Come rain, snow or shine! Snowman card for the Post office

I really like my post office.  It's near by and the workers are knowledgeable and never grumpy.  I hear lots of horror stories of misinformed and nasty postal workers around the continent on various forums.  I feel lucky that mine are very steadfast.  I sometimes even get service with a smile too!

I had an extra paper die cut snowman.  (This one was my prototype.)  I attached him to a card, which is also made from scraps of another project, and I will be bringing him to the post office on my next trip.  I happened to get a large custom order from my iCraft shop, so I want to bring in my snowman when I show up with a big fat parcel, proud as a hen with a barn full o' chicks.

I have used this paper from Jillibean Soup on several cards.  I LOVE its neutrality and it matches Bazzill Fawn cardstock to a T!  When I give cards to people I don't closely know, I like to keep it non-religious.  (You never know who does and does not celebrate actual Christmas.)  I was not sure how the detailed, elegant paper would pair with my whimsical paper die cut snowman.  I think, with the whimsical stamped sentiment (from Michael's), it turned out nice!  In fact, I might make a couple more.  I still haven't finished sending Christmas cards.  Just like last year, the last batch will certainly be late.  (Better late than never though!)

One of a Kind - Nun of a Kind!

This year was the first year I attended the One of a Kind show in Toronto.  The number of booths of artisans and crafters was mind boggling.  We started at row Z and by the time we stopped for lunch, I was only at row Q!  I thought I wasn't going to get through it all in one day! (But I did).

I went this year to meet the creator of Nun of a Kind.  Linda, the creator, was kind enough to share with me a couple of her extra exhibitor tickets. Small world, you know, she lives in a place neighbouring my hometown of Sarnia!  So, we had taken to chatting and reading each others' blogs.  I purchased a few Sisters for the ladies in my life a while ago (and one for myself, of course!).


Here's a picture I snapped of the booth.  If you click on it, you can get a MUCH larger view.

Linda, the maestro behind Nun of a Kind,  is over at the podium checkout and her friend Cathy helped man the booth - or woman the booth, I suppose!  Cathy is also an accomplished sewer as you can see from her Etsy shop: ZigZagStitches.

What I love most about the Sisters is that it celebrates, in a very fun, creative, light-spirited way, all the different things women can be.  Also, the idea of Sisters is so encompassing of any womanly relationship you might have.  There is an inclusivity and belonging to The Nunnery that is a feel-good kind of thing!

Several nuns debuted at this show.  One that was entered in to the "Love" exhibit at the centre of the show was the Sister who loves to cook: "Amelia Love".

You can just see her from the back of my photo here.  She has the giant poofy white chef's hat on over her habit.  Totally adorable!

In the back row are the holiday items.  I bought a Santa for myself.  I really liked the white ones, but there was one with a little polar bear that I had to have.  So, I went for red so the polar bear stood out more.  I got a little Frosted Folk to be my white winter wonderland piece.  The Santas are just superb - having a light filling, they have just the right amount of weight to stand up sturdy.  Another artisan at the show (who made fabulously detailed fairy figures) asked to see my Santa.  (His head and hat were sticking out of my bag and the jingle bell rang wherever I went.)  He was impressed with how well it stood up too!

Nun of a Kind is one fabulous way celebrate and support sisterhoods everywhere and I just wanted to share!

Snowy Blues

No, I'm not down in the dumps and no, it's not snowing yet (thank goodness!) but over on the Crafty Ho's challenge blog, this week's challenge is an inspiration photo of a *very large* snowman.

Last year, I designed a die cut snowman.  I wanted him to look like folk art.  I didn't like how he turned out.  I went back to the drawing board on this one.  Once I had the new snowman paper die cut designed, I saw the error of my ways on the first one.  I gave him some touch ups but I have not yet made anything with him.  Once I finished the new one, though, I was ready to make something with him right away!

