Take Two: Christmas Cards

I got two more Christmas cards to show to you today.  This first one comes together pretty quickly with the help of Papertrey ink's Shaker Shapes Ornament Die.  I found this cute patterned paper on etsy which I affectionately like to call "ugly Christmas sweater". You can find it here:  Valeriane Digital.

Do you see that rain in the background?  It might turn into snow later this week here in Wisconsin, I say, that's a sure sign my baby is about to come! 

I love the red and teal colors paired together on this card for a non-traditional twist and with a simply saying stamped in red ink, this card is simple but pretty.  

 

I've already told you all how I love photo cards at Christmas.  I just love the simplicity of this design, it really lets your photo do the talking.  Who wouldn't love to get this cutie in their mailbox this holiday season ;)

The background is in a light green card stock and Papertrey Ink's photo finishers "joy" is surrounded by red and gold stars.  The stars are just enough of an accent to dress up this card without making it feel too busy.  

I hope these cards inspire you to get out and do some crafting this weekend!

Christmas Card Season

It is November and you know what that means: it is HOLIDAY TIME!  Yes, that's right folks, stop your mumbling, Christmas is only a short 50 days away!  I love this time of year, especially now with little tiny ones at home.  It is so fun to see how exited they get as Christmas draws closer.  I saw my city was putting up the holiday street lights on Monday night so I took that as a sign that it was time to break out my stamps and create some holiday cards for 2014.

This card is just the cutest.  I know, I am biased but there is some serious cuteness going on all over this card.  I love holiday photo cards but they are so darn expensive.  This home version costs a fraction of what you will pay if you have a big box store or online retailer make it for you and as a bonus you get bragging rights because you made it with your own two hands.  It is economical because the photo is sized so that two photos can actually fit on one 4X6 print and cut to size, meaning you only have to print half the number of photo prints needed for your total amount of cards.  For this mom on a budget, that's importantante (that's Spanish for necessary!).  

Grandmas and families especially love these types of cards.   These types of cards tend to hang out on refrigerators long after the season has past and that's exactly how it should be, you get a lot of bang for a little buck! 

Isn't this card screaming quintessential Christmas?  Poinsettias are just the perfect Christmas flower and paired with this pretty white polka dot paper, how can you go wrong. 

A little white sequent was added to the middle of the poinsettia to polish off this card.  These cards come together super fast as it is just a matter of layering the pieces together and adhering them to a standard A2 card.

This card makes me want to break out the Christmas decor and get the house all nice and pretty for the cozy winter nights that are ahead of us.  Oh and this year I get to do that snuggling a newborn, lucky me. 

I had another card created but my little one year old ran off with it and I can not find it anywhere.  ANYWHERE.  I've looked through garbage cans (I often find my stamp sets there), in clothes drawers, under blankets, it is NO WHERE.  What a stinker, I bet it will reappear on December 26th!  Oh well, I guess that means back to the craft room I go (oh darn, twist my arm). 

Stay tuned for a couple more designs in the next couple of days, in the mean time, I hope you start finding some holiday inspiration while you are out and about this week!   

Halloween 2014

Halloween 2014 has come and gone.  Look at my two cuties all dressed up this year.  I really try to stay away from getting store bought costumes as I don't like the commercialism of this holiday.  If my kids want to get candy from strangers, I think they (really me at their ages) need to work for it a bit, hopefully they will agree as they get older and older.

Since I am only weeks away from giving birth to my 3rd child, the thought of elaborate costumes was just not going to do but these were super duper easy.

 

Johnathan (6) went at Fred from Scooby Doo.  I bought the blue dress shirt and white sweater from used clothing stores and the orange ascot is just a strip of a very ugly orange shirt I bought and cut.  I didn't even bother sewing it.  He had some nice "preppy" dress shoes to wear to complete the outfit but he is weird about shoes and I didn't feel like arguing.  Sometimes it just isn't worth it!

Here he is getting candy at a house with a very cool scary costume.  We also got Robert to go up to this guy but he started crying.

Robert (20 months) went as Bob the Builder (name sake, get it?).  I bought the hat at goodwill and the tool belt at Target, the rest of the outfit he already owned.  Easy.  The Cheetoo was a bribe to get him to keep the hat on and somehow it worked. 

 

What a couple of cuties.  These two are still best friends, I hope they find room for the third who is just around the corner!

Action shot of Bob the Builder getting candy from strangers with his Auntie Katie.

 

Robbie and Bumpa walking the streets looking for good candy, Robbie was stashing the goods in his tool belt. 

 

Oh and here is daddy and Uncle Jake playing on their phones, we tried losing them here but they found us.  Good thing the kids were with us and not these two with their heads stuck to their phones.  What a bunch of creepers sitting on a street corner with phone in hand and an empty stroller.  ;)

The kids weren't the only ones to have fun.  Nate and I dressed up as well.  He went as pregnant me and I went (with my pregnant belly) as the magic eight ball (my signs got cut out of the pictures, but I think you get the point.  Super easy costumes that took about 10 minutes to throw together.  At 8.5 months pregnant, I don't feel like giving anything more than 10 minutes of my time!

One more final shot of my hubby dressed as me for Halloween.  Look at those sexy legs :)  And yes, he wore this dress better than I do!