Crafty Elves' Countdown to Christmas / October 2026

It seems like we were just in the middle of a heat wave here in Virginia and now it's Autumn, with beautiful cooler days. In no time at all, it will be Christmas - so Lisa, Mchael and I are back to show you our holiday cards for October. Have you started yours yet or are you one of those last minute crafters?

For my card today, I used the Simon Says Stamp Limited Edition Kit - Cozy and Bright. It was the final release for Stamptember, which is a month of fabulous releases each day during the month of September . Many great stamp companies come out with limited edition sets and a different company is announced each day . I was a very good girl and did not even look until the last day !! But I couldn't resist the Cozy and Bright kit - it had papers, cardstock, ephemera, an embossing folder, rhinestones, adhesive, inks and a fabulous stamp set. I also ordered the matching dies. The kit is absolutely beautiful !!

• I stamped the Window image with my go-to Memento Tuxedo Black ink  ( from my own stash ) on white cardstock .
• The image was die cut with the matching die .
• I colored the image with my Ohuhu markers.
• I used the embossing folder and red cardstock from the kit and embossed a front panel for my card.
• The sentiment was stamped with an Apple mini ink cube on white cardstock and die cut .
• I adhered the embossed panel to a white card base.
• I did use an Impression Obsession Scalloped Rectangle die for the frame and a piece of seafoam cardstock.
• The stamped Window was adhered to the embossed panel inside the scalloped frame.
• I popped up the sentiment with foam tabs below the frame.
• I used some rhinestones from my stash on the Christmas tree.

Stamptember Cozy and Bright Kit

Simon Says Stamp

To see what Michael and Lisa have made, you can check out their blog posts at these links -

Michael - World of Michael Trent

Lisa - Life of a BZscrapper

As the countdown to Christmas continues, we will keep making cards and be back November 25 .. Until then, stay creative and enjoy some beautiful Autumn weather wherever you are !!  

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

Coffee & Cards with Deb & Celeste / August 2026

It's time for the August edition of Coffee & Cards with Deb & Celeste . Celeste chose a theme near and dear to my heart - CATS . Brian and I recently adopted a rescue kitten and to say she has taken over our household is an understatement.  Serafina had an undiagnosed health issue that we are now treating but it's been a rough few months. We are halfway through her treatment, and she is doing remarkably well !! So this card is for all those fur babies out there and the parents who love them unconditionally .  And a shout-out to our amazing new vet - Dr. Sara Elliott - who had a suspicion and acted on it .  I will be forever grateful to her and the entire team at Bay Beach Veterinary Hospital in Virginia Beach . I don't know what the future holds but they gave our little Sassy a fighting chance  .

For my card today, I used a 2014 paper stack from DCWV  - The Pets Stack . I am sure it's no longer available, but  I'll bet many of you have some sort of pet paper in your stash. The rubber stamp I used is a "vintage" wood-mounted stamp from JudiKins . It was designed by Paula Best and is # 9541G .  I haven't seen any recent stamps from her but I do own quite a few and they are prized possessions .

Every Life Should Have Nine Cats

• I stamped the Cat image on white cardstock with Memento Tuxedo Black ink .
• A pierced circle die was used to cut out the stamped image .
• I used a one size larger circle die and cut out a rust cardstock circle.
• The stamped image was colored with my Ohuhu markers.
• I adhered the stamped image to the rust cardstock circle.
• Foam tabs were used to adhere the completed circle panel to the paw patterned paper.
• I used a cream card base for this card .

I hope you like this card .. I actually made 6 using different patterned pet papers from the same stack . I'll be sending them to cat loving friends and to my vet , I can't wait to see what Celeste made for our theme - check her card out over at Crafting Junky .

For my coffee this month, I'm drinking Caramel Vanilla coffee with a delicious Coffee Mate Toffee Cauldron Creamer . We have had a crazy couple of months here - new kitten, car stuff, house stuff etc ..  - so my cup today is the Things Could Be Worse Mug from Calamityware . It appears to be just a pretty blue patterned mug until you look closer.  There are giant frogs, sea monsters, aggressive pterodactyls, zombie poodles, a Sasquatch and pirates ( among other things .. )  They are a reminder that no matter how bad things seem for you, they could always be worse..  It put a smile on my face after a very long week .. My fabulous friend Carmelita sent me that cup many years ago and it is kept on the desk in my craft room !!

And just in case you wanted to see our new addition, here she is helping me with my card .

Serafina - aka Sassy 

Thank you so much for stopping by . We will see you next month when we will hopefully be celebrating the start of Sweater Weather !!  Until then, drink good coffee and stay creative !!

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

Crafty Elves' Countdown to Christmas / July 2026

The Crafty Elves are bringing you their Christmas in July posts !! Although to be honest, every month is Christmas for us .. I am celebrating our new kitten with 2 of my cards this month. We adopted a sweet Siamese Mix kitten on June 16 and she is the Princess of our household. 

