Crafty Elves' Countdown to Christmas / November 2023

I don't know where the time went .. This past year has flown by !!  4 weeks until Christmas and here we are again - the Crafty Elves - AND we have a very special Guest Elf. Amy Tsuruta is an amazing papeecrafter and the force behind the Coffee Loving Papercrafters page on Facebook !! She just finished up the Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop and was gracious enough to agree to join us . I really can't say enough nice things about her .. I'm excited to see what she creates for us this month .

There are so many new Christmas stamps in my stash .. I had a hard time deciding which ones to use for this post .. But finally Tim Holz's Christmas Cartoons won . I love these stamps . They remind me of the Jetsons !!

• I stamped the images on white Mixed Media paper with Memento Tuxedo Black ink .
• The sentiments were stamped last, using my MISTI for proper placement.
• The images were colored in with my COPICS.
• I adhered pieces of some hoarded Tim Holtz Christmas patterned paper to a powder blue and a bright green card base,
• I matted each of the completed stamped panels with green cardstock 
• The stamped panels were popped up on the card bases with foam tabs.
• I placed a silver glitter mini clothes pin at the top of the stamped panel on the powder blue card base .

These images were so quick and easy to color !! I know I will be making many more this holiday season. Now it's time to see what the rest of the Crafty Elves have created .. You can find them at the links below -

 Amy Tsuruta - Craftee 1

Michael Trent - World of Michael Trent

Lisa Reynolds Bzibziak - Life of a BZscrapper

We hope that you like our creations for November. Thanks so much to Amy for joining us  I will be sending some holiday blog candy to 1 commeter on this post .. I'll choose someone at random .. Let me know if you've started on your holiday cards yet. If you haven't, you might want to make a resolution for 2024 to follow us each month for inspiration !!

Until next time, Stay Creative

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

Coffee & Cards with Deb & Celeste / November 2023

Celeste and I are getting in the holiday spirit with this month's inspiration photo !! Last year, she sent me a stamp set from Close To My Heart and she also has the set . We decided to use it for our cards this month !! We hope you are inspired to make a few holidays cards yourself if you haven't already ..

The Close To My Heart stamp/die set "Comfort and Joy"  has so many fun elements . I had planned on using the tree then couldn't make up my mind when I sat down to work on the card .... So, I decided to combine 3 of the stamps into 1 slimline card . I hope you like it !!

• I stamped the images using Catherine Pooler Mini ink pads -  the colors were as follows - Deck the Halls/Eucalyptus , Noel/Peppermint Scrub and Eucalyptus, and the Tree & Star/Spruce and Sauna .
• The images were cut using the matching dies.
• I adhered the die-cut green leaves to the NOEL image.
• I cut a piece of dark red cardstock for my slimline card.
• A piece of plaid holiday paper was cut to fit the card base anda strip of gold glitter washi was placed down the left side .
• I adhered the plaid paper to the card base.
• The stamped images were adhered to the plaid paper.
• I placed several blue-green rhinestones on the Deck the Halls image.
• Small colored pearls were adhered to the tree.

I used my new paper cutter on this card  - the Tim Holtz-Tonic Precision Trimmer . I had the same cutter for almost 10 years and wanted to try something new. I am not affiliated with these companies - I just honestly love this trimmer. You can check out its features and see a video HERE at Tonic Studios.

It will be fun to see what Celeste has created using the same stamp set .  Her card can be found over at her blog - Crafting Junky . For my coffee this month, I couldn't pass up using my Red Cup from Starbucks. I am excited every year for Red Cup Day and this year was no exception !! I'm using this picture from Starbucks of the cup because it is so pretty but I'm using my own at home as I write this .  Chestnut Praline coffee is my flavor cloice for November.  We had roasted and boiled chestnuts every Christmas when I was growing up in Pennsylvania so this coffee brings back lots of happy memories !!

Thank you for visiting Meticulosity to see what Celeste and I are up to this season. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving surrounded by friends and family .. Don't forget to relax in the middle of all the chaos of the cooking, cleaning, football watching etc ..

Until next time - Stay Creative

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

Technique Junkies Stamp Release / November 2023

Here we are with our November Release from  Technique Junkies . There are 11 new stamps to choose from and they are all fabulous !! As always, new release stamps are 15% off through the 8th of the month and if you use my code - TJ10Deb - you can save 10% on all other supplies .. The new release stamps also come in a specially priced bundle if you feel like you just have to have them all !!

I chose the Vintage Script Collage for my first card of this release.  I had several ideas for this stamp  - ATC card or coins, 2 mini slimline cards or a slimline card .. The list went on and on.. What to do with that large stamp ?!?!?! I finally chose to cut the image into quarters and re-arrange them ..  I'm very happy with it and hope you are too ..

• I stamped the Vintage Script Collage with Tuxedo Black Memento ink on white Mixed-Media paper.
• I trimmed the image then cut it into quarters.
• All of the 4 quarters were colored with my COPICS .
• I re-arranged the quarters and adhered them on a piece of red cardstock, leaving space between each quarter.
• A floral postage stamp was placed on the lower left image . 
• A piece of cursive patterned paper was adhered to a white card base.
• The completed,matted stamped panel was adhered to the cursive paper.
• A sentiment was placed in the lower right corner of the card.

All of the Technique Junkies Design Team members have created projects for this release. You can look at them at the links below -

Debra - you are here

TJ Blog

Christine

Darlene

Michael

Shalana

Jeanette

Pam

Pat

Think you for stopping by to check out the latest Release. I'm sure there is a stamp or two to spark your creativity. Have you started your holiday cards yet ?? Do you have a friend's birthday coming up ?? Take some time to look at the latest that Technique Junkies has to offer. My teammates and I will be posting projects throughout the month to inspire you .

