Let it (Pretend) Snow!

I was about to say Happy Friday when I realized it's only Thursday. Which is a good thing because November goes so fast it makes me crazy. All the things you think you're going to get done just evaporate. I don't know if it's that one day that gets lopped off at the end, or the doomed trifecta of the time change, the one day and a bunch of holidays all jammed up together. Whatever it is, it's not cool.

What is cool is that Thanksgiving is coming. For most of us, this all the fun of Christmas without the stress of the gift thing. You get an excuse to let your calorie guard down a little and nap. I really think the napping is the true power of Thanksgiving. When else is it appropriate for a bunch of adults to drape themselves all around a room, TOGETHER and just snore after eating pie? THAT STOPPED IN KINDERGARTEN FOR MOST OF US. Also, no one told us in kindergarten - HEY! STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT NAPPING YOU LITTLE DUMMY - THIS WILL BE THE WHITE WHALE OF YOUR ADULTHOOD.

Looking back on my teaching years, I'm thinking I should have yelled this at kids more.

Anyway, the other thing Thanksgiving is about for me is the beginning of making my Christmas cards in earnest. I have a stack from blog posts already, but this is sort of the dateline that I use to really get started on any design I need to get up to the right number of cards. Then when I'm done with those, I make tags if I have time - these are to give away, as we have blissfully done no-gift Christmases for years - it truly changes the holiday into what it should be and removes all stress.

Today, if you follow me on Instagram, you'll actually see a tag hop that I'm participating in with Tracey McNeely, who really does Christmas up right on her blog. I'm making the project on behalf of Picket Fence Studios, and that's who makes this ADORABLE gnome I am using today. First, I cut my tag with this adorable stitched tag die. I love how it makes the tag almost look quilted. It cuts out a hole reinforcer too, but I didn't use that here. It's super cute. Then I took the gnome stamp - I've seen so many cute things with this little guy and stamped him in the new Hybrid ink from Picket Fence. (This also comes in a cube if you want to try it out.) I colored him with Copics, and cut him out with the matching die. Using this 6x6 stencil and Unicorn ink and the small, oval Life Changing Blender Brush from this set, I brushed the stars onto the background and set them with my heat gun. I stamped the sentiment from the same set onto white cardstock in the hybrid ink and then cut it out with these nesting hex dies.

To finish it off, I added these white Nuvo drops - they make such perfect shiny dots! - and added some thick red & white twine.

A Gnome Winter - Picket Fence Studios [ PFS ] A Gnome Winter Coordinating Die -... [ PFS ] Wplus9 CLEAR CUT STACKERS HEXAGON... [ SSS ] Grid Stitched Tag Confetti Cuts –... [ RVR | SSS ] Christmas Star - A Colorful Life Designs [ CLD ] "Life Changing" Blender Brush Set -... [ PFS ] Tonic GLOSS SIMPLY WHITE Nuvo Crystal... [ SSS ] Lawn Fawn PEPPERMINT SINGLE CORD... [ SSS ] Hero Arts Pigment Ink Pad UNICORN... [ SSS ] Black Hybrid Ink Pad - Picket Fence... [ PFS ] Black Hybrid Ink Cube - Picket Fence... [ PFS ] Heavy Base Weight Card Stock- White [ GNK ] MISTI Stamping Tool [ MSW | HA | SSS | ELH | MFT | UNT ] Absorber - Synthetic Cleaning Cloth [ AMZUS ] Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -... [ BLIC ] Mudder 10 Pack White Buffer Sanding... [ AMZUS ] Xyron ADHESIVE ERASER 23675 [ SSS | ART | AMZUS ] Essentials by Ellen Storage... [ ELH ] Teflon Bone Folder - Ellen Hutson LLC [ ELH | SSS ] Tombow MONO MULTI Liquid Glue Two... [ SSS | ART | BLIC | ELH ] Ink Off Cloth [ INK ]

Now that's a fancy looking handmade tag that really just took five minutes. You just need the right tools! Yes, that's your permission slip for shopping. :)

Head over to the Picket Fence Instagram account to see everyone else's tags, and have a fantastic weekend. I'm making Christmas cards with friends on Saturday - what are you up to?

Loveyameanitbye.

Give me Coffee or Lock Me Up!

I have so much fun stuff for you today!

First - the other day I was painting this image, and I had to google what a baby goose looked like. Turns out they are olive green for the most part, with a bit of yellow. Also, they don't have that little stripe across their eye fur (I'm certain that's what scientists call it) like baby ducks do.

