Vintage Christmas Card

The TPC Studio stamp set was a gift several years ago.  This image I'd never used & it's one of my 2 stamps containing a stocking.   Teresa Collins Vintage Finds sheet of paper (got for a few cents when a store closed) was still lying near my table. In this case I'm glad I hadn't gotten it put away--how's that for justification?!  Anyway, I stamped & embossed the image on the paper using Versafine Vintage Sepia. The textured paper gives it this look. I distressed the edges & then sponged with Distress Ink frayed burlap.  I added a bit of fired brick around the stockings, bundled sage over the tree & victorian velvet around the girl.  A yellow gel pen was used on the candle flames & the star is covered with Champagne Stickles.  The left side of the card front is covered with the same beautiful paper & the right side is dry embossed with a Cuttlebug folder.  
Button & a twine bow finish it off.  What do you think?  I seldom go for a vintage look, but this was fun to put together for the Merry Monday challenge. 
The temp is up to 34 degrees, so I know the snow is melting even though there's so much we can't tell it yet. Hubby had cabin fever & actually drove the 4 wheel drive vehicle to the store--even though we didn't need anything!  I was happy to stay home making my card.  Hope you're enjoying the weekend--whatever you do.

Quick Card

Today's PTI contest is timed: 7 minutes to grab 7 supplies to make a card in 17 minutes.  My first thought was to use PTI Watercolor Wonder &  the current Colour Me! challenge--monochromatic with Wisteria Wonder. Since I'm using a heart on the card, I'll also enter SSS Wednesday.  

My Valentine greetings & a little heart are still on my table, so rounding up my supplies only took 1 minute 10 seconds. The ink is Distress Ink shaded lilac.  I stamped it off lightly before stamping the watercolor images. The little hearts are stamped full strength.  The sentiment from a company out of business was stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black. Stickles reside on my table, so grabbed Star Dust for the hearts.

Total time is only 4 minutes, 47 seconds & my 7 supplies are white cardstock, 2 inks, 3 stamps & Stickles.  Super simple 1 layer card.  It's OK, but now I'm going to add some time & re-do it a bit so I can enter the Colour Me challenge & mail it to hubby's daughter & family.  I like version 2 much better.  

Same card with more time & supplies

Just heat embossing the sentiment (thank goodness for my stamp positioner!) made such a difference.

It's been snowing all day!  I didn't attempt going to work after the experience yesterday.  Don't worry--I don't provide direct patient care so the patients are fine without me.  There was about 9 inches this morning when hubby went out to clear a path to the mailbox--& yes, the mailman came! The measurement is now 13 inches & hubby's headed out to shovel again!

Hubby's First Chore About 10am

4:30pm--Time to Shovel Again!

What a Day!

I had to work in the town 15 miles away today.  It was snowing pretty hard & the deck had about an inch as hubby drove me to work (I'm a chicken!)  He dropped me off & headed home.  An hour & 1/2 later he called to say he never made it home but had stopped to eat & was on his way back.  We live 1 mile on the other side of the river & the bridge was closed shortly after we crossed it. Hubby came back & waited for me to finish work. I called it a day at 3pm when the bridge was again open. We drove slowly & boy was I glad to reach home!  It's a gorgeous site as long as you aren't trying to go somewhere!  
So much for the forecast of 1-2 inches. The hospital had 9 inches & we came home to 7 with snow still falling tonight. Hubby had to dig around the driveway lights so they would show.  I celebrated being safe & warm by making a tag card for today's PTI Anniversary contest.  I printed the image twice so I could pop up the flowers which also have Stickles & tiny pearls added.  
I used PTI Mega Mat Stack & embossed it with PTI Linen & Canvas Impression Plate. Added pink twine & an enamel dot plus the white ribbon. Thanks for making it through this long post.  
Edited to Add:  Also entering Die Cut Divas & CAS-ual Fridays.
  

Surprise--another Valentine!

Sent off quite a few Valentines today, but still need a few more.  Good thing I've exercised my willpower when it comes to buying goodies lately--postage sure adds up when your cards aren't flat--LOL!  Anyway, the current Flourishes challenge is Red & Love.  I started by clear embossing the beautiful heart from Fanciful Flourishes on watercolor paper, spritzed & rubbed on a red Gelato.  I then dry embossed it with the roses & brayered on some Distress Ink festive berries.  The Savvy Stamps sentiment was black embossed on the vellum strip cut with MFT wavy line die.  Just found this tiny pom-pom trim at the little boutique in our town that sells quite a selection of ribbon by the yard. The heart was inked, brayered & brushed with Shimmer Spritz. Love this Spellbinder which I bought from Flourishes awhile back.  I inked it with the festive berries also.  The heavy weight cardstock didn't accept the ink like my other paper, but I actually like the effect & it goes with the embossed piece. Better get it addressed & mailed tomorrow--don't want to be late. So glad you took time to come by my blog.

Friends

I love sending cards to blogging friends & with the CCC back in operation, I'll do that at least once a month.  This card is my MFTWSC entry & it started with the purple & aqua piece laying on my table.  The first thing I did when I brought the Dylusions sprays home was to try them out on a scrap of watercolor paper with the Tim Holtz bubble stencil. This week's sketch gave me a way to use it.  The MFT sentiment is from Chalkboard Greetings, the MFT dies are Royal Leaves, Rolled Roses & Fishtail Flags & the MFT felt is Whip Cream & Grape Jelly. 
Finally figured out that you can push down hard on the pearls in the flower centers so they aren't sticking up & I love the look.  I'll also take my card over to Pixies Snippets Playground. I'm so grateful for your sweet comments that always make me smile.

Love U

I've had an idea of what I wanted to do for the Freshly Made Sketches challenge, but still nothing put together until I saw the Dynamic Duos color combo--after watching the Seahawks win the Super Bowl--yah!  I got this chipboard U for a few cents & have been waiting for the right place to use it. The little heart is from Michaels & Love is from a local stamp company no longer in business.  Fun Valentine for hubby.  

Do you have yours done yet? Hopefully this week I'll get back to the on-line class videos & learn more to do with my stencils. Thanks for stopping by.

Puppies!! and a card

We had a fun Saturday starting with our first look at these 2 week old Standard Schnauzer puppies! We get the first pick & there are 4 black boys to choose from.  Of course, I'll want to take them all home, but one will certainly be enough for these old folks to handle!  
They're so soft & tiny & sweet.  It'll be fun to see  how much they've grown in size & personality when we see them again in 2 weeks. Now we have to get serious about which name we're going to give him--hard to decide. Next we visited hubby's daughter & family. It's been quite awhile so was good we had some time together. One yr old 89 pound Harvey was quite the contrast--LOL!  
He loves having more people around to give him attention, so I really got my puppy fix today. 
Getting late & I didn't want to miss Merry Monday.  I made this card 2 or 3 years ago but never liked the gold & white focal point so it was never mailed.  I carefully removed it & replaced it with the Penny Black die cut leaves & the chipboard ornament from a dollar package at Michaels.  The leaves were sprayed with gold Shimmer Spritz & the ornament was colored with Dylusions spray & gold Glimmer Mist.  Now I like it much better so it can go in the box for next year. Thanks so much for your visit. I'll catch up with you soon.