This is it!! One more day until Christmas. I absolutely love Christmas, yet I haven't posted any cards that we did this year. We did do cards for the nursing home. We have been handing out cards at this home for ten years! Where did the time go??? Here is a link for some of our previous Christmas card ideas along with other ideas from 2013. http://theartisticavenues.typepad.com/the_artistic_avenues/

Went back to Ralph Jones.. Wish I had a reason to buy this! Its Las Vegas so, no snow here, although it has snowed in past years.



Yes, time is precious!
Today will be a day of baking and preparing for tomorrow. We have the fudge, the butter toffee, the party mix and spritz cookies for before and after snacks. I still need to make the cheese ball and this year will be the Red cake.

Thanks to all of you and a very Merry Christmas!!

Another Shaker card! It's probably been 10 years since I made one as we were into the 'altered art' world for a long time. Had fun matching the cardstock to the wrapping paper. Think I was lucky, as both were older styles, and not coordinated to match



Like how it turned out!

The first of the month Al & I visited Ralph Jones. They are a display store in Las Vegas.  I used to buy from them when I had my store.

They retail store fixtures AND they have a wonderful display of Christmas trees year round.  I love this picture! There are trees of every them imaginable theme!

Hard to photograph, but really nice.

Saving the best for last. She is big and beautiful!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One more post from the wedding!



The girls and I made these for the table decor. The restaurant wouldn't allow too much. No flowers, no bows.

                           Had to get Johnathon in his tuxedo!

These two were screen shots. I wasn't allowed to shoot during the ceremony or anywhere on the chapel premises.

I did get this later on! Getting dark outside.....

 

Make-up time ...

Dawn and her sister, DeAnna, and her Nieces Jessica and Sarah



Getting dressed with Sarah's help



Even the little girls look pretty!

                                                              All ready to go!

EVER been so far behind, you wouldn't, couldn't, and didn't do anything! Well, that is how I have been the past months. Sorry for the 'lack'  of posts, but life has been busy. I know we are all busy. We had family here in October. Family, grandchildren I hadn't seen in a long time and a wedding event that was fun. I will post a few personal highlights from the last month and a half.

Stacy, Johnathon, and Christal 

 

Aly, Marlias older sister

Stacy on the left with Christal who is little Marlia's Mom. Wow!

They came, we visited, we ate & visited more!

Kelly and Dawn the day before the wedding and after the long drive down here

 

How long since you did one of these cards? The backgrounds were both done using the direct to paper technique. Magenta Rubber stamp company taught this using the pigment inks. The background can look a lot like the ones that Tim Holtz teaches except pigment ink stays wet longer and blends without water. It is a similar, but different look. I worked in 3-4 color combinations, adding same color stamping as some of  the background. The idea was is to create depth. The flower tile is also colored with the 'cats eyes' pigment ink, then embossed in clear embossing powder.

 

Hope you enjoy! Todays weather report from Las Vegas .. Its early early morning right now, and for the first time in a long time the air is crisp and 'almost' chilly. Goodness I just looked and it is 79 degrees, but for us, that is cool! I read that it will be 99 later today. Humor me, okay? It is lovely and 'almost' fall here, so I will show you a couple of my Halloween shaker cards.

I had confetti that I was going to throw away, but now I am using it and want more! Umm, so nice harvest color, ooh, maybe some Christmas colors too. I found the pink flamingo confetti and I have a pink flamingo die, and stamp set from Reverse Confetti. I promise you will see that soon. These shaker cards were made from the  craft video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzIXpSzDrQ8 They are so easy. Here are my first Christmas themed ones from the video. 

Thanks for looking! Mary S

 

 

Lets get something posted!! I intended to show you my halloween cards first, but I haven't photographed or edited them. So, lets get started with my early Christmas. All the cards were done with the Memory Box Diamond background and the candles. I used dots of Zip dry glue to adhere the background. 

Some to the candles were cut on white cardstock, a couple with the gold. The colors added are the cardstock, either cut with the die or just cut to fit the candle or leaf. Various spellbinder circles for the frame. Then I did add a decorative circle die from Mariannes dies. Add lots of glitter!!

The last two cards are done with festive embossing folders.

There are a couple things that I want to share. First these little circle cards. They are so pretty!

I thought I already had shared these, but I know one was for a friend and I didn't want her to see it before her birthday! The background die is a Marianne Creatables. It is about a 5" circle, so it makes a nice background. The other dies used are Spellbinders heart or butterfly circle, and the regular spellbinder circle dies. There are purchased and handmade flowers. Add a greeting tag and lots of glitter!

It is the month for the Hatch Chilies.  We bought our first 25 pound box. That seemed pretty intimidating. We bought them at Smiths and had them roasted free. After they were roasted there was a lot less. We actually got 19 quart bags of 6 chilies each. They went in the freezer on one shelf. Easy.

 

   

 

 

The guy at Smiths was really nice, he fired up the flame so I could get my best pictures!

We made yummy cornbread last week and yesterday we made the Hatchtastic Cheesey pork tenderloin. There are several steps, first the marinade, then the filling, and then the puree. Believe me the puree makes it! I could eat that on any tortilla! Here is the link for the recipe..http://www.centralmarket.com/recipe/main-courses/Hatch-tastic-Cheesy-Pork-Tenderloin-With-Hatch-Pur

 

I am not sure about the link I posted, so here is my pinterest link. http://www.pinterest.com/theartis/good-food/