Crafty Elves' Countdown to Christmas / November 2024

Well, it always seems to happen like this .... You turn around and it's the holiday season !! I am working Thanksgiving and the day after this year, but will be off for Christmas and New Years. Such is the life of a nurse . I have been at it for 40 years, so working holidays is just part of the deal. But at the end of a long shift, I get to come home and spend some time with Brian & Pixie .. I hope you get to spend some time with friends and family this Thanksgiving.Lisa and I are back with our creations for November - we both should have a nice stash of cards to mail out next month !!

I decided to use the Merry Catmas stamp set from Unity Stamp Company. This is such  a cute set and I loved it so much that I made 5 cards for today .. My initial thought was to leave all the cats white but my OLO markers were calling to me and I decided to color in a few on each card . I even colored a few to match some of my friend's cats. Meow !!

• I stamped the Cat Tree image with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on white cardstock that I already had cut to fit my card bases. I used my MISTI so stamping all 5 was very quick.
• Some of the cats were colored with my OLO markers.
• I made red, blue and green versions of this card.I stamped the sentiments on white cardstock in each color and trimmed them to fit below the tree.
• The border at the top of each stamped panel was made with a Tim Holtz Alterations On the Edge Scallops Die . This is long retired but can be found on eBay.
• I color-coordinated each card - card base, border and sentiment were all the same color family.
• The sentiment was popped up with foam tabs.
• Each completed panel was adhered to a matching card base. 

I had alot of fun with these cards !! Can't wait to send them to my "crazy cat lady" friends next month . I purchased 3 books of holiday  stamps and several International stamps I usually send about 60 cards each year. Take a look at what Lisa made over at her blog -Life of a BZscrapper . I hope you have been thinking ahead and finding ways to beat the stress and holiday rush this season.  We will see you next month with a wrap-up of our year .

Debra Davson/Meticulosity

Coffee & Cards with Deb & Celeste / November 2024

Another month has gone by and Celeste and I are back with our latest blog collaboration.. Thanksgiving is next week and Christmas is right around the corner . And that usually includes some holiday baking for friends and families. So I thought that was the perfect theme for us . I hope you enjoy what we have created .

I bought the Martha Stewart Cottage Christmas rubber stamp set back in 2012 and never used it . So when I found it in my stash while looking for something else (no doubt ), it was my inspiration for this month's card .. 

• I stamped the Cottage Christmas elements on a piece of white cardstock, using Memento Dew Drop ink pads - Teal Zeal, Love Letter,  Cottage Ivy & Rich Cocoa . 
• I die cut the stamped panel with a Big and Little Chain Rectangle Die , leaving room at the bottom for a sentiment .
• A piece of Fancy Pants "Home Cafe" patterned paper was cut and adhered to a 5x7 card base.
• A sentiment from Impression Obsession's "Christmas Baking" was stamped on pale pink paper and then cut out to fit on the stamped panel. I used Catherine Pooler "Peppermint Scrub" ink .
• The completed stamped panel was placed on the card base with foam tabs to add dimension.
• I placed some pink striped Candy Dots on the sentiment for my finishing touch !!

I'm excited to see what Celeste has come up with for this Holiday Baking theme. You can check out her post over at her blog - Crafting Junky  While I was making this card, I enjoyed some Gingerbread coffee in a new reusable cup from my local Starbucks. I love its red and mint green and plaid design. And even though I definitely didn't need another cup I just had to add it to my collection.

Thanks for joining me and Celeste for another month of creativity. We will see you again in December. Until then , please stay creative AND warm ..

Debra Davison/Meticulosity