Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Bottle Brush Tree Ornaments

 I wanted to make something special for the gals who have been taking my classes and I decided on ornaments using Spellbinders Bottle Brush Trees die set.

(This post contains affiliate links. When you shop through my links {most are at the end of this post}I may receive a commission at NO cost to you! Thanks so much for your support!

I was able to use up some scraps of both print and solid card stocks. Here's my progression...


Here's the die cuts. There are 2 sizes and each gal will get 1 of each.


I have the tops glued to their bases using my Bearly Art Glue.  It took 2 trees to make 1 ornament.  I glued them together, back to back, after gluing a piece of twine to a back to hang them.


I hung a few on my table top tree so you can see how they hang.


And a close up. One can carefully pry up the edges of the top tree to make them more dimensional.

I think my gals will enjoy these. What do you think? And of course they'll all be sent with one of my Christmas cards.

Oh my gosh! Tomorrow's DECEMBER!!!!!!

Stampin Carol

You wove me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Psalm 139:13-14


Monday, November 29, 2021

A Snowman and a Gnome

I had a couple more cool wooden home decor items to decorate and I finished them late last week. I purchased the gnome from Scraps of Love at their booth at the Stamp & Scrapbook Expo in Mesa back in September and received the snowman as a freebie for the purchase.

(This post contains affiliate links. When you shop through my links {most are at the end of this post}I may receive a commission at NO cost to you! Thanks so much for your support!

I'll start with the freebie. 


This little plaque is about 4" square. For the background I used a scrap piece of paper (snowflakes) from The Paper Collage and a piece of glitter paper.  I painted the snowman white, the hat & coal black, the hatband red, the carrot nose orange, then used brown ink on the twig arms. I covered the scarf with paper.


I added a dot of Crystal Stickles to the center of each snowflake and added a couple black gems for the eyes. And I sponged a bit of blue ink around the edges of the snowman.


I tried to get the glitter paper to show up in this photo and, by golly, it looks like I got it! You can see my brush strokes in the snowman. This guy is now one my island ready to when I get it decorated for Christmas.


This little gnome is about 6" tall. I used scraps of paper for all pieces of this little guy. Isn't he adorable!! I used a lot of craft glue and my fingers were almost glued together a couple times!

My hubby loves both of these! And so do I.

Stampin Carol

You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word.  Psalm 119:114


Friday, November 26, 2021

Christmas Treats

I wanted to do something special for the members of the 2 stamping groups I belong to so I made 50 mini pillow boxes! Sadly, the die I used is retired but Spellbinders has a similar one called Contour Pillow Box Steel Rule die that is similar.

(This post contains affiliate links. When you shop through my links {most are at the end of this post}I may receive a commission at NO cost to you! Thanks so much for your support!

The steel rule die requires a die cut machine like the Platinum or Platinum 6 that can cut a steel rule die.


Here's my 50 die cut boxes. I used a LOT of old print card stocks and am happy to cut my stash down a bit.

I have the tabs glued after folding. The steel rule die will require 2 die cuts to make 1 box but you can cut up to 6 layers of card stock with it. I almost ran out of my Journey Glue getting these done!


They're all filled with Hershey Nuggets or some similar candy that  fit inside.


I used my Scan N Cut to make my labels then stamped them using Spellbinders Holiday Sentiment Stacks clear stamp set. I'm glad I had my MISTI as each tag was stamped 3 times! I used some twine from my stash to wrap around each pillow box and tie on the tags.

If I have any left over I'll take them to my bank as the gals that work there are wonderful.

Stampin Carol

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!  Psalm 139:17


Thursday, November 25, 2021

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today we celebrate gratefulness. We have much to be thankful for, family, friends, a home, electricity, and a Savior. But do you know the history of this day? The Pilgrims were celebrating a successful fall harvest after so many died the previous winter from disease and cold.

Then in 1863 President Lincoln issued a proclamation to establish the 4th Thursday of November as a day to be thankful. This was during the Civil War when people were fighting and dying. He reminded Americans of the “fruitful fields,” “healthful skies,” and “ever-watchful providence of Almighty God” that still blessed our nation, even as the war raged on. 