I raided my scrap paper drawer for 2 of my cards and used some Recollections holiday card bases for the other 2. The stamp set I used is Christmas Kitties by Simon Says Stamp! .  And my go-to black ink as always - Memento Tuxedo Black .

NO PEEKING Tim Holtz Small Talk sentiment

Kraft Cardboard box fussy cut and popped up with foam tabs

Paper Studio Holiday Foam Sticker

Tim Holtz sticker sentiment

Tim Holtz sticker sentiment

I hope you like the 4 cards I've added to my stash this month . Check out what Michael and Lisa have created over at their blogs.

World of Michael Trent

Life of a BZscrapper

We will be back next month with more holiday inspiration for you !! Take care, keep cool and stay creative.

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

Coffee & Cards with Deb and Celeste / July 2026

We're in the midst of summer - the perfect time for a Summer Wildflowers theme . I was initially hesitant but then found an amazing stamp set while destashing . I was so thrilled that I made 3 cards !! I'm really not a big fan of floral stamps but I think I did a good job with this theme . 

For all 3 cards I used Katie Daisy "Wildflower Picnic postcards" ,  and Prima Marketing Inc . clear stamps, journaling cards and crystal embellishments . The Prima supplies are all from older retired collections. The Katie Daisy postcards come in a box of 100 . I love sending snail mail and her designs are all so beautiful .. And they were perfect for our July theme . 

Lose Yourself in Nature

Let's Explore 

• I stamped the wildflowers with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on Journal cards.
• The sentiments were stamped in red and navy inks .
• I adhered postcards to pink and yellow cardstock card bases .
• The stamped journal cards were matted with pink cardstock .
• I popped the completed stamped panels up on the postcards with foam tabs for some added dimension.
• Prima crystal embellishments were added to each card .

I enjoyed making these cards and can't wait to see what Celeste creates. You can find her post at Crafting Junky  .  This month for my coffee, I went with a Christmas in July theme and made myself a Gingerbread Latte in a favorite holiday cup. Hard to believe the holidays will be here soon !

Thank you for stopping by and checking out our July inspiration. We hope our Summer Wildflowers projects tempt you to create some cards of your own . 

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

Crafty Elves' Countdown to Christmas / June 2026

Michael, Lisa and I are back with our holiday inspiration for the month  . Hard to believe we are half-way to Christmas. My post will be short and sweet because we adopted a rescue kitten a week ago and she is keeping us busy. Serafina is a 4 month old Siamese kitten that was abandoned on the side of a road with 3 siblings. She is so teeny and we are smitten. We lost our 6 year old cat Pixie to Cardiomyopathy almost 1 year ago and just recently felt ready to give another kitty a forever home. The idea for my cards came to me last night and I think that for a last-minute creation, I did good !!

I will include the supplies I used under each picture. I have had the Tim Holtz Layer Frames since 2023 and this is my first time using them !!  The Impression Obsession sentiments I used were from Christmas Coffee Sayings . And my Go-To ink - Memento Tuxedo Black .

Tim Holtz Holiday Layers Frame 

Coffee Cup / Stampers Anonymous for Stamptember 2024

Impression Obsession sentiment

Pink Fresh Studio Holiday Dreams paper

Tim Holtz Holiday Layers Frame

Coffee Cup / Stampers Anonymous set from  Stamptember 2024 

Impression Obsession sentiment 

Pink Fresh Studio Holiday Dreams paper

I used my Ohuhu Honolulu B markers to color the coffee cuos. These cards were so simple and easy to make . I popped each of the frames up with Stampin' Up Dimensionals.

Michael and Lisa have also made something to inspire you to get started on your holiday cards . I always send out close to 50 cards each holiday so it's nice to have a little stash on hand when December rolls around .

Michael - World of Michae; Trent

Lisa - Life of a BZscrapper

Thank you so  much for stopping by . We hope you are inspired by our creativity . We hope to see you next month .

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

Coffee & Cards with Deb & Celeste / March 2026

Well, Celeste has gotten me out of my comfort zone again with another sketch challenge for this month's blog collab . I'm not sure why I have a hard time with these, but this time it was relatively easy for me . How do you feel about sketch designs ??? Here's what we used for our March cards .

I saw an old favorite Rubber Moon stamp - Journal Girl - and thought she would be perfect for my card.  I was so sad when Rubber Moon closed but luckily, I have a nice collection of their stamps. I used the Cool Girl paper pad by Pebbles, American Crafts for the patterned papers on my card .

