Hello stampers and happy Wednesday to you. Today’s card is a quilt block Snow Wonder card by Sue Macdonald from New Brunswick. I am loving this Happy Mail in Holland contest. Both Gerard and I love checking the mailbox for happy mail. This is the last card right now so I am hoping for happy mail today or tomorrow. My time here is slipping away!
Sue Macdonald’s Quilt Block Snow Wonder Card
Wow, that is a mouthful! Sue participated in my Cozy Christmas Online Retreat and the featured bundle was Snow Wonder. She must have sent this card right after the event because she says in her wonderful letter: I’m still in stampin’ mode from the weekend! My room is sadly a mess but I’m so pleased with the creations standing around. John’s impressed and suggested we stand the cards up throughout the house and NOT send any.” This makes me so very happy. It wonderful when family members and especially husbands appreciate our handiwork.
Sue used pearls to accentuate the eyes and buttons on the snowman and this gives him or her a totally different look. It just goes to show you that this snowman doesn’t have to be vintage!
Taking the Party Inside
Sue took the party inside by really stamping and decorating it beautifully. In fact, she writes that the inside of the card took her almost as long as the outside. The love was also shown to the envelope!!
Happy Mail Envelope
When you stamp on your envelope you can be sure that your recipient knows for sure that this is indeed happy mail!! What fun.
Not only did Sue stamp the outside of the envelope she also hand-lettered my name and address. I am really feeling the love with all these special
Moncton, New Brunswick
Sue comes from Moncton, New Brunswick. I spent a few hours there many years ago, so I know that I didn’t do this city justice at all. The city is named after a British officer but due to a clerical error it was misspelled. The officer’s name was Robert Monckton. Throughout history the city has had different names, all of them to do with the fact that it is situated at a distinct bend in the Petitcodiac river. Moncton has the distinct honour of being the first officially bilingual city in Canada, a fact that I was not aware of. If you want to read more about Moncton, you can check out my blog post here.
Free Tutorial With Purchase
Did you know that if you place an order with me you get a free tutorial? I am part of a Demo Design Dream Team and each month we create a 16 project tutorial. This is my card from the December tutorial. I give this tutorial to my team members and training group for FREE.
Here is the inside of my card. The beautiful deer come from the Most Wonderful Time Product Medley refill kit.
Here is a little sneak peek of all the projects in the December tutorial.
Thanks!
Thanks so much for joining me here again today. I also appreciate all of you who joined me for my first YouTube live video yesterday. Every Tuesday at 10am EST I will be there with a virtual coffee and a card component. You can subscribe and get the monthly kit sent to you. It’s only $25 for the month and you need to let me know by December 21 if you want to join in for January. The focus bundle will be Posted for You. I hope you have a super day. Stay safe!
Hello stampers and happy Monday to you. Today we have another Happy Mail in Holland contest card using Dressed to Impress. Thanks to Sharon Meyer for this cute card. I absolutely love this paper and was so sad to see it retire. If you need some, I have extra!! Sharon’s card has a nice newsy letter inside which I just love. Let me share some of what Sharon wrote in her beautiful handwriting.
Farmington, New York
Farmington is about twenty miles east of Rochester, New York in the Finger Lakes district. I have heard of the Finger Lakes and that this region is really pretty, but I have only driven slightly north of them with the hope of someday being able to visit. Gerard and I hope to do a cross America and Canada road trip at some point and we will definitely be touring the Finger Lakes as well. Sharon goes on to say that she lives near Canandaigua Lake which is in wine country. Apparently there is such a thing as grape pie, but I have never heard of it or tried it. Sounds very intriguing. The Grape Festival didn’t happen this year because of COVID. So sad to miss all these wonderful events.
TripAdvisor tells me that one of the most popular things to do in Farmington is to visit the Antique Mall. I really do love antiques so I would probably listen to their advice! I was intrigued by the name of Sharon’s hometown because there is a town in MIchigan with the same name. Believe it or not, this town in Michigan was founded by one of the town fathers of the original Farmington!!
Another recommendation right up my alley was a wine tasting tour by Stomping Good Times. Who wants to come with me when we go visit Sharon? Sharon tells me that she has been a demonstrator for four years now and she has a small group of ladies that she stamps with. What fun!
Here is a view of the surroundings in the Finger Lakes wine district.
Sharon’s Dressed to Impress Card
The background of this pretty card by Sharon Meyer is lovely lipstick and it was embossed with the retired basket weave embossing folder. Sharon cut out one of the perfume bottle for the inside of her card. Thanks so much for this Happy Mail in Holland contest card. It’s always nice to get a card that says “hello fabulous”!
YouTube Live Videos start Tomorrow!
