Family Christmas Memories

From home to home, and heart to heart, from one place to another. The warmth and joy of Christmas, brings us closer to each other. - Emily Matthews

We have this program on my laptop called Print Artiist.  Awesome program with some pretty cool things on there - one of them being quality clipart.  My husband found this image and I fell in love.  I love it for the vintage Christmasy feel; making me want to listen to Bing Crosby croon White Christmas.  I love it for it reminds me of the love between family and for Christmas memories with family. 

While I was so nervous about using colored pencils, my dear friend inspired me to give it a shot.  So I am proud to say, I used pencils for the very first time!  There are diamond stickles scattered around the ground for a snowy appearance and Colorbox sky blue pigment ink for the "sky" background and for the sentiment stamp by Inkadinkado.

Believe in the Magic of Christmas

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful ~Norman Vincent Peale

Something happens around Christmastime.  I can't explain it.  Maybe it's just me.  But something about the songs, the lights, decorations and special smells of warm homemade goodies, makes you happy.  It truly is magic.  People are more loving and forgiving, and the world for a time seems a much nicer place to live in.  So in honor of the joy and magic only Christmas truly brings to our hearts and homes,
I made this card for Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge #166. 

I used the ever adorable Kaela image from Design2Delight and a clear, acrylic Inkadinkado stamp for the sentiment.  I adorned her halo with gold stickles and her wings with diamond stickles.  She looks ready to sprinkle some magic on you today and isn't she looking adorable doing it? 

Celebrating World Kindness Day

The best portion of a good man's life - his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love.  ~William Wordsworth

For this week's current Bugaboo Stamp's Catch the Bug Challenge, we were asked to use a specific card sketch and relate it to friendship, thinking of you, thank you or anything in between.  So in honor of spreading a little kindness, I am entering this card using Bugaboo's Freebie Friday image, Eggbert.  The main snowflake was pop-dotted and glittered with silver stickles, as were the tiny two in the corner. 

Guylous' Give Thanks Challenge

Currently, Guylou's Inimitability is hosting a Give Thanks Challenge.  The requirements of the challenge are to use one of her wonderful images along with the words Happy Thanksgiving, Thanks or Thank You.   Here is my card using the fabulous Louise with Pumpkin image.  I used TLC Creation's awesome sentiment and Creatively Yours' card sketch #7 for inspiration.  I distressed the white cardstock with a glittery copper inkpad (not so sure you can see it in the pic below) and used K&Company's Pumpkin Pie paper pack to tie it all together.

To join in the wonderful world of Guylou's, hop on over to her blog at http://guylousinimitability.blogspot.com/ where you can view plenty of inspiration from her design team or access her online store.  TFL!!!

Warm Gingerbread

Lately I've been hearing comments from people how they're not ready for Christmas; that the stores are decorating too early or goading people into Christmas spending too early.  But not me.  I love Christmas -hardcore.  But one of my favorite things about Christmas is Gingerbread.  Gingerbread lattes, gingerbread men, making gingerbread houses with loads of sickenly sweet candy, gingerbread christmas ornaments or decorations. 
Recently, I joined the new group StampFairy on the CDAC website.  Lo and behold, they were giving away ginger freebies.  Naturally, I did what any good little girl would do - I downloaded him, printed him out and started my journey of ginger love.  And, for added effect, had to put some "Warm Gingerbread" wax on my burner and crank the traditional christmas music.
I got stuck along the way, but all in all, it was a fun journey and I love him to death!  What do you think?

DT Call at Bugaboo Stamps!

One of the very first digi companies I fell in love with was Bugaboo Stamps - their whimsical images by Jodie Mackrell captured my heart from the moment I first laid eyes on them.  In fact, my very first digi download was a bobblehead image from Bugaboo which I colored with my 4 year old twins' Crayola markers!!!  So when the companies blog, Catch The Bug Challenge Blog, posted an open call for a DT, I was so excited.  I am honored to be entering with so many very talented women and wish all my co-applicants the best of luck.

The DT Call requires 1 Bugaboo project and 2 other of your favorite projects. These are the three (3) projects I've chosen to enter for the position:

Nan's Card
Bugaboo offered this cute little bunny as a Freebie Friday image for their weekly challenge a couple weeks ago.  I loved the image and the idea behind it and used my grandmother as inspiration for this card.  Lung Cancer Awareness is symbolized by the Pearl Ribbon.  Unfortunately, I did not have Pearl Stickles, but opted to use the Diamond Stickles I had on-hand for all the ribbons and placed the pearls in the corners as a substitution. 

Eat, Drink and Be Thankful 
How could you not love this adorable little Indian Girl bobblehead from Bugaboo for the Thanksgiving holiday?!  I just had to snatch her up.  The sentiment is TLC Creations and is offered on the CDAC website as a freebie for the current color challenge.

Autumn
Loved this image offered by Mabelle from Whimsy and Stars during the Freebie Digi Challenge a week or so back over at CDAC, and had to use her with my new paper pack from K&Company, one of my favorites.