Winner, Winner - everyone loves to be a winner. So here's a great card for the winners in your life!

And to help keep you organized this holiday season -
 a brand new MDS download available here!

Holiday List of Lists
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Blue Ribbon

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Watercolor Winter Gift Tags

Oh, my.... well here it is!

 Has anyone else done this? I've worked all day on projects, finished bunches but nothing touched my heart until I made these extremely simple pine bough (fir bough?) gift tags. Very Vanilla card stock lightly sponged with Crumb Cake ink on all edges and simply stamped. They're perfect! 

No words, no bling - just a bit of cotton ribbon tied with strands that came off my burlap table runner while I made it last week, lol! Now that was a fun project also!

Okay, the guilt has set in - here's a card to go with the tags. You knew it would be simple - but isn't it sweet? 

I think I like cards best that don't have any words on the front of it.... just an image and let the handwritten words inside be the conversation.

And here's the skinny on firs, spruces and pines - thanks to Dave's Gardening. Still not sure what the stamp set is, but....

"If you are unsure of the difference between firs, spruces and pines, there is a good rule of thumb:  If the needles are carried in groups of two or more, your suspect is surely a pine.  If the needles are carried in singles, it is either a fir or a spruce.  Spruces can be identified from firs by rolling a solitary needle between your fingers.  A spruce's needle will roll easily between your fingers because it has four sides to each leaf, while a fir's needles have only two sides, so they will not roll easily between your fingers.

Botanically speaking, a spruce is any specimen in the genus Picea (pronounced PY-see-uh) and a fir is of the genus Abies (pronounced A-bees).  Firs and spruces seem to be lesser known than pines but are just as beautiful and majestic. Here is a mere sampling of the varieties available of spruces and firs. "

Watercolor Winter

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Happy Saturday! And 100,000 Hits!

Oh my! 100,000 hits!

An enormous thank you to each of you who have found enjoyment from my blog! Sometime late last night it had it's 100,000th hit!  (Well, actually I know exactly when, because it was so close I had to stay up and watch for it to click over!) Beyond what my little mind can comprehend, but I'm so grateful and humbled that what I enjoy has connected with so many of you. 

And the winner is.... Alicia Graham. Your comment was randomly selected. Your prize will be on it's way as soon as it knows where to go.... contact me here.

Don't you just love paper and stamps? Well, and ink and ribbon and buttons and ..... just everything about creating! I do!  And I especially love the days I am able to play and play (or create and create!).

If you would enjoy connecting with other creative people - come join my team! Share what you love for a hobby or a business. Remember, this wonderful Stampin' Up! business is all about doing it "your way". 

I'd love to help you create an online business that reaches people all over the world 24/7. We live in an incredible age and there are so many people out there just waiting to see what you have to share!

Join the fun here or click here to contact me

Click here to check out the current Stampin' Up! Clearance Rack!

The Gingerbread Men

Here's a quick card for you today. A great little Gingerbread Man who smells like home made cookies! I always loved the story of the Gingerbread Man and he's just as great as a stamp.

Just look at him - cute as can be!
The coordinating Framelit die created the background cutouts and did you notice they are filled in with ribbon? Just a fun way of dressing up the card.

The Gingerbread Man is stamped in Early Espresso and then re-stamped using Sugar & Spice Stampin' Emboss Powder. That's why he smells delicious! You'll have to try it!  He can also be directly embossed with Versamark onto your choice of a good gingerbread color - think Soft Suede. Sprinkle with Sugar & Spice and he'll smell as good as he is cute.

Keep tuned in for more fun projects with this little guy.

Meanwhile, if you'd like to have him delivered to your door -
click here for 24/7 shopping!

This is the week (and isn't today Friday?) for 100,000 hits! Click here for more info!

Scentsational Season Bundle
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Sugar & Spice Stampin' Emboss Powder
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Simply Thankful....

A few more thank you's for extra nice happenings from extra nice people this week... so much to be grateful for!

Keeping it simple, because sometimes that's just what feels right and sometimes its what time allows. Either way, I love simple!

So, a simple statement of gratitude, a sweet border and three little heart tags accented with pearls is all that's needed to complete this card.
Baja Breeze with a touch of Very Vanilla and Rose Red (it's been forever that I've used that color!)

Added late: Oops! Have you ever done what I just did? Wrote out my thank yous and then put them in the wrong envelopes! So last night I handed out two of my thank yous and later received a text from our oldest son..... "Silly, u gave us Shirley's card!"  So then left a message for Shirley letting her know what had happened.  I guess I just involved them in a card exchange!  Oh, well, room for improvement!

Did you know that you can visit my Stampin' Up! web page and browse through hundreds of additional great ideas?

Click here to go there now.

Fabulous Phrases
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Jewelry Tag Punch
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Thank You!

It's always fun to come up with a card for someone who is very artistic.... and a guy..... and someone very special. That would be our son, Chris. I received the greatest hand-drawn card from him for my birthday. I loved the artwork, but more than that I loved what he wrote inside. No..... can't share it, but, it would mean something very special to any Mom that received it. So glad I was that person!

So, here's my thank you to him. Had to add the heart (cause we've loved him since we set eyes on him!) and the rest - well, just kind of reminded me of him.

Did you recognize the Halloween paper? Don't let Howlstooth & Scaringbone DSP fool you. It's going to be a hit all year long (even though it's only available until the end of the year). I love the Basic Grey, Very Vanilla and a touch of Tangerine Tango that allows you to take it from a spooky holiday to a birthday card, thank you, or even a sympathy card.

The diamond shape border is also from a stamp set with Halloween sayings, but I love the feel of it and thought it suited this card.

The tag is from the Apothecary Framelits and because I always love to speed up the process when possible here's how I ran it through the Big Shot!

I didn't want the half circle tab on the bottom so just lined my paper up with the straight edge and then cut the heart out at the same time. Easy, easy!

And the Chevron Folder - I just embossed the lower portion of the card for a little extra detail. Remember this folder is part of the prize - see below!

Click here to see this week's new MDS downloads. I've also added a link on the sidebar so you can quickly see what's new in the digital design world.

Looks like this is the week to hit 100,000 hits!!! Very cool beans! See contest here!

Snow Festival!

Snow Festival Designer Printed Tags

For simple and sweet, there isn't anything simpler than using this wonderful collection of 25 double-sided tags as the focal point on your Christmas cards. All for only $3.95!

Choose your favorite sentiment (or not), add a strip of Designer Series Paper, perhaps a bit of embossing or a button and ribbon. Each one can be unique or set up production and complete 25 cards in an hour! 

 For these two cards I used the other wonderful holiday helper - Festival of Prints Designer Series Paper Stack.
It comes with 48 sheets of double-sided 4-1/2" x 6-1/2" paper.  Price: $6.95

Paired with card stock it will easily complete 100 stunning cards! And you will be giving homemade cards this year!

Purchase them online now!

And, oh, the 100,000 hits! It's so, so close!! You're almost a winner - click here for contest details!

Snow Festival Designer Printed Tags
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Festival of Prints Designer Stack
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Greetings of the Season
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