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12/20/2006
How many Christmas Cards did you send this year?
My list of people that I send cards to is out of control!! When my husband and I were celebrating our first Christmas together I couldn't wait to send cards to everyone - and I do mean everyone!! As the years have gone by my list has gotten shorter but it is still out of control at over 100 people (107 to be exact) and I only send cards to close friends and family. Just the stamps alone are over $40 and the supplies . . . we won't go there.
So, when I was filling out my cards I found that I was about 15 cards short so I came up with this simple card and it is probably my favorite this year.
The Snowflakes are embossed with Winter White EP on Glossy White paper. I used Brilliant Blue ink with the polished stone technique** to create the background. The base card is Bashful Blue and the 2nd layer is Brilliant Blue. It's very pretty IRL.
** To do the polished stone technique you wet a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol and then using the reinkers place a few drops of ink on it also. Then you just dab around the paper (you must used the glossy paper for this technique) until you are happy with it. Here's a full tutorial by Beate on SCS => Polished Stone Tutorial <=.
Have a wonderful day!
My list of people that I send cards to is out of control!! When my husband and I were celebrating our first Christmas together I couldn't wait to send cards to everyone - and I do mean everyone!! As the years have gone by my list has gotten shorter but it is still out of control at over 100 people (107 to be exact) and I only send cards to close friends and family. Just the stamps alone are over $40 and the supplies . . . we won't go there. So, when I was filling out my cards I found that I was about 15 cards short so I came up with this simple card and it is probably my favorite this
year.
The Snowflakes are embossed with Winter White EP on Glossy White paper. I used Brilliant Blue ink with the polished stone technique** to create the background. The base card is Bashful Blue and the 2nd layer is
Brilliant Blue. It's very pretty IRL.
** To do the polished stone technique you wet a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol and then using the reinkers place a few drops of ink on it also. Then you just dab around the paper (you must use the glossy paper for this technique) until you are happy with it. Here's a full tutorial by Beate on SCS Polished Stone Technique
Have a wonderful day!
Michelle
year.
The Snowflakes are embossed with Winter White EP on Glossy White paper. I used Brilliant Blue ink with the polished stone technique** to create the background. The base card is Bashful Blue and the 2nd layer is
Brilliant Blue. It's very pretty IRL.
** To do the polished stone technique you wet a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol and then using the reinkers place a few drops of ink on it also. Then you just dab around the paper (you must use the glossy paper for this technique) until you are happy with it. Here's a full tutorial by Beate on SCS Polished Stone Technique
Have a wonderful day!
Michelle
12/04/2006
November Christmas Card Class
Finally I'm able to insert the scans of November's Christmas Cards. I've been so busy that wasn't even able to create these until the morning of my class. All of the girls seemed to like them so I'm happy.
I have one stamper that loves, loves, loves this set and asks that I create a card with it for each of the monthly CC classes. lol
I'm not sure that I like the way I attached the ribbon or where I attached it. After it was done and was looking at it I wanted to move it to the top of the card and move the stamped images down towards the bottom.
I used Bashful Blue and Whisper White card stock; Basic Black and Bashful Blue Ink; and Certainly Celery, Pale Plum, Perfect Plum, Lavender Lace, Apricot Appeal, Close to Cocoa and Bashful Blue markers.
The first image stamped was the snowmen and then we masked them to stamp the trees. Then masked the snowmen and the trees to stamp the snowflakes on the background.
I have older nieces and nephews who only want money for Christmas so I usually buy this size card at walmart for 99¢ each. I hate to buy any type of card so I decided to try and make one - this is what I came up with.
The card is 8½" x 6½". Then, holding the card the long way in front of you, score it at 3" from one end and 2½" inches from the other end so you have a 3" section, then a 3" section and then a 2½" section. I then folded the 2½" section into the middle of the card and attached it only on one end (easier to slide the money in and out).
It's hard to tell from the picture but the card is Handsome Hunter and I stamped the front of it with Encore silver and Handsome Hunter. To create the custom tag I used my HH marker and colored the outline and the "Make Merry" from the Tag So Much hostess set. I then stamped a small snowflake in place of the image.
I saw a card on Splitcoast that used Very Vanilla, Whisper White and Creamy Caramel and really liked it but when I tried to create one with these colors I decided against the Caramel and used Gold Embossing Powder instead. The main card didn't scan so well but it really turned out nice.
For the edges of the two smaller layers I used the distressing tool on the new Cutter Kit.
Embossing is always such a WOW project and one of my stampers, who is new to stamping, was cracking the rest of us up as she was heating her images. She was totally into it and would start to squeal when the EP started to turn. It was too funny!!
Here is the final card. These aren't the colors that I had originally wanted to use but when I went to cut it for the class I didn't have enough so I had to change them. I like this combo so much better.
Have a wonderful day!!!
I have one stamper that loves, loves, loves this set and asks that I create a card with it for each of the monthly CC classes. lol
I'm not sure that I like the way I attached the ribbon or where I attached it. After it was done and was looking at it I wanted to move it to the top of the card and move the stamped images down towards the bottom.