I needed to get it right because this storybook SWEET new stamp set demanded it. Doesn't it just kill you? I stamped the image in Fadeout ink and then watercolored with Daniel Smith watercolor. I tried to make it look like they were at the edge of a lake, and I used a teeny brush to make him look fuzzy. The sentiment is from this GORGEOUS beach themed set, and I stamped that in Nocturne. It's matted with Wild Dandelion and mounted onto a Desert Storm card base. I cut the sentiment in half to wrap it for a landscape card. Don't freak out - stamp surgery is my specialty!

i love you momma - Picket Fence Studios [ PFS ] A Bottomless Sea - Picket Fence Studios [ PFS ] Fadeout No Line coloring Detail Ink [ INK ] VersaFine Clair Ink Pad, Nocturne -... [ ELH | SSS ] Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolors [ BLIC ] Escoda Versatil Brushes, Travel Round... [ UTR | BLIC | INK ] Fabriano Extra White Cold Press... [ BLIC ] Neenah Environment 80 LB SMOOTH... [ SSS ] Heavy Base Weight Card Stock- White [ GNK ] MISTI Stamping Tool [ MSW | HA | SSS | ELH | MFT | UNT ] Lawn Fawn STAMP SHAMMY Cleaner LF1045 [ SSS | ELH | CST | ART ] Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -... [ BLIC ] Nesting Porcelain Bowls - BLICK art... [ BLIC ] My Favorite Watercolor Sketchbook [ UTR ] Tombow MONO MULTI Liquid Glue Two... [ SSS | MFT | ART | BLIC | ELH ] EK tools Herma Dotto Adhesive... [ AMZUS ] Absorber - Synthetic Cleaning Cloth [ AMZUS ] Mudder 10 Pack White Buffer Sanding... [ AMZUS ] Xyron ADHESIVE ERASER 23675 [ SSS | ART | AMZUS ] Essentials by Ellen Storage... [ ELH ] Teflon Bone Folder - Ellen Hutson LLC [ ELH | SSS ] Ink Off Cloth [ INK ] Latest Release Archives - Picket... [ PFS ]

NEXT - there are two FANTASTIC single stamp sets for birthday sentiments in this release. I love single stamps like this - they are affordable, and for birthdays - these especially make quick cards simple and easy. There's this one, and the one I used today. I just used the Life Changing Blender Brushes to brush Passionate Pink, Tangerine Twist, Wild Dandelion, Key Lime and Blue Raspberry ink through this stencil. I doubt that took even a minute.

Then, I stamped this sentiment in Nocturne and added my favorite sequins. The card base is Key Lime. That is a super fun and quick birthday card where the sentiment is the star.

50 Shades - A Colorful Life Designs [ CLD ] Oh So Many Birthday Wishes - Picket... [ PFS ] Happy Happy Happy Birthday - Picket... [ PFS ] Like Magic Sequin Mix [ N&T | SSS ] Life Changing Blender Brush 2-Pack -... [ PFS ] GKD Color Companions Ink Pad- Blue... [ GNK ] GKD Color Companions Ink Pad-... [ GNK ] GKD Color Companions Ink Pad-... [ GNK ] GKD Color Companions Ink Pad- Key Lime [ GNK ] GKD Color Companions Ink Pad- Wild... [ GNK ] Fadeout No Line coloring Detail Ink [ INK ] VersaFine Clair Ink Pad, Nocturne -... [ ELH | SSS ] Heavy Base Weight Card Stock- Key Lime [ GNK ] Heavy Base Weight Card Stock- White [ GNK ] MISTI Stamping Tool [ MSW | HA | SSS | ELH | MFT | UNT ] Lawn Fawn STAMP SHAMMY Cleaner LF1045 [ SSS | ELH | CST | ART ] Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -... [ BLIC ] Tombow MONO MULTI Liquid Glue Two... [ SSS | MFT | ART | BLIC | ELH ] Absorber - Synthetic Cleaning Cloth [ AMZUS ] Mudder 10 Pack White Buffer Sanding... [ AMZUS ] Xyron ADHESIVE ERASER 23675 [ SSS | ART | AMZUS ] Essentials by Ellen Storage... [ ELH ] Teflon Bone Folder - Ellen Hutson LLC [ ELH | SSS ] Ink Off Cloth [ INK ] Latest Release Archives - Picket... [ PFS ]

Now I saved the best card for last. I cracked myself up with this card - the sentiment is SO hilarious and gave me an idea to turn this girl into a mugshot. I stamped her in Nocturne, and then drew stripes across her shirt for that jailbird look. I used the same Micron Pen and a ruler to draw stripes behind her and added the heights. I added accents to her and some sparkles behind her with my fave white gel pen, because come on - a girl who loves coffee that much leaves a little sparkle wherever she goes! Even to jail! Look at her death grip on her cup haha.

