did use two different stamp sets.  Today I used the candy cane from the Jolly Bingo Bits set and I did have to cut out the candy cane by hand, there is no punch for that one.  But since I was only cutting out one it wasn't so bad.  

I was looking in my Pinterest followings and I saw this card that Yolanda posted.  I wanted to recreate it but I knew I didn't have the little packages stamp so I thought I would hunt for something else.  I wasn't having any luck so I just began to make the card components.  When I got done with the oval I thought I would see what I had that would fit inside it and that's when I ran across the Jolly Bingo Bits set.  I was going to use the mittens but I didn't like how they fit inside the oval.  I also thought how pretty a single red bird would be too.  But I liked how the candy cane covered more space up and down so I thought I would stamp one and cut it out and then decide.  Well, after I got it cut out I set it on top of the oval and I liked what I saw so I ran with it.  I changed the ribbon (from the original card) and also the wording.  I thought the card could use a little more color so I took my red marker and ran around the edges of all the white card stock pieces.  But that thought came after the card was all taped together.  Isn't that how things usually work?  

If I were to redo this card I would omit the silver paper and replace it with Real Red.  I think it would give the card a lot more punch.  The silver was SO pretty with the white on the original card.  So if you are going to make one of these, I would recommend using Real Red on the background layers.  

Even with the slight color issue, I did have fun making this card.  I would make another one but only one because that candy cane is so tiny to cut out!

Thank you SO much for stopping by today,
Wanda

A Scentsational Candy Cane Christmas

I think I've got my mojo back!  I have been in a rut here of mostly making cards that I find on the net.  Today I created this card and I feel inspired to create even more, all on my own!!!  

This is a very clean and simple card.  This card is far from what I had in mind but I like this better.  I was originally going to use just one candy cane and it was going to be on a strip coming from the top part of the card.  The flat and textured background were as I wanted them for the card I had in mind.  Once I set the candy cane on the area I was going to be working on I didn't like it.  So I set it on the textured part and that is when I saw that if I added two more it would brighten up the card SO much. So I stamped and cut out 2 more candy canes and just laid them on the card.  I liked what I saw so the next step was the mighty hunt for the right words.  I looked in the Stampin' Up! catalog for some fun Christmas wording to stamp at the top.  The set I wanted was one I didn't own.  So I kept looking until I found this one from the  Chock-full of Cheer set.  My first thought was to stamp the words directly on the card but they were too small.  So I stamped them on a separate piece of card stock and cut them out.  I cut a Real Red background layer for them and set them in place using Dimensionals.  And there you have it.  A bright and festive Christmas card.  I did not buy the scents you can use on these cards but I can imagine it would be a fun thing to play with and add a bit more character to the card.  

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda