2013 Christmas Planners

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Once again, my sister ROCKED Thanksgiving for us at her place! 

I made my first Christmas planner 2 years ago.  Last year I didn't make any because I delivered a 10-pound baby on 11/28, so yeah!  'Nuf said!  I guess I'm making up for it this year because I've made 3 different kinds!

Here's the kind I made 2 years ago using a Composition notebook.  I used Echo Park's Reflections Christmas Collection paper and stickers.  Love this collection!

I used my Cavallini & Co Vintage Christmas washi tape to cover the black binding.  This is a gorgeous Christmas paper tape collection!

 Here's the back.

Some close-ups.

You can go HERE to get more detailed instructions and free printables to make your own Christmas planner.

I also decided to do the same thing only with a spiral notebook because I like being able to fold back the cover and any other pages I'm not using...you know what I mean?  You can't do that so well with a Composition notebook.  Here's how it turned out:

I didn't put a ribbon on this one.  And if I do another one, I'll get a red or green notebook since it shows through around the spiral binding.  I can't really cover it up with washi or it won't fold back, which is the whole purpose of using this type of notebook.

Here's the back and the calender page.

And lastly, I came across a mini binder-type Christmas planner which I wanted to do as well.  (No, I don't need 3 planners--I'll use one and give the others as gifts).  LOVE this one.

I laminated the "title" pages with my new Scotch Thermal Laminator that I love!  It's only $22 and it's fabulous!  Small but big enough to laminate up to 9" wide!

You can go HERE and print out pages for your own Christmas planning binder!

Go get your Christmas Planning on!
--Cheryl

Cheer Card

Okay, here's my fifth and final card for the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge which is to use Heather's sketch.

Here's my card using Simple Stories Handmade Holidays paper and stickers!

Much to do before a day of Thanksgiving with family and friends!

Go get your Thanksgiving on!
--Cheryl

Whew! I've been busy!

Yay!  Only 2 more days until Thanksgiving.  I'm so ready to hang out with family and friends and eat yummy food!  I've got all the name cards done (all 22 of them).  I did cute turkey ones for the kids, haystacks for the guys, and pumpkins for the ladies. 

I've got hostess gifts made and a fun Thanksgiving bingo game ready to go for the kids.  Feelin' good!

Yesterday I mailed off a box full of homemade Christmas cards for the Caring Hearts Drive...52 cards in all.  AND, I mailed off my homemade gift for the Holiday 2013 Handmade Gift Exchange!  Here's what I made for the gal I was paired up with:

A frame and jingle bells from Hobby Lobby (both half off, thank you very much), a sheet of pattern paper and my Sihouette and some vinyl and voila!  I love it!  Hope she does too!
And now...ready for card #4?  It's 4 of 5 cards I'm entering in Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge to use Heather's Sketch:

Once again, I'm using Simple Stories "Handmade Holidays" paper and stickers.

Go get your craft on!
--Cheryl

Celebrate the Season Card

Here's another card for Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog where you have to use Heather's Sketch.  It's #3 for me...2 more to go to reach my 5 limit! :)

Really love this sketch!

Here's my card:

Super simple card using Simple Stories Handmade Holidays paper and stickers.

Go get your craft on!
--Cheryl

Be Merry Card

Today's card is for Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog where you have to use Heather's Sketch.

There's a limit of 5 entries per person for these challenges and I'm entering 5 this time around.  Really hoping to win me a $50 GC to SSS!  Of course, they usually have hundreds of entries, so cross your fingers for me!

Here's my card:

This was made with Simple Stories Handmade Holidays paper and stickers.

Go get your craft on!
--Cheryl

Let It Snow Card

Hello My Crafty Peeps!

I've got one more card for the Lawnscaping Challenge #70: Polka Dots.

My next several posts will be cards I made using Simple Stories Handmade Holidays.  This is such an adorable paper collection.  I had the 6x6 pad and a 12x12 sheet of stickers.

I'm also entering my card in the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog in which you are to use Heather's Sketch:

Time to go get your craft on!
--Cheryl

Pinned It, Did It Friday - Turkey Name Cards

TGIF!

I saw this cute turkey craft by the girls at Eighteen25 and knew I wanted to make these as the name cards for the kids at our Thanksgiving dinner.

So I pinned it and then did it!  I already had everything I needed too...except the ribbon.  So I just used paper!  We all know I have plenty of that!

I couldn't find any of my brown paper bags, but I had tons of white ones, so I just used some distress ink to ink them up and make them darker.

Super duper happy with how they turned out...so cute!! 

Go get your craft on!
--Cheryl

Supplies Used:
DISTRESS INKS:  
Tea dye

Vintage photo

Rusty hinge

Spiced marmalade

PAPER:
MME Remarkable

We R Memory Keepers Autumn Splendor

Simple Stories Happy Day

ACCESSORIES:
Mini colored clothespins

Googly eyes

Jewels

Joy and a Gingerbread Man Card

Good Morning,

I've got another card for Lawnscaping Challenge #70: Polka Dots!

I used one of my all-time favorite lines...Simple Stories Handmade Holidays!

That little gingerbread man is too cute!

Hope you have a joyous day!
--Cheryl

A Polka Dot Merry Christmas

Today's card is for Lawnscaping Challenge #70 - Polka Dots!

I love polka dots!  I decided to incorporate my polka dots with paper.  Love this Fancy Pants 6x6 Pad called "Home for Christmas."

My piece of flair says "Merry Christmas."  I thought I had taken a close-up, but guess not. Added a little bling to the tree with some red and green jewels.

Super simple card...another one where the paper does all the work!

Got get your craft on!
--Cheryl

A Card of "Gratitude"

Today's card is featuring an early birthday present from a sweet friend/secret aunt/fellow crafty buddy/blogger (check out her blog HERE)!  It's the Stampin' Up Stamp Set called "Harvest of Thanks."  I love it!

I heat embossed the turkey image with Zing embossing powder in white opaque finish.  Then I decided I wanted more of a rustic feel to my card and the white was just too stark to me.  Since I couldn't get any of my distress ink to "take" to the embossing part, I sanded down the embossed areas and then was able to get some Vintage Photo and Rusty Hinge Distress Ink to stick.

Having the sandpaper peel off some of the white embossing was a bonus for a more distressed look.

Oh, I should mention that I went to my Pinterest "Card Inspiration" board to get inspiration on how to put my card together.  I found an adorable card from Deconstructing Jen's blog that I used.  You can check it out HERE.  She based her card on a sketch, which I didn't...I just based mine on a picture of her completed card.  Thanks for the inspiration, Jen!

The "Gratitude" sentiment is from the stamp set as well.

I used random ribbon and button from my stash.  The twine is Cappuccino from The Twinery.  Gotta have some Glue Dots on hand for things like this little cluster!

A lot of dimensional foam dots went into the making of this card. :)

I used Tim Holtz Paper Distresser on all the paper edges and then inked them with...say it with me...Vintage Photo Distress Ink! :)  Paper courtesy of My Mind's Eye Lost & Found "Rosy."

I'm entering my card in the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge:  Thanks/Thanksgiving.

Go get your craft on this week!
--Cheryl

Pinned It, Did It Friday!

Came across Crazy Little Projects' blog who had a post on an adorable Thanksgiving Bingo game with free printables.  Yay!

How cute are these?!

So I pinned it and did it!

I laminated my "call" pieces so they wouldn't get torn or messed up as easily. 

I was going to laminate my bingo play cards, but I didn't have enough laminate sheets (I just used some Scotch Self-Laminating sheets that I had on hand), so I decided to adhere them to some sturdy cardstock to make them more durable.

Looking forward to playing with the kiddos at Thanksgiving!

Go get your Pin on!
--Cheryl

"Remarkable" Note Cards

I took my "Let Your Paper Do The Talking" post to a whole new level!  Got carried away with this style when I opened my new MME Collectable "Remarkable" 6x6 paper pad and fell in love with each and every sheet of paper in it...the next one as gorgeous as the last!  Seriously, fabulous collection! 

I made 4 notecards.

 

The "Best Day Ever" is on one of the papers that I cut out.  My daughter says this almost every day to me...even it has been a stay home all day and clean kinda day!  Love her!

Challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Got Ink?  You all know I can't make a card without inking every edge with my all-time favorite Vintage Photo Distress Ink.  That's also what the "hello" sentiment is stamped with. 

Simon also says to Keep It Clean and Simple for their Wednesday challenge, which these are most definitely! 

Go get your craft on!
--Cheryl

2013 Caring Hearts Drive

I'm so go glad I came across this 2013 Caring Hearts Drive over on Ling's Design Studio!  I make more Christmas cards each year than I send.  Mostly because I love making Christmas cards and get carried away and also because I usually end up sending one of those picture cards that are too big to include with a homemade size card.  So I have tons of Christmas cards just sitting in a box.  And now they can have a wonderful home!

I just stamped an inside sentiment and a short hand-written message and signed 45 Christmas cards.  That's just the start.  I'm sure I'll be adding to that before I ship these off in the next couple weeks!

I hope you'll take a moment to check it out and take part, even if you only have a couple cards to send!

If prizes motivate you (not kidding, it was a little motivator here), check out the long list of prizes which will be awarded!  That's a lot of winners!  And that's going to be a lot of touched folks in nursing homes receiving handmade Christmas cards!  Don't you just wish you could see their faces?

What are you waiting for...go get your Christmas card craft on for folks who need a special lift this Christmas!
--Cheryl

Let Your Paper Do the Talking!

Good Saturday Morning!

Normally it's hard for me to do CAS (clean and simple) cards because I always feel like I need to keep adding to it.  So it's always a bonus when I end up with a really simple card that I love.  That's what happened with this card.  I let the paper do the talking for me!

No stamps, no twine...just cute paper from Fancy Pants Designs' Home for Christmas 6x6 Paper Pad.

When I wrote up this post a couple days ago to have on hand to publish later this week, I didn't know Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday challenge would be "Keep It Clean and Simple!"  So bonus, I get to enter my card into their challenge HERE.

Go get your Christmas card making craft on!
Cheryl