Have a Wonderful Holiday!

Here is a very special wish from my family to all of you and your loved ones, for a very special holiday season. May it be filled with laughter, friendship and love! We know that it has been a rough year for many of our dear friends, but let's think positive, and pray for a better 2010. Find delight in all the little things!

Blessings,

Mary Anne

Merry Moose-mas from TMITA

Oh, what a fun little guy this was to work with! Nina, over at the "There's Magic in the Air" challenge blog, gave us this adorable moose to use on our sketch challenge. I really hope the design team likes what I came up with!

My card stock and striped paper are both from DCWV. I created the cross strips with chalk inks and stamps from "Stamps by Judith". I used Copics and colored pencils and OMS to color the happy moose. He was then cut and embossed with a scalloped rectangle Nestabitities. Felt snowflakes and aurora gems are my accents. My sentiment is an in and out from Tami Mayberry's, "Special Delivery" stamp set at Gina K. Designs.

This is just so darn cheerful! Hope you are all getting the last minute chores done to help Santa.

JUGs 12 Color Challenge!

I have not been able to participate in the Just Us Girls challenge for the last couple of weeks, so I wanted to make sure I got to it for this one. There was something about that 4th color that made it a real challenge for me. Yes, I would have been fine with the red, green, kraft, or the red, raspberry, kraft. But my brain went bonkers with that 4th color! Oh well it has been a bonkers kind of week, anyway.

I played for a bit and this is what I came up with. There was not a great deal of stamping involved and much more gathering odds and ends from my room, lol! The green dp is K&Co. The large raspberry square is hard plastic that came in an ad in the mail. My kraft was run through the Cuttlebug with the herringbone folder. There is a strip of red vellum and the die cuts are from the Smitten collection from K&Co. I stamped the I Love You with ridinghood red ink. The puffy letters that spell HONEY are something I found on clearance at Target. Sticky pearls are the final accent. I was not sure, but I think I like it!

Long Time, No Post!

It has been wild and crazy this past week! Not only did I crash my computer but I blew up my stove! New stove was delivered in the middle of the Nor-Easter yesterday. Back to baking and holiday prep!

This will probably be my last Christmas holiday card for the year. I just wanted to play with the Copics on the sweet image. The background dp is from DCWV. My little squirrels are a stamp from Penny Black. My only accents are touches of glitter pen.

Here is hoping that everyone is getting caught up on their chores and keeping warm and cozy!

Photo of the Newly Engaged!

Folks have been asking me to post a photo of the newly engaged couple. They have not had professional photos done yet, but I thought this one of Dee and Shaun was too lovely not to share. This was taken at Dee's work Christmas party, this past weekend.

I think this could have used a wee bit of red eye removal but I lost all of my programs in the computer crash the other day, so please forgive me. Aren't they just adorable. I know Dee is extremely pleased to see a photo of herself without her braces! I wish I could see the back of her up-do! Turn around, Dee!

As far as wedding info, nothing has been decided yet. They will start looking at venues after the holiday. Denise wants an October wedding to keep with family tradition. Since Shaun's sister has already taken this October, we will be looking at dates in 2011. Gives us lots of time to get everything right! Shaun is such a great guy and I know he will cherish her for a lifetime.

Tags and Great Big Headache

I just could not leave my poor blog hanging in space, so I decided to add these cute tags I made for a challenge over at Stamp TV.

Where have I been? Well the sane answer would be to just tell you I am busy with Christmas chores. Who ever said I was sane? True, some of my absence has been from helping Santa with chores. But Santa is being very stubborn this year and he insisted I had to have a new computer. Sorry, but Mary Anne does not like change. I actually should expect coal in my stocking for some of the bad things I have said over the last few days. Basically I told Santa I wanted no parts of this new machine until all my stuff was moved on to it by the elves. Santa said he would do that for me. I smiled and felt like I had won a battle. I went to sleep feeling very pleased. In the morning, I woke up but my old computer kept sleeping! Santa had only gotten 2 files moved over before the big sleep. Am I happy, NO. Do I like Windows 7? Nope.

I bet if you tried, you could read a whole bunch into my sarcasm. Anyway these cute little tags are covered in Basic Grey, Eskimo Kisses dp. I used the Vintage Borders stamp set by Nina Brackett and the First Christmas stamp set by Asela Hopkins to create them. My ink was Old Olive and Baroque Burgandy by SU. I added diamond Stickles and cranberry pearls as accents. I topped the tags with cranberry organza ribbon. For dimension, I added little glitter gingerbread men. I will tie these up in a little package for a dear friend.

Thanks for letting me vent. Oh and I forgot to mention that not one of my scrapbooking, printshop, editing programs is compatible with this nice new Windows 7. Make sure you take out a second mortgage before you upgrade! Ho Ho Ho!

