myasperations 12-22-21

I apologize for the late posting of the following cards. It has been an unbelievably trying month with health issues, unexpected work at the office due to staff resignations… and the busyness of this time of the year (which I usually love!) My sweet hubby and I celebrate our anniversary later this month and I’m looking forward to being able to spend time relaxing with him as we wrap up a difficult year.  Amen!  Now… on to my belated post!

I am honored to have been a Guest Designer for Beccy Muir at Beccy’s Place and now serve as one of her “Contributors” (which means that Beccy provides me with digis or clear stamp sets several times a year and I get to create cards or other items with them!) This time, the digi and inside sentiment is from a just-released set named “Snow Time”.  I loved the vintage feeling of this snowman (named Woodrow), so went looking for patterned paper upon which to highlight him. Instead, I found this wonderful vintage postcard in a large box of treasures I inherited from my mom. My sisters and I discovered it when we’d helped her move from an apartment into assisted living. Over the next year, mom and I turned the piles of photos and assorted ephemera into three large scrapbooks which are now family heirlooms. (There is also no doubt that I inherited the packrat gene… um, treasure hunter/keeper gene… from my mom!) I colored Woodrow to match the postcard, then fussy-cut and attached him to the card, sliding him into a frame that I created by trimming a scene from the postcard. After positioning him, I decided to pull the end of his scarf to the front to show off the lovely fringe that Beccy added to her creation. (This attention to detail, plus the names she gives her hundreds of characters, always delights me!)

     I am entering this card into several challenges including the Path to Positivity Challenge where this month’s challenge is a great one- “As we continue this year's goal to encourage you to usher more positivity into your life, this month we want you to design a creation that focuses on GIVING TO or HELPING OTHERS.  A giving heart is a joyful, Positive heart. With the holiday season upon us, it is the perfect time to reflect on things and see what we might be able to give to others or perhaps look at ways we could provide assistance to others. This could include the obvious gift-giving aspect or one might choose to go with a ‘thinking of you’ or charity sort of idea.” (This year, as the drug treatment/recovery center where I work, is once again on “lockdown” because of COVID rates. This is especially hard on our clients. They are fighting so hard to overcome disabling addictions and support from family and friends can help in this life-changing struggle.  Our wonderful agency director invited staff members to consider ways we can help our clients stay positive and connected to loved ones this holiday season, despite the lockdown. A few staff have spent a few afternoons helping the clients bake and decorate the center. Others donated gifts that clients could send to their children (and the agency helped to provide postage costs). I put together a box of handmade Christmas and New Year’s cards for client use. It was especially fun to create some cards for young kiddos, who will be missing seeing their mom/dad this Christmas. Virtual visits are okay… but getting mail is sure to help make the holidays a bit more special!)

Supplies: 

·   Digi and Inside Sentiment- Beccy’s Place Digi Set (Snow Time)

·   Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

·   Card Front with Sentiment- Vintage Postcard from my sweet Mom’s craft stash

·   Puffy Heart Stickers- Sticko’s from WalMart (113 assorted puffy hearts for just 99 cents!)

·   All other items from my stash.

Entered into:  
Cute As A Button- December: CH #75 Anything Goes + (Option) Vintage
The Paper Shelter- Anything Goes
Gem of a Challenge- Week #26 Anything Goes                             
Outlawz Challenge- Festive Friday  
Outlawz Challenge- Saturday Paper Ala Mode- Winter

Outlawz Challenge- Inlinks Challenge

Path Of Positivity Challenge- Challenge #97 (Optional Twist- Give To-Help Others)

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #523-524 Anything Goes      

              

I was saddened to learn that Kris Breach, artist/owner of Imagine That Digi stamps just closed her shop. For 9 years she provided us with adorable images and wonderful sentiments. I enjoyed serving on Kris’ DT for a short time and, more recently, participating in her Progressive Challenges each month. The December one features a playful gingerbread guy relaxing IN a hot beverage (vs. WITH a hot beverage!)

I didn’t realize that the shop closed until I started writing this posting. I am thankful that Kris is keeping her blog open (HERE) with a Customer Gallery so we can continue to share what we’ve been making with her digis!

I had made two cards with this month’s set, so will share both in this one post.

The grungy green card base on the first is actually from a box of Christmas cards that I bought several years ago for 75% off at a local thrift store. The cards make great bases for layered cards, have their own envelope and sometimes the inside greeting even works with what I’ve added to the front (as with this card.) The sweet little cookies adorning the inside greeting were fussy-cut from the patterned paper… mainly because they are so cute!

Card 1 Supplies: 

·   Digi and front sentiment- Imagine That! Digi Set (Gingerbread Cookies n' Cocoa)

·   Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

·   Card base- from a box of Christmas Cards found at Goodwill (I kept the inside sentiment and added a few embellies)

·   Hot beverage mug sticker- Hobby Lobby

·   Gingerbread cookie paper- From Hobby Lobby Christmas Basics Box of Cards (cookies on inside fussy-cut from scrap)

Entered into:  
Imagine That Blog Progressive Challenge- Gingerbread Cookies n' Coca
Polkadoodles Challenge- Week #51 Anything Goes                      
Crafty Hazelnut’s Patterned Paper Challenge- December             
Jan’s Digi Stamps- December 2021 Anything Goes    

The background for this second card was too yummy looking to discard… so I did some upcycling magic! Kris’ little Ginger guy peeks in on one side of the card, and cookies (upcycled from a grocery ad) frame the other.  Both sentiments, plus the decorated cookie on the inside, are part of the digi set.

    I am entering this card into several challenges including Simon Says Wednesday "It's Time to Party!" (To me cookies and cocoa are also a reason to party... especially if you add a little  Peppermint Schnapps to the cocoa. Yummy!) 

Card 2 Supplies: 

·   Digi and sentiments- Imagine That! Digi Set (Gingerbread Cookies n' Cocoa)

·   Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

·   Upcycled hot chocolate box front and cookies fussy-cut from grocery store sale ad/flyer

·   All other items from my stash.

Entered into: 

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends- #172 Anything Goes

Digi Chooseday Crafting Challenge- Week #50 Anything Goes  

Crafty Hazelnut’s Christmas Challenge- #573 AG

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- It’s Time to Party!