Happy New Year's Eve!

Happy New Year's Eve! Whatever you do to celebrate, I wish you good cheer and safety! We're staying in because we're getting up early tomorrow morning and heading to Disneyland to start the new year off at the Happiest Place on Earth!

In the meantime, I thought I'd pop in with a card I made to warm up my mojo featuring images from the Winter Wonderland stamp set by Taylored Expressions, as well as the coordinating dies. I've also used cardstock, patterned paper, ribbon and embellies from my Taylored Expressions December Key Ingredients Kit.

If you happen to see this in time and want the December kit, HURRY!!! I believe it's only available through today! If you miss it, then you'll definitely want to sign up for a Key Ingredients subscription so you won't miss January's kit!!! I've said it before, and I'll say it again... Taylor's Key Ingredients kits are the BEST and make it so easy to create beautiful cards in no time! Everything coordinates perfectly!

Since my mojo is in serious need of reviving, I decided to start with a good sketch. The best place to find one is the Taylored Expressions Sketch Books, the links to which you can find on the Taylored Expressions Blog. I chose Sketch 82 and went to work.

I inked the edges of the patterned paper with Tim Holtz Walnut Stain Distress Ink. I stamped the greeting in Colorbox Dark Brown chalk ink, and then the snowflakes in Ocean Tides and Aqua Mist ink by Papertrey Ink. I die cut one of the medium sized snowflakes with the coordinating die and then die cut a plain large snowflake to act as a mat for the smaller snowflake.

After tying a bow with a piece of the kit ribbon, I wrapped the prongs of one of the snowflake brads from the kit around the middle of the bow and then pushed the prongs through a small hole I made in the stamped snowflake and spread the prongs flat so it sits nice and snug on top of the ribbon and the matted snowflake. I added tiny rhinestones from the kit to the centers two of the snowflakes just for good measure. 

For more ideas of ways to use your KI kit, be sure to drop by our Gallery!


On a personal note, I know I've been absent most of December... basically, since just before Thanksgiving... but all is well. It's been a time focused on family and friends and enjoying the holidays, which is what it's all about. I'll gradually get back to full swing in January.

I say "gradually," because there has been a recent family development which requires my attention. The day has finally come for our dear step-grandmother, who is 100 years and seven months old, to be moved into assisted living. Yep, she's been living on her own (with folks coming in to help) up until now. It's a step she hoped she'd never have to take...preferring (like all of us, I suppose) to pass peacefully one night in her own apartment...but the Lord has other ideas. We pray we'll find just the right place for her where she'll be comfortable and the folks will be kind to her and blessing to her, and she to them. So Paul and I will be going back and forth to Arizona over the next few weeks to help her and his mom. I expect this will cut into some of my crafting time, but family comes first!

I hope you and yours had a fabulous Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanzaa/Festive Season. And here's hoping we all  have a very Happy Healthy and Prosperous New Year!