Mr Cardinal

Now that Christmas is over, I am not sure what I want to post. We don't make anything that is Happy New Year and it is too soon for hearts and flowers for Valentine's Day. So I thought this cardinal would be good.

Merry Christmas

One Christmas, Jim made one of these for my mom except hers was all bevels. She liked it so much that she had him make one to give the priest the following year. He no longer makes them in bevels, but makes them like this one in colors. Merry Christmas to all my friends and family.

Christmas Eve

I couldn't decide which color to use on this card so I did one of each. The red one is so Santa but he would be flying in the sky which is blue. Which one do you like best?

Santa is about done checking his list as his big night approaches. Do you have any plans for Christmas Eve. Our neighborhood lights luminaries so we will be doing that. After ours are lit, we walk around the neighborhood looking at all the lights and candles.

Christmas Cat

This card was made using the Crazy Cat stamp set. I also have Crazy Birds and will one of these days get the Crazy Dogs too. If I sent cards to family cats, Judy's cat Maggie would get this one. She is real live crazy cat.

Happy Hanukkah

I know I am a little early, but I don't want to forget to write this blog post.  The first night of Hanukkah is December 24.  Happy Hanukkah to all my friends who celebrate.  My Wednesday night community band will be playing a concert this coming week at Beth Am temple.

Snow Village

To make this card, I used four different dies and an embossing folder. To get the layers of snow, tear the card stock and make sure some of the inside of the paper shows.  The houses are a SU retired die from last Christmas.  The sled and tree are new this year. 

A Golden Christmas Card

I don't like to rush the seasons, so I have been holding off posting a lot of Christmas cards. So now that Christmas is 12 days away, I am going to be posting more often, maybe every day. This one is very non-traditional colors.

December Arrives

Where has this year gone?  I can't believe it is already December and Christmas will be here in a little over three weeks.  We will be working on getting our tree up this week since we are hosting a Christmas cookie exchange and breakfast for a bunch of our fellow retired math teachers.  Jim put up the outside decorations so that is a step in the right direction.

Cyber Monday

I think cyber Monday is today.  Am I right?  I really don't find much that I am interested in buying at greatly reduced prices on any of these special shopping days.  I am going to start putting some things into a wish list on Amazon so DH has some shopping ideas.  I have grown to like Amazon and the quick shipping.

Black Friday Shopping

Did you go out shopping on Black Friday?  I really don't have anyone to shop for except DH so neither one of us venture out on black Friday.  There is too much traffic and waiting in lines.  Most of our shopping is done online now.  So easy.

Happy Thanksgiving

From our house to yours, Happy Thanksgiving. 

Thanksgiving Nears

Most schools now have the entire week off for Thanksgiving and families are on their way to family or vacation spots.  If you are one of them, travel safely. 

Deer in the Snow

This is the same deer that I have used on a few of the other cards I have posted.  The die set it is in has so much in it.  Along with the deer there is the sled and decorative layer for the sled, and a Christmas tree.  There's also a bow, a teddy bear, a wreath, and a stocking.  I haven't used any of those little pieces yet.

Dunedin Show

This weekend we will be in Dunedin at the Methodist Church on Main Street.  In addition to this show at the church, there is a very large show on Main Street.  We decided to give the smaller show a try.  Dunedin is what I think of as little Scotland on the Gulf Coast.  The name comes from Dùn Èideann, the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. There is a Highland Festival each year and many bagpipe groups.  Some Irish influences as well.  So we have lots of Celtic things for this show.

Santa's Sled

This card involves a lot more work than you would think, but still an easy card to make.  In order to make the sled, I first made a gold sled with runners and repeated with red.  Then I made the gold fancy layer of the sled.  I cut the runners off the red sled and attached it to the gold sled.  The next step was to add the fancy layer.  The sled parts, tree, and deer are all part of one Stampin Up die set.  The background is also a SU folder.

This weekend is a busy one for us.  On Saturday we will set up at St Tim's in Lutz.  After tearing down we will head to Coachman Park in Clearwater to set up for the Sunday show there.  Sunday is Christmas Under the Oaks.

Breakfast Day

Once a month we go out to eat breakfast with a group of our retired math teacher friends.  Today was a breakfast day.  Of course people ask how our shows are going and I was telling them about the teapot panels.  It is hard to get them to visualize so I looked on our blog for a picture to show them.  There was non to be found so I guess I haven't blogged about them before.  So here is one of the teapots made from a glass plate.

Happy Halloween

Our neighbor always has a little party on Halloween.  It starts about 5 PM and it gives the parents a chance to get the children to eat something before they head out to collect candy.  We always go over not only to eat but to see all the neighborhood kids before we are invaded by surrounding areas.  Headed out soon.