I used Bashful Blue and Whisper White card stock; Basic Black and Bashful Blue Ink; and Certainly Celery, Pale Plum, Perfect Plum, Lavender Lace, Apricot Appeal, Close to Cocoa and Bashful Blue markers.
The first image stamped was the snowmen and then we masked them to stamp the trees. Then masked the snowmen and the trees to stamp the snowflakes on the background.
I have older nieces and nephews who only want money for Christmas so I usually buy this size card at walmart for 99¢ each. I hate to buy any type of card so I decided to try and make one - this is what I came up with.
The card is 8½" x 6½". Then, holding the card the long way in front of you, score it at 3" from one end and 2½" inches from the other end so you have a 3" section, then a 3" section and then a 2½" section. I then folded the 2½" section into the middle of the card and attached it only on one end (easier to slide the money in and out).
It's hard to tell from the picture but the card is Handsome Hunter and I stamped the front of it with Encore silver and Handsome Hunter. To create the custom tag I used my HH marker and colored the outline and the "Make Merry" from the Tag So Much hostess set. I then stamped a small snowflake in place of the image.
I saw a card on Splitcoast that used Very Vanilla, Whisper White and Creamy Caramel and really liked it but when I tried to create one with these colors I decided against the Caramel and used Gold Embossing Powder instead. The main card didn't scan so well but it really turned out nice.
For the edges of the two smaller layers I used the distressing tool on the new Cutter Kit.
Embossing is always such a WOW project and one of my stampers, who is new to stamping, was cracking the rest of us up as she was heating her images. She was totally into it and would start to squeal when the EP started to turn. It was too funny!!
Here is the final card. These aren't the colors that I had originally wanted to use but when I went to cut it for the class I didn't have enough so I had to change them. I like this combo so much better.
Have a wonderful day!!!
12/03/2006
Thank You!!!!!
I've been trying to upload the cards from this months Christmas Card Class and they don't show up. It looks like it is loading then I click done, it shows a little box and then disappears. Go figure because I cant!! lol
I want to thank you all for the amazing support and comments. This has been and continues to be the most difficult situation I have ever gone through and as hard as it is for me it is so much worse for my nieces and nephew because they are still living with my parents for the next few weeks. They have been totally cut off from me and my husband (Ray) and my niece (Ashley) and her husband (Lee). If you'll remember them in your prayers that would be awesome. Their names are Jordann (16), Paige (14) and Timmy (12) and they are amazing. They have been through so much and deserve to be happy and safe!
Hopefully I can post some cards later today but until then I'm off to paint bedrooms.
Have a wonderful day!!!
11/25/2006
A moment in the life of an abused child who has grown up
This has been such a long and trying month. I've sat down to the computer a dozen times trying to let you know where I've been but haven't known where to start.
I grew up in an extremely abusive home, physically, verbally, emotionally and sexually, and this has affected every moment of my adult live whether or not I've been aware of it. It has affected each of my brothers and sisters also. You think that when you grow up and leave the house that it is over, that you have finally won, that you are out and safe. Not so, not as long as I allow them to influence every step that I make. Not as long as I stay silent and watch others suffer through the same abuse that I went through.
Do you realize that most children who are abused as children grow up to marry abusers and to be abusers themselves? You are what you are taught until someone teaches you better! Thankfully I realized this at a young age and had the influence of a wonderful friend and her family to teach me what a family is supposed to be like. I have a wonderful husband who would never think about raising a hand to me and has never said one disparaging word to me.
My parents have guardianship of my younger sisters children due to substance abuse, neglect and domestic violence. They have been abusing my two nieces and my nephew and I have stood by. During this time I have tried to talk to my parents about their behaviour and they have refused to acknowledge what they are doing. I made an effort to help right? I tried to help right? that's enough right? I'll just love the kids and provide a safe place for them to visit. That's enough right? They'll make it through, we did, right? I don't have to turn on my family to make a change do I? I don't have to tell others what's going on do I?
I was not doing enough! My husband and I had to stop it. After talking to my sisters and being told that they wouldn't help, that they wouldn't tell the truth about the abuse we had to do it on our own. We went to the state on my parents. My sisters have turned their backs on us and sided with my parents because they don't want to be embarrassed, they want their pasts left alone.
Then something amazing happened, my niece and her husband stood up with us. They are a young, married couple with a 2 year old and a baby on the way and they stood up with us. My niece talked to the state, told what it is like at my parents. She is amazing - she is my hero. At 22 years old she is doing what I didn't at her age, what I convinced myself that I couldn't. She is choosing right over wrong and she is suffering for it but she is standing fast and strong. I am so in awe of her.
This past month my husband and I became licensed Foster Parents in the state of NH and on December 19th one of our nieces and our nephew will be removed from my parents home and will be placed with us. We will be petitioning the court at that time to have my other niece's case reopened so she can also be removed.
At the end of a long month my "family" is smaller but stronger and I can finally say that I am doing enough to stop them.
This post is long and rambling but you have been so kind to me. Once this is all settled I will be online more and will post more cards and visit your blogs. Thank you!!!
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