Wishing for a Pineapple Christmas

Usually nostalgic Christmas memories are drawn from snowy landscapes...


but my winter memories were carved on Oahu.


You should see shaka-toting Santa on display at  Honolulu City Lights!!


He's even barefoot!!!


I'm homesick friends~can you tell?!!!  :)

stamps: Essentials by Ellen Stay Golden/Homespun Holiday dies:Essentials by Ellen Stay Golden/Homespun Holiday, My Favorite Things Cross-Stiched Oval, Avery Elle Wonky Stitches

I merged two Essentials by Ellen sets: Homespun Holiday and Stay Golden, for my tropical Christmas creation.



I used the colors in the following challenge~


Ellen Hutson November Pin-Sights Challenge

I love that I can use that pineapple any time of the year!

Thanks for stopping in~


 

Stay Golden

My favorite Essentials by Ellen product....

 Stay Golden~LOVE the pineapple images and sentiments that accompany them!

The matching dies rock too~

 stamps: Essentials by Ellen Stay Golden   dies: Essentials by Ellen Stay Golden,Avery Elle Wonky Stitches

 Do you remember that movie, The Outsiders?

That line stuck with me..."Stay gold Ponyboy"...

I further highlighted the sentiment with gold embossing 

(quite a treat when I take it to that level of stamping, believe you,me! :) ).

 

Thanks for stopping in!

Cacti Christmas

My girlies have a "special language" with their childhood buds...

some of which involve cacti.

Hence the following card for their family:

 

stamps: Newton's Nook Designs Cultivated Cacti, Papertrey Ink Sparkle & Shine Holiday Additions, Cardmaking & Papercraft Cosy Christmas sentiment   dies:Simon Says Stamp Greeting Blocks, My Favorite Things Stitched Square

 I combined Christmas lights with cacti...and just like real life...had a heck of a time with one or two light bulbs, but I kept on trucking!!!

:)

The following sketch got this card rolling....

 

I added a little sparkle with a Sakura Stardust Glitter Pen~

 

 

 for the following challenge...

 Simon Says Stamp (Wednesday): Anything Goes

 It's Wednesday guys, and that means...

you're halfway through the week and still surviving!

Yay you!  :)

Thanks for stopping in to see me~

 

Epic Day Drops

So I picked up new stamps...there was a scrapbook store near the DMV and I got myself a lil' something something. ;)

 My youngest girlie passed her permit test so I gave myself a treat!

Hahahaha don't judge...I rarely drag my girlies into a scrapbook store...they're lucky we don't have one handy.

stamps: Pink and Main Planner Peekers sentiment, My Favorite Things Color Drops  die: Avery Elle Wonky Stitches, My Favorite Things Stitched Oval Word Windows

I had to play with those drops...and I remembered the vibrant colors at the Throwdown.

I picked this sentiment for an everyday card...

Gots to celebrate the inbetweens, right?!

 The days that fall between Thanksgiving and Christmas can be pretty epic if spent right! ;)

Have a good one friends~

May Your Cup Be Filled

My girlies are amazing...they decorated the house last night!!

They had a youtube mix of Christmas songs blasting and tore through the bins to make it happen.

It got me in the Christmas spirit...

stamps: Verve Coffee Helps  dies: Verve Cup for All Seasons,My Favorite Things Jumbo Fishtail Banners/Inside & Out Stitched Stax

I followed the gorgeous sketch here...

I colored the elements light blue and red, remembering the following inspirational photo...

Simon Says Stamp (Wednesday): Food and/or Drink


Praying your week flows along smoothly friends~

Rise Above

It's a struggle to rise above...

hence the word "above".

 

Above (adverb,preposition):higher than, more than, or at a level greater than  (dictionary.cambridge.org).

 

stamps: My Favorite Things Let's Hang Out, Altenew Painted Encouragement sentiment   dies: My Favorite Things Square Frames/Cross Stitched Ovals Stax 

I used colors from the following challenge~

Praying we all rise above~

Papertrey Ink November 2017 Blog Hop

This has been a trying year for friends and family~
 

stamps: Papertrey Ink Inspired:Hope/Wreath for All Seasons  dies:Papertrey Ink Inspired Hope/Make It Market Kit:Tinsel & Tags, My Favorite Things Square Frames

I was motivated by the


 Papertrey Ink November 2017 Blog Hop
 

to create a card for someone on my heart.

The gold sentiment, oranges and cream set the tone for this card.

 
One day at a time friends...one day at a time~

 

Neutral Christmas Card

I stuck with neutrals today (the cardbase is grey).

stamp: Altenew Winter Cottage  die: Altenew Merry Christmas

Truth be told, I lost the "i" for Christmas and plopped down a gem because I had to move on with my life. ;)

 

I know I could have cut another "christmas" out...but then that one would be short an "i" and ...

 

you get my drift.

 

Goodness, things can get complicated~

 

Today I feel more functional than the day after Thanksgiving.