Glass Feathers

Tomorrow, October 29, we will be at St Andrew's United Methodist Church for their craft show.  It is going to be a beautiful day, mid 80s and lower humidity.  Hopefully, the wind will be at a minimum. 

Jim makes these feathers in lots of different colors.  If you see us at a show and only see one color, ask to see the other colors and sizes.

Another Card Class

Today is my regular card class with my group of friends.  They love to make Christmas cards so we start early and get enough done so they don't have to buy any cards.  Not sure if they will make this one today, but if not they will be making it next month.

Santa and the Flutes

Here is another card that is very similar to one of the cards we will be making in card class today.  Are you interested in having a card class for a group that you are a member of?  If you are interested in a card class leave me a comment.

Flute Choir Card

I mentioned that we do not have a show this weekend but I am having a card class.  The flute choir that is part of the community band I am in will be coming for a private class.  This is one of the cards they will be making.

Up Next

This piece reminds me of a particular art style that I can't think of the name right now.  Some people call it praire  style but I am thinking of a particular artist.  He designed a lot of the buildings at Florida Southern College.  I'll think of it later and add a comment. 

We are off this coming weekend from shows.  Sue will be having a card class though for a particular group of people.  Our next show will be at St Andrew's church in Brandon off Bloomingdale Ave.

One More Day at Cedar Key

Today is the last day of the Cedar Key Seafood Festival.  Come see us and our fellow guild members that are there.  It is always a fun show to do.  Lots of great food and drinks, even if you don't eat seafood.

Seahorses for Cedar Key

I bought so many beach theme dies this past year.  It is so appropriate not only for where I live, but also to send to relatives that live in the cold areas of the country.  It is always fun to say how warm is it where you live.  Our show is in Cedar Key this weekend at the Seafood Festival.

Island Hotel Cedar Key

This weekend we will be in Cedar Key for our craft show.  It is a two day show so if you can't make it on Saturday, we are there Sunday as well.  They are ready for the show even though a month ago they had a hurricane come through.  We and several of our crafting friends stay at the Island Hotel.  If you know anything about the hotel you will understand why I posted this particular glass piece.  Don't get it?  Just ask.

Cedar Key Crab

I really like the way this card turned out.  If I don't sell it at Keystone, I know for sure it will be gone at the Cedar Key Seafood Festival.  We are looking forward to this show and seeing our many crafting friends there.  Come on out and see us either this Saturday or Sunday.

Heron for Cedar Key

I know I have posted this picture before but since I posted a heron card recently, I thought it was time to post this one again.  The last time it was hanging on our display rack and was kind of at an angle.  This piece is huge and so beautiful.  When we re-modeled our back porch we tried to figure out a way to keep it ourselves but it didn't quite fit.  Hopefully it will find a good home.

Cedar Key Show

Our next show is in Cedar Key.  It will be this weekend, October 15 and 16.  They are ready for the show having cleaned up after the hurricane that went through about a month ago.  Come out and support the town and the great folks that live there.

Doesn't this die look like is what made for beach cottages?  The thing is, it wasn't.  It was made to be for a Christmas scene.  I cut the steeple off the church and the smoke and chimney off one of the houses.

Keystone Show

Today is our first craft show of the season.  I always have my best selection of cards at this show.  I have very few Halloween cards, so if that is what you are looking for, get there early.  Show starts at 9AM.

Crazy Halloween Cat

I don't make many Halloween cards because we only do 2 shows that are far enough away from October 31.  This one is made using the Tim Holtz crazy cat set and accessories.  There are accessories for so many occasions as you will see if you follow my blog at all.  I will have a selection of Halloween cards at the Keystone Church show in Odessa this weekend.

Keystone Craft Show

Craft show season begins for us on Saturday, October 8.  We will be at Keystone Methodist Church in Odessa.  Come out and see Jim's glass and my papercrafts.  Look through the blog and if you see anything you would like us to save for you, leave us a comment.

Dragonfly Spoon

I lose track of what pictures I have posted.  Hopefully I have not posted this one before.  I don't remember writing about how he made it.  We had some old spoons that were once part of a windchime.  The fishing line broke and the chimes fell apart.  So he cut off the top of the spoon and used the handle to make the body of the dragonfly.

Swirlly Pumpkins

This card along with the one I posted a few days ago, were part of my September card class.  I know it isn't October yet and it says Halloween.  We always make cards at least a month before the holiday.  That gives them time to get them made and written in a timely fashion.

Fall Flowers

Even though it still feels like summer here and tropical storms are lined up in the Atlantic, autumn has begun.  All that means to me is that I started using more fall like colors on my flowers and trees.  Our leaves, for the most part, do not fall until the spring.  Very soon though we will feel the change in the season when it cools down just a bit.