Silly Pooch

Yesterday began with my DH trying to do a few chores before the first snow storm hit. I had a flower bed in front of the house which kept blooming and staying green, so I had not removed the annuals. He takes our dog Jessie, out to keep him company but all she wants to do is eat the plants he is pulling. She is like most doggies as in, if you try to get something away from them, they swallow it whole. He finished his chore and they came inside. Well, when we started to set up the Christmas tree, she had to be right in everything. My DS was taking a few pictures with a new camera and when we went to view them, we realized she had red bumps all over her snoot. They really looked funny sticking out through the black hairs.

I get all upset and want to call the vet. Mind you, she is playing and acting like nothing bothers her. DH says no... we will watch her. At 5:30 a.m., there was a deposit of nasty undigested weeds next to my bed. The bumps are not as angry and they are starting to go away. Phew! Pets can sure be devils and we love them so much that they can make us crazy! I am totally afraid to look up the plant that she chewed and swallowed. I plant them in the same spot every year and that may never happen again.

COLD?

Well now, besides this adorable sketch from Pam over at Just Us Girls, Selma has given us our first Inspiration Challenge over at Stamp TV. Talk about raiding the stash to complete a card!

The papers I used as layers on my white base card are from DCWV. The stamp with the cute poem is from Bugawumps. I actually have one with a flu poem also. The buggy is a Stamps by Judith. The little feel better items are stamps from a set by Craft Lounge, called Running Sick.

The snowflake is a digital image that I cut out and sponged. My coloring is with Copics and sponging is with Versamagic ink. Ribbon was tied in a bow with my tool. Green gems are my accents.

For the inspiration, Selma used warm clothing and gear with the blue/green theme. I myself, when I think of those warm items I think of icky sicky and trying to feel better. I know that so many of my blogger friends are under the weather. This ones for you!

FTTC44 and STV Technique 42

I tried my hand at CAS, and somehow, it never feels just right to me. I really want to add something to that bottom corner! LOL! I made this for a double duty card for challenges. #1 is the Timeless Tuesday Challenge 44, and the second is Gina K. Designs Technique 42. Well here it is, paper pieced, liquid appliqued, dew dropped and paper pierced. I used Rupa Shevde's 100% Sweet stamp set from Gina K. Designs. I hope you like. Thanks for stopping by.

Impression Obsession White Challenge

This was such a fun challenge! I used a digital paper from Wiskie Papers 1. My sentiment is from Impression Obsession. The trees are card stock done in the Herringbone CB folder and then punched with a Marvy tree punch. The edges are distressed with Distress Ink and green gems from Studio 18 are applied. White felt snowflakes embellish the top part of the card. If you have a chance, run over to the Impression Obsession Blog and check out all the tallent!

Thanks for stopping by!

CPS43 Birthday Hopper

This little green party toad was created for the Card Pattern Sketch challenge this week. My papers are digital and my stamp is from Mostly Animals. We have olive pearls. gingham bow and Stickles on the star bursts. I used Copics to color and a gold metallic Sharpie to do edges on my image. Thanks for stopping by!

Mojo Monday 115

I think that one of my very favorite winter things, is the sparkle of icy snowflakes. I created this for the challenge this week over at Mojo Monday. It was a very simple sketch but I think maybe I took it up a notch with all my chunky glitter.

I stamped that huge snowflake with a stamp from Outlines Stamps, cut out and flipped over so I had a clean white surface. I sponged it lightly with Memento, rich cocoa. I outlined the whole flake with Paper Lacquer an sprinkled on MS chunky glitter. Next I place a felt snowflake a cream brad and stamped the brad with a snowflake in Stazon. My sentiment is from the Holiday Hospitality stamp set at Gina K. Designs. My dp is from Cosmo Cricket.

See you soon!

A Little Project to Share

I made these sweet little treat holders last year for my girls at work, and they were a big hit. They were so quick and easy, that I thought I would share. I wish I could remember the address for the template but I can give you all the measurements. I inserted Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark Squares in mine, but you can use tea bags or come up with your own ideas. The original that I followed was stamped by Nadine Falco.

First cut a base strip that is 9 3/4" x 3 1/4". Score at 3 1/4" and at 6 1/2". Cut off a diagonal which does not go quite from corner to corner (see photo). I made mine in a production line. I stamped my fronts , then my inside sentiments, finishing with a strategically placed hole punched through all layers. The hole is used to tie the folder shut with ribbon. You will need about 11" of ribbon for each to make a comfortable bow. Make sure you use permanent adhesive in a thin strip on the bottom of your insert part to hold the goodie in!

I hope you enjoy this little folder if you try making them!