I might actually accomplish great things today..or just things. :)

Have a good one~

 

Happy Everything

I wanted to cover Oct~Dec in the happy department...

 stamp: Lawn Fawn Happy Happy Happy  dies: Winnie & Walter In a Word Happy Cutaway,Verve Pumpkin Spice,Papertrey Ink Winter Penguin,Sweet 'n Sassy Season of Change (retired),My Favorite Things Sentiment Strip

I can be very literal...

literally....

As much as I love Christmas...it can be a difficult holiday as well.

Some have experienced tremendous loss during Christmas past...and it's difficult to feel happy in the month of December.

 I pray this card will be more of a "hey, I pray you've had a happy everything"...because seriously...

these past few months were a blur!!!

 Plus, I didn't give my pumpkin and leaf dies proper love and they needed to be brought out, even if for one card. ;)

Have a good one friends and thanks for stopping by to see me~

 

Choose Joy

Hey friends, I pray you choose joy today.

stamp: Maymay Made It Your Faith is Showing  dies: Simon Says Stamp Stitched Dress Up Tags,Spellbinders Classic Scallop

I went with these Christmas classic colors~

The easiest start to this card was patterned paper that had the colors in them~it helped me stay on track. :)

My cards tend to lead a life of their own, you know what I'm saying?

They grow up so fast!!!

hahahaha

I'm in a silly mood and should probably stop blogging...

right.

this. 

minute.

Have a good one and stay safe and alert if you're black Friday shopping.

This gal is not leaving the house!!!

Take care friends~

 

PEACE CAS Card

I kept things bold and simple~

dies: Winnie & Walter In a Word Peace Cutaway,Altenew Bells and Bows

Peace, eternal peace is truly the best gift given!!!

 

Time Out Challenge #96

CASE with your own twist

 Here is Michele's

lovely card:

 I love that the focal feature of Michele's card is a sentiment die cut~the CAS design shapes around it.

Instead of angling the die cut~I angled a scrap piece as a giftbox cover.

I've got a lovely variety of sentiment dies, so I'll try this again for sure~

Thanks for stopping in!

 

Thank You for Your Service

I gave this to my husband, but wasn't feeling well enough to post until now.

 

stamps: Hero Arts Operation Write Home, Our Daily Bread Designs Not Forgotten  dies: Hero Arts Clearly Kelly's Planner Banners,Spellbinders Deckled Rectangles, My Favorite Things Stitched Oval Word Windows

When I first saw this image at its release...I burst into tears. It's literally a picture from my memories about 14 years ago.

I used the following fall colors as a starting point~

 

Simon Says (Monday): Thanks/Thanksgiving

My daughter will need the computer to write her paper here shortly~so I better post this quick. ;)

 Thanks for stopping by~stay well, friends!

 

Courage & Health

Dawn McVey
is a Papertrey Ink staple! 

 I mean, I don't know PTI before Dawn.

She's been going through some courageous things, and PTI is dedicating a hop to her.

stamps: Papertrey Ink Winter Woods/Charmed  dies: Papertrey Ink Winter Woods

This card has added wrapped twine...inspired by 

Make It Monday #302: Twine & Ribbon Wraps 
 hosted by Stephanie


I'm praying for her continued health and perseverance~as I'm hoping you will also~

He Knows Your Need

We've been soooo busy, as I'm sure you've been also!

This card needed to be created and sent...like, weeks ago. 

Pain doesn't have a timeline, and I know a late card is better than never.

stamps: My Favorite Things Flowers,Maymay Made It Blessed Inside & Out  dies:My Favorite Things Blueprints 11/Square Frames/Stitched Oval Word Windows

 Grateful for this sketch which gave me a start.

 

 Time Out Challenge #95: Theme With Optional Twist

Sympathy With the Optional Twist of Distressing

(distressing on the edges of the panel with Tim Holtz Distress tool)

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Wishing You Joy

Goodness, this month came by quick!!!

stamps: My Favorite Things Let's Hang Out/Christmas Ornaments  dies: My Favorite Things Square Frames, Spellbinders Classic Circles

I'm trying to roll with pumpkin everything, but inside I'm shook!

 Thankful for the bright multi colors of the following challenge~

I went with a non-traditional colored card for Christmas.

 

Thanks for stopping in~

With Love Deer

This could very well be the fifth Christmas card I've made for my hubby ;).

I'll probably give him a stack of them!!!

can't. stop. creating. for. my. guy.

stamps: Simply Cards & Papercraft Issue 167 free Majestic Moments  dies: Simply Cards & Papercraft Issue 167 free Majestic Moments,My Favorite Things Rectangle Peek-a-Boo Window,Avery Elle Wonky Stitches

 Simon Says (Monday): All Creatures Great and Small

 Thursday is beautiful in its own special way~I've heard peeps call it Friday Jr. ;)

 Thanks for stopping by!

Uplifting Masculine Card

I needed an uplifting masculine card~

stamps:Maymay Made It Your Faith is Showing  dies: My Favorite Things Stitched Rectangle,Avery Elle Dotted Elle-Ments

I was motivated by the following sketch~

 

It's nice I have masculine papers scattered throughout my stash.

I don't reach for them as often as I should.

Guys need encouraging too!

Have a good one friends~