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

Coffee & Cards with Deb & Celeste / October 2023

It's that spooky time of year when children are getting ready to trick or treat, leaves are falling, pumpkins are being carved and temperatures are finally starting to cool off  So what better theme for Celeste and I than Halloween !!

I was so sad to see that Ellen Hutson  was retiring, but I got some amazing deals on stamp sets. some with matching dies . I combined 2 sets for my card and also added googly eyes ( which I hate ) for my friend Michael ( he is obsessed with them ) !!!  Although I will admit that I did have fun with this card and just might now like googly eyes a little tiny bit.

• I stamped the candy jar from the Hard Candy Christmas stamp set  with Tuxedo Black Memento Dew Drop Ink on white mixed-media paper.
• The orange candies in the jar were stamped with Catherine Pooler Mandarin Spice ink and then cut out with the matching dies.
• I colored a few areas of the jar with my COPICS.
• I arranged the googly eyes and candies in the jar and took a picture so I could follow it as I was adhering them. 
• The sentiment from the Halloween Magic stamp set was stamped with Mandarin Spice ink and then trimmed to fit beneath the jar.
• I adhered the completed stamped panel  to an orange card base.
• The sentiment was popped up beneath the jar with foam tabs.

I am absolutely certain that Celeste will have something spectacular for us this month !! You can see her card over at Crafting Junky . I'm thankful for each and every one of you who takes the time to join us for coffee and cards . This month, I'm drinking my all-time favorite coffee of the holiday season - Gingerbread - from a cute cup given to me by my friend, Xenia ..  "Hey, Boo" is a favorite rubber stamp of mine and I also say it alot this time of year ... I was thrilled when she found it for me !!

Enjoy this beautiful time of year, take some time for yourself doing whatever it is you love to do AND until next time, stay creative !!

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

Crafty Elves' Countdown to Christmas / October 2023

When did it become October  ?? Only 2 months until Christmas !!! It's hard to believe, when it seems like it was 100 degrees yesterday and I was dreading opening the electric bill . Today we even had some frost in our area and I needed a sweater on my way into work. But it is time for the Crafty Elves to bring you their latest projects and I hope you're inspired to start a few cards of your own.. I'm excited to see what Michael and Lisa have for us .

For my card this month, I used one of the October Releases from Technique Junkies. The Merry Be Your Christmas stamp is a beautiful traditional image for your holiday cards.

• On a piece of white cardstock, I stamped the Merry Be image. I used Lady Bug, Nautical Blue, Cottage Ivy and Paris Dusk  ink colors .
• The Row of Houses die from Gina Marie Designs was die-cut from bright red cardstock.
• I adhered a piece of patterned holiday paper to a pink card base.
• The stamped panel was adhered to the patterned paper.
• I placed the Row of Houses along the bottom of the stamped panel.

This card was not very complicated and I definitely love its message. It would be an easy card to mass produce also. Please take a look at what Michael and Lisa have for you this month as we find our way to the holiday season.. 

Michael Trent - World of Michael Trent

Lisa Bzibziak - Life of BZscrapper

Thanks so much for stopping by . Have you started to get ready for the holidays ?? I'm excited to be a bit ahead of the rush already with so many cards made and even some envelopes addressed !!We look forward to seeing you again next month ... 

Until then, stay creative..

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

He Made It / She Made It - Oct. 2023

Our latest stamp to create with for HE MADE IT / SHE MADE IT is the Holly and Berries stamp from the October Technique Junkies release . Michael Trent and I choose a stamp each month and make a project with it. He's an amazing papercrafter in Brazil ( by way of NYC ) and we have a friendship based on our love of paper and coffee basically !! So let's see what we've come up with for October .. You might look at my card and think how pretty my patterned paper is but that is actually the Holly & Berries stamp..

• On a red card base, I adhered a Christmas plaid patterned paper.
• I stamped the Holly and Berries image on white cardstock with Tuxedo Black ink.
• The stamped image was cut out with a Big and Little Pierced Chain Circle Die .
• I colored the holly and berries with my COPICS, Flair pens and Sharpies.
• On the stamped circle, I layered 2023 Tim Holtz Idea-ology Christmas ephemera . 
• I stapled the "merry" to the music page and popped up the 25 cents with foam tabs.
• The completed circle was adhered to the plaid paper on the card base.
• The Christmas sentiment was also popped up  below the circle with foam tabs.

Holly and Berries

This stamp can be used in so many ways - as a background, as your card base, for tags or ATCs. I will be using it alot this holiday season. I know that Michael will come up with something very creative using this stamp - you can check out what he made over at World of Michael Trent .

Thanks for stopping by Meticulosity.

Debra Davison

Peace Dove

The Peace Dove & Hanukkah Background stamps from the October Technique Junkies Release were a perfect pair for my card These are only a few of the new stamps now available and you can see all of them HERE .

• I stamped the Hanukkah Background on white cardstock with Nautical Blue Memento ink , the Peace Dove with Tuxedo Black ink and the sentiment with Bahama Blue Tuxedo ink .
• A navy blue cardstock was used for the base of this card.
• The Hanukkah image was adhered to the card base.
• The Peace Dove was fussy-cut and adhered to the Background  with foam tabs .
• I placed some pale blue glitter on either side of the dove's wings for some sparkle.
• The sentiment was trimmed,matted with black cardstock and adhered to the card  in the upper right corner.

The entire Technique Junkies Design Team and I will be featuring new stamps all month long, on our  own blogs and social media and also on our Design Team Blog at Technique Junkies. I hope that you will join us all as we highlight some fabulous stamp projects .. Thank you for stopping by Meticulosity ..

Debra Davison / Meticulosity