Easy Breezy Christmas Gifts

As you might have noticed, my Angel Monday card is missing. Don't worry; it will come later this week. Everyone in my house has been sick for several days. Consequently, I did not get the amount of crafting completed that I desired. I did, however, finish all of the frames I planned to make as gifts. This is quite an accomplishment as I had to make thirteen in total. My daughter will be giving these frames as Christmas gifts to her various teachers and club leaders.

I purchased the bare frames and wooden accents from a large craft store. The accents are pre-painted, so I chose coordinating colors for the to paint the frame. The first step is to apply two coats of paint to the entire frame. Don't forget to get the inside of the frame as it will be visible.

"Family" frame: I added brushstrokes in white over the base color to add depth. I added brushstrokes to the family in both white and the base color. Items used to complete the project: Whisper White Cardstock, Tempting Torquoise Ink, Pretty Amazing stamp set, Tempting Torquoise & White Grosgrain Ribbon, Blue Gingham Ribbon, Linen Thread, Fresh Favorites I Buttons.

"Flower" frame: A simple glossy paint was used for the base coat. Items used to complete the project: Whisper White Cardstock, Pixie Pink Ink, All About Occasions stamp set.

Simple Christmas Party Invitation

My daughter wants to have a Christmas party and gift exchange with her girlfriends. I was pressed for time and didn't want to use alot of paper, so I created this super simple invite. It is only a card front in real red and layered with white. I kept the space to the left of the tags open, so I would be able to write about the gift exchange.

Recipe:

Stamps: Hugs and Wishes, Tags So Much

Ink: Real Red, Night of Navy, Old Olive, Real Red, Summer Sun

Paper: Real Red, Whisper White, Night of Navy

Accesories: Small & Large Tag Punches, Spiral Punch, Red Gingham Ribbon

Angel Life

First, I apologize for my absence last week. In all the business of Thanksgiving, I was unable to get to my blog. I even pulled a card from my stash for my Chemo Angel! I'm back in the swing of things this week.

I was trying to prepare everyone to go back to school and work last night, so I didn't have alot of time to work on my angel card. I had this simple layout in my head. It was quick and I like the way it turned out. I thought it was a nice transition from fall to winter colors. I incorporated the more mustard for the feeling of fall, but added old olive and real red to usher in the Christmas season.

Recipe:

Stamps: Live Like You Mean It

Ink: Old Olive, Real Red, More Mustard

Paper: Old Olive, Real Red, More Mustard, Whisper White

Accesories: Real Red Ribbon

Plum Angel Silhouette

When making this week's card for my Chemo Angel, I decided to use a new technique and some unfamiliar colors. I adore the end result! I used the Stampin' Up large oval punch to make the masking shape and then sponged inside the mask. I added the stamped silhouette over the sponging to really make it pop. I hope you enojoy it too!

Recipe:

Stamps: Pocket Silhouettes, Heard from the Heart

Ink: Pale Plum, Perfect Plum

Paper: Pale Plum, Perfect Plum, Whisper White

Accesories: Vintage Brads, Ticket Corner Punch

Technique: Reverse Masking

Garden Angel

Think about that "one" color that never gets the love and attention it deserves. Got it? Good. Today's edition of Angel Monday includes my "one" color. As always, I tried to keep things simple. I stuck to a simple two color design and added the ribbon for just a tiny hint of flair. I hope my Chemo Angel enjoys it.

Recipe:

Stamps: From the Garden, Hugs and Wishes

Ink: Apricot Appeal

Paper: Apricot Appeal, Whisper White

Accesories: Apricot Appeal Grosgrain Ribbon

Monogram Stationery Set

I'm in full swing Christmas mode! I had this wonderful idea that I would make a few persons monogrammed stationery sets. I put my ideas to work this weekend and cranked out two full sets. The container is a candy tin from Dollar General and measures about 6 1/2'' square. There are five monogram cards, five matching envelopes and a matching clip inside the tin. I used a piece of cardstock to make dividers within the tin and placed some confetti under the clip to make it level with the cards. I covered the outside of the tin with papers to match the cards. I hope that "P" is happy with her monogram stationery set.

Recipe:

Stamps: Lovely Letters

Paper: Pink Pirouette, Basic Black

Ink: Basic Black

Accesories: Scallop punch, 1 3/8'' circle punch, Pink Pirouette Ribbon, Dots CB embossing folder

PTO Quarter Auction Items

My upline and I both volunteer to be a vendor at the PTO Quarter Auction. Here are my contributions.

I adore the little tea light candle holders. They're just adorable when a flameless candle is placed inside. They will make a lovely decoration on any Thanksgiving dinner table. As always, the colors and images could be altered. My friend, Victoria, convinced me that I needed the new SU in-color Tangerine Tango. She was right! The color is just perfect for a fall decoration.

Recipe: Pocket Silhouette, Tangerine Tango CS, Vellum CS, Tangerine Tango ink, Hemp Twine, Scallop Border Punch, Small Tag Punch

I used my very last piece of Petals & Paisley paper on this altered clipboard. I think it turned out quite nice. I covered chipboard with the designer series paper and used my sizzix to cut the chipboard for accents. The ribbon is Tempting Torquoise grosgrain and was just the perfect accessory to tie everything together.

Recipe: Petals & Paisleys DSP, Tempting Torquoise Brads & Ribbon.