Crafty Elves' Countdown to Christmas / August 2024

It's hard to believe that September is almost here and hopefully some Autumn weather with it !! I promise not to complain about cold weather after the extremely hot summer we've had. Last year right after Christmas, our HVAC system decided that 20 years of work was enough and broke down. It was time for a new one and as hard as it was to spend so much money on it, the house hasn't felt so comfortable in years. The kitchen hadn't cooled down or warmed up in a long time but new duct work took care of that also .. Sooooo, I am looking forward to cooler temps, sweater weather, falling leaves and a nice,cozy house !! Remind me of that when we have our first snowfall. 

Lisa and I are back this month with our Crafty Elf creations to inspire you and help you get ready to send your holiday cards !! I used a retired stamp from Penny Black Inc.  - Paris Packages. I also colored the stamped image with my new OLO markers .

• I stamped the Eiffel Tower image on white cardstock with Tuxedo Black Memento ink .
• The stamped image was die cut with a Big and Little Chain Rectangle die from Gina Marie Designs .
• The stamped image waa colored with my new OLO markers. I was so excited to use them that I forgot to write down which colors I used.But I will next time.
• I adhered a piece of Paris Junk Journal digital paper  - from Trendy Travel Digital on Etsy - to a Sky Blue 5x7 card base.
• The stamped panel was matted on a piece of teal cardstock and adhered to the card base with foam tabs.
• A Merry Christmas wood-mounted stamp from My Sentiments Exactly was used  for the sentiment. I stamped it with Rose IO ink on white cardstock, then trimmed it.
• I adhered the sentiment to the left of the Eiffel Tower with foam tabs.

I also colored it in a more traditional color scheme.for another card.

Please take a look at Lisa's August inspiration over at her blog - Life of a BZscrapper . She continuously creates fabulous cards each and every month .. I appreciate you stopping by to visit the Crafty Elves. We will be back  in September with more holiday creations!!

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

It's Okay Not To Be Okay

I've learned over the years that it's okay not to be okay. When something tragic happens, we need to acknowledge it and understand that we are allowed to be sad .. Grief is not a problem to be solved - we learn to navigate through it. I certainly learned that when my son was killed in a car accident in 2023 by an impaired driver. We had a close but complicated relationship and all of a sudden he was gone. No more time to wonder what the future would bring . I had guilt over the should haves and could haves. And I definitely wasn't okay. But with the help of an amazing grief counselor, a support group, family and friends, I am learning that when I'm not okay, I have people to turn to .. This card is for a dear friend who is going through her own grief . I can't fix it for her but I can be there for her when she needs a friend. We've spent an afternoon playing with paper and many times just meeting up for a quick coffee . It's okay to not be okay but you don't have to do it alone . 

• I stamped the sentiment from Technique Junkies with Nautical Blue Memento ink on a piece of nautical patterned paper .
• The stamped panel was adhered to a Kraft card base.

Thank you for stopping by to see my card using the It's Okay stamp from the latest Technique Junkies release. Reach out to someone you know who is having a hard time. You don't have to fix it for them - you just need to be there.

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

Coffee & Cards with Deb & Celeste / August 2024

It's time for my August collaboration with Celeste .. Each month we choose a theme and make a card .. We also talk about our latest coffee favorite - and often share a new cup !!  This time our theme is TWINE.  I have several rolls of Baker's Twine that I've been using for years . All I had to do was come up with a card idea !!

I am not a big Taylor Swift fan but do love one of her songs and especially 1 line in that song . I saw it in a stamp set by Erin Lee Creative - Me and Karma - and just had to have it !! Then I just had to find the perfect image for it . I think that I hit the jackpot with a set of stamps by Technique Junkie - Vamps and Vixens . This set is retired but there are many fun images that could be used with this sentiment.

• I stamped the Woman image on white cardstock with Tuxedo Black Memento ink .
• Below the woman I stamped the sentiment with Cranberry Fizz ink from Catherine Pooler .
• I wrapped a piece of Pink Lemonade twine around the stamped panel .
• The stamped panel was trimmed and mounted on a piece of turquoise cardstock.
• I adhered the completed panel to a multi-color plaid card base .

I'm looking forward to seeing what Celeste comes up with for this twine theme. Check out her blog - Crafting Junky  - for her card .  I was lucky enough to get a new coffee cup for my birthday from a dear friend . And I absolutely love it - my friend Donna knows me well !! I am drinking IHOP Buttery Syrup coffee as I write this post and admire my new cup . We are finally cooling down here a bit and by that I mean we are only in the high 80's, instead of the high 90's . I am very much looking forward to Fall weather - sweaters, pumpkin spice lattes and autumn colors .. 

Thank you for visiting Meticulosity again !! Celeste and I will be back to help you with some Autumn inspiration next month. Until then, Stay Creative !!

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

Calm is a Super Power

Sometimes you just want to make a quick card for a friend. Grab the perfect paper and a sentiment and get to work. And that is absolutely what I did when I sat down to make this card for you today . I used the Contemporary Inspiration stamp set  from the latest Technique Junkies release.  