I am so excited that my weekly YouTube live videos start tomorrow. From now on, every Tuesday at 10am EST there will be a live video on YouTube for my virtual coffee and a card class. Everyone can tune in and comment and if you choose to, you can participate by purchasing the monthly card kit. Next month the kit will focus on Posted For You bundle. The kit is $25 per month and includes all the card components. I cannot include stamped images but I can include punched out items, embossed layers etc. You can choose to purchase the bundle that I am using online using the host code or you can substitute with stamps that you already have.
I have not set up a PayPal button for this class because I prefer to accept etransfer. That being said, if you really prefer PayPal, let me know and I will send you an invoice.
I hope you have a super day and that I can see you virtually on YouTube tomorrow. Here is the link to my channel in case you haven’t found me yet.
Hello stampers and happy Friday to you. Today’s card is a Warm & Toasty fancy fold card from my Happy Mail in Holland contest. This is honestly so much fun! To get happy mail is already great, but when there are handwritten letters and beautiful cards too, that just makes my day. What I am really liking as well is that people are starting to tell me the favourite things about their home town. Let’s take a look at the card and the town. Are you curious?
Warm & Toasty Fancy Fold Card
I must confess; I do not have this stamp set. That is why it is so nice to be able to blog about it. It is new to me too! The fold is also one that I have never done, so you can bet that I am going to give it a try as well. In the meantime, here is the card made by Lou Davis and her twin sister.
I know what you are thinking. This is a really cute card! It is, but there is more. Do you know the feeling when you get happy mail and the envelope is thick? Then you take out the card and it feels thick too? Perhaps there was something else in the envelope, but now you know that this is going to be a card with a surprise inside. Indeed! When I opened it up, this is what I saw. I don’t know what this fold is called, but you can be sure that I want to recreate it now.
Here is another view of this card so you can see how the fold mechanism works.
Beaufort, South Carolina
I love that Lou included a letter with her card telling me about her hometown and what she thinks is special about it. Now I also know that it is pronounced “Bu-fort”. I would have said “Bow-fort”. There are also two towns with this name in South Carolina, so it is a good thing that I was pointed in the right direction!! Lou’s hometown is not far from Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA and it was instrumental in both the Revolutionary War as well as the Civil War.
Here is a short video that shows how pretty Beaufort is. I found out that it is the second oldest city in South Carolina, chartered in 1711. While I was looking for some nice pictures to share I came across this interesting article. I am sure you have heard that during this whole COVID pandemic people have been baking a lot, especially bread! In Chatham there was no yeast to be found in the grocery stores and flour was also sold out. This 79 year old Beaufort man decided to make models of churches instead. How beautiful!
Southern Charm
Many years ago I earned an incentive trip to Hilton Head Island, and I am quite sure that Beaufort is quite close to this pretty island as well. Beaufort is known for its antibellum mansions like the one below. Lou, you are one lucky woman to live in this pretty place.
Here is a streetscape view. I have never been in one of these southern mansions, but you can be sure it is on my bucket list. Gerard has family in North Carolina, so we will be close!
Thanks!
Thanks so much for sending in your beautiful card Lou. Be sure to thank your sister too. This contest helps us all get to know each other better and that is wonderful. We need all the connection that we can get these days. I pray that this virus will soon be put behind us or at least contained with a vaccine. Stay safe. Have a super day!!
Hello stampers and happy Wednesday to you. Today I am going to show you the very cute Gnome Christmas tags that I was working on yesterday. The more I work with the Tag Buffet kit the more I see the potential for this great little box. If you are looking for a meaningful and fun experience for the whole family then this is it.
Two Options
As I see it you have at least two great options for this kit. You could choose to just get the Tag Buffet Project kit without the coordinating stamp set. The coordinating set does have a great class Merry Christmas stamp in a lovely font and size as well as some other great images and greetings, but if you already have some lovely Christmas stamps that will work, then I would suggest option two.
The second option is to combine this great kit with the Gnome for the Holidays stamp set. The gnomes in this set are just so fun to colour and they are not too tricky to fussy cut, especially if you cut off the greenery from the one gnome with the striped hat.
I know that Rachel Tessman has played with this set and has made more than 90 cards with one of these kits. I have no intention of doing this, but I thought you might like to know the possibilities and definitely the value.
Score Yourself a Deal
Did you know that today is your lucky day Yup. Stampin’Up! had some technical difficulties yesterday so they are extending their 24 hour sale by one more day. That means that if you were procrastinating yesterday (and I just happen to know that most of you were doing just that!) you can still save 10 percent today. I know it doesn’t knock your socks off, but it is gratifying to see a lower price show up on your order screen with each item you add. Plus you will get a free tutorial from me and those cute embellishments that will look so nice with these gnomes! My embellishments were buried somewhere so I didn’t add them, but I will add them later and do a little Instagram video on them. Are you following me on Instagram yet? You should!!
