Hello out there!

Hello!  I'm back, and feel so rested and ready to get back to my desk!

Hopefully, your holidays were as full of blessings as ours were!  

I promised to tell you all about it when I got back, 

so here goes...

Wow...what an amazing Christmas week we had.  

Our DD and her fiance (and grandoggie Rosie), our DS and grandoggie Wimpy, were all home for a few days.  Our family celebration began in St. Louis. We went to a wonderful Scottish restaurant, and had traditional Scottish appetizers, food, and drink. Yum!  Wonderful food, indeed, and so much fun to try something we'd never had! Next, DD and her fiance had purchased tickets for us all to go to the Fabulous Fox Theater to see a live production of Beauty and the Beast.  Oh my goodness!  It was beautiful.  We hated to see it end.  DS had reserved amazing rooms for us at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, overlooking the Arch, downtown St. Louis, and the River.  We visited in one of the rooms that had a full living room and kitchen, and finally crashed for the night.  The next morning, we headed back down the highway for a couple of blissful, relaxing days with our loved ones.  Sadly, the holidays came to an end, and after a trip back to St. Louis to the airport yesterday, everyone is back home, either in Colorado, or California.  It is certainly quiet here!

I have been crafting today, but can't show you what I've been doing, as it's for some new release 

postings that will come in a few days!

However, I do have another publication reject, and I'd love to share with you.  

I had seen this drawer box tutorial on Splitcoast Stampers, and thought that it would be fun to add an easel card to the top of it.  Inside the drawer, is a full set of matching A-2 size note cards.  The background was created by laying a large piece of lace over the ivory cardstock, and spritzing with red Glimmer Mist.  The image was heat embossed, and the color was painted on using the Glimmer Mist.

Here is the box: 

And here are the cards:

Supplies used:  Glimmer Mist, Gina K. Designs Ivory Pure Luxury CS, Sentiment from Create with TLC, Image by Stampland Chicago, Spellbinder's Fancy Tags, Kaiser Craft Pearls, Spellbinder Oval and Scalloped Oval Dies, Offray Ribbon, Dimensional Squares, Martha Stewart Border Punch, Marvy Circle Punch, Ranger Black Embossing Powder Ultra Fine. Black Bazzill Basics CS.

So very sorry about the blurry photos.  I don't know what happened to make them so fuzzy.

Have a wonderful evening!

I'll be back very soon with something special.  I can't wait to spill the beans!

Hugs and blessings,

Patti J.

Food for thought: If someone gave you a nickname that was descriptive of your character, would you be proud of it?

Merry Christmas!

Hello friends!

I hope that this finds all of you ready for a wonderful holiday, with family and friends.  We have a very nice evening planned for Friday, thanks to our amazing son, daughter, and her fiance.  I'll tell you all about it next week!  Might even be able to share a few photos! 

DD and her fiance, were headed through Ks. last night, and hit a deer.  They are fine, but his SUV sustained some dents, dings, and broken stuff.  Not to mention the awful sound that they have to try to forget...ugh!

I want to take a moment to thank you so much for hanging in with me the last 30 days!  DH had some surgery the day before Thanksgiving, and again on Tuesday of this week.  It's been very hectic trying to keep up with things, and I appreciate all of your nice comments. 

I finished the scrapbook that I was working on, and the lady came to pick it up today.  She was just thrilled with it, and can't wait for her handsome man to open it!  Yippee for finished projects!

I have a publication reject to show you today!  This uses a sentiment from Gina K. Designs.  You will see that it's a very simple card.  Very colorful and happy!

Enjoy your holidays, and be safe in your travels!  I'll be thinking of you all.  Some of my wonderful blogging friends have sons or daughters who cannot be home this year, as they are away from home, fighting for our freedom.  You know who you are, and special prayers will be raised for you and your children at Christmas dinner.

Our family will be arriving tomorrow, so I am going to take a few days to spend with them.  We have many blessings to celebrate, as I'm sure you do as well.

Hugs,
Patti J.

Where in the world is Patti J.???

Hello out there!

Here it is, Friday, already!  Mixed bag of emotions: Woot woot!  I love having DH home on the weekends! And....YIKES!  Where did another week go?  Does anyone else feel like that? 

I've been busy finishing up a scrapbook for a lady to give as a Christmas gift - have about 8 pages left to do on that, and then today's fun project, which I am taking to UPS in about 30 minutes, I hope!

I found this darling idea on Heidi's blog, and just had to case it.  Yes, I copied and stole everything!  lol... This is going to Colorado, to be put into staff mailboxes at the business DD works at.  Hope they like them!  Be sure to check out Heidi's blog - she has a LOT of really quick and fun ideas to help stuff some stockings or mailboxes!  Thanks for sharing, Heidi!!!

The tags are all stamped with Tim Holtz Distress Inks, and the stamps are from the Amuse "Cool Yule" set.  Got all the ribbon and card stock this week while out shopping, and I'm sorry that I don't know the vendors.  However, I do know that the 'sweet' wrappers around the candy are from the Memory Box Yuletide collection.

Surely your shopping is all done, your decorations are all up, and your baking and gift wrapping are done, but if not, I hope that this weekend helps you complete those tasks!  We have a busy weekend planned, as we started Christmas shopping yesterday :)  Sort of a tradition for us the last few years!  We look forward to our annual 'date night'!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Hugs and blessings,
Patti J.

A Little Feminine Flair...

Ugh...did someone actually order all of this rain?  Yikes!  

Not complaining though, because we all know what it could be this time of year! 