• I stamped the Journal Girl with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on white cardstock and die cut it with a  Big and Little Chain Rectangle Die .
• I used the next larger die in the set and cut a mat from a piece of plum cardstock.
• The image was colored with my COPICS.
• A red clay heart was placed in her hair - like the barrettes I used to wear as a child .
• 3 mint green sequins were placed down the left side of the stamped image .
• I placed coordinating papers on a mint green card base to follow the sketch design.
• The stamped image was adhered to the plum mat and then to the floral-patterned paper.
• A chipboard flower from the Good Life Thickers collection from American Crafts was adhered to the bottom right corner of the stamped/matted panel .
• A Tim Holtz Small Talk sentiment completed my card .

Celeste is a pro at these sketch challenges, and I can't wait to see what she has made. Please take a look at her card over at Crafting Junky . Today my drink of choice is an Iced Matcha Latte . I'm using a fun cup I bought awhile ago and have had sitting on my desk. It's never been used so I figured now was the perfect time.  It even has a cool tea bag holder in the bottom that I will use next time for some hot tea. I just love the cat/sushi pattern on the cup !!

Thank you again for taking time out of your busy day to see what Celeste and I are up to this month . I'm feeling a little bit better about sketch challenges now and have Celeste to thank for that !! We will see you again in April .I hope Spring is bringing some beautiful weather to you, wherever you are .. Until nest time, stay creative.

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

 

Crafty Elves' Countdown to Christmas / February 2026

The Crafty Elves are here with their February inspiration. Michael will be taking a break this month but will be back in March . Our weather here is finally starting to warm up a bit ( and by that, I mean above freezing . ) It's sad when 50 degrees is a warm temperature !! But I am certainly not complaining . 

For my card this month, I inked up the Catherine Pooler Designs  Anna in the City images . I also used the matching dies.  I was excited to find both of these on sale online .

• I inked up the Anna image and small purse with Memento Tuxedo Black ink .
• The images were die-cut with the matching dies .
• I colored the images with my COPICS .
• I adhered a scrap piece of red patterned paper to the top portion of a dark green card base.
• The Anna image was adhered to the left side of the patterned paper.
• I popped up the purse with foam tabs on her left hand .
• A Hello December planner sticker was placed to finish the card .

This was a fun card to make and was quick to color. I can see myself making more with these images with a Fall palette . Take a few minutes to check out what Lisa has created for the month. You can find her over at her blog - Life of a BZscrapper . Thanks for checking us out as we continue making our holiday cards each month to inspire you . We will be back in March .

 Debra Davison / Meticulosity

Coffee & Cards with Deb & Celeste / February 2026

We're back to bring you the February edition of Coffee & Cards with Deb & Celeste . And it's only appropriate that this month our theme is Valentines / Hearts . We hope you like how we were inspired ..

I decided to make a card for my guy, Brian. I make many cards but somehow never seem to get around to giving him one that is handmade. So I pulled out the Ink Road stamp set Snarky Couple to make my card . We have been together since 2001, so this sentiment seemed perfect !!

Let's Grow Old and Grumpy Together

• I adhere a piece of paper from the Tim Holtz Idea-ology Red Palette Collection to a red card base. This paper collection is absolutely beautiful !!
• The couple image was stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black ink on white cardstock .
• The image was colored with my COPICs .
• The sentiment was stamped using Catherine Pooler Peppermint Scrub ink .
• I diecut the stamped image to fit the front of my card with a Stitched Square Die.
• A piece of lace ribbon from Stampin' Up was adhered below the sentiment.
• A Valentine Word Snippet from KCS Designs by Kim was printed, cut out and adhered to the ribbon .
• I placed a small red button on the left side of the sentiment. 
• The completed stamped panel was adhered with foam tabs in the center of the patterned paper on the card base.
• Heart Wax Seal stickers were placed on each side of the stamped panel .

I really love the vintage feel of this card . It  reminds me of old-fashioned Valentine cards .  Be sure to go to Celeste's blog - Crafting Junky - to see how she brought our inspiration photo  to life .

For my coffee today, I chose a McCafe Loaded Chocolate Chip Cookie K-cup .  This tastes just like a delicious warm cookie right out of the oven. The cup I'm using was given to me by a friend who brought it back for me after a visit to Disney California Adventure Park . I recently found it in the midst of a big destash I've been doing .. 

I made one more card with the Snarky Couple set . This card also has a vintage vibe .

Thank you for visiting with Celeste and I again to check out our cards . We will be back in March and hopefully there will be some warmer weather coming along with us . Until next time, Stay Creative ( and warm ) .

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

Crafty Elves' Countdown to Christmas / October 2025

The Countdown to Christmas is on !!! Michael, Lisa and I are creating holiday cards each month to inspire you . Having a stash of cards to send out helps you beat some of the holiday rush . Every little bit helps - whether you make 1 card or many cards . I try to address the envelopes as I make the cards which saves additional time. 