Gnome Christmas Tags
Ok. You have to admit. These tags are stinkin’ adorable. If you are more of a traditional Christmas person like I usually am, then you might want to make the tags per kit instructions. You can see them in my blog post here.
If you ink up this cute gnome or his girlfriend and grab your favourite Blends colours, you will soon forget the world and all its troubles. This is what I call colour therapy. Do you see the gnome tag in the middle He has had a little trim work done. His hat is now unadorned! Not only is he still super cute, he is also much, much easier to cut out. That makes me happy. I think I am going to organize a stamping party with Gerard’s sisters and nieces this coming week.
For The Love of One Stamp
Do you see the tag on the far right? I bought the Tag Buffet stamp set just for this particular stamp. I love the saying and it is applicable to more than just Christmas cards. It would be good for a birthday, an anniversary or even a wedding! Have you ever purchased a stamp set to get just one stamp?
Here you can see the amount of product included in this kit. The Blends are not included but this is just a snapshot of what was on my desk so you can see a bit of the creative process as well. I love how you can separate the white tags from the colourful ones. They were originally intended to be used together, but if you don’t do that, you have way more options and styles available to you. I didn’t even explore the option of turning them into cards! Maybe I will another day. I did remember to bring embossing folders with me this time!
Video Tutorial
If you want to see how I put some of these tags together, you can watch this video from YouTube.
Thanks!
Thanks for joining me today, I hope you were inspired to create with your family and friends in a COVID friendly way. If you love any of these projects, please share them on Pinterest! I hope you have a super day and happy shopping with a bonus sale day. If you live in Canada and want to have some creative fun, just click on the links below to go to my online store, or you can also click here if that is easier for you. Remember, your best value is ALWAYS the starter kit. Click here if that makes sense to you. I have a wonderful team and you would make a great part of it!
Hello stampers and happy Tuesday to you. Today there is a 24 hour sale with ten percent off almost everything that Stampin’Up! sells. This is the perfect time to stock up on your cardstock and inks as they rarely go on sale. It’s also a great time to get the Heartwarming Hugs suite so that you can play along with me on December 15 for my #itsallaboutthetreats event.
I am going to make this sale a little bit more memorable in two ways. First of all you will get two, yes TWO free pdf tutorials with your online purchase if you use the host code. Second, you will receive a package of All The Trimmings embellishments if you place a $50 online order provided you use the host code which is SS6VVFCF.
Free All The Trimmings Embellishments for 24 Hour Sale
Card Samples using Embellishments
It is always nice to see actual examples of a product being used. I used these for my Cozy Christmas online retreat and they are also great with the Gnome set. It is amazing what a cute little star does or those adorable red and white enamel circles. Check out these Coming Home cards with Trimming the Town paper. Yes, these products are also ten percent off during the 24 hour sale.
The Best Deal Ever
If you have been following my blog for a while, you probably know what is going to come next. Yup. The very best deal in the catalog is the starter kit. If you combine it with this ten percent off sale, you will be able to get even more stuff in your starter kit. Did you know that you get to choose what goes in the kit? In Canada you get to pick out $165 in product but you pay only $135. NO shipping and no tax. You will also get a free Paper Pumpkin kit and 8 catalogs and mini catalogs to hand out to your friends. Once you have the kit you are entitled to your own 20% off discount for up to six months.
A nice little extra surprise? You will get to preorder from the new Occasions catalog on December 1 AND you get to already earn free saleabration sets with your purchase. I love this perk!! If you want to indulge in this amazing opportunity and you live in Canada, then you can by clicking here. Let me know if you have any questions.
Happy Mail in Holland Contest
I am thrilled to share another happy mail in Holland contest card to you today. This one is from Jennifer Plaat from St. Louis Missouri. Jennifer made a beautiful clean and simple card using whisper white and blueberry bushel. She used a contraband die and strategically placed some dimensionals to give it just the right feel. Let’s take a look.
If you look carefully you can se that the basket and the chain box have been popped up with dimensionals. When you have a clean and simple card it is those little details that make all the difference. Thanks Jennifer for this very Dutch card, I love it.
St. Louis, Missouri
I have to confess that I have never been to Missouri so I am about to learn something as well. This is one of the things I like so much about this happy mail in Holland contest. This city named after Louis 15th from France has a population of close to three million people! It was based on the fur trade with the Osage and was first called the City of Mounds because of the mounds of earth built by the Osage on either side of the MIssissipi River where St. Louis is located. St. Louis is famous for its Gateway Arch and for its medical research facilities as well as several major sports teams.
Thanks!
Thanks again for joining me today. I hope that you take the time to leave a comment. Lately I have been surprising people who comment with a free tutorial, so you might get lucky too! I hope you have a super day. Christmas music is playing in my stamp room in Holland and I am overlooking an overcast sky above the greenhouses. What is your view?