Coffee Understands - Picket Fence... [ PFS ] VersaFine Clair Ink Pad, Nocturne -... [ ELH | SSS ] Sakura Glaze Pens [ BLIC ] Sakura Pigma Micron Pen [ BLIC ] Neenah Environment 80 LB SMOOTH... [ SSS ] Heavy Base Weight Card Stock- White [ GNK ] MISTI Stamping Tool [ MSW | HA | SSS | ELH | MFT | UNT ] Lawn Fawn STAMP SHAMMY Cleaner LF1045 [ SSS | ELH | CST | ART ] Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -... [ BLIC ] Tombow MONO MULTI Liquid Glue Two... [ SSS | MFT | ART | BLIC | ELH ] Absorber - Synthetic Cleaning Cloth [ AMZUS ] Mudder 10 Pack White Buffer Sanding... [ AMZUS ] Xyron ADHESIVE ERASER 23675 [ SSS | ART | AMZUS ] Essentials by Ellen Storage... [ ELH ] Teflon Bone Folder - Ellen Hutson LLC [ ELH | SSS ] Ink Off Cloth [ INK ] Latest Release Archives - Picket... [ PFS ]

Then, for today's second to last (of ten) Falliday Fest tutorials at Splitcoast, I updated Cindy Lawrence's adorable Card Pouch Tutorial to an A2 sized pouch. It has two pockets inside to hold cards on one side, and envelopes on the other. I temporarily adhered the top edges together with Hermafix repositionable, and used this rectangle die to cut a handle out of both pieces at once.

I used Shaded Lilac Distress Oxides to stamp this gorgeous distressed stripe background onto both the main pieces of the pouch and also the pockets on the inside with my MISTI.

The STUNNING large floral is from this set. I stamped that in Nocturne and then used Shaded Lilac and Twisted Citron regular distress reinkers to do a quick watercolor.

I added some glitter paper to the bottom of each side of the pouch to make it a bit sturdier. My updated dimensions are below.

So if you look at her original tutorial linked above, the cards in her project are 4.25 x 4.25. Mine are A2, so here are my modifications.

Here's what it looks like on the inside. And there's a handle on top - I just cropped the photo so it wasn't three feet long. Don't those Oxides look beautiful on Desert Storm? The envelopes are this color.

Rough Around The Edges - Picket Fence... [ PFS ] Ruffled Peony Bouquet - Picket Fence... [ PFS ] DI198 Nesting Rectangle Infinity Dies... [ HA ] Tim Holtz Refill Distress Ink TWISTED... [ SSS | MFT ] Tim Holtz Refill Distress Ink SHADED... [ SSS | CST ] Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink Pad... [ SSS | CRF ] VersaFine Clair Ink Pad, Nocturne -... [ ELH | SSS ] Fabriano Extra White Cold Press... [ BLIC ] Neutrals Glitter Paper Pack - Concord... [ C&9 ] Neenah Environment 80 LB SMOOTH... [ SSS ] Heavy Base Weight Card Stock- White [ GNK ] Simon Says Stamp Envelopes AUDREY... [ SSS ] MISTI Stamping Tool [ MSW | HA | SSS | ELH | MFT | UNT ] Lawn Fawn STAMP SHAMMY Cleaner LF1045 [ SSS | ELH | CST | ART ] Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -... [ BLIC ] Tombow MONO MULTI Liquid Glue Two... [ SSS | MFT | ART | BLIC | ELH ] EK tools Herma Dotto Adhesive... [ AMZUS ] Absorber - Synthetic Cleaning Cloth [ AMZUS ] Mudder 10 Pack White Buffer Sanding... [ AMZUS ] Xyron ADHESIVE ERASER 23675 [ SSS | ART | AMZUS ] Essentials by Ellen Storage... [ ELH ] Teflon Bone Folder - Ellen Hutson LLC [ ELH | SSS ] Ink Off Cloth [ INK ] Latest Release Archives - Picket... [ PFS ]

There are more goodies to be had today including this cute coffee background, and this GORGEOUS girl. 

Head over to see the rest of the release and enjoy your knowledge bomb about green geese! :)

Loveyameanitbye.