• On a piece of Palm Tree paper from the fun Park Lane " Summer Beach Resort" paper pad,  I stamped Calm is a Super Power, using Teal Zeal and Nautical Blue Memento Dew Drop inks,
• Calm is a Super Power is one of 4 stamps included in the Contemporary Inspiration stamp set .
• The paper pad is 6" x 8" so all I had to do to make a card was fold it in half !! How quick and easy was that ?!?!?!

There are 12 fabulous stamps/stamp sets in the latest Technique Junkies Release .Check them all out - there's a wide variety of different themes. And always remember to use my code - TJ10Deb - to save 10% on your order. Take some time to look at what my teammates have also created - you can find their inspiration at the Design Team Blog . Thank you for stopping by ....

Until next time-

Stay Creative

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

Crafty Elves' Countdown to Christmas / July 2024

Here we are in July, posting our Crafty Elf cards !! Michael Trent is once again joining us to bring you some holiday inspiration .. Our weather has been brutal here but certainly not as bad as other areas of the country. As I made my card, I thought of cooler temperatures, hot cocoa with whipped cream and holiday snail mail.

For my slimline card today, I chose a sweet design from Stampendous - Mini Holiday Wheels  . It even has our sweet cat Pixie looking out the window as we drive off on an adventure.

It's the most wonderful tie of the year

• I stamped the Mini Holiday Wheels stamp on white cardstock with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored it with my COPICS .
• I trimmed the stamped image and then matted it with bright green cardstock.
• The plaid patterned paper was adhered to a Kraft card base.
• I adhered the completed stamped panel to the plaid paper.
• A Tim Holtz Idea-Ology sentiment was placed above the stamped image.
• A dark red glitter candy dot was placed on either side of the sentiment.
• Small colored pearls were placed on the wreath.

I'm so glad that Michael has joined us today. He always creates such fabulous cards and I'm sure today will be no exception. You can follow the links below to see what he and Lisa have made to inspire us.

Michael - World of Michael Trent

Lisa - Life of a BZscrapper

There are now only 5 months until Christmas !! Have you started your holiday cards ?? It's a good feeling to have a nice stash when the time comes to start on your Christmas card list ..  I look forward to seeing you again next month ..

Debra Davison

Meticulosity

Coffee & Cards with Deb and Celeste / July 2024

It's time for summer vibes as Celeste and I get together for Coffee & Cards this month.  We are having a heat wave here but I'm grateful for our new heat pump that keeps our house so much cooler than our old one. And of course, lots of iced coffee !! Celeste chose our inspiration photo for July - and it's absolutely perfect !!

For my card, I used the Bold Summer collection from Joann's . The paper pad and dimensional stickers were exactly what I needed  !! And believe it or not, I didn't even do any stamping on this project.

• I adhered a piece of watermelon patterned paper onto an A2 card base.
• My Big and Little Chain Rectangle die was used to cut out a mat for the Sweet Summer Time sticker.
• After adhering the sticker to the dark green die cut, I placed it in the center of the card base.
• A dimensional Watermelon Mojito sticker was adhered to the right lower corner of the matted sticker.

What a quick and easy card to capture summer !! To see what Celeste has made, check out her blog post  - Crafting Junky . To keep cool on these hot summer days, I love to  drink iced coffee . Today I'm drinking an Iced Toasted Coconut Mocha and using one of my fun coffee sleeves . Are you a fan of Iced Coffee ?? I'll admit that sometimes my morning cup of coffee sits while I putter around the house doing chores, making a card etc...  And lately instead of reheating it one more time in the microwave, I will just add some ice and turn it into a fabulous iced version !! 

Thank you for stopping by to see our summery cards. Have you been creating seasonal cards lately ?? Although I am enjoying summer so far, I know that Fall ( and cooler temps )  are right around the corner. We will see you next month - until then, Stay Creative.. 

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

A Creative Bibliophile - July 2024

I haven't written a  Creative Bibliophile post since September 2021. But lately I have been feeling the need to post about books again and I also have some fabulous book sleeves to show off !! I love any and all kinds of book - "real" books and the virtual versions and every so often, an audible book .  I have cute cases for my Kindle Fire and my Paperwhite . But I wanted a padded sleeve for them too . And hopefully ones that could hold my "real" books also . So basically, that is why I am back . To show off - I mean show you ( LOL ) - my wonderful finds.

I'm in several book groups online and also check out links when someone recommends bookmarks or book sleeves or even book stickers.  I happened on a link to a Facebook Group  - CAM Creations Booksleeves & More and found the most amazing selection of booksleeves.. They have a fantastic variety of fabrics to choose from - book-related, true crime, cartoon characters, tv shows, dogs, cats, flowers etc....  I bought 2 already and just ordered another one today !!  And you'll soon see why I can't get enough of this fabric 📕

These fabrics are even more beautiful in person .

This is a large and a Kindle Paperwhite sleeve . 

A hardback book will fit in the large.

 

FRONT

BACK

I just started reading The Spellshop and will write a post about it along with a new handmade bookmark in a few weeks.  I hope you will go to CAM Creations and join to take a look at all of their fabulous sleeves ( and other bookish products ). The Featured tab will give you info on sizes and prices. The Albums with all of the themes can be found at the Media tab. I do not work with or for Melissa and I am not getting any freebies for writing this post .. I am just a nerdy bookworm who loves to share fun bookish items that I am lucky enough to find !!

Until next time --

Read a book 🕮

Debra Davison / Meticulosity