I decided to add his Proclamation as it's an important part of our Country's early history.

A Proclamation

The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added which are of so extraordinary a nature that they can not fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.

In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign states to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict, while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.

Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plow, the shuttle, or the ship; the ax has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battlefield, and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans. mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity, and union.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington, this 3d day of October, A. D. 1863, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

By the President:

WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State.

And if you're curious about the little turkey at the top of this post I purchased him unfinished at the Scraps of Love store in Peoria, AZ (a Phoenix suburb). I have very little Thanksgiving decor and this turkey by Foundations Decor is just too cute! I have shared a little ghost last month that I got from Scraps of Love and I still have a little gnome and snowman to finish. But you can find the turkey at Scrapbook.com!!!

May your day today be filled with blessings, family, friends, and gratefulness.

Stampin Carol

We, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.  2 Peter 3:13

Wednesday, November 24, 2021

A Desk Ready for a Video

 Yep, it's Wednesday! And the day before Thanksgiving! I had a very busy desk up until a half hour before I took the picture of my desk to join up with Julia of the Stamping Ground and other fellow crafters for week 651 of What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday.

When I remembered to take my desk photo I had just finished setting up the work area for my Wednesday video.  I'm not making a card but doing an infomercial for a cool tool that I love. Since I got it I ended up becoming an affiliate for The Rabbit Hole Designs and have an order that should be here Monday. But now my desk....


So what is that on my desk? Looks like a huge tube of lip stick but it is actually an embossing powder brush! I won't add any links but I'll give you a closer look at it.


A friend of mine seen this on a video she watched but couldn't remember where it came from. But finally, on Instagram, I seen it and thought, cool. I bought 2, one for me and one for her. I LOVE it. If you want to know more I'll have my little spiel on it on my YouTube channel later.

Hope those of you celebrating tomorrow have a safe and blessed day. And don't eat too much!

Stampin Carol

You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold... but with the precious blood of Christ.   1 Peter 1:18-19


Tuesday, November 23, 2021

Gnome Love

 I am starting to prep for my January class (yes, I know it's early) and wanted to use Whimsy Stamps "Gnome One Like You" stamp set and die set along with their "Connected Hearts Frame" die set. This card can be used for Valentine's Day or an Anniversary!

(This post contains affiliate links. When you shop through my links {most are at the end of this post}I may receive a commission at NO cost to you! Thanks so much for your support!)


This is a simple card and I try to have 1 or 2 for my class. I used my craft knife to cut out the empty space between the hats and love that it, too, is a heart! The Love is part of a die set called "Love You More" that is coming soon to the Spellbinders web site.


I used my PrismaColor pencils to color and added spots the the girl's hat with my white gel pen.

Feels good getting a head start on my Jan. class. 

Stampin Carol

Blessed is the man (whose) delight is in the law of the Lord.  Psalm 8:1-2


Monday, November 22, 2021

Brrrr. It's Cold Out!

Brrr. That's the thought I have making the fun bear from Sizzix "Cozy Winter" die set! He is so adorable holding his hot chocolate mug and wrapped in his favorite scarf!

(This post contains affiliate links. When you shop through my links {most are at the end of this post}I may receive a commission at NO cost to you! Thanks so much for your support!)

I found a scrap of my favorite paper from The Paper Collage and used a cool Rubbernecker Stamps die called Birch Forest. I've had this die for quite some time but I don't think I've used it until now. For shame!

I used a black gel pen to make the mouth and eyes as I didn't feel like die cutting them then try to glue them in place. But placing the other tiny die cuts were easy with my new Jewel Picker and Bearly Art Glue!

I also used my clear Wink of Stella on all the snowflakes for some frosty fun. I also sponged a medium brown on the bear, scarf, and wood pecker.
Now.... to figure out what sentiment to use!

How are you coming with your Christmas cards?

Stampin Carol
Be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Matthew 24:44