Check out this ADORABLE Santa!!!

I am going to have to research the lovely woman who posted this on Beate's list serve...but I CASE-d this....because it is SO STINKIN" CUTE!! It uses the Big Shot (available from Stampin' Up!) and the Top Note die ... It consists of 3 die cuts in Whisper White, Real Red, and Blush Blossom. I used the small 1/2" round punch for the holly berries, used the small oval punch on Handsome Hunter paper and then trimmed them up to look like holly leaves, the 1" round punch for his nose and the 3/4 punch for his mouth, and 1/4" round punch for his hat pom pom...I sponged pink cheeks and edged his nose with Pretty In Pink ink...and lastly, used some googlie eyes from the craft store...I kept the Santa on the candy cane stick but cutting a strip of whisper white 1 3/4 X 5 1/5, scored the piece at approximately 1 1/2 inches from both ends and then used the 1" round punch on both ends, and attached the middle portion of the white strip to the back of Santa. Then I was able to slip the candy cane stick through the two circles to hold it in place. The candy cane stick was one of those fabulous finds at the Dollar Tree, where they are 2 for $1....Put the whole thing in a clear gift bag and tied it off with Real Red grosgrain ribbon... DONE!!!! I am making them for my students and for my grand kids....they are so very quick and easy!!!! Try 'em, you'll like 'em!!! LOL

Shannon's 2nd birthday card...a lil bit of a mix...

So Shannon, the youngest grandchild, turns 2 this month and we celebrated her birthday this past weekend. She, as many children do, loves Dora...so I tried my best to give her a Dora card...so I used my Sock Monkey set from Stampin' Up! and a few odds and ends stamps I have collected over the years....Unfortunately, I did not pay enough attention to the BOOTS on the monkey in the invitation - whose name is BOOTS - duh! - I should have free handed a set of boots and put them on my purple monkey! Oh well...tomorrow's another day!! I used SU paper (of course - its the best!!!), Yoyo Yellow, Pink Passion, Confetti White and Whisper White. The hat, the monkey and the cupcake are all cut out after I stamped them in black Stazon ink and colored them with markers and watercolor crayons in the following colors: yoyo yellow, pink passion, creamy caramel, barely banana, real red, pumpkin pie, lovely lilac, pale plum, certainly celery, bravo burgundy, and real rust. Then I threw in a set of booglie eyes for good measure. Not 100% pleased with the results but Shannon liked it -that's all that matters!

I'm back...

I cannot believe how sick I have been...I had to leave school early on Wednesday, the 26th (and we had a 1/2 day to boot, dang it!)...and I was sick all through Thanksgiving, and the subsequent shopping days...and I had to take off sick days from school through Wednesday December 3rd...and I was STILL sick when I went back Thursday...ey yi yi!!! So then you have to fight back that lethargy that comes from being wiped out with illness...I would get home and go right back to bed...and I slept a lot this past weekend...and I have SO many things to do...I really didn't need to be sick right now...not that any time is good, but this was really really bad timing...AND I totally missed Thanksgiving dinner with my family (and by the time I could eat - I missed ALL the dinner - really bites, 'scuse my french)....not something to make me feel any better about the holidays, I must say.....so, anyway - I am finally back....and trying to get a bazillion things done all at once...but believe me....I am so GLAD to be back!