I made life easy for myself: I found a sketch challenge to go with this snowman theme.  The sketch is from the Card Positioning Systems challenge blog for CPS 195:

In addition, I experimented with monochromatic colour schemes in my last post.  In keeping with that idea, I made this card monochromatic too.  This time, instead of using different shades of the same family, I used the exact same cardstock and differentiated the layers using embossing patterns.  This card, therefore, also qualifies for the PaperPlay Monocrhomatic challenge this week!  Woohoo!  Three challenges in one card!

This is my chubby little paper die cut snowman!  I gave him a black outline to make him appear more bold.  It does add a slightly whimsical cartoon-y effect too, which contrasts the embossed simpleness a little.

I'll tell you a secret about this card: Once I did the black background, I didn't know what colour to make his hat!  I don't have a dark gray cardstock, so you know what I did?  I coloured some white cardstock grey with my Letraset Tria alcohol-based markers.  Worked well, I think!  Here's a close up of the embossing.

I used Stampin' Up! ribbon on this card.  I must admit, this ribbon is MUCH nicer to tie in bows than dollar store ribbon.  The quality is recognizably better by far.  I don't think I will ever buy another spool of dollar ribbon!

This paper die cut snowman is going in my personal pile of Christmas cards.  Someone I know will be getting this little guy!  I haven't picked who yet though.  If I ever get around to cutting out the folk art version of my paper die cut snowmen, I'll try to remember to snap a picture to show you before I send him on his merry way!

I { heart } tea!!

Today's blog post is a challenge duo!  I made a new paper die cut and was eager to use it on a handmade card.  I am happy to announce that my design fit in to *two* challenges!

I was inspired to draw a new paper die cut.  I was sitting quietly in the living room with my giant cup of tea.  I mean *giant*.  My husband and I get Mandarin take-out with a some regularity.  We use the canvas bags for our grocery bags.  Now and then, Mandarin sends a free gift.  We've gotten a couple of bowls that are perfect ice-cream bowls and a I have a trio of mugs.  BIG mugs.  I love them.  Who invented the tea cup?  That's much too small to hold enough beverage to warm your insides.  I think I could drink that in 2 gulps.  Give me a mug!

So, I decided to imitate the shape of my Mandarin mugs as a die cut.  (I embellished the handle just a tad.)  I wound up with this mug:

Available on Etsy

I decided to keep these cards monochromatic.  It's easy, yet effective.  I love how everything just goes with everything on a monochromatic card.  The pink paper is old.  Very old.  It's been in my stash for at least 3 years.  It's from the Die Cuts with a View "Luxury" stack of pearly patterned cardstock.  I'm so not a fan of pink and I only have nephews, so I have never been drawn to use it before now.  (Actually, looking at this card again, it might make for a nice breast cancer awareness card if I swap out the snowflake for a ribbon.... hmmmmm.)

The snowflake is a design by Boss Kut.  It's easily one of my favourite snowflake designs.  I used it here to qualify for the PaperPlay challenge, "Let it Snow".  The fact that the paper is some older stock of mine qualifies this card for the Etsy for Animals December 2010 challenge too, "Out with the Old".  Those challenge entries will be posted to the EFA Challenge Blog during December.  As part of my EFA entry, 15% of the sale of this card will go to the Southern Ontario Animal Rescue.

I decided to make a couple more.  One is in the same colour scheme and one is blue.  These cards are more generic: they work for "warm wishes" or as coffee/tea invites or even plain "thinking of you" type cards for the coffee or tea lover.  Here's the pink one.

The steam on these mugs is actually made from two manipulated "S's.  I chose a script-style font in my Boss Kut Gazelle's software.  I used a couple and layered them, rotated them and then pulled them all funny ways.  Here's the blue one.

On this one, I used paper quilling for the steam.  I like it, but I think I like the die cut steam better.  It fills the card more.  I could play with more quilling, but I didn't have long enough strips at the time.

I put hearts on these mugs - mostly for me because I {heart} tea!!  I could put other things, like the breast cancer ribbon.  What else?  Got any other ideas?