Christmas Tin of Cards

We're having a terrible, rotten, horrible, exhausting, no good, very bad week --- and it's only Tuesday.  In addition to all we've had going on with the renovation mess in my studio, we've been spending a lot of time helping my husband's mom.  After working like crazy at her place again yesterday, we got all ready to come home and the car's electrical system (or something bad) blew out and we were left stranded.  After a very long and complicated phone call and then long wait for a tow truck, we were 'treated' to a ride home in the back of a tow truck that looked like a fancy truck version of the Polar Express.  However, from the inside, we were seated in the back seat with no leg room at all, absolutely no shocks and the truck cab was riddled with cigarette smoke.  Yikes!  Thank goodness for my Nebulizer.  My asthma is giving me a real battle.  Talk about exhausting.  Anyway, we're about finished with helping my MIL and should be able to wrap that up by the end of the week.  Cross your fingers that the messiest part of our reno job may be done by the end of the week, too.  There's plaster dust everywhere in my studio and in the storage room next to it.  It's even in the insides of the drawers and the inside of the fridge.  I'm looking forward to 2019.
So ... how about some Christmas fun for us today. 
I have a large tin (Christmas Traditions Punch Box) and it's just stuffed with Christmas cards.  I gathered up my Santa's Workshop Memories and More Card Pack and the coordinating Santa's Workshop Memories and More Cards and Envelopes, set them up on my cart by my TV chair and spent 2 or 3 nights just putting together cute cards and envelopes.  I had enough embellishments to fancy up the envelopes, too.  It was relaxing and super fun.

I even added one of my Santa's Bags, with a tag from my Sincerely Santa Project Kit.  Wow!  So much fun and oh so cute.

 --- NEXT CLASSES / EVENTS:

--- Dec. 3-31 / Double Class Chips and Rewards Tokens

If you're not familiar with my rewards system, click here to learn more. 

--- Dec. 10 / Scraps and Prayers / 5:30-7:30 / $15.00
     Beautiful Christmas Cards (Timeless Tidings Kit)
     REGISTRATION CLOSED.

Keep stamping and creating and you'll have some fun holiday cards, gifts and decor to add sparkle to your holidays, too.

Playing with Tranquil Tide / Sending Christmas Wishes Card

Here's my second card I made while I was playing with Tranquil Tide.  I would have posted it sooner, but I've been busy packing up all manor of things and cleaning up drywall and who knows what all else, all due to our recent disaster.  There will be a lot of work going on in my studio in the near future, but it won't be creative fun.  We've sprung three mysterious leaks and it has created a MESS.  I can't say more about it because I don't have the words.  I am sick at heart.

I am determined not to cancel any classes or my Holiday Open House, so I've had to be creative about how to do it.  We'll be moving upstairs for a while.  We'll stamp at my dining room table and I'll set up a few little displays here and there.  I think I can make it work.  We think we have two of the leaks figured out but we still have a third one to determine.  Unfortunately, two of the leaks are in two opposite corners of one end of the room and the third one is at the complete opposite end of the room and yes, that's right in my studio area.  So... I'm closing up shop in my studio and taking enough things upstairs to be able to set up a mini studio, so I can still have a place to create.  I'm trying to make the best of it, but it's a real challenge.  My poor body aches from all the packing and extra stairs.

Let's move on to my card and think about something a lot more fun.

--- NEXT CLASSES / EVENTS: 
- Nov. 12 / Scraps and Prayers / 5:30-7:30 / $15.00
     Mixed Media Christmas Project
     REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED.

--- Holiday Open House Party
     Nov. 18 / 2:00-5:00 / A 'no fee' event
     RSVP REQUIRED TO ATTEND

- Dec. 10 / Scraps and Prayers / 5:30-7:30 / $15.00
     Beautiful Christmas Cards
     PAY TO REGISTER ONE WEEK PRIOR TO CLASS.

--- Special Drawing for Customers 
CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE INFO.
If you haven't yet placed an order with me, you'd better get in on the fun!  You have until the end of November to qualify.  You'll get your name in the drawing once for EACH order.  Several of you have already earned having your name placed into the drawing more than one time.  Good luck!  Maybe you'll be a lucky winner!  Are you feeling lucky?

Playing with Tranquil Tide / Peace and Joy Fancy Fold Card / Tutorial

When I first 'met' Tranquil Tide, I was ok with it, but not excited like I was with Granny Apple Green.  However, all of our colors take on a life of their own when you pair them with something special.  That's why I love playing with color.

I've said for years that I wasn't really a green lover, but Lemon Lime Twist and Granny Apple Green made me eat my words.  I love them.  I also love Mossy Meadow.  To me, that's the perfect dark green.  Greens like Garden Green and Shaded Spruce take a little more effort on my part to enjoy.  However, pair them with the right color story and they work fine.

The thing about Tranquil Tide that is its saving grace for me is that it has blue undertones.  I love blue - lots of shades of blue.  For this card, however, I paired it with our gorgeous Joyous Noel DSP and didn't need to go looking for a color story.

I did a little playing with Tranquil Tide and made 2 cards - each with a different design - and really like them.  If I'd paired them with a totally different color, I would have had a completely different result.  Again, that's why I love playing with color so much.  It never gets old.  I'll share one of my cards today and one in my next post.  Here's my Fancy Fold card.

This Fancy Fold is sometimes called a Z-fold.  It's a backwards Z to me, so I just call it a Fancy Fold card:)

The basic design is so simple.  You cut and score just as you would to make a regular top-fold A4 card.  Then, you flip it over (makes it easier to fold) and score again to divide the front of your card in half.
So here's what you're doing.
Cut CS to 4 1/4 X 11".
Score at 5 1/2.
Flip over and score at 2 3/4.
Fold card in half and then fold front back.
So easy and fun.
The sky's the limit on how you choose to decorate and embellish your card.
I hope you'll try it.
Another tip:
I placed all 3 of the small stamps for the envelope on the same block and stamped them all at once.  I stamped them on the flap of the envelope back, too.

--- NEXT CLASSES / EVENTS: 
- Nov. 12 / Scraps and Prayers / 5:30-7:30 / $15.00
     Mixed Media Christmas Project
     PAY TO REGISTER ON WEEK PRIOR TO CLASS. 
     ONLY 1 REMAINING SPOT FOR THIS CLASS.

--- Holiday Open House Party
     Nov. 18 / 2:00-5:00 / A 'no fee' event
     RSVP REQUIRED TO ATTEND

- Dec. 10 / Scraps and Prayers / 5:30-7:30 / $15.00
     Beautiful Christmas Cards
     PAY TO REGISTER ONE WEEK PRIOR TO CLASS.

--- Special Drawing for Customers 
CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE INFO.
If you haven't yet placed an order with me, you'd better get in on the fun!  You have until the end of November to qualify.  You'll get your name in the drawing once for EACH order.  Several of you have already earned having your name placed into the drawing more than one time.  Good luck!  Maybe you'll be a lucky winner!  Are you feeling lucky?