Since I have to leave the house today (in the downpour), I treated myself to a little creating time this morning early, when I couldn't sleep.  

Forced myself (yep, totally forced) to get the Flourishes stamps back out, and create a card for their Feminine Flair Challenge.  

Supplies: CS: DCWV, DP: Authentique's Gathering, Lace: from my stash, Pearls: Kaiser Craft, Copic Markers

What fun!  (I don't do full-out lace very often...)

And, oh my...my supplies of pearls are nearly non-existent!  

The lace came with pearls on it, so I had to try to match it for the focal piece.  

Out came my Copics, as white pearls is about the only color I have left... 

(Just one of the 'joys' of living a long ways from someplace to shop!)

 I think they actually matched up pretty good.  What would we do without our markers? 

I still use colored pencils a lot, but couldn't color pearls with them :)

I'm on my way to see what you have created today!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a wonderful day!

Blessings,

Patti J.

Food for thought:

If you were born with a talent, you were meant to use it, 

and will find the greatest happiness in using it!

Acts 20:24 TLB

First of Many...

Good morning!  Hopefully, you've all had a wonderful and restful weekend.

I'm so happy to be out from under the blanket, AND posting on here today! 

Don't anyone faint, but I've actually created a card this morning for a challenge.  It's also a challenge I've never tried before, using Flourishes' stamps, which I've never stamped with before, (thanks to a wonderful blogging friend!)   and I am hopelessly addicted already.

Today's card features the Flourishes "I Love Roses" Set #40.  I'm entering it in the Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge 147.  Silke Ledlow is the hostess and here is her sketch...

And here is my card...

Supplies: Kraft CS, My Mind's Eye 'Lost & Found Christmas' DP, Flourishes 'I Love Roses', Copic Markers, Tim Holtz 'Antique Linen' Distress Ink, Nestabilities 'Classic Circles', Offray Ribbon

Isn't it nice when an amazing image, and an amazing paper pad make following a sketch so easy?  Ha ha...I'm barely squeaking this card in to the challenge, as it's due by 6 p.m. tonight.  Whew.... naps have been the priority for the last 4.5 days! 

Have a great day, and a wonderful week - I'm planning to do a lot of catch-up blurfing tonight, so prepare to be stalked!

Hugs and blessings,
Patti J.

Food for thought:  

If you aren't making any mistakes, you probably aren't making anything!

More Stickles!

Hello!

Yesterday, I promised to post the last three cards from the Northwoods workshop, so without further ado, here they are...  gotta move fast before I fall asleep again!  (This being sick is no fun!)

All coloring is with Copics, DP's provided by instructor, don't know the vendor on them, and of course, STICKLES! Also used a snow pen and heat gun on the sled and tree.

I think they turned out pretty nice!  Hope you like them :)

I'm headed back to the pillow, ugh...

Have a great weekend,
Patti J.

NOEL

Good morning, everyone!

Hope you are all doing well.  I've been hired to create a scrapbook for a lady who is giving it as a Christmas gift, so I've been a bit out of pocket lately.

Yesterday, my dear friend, Shirley, and I went into the city and took a Northwoods workshop at For Keep Sakes.  The class was taught by a lovely lady named Mary.  She was just ever so delightful, and even brought us homemade cookies (yum)!

Now, as you know, I rarely use Stickles, but all four of the cards we made yesterday were loaded with Stickles!  So, not only was it fun, but it was slightly out of my comfort zone.  Here is the first card we made yesterday:

I just put the Stickles on the last three cards, so I will post them tomorrow. 

All I know about this card is that the image is Northwoods, there are Stickles galore on it, and it's colored with Copic markers.  Not sure who all of the CS's are by. 

Enjoy!

Have a great week - I've managed to catch DH's cold that his boss shared with him last week!  The couch, tissues, meds, hot tea, and pillow are calling :)

Take care,
Patti J.

A Child is Born...

Hooray for Friday!  

Even an old retiree like me looks forward to the weekends!  

lol...(get to see my handsome man a bit more :)

I have the sweetest card to share today.  I tried very hard to keep this one clean and simple, as I have OODLES of deadlines to meet between now and Monday...

Today's image is a C.C. Designs Swiss Pixie digi image from their October 2011 release.  It's called, "Baby Jesus & Angel" from All That Scraps.  

Supplies: C.C. Designs Digi Image (All That Scraps), Kraft Cardstock, Bo Bunny Snowfall Collection DP, Stampin'Up Seam Binding (thanks Amanda!), Gold Stickles, Baker's Twine (Really Reasonable Ribbon), Copic Markers

 * * *

The minute I saw this sweet little angel, I knew I'd be buying her!  And how fitting it is that I'm posting this card today, as it is "set up the Nativity Scene on the fireplace mantel" day at our humble abode!  The Nativity is always the first Christmas decoration to go up, followed by the tree, and then 'everything else'.

I've entered very few challenges in the past few months, SO...
I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Just For Fun: Winter

Scrapbook Sisters: Christmas
Craft Your Passion: Tis the Season
The Kraft Journal: Christmas Card
Stamptacular Sunday Challenge: Anything Christmas
Scrappy Frogs Challenge: Use Kraft
Craft Your Days Away: Bows

I hope that you are enjoying your day, and that you have a wonderful weekend planned.  Tomorrow is the Christmas Open House at the Farmington Pet Adoption Center, so I have a few dozen cookies to bake today. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Hugs and smiles galore,

Patti J.

Food for thought:
Isn't it funny that we spend our health getting wealth;
then gladly pay all we have earned to get our health back???