Celtic Flower

Along with the Celtic look to this piece, it has those neat bubbles in it again.  Once again the largest bubble and the two medium sized brown bubbles are much prettier IRL.  I really like this piece along with the one I posted a few days ago.

Dragon, Puff

Do you remember the song Puff the Magic Dragon from the 60s?  Was it Peter, Paul, and Mary that recorded it?  I do know he lived by the sea.  I guess the bubbles around this could look like bubbles in the sea.  This piece is so much nicer IRL.  The largest green bubble is a really neat piece of glass.  This is a very unique piece and so different from Jim's other works.  I have one other unique piece that I will be posting in a few days.

Cedar Key Seafood Festival

We will be attending the Seafood Festival in Cedar Key again this year.  I was worried that with all the hurricane damage that it would be canceled.  I called this past week and it is a go.  So glad for them that they are able to come back from all the damage they had.

Fall is Coming

I know there has been some cooler weather in the north, but not too much here.  Today we tied the record high at 95 degrees.  But I do like to show things that fit the seasons so I thought it was time for another tree.  Talking about trees, our subdivision had lots of tree debris with hurricane Hermine.  Some neighbors even lost trees.  We didn't have too much but it still took awhile to pick it all up.  Now it is all out on the driveways and streets waiting to be picked up by the county.  We were fortunate though that we didn't have the damage that was just an hour or so north and west of us.

Fall Napkin Card

Where has this summer gone?  It is still hot here and we have at least two more months of heat and humidity but I need to start planning my fall card classes already.  I promised my group one more napkin card and then we are taking a break from them.  I think we may do this one because they are all sunflower lovers and it makes nice fall card.

Deer in the Woods

I think my fall class will also include one of these two cards.  Probably it will be a combination of the two.  I think I like the darker card base and trees but use the lighter color for the deer.   I think there would be more of a contrast that way and the deer would show up better.  What do you think?

Glass Mouse

I think this is such a cute mouse.  Now I would never say that about a real mouse and would probably be yelling for DH to come and get it.  This one won't make a mess or bite or anything else that would cause you stress.  Doesn't he have the cutest smile.

Glass Ladybugs

Before I leave the ladybug theme, I want to show you Jim's glass ladybugs.  This isn't the best picture and I tried enhancing but this is the best I could do.  They are much cuter IRL.  He makes them in two sizes, both on the small side.  I like the bigger of the two because it shows more detail. 

Ladybug Napkin Card

I promise this is the last ladybug for awhile.  This card was not made using the set I recently started using again even though it is the same theme.  This goes back to make theme of a month ago when I was stuck on making napkin cards.

Ladybugs on Film

I wish I could say this was my idea but it is another Pinterest find.  As always when I get out a se,t I have to make a few different variations.  I like using the red polka dot paper when I make a card with ladybugs.  My supply of it is shrinking so I guess I make a lot more ladybug cards than I can remember.

Blue Morning Glories

So this is the piece I promised a few days ago.  Now that I look at it closer, it is not the same flower,  This one is a morning glory and hummingbird.  So many of his pieces remind me of my youth.  My parents had morning glories in the back yard and had a few humming bird feeders. 

Blue Poppy

This looks like a poppy to me.  Do poppies come in blue?  My parents had poppies planted right at the bottom of their front porch steps and they were an orange/red color.  That is the color I usually think of for poppies.  He has another piece I will post that has a very similar flower but it also has other things with it.  I will post it in a few days.

Ladybug Birthday

Every year I try to get rid of a few stamps sets that I am not using.  Before I do, I try to make a few cards with it to decide if I really want to keep it.  What do you think happened when I used this one?  If you said you kept it, you would be correct.

Celtic Wolf

Sorry there haven't been any new posts.  I thought I had posts scheduled through the end of August, but I don't.  I do have some already done for September so I guess that was what I was thinking of.  This is another of Jim's celtic designs.  I called it a wolf so I hope that is what it is.  I like the wood like glass that he has in the background.

Spring Flowers Napkin Card

So easy to make this card and it is SO nice.  The butterfly and greeting are the only things I stamped.  The ribbon on the bottom covers the fact that the napkin is a bit short for the card base.  I have made napkin cards twice now in class and they want more.  I told them one more time and then we are taking a break from them.  They all bring in their napkins and have a napkin exchange.  So FUN.

Napkin Cards

A few posts ago, I promised some more cards made using a napkin.  I got distracted with other things but I am back on track.  The next three card posts will be napkin cards.  They are so fun and quick to make.  Use the napkin technique and add some embellishments and a greeting.....DONE.