Today -  October 25 - is also World Fussy-Cutting Day . It honors Sharon Klima, a beloved papercrafter who died of a heart attack . It's a day to focus on the joy of papercrafting and mindfulness and raising awareness for women's heart health  - reminding us to pause, connect and take care of our hearts (both literally and figuratively). I love to fussy-cut and used the beautiful Hero Arts - Christmas Robins stamp set for my cards today . The digital background paper is from KCS Designs by Kim - Christmas Gingham Journal Papers. You can find so many amazing digi designs in her ETSY shop and they are all 35% off .

• The birdhouses, bells and birds were stamped on white cardstock with Memento Tuxedo Black ink .
• I colored the images with my OLO markers.
• All images were then fussy-cut .
• I printed & then adhered the Christmas Gingham paper to 2 card bases .
• The birdhouses were adhered to the patterned paper .
• I placed the bells  and birds on each birdhouse with foam tabs for added dimension .
• I used Tim Holtz Small Talk stickers for my sentiments. They are always perfect for a finishing touch .

Please be sure to take aa look at what Michael and Lisa have made . They always inspire me to create more cards !! 

Michael - World of Michael Trent

Lisa - Life of a BZscrapper

Thanks so much for joining us as we get ready for the holiday season .. We hope you are enjoying some beautiful Fall weather wherever you are . I look forward to seeing you next month as we get even closer to Christmas . I recently retired October 1 and this year I will have every holiday off !! As an RN, I worked weekends and holidays for the past 40 years so I will thoroughly enjoy this year's as a free woman !!

Until next time, Stay Creative 

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

Coffee & Cards with Deb & Celeste / October 2025

It's finally Fall - which means chilly temps, sweater weather AND things that go bump in the night !! Celeste and I decided to go with the fun, spooky time of year that October brings and celebrate Halloween .

I finally pulled out the Colorado Craft Company stamp set - Trick or Treating Cats. This set is no longer available, but they have many other fantastic Halloween designs. 

• I stamped the image with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on white cardstock .
• The image was colored with my COPICS .
• A Big and Little Chain Rectangle die was used to die-cut the stamped image .
• I adhered a piece of patterned paper in Autumn colors to a dark grey card base.
• Turquoise glitter was placed on the frilly border of the skirt.

I'm hoping we get lots of trick-or-treaters this year. A family down the street from us always coordinates their costumes. One year they were all Star Wars characters - with Baby Yoda being pushed in a stroller . It was so cute !!!  I'm drinking some Apple Cider Donut coffee from a cup given to me by a friend. The coffee definitely is delicious on a chilly Autumn morning ..

Take a look at Celeste's Halloween card over at her blog - Crafting Junky . I know she has created something fabulous! We will be back next month with more Coffee & Cards. Until then, stay creative AND always drink good coffee ..

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

Coffee & Cards with Deb & Celeste / September 2025

This month, Celeste had the great idea to use up some of our scraps . I used to keep two whole  drawers full of paper scraps - 1 for solid colors and another for patterned paper. But I decided to consolidate and just keep one drawer, which narrowed down my selection for today. I did find some great pieces of scrap paper though and made a great background for my card .

Celeste's Scrap Stash

I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with the scraps I chose so I just placed them on a card base and hoped I would come up with an idea !! I decided to look through some Close To My Heart stamp sets and found one that I thought would work with my background. Here are the scraps that I used , All I did was trim them down to get several lengths and attached them to a navy card base.

And here is my finished card ..

• The stamp set is I'd Rather Be Reading from Close To My Heart  (which unfortunately has closed ).
• I stamped the shelf and sentiment on cream cardstock . I used Memento Tuxedo Black ink for the shelf and the matching die to cut the shelf .
• The sentiment was stamped with Impression Obsession Ruby  ink .
• The shelf was colored with Copics and Sharpies.
• I adhered the shelf to the scrap paper strips with foam tabs to add some dimension .
• The sentiment was die-cut with a Big Little Chain Rectangle die from Gina Marie Designs .
• I adhered the sentiment to the bottom right corner of the card base .

I am really happy with how this card turned out, especially since I had no idea what I was doing when I sat down to make it !! Do you ever grab some scarps from your stash and create with them ?? This was a fun theme !!  I can't wait to see what Celeste came up with . Take a look at her blog Crafting Junky to see her card ..

For my coffee this month, I chose McCafe'  Affogato .. It tastes like Vanilla soft serve ice cream and is absolutely delicious !!  My cup is a Starbucks Amsterdam mug brought back for me by a friend. It must have been International Day here because I'm reading a book set in Scotland from a Netherlands cup while drinking American coffee !! 

Thank you for joining me today as I use up some scraps . I hope Celeste and I have inspired you to take a look in your stash and create something !! Until next time, I hope you will enjoy some creative time, drink some good coffee and read a good book .

Debra Davison / Meticulosity